Friday outing

Good Friday was a good Friday. Dad/Larry/Paco/Grandpappy and I left town around 11:00 and drove in the sprinkles and drizzle toward St. Paul.

* Lunch at Bruegger's on 169 near Jerry's Foods. Nothing like a sun dried tomato bagel with sun dried tomato spread and a piece of muenster cheese for good measure!

* The rain picked up as we made our way to the Como Park Conservatory and Zoo in St. Paul. The wet weather didn't hold back the crowds--a day off from school and work brought kids and parents and grandparents in droves.  The Conservatory "jungle" room and fern room were especially enjoyable and GREEN. Larry/Grandpappy was disappointed in  the flower display in the sunken garden room. Typically it is a knock-out around various holidays, but he didn't think the colors or types of flowers were of the usual quality. I loved the deep yellow-golds and purples, touched with white (I'm not an Easter lily fan, and this year the Conservatory gardeners were in tune with me (ha!) as the lilies were appropriately understated.). I agree with Grandpappy/Paco that the plants were rather puny and therefore didn't create the usual visual impact one expects when walking into that particular room.

  After a break for coffee in the newish visitor center, we wandered over to visit relatives in the Primate House. On the way in, we said hello to Miles' gorilla. He's much smaller looking in person than in pictures with Miles. Miles, you're still a little guy!
 

* Next stop was to drop Larry/Grandpappy off at the U of MN so he could take in a seminar (of sorts) given by Chung, one of Pete's post docs. I hurried to Richfield to spend an hour with the Oliver Avenue Quartet, stopping on the way at a Target and then a Walgreen's to search for a bag of Cadbury Mini-Eggs to take along as a treat. No luck on the candy; apparently I'm not the only one who loves those delicious little eggs. I had to substitute Cookies 'n Cream eggs, which are a distant second to Cadbury, unfortunately.

  Ethan and Owen were happy and busy and talkative. Angie revealed that the boys have been saying mysterious things lately, including a phrase that sounds like "Uncle Carl" (Is that the right uncle, Angie?). I've been thinking about this, wondering if the little guys are speaking in tongues, or if they are working on a language of their own. Or maybe they're just pulling a fast one on their parents.

* The visit was too short, but I had to pick up Dad/Grandpappy around 5:00, at which time we were going to decide if going out to dinner would be an option. First we gave Pete a ride home, then contemplated dinner. Charlie had mentioned Fat Lorenzo's, and Angie had made a remark about delicious pizza and beer sounded (she usually talks about whiskey and chicken wings...ha ha!), and when I shared those comments with Larry, our minds were made up.

  It was our first trip to Fat Lorenzo's, and if you haven't been there, make it a destination soon! It's a little place, funky and fun, and the pizza is out of this world. Thanks for mentioning it, CP and AP!

 Now it's Saturday and that means grocery shopping and getting ready for Easter. Another sunny day, so that will bring out the good cheer in everyone... right? : o)

Monkeys everywhere

The monkeys were in town for the weekend...no, not the '60s rock group, but four little monkeys of the baby and toddler varieties. When it came time for the mandatory cousins' photo shoot [in cute monkey tee-shirts provided by Auntie Annie] the kiddies were silly and wiggly, so there are no shots of all four looking in the same direction. Might be a few more years before than happens!

Cousins Owen, Ethan, Hannah, and Miles--together again!

Hannah and Miles love their little cousins...

and they love each other (except when one

of them has a toy coveted by the other!).

What a great weekend of hugs, kisses, playtime, laughter, and craziness! Come back soon everyone!

Jazzy weekend

This has been a lovely weekend weather-wise and entertainment-wise. Seeing the sun for more than five minutes at a time is a treat, as is being reminded that the sky can be blue instead of gray.

On Saturday, Miles and Annie came over so Annie could shop for a special birthday present for Miles' good friend Claire. I hope to see a picture of her wearing/using her gift on Annie's blog later today. Hint, hint! Annie and Miles stayed for lunch and Miles entertained us with baking pretend cookies and making pretend hamburger sandwiches in the little kitchen. He's going to have to enroll in the Cordon Bleu cooking school soon, so he can move up to a gourmet chef level of expertise. He and Hannah can help each other out next weekend--she's undoubtedly got some southern cooking ideas up her cute little sleeves.

After lunch, a nap, and a round of kisses and hugs Miles and Annie went to Mankato to the mall indoor playground, and Larry/Paco/Dad/Grandpappy and I went to the Cities.

Miles, napping

First stop was to be the Como Park Conservatory to get a whiff of flowers and tropical air, but they closed just as we arrived in order to accommodate a wedding in the beautiful glass Sunken Garden Room. Thirty-plus years ago, my brother Mark and his first wife Susan had their wedding pictures taken in that room. Elisabeth, do you have any recollection of wearing your peach satin flower girl dress that day?

We briefly thought about pretending to be wedding guests, but decided instead to drive around a bit and then headed over to The Good Earth in Roseville. The food was delicious, but the vegetarian-influenced charm it once had is missing. While I'm sure the burgers and steaks on the menu are from pure, wholesome, grass-fed livestock, I remember a time when fish was the only thing on their menu that wasn't grown in a garden. Still, many of the patrons looked "the type" one would expect at The Good Earth (Birkenstocks, no makeup, hand knit wool sweaters, hair even drabber than mine). I'd go back, although if I ordered chicken quesadillas again I'd ask the waitron to tell the chef to leave off the shredded iceberg lettuce. Good guac, though!

