When I am in New York...

In recent years I have developed a certain affinity for New York. I try to get there, in some sort of capacity at least twice per year. It might be my vice. When I am in New York it feels as though anything is possible and this feeling is not duplicated anywhere else and I crave it.

A few weeks ago I went to New York for the weekend to visit my friend, Josh. It's all fresh in my head what about New York is so appealing to me. I was conscious of it all this time & took note.

When I am in New York I am inspired and my mind is moving a million miles per hour with all sorts of ideas of what I could be doing or making or recording & watching. I walk all over leering and jeering. I jump on the subway and watch everyone around me trying to imagine their stories and where they're going and why.

When I am in New York I write down all sorts of lists of things I will do when I get home to Minneapolis: write more, journal more, take more photos, play piano more often....sometimes I follow upon my homecoming, sometimes I don't.

When I am in New York I try to spend at least one day to by myself walking and walking and taking photos and stopping to write here and there. I usually pepper it with dates with old friends. This time I did this while recovering from a weekend of debauchery thus I was a little slower and didn't see as much as I typically do. But I was able to have lunch with my friend, Melissa and see my friend Ted's work and work space for Space Gloves. Yes Space Gloves. Seriously.

When I'm in New York I drink more. I don't think it's because I'm on vacation either. In the middle of the afternoon on a anchored ship on the Hudson or in a piano bar filled with gay men singing show tunes, a drink in hand is supposed to be there.

When I am in New York I make all sorts of new friends. On the subway, at a thrift store, on the street...my most memorable was a few summers ago on the Staten Island Ferry. A life long Jamaica-Queens resident named Vernon & his young granddaughter Davina. We were all in it for the free boat ride. We sat together both ways and had a fantastic time. When we landed back in Manhattan they walked me to my train and hugged me goodbye. He confessed that while he was tempted to exchange contact information to keep in touch he truly felt we would cross paths again. I think of him fondly and kind of look for him every time I'm in New York wondering if our paths will cross again sooner than later.

When I am in New York, I try my hardest to blend in & feel I've succeeded when someone asks me for directions. I feel really accomplished when I can answer and direct them correctly.

When I am in New York I always spend one afternoon in a bookstore. Everyone reads in New York, have you ever noticed this? Everyone and I love that. I find myself picking up books in contemplation to buy that I would never in Minneapolis or anywhere else for that matter.

When I am in New York I feel fashionable. This kind of makes me giggle as New York is filled with people who are switching out their entire wardrobes every season. But just walking down the street whether it's 1st Avenue at 14th or Lenox at 119th I feel very chic and cool...and New York. This is also why I end of with mad blisters. Instead of wearing sneakers I wear Steve Madden flats with no socks and walk miles and miles.

When I am in New York I make a million and one resolutions to myself that someday, yes someday indeed, I will live there. Maybe only for a summer or a winter or a minute, but I will, I will, I will. I am supposed to at some point.

xoxx

Pure Cowboy Boot Bliss

Today we spent the day in Santa Fe, New Mexico. We slept in and ate homemade carnitas & tamales from a street vendor in the plaza for breakfast. HR had a little bit of work to do after so I wandered the streets of the old city to do some window shopping. I stumbled upon a pretty sizable vintage store and was easily caught up in a dozen or so old cowboy boots in a dusty corner. They were all nicely priced but none were the right size. I meandered some more and followed a sign to the "Western/Ranch" section. I rounded the corner & this is what I saw:












I was in awe; I love cowboy boots. I have a plethora of pairs and wear them with almost everything and as much as possible. There was nothing I could remotely justify buying as we are 6 days from purchasing our house & all the boots were $300 - $1000, but I was in heaven to say the least. Just to be in a room with hundreds of vintage cowboy boots was an experience in itself. They were amazing to look, touch, and in sometimes imagine how fantastic it would be to wear certain pairs out on the town. If we were already in the house I would have taken out my visa in a flash & purchased the green & yellow pair in the top photo without second thought.

Later on as HR & I walked through a shopping complex to escape from the rain, we encountered yet another store filled with boots. These were all brand new and boots were priced $1000+ on average. In this store there was an incredible pair of black boots with colorful peacock feathers stitched down the sides and over the toe. I didn't take a photo unfortunately, but I did realize something from those boots.

Today I acquired a new appreciation for Cowboy Boots as an art form. There are so many designs, colors, stitching, heel styles and such that variance of Cowboy Boots out there is spectacular. They are a canvas and an amazing canvas at that.

