Nothing says love like a ...vacuum?

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone! I hope the day is filled with fun and love (of any kind). B has to work today, and we are house hunting later, so we celebrated with a "date" last night. Really, our date consisted of grocery shopping, dinner at Taste of India (if you have never eaten there, check it out - it's fantastic), and more shopping at Sears, where we made our first major purchase together - a vacuum (after research and much appreciated advice, we went with a Dyson Animal, which was on sale - thanks all)!

That's right, I took B to Sears for Valentine's Day - obviously I know how to woo the ladies. I mean, nothing says love like some powerful suction...oh wait, that's a post for a different kind of blog! :) Anyway, while we were at Sears, we also looked at tons of other appliances, trying to price out what things might cost if we need to replace/upgrade when we buy the new house. We also purchased some cute outfits for B's nephews. Really, despite what it sounds like, it was a really fun night, and it made me excited for the future. Ten years ago, I think I would have laughed if someone told me I would be happy about looking at stoves, freezers, grills and refrigerators, but I was. Good times for sure!

Holy Deliciousness!

Last Friday night, B and I went to what is probably my favorite restaurant in downtown Minneapolis - the M & S Grill. B had never been before, and as I had to work late, I figured we should stay downtown and enjoy a good meal. And honestly, it was an AWESOME meal and date.

To start the meal, I ordered an excellent chopped salad, and then I had a petite filet mignon, medium rare. Perfect - melt in your mouth perfect. B ordered the New York strip and a caprese salad - also fantastic. We shared parmesan crusted hash browns and green beans, and to complete the meal, we also shared creme brulee (quite possibly my favorite dessert) and a wonderful apple pie topped with cinnamon ice cream. It was like I had died and gone to food heaven. I completely blew off Weight Watchers and enjoyed every single bite. Fabulous! If you are ever looking for a place to eat in downtown Mpls, I really recommend the M & S Grill. I normally don't recommend chains, but I make an exception for this place (plus, it's not like an Applebees or TGI Fridays type of chain). Seriously. They also do a fabulous lunch - check them out some time!

In other good news, B and I saved money at the M & S Grill because I recently learned about a fantastic website: http://www.restaurant.com/. If you've never tried the website, definitely check it out. You can buy $25 gift cards to many restaurants for only $10 (I'm pretty sure you can buy gift cards for different amounts too). We saved $15 just by visiting the website. What a great deal! I believe they feature restaurants all over the country, but you'll have to verify if that's true for your area. A warning - avoid doing what I did, which was thinking I could buy and use 3 certificates at one time. It turns out you can only use one certificate per visit (I'm not sure what I was thinking when I thought I could use more than one - I guess I was just really excited to save money!). In good news, after I bought three but could only use one, I called customer service to see if they could help me fix my mistake. Voila, just like that, I had two credits for future gift cards waiting for me in my inbox. Wow! Great deals AND customer service! I honestly forgot both things can still co-exist. :) Anyway, next time you are getting ready to go out for dinner, check out www.restaurant.com; perhaps you can save a little money and enjoy a good meal. I hope it works well for you too!

Oscar - Just say no to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

B and I went on a date to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button on Friday night. I was excited to see it because I had been looking forward to it since I saw the previews. Looking back, I don't know why I was excited, as I've never been a big Brad Pitt fan. And after seeing the movie, I have only one thing to say to Oscar - Just Say No to Benjamin Button!

First, Brad Pitt really has no depth. Obviously he is good looking - that's not in question. But I just felt no warmth from him whatsoever, and his acting seems...average at best. Second, there was no chemistry between him and Cate Blanchett. When she and Brad were supposed to be intimate, I actually wanted to shout out, get off of her! It just felt really dirty and icky. I normally love Cate Blanchett, so I'm not sure it was her...I just think it was a complete lack of chemistry. Ick, ick, icky! Third, the movie was just too long. They could have cut an hour without damage, honestly. Fourth, the story...I just couldn't connect with it. I can normally let go and just go with the story, but I couldn't with this one. Really, I can sum up feelings about this movie by saying just this - boo to Benjamin Button!

