Last Post

After months of minimal posts, Roving Sugarbeet's reign has come to an end. I'm no longer roving (just passed two years at the same address for the first time since I lived with my parents!) and I'm no longer sugarbeet (a nickname attributed to me by someone whose nicknames no longer apply).

Roving Sugarbeet will remain in place for as long as the internet keeps these things around (forever?). There are many good times and fun pictures recorded here for those who would like to revisit these memories.

Tomorrow, a new year commences. Along with it, a new blog! Stay tuned, friends and family, for the blog address (via email or facebook).

I finally made the front page!

For those of you who know that I was once an aspiring journalist, you know there would have been no bigger thrill than for my words to make the front page of the New York Times. I'm amazed to report that the day has come!

I wrote that comment yesterday in response to news that Gov. Eliot Spitzer, long-revered for cracking down on crime - including prostitution rings - has been caught participating (i.e., a client) in a prostitution ring himself.

While this type of hypocritical - and all too frequent - behavior disgusts me, it's a pretty minor story outside New York. However, I had to share my brush with fame! I would have guessed that they randomly publish these quotes on the front page, but since it's only part of my comment it must have been hand-picked!

I wrote: “Is it power that leads people to do such arrogant, foolish things or is it that arrogant fools are the ones who most often come to power?”

Maybe I have found a way to use my journalism degree after all...

Another Class

In addition to Spanish, I also signed up for a sewing class through Minneapolis Community Education. After missing the first class due to a business dinner and the instructor being sick last week, I finally had my first class last night. Although I already know how to sew, I thought taking a class would be both a great motivator to start using the sewing machine Grandma Dottie gave me for Christmas as well as an opportunity to enhance my very basic sewing skills.

It isn't much of a class, rather, it's more of a sewing workshop. Everyone works independently and there is an instructor there to offer help. That will work fine for me, although I had hoped there would be some specific instruction. However, there are so many levels of experience in the class that the experts would certainly get frustrated.

One other student also missed the first class, so neither of us knew to bring fabric to make pajama pants. We worked together on a pair, but I didn't like the fabric so am going to get some of my own and hope to catch up by next Thursday!

Too much information (photo included).

Ok, I won't be surprised or offended if seeing this close-up of my mouth makes you want to leave this page. Teeth are not for the squeamish!

But if you're still here, you're seeing my crooked lower teeth in the "before" stage with the new spring retainer I got today. The orthodontist claims it will take as little as three months to return my teeth to their once-perfect straightness.

Although I had braces at age 21, my teeth were never crooked. The expensive braces experiment (thanks Mom and Dad!) was supposed to alleviate my TMJ. I've still got the jaw problems, but those braces did make my teeth ultra perfect.

When I got my braces removed, they left a wire behind my lower teeth. The wire always bothered me and I couldn't imagine that removing it would cause a change, since I never had crooked lower teeth. In spite of several dentists' protests, I finally found one who would remove the wire.

I was initially thrilled - almost as much as when the braces were removed - but soon came to profoundly regret this decision. Here's a piece of advice: listen to your dentist. My teeth started to move and became crooked enough to really bother me. I swear I can feel them moving and getting more crooked every day!

So, I finally decided to get this fixed. The retainer is removable (for eating and brushing), but the more I wear it, the sooner my teeth will look close to perfect again! My top teeth are not as straight as they once were, but I decided that fixing that small imperfection would be over the top.

It's all downhill from here.

It seems that I have crossed the line into becoming an old lady. How do I know? Shoes. Yes, shoes.

Over the past few months, I've noticed that as I troll the aisles of DSW (on an animal-like hunt, just like in the commercials) or any other shoe shop that I'm seeking the comfortable shoes rather than the cute ones. Sure, I'd love both, but more often than not I barely notice the stilettos and go right for the flats and wedges - especially the ones with ice-friendly tread.

*sigh*

The worst part is that wearing these comfortable but not so stylish shoes makes me really, really happy. I blame it on the flats, snazzy sneakers and Ugg-style boots that have been popular the past few seasons.

I imagine that I'll still wear heels and probably buy a few more pairs, but my closet is becoming increasingly dominated by comfortable shoes.

What's next? Wearing a jogging suit to work? Carrying a backpack instead of a purse? This comfort thing could become addictive.

p.s. DSW lovers who don't live near a store - they're about to open an online store! Not sure when, but should be soon.

Thanksgiving in Michigan

I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving! We had a great time in Michigan. As with most vacations, the time went by too fast. Once again, I didn't take as many pictures as I wish I had, so I'll try for a compelling narrative.

