We are hosting Todd and Anna's rehearsal dinner at our house in September so we are trying to get the big stuff out of the way before August!
Front of the house
Backyard
Back gate (before)
Back gate (after)
Back gate (after) June 30, 2008
Yard work...it never ends
Joe and I spent this weekend working in the yard. We touched up the front yard then put mulch along the deck in the backyard. There is a weird little area right inside the back gate that was filled with rocks so Joe dug that out yesterday afternoon (while I watched and had a beer...I did the mulch around the deck by myself while Joe was at work earlier and he wouldn't let me help him) and then filled it with new rock and put the flower pot I had planted earlier on top.
We are hosting Todd and Anna's rehearsal dinner at our house in September so we are trying to get the big stuff out of the way before August!
Front of the house
Backyard
Back gate (before)
Back gate (after)
Back gate (after)
We are hosting Todd and Anna's rehearsal dinner at our house in September so we are trying to get the big stuff out of the way before August!
Front of the house Backyard Back gate (before) Back gate (after) Back gate (after) 
June 27, 2008
California - Third times the charm...or is it?
Joe really is the best husband a gal could ask for considering he let Kari and I go off to California for 9 days at the end of May - our third time there. Would the weather be fabulous like the last 2 times we had gone? NO!
I left MN on May 23rd and flew into Milwaukee where I met Kari and we flew to LA. We stayed in Calabasas (just a little North of Malibu) from Friday night until Tuesday morning. The weather was not California weather at all. It was actually nicer in MN for most of our trip.
While in LA Kari and I went to Beverly Hills and walked around and paid $3.25 for a cupcake but it was worth it and we were on vacation! We drove around Hollywood, went to the Getty Center, went to USC, downtown LA, Griffith Observatory (where you can see the Hollywood sign), saw Arlington West, drove up to Santa Barabara and finally on Tuesday, it was nice enough to lay out on Santa Monica Beach.
Arlington West
Me at the Griffith Observatory (Hollywood sign in the back)
General Sherman (the tallest tree in the world - not the oldest though)
The Redwoods were amazing and my dad would have loved them! They take your breath away. We drove through the rest of Sequoia and drove a bit further North to Yosemite. We figured we were right there so why not. Well it wasn't as great as we thought. Yosemite is more of a get out and hike 20 miles to see the sites and that is so not Kari or I and it was pouring! At least we can say that we have been there.
Alamo Square - Amy - look familiar? These are the houses on the opening of Full House
Alcatraz
One of many regulations told to the prisoners
Golden Gate Bridge
Friday we drove to Napa and were a little disappointed with the town. Pretty ho hum and not much going on. We continued on and ended up at the Sterling Vineyards and toured the winery which was really neat to see.
Entering Napa Valley
Saturday (rainy and deary)was China Town!! It was great to see and then we hit the rest of the neigborhoods. We drove to Haight and Ashbury and saw the hippies, hit the Castro neighborhoods and saw the "happy" (think of the other word for happy...)people, drove along the otherside of the bay and saw the mansions and then hit the wharf again and walked around.
China Town
Main entrance to China Town
I left MN on May 23rd and flew into Milwaukee where I met Kari and we flew to LA. We stayed in Calabasas (just a little North of Malibu) from Friday night until Tuesday morning. The weather was not California weather at all. It was actually nicer in MN for most of our trip.
While in LA Kari and I went to Beverly Hills and walked around and paid $3.25 for a cupcake but it was worth it and we were on vacation! We drove around Hollywood, went to the Getty Center, went to USC, downtown LA, Griffith Observatory (where you can see the Hollywood sign), saw Arlington West, drove up to Santa Barabara and finally on Tuesday, it was nice enough to lay out on Santa Monica Beach.
Arlington West
Me at the Griffith Observatory (Hollywood sign in the back) Tuesday afternoon we left LA and headed north for Sequoia National Park. We stayed a hotel about 5 minutes from the park and the scenery was creepy but it was the nicest hotel. Wednesday morning we got up early and drove to the Giant Forest to see the Redwoods and General Sherman. To get there you drive up a mountain about 5000 feet. I owe Kari enormously for driving that!
General Sherman (the tallest tree in the world - not the oldest though)The Redwoods were amazing and my dad would have loved them! They take your breath away. We drove through the rest of Sequoia and drove a bit further North to Yosemite. We figured we were right there so why not. Well it wasn't as great as we thought. Yosemite is more of a get out and hike 20 miles to see the sites and that is so not Kari or I and it was pouring! At least we can say that we have been there.