Speaking of movies, what is up with all the Oscar films being so...depressing? My mom always says that too many movies are downers, and I used to argue with her about that. Now I am starting to agree - who wants to go to the movies to watch awfulness? I mean, some stories need to be told (Holocaust movies for instance), but really, can we just have some joyous, non violent, good movies? Perhaps I should ditch law and head off to Hollywood. My movies might suck (I've never been much of a storyteller or a writer), but at least they wouldn't make you want to slit your wrists!

A glimpse of parenthood

Last weekend, B and I watched her nephews Charlie and Mathis on Saturday night. Mathis only stayed for a few hours, and Charlie stayed over for the night. I love when we watch the boys, but it definitely gives me a glimpse of the future, aka PARENTHOOD! I think B and I do quite well with the boys, especially B (she really is much better). However, I think I might wind up being too much of a softy. An example: I was in charge of Charlie by myself on Sunday morning. I made him pancakes for breakfast. He barely ate anything, so I asked him if he wanted something different. He turned to me and said, macaroni and cheese. Now, it was only about 8 am at this point, so really, it was too early for mac and cheese. Being the sucker I am however, I went back into the kitchen and proceeded to make mac and cheese for breakfast! What a pushover! In my defense, he had been sick for a few weeks before, and I wanted him to eat something, no matter what it was. Still...weak!

Obviously Charlie is not my son, and I think it's okay for him to have fun with us; the home rules don't necessarily need to be enforced strictly here (within reason of course). However, as I made mac and cheese at 8 am, I worried that maybe I will be too easy on my own kids. I like to think I won't, but it's hard to say. I do know I won't have time to make multiple meals (well, really, B will be cooking), I will want clear rules, etc. Regardless, I can see how easy it is to let the child run the show...if he's happy, I am happy, at least in the short run. The problem is the long run...it will be our job to set boundaries and rules so our kids grow up to be decent people. That will mean making decisions that bring tears and arguments, and as the kids get older, it will mean slamming doors and the silent treatment. Through it all, it will be our job to stay strong and draw the line...no mac and cheese in the morning is just the beginning. Scary, exciting stuff, and I'm excited to begin that journey some day.

B and I are buying a house!

Big news - B and I are buying a house together this summer! I'm so excited I can hardly stand it, and I think she feels the same way. It's such a big step, but I feel completely confident that it's the right choice. She and I have been solid for a long time, and she's the real deal. Wedding bells might be ringing in the near future, but I can't give too much away online, as she is one of my 3 readers! Anyway, I can't wait to begin the next stage of our lives together, and that will involve moving in together for real (we live together now, but I'm still on the lease for the Saint Paul apartment too - most of my stuff is still there).

We started the process by looking at houses online, and then today we drove around and checked out some places too. We want to buy in Saint Louis Park or Minneapolis, and we spent most of today in SLP. We saw tons of places, many in our price range, but we only went to two open houses (both not the houses for us). We don't want to close until mid-June, so it's probably a little too early to be looking really seriously, but we wanted to get an idea of what kind of house we can afford, where we want to live, etc. My mom, a former realtor, said many more houses should be coming on the market next month, so that's also great news! I'm super excited for the whole process, and I can't wait to get started!

As I noted above, we are looking at SLP. That's right, we are considering a suburb. I never thought that would happen, and I will be SAD to leave the city if we decide to do so. However, there are good reasons to choose SLP - proximity to B's family and job, proximity to downtown, the schools, the JCC (I love, love, love belonging there - so much so that B says I should be in their next promotional piece), the nicer houses, etc. Still, I've been a city girl for a long time now, and it will be hard to leave that behind. Plus, I have to leave my beloved LRT as well...I guess I will have to bus it if we move out there. Definitely doable, but not ideal. Anyway, we haven't decided for sure where we will wind up, but there is definitely a chance I'll be going back to my suburban roots. Gasp! Let the mocking begin!