On Wednesday we arrived around rush hour in Detroit. It's hard to believe all the negative news about that place when the roads - from freeways to city streets to suburban avenues - are packed with traffic. There are millions of people there with places to go and things to do, so it can't be all bad! If only they would start buying houses...

After quite a long drive and picking up dinner from La Shish - the best Middle Eastern cuisine outside, well, the Middle East - we arrived at the home of our friends, the Harpers. It was great to see Chris and Kristin, but spending time with four-year-old twins Kate and Kyle was the real treat!

We awoke to tiny voices chanting "it's snowing, it's snowing" on Thursday morning. Sure enough, our first real snow of 2007 found us in Michigan! (It was also colder and gloomier than Minnesota for all you who continue to think we've moved to the frozen tundra.)

Chris and Chris (they go by their last names when together, but it still gets confusing!) played in the snow with Kyle and Kate for awhile in the morning.

By early afternoon, the Harpers left for Thanksgiving with Kristin's family. Once Chris finished watching the Lions lose (and taking a nap), we headed for Mike and Donna's house. Two of their kids weren't there (Laurie and Cindy (and Ryan)), but Jenny, Michael, Matt and Gina were there and Heather came in from New York with her boyfriend Jahn (sorry if I didn't spell that correctly). Grammy Opal was there and Suzanne came in from California for a few days. A friend of the Forans' also joined us.

There we enjoyed a scrumptuous Thanksgiving feast of turkey, potatoes, stuffing, yams and various side dishes followed by Grammy's out-of-this-world pies. Pumpkin, cherry and pecan. Mmmm, mmmm. Can we have Thanksgiving again this week?

On Friday morning we were, of course, ready for another big meal! Matt and Sherrie invited us to their house for brunch. They live just a few miles from the Harpers. Also joining us were their sons Jack (7) and Nick (5) and Chris and Matt's friend Jerry, his wife Gina and their kids Gueneviere (3) and Gabriel (1). We had a great time and ate way too much of the delicious quiche, sausage, fruit, veggies, bread that they had prepared.

After digesting and chatting with the Darnells, we met up with Opal and Suzanne. Suzanne turns 60 on December 23 (sorry! I hope you weren't trying to keep that a secret!) and we won't see her then so decided to do a small celebration one month in advance. We visited the Yates Cider Mill for some cider (of course) and - because of course we needed more junk food - their homemade donuts.

After the cider mill, believe it or not, we went out to eat! At La Shish again (because it's also Suzanne's favorite). We've decided that we have to visit Michigan more often so we don't feel the need to gorge ourselves on all our favorite local food. I didn't even mention the many slices of before and after Thanksgiving pie from Achatz.

Following an early (and light) dinner and birthday toast to Suzanne, Chris and I headed back to the Harpers. We brought a make-your-own-bouncy-ball kit and wanted the chance to make them with Kyle and Kate. It was a very easy process of mixing water with colored crystals in a mold. I had fun and the kids seemed to enjoy them. Chris warned me that it might not be a very parent-friendly gift, but as of Saturday morning the Harpers weren't cursing us, so I think it was ok!

By noon on Saturday we were on our way back to Minneapolis. Although we wish we'd stayed longer, we were glad to have some time to relax. Thanks, all, for the fun and food!

Learning to Make Lefse

After a fruitless attempt to make lefse several months ago, I decided to attend a class to learn how it should be done!

I'd call yesterday's class at Kitchen Window more of a demonstration than a class, but I did have the chance to make three lefse. The first one was undercooked, but the other two were quite good! Interestingly enough, hot-off-the-grill lefse tastes very similar to Swedish pancakes.

Rolling and handling the dough was not nearly as tricky as I expected. Th key is really in the quality of the dough and it doesn't seem that hard. Although those who recall my inaugural blog post about making kumla know what too much flour does to Norwegian food!

In addition to invigorating my interest in giving lefse another try, I learned that there are over 50 varieties of lefse and some are made without potatoes! Can you imagine? Immigrants favored potato lefse and so it has become the prevalent form in the US.

If I get my lefse equipment out of storage by Christmas I will attempt to make some for our gatherings. However, if you were planning to buy lefse please do, as I can't guarantee it will be anything like the pros make!

Photo credit: www.lefsetime.com (I didn't know that more than five people read this blog).

Today is Blog Action Day

I just found out that today is Blog Action Day, designed for bloggers everywhere to unite and write about the environment - something that we all directly impact every day.

Last week I wrote about my desire to take public transportation more often, which is certainly an environmental issue. But I've also been intending to write about my attempts to reduce my use of plastic. What better day to do that than today!

