For Gracie

Here is a picture of your favorite northern uncle.  Your dad told me you sometimes read this blog – you must be the smartest 2 year old ever!

And here is a picture of a puppy.  Well she is not a puppy and lately she has been acting like a very old dog.  And she kinda stinks – that is why she has a plastic orange hunting color. :-) 

Winter Bins

It rained yesterday and today.  This is a good thing!  Winter is on its way out hopefully.  I’m clearing memory cards and charging camera batteries to get ready for Mexico.  I’m kinda sad about deciding to leave my new camera at home, but my Olympus is full of sand from trips to Mexico and FL and my new camera is too new/nice to get if full of sand!

Here is a picture from a little over a week ago.  An hoarfrost Sunday morning. I liked the numbered bins – very Pottery Barn like.  HaHa!

18/365 ...

I came, I tried, I sucked, I quit!

I have decided to stop my 365 project. I made it a few whole weeks. Great job Kelli. Ha!

I have numerous reasons… First, it is way too much of a commitment that I am not ready or willing to make. Second, I am not taking quality pictures – it’s more just quantity, which was not my original goal. And my reasons and/or excuses continue on from there. :-)

I do see the value in a 365 project because it pushes you to find beauty in everyday situations or to find cool things to photograph each and every day. Therefore, I did learn something in my 20 days!

The hoarfrost early this week was just awesome. I remember in my Climatology class taking notes specifically about what type of weather lead to hoarfrost because I wanted to know how to predict when I could get some cool pics. I really want to get hoarfrost pics at sunrise someday!

These pictures do not do justice to how pretty all the trees look coated in the little white icicles. I was in a GIS training course all day so I was unable to get out to any of the wide open spaces. These pictures were all taken in my alley right at sunset.

Here is a photo of the night before (Monday) as the hoarfrost was forming on the trees. This photo may or may not have been taken on a late evening stroll to get junk food… I have the worst time returning home from vacation. It doesn’t matter whether it is a big vacay (like FL or Mexico) or if its just a few days in the big city eating sushi and such!



At least I made it to the gym before I had to have a late night junk food fix. :-)

11/365 – 17/365

Wow.  This little take a picture a day project is really making me aware of how fast each day goes by and how fast each day becomes a week or two!

School is back on and I am not at all in my groove yet.  I’m taking a break right now from writing my first review paper of the semester– which is due by midnight… :-)  I really have no clue what I am writing about in my review.  I’m hoping it will come to me asap!

11/365

Last Monday I flew to Minneapolis for a few days of training.  Flying out of our little airport is usually pretty interesting.  This day it was uneventful but the runway view from the boarding area made me laugh.  I think the flat land of the north commonly looks like the end of the earth.  :-) 

12/365

Tuesday I was in training all day and then it was off to Mall of America in the evening.  (actually I was at the mall within hours of landing in Minneapolis the day before!)  The training coordinators chose a great hotel very close to the MOA with a direct shuttle bus.  I was very appreciative of this hotel and shuttle!  The shuttle bus driver said that MOA attracts more people than Orlando every year!  This picture is of the carousel at the amusement park in the middle of the mall.  

13/365

Wednesday was the final day of training and Dylan arrived Wednesday afternoon.  After the training I had to take a short nap because my brain was fried from the training.  I also had to take a nap because I was cranky – I know I’m such a wonderful wife.  HA!!  My loving husband just drove 5+ hours to be welcomed by a cranky wife. :-)  In my defense, I was stressed because I hadn’t had the time to search the internet for the #1 sushi place in Minneapolis.  Searching the internet for cool restaurants and off-the-beaten path type places in kinda my travel OCD. :-)

In the end, I didn’t need to be so stressed about finding us the best sushi.  We found a pretty good place and had a great time in a neat little neighborhood.

14/365

Thursday was a full on shopping day.  We hit up IKEA right away.  I was so excited to show Dylan all the fun things I had found a few days earlier.  We spent 4+ hours in IKEA!  We also hit up the mall and REI.  The mall was okay, but REI was awesome.

Thursday night we enjoyed a few (free) cocktails at the hotel bar/reception and then hopped on the lightrail toward downtown Minneapolis.  This time we found a neat (and very tasty) Irish pub.  Downtown Minneapolis was a lot of fun late into Thursday night/Friday morning. 