As we begin this process, B and I are open to your tips, advice, suggestions, etc. Specifically, we need a good exclusive buyer's agent, so if you have any recommendations for someone, please pass them on. We also need an attorney who does GLBT partnership work, so if you know someone for that, please share as well (unfortunately, my law degree will not help me in that area, and it's too important to screw up). Also, please know that we will be talking about houses, realtors, and everything related for the next six months. I apologize in advance, but that's just how it will be. :) Thanks for your support and patience as we begin this amazing journey together. Woo hoo - that's the best I can capture how excited we truly are, at least for tonight, as I'm quite tired. WOO HOOOOOO! :)

PS - thank you to my parents for all their support and help through this process! I am truly blessed.

Christmas Tree 2008

My Christmas tree is up for the season! I'm looking at it as I write this, and it looks great! I put it up last night, and B helped. She even turned on the Christmas tunes and made delicious hot chocolate with whip cream and sprinkles for the occasion. Also, she let me buy her a Christmas stocking. My poor Jewish girlfriend - what a great sport! We plan to put out the menorah for Hanukkah too, but it's not time for that yet. Regardless, I'm really lucky she indulges my love of Christmas, as if she didn't, I think I would feel pretty sad. I think Tony would be sad too, as he loves eating the tree. The artificial tree. Let's just say he tends to vomit green during the holiday season. Good stuff!
Speaking of Tony, he is doing quite well at B's. He's still not a fan of Matty (he hisses and bats at the poor dog regularly), but he and Elijah are good pals. He is currently sitting next to me purring. Life can't be too rough, dog or no dog. Also, he still hasn't pooped anywhere outside the litter box (knock on wood). However, we will be pushing our luck this next weekend, as both B and I will be leaving town again (B to Florida, me to Massachusetts). That will be the second weekend in a row we are gone...there could certainly be a PLOG update next week. I'm optimistic that won't happen, but then again, who knew he would poop on my bed everyday for weeks at a time? :) Fingers crossed for a clean bed on Sunday night!

My vote goes to the candidate who supports 3 day weekends!

Honestly, I might be able to put politics aside to vote for someone who pledged to implement mandatory, permanent 3 day weekends. Two days just aren't enough to get everything done, have fun, and rest. Hell, three might not even be enough. Let's go for four! Okay, okay, I'll settle for three. We do need some form of an economy in America after all...

This weekend was once again filled with activities. On Friday night, B and I went to the Twins game for the second time in one week. This time, we didn't bring good luck, and the Royals smoked the Twins 7 to 1 or something close to that. Ouch. Liriano looked awful, which might not bode well for the playoffs. I mean post season. Sorry B. Regardless, I still believe they can make it - Go Twins! Also, go Tigers, beat White Sox! Woo hoo!

On Saturday, B and I lazed around my place a bit and then ran a few errands. Later on, we got dressed up for our evening activities: dinner at Bellanotte and then Cirque du Soleil: Saltimbanco! It was a great date - great food and a great show. I had never seen any Cirque show, and B had always wanted to go, so I ordered tickets long ago. I really wasn't sure what to expect, but it was truly quite amazing. The performers did things that simply seem impossible: trapeze artists flying through the air and catching each other by their ankles with no nets below, climbing poles and hanging off them by their feet, crazy tricks on a bicycle, a man balancing in the air by holding onto another guy's head, and flying through the air over stacked people off of a swing amongst other things. Simply amazing. The performers have to be both incredibly strong and totally graceful all at once - not an easy combination to master! If you have a chance, I highly recommend checking out any Cirque show. Definitely better than any circus I've ever seen! :)

I slept in late on Sunday, and that was really nice. Definitely needed I guess. Finally finished the antibiotics for the sinus infection, and I swear it's still lingering. Maybe it's allergies. Anyway, after I woke up, I headed out to Chaska to visit my parents and especially my mom, who had her surgery on Wednesday. She seems to be in great shape, compared to her knee surgery anyway. Her pain seems manageable, and she's in good spirits. This is quite the relief, considering how awful things went after the knee replacement. Please continue to send good thoughts her way as she recovers!

