Getting the dogs to stay still with Nathan was a pain, but here was the best we could do:
The “couch with dogs” photograph is now mandatory for all of my guests. You’re on notice.
See also:
Getting the dogs to stay still with Nathan was a pain, but here was the best we could do:
The “couch with dogs” photograph is now mandatory for all of my guests. You’re on notice.
See also:
Since getting Gertrude, I don’t let Harley sleep on my bed anymore because 2 dogs on the bed makes me feel like I’m sleeping in a homeless shelter. I always wake up to a paw or an ass in my face. They sore, they fart, and that’s just not working for me.
So I cracked down and kicked them both out and they now know to sleep in their doggy beds.
So of course when I’m not looking:
When I told him to get off the bed, he sassed me like, “Psshaw. Please. Who are you to interrupt my slumber?”
Driving behind this monstrosity felt like being cast in a Final Destination movie.
I don’t know what’s going on…
I used to have an afro in high school, but I relaxed it after being pulled over and harassed my police too many times. I sometimes wonder how police officers can find the time to harass afro-ed teenagers and fail to pull over trucks like this (or all those people driving around with their side mirrors dangling by a string…) I mean this stacking has to be some sort of violation right?
Maybe I’ll strap my law books to the top of my car and find out…
Yesterday Joel and I went shopping for toilet seat covers.
Watching Joel ponder the choices was hilarious: white or off-white? Round or oval? Plastic or ceramic? The differences in the potty-seat covers were negligible, but Joel and the Home Depot attendant acted as if Joel was picking something to wear on the red carpet.
I did the same thing last year with Jamie, except for last year we shopped for toilets and this year I’m shopping for toilet seat covers. At this rate my next trip to home depot will be for a plunger or maybe even a toilet brush!! These are wild times people…
Joel and I ran several other errands including a trip past Punch Pizza. Joel had a $6-off coupon, but so did the 100 lined up on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant.
I kept driving because I refuse to wait outside in line for anything in freezing temperatures unless it involves getting my car out of an impound lot or free Beyonce tickets. And unless Beyonce was breaking it down in the Pizzeria, I didn’t miss much. Next time Punch!
Minneapolis is one huge ice rink.
This morning I fell while walking the dogs down the hill. I fell on my hip and then crashed into the dogs like a human bowling ball. Yelping and shouting ensued. I then sat on the ground laughing like an idiot while the dogs looked at me like, “Why in the hell did you do that!?”
The skyway at school was soaked from people’s boots. I almost had a repeat of this morning’s fall and slipped 4 times in 40 seconds. I expect a tuition credit when I break my ankle.
My college dorm rooms were a little… colorful?
Our epic night started with an epic movie – Avatar.
I was weary of that movie. I am not a big science fiction fan, and the poster of the blue people looked ridiculous. However, this is the most talked-about movie since Paranormal Activity, so I gave into the buzz. Eric was the best person to go with because it was his 4th time seeing the movie!
We went to the swank ShowPlace ICON theater in St. Louis Park. The theater has a free parking ramp, a lounge and bar, and HD menus at the concession stand.
I thought it was odd that the theater had numbered rows and seats like an airplane. This is a great idea for busier nights, but the theater had about 20 people in it and all of us sat awkwardly close together.
Eric and I were in an empty row when this odd man plops in the seat right next to me. Of course it is his assigned seat. A few minutes later, Oddball inserts himself into our conversation and starts telling us his childhood stories. Oddball is about to launch into another story when three of my classmates enter the theater, greet me, and inform us “bitch, you’re in our seats!”
Turns out we didn’t know how to read the row numbers.
So we happily move away from Oddball and nestled in the better, actually-assigned seating for nearly 3 hours of intense cinematography. The movie had stunning special effects, but my attention eroded during the last 20 minutes because the movie was so damn long…
Afterwards we met up with Sabrina at the 19 Bar, where we danced to Beyonce and got into a heated conversation with a boyish lesbian DJ about house music.
Then we went to the Saloon. It was hip-hop night and we had a hilarious time, but there was also at least one black eye and several people yarking all over the place – no one in our party of course, because we keep it classy…
There was also a trip to the Uptown Diner and Eric finally got to meet Gertrude, who has taken a liking to him:
I wonder if I can get shots of all of my friends with the dogs…
Today was a little miserable. My nose started running at the Saloon last night and I assumed that it was another allergic reaction to Eric’s cats. This afternoon the nasal congestion turned into full blown sneezing sickness, so I am going to take my diseased self to bed. After the dog walk of course…
Last night Joel and I went to the KS95 concert at the Varsity Theater. The concert’s headliners were Uncle Kracker and Colbie Cailatt.
Uncle Kracker’s performance was underwhelming. He just sat the entire time and had minimal crowd interaction. Colbie, whose name I can’t pronounce, was really pleasant to watch and listen to. She’s no Lady Gaga, Brit-Brit, or Beyonce…but she’s a little livelier than Nora Jones and a little less scandalous than Miley.
After the show, Joel and I went to Loring Pasta Bar for a little come-to-Jesus meeting, where Joel had Jesus lighting:
Which brings up a tangent I forgot to go on: the ridiculousness that is becoming “facebook official.”
