A trip down memory lane

I was recently invited to participate in a panel at the College of Saint Benedict, my alma mater, to discuss what it was like to be a gay student and what it's now like to be a gay alum. I happily accepted the invitation, and I made the trek to central Minnesota last Monday. B, Michelle (another alum), and Michelle's girlfriend Bev joined me. We arrived with enough time to show B and Bev the campus a bit, which was fun. I hadn't been up there in years, and it was interesting to see that while many things have changed, many things have also stayed exactly the same. The sandwich shop that we used to eat at, BoDids, smelled EXACTLY the same. I also loved hearing the library bells...almost transported me back in time. Walking around campus definitely made me me feel old though, especially by the first year dorms. I guess that makes sense, as those students are 18 or 19 years old...young pups compared to my wise and seasoned 32 year old self - HA!

After we ate dinner and completed our mini-tour, it was time for Michelle and me to go speak. Surprisngly, there was a really good turnout! I'm guessing many of the students were required to attend for class, but who cares? At least there were people there. :) It was good to see, and I hope they took something from the presentation.

Not surprisingly, I spoke my mind about CSB and central Minnesota. It's probably important to note here that I was the "Big Lesbian On Campus" duing my sophomore, junior, and senior years, meaning I was out and very active in promoting equal rights for GLBT students. I was so out that if people hung out with me, they were presumed to be gay by default. :) Anyway, during the presentation, I noted that while I made some lifelong friends during my four years there, it was also a very difficult place to be as a lesbian at times. So difficult in fact that I often contemplated transferring to a different school and at times actually felt a bit unsafe. My friend's car was vandalized for having a rainbow sticker, and I was offered a security escort after Matthew Shepard was killed (because we were planning a rally to address that sort of violence). After recounting my difficulties, I specifically addressed any gay students in the audience and said, "if you are gay, get out of central Minnesota." LOL - I guess I was a little blunt. During the question and answer period, one student asked me why I felt the Twin Cities were better, and I then had to rattle off reasons such as, "it's bigger, more populated, diverse community filled with all sorts of people, more progressive attitudes, etc." I also stated that I felt safer in the South visiting family than I did in central Minnesota, which is true (though, I've never traveled alone in the south, and I've never been in the middle of nowhere in the south - I imagine I could rapidly become more scared down there). Anyway, after the follow up question, all I could picture was some headline in the student newspaper saying something like, "Alum tells students to get out of central Minnesota." Nice!

I often wonder if I'm generally too blunt about things, but after some thought on this presentation, I've decided I wasn't too blunt about CSB. I spoke MY truth about MY experience up there. I had a blast at college, but things certainly could have been a lot better too. No one should have to think about having a regular security escort or have to worry about being jumped late at night (that was over at St. John's more than St. Ben's, but still not cool). I shouldn't have had to be worried about harassment and staring, or hate-filled emails from other students. Alas, that was CSB in 1999, and unfortunately, it sounds like it was CSB during the early and mid-2000s and that it is still CSB now.

Despite the difficulties I had there, I'm glad I stayed and stood up for equality. Things will never change in places like that if people don't stay and fight (same goes for the Church - it won't change if all GLBTers abandon it, but that's not a fight I could stay in as I can't stand religion for the most part). Obviously, my life would have been much easier if I had transferred to Smith or St. Kates (the schools I wanted to attend), but I think CSB is a much more accurate reflection of the so-called real world. Most places aren't hotbeds of liberalism or equal rights activity, and I learned a lot of lessons while struggling to fit in in such a place. In Minneapolis/Saint Paul, I rarely worry about being gay - I hold B's hand in public, I kiss her, I call her my partner, girlfriend, fiancee, etc. without really worrying. Unfortuantely, I still don't feel comfortable or safe doing that in most places, including CSB and even my hometown in Carver County. So, what I'm trying to say is that I am glad I didn't transfer because CSB was good preparation for dealing with most of the country. I'm also glad I live in liberal cities now, as I don't think I have the energy to fight so hard on a daily basis in a different place. A girl can only do so much afterall!