Have you noticed how many products are packaged in plastic? It's extremely difficult to find anything that doesn't have some plastic on it. And we're all probably pretty good at putting our plastic bottles in the recycling bin. Maybe you also reuse plastic bags several times before throwing them away (or recycling them if you have that option).

Recycling is great, but when it comes to plastic, the best choice is to reduce our overall use of it. Only 5% of all plastic is recycled. You are probably all aware that plastic is more difficult to recycle than products like paper, glass and aluminum. Recycling plastic also requires the addition of new petroleum. Yes, did you know that plastic is made from petroleum? So reducing your use of plastic is another way to reduce our dependence on foreign oil!

Here are some changes that I've made within the past few months to reduce waste. I hope you will consider trying one or two of these yourself. It takes getting used to, but once you make the change you may find it's actually easier to pass on plastic.

- Drink tap water instead of bottled. Not only is it safe and tastes great (especially if it's LPRW!), it will also save you money.

- Bring your own bottle to fill when you're on the go (I have a this cute aluminum one).

- Reuse plastic containers for food storage (but never heat them in the microwave).

- If you only buy one or two items at the store and don't really need a bag, don't get one.

- Better yet, bring your own bag (some grocery stores give a discount for each bag you bring).

- If you need a bag and didn't bring one, paper is better than plastic.

- Use aluminum foil instead of plastic wrap. Grandma Dottie has been doing this for years! Foil can also be used in place of plastic bags for wrapping sandwiches or making little snack packs. It also washes up nicely for reuse and can be recycled right along with your aluminum cans.

- Rinse and reuse plastic storage bags (e.g., Ziploc).

- Don't heat plastic in the microwave. Use glass whenever possible. This isn't for the environment as much as for your own health. The harmful effects may be debatable, but there are plenty of studies that indicate plastics leach toxins into the foods and beverages it holds and it's much worse when heated. Why risk it? Use glass.

- When you are buying/using plastic, look at the number. 3, 6 and 7 are the worst for your health and are not recyclable. This means staying away from styrofoam (6) and for those of you with kids, check your baby bottles and sippy cups. If they are made from 7 plastic, you might want to look for alternatives that are BPA-free. This blog reviews some.

- Choose items packaged in glass, paper, aluminum - anything but plastic - whenever you can. This is not always easy!

- In the produce aisle, ask yourself if the items you're buying really need to be put in those plastic produce bags.

- Look for plastic made from corn. It's hard to find, but it's becoming more plentiful. I saw water in bottles made from corn for the first time this weekend. The bottles look and feel the same and I assume the water tastes the same, right Mom?

Ok, so that's an awfully long list. I hope you will try some of these ideas. Or maybe you have some other ideas that I can try. Please share!

Busy Body Strikes Again

Some of you may have thought I was exaggerating about mister busy body and the importance of wearing jeans on Friday. Even I thought I probably made too big of a deal about it. Until now. You won't belive this...BB (busy body) just stopped by my office to see if I have jeans on!

He stopped by and peered from the doorway under my desk (which is more like a table - there is no panel covering the front). Figuring I knew why he was here, since he has no business reason to talk to me, I just looked at him inquisitively.

The exchange that followed went something like this:

BB: You've got to wear jeans.

Me: I am wearing jeans.

BB: Oh, those are jeans?

Me: Yes. Are there a certain type of jeans we're supposed to wear? Because I didn't know that.

BB: No, no. Just making sure that you're wearing jeans.

Me: Yep. I'm wearing jeans.

Is this guy not seriously annoying?

I'm thinking that instead of not wearing jeans in protest of this fool that I'll start wearing jeans every day. Maybe jeans from head-to-toe...jean jacket, jean shirt, jeans. I used to have some cool denim ankle boots in sixth grade. Mom, why did you let me get rid of those? They'd probably still fit! Maybe I'll even start calling myself Jean.

I wore jeans today.

Thanks for all your input. I decided to wear jeans today. Mostly it was because I don't have much to choose from and was tired of my other pants. But I'm not going to wear them every week...I won't be goaded into conforming!

This all reminds me of a time in high school (ca. 1988?) when "bump shoes" as I called them were all the rage in Ivanhoe. I'd say 99% of the people in about a four-year age span had the same pair of shoes. Boys and girls.

They looked approximately like those shown, only the boys' were slightly more masculine. Slightly.

The only people in 9-12 grade who didn't have them were the kids who probably only had one pair of shoes...and me. There's nothing wrong with the shoes - they're cute - it was just weird that everyone had them.