Next time I'm in Santa Fe I vow to leave with a new & amazingly beautiful pair of cowboy boots on my feet.

xoxx

Road Trip.

Los Angeles to Minneapolis via the beautiful Southwest. Yesterday we pulled out of Needles, California around 11am stopped in Flagstaff, Arizona for coffee and a walk around 3ish, and ended our day in Santa Fe, New Mexico around midnight. Along the way we drooled a the amazing scenery, laughed at each other while playing very intense and competitive versions of The Roadtrip Alphabet and sang old country songs acapella and a few by Queen and The Who too. More to come.
xoxx

Sir Terrible

The drive from Minneapolis to Kansas City is pretty boring. It's 475 miles driveway to driveway. 430 of those miles are bor-ring farmscapes. Not even the cows, horses and pigs type of farmscape (I saw maybe 10 cows the entire way) it's all fields. Yes this can be pretty as there is a lot of green. But there aren't really any rolling hills and there are very few landmarks outside of freeway exit signs.

Bor - ring.

The most exciting moment in my drive to Kansas City has traditionally been when I cross over "Pole Cat Creek" somewhere in northern Missouri. When I cross over it I will say in a horrible, fake southern accent,"POLE CAT CREEEEEEK!" (Note that the extended "eeeee" in creek is said in a higher pitch than the rest). This is very entertaining and I usually crack myself up for a good 2 or 3 minutes with this antic.

I usually make this drive alone.

I can't imagine why no one would want ride with me.

Well I Pole Cat Creek was nearly upstaged on this journey. As I drove south on I-35 I could see something in the horizon. It was something I had never seen before.

I was kind of excited.

Terrible's Casino in Southern Iowa erected a new sign since last summer. Isn't he striking?

This means that there are now two exciting landmarks on the drive to Kansas City. And, thanks to this sign I have a brand new official stopping point for gas, snacks & bathroom.

I was so excited to see it that on the way back to Minneapolis I made a point to stop (well that and it is my official stopping place too) and took a photo. I did wish I had a road trip companion as I would have loved my photo taken with the very striking man, Terrible.

xoxx

Wedding.

I spent the weekend in Kansas City in honor of my sister, Kati's nuptials to my fantastic new brother-in-law, Chris.

Yay! Yay! Yay!

Set in my dad & stepmom's backyard, it was the most low key wedding I've ever been to & easily the most beautiful. Including my sister and her new husband, there 9 of us in attendance. Minutes before the ceremony was to begin Kati looked at myself and our other sister, Maura, "Will one of you hold the ring 'til I need it?"

After the ceremony we had a lovely lunch of chicken salad sandwiches, fresh fruit and oriental salad and watered ourselves with Champagne (of course). The meal (& wedding festivities) were completed with a strawberry mousse filled wedding cake and a reviewal of photos taken of the ceremony.

The bride and groom pulled out of the driveway around 3pm. We all waved, hugged each other and then changed into casual clothes and headed downtown. It was funny later when we ducked into a Starbuck's for coffee and I looked at my dad & said, "Kati and Chris were married today,"
"YEAH! Isn't it great?!"
It is. So great.

xoxx

Finding Thunder Bay

This weekend I drove up to Thunder Bay, Ontario to get a little peak at Handsome Randy. I had 36 glorious hours to interact with my lovely partner in crime. And for maybe the first time ever in all my visits to him on the road, we did absolutely nothing. Not. A. Thing. We went out to dinner, returning to the hotel to read & watch TV with our ankles intertwined. When all the good TV was turned into infomercials we turned the television off & just talked until 5am. It was great. Maybe the best visit ever & it was because it was Thunder Bay.

There is not a lot going on Thunder Bay.

Thunder Bay is a sad little city that looks like it may have been a great place in a time long ago. It sits on beautiful Lake Superior & has charming little storefronts & sweet little houses. But the storefronts are vacant and the houses are saggy and everyone seems to need something that they're not getting.

When Randy was loading in & soundchecking I was off shooting photos of unsuspecting Thunder Bayites, having donuts at Robin's & driving around trying to see what this city once was. There seemed to be very little to love about it. One of the main thorough fare roads was lined with what seemed to be the skeleton of an abandoned train, another with half empty strip malls.

But somebody has to have pride for Thunder Bay, right? Somewhere in those sagging houses & vacant storefronts there has to be somebody who loves Thunder Bay, it's culture & it's train skeletons for just what they are. Yes, somewhere there is someone, probably some people who love Thunder Bay & the quiet it provides.

xoxx

Paris + my mom + the real housewives...