All in all, it was great to be back at CSB, and it was great to be a part of the presentation. As I told B, Michelle, and Bev during the ride home, I think the trip up was worth it if we helped just one gay student. It was also worth it if even one straight student got the message and starts challenging his or her peers to be more accepting and kind. Hopefully we had that sort of impact, but I'll never know. Real change is often frustratingly slow, as it requires every single person to think about things in a different way. Regardless, I'm glad I went, and I'm hopeful that we made an impact, even if it was slight. One day at a time, right? :)

Family Fun (or Insanity)

This weekend has been filled with family fun and craziness. By some odd stroke of fate, B's entire family and my entire family were all in town this weekend, so we were crazy busy. B's family arrived Friday night, so she and I headed over to my apartment in Saint Paul for the night. I can't remember the last time I had slept there, but I do know that I LOVE LOVE LOVE my bed. So much so that I actually miss my bed. B's bed just can't compare. I can't wait until we finally combine our households permanently, as I will get to sleep on my bed all the time (if B will let us).

Anyway, we woke up early on Saturday morning to go see a few houses in NE Mpls (none that we want to buy), and then it was off to Chaska to visit with my family. It was great to be there with both my sisters present - that doesn't happen often. I really miss both of them. I actually miss my parents too, as I don't see them all that often. Sad, since they only live 45 minutes away. I should work on that I guess, but life has been crazy.

After lunch and some time hanging out (and meeting my mom's new cat), we went back to Mpls to have dinner with B's family. We went to Taste of India, which I really love. After that, we went back to the Mpls apartment (where we normally live) and hung out for a bit. We left there by 9, and I think I was sound asleep by 11 pm (in my awesome bed!).

Sunday, we had to wake up relatively early again, this time for Charlie's birthday party. I wasn't sure I would make it, as I was feeling really sick this morning, but I sucked it up and got ready (it didn't seem right to blow off a three year old's birthday party). The party was quite fun, and I'm glad I went. Charlie loved the Little Einsteins card we gave him - maybe more than some of the presents he received! Good stuff.

After the party, B, her sister Rachel, and I headed back to Saint Paul. Rachel's flight home isn't until 10:30 or so. My sister Samantha also joined us at the apartment for an hour or so before she had to catch her flight back to Seattle. We all played a little guitar hero (Rachel had never played before - a GH virgin! who knew such folks still existed?), and then it was time for Samantha to head out. I was sad to see her go. I wish she hadn't moved, but there's not much I can do about that. It sucks that both of my sisters live out of town. :(

Right now, I'm trying to do a few loads of laundry (we have about 3 million after a weekend of visitors) and B and Rachel are sitting on the couch watching The Holiday. Actually, it seems that Rachel has fallen asleep, and now B just told me she is going to take a nap too. I'm incredibly exhausted (and slightly crabby too), and I should probably nap as well. Probably won't happen though, as I want to finish this laundry before we head out for another dinner. I might wind up skipping the dinner altogether, as it's going to be at Benihana and I've already had a disastrous WW day. Sigh. I thought I might lose this week, but today probably killed that dream. No self control at Charlie's bday party. Oh well. Tomorrow is a new day!

Anyway, despite the craziness, it was a good weekend. If only I could take tomorrow off to recover from it...alas, I have WAY too much to accomplish at work this week. Sleep when you're dead, right? :)

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!

Seattle Stories

As I've mentioned before, my sister Samantha and brother in law Travis moved to Seattle last year (sad). So, B and I decided to go visit them to celebrate the new year, as we miss them and neither of us had ever been to Seattle. We left on December 31 and stayed until January 4 - the longest vacation B's had in a LONG time. I felt happy she could take some time off and even happier we got to spend it together. :)

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I started to get sick on the Monday before New Year's Eve. By the time we left for Seattle, I wasn't feeling all that great. However, I was determined to push past it for B, my sister, and for myself, as I wanted to enjoy the trip and to see the city. Overall, I think I did okay. Here's a run down of the five day weekend:

Wednesday:
We arrived safely in Seattle, and our checked bag did too - yay! I never take that for granted after the five day outfit in Israel! Samantha was waiting for us, and we were soon on our way to her place in Kent, a suburb of Seattle.