Disclaimer: I actually own a similar pair now and really like them, but as with most things in high school, if everyone had it and it became a big deal, then I didn't want it. That's still kind of true.

Few people probably remember the bump shoe days, but that was a uniquely Ivanhoe time I've found hard to forget. Every day, it seemed, someone new would show up with a pair of bump shoes. Most people wore white ones and if you'll recall, 1988 was still the height of pinned/rolled jeans in Ivanhoe. These shoes tended to make feet look larger than they were and in contrast to the peg leg jeans (all too often white jeans, again on boys and girls), let's just say it was not a good look for very many people.

Jeans on Friday: Perk or Pariah-maker?

Many of you are fortunate not to work in traditional corporate offices, but I'm sure you've all heard of the so-called "perk" of wearing jeans on Fridays (sometimes or every week). In my new office, jeans are allowed every Friday.

Over the past six weeks I've learned that they are not only allowed, they are practically required. Or at least they are in the mind of one guy. I'm not sure why, but he has made it his personal mission to make sure I wear jeans on Fridays. Not only has he reminded me on Fridays when I didn't wear jeans and praised me the one week I wore them, he has also mentioned it to my boss!

(Note: This guy is not in charge or even above me in the hierarchy, by the way. He's very nice but perhaps a bit of a busy body.)

Why are jeans a perk? It's not like we're required to wear buttoned up suits and uncomfortable shoes everyday (although I sometimes wear them by choice). I have enough personal freedoms in my life that being permitted to wear jeans is not a perk.

Don't get me wrong, I love wearing jeans. But because I want to, not because I have to. I would be just as bothered if I felt required to wear anything.

The past couple of weeks I've started to think about it. I gave in to the pressure one week and wore them, but since then my indignant and stubborn side has led me to purposely not wear jeans simply because it's become a big deal (at least to this one nosy guy). Then again, my conciliatory side says to wear them on most if not all Fridays in a solid Midwestern effort to show that I don't think I'm better than anyone (which of course I'm not).

(Another note: Not everyone here wears jeans on Fridays. The dress code is generally casual so there's not much difference.)

My question to you is: should I wear jeans tomorrow?

A Fun Wednesday Night

Last night I decided to stop by Barnes & Noble in Edina on my way home. Garrison Keillor was signing his latest book "Pontoon" and I thought it would be fun to see him in person, since I've enjoyed listening to him on the radio for years.

(Surely this secures my nerd status, lest any doubt remained.)

He talked and answered questions for about 45 minutes, during which time he wove stories and developed characters off the cuff unlike anyone I've ever heard or seen. Keillor is an unparalleled storyteller in modern times.

His brand of humor is of course appreciated here, where most everyone in the audience could relate to his stories, but he is highly regarded in literary circles worldwide.

Following the Q&A, he began signing copies of his book. At that time I learned I missed out on picking up a calendar page that would secure my place in line. Not wanting to leave without a signed book, I tracked down the calendar lady and received my page. July 12. I knew it would be a long night!

Two and a half hours later (at least I was free to sit and read or wander in Barnes & Noble), my turn finally arrived. Part of the reason it took so long is because Keillor chatted with every person in the line. My chat consisted of talk about Jacksonville and the merits of being a beach person, a lake person or - what he considers himself to be - an arboreal person (that would be someone who likes trees, for anyone wondering...).

Now I'm really ready to attend a live broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion this season! I have a feeling that Chris will pass on this one, so if anyone's interested in going with me...

So it isn't just me!

While staying in Eden Prairie for over two weeks last month and making a number of trips there since my office is nearby, I started to question my sense of direction. (No, not in life. Just in driving.)

The area where 494, 169, 212 and 5 intersect, interchange and basically swirl in circles with local streets have just barely begun to make sense to me after more than a month. I always found my way, but only with the notion that it couldn't have been the most direct route.

Exiting Eden Prairie Center can even give experts like Bonnie momentary pause, so imagine how a newbie used to gridded street layouts like me has been doing!

Much to my relief, I'm not alone! According to today's Star Tribune:

"Eden Prairie's winding streets have confused motorists since the 1980s...drivers must find their way into the city from several freeway exits. Once off the freeway they must take a loop...[that] often leaves drivers clueless about what direction they are going."

Clueless is an understatement. It's a good thing I enjoy driving around until I find what I'm looking for (and also a good thing Chris isn't here yet, because he is not a fan of that methodology). As the city's economic development manager puts it: "people are finding their way even though there might be a little frustration."