Tonight I have kind of a lot to blog about...Blahg Blahg Blahg.

First & foremost. PARIS!
After I last wrote I took the train with bleary eyed commuters to Champs-Elysse. I got off the train & was immediately approached by an elderly woman walking with a cane. She spoke quickly with great agitation to me in French and in French I told her I was sorry but I didn't speak very much French.

"BAH!" Lots of French & AMERICANS & more French. I laughed & marveled at the famous street I was walking down in hour just before sunrise all the while singing the song from JR high french class, "Oh, Champs-Elysse..."

I arrived at L'Arc d'Triomphe & walked all the way around snapping photos along the way. Every early morning jogger who passed me would cause me to think, "Wow! They live in PARIS!" Needless to say, I was enamored by the city.

I walked back to the train and rode to Hotel Deville. I walked over the Siene & returned to Notre Dame. 8am Monday morning is so very different than 4pm on Sunday afternoon. It was quiet, nearly empty with the exception of those there to attend morning Mass. I walked back to Hotel Deville and found a cafe to eat my final French meal: a chocolate croissant and coffee. I ordered in French & was replied to in French which was so validating of my French speaking skills..and then back to the hotel to get ready to fly home.

********************************************

Next.
I stopped by my mom's house the last night & was taken aback by her living room. It has been overtaken by Tiffany Lamps. Four very beautiful Tiffany lamps grace the presence of my mother's lovely mission style bungalow living room. I asked her what was going on and she non chalantly replied that there was a really good sale & she couldn't pick (3 for under $100 total - that is pretty good). She asked my advice & I told her that I would relocate 2 of the four to other rooms. She agreed but then gave me a long list of reasons why she couldn't...so I giggled & called her the Tiffany Lamp Lady. She laughed & said, "Well, better than cats!".

********************************************

And finally.
The Real Housewives of Orange County 08-09 season ended tonight. While the traditional reunion episode airs next week, I count the season as being over. I am so glad. The cattyness was annoying & the endless ripping on Gretchen was so tiring. In the end, Gretchen was my favorite and it was the constant berating of her on Tamra's part that has led me to almost despise the show. almost.

xoxx

Jet Laggin' It.

So. I'm nearing the end of my quick little jaunt to Paris. I really felt like I had a handle on my sleeping patterns. Last night bed by 1 & up at 9. Today I went to bed at 11 so I could get up early to see a few things before our flight back to MSP. This is how it went: in bed by 11, asleep at 11:15, awake at 12, 1, & 1:30 (just long enough to check the time) & then wide awake at 2.
Wide awake at 2am, I checked my clock 3 times before I believed it as it felt like I had been asleep much longer. I swear time passes a little more slowly in Paris
.
So I'm awake & I will blog: Happy Monday morning Aunts Stephanie & Kathy!

I lied in the dark for an hour or so. Then went to the EuroPhone & gave Randy a ring, came back up to my super sweet hotel room (complete with balcony & deep soaking tub) and turned on the television. 1 or 2 Law & Order episodes later (over dubbed in French) later & I am still awake, now determined to stay awake until 6:30 when I am going to board the Metro walk down Champs-Elysse (singing the song all the while) to the Art D' Triomphe. Then I will find a great little cafe where I will enjoy a croissant & coffee. I've had a lot of time to think this plan through.
So let me tell you about my whirlwind trip. I came here to babysit my little friend, Pellegia, while her parents (also my friends), Channy & Alexei of Roma Di Luna perform at the Parisienne music festival, Sons D'Hiver (trans. Sounds of Winter).

We arrived Saturday morning, I took a little rest and then headed to Le Louvre where it would have been so very easy to spend all day, but I decided to just go in buy a postcard & peek at the Mona Lisa. Then off to the Eiffel Tower where I climbed to the 1st & second platforms but not the top as it was closed. I walked down the mall along side the tower and then found a patisserie for Chocolate Chaud Hot Chocolate. I arrived back to our hotel via a 40 minute metro ride & felt a little bit kicked. I took a long bath, a little rest & then went out in search of dinner. I ordered in French, the server smirked at me & said "One moment, Madame." & my hopes of passing as a Parisienne were dashed. I was in bed by 1 after a visit with Pellegia & her parents.

Today was show day. At 11am we were picked up & taken to the venue for soundcheck. I walked around listening to the rehearsal/soundcheck while filling up on baggettes, Brie, chocolate and oranges.