Unfortunately, we saw something horrible along the way. As we waited to turn left at a busy intersection, we noticed a guy crossing the road we were attempting to turn on, against the light. He appeared to be intoxicated, and was trying to stop traffic by holding up his hand as he walked as his friends watched. The cars whizzed by him, but he made it halfway. I thought he would stop at that point, but unfortunately he continued on. One car missed him by inches, and then suddenly I heard a horrible bang. A car had smashed directly into him, and he flew into the air with such force that his pants came off. We thought for sure he was dead, and we wanted to stay as witnesses for the driver (the poor person had no chance, as it was dark, rainy, uphill, he had the green light, and the guy was wearing dark clothing). However, we were forced to turn left onto the road, and then turned around as soon as we could. We passed the scene, and we could see the EMTs/paramedics treating him as if he was still alive. Unfortunately though, there was no place for us to pull off safely. We really have no idea if the guy lived or died, and we couldn't vouch for the driver. Yuck.

After all that, we were quite shaken up, and we couldn't stop talking about it for a while. Clearly the guy was an idiot, but no one deserves to die for that. I hope he made it, and I hope the driver can find some peace too. Any one of us could have been that driver, and I think we all recognized that. Life is crazy!

We eventually collected our wits and continued on to arrive safely in Kent. Samantha and Travis's new home is great! Huge, lots of space, nice floor plan, etc. We even had our own guest room (now called our room I believe!). Since it was new year's eve, we debated whether we should head into the city to see the fireworks. Ultimately, we decided to stay in and play rock band, as it was chilly and rainy. We had a great time and went to bed not too long after midnight (it was after 2:00 CST afterall).

Thursday:
On Thursday, the four of us went to the Space Needle and the Experience Music Project museum. I thought the space needle was great, and I really enjoyed the views of the city. It was definitely cold and windy on the outside observation deck though - yikes! I also enjoyed the EMP, but not as much as I thought I might. The visit confirmed that I have NO musical talent, but I still manage to look pretty dang good rocking out with the instruments. Too bad there has to be sound! :-P

On Thursday evening, we went to dinner at a restaurant in Kent, the Zephyr - it was not great. They were out of a ton of stuff, and they screwed up the meals. They torched my salmon and then served it with some sort of rice that smelled so bad that Samantha wouldn't even taste it! I tried it, and it was NOT good. After dinner, we went back to the house and chilled - a good day.

Friday:
On Friday, I felt horrible in the morning, so I stayed in bed to sleep. Samantha and Beth went to Silverdale to run some errands and passed through Tacoma on the way. Beth can now legitimately sing that song that goes, "I've been to Phoenix, Arizona all the way to Tacoma, Philadelphia, Atlanta, LA" as she's been to all those places. Pretty cool. Anyway, they were kind enough to stop for meds and tea for me, and when they arrived home, I got ready to leave the house (slowly).

When I was ready, we journeyed back into Seattle to visit Pike's Market, and I loved it. Samantha said it was not really busy, so I can't imagine what it's normally like! I loved looking at all the stuff for sale, and I loved the view of the water (was that Puget Sound? I forget.). We enjoyed some delicious crepes and then bought some dried fruit (most of which we forgot in Seattle - bummer. Samantha, please enjoy it for us!). We walked around for a long time, and we saw the place where they throw the fish and the first ever Starbucks too! I definitely loved the market, and I think I would frequent it often if I lived out there.

After the market, we visited Samantha's church. It was nice to see where she sings each week. The place is huge - comparable to the Basilica or Cathedral here. Very nice - they are lucky to have her, as she's quite talented. She didn't even have to audition, as her experience preceded her. Nice!

After visiting the church, we decided to head back toward Kent. Samantha drove us past Safeco and Qwest fields - cool to see. I am looking forward to catching a Mariners' game at Safeco in the future!

As we drove back to the burbs, we decided we wanted Chipotle. Samantha suggested we stop at the one in Tukwila (another suburb), but I stupidly said let's get it in Kent so it will be warm. We agreed that was a good idea, and went to the Kent Chipotle...where it turns out they had no food to make burritos. Literally - no tortillas, no salsas, and no spices for the meat. Unfortunately, they didn't tell Samantha until AFTER she had ordered. I said no thanks, not going to waste points on horrible, non-Chipotle, Chipotle. We were all bummed, as we were craving Chipotle big time. In fact, we were so bummed that we decided to go BACK to Tukwila to actually order decent food. We arrived to find a well stocked restaurant, and then finally we were on our way back to Kent. That was a delicious burrito, well worth the drive in my opinion. Thanks, Samantha!