Facebook official status seems like a casual, trivial thing, but it is actually like sending an engagement announcement to your 600 not-so-closest friends.
Then, after a few weeks or months (when the honeymoon heat fades) facebook-official status can create an awkward feeling of entrapment. Is the other person as serious as you are? Does someone want to break up? Is he a vampire? Are you willing to make that facebook change and take the aftermath?
It’s like calling off a wedding – no one ever believes that the bride and groom sat down calmly over coffee and mutually parted ways. No, everyone from your school dean to your mom will imagine some grand Revolutionary-Road style fight. There has to be screaming, shattered glass, a restraining order, a dead hamster… ie, drama.
None of that happened last night at the Pasta bar. It was more “Can you meet me half way?” than “Ring the Alarm” and there’s no break up or restraining order that I’m aware of. Now the hamster is another matter…
I’m really proud of this picture:
Although it obviously took a few tries:
I obviously when camera-happy on last year’s Bemidji trip… here are the rest of the pictures.
Around this time last year Jamie and I took a road trip to Bemidji, in Northern Minnesota. Here are some pictures.
Despite her best efforts, Gertrude had to chose between the couch and the bone.
This picture is a small miracle:
Getting these two to stay still and face the camera is nearly impossible because Gertrude always jumps off the couch when I get up to take a picture.
Last night they both slept on my bed, which was a …cozy situation. I have two doggy beds, so the bedtime pile-up will be short lived.
I also need to move my desk. The desk is in a corner right now and it’s completely awkward when these two needy lugs wrap around my chair, vying for attention.
The desk change and the bed-time rules must wait until tomorrow because I am too exhausted to enforce anything tonight. I may round up the party and go to bed soon.
Jake finally posted the picture from last Tuesday night’s Trivia Night at Innuendo. Behold:
We won that week, but didn’t do as well this week. We didn’t place last, but it was still a hard fall from grace…
We debated what to do about the competition and you can expect a flurry of “accidents” over the weekend.
Joel and I went to a Vietnamese restaurant1 tonight.
We have not seen each other in about two weeks and needed to dish about our trips.2 Joel brought back a cookie from the Carnegie deli, which is apparently a famous something-or-other from up yonder.
I dropped Joel off, and when I turned onto my street I found it blocked off by an ambulance and a police car. Of course the ambulance was for downstairs neighbor, and the police were pounding on his door when I entered the apartment.
I don’t understand what is going on. The police and ambulance left, and now downstairs neighbor is blaring music…what the hey? This better not mark a repeat of last summer…
The pilot came on the intercom.
Pilot: “Do we have any MDs on board? If you are a MD please touch your flight attendant call button. A passenger is ill and we need your assistance.”
Everyone looked around. No doctors aboard. A flight attendant rushed by with an intense looking oxygen tank.
The pilot repeated his request, and then asked if any nurses or medical personnel were aboard. No takers. Vet techs? None.
I felt pretty useless – “I can offer qualified legal advice!”
We arrived in Minneapolis and waited for the paramedics to fetch the ill passenger. I then stormed to baggage claim and wandered the parking garage1 for my car.
I hadn’t slept in 24 hours and was in a vicious mood.
I went to the University of Miami the night before. Trisha and I visited our old dorm and caught up on the student-life drammy.
The RAs chirped about homecoming and were freaking out about decorating their floors. Trisha and I looked at each other and laughed. We are both in professional school now, but just two years ago we were fumbling with construction paper and rubber cement. How bizarre.
I think I horrified one of the RAs who is thinking about applying to law school. Gloomy tales of the legal job market – dum dum dum!
Ben and I were posted at the main bar again. Blaring house music, strobes, bodybuilders, and periodic visits by the club’s manager and owner. Ben and I insisted on having a 4-hour3 conversation over the music, so I’m croaking like a seasoned smoker today.
I left the club around 5 a.m. and had a terrifying ride with a cab driver who was more familiar with the gas pedal than the road markings. I then showered and packed for the airport.
The airport was a disaster. The Delta Airlines area was understaffed and chaotic.
The baggage drop line was 100-people deep and crisscrossed the self check-in line. The result was that no one knew what line they were in until waiting in the wrong line for a half hour.
The lines moved at a glacial pace and we slowly realized that there was no way we would make our flight.
So many of us were late that they held the plane for us, but they didn’t tell us that the plane was waiting, so a pack of us tore down the terminal like we were being chased by zombie TSA agents.
After the airport sprint in Miami, the medical dramatics on the plane, and the 30 minute car seeking expedition in the Minneapolis Airport’s parking garage, I was so relieved to pick up Harley from the pet hotel and crash.
I slept for 8 hours, did laundry and some minimal cleaning, and I am going back to sleep so I can make it to work early.
It was a fun, exhausting trip.
Viva Miami, but welcome Minneapolis.
1 Parking was close to $75…bejesus.
2 Unofficial Lady Gaga night… they played “Bad Romance” at least three times, “Telephone” twice, “Love Game” and “Poker face.”
3 As opposed to the stand, pose, and smile routine that Carlos and I have mastered.
This is pretty awesome. It was parked on the bay near the Mandarin Hotel.
I think this is awesome.