We continued on North to San Francisco and just chilled out at the hotel that night. Thursday (the best weather day) was a long day as we got up early to see Fisherman's Wharf, Golden Gate Bridge, the crooked street, Alamo Square and then headed back down to the Wharf for the night tour of Alcatraz. That was amazing as well (Dad and Joe would have loved it)! We toured the prison and walked around the grounds and it really is amazing to look down and realize there is no way to get off "the rock." One of the inmates was quoted as saying something to the effect of, "The most frusterating thing is hearing the sounds of the yacht club on New Year's Eve. Hearing this singing and laughing, seeing the fireworks and knowing that you are only 1 1/2 from land but there is no way to get there."
Alamo Square - Amy - look familiar? These are the houses on the opening of Full House
Alcatraz
One of many regulations told to the prisoners
Golden Gate BridgeFriday we drove to Napa and were a little disappointed with the town. Pretty ho hum and not much going on. We continued on and ended up at the Sterling Vineyards and toured the winery which was really neat to see.
Entering Napa ValleySaturday (rainy and deary)was China Town!! It was great to see and then we hit the rest of the neigborhoods. We drove to Haight and Ashbury and saw the hippies, hit the Castro neighborhoods and saw the "happy" (think of the other word for happy...)people, drove along the otherside of the bay and saw the mansions and then hit the wharf again and walked around.
China Town
Main entrance to China TownSunday we left and it was good to be headed home. On the way home, Kari said that she is done with California for a while. She has been there probably the last 8 years or so in a row. After this trip, I am done with LA for a while...it's just too...not me. I would go back to San Francisco is a heartbeat though...actually I think I left my heart in San Francisco.
June 25, 2008
Update to storm....
YAY! The tree has been cut down...
Look how open the backyard is...we can actually see our neighbors - which means they can see us and our yard so we better get a mowing...
Look how open the backyard is...we can actually see our neighbors - which means they can see us and our yard so we better get a mowing...
Where Joe spends ALL his time
This is Joe's home away from home - Chris and Rob's Saint Paul.
Rob used to be Joe's food rep when he worked at The Library in Minneapolis. Rob was running the Minneapolis restaurant while working as the food rep too. When Rob and his brother decided to open another restaurant in Fridley, Rob quit and started trying to recruit Joe to work for him. Finally, right before Thanksgiving of last year, Joe left The Library and went to Chris and Rob's to be the GM for the Saint Paul store.
Joe is there Monday - Friday from about 9:30 AM to 9 or 10 PM. He is getting used to dealing with people (he likes being in the kitchen better :)) and has had the fun job of costing food, creating a new and improved menu and whatever else he does.
Here's the link: http://www.chrisandrobs.com/index.html
Rob used to be Joe's food rep when he worked at The Library in Minneapolis. Rob was running the Minneapolis restaurant while working as the food rep too. When Rob and his brother decided to open another restaurant in Fridley, Rob quit and started trying to recruit Joe to work for him. Finally, right before Thanksgiving of last year, Joe left The Library and went to Chris and Rob's to be the GM for the Saint Paul store.
Joe is there Monday - Friday from about 9:30 AM to 9 or 10 PM. He is getting used to dealing with people (he likes being in the kitchen better :)) and has had the fun job of costing food, creating a new and improved menu and whatever else he does.
Here's the link: http://www.chrisandrobs.com/index.html
The storm...
We have a HUGE silver maple in our backyard which, as of yesterday, has been chopped down. Joe was sad to see the shade go and I was sad to see our money go. This is long post so sit back and hang on...
On Friday June 6th, I came home from work (about 3:30 and already in a crabby mood) to find a pretty large limb lying on top of Joe's beloved garage. Needless to say, when I entered the backyard, there were power lines and branches so I called Xcel (our power company) and then called my husband to come home. This would have been his first weekend off of work since April 17th and now he would have to deal with this...
About 2 hours later a tree service pulls up and assesses the situation and lets us know that they can't remove the limb because technically Xcel can put the power lines back up over the limb and that we need to call an electrician first.
Upon hearing that, I was not very happy. I got back on the phone with Xcel wanting to know why I wasn't told 2 hrs ago that I would need an electrician first. So got that figured out and Joe got a hold of Rob (his boss) to get the number of the electrician that works on the restaurants.
Joe and I left, it is now about 8 pm ish and go to Target to get boardgames and then were going to eat. He gets a call from Tony saying "I stopped by to see and an Xcel truck just pulled up."
