December is a big month for us, with Christmas and a couple of birthdays all hitting in quick succession. We expected this year we’d get to do all of that in the snow, but it wasn’t meant to be. Christmas cookies with Aunt Toni. Lots of dice games. I used … Read More
Back from Camp
Obviously, it’s been quiet here the past month. Ali and I have been busy, going out just about every day with friends or family, but doing so without the kids. They’ve been off at camp. Ouest for a full four weeks, and Lowe for two. On top of that, it’s … Read More
Great Race Revisited
Ouest is away at summer camp, and Lowe doesn’t start his until two weeks after her, meaning that for a little while it’s just three of us. Of course, we’ve been checking the mail every day, and perhaps unsurprisingly, it took ten days to get our first letter. It was … Read More
Off to Camp
Minnesota Twins games are a long running tradition. I’ve seen them playing through the years at the old Met Stadium, the Metrodome, and for the past few years out at Target Field. This place is by far the best of the bunch. We were all bummed by the forecast for … Read More
Minnesota Meandering
One of my goals for our visits to Minnesota these days is to actually visit a few of the local sites that I’ve grown up around but never seen before. Vermillion Falls is a nice little spot on the Vermillion River, which empties into the Mississippi. It’s about twenty minutes … Read More
Rollercoaster Ride
Look what finally showed up. Well, at least some of our Bumfuzzle hats arrived. Like with so many things right now, there are backorders galore. We did, however, get the baby pink and the heather gray hats in. So, if you ordered those, you can expect a package soon. We … Read More
In The Backyard
Lowe’s been interested in taking some martial arts classes, so since we were going to be hanging out here for a few weeks we were able to get him going. It was an instant hit. First off, the instructors are fantastic. I was struck immediately by how respectful they were, … Read More
Family Summer
Minnesota has been all about spending as much time with family as we can, and we’ve been doing a pretty good job of it. Back in college I worked construction putting up vinyl and aluminum siding. Summers, holidays, and weekends if I needed a quick buck. I was good enough … Read More
County Fair
We left Grammy’s house, and thanks to the magic of air travel, we arrived in Minnesota just twenty-four hours later. Yeah, an “odor” on our plane left us stranded in Phoenix for about as long as it would have taken to drive to Minnesota instead. Honestly, flying is the worst. … Read More
Family Fun Before Casting Off
I know everyone hates varnishing, and I admit I’m not great at it, but it really does feel good to get a fresh coat or two on every now and then. So long as you haven’t waited too long and let the old stuff deteriorate too badly, which fortunately I … Read More
From Sea to Shining Lake
We left Rockaway Beach under a cloudy sky for the ride back to Portland. Stopped off in Garibaldi, just down the road, and managed to sneak some nickels onto the train tracks before the tourists rumbled by. Kelley Point Park in Portland is a fun “in the city” spot to … Read More
Minnesota Summer
When we visit Minnesota we feel like we need to see everyone. As if we might not be back again for years. That was the case when we were sailing around the world, but since then our visits home have probably been more regular—and certainly longer—than they would be if … Read More