We came back to the hotel, rested a bit and then Channy & Alexei went to the show. Pellegia and I walked to Notre Dame along the Siene. It was a lovely, lovely day here - so sunny & relatively warm (50's). This is in sharp contrast to yesterdays snow & rain. So we walked and watched all the Parisiennes in motion. We arrived at Notre Dame & went inside looked around, tried to talk with a nun (we didn't understand eachother very well) & then walked home on the other side of the river. It was a great day.

I am enamored by this city. The first time I heard police sirens I felt a little excited as they sound so European..oh wait, that's because I'm in Europe. But seriously, I do feel like the sound of fluttering birds has a sense of excitement that I've not heard before. Or perhaps it's just hearing birds flutter in Paris generates excitement for me that no other flock of fluttering birds has before.

My story isn't done yet..I still have to experience tomorrow & then I can tell you the rest.
I feel that this is a poorly organized post..sorry for that - I've been up all night!
xoxx

French 48 Hours.

More later.
xoxx

We did the Hukilau.

Once upon a time, Handsome Randy & I boarded a jet plane & flew to Hawaii.
It was an amazingly beautiful trip & much fun was had. We spent time on the islands of Oahu & Kaua'i & became mildly obsessed with Niihau. We went to a luau, hiked around Waimea Canyon, the Kalalau Trail and swam at 'Anini Beach. We a lot of great food, but the best was an Ahi Sandwich from The Shark's Cove Grill in Haliewa on the north shore of Oahu. Here are a few photos highlighting our Hawaiian Holiday.

The view we woke up to every morning...


Waimea Canyon...



At the Luau...



On the Kalalau Trail...




Sadly, we eventually did have to come home to our frozen city, however, we were still singing & dancing the Hukilau upon our arrival & probably will be for a very long time.
xoxx

rescued sunglasses.

This weekend Handsome Randy & I embarked on a journey to Seattle & Victoria. He was working, I was tagging along. It was great and entailed a few ferry rides, a customs search, 2 rap shows, lots of donuts and a pair of rescued sunglasses.

I LOVE my sunglasses. While they were a mere $8 at my favorite vintage shop, rewind I regard them as though they are gold. And they are, to me.

So morning #2 of our journey we head to the Victoria/Port Angeles Ferry 2 hours early to make certain we have space on the ferry. We arrive securing our place on the ferry and we have time to get breakfast. Our 4 traveling companions go off for food and as HR secures the van I realize that I have left my beloved sunglasses in the hotel.

"AAH!" I yell. I assume they are gone for good, after all, HR has many things to worry about for he is working. But no.

"Should we take a cab back to the hotel and get them?" he says.

"Sure, if you think it's worth it."

"You love them, it's totally worth it."

And so we cabbed it. With our French taxi driver and I making polite conversation along the way & me clutching my treasured sunglasses all the way back to the ferry,

What a fantastic man I have.

I will say that while I would do the same for him, I think if I were traveling alone I would have chalked the loss and thought about the lost sunglasses every time I bought a new pair. I once left a fantastic belt in DC never to get it back, and still think about it wishing I still had it to pair with various pieces.

xoxx

The magic of NY.

When I was in New York last month I felt magical. It seemed that everywhere I went I evoked conversation from all walks of people. I was ever snapping photos with my beloved camera and always journaling. That trip left me yearning to live there like never before. Someday perhaps. In the mean time here is a favorite of the many shots I took in those amazing few days. I loved these ladies, though I am pretty sure they didn't love me photographing them.
xoxx

LAX Nap

Today I flew from L.A. to Minneapolis via Denver. My flight from L.A. to Denver left at 6:20am so I needed to be at LAX around 4ish. I was in L.A. visiting Handsome Randy who is on the road working. He & his entourage were pulling out of L.A. at 3:30am & the show their doing ended around 2am. Needless to say, I never went to bed. This almost cost me. Almost.

HR & I said our goodbyes around 3:15 & I left for the airport. But I was tired, so very tired. A good part of the drive consisted of me fantasizing of sleep. Sleeping at the airport, sleeping on the plane and finally sleeping in my bed. Well, I guess I got lost in these thoughts & ultimately got lost driving a route I have driven a million times: The Santa Monica Freeway to the San Diego freeway to the Century Exit.

Somehow I ended up on the wrong highway and due to my sleep fantasies I didn't notice for probably 15 miles. When I did I turned around retraced my steps & started over. An hour after I kissed my sweet man goodbye I found myself at the rental car agency. This trip should have taken 20 minutes tops.