Saturday:
On Saturday, Samantha made us a delicious breakfast of pancakes, bacon, and the spicy potatoes B taught her to make (if you hadn't noticed, I fell off the Weight Watchers wagon in Seattle. Oh well). After that, B, Samantha, and I headed into the city for the Underground Tour. Like Jerusalem, Seattle is a city on top of an older version of itself. It's a long story that I don't feel like explaining, but basically you can go underground and see parts of the old town as it existed before being trumped, literally. I really enjoyed the tour, as the guides were informative and hilarious. B really enjoyed it too, and that made me happy, as she was really looking forward to it.

Oh, before the tour, we visited Samantha's office at Amazon. She works in the tallest building in Seattle, and her desk provides a view of Mt. Rainier on clear days. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate so we couldn't see the mountain. Oh well - it was neat to see where Samantha spends her days!

After the tour, we went to a really cool toy store (Magic Mouse?), and Samantha bought a fun new game - the Smartass Game. I think that's the right name. After the toy store, we hit up a local Italian restaurant, DeNunzios. The place was a riot, as it was a tiny joint in a basement (continuing our underground theme) with a crazy host/waiter. The waiter, Tonelli, a flaming gay man, literally made me spit out my gum, though I'm not sure why, as the place was in a BASEMENT for pete's sake. Not a four star joint. Probably not even three, but B and Samantha thought that was hilarious. Anyway, we enjoyed our meals and each other's company (and we even enjoyed Tonelli), and then it was time to go (but before that, Samantha said something so funny that Beth spit out her water all over me and Samantha - Samantha could barely speak she was laughing so hard at that point. We still can't remember what Samantha said, but the whole thing was pretty dang funny). However, before we left, Tonelli insisted that he should take our picture, though we aren't sure why. We let him do that, and then we were on our way back to the burbs for our last evening in the pacific northwest. It's sad how fast vacation goes.

Sunday:
We had to wake up early to get to the airport, and I was feeling AWFUL by this point. B took care of me, and after a long shower, I was at least able to function. As we drove to the airport, B said, "hey, is that Mount Rainier?" Samantha looked back and said, "why yes, it is" or something similar. As I said above, the weather had been dreary the entire time, but it finally cleared enough for us to see the big mountain on our last day. It was beautiful, and I'm glad we got to see it. Good job, B!

After we said good bye to Samantha (sad), we caught our flight and were headed home. B's sister Aviva picked us up in Mpls (our bag made it home too!), and then it was off to run some errands. Finally we headed home and I got to rest...for another whole week of illness! Ick.

Recap:
We had a great time in Seattle, and we especially enjoyed spending time with Samantha and Travis. I miss them a lot, and I'm looking forward to our next trip out. Hopefully when the weather is nicer, as all that grey does get a bit old. ;) Plus, we want to do some of the more outdoorsy stuff, like the national parks and Mt. Saint Helens (which is also a national park I think). Plus, there's always baseball - clearly that's a priority! :)

Thanks to Samantha and Travis for hosting us - we love you guys!

Adventures in FloHo

I spent the weekend in Florence, Massachusetts, aka FloHo, where Sarah lives. FloHo is part of Northampton (I think this is right - it confuses me. It's sort of the British model with villages in towns, etc.). I had a really good time, and it was fun to meet Sarah's friends and her new girlfriend, Patty O'Brien. Random note - could her name be any more Irish? Beth wanted me to say "top o' the morning to ya, Patty O'Brien" when I met her, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Sarah and I giggled about it all weekend though. :)

In surprising news, my flights out east were all on time. I made my connection in Philly with no problem, and my flight into Hartford was actually early. When does that EVER happen these days? Air travel is just not fun anymore. In fact, it's often the opposite of fun - miserable. The planes are full, you have to fight for space in the overhead bins because no one wants to pay to check their bags, and flights are always delayed or cancelled. Every time I have to buy a ticket with a layover, I fret about actually making the connection, especially on short weekend trips. If a non-stop flight is available, I seriously consider purchasing it even if it's $100 more. Sad, but true. The airlines are a disaster, and yet we as consumers have no viable alternatives. Boo.