At the end of the night I could not stop laughing at the timestamp on our lightrail tickets.  I felt so young and hip seeing 3:42 AM!  :-)  Such a fun, fun night!

15/365

Friday was a more educational day.  We toured the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.  It was a great museum with a rather impressive collection.  We wondered around for quite awhile.  I love doing stuff like this with Dylan!

I was not sure if I was allowed to take pictures inside the museum, but I really wish I would have tried to sneak a few.

 

Friday night was a bit more mellow than Thursday night, but it was also an awesome time.  We returned to the neat little neighborhood we found on sushi night.  This time we returned for Indian food.  It was tasty.

Funny note about Friday night:  we missed the lightrail by seconds just like you would see in the movies (bells ringing alerting riders of the approaching train and us sprinting toward the train station).  The next train wasn’t for 25 minutes (I think).  It was one of the moments in life when you realize you are with the person that God made for you…  Dylan and I just laughed and laughed and laughed while we stood outside in the cold with no gloves (we both managed to lose our gloves the night before) and waited for the next train.

16/365

Saturday we packed up for home.  We stopped along the way at an outlet mall people rave about.  I was skeptical because we did just visit the largest freaking mall in America!!!  Basically, we never need to return to the MOA because we now know of one of the best outlet malls in America.  Go figure!

17/365

Sunday we stayed around the house.  Both of us were spent from all the walking and running from the past few days.  The pups were happy to be home and back on their blankets.

Alright I have to get back to my paper so I am done for tonight.  I also want some extra time to edit the hoarfrost pictures I took late this afternoon.  Hoarfrost is our little gift for living with the cold temps and I just love it on the trees!! 

8/365 – 10/365

8/365 was a hockey night.  We walk to the games because the arena is not too far from our house.  Friday night we pretty much ran to the game because it was somewhere around 40 below.  It’s a tricky run because some sidewalks aren’t shoveled very well and it’s icy.  It’s also kind of a workout!

9/365 was a very special day in our house.  Dylan (and I) bought our new boat!!  This boat has been talked about for years and the time finally came Saturday morning.  Dylan loves to fish and I love to be on the water so we agreed on a fish and ski combo.

The boat is in Iowa until March so it hasn’t yet sunk in for me.  However, Dylan is pretty happy right now and I’m sure he will be absolutely giddy come March!  Overall, I feel very blessed to have our little lake place and our new boat.

10/365 was a common Sunday.  The day was uneventful until this afternoon… Meeka and I went outside to take pictures as Dylan was finishing snowblowing/shoveling.  Dylan and Meeka began playing around in the snow when all of the sudden Meeka started acting very strange.  She got progressively worse very quickly.  It was very scary to watch what we think was a seizure.  We brought her inside and we laid her on the kitchen floor.  She did not look like her normal self at all.  After awhile we thought she was doing better but then she seemed to have another seizure…  We had no idea what to do.  It was so scary.

Tonight Meeka appears to be fine and she is acting like her normal self – the lovable and loyal lab.  She has had a small seizure like episode before when she hit her head on the concrete slab and today she hit her head on Dylan’s goggles while they were playing.  We are hoping she just knocked herself silly like she has done in the past.

Either way, I am very thankful Meeka seems to be doing better.  I don’t know what we would do without our lovable lab and cranky daschund!! :-)

I’m off to Minneapolis for work and Dylan is meeting me there later in the week.  I’m excited to spend some time together in the big city! :-
)

6/365 & 7/365

Funny note about my 2010 word of ‘grow’.  The root of it is that I want to grow as a person on the inside…  As soon as Dylan heard my word he quickly rebutted with ‘well I hope not out of your pants!’  Yes dear, I hope not out of my pants as well!!  After all, not growing out of my pants is a default New Years resolution that does not need to be noted or stated.  Its just a given!  :-)

Snow and seashells are not typically found together.  However, this winter has brought snow to Texas and Florida residents are currently freeeeezing.  I know about those cold Floridians because Kyle keeps telling me how much everyone is complaining about the 50 degree temps.  However, I’m pretty sure he is complaining a little too even though he won’t admit it to me!

Anyway, these shells and snow signify one thing…  We booked our annual winter trip to visit the sand and sun!!!  We are off to Mexico!  Well not now, but soon enough!