While in Chaska, Dad and I stopped over at the church festival in town (for the parish I grew up in - my parents still belong). Immediately upon arrival, I ran into a grade school classmate. It's definitely a small world - great to see her. We also saw a bunch of other familiar faces, and I enjoyed a greasy homemade cheeseburger. Awesome. It's crazy how things change but stay the same all at once.

After the festival and a bit more time at my parents', I stopped at Target for groceries and a few other necessaries and then headed to B's. Once there, I made dinner, did some laundry, and did the dishes. Now it's already quite late, and I feel like I need an extra day. Thus the title for today's post. Two days simply aren't enough. I think we should all revolt and demand more leisure time. Together, we can do it! Ha. A girl can dream...from her office on Monday morning! :)

PS: An early Shana Tova to B and all my Jewish friends!

Happy Birthday, Beth!

Beth turned 30 today! We had a very nice date - Indian food and then cheesecake factory for dessert. Oh, and she looked super hot in her outfit. ;) It was an excellent date, and I think she had a good time too. Happy birthday, honey!

The perfect date

Beth and I went to the state fair on Monday night, and it was probably the best date I've ever been on. This is true despite having a bad cold! I'm not exactly sure what made it so great, meaning I don't know if I can capture it in words, but it really was just about perfect.

We ate a TON of food (sharing almost all of it): corn dogs, cheese on a stick, fries (these were just me), cheese curds, apple cider, caramel apples, pineapple ice cream, and an Italian sausage. I think that was it, as if that's not enough! Everything was good, but someone needs to explain to Minnesotans that a proper Italian sausage requires the peppers and onions to be GRILLED. That was disappointing, but it didn't wreck it completely.

We hit up many of the buildings, including Education, Creative Activities, Food, and Merchandise. I always love seeing the goofy stuff at the fair - crop art, random crap that you see on TV, clothing, you name it and the fair probably has it! We also watched part of the Brandi Carlile concert, and that was excellent. I really, really love her music, and she puts on a nice show. We just watched from the street, and it was nice to not be in the big crowd. After that, we rode the Skyride Tram, and it was really neat to see the fair from above at night - great colors, and we could also see the Minneapolis skyline. Quite romantic, and just all around fun!

To end the evening, we went through more buildings and then the animal buildings. What doesn't say romance like the swine barn I tell you. We know how to rock it. In all seriousness though, the night was basically perfect. Perfect company, great food, picture perfect weather, romance, all around awesomeness! :)

Kids really do say the funniest things

Last night, Beth was watching her nephew, Charlie. She brought him over so we could all go swimming in the pool, and then we ate dinner afterward. Everything went quite well, and he is a very well behaved little guy. However, as we were driving home, he said something that made me laugh so hard I couldn't breathe.

As we were driving, he was sort of struggling a bit in his carseat, and then he said it hurts. B said, what hurts? He then said in a totally calm way, "my penis hurts." Now, I think it's great that his parents have taught him about his body parts, etc. Really, that's great. But it still made me bust out laughing - he said it in such a matter of fact way and he was so sincere. Adults just don't say things like that, and that's one of the reasons I love kids so much. They are honest, sincere, and don't care what the world thinks. That's what makes them great! :)

Matty keeps kosher!

Beth is out of town this weekend, so I'm watching Matty. I brought her to my mom's birthday party last night, as I knew we would be outside most of the evening and I thought she would have a good time. Indeed, she did, as she was able to run around within a fenced area and she received tons of attention from different people. Also, mom gave her some treats, which she liked for the most part. Just not the pig's ear. At first, she happily accepted it. However, instead of lying down to enjoy it, she suddenly started pacing the yard along the fence, appearing sort of anxious. Finally, after a few minutes of this, she went to a corner and actually buried it! It was quite funny to watch, and I really couldn't believe she did it, as she normally wolfs down treats. The only conclusion we all came to is that she was attempting to keep kosher by avoiding pork products; that must have been it. B would be so proud of her good Jewish dog!