Anyway, after my surprisingly successful travels on Friday, Sarah picked me up and then we got dinner from Bueno y Sano, a local burrito place in Northampton (NoHo). It was delicous! Then we went over to Larissa and Heather's house, Sarah's friends, and we watched a movie. I loved their house - they have done all the remodeling work themselves, and I swear it looks like a Martha Stewart/Real Simple house. Beautiful. They even had great Christmas decorations and a tree.

Saturday morning, I was supposed to participate in a walk for a local safe house, but I woke up with a migraine. I slept in while Sarah walked and Patty ran, and eventually I felt better. We ran some errands, and then we went to a place called Judie's. Judie's is famous for popovers, and they were quite good. After dinner, we went to the local debut of a GLBT movie called Tru Loved. It was quite cute, but it always amazes me how bad the acting is in most GLBT films/TV shows. The main character, Tru, did a decent job, but some of the others were quite painful/humorous to watch. Sarah thought it might be because most GLBT movies are low budget, but many low budget movies aren't horribly acted. I just don't get why we can't do better. Maybe someday.

The movie experience was rather unique. It seemed like every lesbian in NoHo was there, and they all seemed to know each other. It was a like an odd family reunion or something. While it seems like such an environment would feel welcoming, it actually felt sort of off putting. Perhaps it's because I'm not from there, or perhaps it's the fact that they all seem to know each other's business. I'm guessing that everyone has dated everyone too. Idk, the whole thing was just surreal! NoHo is an odd place for that same reason - it's like if Chaska was a gay town. I'm not sure why I felt uncomfortable or why I found the whole thing funny, but I did. I need to do some more self exploration of that, as it doesn't make sense that I would feel uncomfortable in an all lesbian environment. Internalized homophobia perhaps? ;)

After the movie, we went to a neat coffee shop in town with some of our fellow movie goers. I really liked the place, but I skipped all drinks due to WW and because I don't really like coffee. One small victory in a weekend filled with food disasters!

On Sunday, we all slept in a bit and then went shopping in NoHo. I love shopping in NoHo for some reason. Lots of little cute shops filled with things created by local folks and non-local folks. Just really cute stuff, and I love it. After shopping, it was time for a quick lunch and then it was off to the airport. The weekend flew by, and I was sad to go. This time, I seriously considered whether I should move out there...I miss Sarah, and I'm tired of the bitter cold (it doesn't get quite as bitter there). I do think NoHo is too small for me, but perhaps Boston. Maybe some day...

Back to the airlines and air travel - here's a funny story about my return trip home: My flight to Philadelphia was on time, but then we were stuck on the runway for a LONG time because a plane broke down and had to be towed away. We sat there long enough that I started to worry about missing my connection, but we finally started to move forward. I made my connection, and then when that plane landed in Mpls (25 minutes late due to the disabled plane forcing all the planes to be late), they didn't have a jetway ready for us. They also couldn't find a jetway driver. What the heck? LOL. I finally got off the plane and headed home.

Really, the travel mishaps weren't a big deal, especially considering I've been through much worse, but I can't remember the last time I flew without some problem. It's like the airlines are held to a completely different customer service standard - or perhaps they just don't have any at all. Yuck. At least my plane wasn't the disabled one - those poor folks might still be in Philly!

I'm officially an attorney!

Yesterday, I officially became an attorney, as I was sworn in to the Minnesota bar. This means that I can practice law in Minnesota and represent clients before all Minnesota courts. Pretty cool. I guess my moral character measured up!

The ceremony itself was slightly obnoxious. It was an official session of the Minnesota Supreme Court, and each member of the court had to be introduced. Then, we had to wait for what seemed like an eternity as all the people who have attorneys in their families were individually sworn into the bar. This part seemed especially obnoxious to me, but maybe that's just because I don't have any family members who are attorneys - it just didn't seem special to me.

Finally, after that, someone read the names of all the remaining candidates...all 500+ of us. It was sort of insane. The woman did a decent job overall (well, sort of), but she of course added a "T" to my name. I absolutely hate, hate, hate that. My name is spelled S C H M I D. Where is the T? Idiot. Anyway, we finally got through all the names and then we all stood to take our oath. I can't quite remember what I swore to do, but I'm sure I will do it. ;) After the oath, I figured we would be finished, but no. We then had to listen to a member of the Minnesota State Bar Association make a membership pitch. The guy literally listed the benefits of joining...at our bar swearing in ceremony! Ridiculous. Just provide the information in our packets and let us go on our merry ways. Finally, the ceremony ended and we were free!

