Hood River Mountain

Today the sun came out for the first time in what felt like ages, and we went hiking. Here are some pictures.

Mice

Yes, mice.

Sigh.

So... quite awhile ago our neighbors spilled a bag of birdseed in the basement, and didn't get it cleaned up until recently. I had told them the extremely abbreviated version of the Mouse Wars horror stories, but I must not have been convincing enough, because the birdseed, and the mice whose tails I would see darting away from it when I went down there to do laundry, stuck around. I figured the first floor was a barrier between us and the vermin, and that the neighbors would get serious when they were invaded.

Apparently that happened sometime last week, and I feel both sad for them and a bit distraught that they were providing the mouse buffet for so long.

Anyway, yesterday, the invaders made it to our floor, apparently via the radiator pipes. David saw one, and went to the hardware store for steel wool and expanding foam. Although our current place is far better sealed than the last one, it is still a century old, and it looks like the mice were using those radiator pipes as their private heated highways, entering through the gap in the hardwood floor. (Also! I just remembered what David told me yesterday: that when our neighbor saw where the mice were entering the basement, he mixed up cement to seal up the hole. The mice tunneled through the wet cement. They are a surprisingly formidable enemy, for one so small, incompetent, and incontinent.)

So. David plugged up the holes. (The Small Dog was also very interested in the expanding foam; his sniffing around resulted in a little moustache that appears to be semi-permanent.)

But then, last night, I saw a fat little mouse running along the living room wall by the radiator. I shrieked, and may have continued shrieking each time the mouse moved, as David (drawn by the noise) and I stalked it as it ran to the other radiator before disappearing behind the fridge.

I ended up staying up really late as I prepared for today's first day of classes, and as I sat alone in the otherwise silent house, I could hear mouse-y scratchings behind me in the darkness. It finally appeared again, returning to the radiator and those newly-sealed pipes before running under a chair. I opened the front door, hoping to shoo it out, but it disappeared. I tried again when the mouse reemerged (all the while, maintaining what I considered an admirable silence!), but it disappeared into the office. Unable to find it, I--resignedly but determinedly--walked down to the basement and retrieved my store of mouse traps.

I set one with peanut butter, left it just outside the office, and headed to bed, leaving David a warning note. He reported this morning that the trap had its intended effect; the fact that I didn't have to witness it or bear away the results is just one more reason I love that man.

There have been no sightings today, and we're crossing our fingers that the one we saw was just a lone individual who had the misfortune of being on the wrong side (our side) of the new seals. Yeah. Fingers crossed.

On a happier note, it has been ridiculously warm here recently; today was sunny and nearly 50°! I ran errands on my bicycle this afternoon, and it was euphoric.

Also, this is Disaster Kitchen post #777--auspicious!

Summer Weekends III

Another festival! This weekend was Pride. As I've mentioned before, I somehow didn't grow up watching parades, so I'm making up for lost time.

Lipstick art car and flamingo bike

Pride is an especially fun and flashy one, and the spectator-watching is as good as the parade itself! (Thanks to David for the pictures, from his phone.)

Yay for our city council!

Another cool thing was that a lot of politicians (and pretty much all of the important ones) showed up, and some of them, like our uber-cool representative Keith Ellison and silver fox mayor R.T. Rybak, were very high energy, running around and slapping high-fives with the crowd. I had also read that although past Pride parades have tended to be rather corporate (something still in evidence today, although I still think it's pretty awesome to see employees from Wells Fargo, Macy's, etc.--tame, flaming, and everywhere in between, along with their kids and families--marching in this parade), this one tried to focus more on advocacy and rights. Ah! Found the link.*

One of the more colorful floats

David and I biked to the parade, after I did yoga this morning and whipped up breakfast, including these delicious muffins (with CSA rhubarb; I made the first batch of these muffins yesterday, but before that had never cooked with rhubarb at all!). After the parade, we went with friends to further festivities in the park, where we managed to get sunburned (me through 50 spf on my face!) and so exhausted that after our ride home we napped for a couple of hours. Fun times!

Here's a picture David took earlier in the weekend, playing Rock Band with friends. I like it because you can totally tell how much fun I'm having.




*If you're only going to read one of these links, though, read the one about R.T.'s take on the Pride parade!