Although I've taken the scenic route in many places besides Eden Prairie, it's been by far the most confusing area for me. Now that I've begun to figure it out, it appears that help is on the way! The city is going to add nearly 60 "Eden Prairie Ring Road" signs for the Prairie Center Drive and Valley View Road circle to let drivers know they're on a loop.

I like the idea, but don't know that this solution will alleviate the real problem, which for me is the loop itself, where to find things on the loop and how to get off the darn thing and on to the right highway going in the right direction!

Birthday Week

Not much has happened lately, but I realized that I haven't posted in over a week so I should get something up!

Thanks to Mom, Dad, Jack, Jon, Amber and Trevor for the fun birthday celebration on Sunday (as well as a great Polish Days!) and to Bonnie, Duane, Angie and Cameron for the wonderful birthday dinner on Monday! What a great way to spend my first birthday in Minnesota in many years.

I don't have much news to report and don't have a camera here, but will do my best to post more often.

Chris is feeling well and getting better, although the pain in his foot has been so severe that he went to see the doctor earlier this week. They did an ultrasound to check for clots, but didn't find anything. He will have to endure the pain and hope it subsides soon. He spends most of his time "walking in circles" around the house trying to get the blood moving.

I'm a Minnesotan!

Although I'm staying in a hotel, I guess you could now officially consider me a Minnesotan! I'm looking forward to my first day in the office tomorrow. Then it will finally feel like I have a job.

Forgive my lack of posts during this transition time. I'll try to post updates if I have any.

See some of you in Ivanhoe on Friday!

August Schedule

I've got my travel/work schedule arranged for August and the good news is that I will be in Ivanhoe for Polish Days! I will also be at Roy Lake for Labor Day! These are just the first of the fun times I'll be able to participate in now that we're moving home. I don't think Chris will be able to come for either weekend, but we'll see!

Rummage Sale Day!

I've been talking about having a rummage sale for six months (Chris says a year) and finally got around to doing it yesterday. Since we are in such an out-of-the-way area I was concerned about getting traffic. My estimate was that I'd get three people from the neighborhood all day. Well, I met that quota by 7:45 am (and I wasn't even supposed to open until 8). I went out to post signs on the main road and people started following me home! I think I sold a quarter of my stuff by 8:30.

There were quite a few interesting characters and some definite hard-core rummage salers. Like the guy who asked if he could take every- thing off the "free" table (why not) and the guy who bought the table of about 50 half-used shampoos/lotions, used makeup, etc. that I would've thrown away but hoped someone like him would want?!

I couldn't help but think of Amber and her adventures earlier this summer! I was worried that I would do all this work for nothing, but this was definitely a worthwhile exercise. Not only was it much more profitable that my scrapbooking endeavor, it also enabled me to get rid of lots of junk. Now we're ready to move!

Jack will be your waiter today...

Since Jack is leaving this week, Chris and I decided it was finally time to see him in action at Chicago Pizza. We would've visited sooner, but this was Chris' first trip outside in three weeks and first time he's gone anywhere other than to doctors' appointments since June 13. (Don't ask me how he does it...)

Jack was a superb waiter, although I hope he doesn't steal food from the plates of all his customers! He also refused to let us photograph him in action. We tried to sneak some shots, but they didn't turn out well. He did allow Chris to snap the two of us. (Note my new haircut!)

It now appears that yesterday was his last day, so we made it just in time!

Friday at the Alligator Farm

Since Jack's days in Florida (and mine) are numbered, we finally took a much-anticipated trip to the St. Augustine Alligator Farm and it was a real thrill! We endured oppressive heat and humidity to observe dozens of gators and crocodiles (and sit on some fake ones).

The pinnacle event was watching one of the thrice daily feedings. I'm so glad I got some video of this!!

View more photos on my Facebook page (no need to join).

Tea Party

The highlight of my numerous trips over the past week was the time I spent with Betsy and her family. They live about 30 minutes from Rochester and I went to their house on Sunday afternoon. Addison (4 1/2) and Maren (2 1/2) are sweet girls and we had tons of fun, including a tea party!


On Monday after my interviews Betsy and family met me for dinner and a trip to feed the geese and ducks at a park in Rochester. They told me that it's a tradition for many people to do this and once I saw the hundreds of birds I knew why. I wish I'd have had my camera, because we were literally surrounded by geese and ducks fighting for a bite of bread. Addison and Maren stood on a picnic table to avoid the geese, most of whom would tower over them. The birds have no fear of getting close and more than one stepped on my feet!

I don't have any news about jobs yet, but you will all be among the first to know.