To celebrate, B took me out to lunch at Kincaids, and we had an excellent lunch. Her landlord Kim works there, and she was working yesterday. It was great - she made sure we were treated like VIPs, and then she comped our lunch! What a fabulously nice thing to do, especially in this economy. Thanks, Kim! I highly recommend Kincaids (in Saint Paul) if you need a nice place for lunch/dinner. Check it out.

After lunch, I had to go back to work for a few hours. No rest for the weary. At least I'm legitimately an attorney now. I guess I better not screw up! ;)

"Holy shit" I'm old!

I turned 32 yesterday. 32 seems old to me for some reason. 31 didn't seem bad, but 32, that sounds like a real adult age. Yikes, or as Danette would say, "holy shit!"

I didn't really want to make a big deal out of my birthday this year, so I didn't plan any big parties or gatherings. I felt like I've made people celebrate a lot of stuff in the last few years, so I went for super low key this time. However, I still wanted to do something! Thus, to celebrate my birthday, B took me out to the Melting Pot, and Karen and Paige joined us. I had never been there, and it was quite good! I especially loved the chocolate for dessert. B ordered the white chocolate/dark chocolate mix, and it was just fantastic. We dipped marshmallows, strawberries, bananas, pineapple, cheesecake, brownie bits, and pound cake. The fruit was the best, but really, the entire chocolate fondue experience was the best. In fact, I could have just eaten that - it honestly might have been one of the most delicious things I've ever eaten! YUM!

After that, we headed over to the Shout House to watch the dueling pianos. I love that sort of thing, as they sing tons and tons of songs that I know and love, and I get to sing along! My parents would love it too - it's that sort of place. The only thing that dampened things was one of the pianists - he pushed the vulgarity way too far. Not called for at all. You don't need to be gross or disgusting to be entertaining. Besides that, it was a great night and a good birthday, even if I AM old. ;)

The "Dreaded" Antiquity Rose

Antiquity Rose is a little restaurant and tea room that doubles as a jewelry/antique store, and it is located in Excelsior, a little Lake Minnetonka town that is filled with Stillwateresque charm. Many people love that sort of thing, including my mom, Mary (my second mom), and various members of my family, immediate and extended. They have been going there for years, and they are recognized and well loved regulars at this point.

Despite my family's love for the place, I had never been there, as jewelry, antiques, "charm," and all that other jazz just really aren't my thing. Until yesterday that is. Some of my favorite extended family members were in town and a group decided to meet for lunch. They invited me, and before asking them about the location, I excitedly agreed to join them. By the time I found out it was Antiquity, I couldn't (and actually didn't want to) bail.

Thus, I drove out to Excelsior yesterday afternoon, mapquest directions in hand and laughing out loud a bit to myself as I drove along. I eventually arrived, and it turns out the place is actually a little house with different rooms and the little store in front. Let's just say there was a lot of frill involved. It reminded me of a typical bed and breakfast. Not my thing, but I get why other people like it.

In all seriousness, the meal was decent and the company was great. And I really didn't hate the place, as someone in my family thought I might. Not my thing, but not terrible either. Plus, it makes my mom happy, and I was fed - how can I really complain about that? In the end, the dreaded Antiquity Rose wasn't so dreadful after all! ;)

I think I'll go to Boston - myspace post

So this weekend I'm off to Boston (Northampton really) to help Sarah find a place to live when she moves in August. It's going to be a crazy whirl wind trip, as we leave tomorrow afternoon, fly to Chicago to meet her mom, and then land in Boston a little before 11. We then pick up the rental car and drive to Northampton. Then it's non-stop apartment shopping on Saturday. I think Sarah booked about 7 appointments in a 6 hour period. I'm not sure how that's going to work, but we'll manage somehow. We then fly home mid-day Sunday. I already feel tired thinking about it!

It's too bad the trip will be so short as I love Boston. Oh well, once Sarah lives there I'm sure I'll be out there a lot. My hot straight girlfriend Hooch already said she wants to go for fall break. Woot!