So I turn in the car, shuttle bus it to the airport, check-in, etc etc & get to the gate for my flight with an hour before boarding time. Sweet. I can take that nap I've been dreaming about. I find a row of chairs with no arms & take out my travel blanket & pillow and fall asleep. This was only supposed to be a cat nap, but I fell asleep so hard that when I woke up it was over an hour later and they were about to close the doors to the airplane that was supposed to take me to Denver. I was the last person who boarded the flight.

Lucky lucky lucky.

Imagine how much that would have sucked. Missing my flight not because I didn't make it to the airport or because I was holed up in security, but because I was sleeping at the gate & slept through all the boarding calls.

xoxx

a mini-break in the great northwoods

Northern Minnesota is a magical place anytime of year. But the solitude & silence that one encounters way up there in the middle of winter almost makes the snow on the tree branches sparkle.

Handsome Randy & I spent a couple days in Grand Marais, MN earlier this week. We arrived on Monday evening just after everyone finished digging out of the two feet of snow that fell on Sunday. This gave us a beautiful backdrop as we snowshoed through a few state parks on Tuesday.

The weather was glorious: a warm 20 degrees with the lightest of snow falling. and we stayed in a lovely little cabin right on Lake Superior! It was an amazing & relaxing time with minimal cell phone service (very nice for a woman whose partner loves his blackberry) and a lot of scrabble and giggling.

xoxx


for more photos from our trip go here

& one more 07 List.

I got this idea from rex.
Cities/Towns I visited in 2007.
1. Saint Paul, Mn
2. New York, Ny
3. Atlanta, Ga
4. Birmingham, Al
5. San Diego, Ca
6. Los Angeles, Ca
7. Tacoma, Wa
8. Seattle, Wa
9. Portland, Or
10. Bellingham, Wa
11. Avon, Mn
12. Duluth, Mn
13. Two Harbors, Mn
14. McGregor, Mn
15. Phoenix, Az
Hmph, That's not that many and one third of them are in Mn - no good. I strive to do better this year.
xoxx

ny, again.

I am really happy with this shot.

xoxx

synopsis of ny.

this weekend handsome randy and I went to NY.
It was a fanstastic trip. We ate a lot of great food & enjoyed each other's company.
Oh, and our friend, Brother Ali was on Conan O'Brien** on Friday night and Randy was the magic of the soundboard. That entire day was spent at NBC studios in Rockefellar Center...it was really, really great. In addition to Conan O'Brien, we also hooked up with a few old friends and walked all over. I shopped a little & Randy worked more.



A good time was had by all.
xoxx

**To Watch Brother Ali with Mint Condition on Conan O'Brien go here & pick Friday, October 19 & skip ahead to "Act 5".

ny

four oh in phoenix

handsome randy turned 40 on friday, august 10 and he was (& still is) on the road. when we realized that this would be the case a couple of months back, I decided to make a little trip to whereever he would be for the day to surprise him for the big four oh. our friend murs, who is the organizer of the Paid Dues and is on the tour was co-conspirator. he hooked me up with a ride from the airport to the venue & was just overall pretty great in helping me make it happen.
i arrived at the venue shortly after the tour did & murs brought me to randy in the midst of setting everything up. I ran up behind him & said, "Hey, Happy Birthday!". He looked shocked and asked what I was doing, "Well, it's your birthday so I decided to come & wish you a happy one in person." we kissed. we hugged. we kissed again & then I went to the tour bus to hang out while he worked. I hung around & watched the show taking photos and visiting our friends who he's on the road with.
We ended the day with a little birthday song with everyone on the tour and some nice cake from Sarah Jane's Bakery in Northeast Minneapolis. We said goodbye and I took a little nap before jumping on a plane to head back to minneapolis.
a good day was had by all.
xoxx

reunited with the PNW

Last week I spent a few days back in my college home of the Pacific Northwest. I have been back to the PNW probably 5 or 6 times since I moved back to Minneapolis in 2001. But this time was a bit different as I saw so many people that I had not seen in years and in some cases, met their children. I counted: I saw 24 people that I had not seen in 6 years. 6 years! how crazy and for the most part, after the intial "So, what have you been up to?", I really felt as though no time had passed. that is true friendship.

jason, jason & ted.
3 staples in my social circle
through out college.


Amelia is the new little daughter of my friend, nora.










Meet Rowan, Meg & Peter's son.



This is Erik. Erik is now a professional eater.


more to come!
xoxx