Visitors!

So last week, Paul and Teri made their second pilgrimage out to Mpls for a visit!

I picked them up from the airport Wednesday afternoon and then we swung by the Warehouse District to pick up David and see his office before dinner at the French Meadow. Afterward, we took advantage of the amazingly gorgeous evening by popping over to Hidden Beach and the surrounding neighborhood.

Thursday, David had to work, but the three of us had breakfast at home, walked to the Ecopolitan in Uptown for a raw, vegan lunch, and then walked around downtown and the Thursday Farmers' Market. Paul had some work to do in the burbs that evening, but David and Teri and I had vegan waffles with market strawberries, whipped cream, and Nutella!

Friday morning while David was at work, the three of us biked to Lake Calhoun, ran around it, visited my office on the East Bank, had brunch at the Seward Cafe, and then took the scenic River Road to Minnehaha Falls and the Minnehaha Depot. We came home for Paul and Ter to pack up their things and to grab a light lunch, and then hit the Walker Sculpture Garden before getting David and heading across the river to meet Chris and Marty, with whom Paul and Ter stayed Friday and Saturday nights. We had a take-out Thai feast and then David and I went home.

Saturday morning we reunited in St. Paul before driving to the University arboretum in Chanhassen. It began to pour on the way there, but had tapered to a drizzle by the time we arrived, and was gloriously sunny by the time we had finished our exploration of the extensive grounds. We had a lovely lunch, did a lot of yakking, played a little badminton, and then headed to the Saint Paul Science Museum, where we had intended to play mini-golf but, upon discovering it hadn't yet opened for the season, watched the Arabia Imax before heading home for a guacamole feast.

Paul and Ter flew out early Sunday afternoon, but before they left we all piled to Costco and they stocked me up with groceries. I love it when they visit--not just because they leave me with nice things, obviously (though last time they bought me a BED!)--but because they are adventuresome and excited to explore the city, as well as just being a lot of fun to spend time with! Also, although I'd been planning to visit the Ecopolitan eventually, Ter's excitement about it bumped it way up my list. "Rawvioli" and Thai "noodles" made with zucchini were definitely worth the try.

Before they arrived, David and I started writing a list of attractions in the Twin Cities (with restaurants, somewhat to our chagrin, topping the list!), and since we only got to a fraction of them, we're looking forward to having more guests come visit our fair city!

For the entire album of Paul and Ter's pictures, click here.

SPARGELFEST!

Yesterday began inauspiciously. Although in the past I've successfully managed to balance my bowl of oatmeal and blueberries on top of my travel mug of tea as I head out the door, yesterday--in one of those slow-motion, almost-caught it, failed juggling acts--it toppled, splattering purplish globs of oatmeal, clinging to shards of ceramic, all over my downstairs neighbor's stoop. This slowed me down and cost me my deliciously high-fiber, antioxidant-rich breakfast, but thankfully didn't manage to ruin the day.

Actually, it was a great day. For one thing, I had completed a small gallery talk/presentation/seminar thing the night before and was thus terribly relieved. For another, it was gorgeous and sunny, not with the 95° temps and high humidity* we'd had earlier in the week, but barely into the 80s. And then, there was Spargelfest!

The Black Forest Inn is a cute little German place just down the block from the apartment, and although the atmosphere's quiet and cozy in the winter, in the summer they open up their really lovely patio and it's even better. Even though it faces a fairly busy street, its burbling fountain and shrouding greenery make the patio feel like a cool and quiet oasis. David and I got a table in the back to enjoy Spargelfest, their annual May celebration of asparagus. We split a crispy pizza topped with asparagus, artichoke, and leeks; and homemade pierogi "stuffed with fresh asparagus and cheese, on an asparagus mousse and drizzled with buttery hazelnut sauce"! They were both totally amazing, and I was stuffed afterward... but David really wanted the apple strudel (served with an impressive mound of thick whipped cream!), so I suffered through helping him eat it. It was pretty much the dietary opposite of last Thursday's fare at the Ecopolitan, where Paul and Ter and I enjoyed a raw, vegan lunch!

Ter just shared with me the photos from their visit last week, so I'll post about those adventures soon. In the meantime, it's back to work on my imaginary dissertation!

*I know! In May! We broke a 135-year old record.

Mrph

Internets, I am Unhappy. This is rather ridiculous, as it is finally (theoretically) spring, I live in a wonderful city, I am surrounded by loving friends and family, I have the opportunity to travel, and I do have funding for next year.

At the moment, however, I am feeling a bit blue. For one thing, I didn't get the fellowship I wanted for next year, which means I will be TA-ing next year. After a multiple-year streak of having all three of our nominees for this fellowship funded, this year they only gave us one. Boo.

Relatedly, I hate Facebook. I don't want to hear anyone's good news.

Also, it has been raining here FOREVER.

When I tried to wrest myself out of this gloom by looking at pictures of Santa Fe, where I spent last weekend and where the weather was actually beautiful and I had interesting adventures, I discovered that for some reason all the photos my camera had captured were the size of postage stamps. Sigh.

Anyway, through the magic of Picasa, I turned them into a collage for you (click for a larger view):
Here is a collage of the (again, unexpectedly tiny) adventures that ensued a few weeks ago when we discovered four tiny squirrels in the front yard:
And finally, here are itsy pictures of earlier this spring (when, pleasantly enough, the sun did shine), including flowers on the university campus and visits to Hidden Falls, the State Capitol, and Hidden Beach:
In other happy news, this has been the week of weeknight dinner parties, with one on Monday to celebrate a friend's successful dissertation defense and endoctoring, and one last night to make potato pizza for a friend and her friend, to whom she had repeatedly raved about this particular dish. Last night's was a pretty predictable affair, but Monday's was absolutely lavish. We started with lemon pasta with herbs and shaved parmesan on a bed of garden-fresh arugula; followed that with an unbelievably good salad of watermelon, goat cheese, olive oil, flaked sea salt and a dash of freshly grated pepper; and enjoyed a main course of salmon with asparagus pesto (though I forwent the fish and had my pesto with pasta) before concluding with a strawberry angel food cake from a local bakery.

Ahhhh, I feel somewhat better.

In other good news, I have finally, FINALLY! almost nailed down the dates for my Montreal research trip. And it's supposed to stop raining tomorrow, maybe. The TA preference sheet for next semester just arrived, and if I get my first choice (fingers crossed hard), I'll be okay. Cold weather makes me want to cook, so maybe I'll put together some lentil soup and cornbread before going to hear Lorna Simpson talk. And Paul and Ter are coming out weekend after next! Thrilling!