On a random note, the paralegals took us out to lunch at Fogo de Chao today. It's a Brazilian steak house, and you literally can eat 15 different types of meat. You have a coaster type thing, and if you flip it to green, they keep bringing meat. At one point, I was eating yet my plate was getting fuller. It was totally nuts. They also had a full salad bar and sides. Needless to say, a severe food coma set in after that meal. If you like meat, I recommend the place. Cool experience, but a bit crazy if you think about it.

Anyway, after this summer, some of you might not recognize me as it seems I'm going to gain a massive amount of weight from all these food adventures. If you see me rolling down the street at some point, you know what happened. Seriously.

On a fun note, I also went to two Twins games this week, tickets courtesy of lawyers who couldn't use their season tickets. The seats were great and I had excellent company for each game. All in all a good week, but I'm already tired! Oh well, at least I don't have homework.

I hope everyone has an excellent weekend and that at least some dancing takes place. Adios mis amigos!

Can I ask you a question? - myspace blog post

So I went out dancing on Saturday night, and I had a good time (contrary to popular belief, I was NOT hammered. I was simply buzzed. People, I'm ALWAYS hyper when I'm out. Get with it.). There was another G and Schmiddy dance off, and this time, people clapped at the end. How can you go wrong?

However, I think the funniest thing that happened on Saturday night involved a stranger and ABB. As we were walking out, the stranger says to ABB, can I ask you a question? E and I are thinking, oh she's going to get digits. Woot. Nope, the chick says, are you a Jew? Hysterical! They then proceeded to have a conversation about their synagogues, ABB met the woman's partner, etc. Now, I think it's cool that the woman asked, but holy random. I guess it was a Jewish themed weekend (I love your curly hair, do you use product? It's called Jew...). I really am a wannabe-I think I deserve to be chosen! Alas, I really am not all that religious period. I think I just want to be a cultural jew.

In other news, my summer of playing an attorney began on May 21! So far, so good. I actually like it, which is great because as you all know, I really don't care for law school. I've finished several projects, but I haven't had any reviews yet. I hope things go well so I can have a job upon graduation...It really is a good firm.Besides working, I've been out to eat and out for happy hours more than I ever have in my life! I've been to Mortons, BANK, Zelo, The Holy Land Deli, Kierans, Brits, Atlas, and Martini Blu (probably other places I'm forgetting too). It's truly wild and SO different from working for the government. Hopefully I'll have a few weeks off between working and school because I'm going to need to sign up for fat camp. Seriously. It's crazy. Fun, but crazy.

So, I'm sure you are all waiting for a funny story. I hate to disappoint, so here you go! I ride the train to work everyday...one morning, I was sitting down holding on to my bag, an umbrella, a soda, and possibly something else (I can't remember). Anyway, I'm kind of zoning out listening to the ipod when I look up and notice that a Maslon summer associate has sat down across from me. Right away, I realize I recognize her from somewhere and that she is a fellow rainbower. I don't think much about it the rest of the way, but as my stop approaches, I stand up (too soon, which adds to the humor of the upcoming situation), and proceed to drop my umbrella, which lands under her feet. I then have to bend down and pick it up, and it basically got stuck, so she had to lift her feet up. I finally pick that up and then drop my soda. At least that didn't go under her feet (and was in a bottle). So I got off the train and I'm chuckling to myself as I walk into work. On a whim, I decide to post a missed connection on Craigslist saying something like, Hey Maslon summer associate on the light rail, sorry about the umbrella situation, my morning was a comedy of errors. I post this and think, ah, she'll never see it. Well, I was WRONG. Not only did she see it, but it turns out she is friends with one of my friends, who saw the post, recognized it as me (I'm not sure how at all), and sent it to her (her name is Sarah, in case you want to know and she also interviewed at my firm, which is why she looked familiar to me). Also, OTHER people also recognized the post and knew it was me. WTF people! Does everyone read CL MC? I guess so.

Anyway, I actually ran into Sarah at Pi on Saturday, and the first thing that popped out of my mouth was, hey, it's the train woman! Ha, nice. Anyway, there you go. Amusing tidbits from my life.

Okay, I must go to the 8th grade graduation ceremony now. It's actually a mass, which means I'll be going to church for the first time in...ages. Gricus, I think you should pray for my soul.

I miss my peeps; shout out if you want to hang out. Adios!