On Saturday morning, as I laid on the massage table and a woman kneaded my tense, knotted shoulders like a lump of bread dough, I realized it had yet again been a few weeks since I'd last sat down to scribble my thoughts. So, as I tried to relax and actually enjoy my Lake Superior hot stone massage, my mind raced to make mental notes of the recent happenings in my life. And by the way, I highly recommend The Pebble Spa Company (locations in Ely & Virginia) - it was a top-notch experience and I left feeling pampered!
After my massage, I met my mom for lunch at Jue's, a Chinese restaurant in Virginia. I've been thinking about and craving their small lunch buffet for the past few months. I live in the metro, yet I've never, ever found a Chinese restaurant than compares to my hometown favorite. Shocking, I know! No, it probably wasn't the best idea to consume copious amounts of fried rice, oyster wings, cream cheese wontons and other salty dishes right after a stress-relieving massage, but I promise it was completely worth it!
I always know I'll be eating good when I go home, and this weekend was no exception. That usually includes one meal out at one of my hometown favorites, and always a good home cooked meal. This weekend did not disappoint, as my dad prepared a delicious farm to table meal for us. I always enjoy getting to spend time in the kitchen with my family, it's a great bonding experience. It's great to listen to my dad talk about their garden and see his face light up with excitement as he tells me a little fact about how each vegetable I'm preparing was planted, maintained or harvested. And, how can I forget, how each was protected from the various pests around the farm. He's got quite the fence rigged up to keep out the creatures! Our meal consisted of grilled venison steak strips, baked potatoes, grilled squash, pickled beets and a kale salad.
A weekend at home is always good for the soul, but that's not to say we haven't had plenty of other fun weekends that kept me away from my computer! Most recently, we hosted our housewarming party while also both celebrating turning another year older. We both rang in the next chapters of our lives with juicy (or jucy, depending on which side of the jucy Lucy debate you're on) Lucy's. Mitch originally chose Matt's Bar, but the long line and the fact they don't accept credit cards sent us back to the vehicle and down the road to the 5-8 Club. For me, it was the Blue Door Pub in St. Paul. Both were exceptionally delicious, and highly recommended, however, I can't form my opinion on who has the best burger (really only a debate between 5-8 and Matt's) until I've had the chance to try one from Matt's - so stay tuned! For my birthday, we also had dinner at Trattoria Tosca, next to Turtle Bread in Linden Hills. Mmmm, it was elegant, simple and delicious. Mitch had some sort of rustic italian sausage pasta while I enjoyed scallops with fingerling potatoes, roasted brussel sprouts and cauliflower purée paired nicely with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc.
I don't think I could ever become a discerning food critic, because I find myself always praising the delicious eats of new places with little to no criticism! Anyway, enough of my foodie adventures (for now at least!), and on to the beauty of Mother Nature. She has blessed us with an incredible fall filled with bursting colors and perfect tailgating weather. No, I'm not the biggest football fan, and I'm quite excited the puck has already dropped for Gopher and Wild hockey, but I do enjoy tailgating. In fact, Mitch is probably the first one who can attest to that when he reminds me I missed most of the Gopher football game because I was still in the Ski-U-Mah lot catching up with college friends over hot dogs and cheap beer. Nonetheless, I still saw the end and loved watching the Gophers as they secured their first Homecoming victory in as long as I can remember. Mother Nature must have a had a clue, because earlier that morning, our front yard was picture perfect for one of those iconic "Even Mother Nature Loves Maroon & Gold" posters.
The other fall weekends, with equally as beautiful weather, were spent celebrating love and toasting to two new happy couples. First, we spent a weekend in Plainview, MN celebrating with a dear friend and roommate of mine from college. In the midst of harvest time, her wedding was festively adorned with pumpkins, gourds, corn stalks, burlap and lace, and all other things fall. I was her personal attendant and loved getting to help decorate and transform their reception space into something magical. Happy tears were had as I realized we are all growing up so fast! We spent the next weekend on the shores of Lake Minnetonka to celebrate two more friends of ours. This time, Mitch was a groomsman and we were delighted to a stunning sunset cruise around the lake for the groom's dinner. It was a blessing to be a part of both beautiful days!
More recently, I've found myself stacking up the overtime and practicing stress reduction in my life. I've taken on even more responsibility at work and obviously have not taken as much time for the other pleasures in life, like writing. But, with the longer hours and the growing number of take out dinners, when you hear your relatively older boss use the phrase "you're killing it!" in reference to your performance, it all suddenly seems worth it. They don't lie when they say hardwork and persistence pay off. I find myself thanking my mom and dad quite often for the values they taught us and what an impact it's had on my life and career.
Along with my regular workload, I also have the role of campaign chair for our office's United Way campaign. It can be taxing at times, but I just keep reminding myself of the positive effects it will have. I was really excited to plan our kickoff event this year, an ice cream sundae bar! Of course, my first task was a visit to Pinterest for some fun ideas!
I think it was a success! I also used this idea (wrapping the table in butcher paper and writing the names of toppings on it) for our housewarming party. It's creative and fun but best of all, easy cleanup. Just roll up the paper and toss it in the trash! I love doing fun parties and events like this and hopefully, someday, I'll find myself doing it a lot more often...and maybe even getting paid for my creative talents!
Well, I think that sums up my fall, which all happened so fast. The days have already been getting shorter and soon the first snow will gently fall from the sky. Hopefully it can hold off at least one more weekend though. It's finally girl's weekend, which is practically a holiday in our family. Already in its sixth year, it's a tradition we started when I was a freshman in college, where the girls have a weekend of shopping and relaxation in the cities, and the guys are up North freezing their buns off waiting for "the big one!" Now, I've spent some time in a deer stand with my dad, and I don't think he'll ever see the big one while his eyes are closed and he's snoring! But, since I know he's probably reading this, I'll admit the only reason he doesn't see deer when I'm with him is because I can't contain my excitement and keep my mouth shut long enough for one to even get close! So best of luck to the guys during hunting and to my own will power against my credit card as we visit the new Twin Cities Premium Outlets in Eagan!
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