We dropped everything in the middle of Target and dashed to the parking lot to get home (good thing we live pretty close to Target). The older gentlemen looked at the power lines, went to his truck made a call and said "You'll have power in no time." What????!!! What about that electrician? (which we hadn't called yet...thank goodness) Joe gave me a look that said "Not one word about the electrician."
About 3 minutes later another Xcel truck pulls up and another guy gets out and pulls out a ladder and climb up on the roof. About a half hour later we have power...no electrician needed!
The adjuster finally decided to show up on (go figure) Friday the 13th to assess damage at which point I started calling for estimates for the removal of the limb and just for the heck of it, the tree too. Everyone that saw the tree said it should go. Scooter said the same thing. The problem with the tree is that it is GINORMOUS and a HUGE branch hangs over our bedroom and over the neighbors...
Joe didn't like the fact that I wanted the tree down and since Scooter isn't up here to take a look, we had the next best person - Travis' stepdad George. Well, as Joe should know, I am always right. George said the tree should go because there was some rot and it is actually 2 trees grown together.
So, FINALLY, the tree guy came yesterday and removed the limb and the tree! I can now breather easier. Here are some fabulous pictures of the what I came home too on June 6th.
Here is a before picture of the tree
Power lines in the backyard
Limb split
Limb over the garage
On Friday June 6th, I came home from work (about 3:30 and already in a crabby mood) to find a pretty large limb lying on top of Joe's beloved garage. Needless to say, when I entered the backyard, there were power lines and branches so I called Xcel (our power company) and then called my husband to come home. This would have been his first weekend off of work since April 17th and now he would have to deal with this...
About 2 hours later a tree service pulls up and assesses the situation and lets us know that they can't remove the limb because technically Xcel can put the power lines back up over the limb and that we need to call an electrician first.
Upon hearing that, I was not very happy. I got back on the phone with Xcel wanting to know why I wasn't told 2 hrs ago that I would need an electrician first. So got that figured out and Joe got a hold of Rob (his boss) to get the number of the electrician that works on the restaurants.
Joe and I left, it is now about 8 pm ish and go to Target to get boardgames and then were going to eat. He gets a call from Tony saying "I stopped by to see and an Xcel truck just pulled up."
We dropped everything in the middle of Target and dashed to the parking lot to get home (good thing we live pretty close to Target). The older gentlemen looked at the power lines, went to his truck made a call and said "You'll have power in no time." What????!!! What about that electrician? (which we hadn't called yet...thank goodness) Joe gave me a look that said "Not one word about the electrician."
About 3 minutes later another Xcel truck pulls up and another guy gets out and pulls out a ladder and climb up on the roof. About a half hour later we have power...no electrician needed!
The adjuster finally decided to show up on (go figure) Friday the 13th to assess damage at which point I started calling for estimates for the removal of the limb and just for the heck of it, the tree too. Everyone that saw the tree said it should go. Scooter said the same thing. The problem with the tree is that it is GINORMOUS and a HUGE branch hangs over our bedroom and over the neighbors...
Joe didn't like the fact that I wanted the tree down and since Scooter isn't up here to take a look, we had the next best person - Travis' stepdad George. Well, as Joe should know, I am always right. George said the tree should go because there was some rot and it is actually 2 trees grown together.
So, FINALLY, the tree guy came yesterday and removed the limb and the tree! I can now breather easier. Here are some fabulous pictures of the what I came home too on June 6th.
Here is a before picture of the tree
Power lines in the backyard
Limb split
Limb over the garage Our House
Here are some pictures of our house. I know some of you got to see it last year but for those who haven't...
Here is the front of our house
Living Room
Living Room
Kitchen
The backyard...after some major weeding!!!
Here is our dining room after we painted and put up the border...a HUGE improvement!
This is the front of our house and yes...I did that landscaping all by myself...all of it! Joe was (of course) working.
Here is the front of our house
Living Room
Living Room
Kitchen
The backyard...after some major weeding!!!
Here is our dining room after we painted and put up the border...a HUGE improvement!
This is the front of our house and yes...I did that landscaping all by myself...all of it! Joe was (of course) working.The First Post
Greetings from MN. Every year it gets harder and harder to stay in touch so Joe and I have created this blog to keep you updated on life in Minnesota.
I will try to post at least once a week (it is amazing how much time I have on my hands since Joe works a bijilion hours a week) so check it out and if there is any family news or anything, let me know and I will be happy to post it!
More to come...
I will try to post at least once a week (it is amazing how much time I have on my hands since Joe works a bijilion hours a week) so check it out and if there is any family news or anything, let me know and I will be happy to post it!
More to come...
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