Life is so full lately – I love my job, friends, dogs, gym, hilarious dates, and my brand new Aldo shoes. I think this is the slightly-bootleg yuppie life that I envisioned for myself when I first moved to Minneapolis.
Dates, friends, drag shows, quality time with the dogs, work, snow and unseasonably warm weather.
Technology failed me during these past two weeks. This is how I started the morning:
If you soften your gaze and back away slowly, the fail whale will appear.
Blue screens lit up my work computer throughout the weekend and the beginning of the week. I also caught some version of the plague Saturday night, but meetings and computer repair issues brought my germy-body to the office on Monday and Tuesday.
At times the sinus pressure was so great that my right eye would start pouring as I talked to coworkers. I’m pretty sure they wanted to swat me away with a Lysol wipe.
What a year.
I started the year as a 3L law student living in a mouse infested apartment building in Whittier.
My weeks were hectic. I spent my time jetting between my last few classes, my internship in the suburbs, tax training, and a public defender clerkship in downtown St. Paul.
Things changed quickly when I secured a permanent position at my company and started working full-time in February. There were also drag shows, long nights at Jetset, and blizzards.
The snow melted and classes ended quietly. Pride came and went, I turned 25, and I finally moved out of my ghettotastic apartment.
Work got busy once I moved. Drag shows and dancing were exchanged for Netflix marathons. I was promoted at work and got good at making brownies and mojitos.
By the time of my Miami trip I was 20 pounds heavier than I was at the beginning of the year.
I took the love handles to Miami anyway, which was fairly epic.
I started personal training at LA Fitness again upon returning, so I was horribly sore once New Year’s Eve rolled around. I was one of the DDs for New Year’s despite the best attempts of some people in our group.
My goals for this year include working harder, spending more time on creative projects, and losing these 20 pounds. Hopefully my grueling morning workouts help me get there.
Ending the year plump and employed isn’t bad, but 2012 will be better.
Uh, where the hell did the snow go?
There have been snowstorms to the north, south, east, and west, but somehow it is 40 degrees in Minneapolis.
The local pizza place’s firewood oven wasn’t ready yet, so I found myself with some extra time on my hands. Gertrude and I walked toward the old Grain Belt Beer campus when we saw some sandwich boards for Mrs. Kelly’s Tea Warehouse. A mini-adventure ensued.
It has come to this.
I don’t have to worry about my neighbors’ unleashed dogs now. Curiously, no one asks to pet him anymore either. Hm.
I’m more likely to take Gertrude places because she doesn’t scratch up the upholstery of my car like a certain someone.
The cuteness is just a bonus.
My Florida friends don’t understand it, but Minneapolis is really pretty during winter.
The hideous Christmas lights have continued to infiltrate my neighborhood. I would take pictures but the flashing Santas, reindeer and snowflakes may give me a seizure.
Winter is upon us and it is pretty obvious which of my neighbors use too much lawn chemicals.
My friends think that it is was bizarre that I still walk from Nordeast to the bars downtown. I’m desperately trying to enjoy Minneapolis before the snow and cold. Plus the view isn’t bad because there are no trees to hide the buildings anymore.
This one is on the Hennepin Bridge somewhere near the bird.
It’s fun, but not as exciting as the Uptown sticker art.
Last year I noticed the darkness around October. Today I was shocked that it was pitch black before 5 p.m. and by next month the sun will set around 4:30 p.m.
The darkness was awful during law school because most of our classes did not have windows. Now, it just means that I can light the vanilla candles early.
There are some intended consequences of the early darkness. Clubbing is awkward because it is dark for six hours before anyone shows up to the bar. I also wake up a lot earlier to maximize my daylight.
I feel like I’m 65 but I can’t order from the senior citizens’ menu at Denny’s. Sigh.
What a lovely two weeks. Fall was extended this year so Minneapolis still has temperatures in the 50’s and 60’s. The colors are amazing and the morning dog walks have become sprawling two-hour events because it is so nice outside.
