7 Days Left

Our time here in White Bear Lake has ended. Half of our vacation is over and now, after a brief visit to Stillwater to say goodbye to the kids, we're heading down to Chicago for a few days.

This past week we spent time with family, tried to see as many people as we can, and constantly seemed to be on the go. I think Chicago will probably be just as busy. Lotsa people to see, and lotsa things to do.

Stay Tuned...

Verbal Postcards

So we're experimenting with a new digital camera this trip and unfortunately we don't have a cable to upload pics right now. In lieu of actual pics I will now attempt to describe several memorable, some boring snapshots of our holiday trip so far...

Sara and I meet up with Sara's very pregnant best friend, Katie, for lunch at Donatelli's. Apparently the owner of this Italian eatery has adopted the classic cartoon character The Pink Panther as his unofficial mascot. The stained-glass windows, the chandeliers and - most impressive of all - a full blown Xmas mural utilizing Pink Panther stuffed animals in several winter scenes. Pink Panther Santa. Pink Panther elves in the workshop. Pink Panther hunters huddled together around a fire. Bizare!

Sara and I met up with her High School sweetheart and his wife at the 617, a local bar here in White Bear Lake. We huddled around our table in a red leather booth sipping beer and feeling each other out. Then the party continued back to their place where we ate freshly baked cookies and jammed on Guitar Hero! Lots of fun!

The Nelson Family Xmas was an event to be remembered! A room full of smiles, and champagne glasses. White Elephant gifts exchanged. Seats were wetted with Xmas cheer!

Hope you enjoy your holidays! We'll post pics when we get a chance.

The Land of 10,000 FROZEN Lakes!

Well we arrived safely here in White Bear Lake, Minnesota.

The 1st day was a cake walk. Traffic was light. Weather was good. We managed to get to Chicago in just around 12 hours. We stayed in for a quiet night with friends, hoping to get an early start on the 2nd day.

Day number 2 was slightly less smooth-going. Snow drifts. Wind gusts. Frozen roadways. Dirty windshields! They all worked together to try and stop our progress. We would not be daunted. We pushed on and arrived in Minnesota around 6 Sunday night; road weary and freezing. (The car's outdoor temperature gauge didn't read above zero the whole drive. Brrrrr!)

Road Trip!

So we're packing our bags and heading to the Midwest! We, Sara & I, will be spending the holidays in Minnesota with the In-Laws. Tomorrow morning we're gonna wake up and hit the road at the butt crack of dawn. Driving my mom's borrowed CR-V. Xmas music blaring on the radio. The wife and dog along for the ride. Hopefully we'll get through the journey without meeting much of the winter weather.

Keep your fingers crossed!

Subbing...

Sometimes I look forward to my substitute teaching day, Tuesdays. Yesterday I was in a high school class and during the course of the day I:

• baked and decorated holiday cookies.
• played Dodge Pin during PE.
• ate lunch and talked football with some students.
• sat in with the chess club.
• played another round of Dodge Pin. (I was on break and I saw another class playing.)

It was a fun day, even if I didn't work on many academics. All though I am really sore from my 60 minutes of combined Dodge Pin.

I'm Torn

On the one hand I'm sad that someone would throw their shoes at our Commander In Chief - on the other hand I'm sad because I would have liked to see the penny loafers bounce off of his knobby head!

Are you kidding me?

She offered to pay us to do some yard work and rake the leaves in their yard. At the time it seemed like and insane amount for the task. I said, "Sure we'll do it, Ma."

Now, after close to 9 hours of yard work over 2 days I realize it wasn't nearly enough. It was an incredibly overwhelming job for 2 people with a rake, and a leaf blower/mulcher between them. Sara and I put in 6 hours on Saturday, and then got up and threw in another 3 hours or so on Sunday and the yard still looks like someone should rake it. That yard will never be leaf free.

It's impossible.

I have to think that it was at least 2 years worth of dead leaves if not more. The leaves were so thick that the blower was close to useless. The leaves would just shift and then fall back to the carpet of leaves covering the grass. Frustratingly slow going. It felt like trying to dig a hole in the ocean... with a spoon. This job needed an army of professional landscapers with leaf-blowers, a riding mower and more expertise than the wife and I possess.

When all was said and done we left the house dead tired with numb arms, blistered hands, and aching backs. We bagged close to 30 bags, 45 gallons each, and dumped another 14 blanket loads of leaves -figure 2 bags per dump - into the Chesapeake. We have both developed an intense hatred of yard work. Autumn used to be our favorite season and we looked forward to the falling leaves... now... I foresee many nights' sleep interrupted by screaming fits, and night panics. "Get them off me! Get them off me! Leaves! Leaves! I'm drowning in an endless sea of leaves!"

2nd Crisis Averted!

So we're house sitting this weekend. The wife and I drove all the way down to North Beach. As we pulled on the street where my folks live Sara asks, "Did you bring the keys?"

Luckily I was able to channel my inner cat burglar. We're sitting on their couch heating up dinner and anticipating a soak in the hot tub!

Crisis Averted!

The holiday show was a big success! I'll be having nightmares about the dress rehearsal until my dying day but the performance went well. The kids were happy! The parents were happy! The staff was happy! I was happy!

It's amazing. An entire semester of stress center on this one performance, this one day, and less than a half hour later all of that stress just floats away until next year.

Luckily, afterwards I was walking by the gym and I heard the Upper School playing Dodgeball. I snuck in the game and blew off some steam! (It was a dodgeball variation; knock down the opposing team's pins first.)

Calgon Take Me Away!

I really know how it feels to be, stressed out, stressed out

When youre face to face with your adversity

I really know how it feels to be, stressed out, stressed out

Were gonna make this thing work out eventually

-A Tribe Called Quest

Update with Links!

Here's what's happened since my last post:

• Brother and wife came into town to celebrate Thanksgiving. Spent the day down in North Beach flying a kite, drinking wine, eating turkey, playing Apples To Apples, and soaking in the hottub.
• Spent the rest of the weekend bundled up in my recliner fighting off the cold that's been trying to get the best of me.
• Finished reading Honeymoon With My Brother. It's an entertaining read. I would recommend it.
• Pushing through this week trying to get to our Holiday Show on Friday. I hope it works itself out. Stressing out!