Next destination was Orchestra Hall to see and hear the Preservation Hall Jazz Band on stage with the Minnesota Orchestra. The MN Orchestra opened the show and also the second half, after intermission. Why they chose a perky George Gershwin medley to warm up the crowd for New Orleans jazz is perplexing, and their later medley of "When the Saints Go Marching In" that launched the second half of the program wasn't as inspirational as the version played by the seven-member Preservation Hall group. The Orchestra redeemed itself while playing with the jazz band (as if I have any musical knowledge that would allow me to make these remarks!).

My favorite piece was "St. James Infirmary." Wow. Anyone who didn't have the blues before that number started was drenched in shades of navy, robin's egg, and azure by the time it was over. The jazz band and two vocal soloists--their trumpet player and their sax player--yanked everyone's guts out with a painfully sad rendition.

The concert ended with the jazz band leaving the stage and going down and around the aisles while playing "When the Saints Go Marching In". A number of audience members joined the parade, which reminded us of the kiddie parade featured at the St. Peter High School Indoor Marching Band Concert each year. Except last night there were a couple of looney tunes who were sitting near us who jumped out in the aisle and got in the way of the some of the musicians. That must happen rather often, as the trumpet player and the sax player maneuvered around the potential jazz terrorists with grace and alacrity. It was great fun, and even the drive home didn't seem so long as I'd anticipated.

Today I got my share of pre-tax preparation work completed. Now Larry/Dad/Grandpappy can take over. We changed the rugs in the sunroom so it feels more like spring, and I vacuumed up the bugs that had taken refuge under the furniture out there and later succumbed to cold temperatures over the winter. So, a nice weekend is almost over. I have work to do tonight for school, and then more of it tomorrow. On Thursday, Elisabeth and Hannah will magically appear. I'm looking forward to kids, toddlers, and twins next weekend (and a week of spring break afterward to recover!!).

Sparks fly

You never know when an elementary school science fair experiment will come in handy to explain an unusual situation. When Annie was a student at North Intermediate School, her project was a huge hit among the youthful patrons of the science fair. She demonstrated a chemical reaction that takes place when a person chews on Wint-O-Green LifeSavers in the dark. Sparks fly. Read this "Ask Mr. Dad" column to see the connection. (Those of you with babies may have a different explanation for green sparks shooting out of a diaper!)

...........................................

Dear Mr. Dad: I was up changing my baby’s diaper last night and saw green sparks shooting out of it. I called my wife in to show her, but it didn’t happen again. She thinks I’m nuts, but I’m quite sure I saw something. Could I have?

A: You’re not crazy at all. What you saw was triboluminescence, which is relatively ordinary—and completely harmless. In your case, triboluminescence (“tribo” comes from the Greek “to rub,” and “luminescence” has to do with light), may have been a buildup of energy caused by the friction of your baby’s bottom rubbing against the inside of the diaper, or from pulling on the tape. It’s the same chemical reaction that produces the sparks you see when you bite down on a Wint-O-Green LifeSaver in a dark room. You can replicate the phenomenon if you go into a very dark place, wait for your eyes to get used to your surroundings, and then strike two sugar cubes together as if lighting a match, pull apart the flap on a self-sealing envelope, or quickly yank a piece of tape off a roll. tape. Unlike static electricity, triboluminescence doesn’t generate any heat. It happens a lot, and to my knowledge, no one has ever been hurt.

http://www.mrdad.com/ask/

http://www.offthemarkcartoons.com/cartoons/2003-07-04.gif

Recycling is fun

Today was a prep day for me at work, and I got a lot done. I've managed to stay caught up on preparation for classes and on reading assignments so far this semester.

Having a 2/3 load for teaching is actually working for me now, whereas last fall and both semesters last year it was a joke. This semester I've been able to take a half day most weeks to do something unrelated to work (like picking up Miles in O-Town yesterday afternoon), and I haven't had to go to campus to work on a weekend day since last fall.

This afternoon I made big-time progress in emptying out file cabinets. I spent about 40 minutes filling the medium-sized recycling wastebasket in my office and then trotting down the hall and out the back door to put the contents in the big recycling bin outside our building. I emptied ten binders, too. Oh the joy of purging!

Saturday in St. Peter

Here's a follow-up to yesterday's entry...

Annie decided to take some artsy photos today.
Here's Charlie, looking pensive.

Angie appears carefree and relaxed in a yoga pose,
while Owen enjoys his thumb and toes.

Ethan is contemplating the meaning of life;

Owen is contemplating how to get his hands on a bottle.

These aren't artsy, but they ARE fun and cozy.

Gpappy loves that the little boys are beginning to eat finger food.
It's easier for them to "share".Thanks for coming to visit, everyone.

Friday night in St. Peter

Two little visitors came to play after school today. They did a bit of slapping, played some music, and one of the little fellers topped over. Oh no!



Rub-a-dub-dub, two babes in a tub...