We are going with three other couples to Cozumel.  I don’t think Dylan nor I would have originally chosen Cozumel, but in the end I think it’s going to be great!  I just care about the sun and sand… all the rest is just icing on the cake. :-)

Now back to our currently reality, it was finally our day to have our street cleared from the latest snow.  This may sound like nothing special, but trust me the walls of snow are dangerous to drive among!  You can’t see anything!

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I have no idea where the city puts all of this snow they haul away.  Some people think they drop it in (actually on the river because the river is frozen solid) the river – wonder if Canada knows this?  Remember the Red River majorly floods EVERY YEAR and it flows north!

I’m going to end my night by listening to Dylan yell at the tv.  He is not usually one of those type of guys but tonight is the big Texas versus Alabama championship football game. Its been a big week for sports in our house!  Hook ‘em Horns!! 

4/365 & 5/365

This is the exact reason I did not set any rules for my little 365 project… :-)  I did not feel well yesterday and I came home early from work today.  However, I did take a picture(s) yesterday and I took a few today as well.

Yesterday, my goal was to think of a word that I wanted to represent 2010 for myself – seems to kinda be the trend this New Year as apposed to all the resolutions!  From that word I then wanted to take a picture relating to my word. 

I came up with GROW.  I then took this picture of my dusty office plant (our house plants actually grow quite well!).  I hope to elaborate more on my word, but not tonight...

Today, my picture was all about my favorite northern necessities.  Uggs.

 

I don’t care if they are ugly.  I don’t care if they are last season, five seasons ago or never in season.  They are warm!!

I think northerners should be given a free pass in regards to style during winter.  At least a free pass for the days when the high temperature is barely above zero (not above freezing, above zero!) i think we should only have to worry about being warm – not warm and stylish! :-)   Hopefully, my cute scarves and hats make up for my somewhat stylish/somewhat ugly boots!

In other northern news, the USA Junior Hockey team (under 20) just won the World Juniors!!!  Against Canada!  In overtime.  I think I should take a picture of the tv right now to document this day for Dylan. :-)  One of the best players on the USA team is a UND freshman and the USA coach was a longtime UND coach.  Pretty cool!  In the hockey world, this win is big news. 

3/365

One of my favorite things about the weekend is our morning trip to Starbucks.  We usually get there about the same time every Saturday and Sunday, meaning we often see the same people every weekend.  One group of people is rather different (or at least rather different from us)… lets just say they bring dolls with them to morning coffee and they do NOT bring children to play with the dolls.  I really have no idea what it is all about, but we see this group almost every weekend!

Neither Dylan or I order anything fancy so I’m not sure why we both like our Starbucks weekend run, but we both miss it during the lake season.  However, I’m guessing I miss it a little more than Dylan does. :-)

Dylan doesn’t like this picture because the Sioux hockey headline is blurry while the NDSU headline is not. :-)  I originally tried to take a picture of the Starbucks street sign as it sits just above the 12’ snow drift in the parking lot, but it just looked like a heap of dirty snow.

I’m off to edit and upload NYE pictures.  This should be fun!

And I need to organize my new iPod for the gym tomorrow night.  That won’t be as much fun.

2/365

It’s another cold day today so my pictures were limited to the indoors due to the record low temps.   The albedo effect was very intense today making for very intense lighting and shadows.  Funny thing about the bright sun and clear skies is that it tricks my brain into thinking it is nice outside… not so much though! 

Today I wanted to take pictures of just Lizzie because there are far fewer pictures of Lizzie since Meeka joined the family.  Everyone always gushes about how pretty Meeka is and I always feel bad for our crabby, bossy, stubborn and stinky mini daschund. :-) 

But these two dogs both love the sun at the back door and they are both curious about the other’s doing at all times.  So naturally Meeka ended up in pictures too.

  

1/365

This is quintessential North Dakota.  Freezing cold temps and the oddest stores like Home of Economy or Fleet Farm!  At Fleet Farm you can buy groceries, horse supplies, tile for the bathroom, fishing tackle and somewhat normal clothing.  It’s odd.  Very odd. 

Today was my first visit to Fleet Farm and it was all about finding Dylan some crank baits (fishing tackle) for spring fishing.

These temp readings were in the car driving back from our New Years Eve activities in Lisbon, ND and then about 1/2 hour later at a local bank to verify the temp.  Currently it is –26!  Without wind chill.

Did I mention we were welcomed home to a furnace that was not working?  The poor furnace repair man (afterhours of course!) said he was very busy tonight.  Ours was an easy fix, thankfully.