Adventures with Matty

As a child, I loved dogs. My first pet was a great golden retriever named Dixie, and I will always have a soft spot for her in my heart. We also had other dogs over the years, and I loved them all. Despite these positive experiences, I haven't been particularly enamored with dogs over the last few years. I would even go as far as saying that at times, I considered dog ownership to be a deal breaker or at least a road block for romantic relationships. It's not that I dislike them per se. Some of them just scare me, and even if I wanted one, my lifestyle is better suited to cat ownership. I love Tony, and that's good enough for me.

However, dating Beth has allowed me to love dogs again, or at least her dog, Matty. I love taking her for walks, car rides, or trips to the dog park. She's super sweet and a big ball of energy and fun. Hanging around her makes me think I might want a dog again someday, and it's been a lot of fun...for the most part.

Why only for the most part? Well, Matty has had some adventures lately. For instance, as Beth and I were driving home, we turned the corner onto her street and who do we see just wandering around? Matty. She crawled under the fence and was checking out the streets of Minneapolis on her own. Swell.

Another example: we took her to the dog park on Sunday morning, and because some idiot left BOTH gates open (we think that had to be on purpose, because who is that dumb? Seriously.), she was once again running free. This time, we were near the river, which made me nervous because I didn't know if she would try to go swimming (she loves to swim). Fortunately, she did not go swimming, and after a lot of running around by both Beth and me, I eventually caught her (by trickery, not by speed - she is crazy fast and I'm...well, let's just say I'm not).

Final example: Matty loves to play with any kind of ball at any time. However her idea of play seems to be destruction, since she destroys them approximately five seconds after she catches them. Thus, it's best that she remain separated from them for the most part. Fast forward to Sunday, when Matty, who was out in the dog run, saw B and I kicking a soccer ball around in her back yard, which is separated from the dog run by a fence. Or so we thought. Suddenly, Matty was out in the yard chasing the ball around like a crazy fool. She somehow managed to squeeze herself through the deck steps and out into the yard. This is bad news because if she remembers how to do that, she can never be left alone as she could then squeeze herself under the fence and out into the big world (see example 1).

Every time something like this happens, poor Beth becomes physically ill with worry, and it doesn't make me feel too great either. Matty is a decent size dog, but she wouldn't fare well against cars or other vehicles, and she seems a bit fearless as well. Not a good combination for a dog running free. I just hope that luck continues to follow her and that she stays safe, not only for Beth's sake, but for mine too. Despite my initial reservations, that dog has wormed her way into my heart. :)

Vescio's sure is loud...

At least when you are on a date and you are seated next to someone who just might be the loudest woman alive. Period.

Poor Beth and I went to Vescio's last night to celebrate my last night of class. It was supposed to be a nice, somewhat romantic evening (it is sort of a senior citizen joint so there can only be so much romance I suppose). We were seated at what seemed like a nice table - in the corner by the window, but little did we know that we would soon be yelling back and forth at each other across the table.

Honestly, I heard every word uttered by the woman at the next table, and she made some interesting statements to say the least. Let's just say she was quite...opinionated. Also, somewhat vulgar and lacking good grammar skills. She also lacked math skills, as evidenced by her 10 minute speech on the bill. She totally killed the mood, and we just ate our food quickly. We even skipped dessert, which is tough to do when creme brulee is an option. At one point, the server actually asked us if we wanted to move, but I didn't think we could pull that off without being totally rude. Plus, I think we still would have heard from across the room! Other patrons also noticed her and made faces at her, and yet she blathered on and on and on...they were there when we arrived and still there when we left. Sad.

Anyway, Beth was going to take me to Zeno for dessert (which was very sweet of her), but I suddenly felt very sleepy and we just went back to her place for a nap. Such is life; I'm sure there will be time for romance (hopefully in a somewhat quiet location) another day! :)