Excessive

Today we set a daily temperature record here in the Twin Cities, after narrowly missing one yesterday with a high of 97°. Yesterday, they were only predicting that today would be 97°, though both days prompted "Excessive Heat Warnings," a phrase that for some reason makes me giggle. Really, when you live in a place that has seven months of winter, can any weather phenomenon really be labeled "excessive"?

David informs me that, incredibly, the Twin Cities was the hottest place in the nation today--the only location with triple-digit temperatures. Apparently we ultimately hit 103°, the hottest day on record here in 23 years.

Thankfully, David recently purchased a portable air conditioning unit the size of a dorm fridge. Recently it's been earning its keep.

California

Well hello there, abandoned blog. I've lost track of all the things I've intended to post about here, but among them are:

• Trip to California last weekend
• My sister's visit the week before that
• Trip to Hawaii before that
• The garden! (/squirrel salad bar)
  
• M's wedding (on a BOAT)
• And even my new pillow shams

So. Here are a few of the California pictures!

Throwing pottery on the back porch

The brothers relaxing

Siblings in the back seat

El Burrito!

David & me at graduation

Becca at graduation

The siblings after graduation

Martin in his dashing ascot

The graduates

Becca and Hoosteen graduated from dental school, and it was very inspiring. Very inspiring to finish my own doctorate, that is, and to have my family come for a big party! It's time to get this dissertation done.

Sunscreen

It may seem silly to be discussing sunscreen in the middle of winter, but here in Mpls, anyway, the sun is shining (and reflecting off the snow everywhere), and the small amount of skin that's uncovered still needs to be protected.

As a pale person, with at least partially red hair, a tendency to freckle, and a familial history of skin cancer, I know that it's especially important for me to wear sunscreen daily. However, I haven't always been particularly good at it, mostly because said pale skin is also morbidly sensitive and tends to break out at the mere thought of new chemicals. I've tried any number of drugstore moisturizers with SPF, and last year, at the recommendation of my aesthetician,* sprung for SkinCeuticals' Ultimate Defense moisturizing sunscreen.

However, although that product was definitely superior to others I'd tried, I still felt like it left me looking and feeling somewhat greasy--and had a suspicion that it might be responsible for the stubborn whiteheads I couldn't quite clear up. I found myself not wearing it as consistently as I should, and so when I was back at the clinic this spring, I asked if they had any other recommendations.

As it happened, they did: another SkinCeuticals product, recently released, called Sheer Physical UV Defense. This sunscreen is hands-down the most amazing sunscreen I've ever tried--and in the running for most amazing skincare product generally. It's in a small bottle (TSA-approved!), and you shake it (hearing the little agitator ball rattle around, like in spray paint) before applying the liquid to your face in small sections. The "mattifying fluid" absorbs instantly and easily, leaving a beautifully smooth surface that's perfect whether or not you apply make up over it. My skin doesn't even seem to notice it's there, which is saying a lot. Best of all, because it's not in the least bit greasy and even seems to improve the look of my make up, I really do wear it every day.

It's definitely not a steal, but for me it's worth it knowing that my skin doesn't react to it and that I'll actually wear it daily, the way I'm supposed to. Especially if you have fussy skin and have been avoiding daily sunscreen for that reason, I highly recommend it!

*Really she's one of the instructors at Saint Paul College, where students give $15 facials as part of their curriculum, but I've been going for long enough that she recognizes me and talks to me about my skin and product suggestions.

DST

So Daylight Savings Time isn't all bad.

I had time before my usual 8am Sunday hot yoga to put together my sister's amazing cherry peach bread pudding so that it was ready when I got back. David and I had gone to the 9:40 showing of Get Low at the Riverview last night (which I thought was quite good), so the extra hour of sleep was decidedly welcome (as was the sunshine).

Of course, the fact that it was pretty much entirely dark here by 5:00 is a bummer. But before darkness fell, David and I made the most of an unseasonably warm day by packing a picnic and Nice Ride-ing around town. The Nice Rides go away for winter at 10pm tonight, so we tried to hit as many stops as we could today as a sort of last hurrah. We ate our sandwiches in the warm sunshine in Gold Medal Park, where we could hear the roar of the dome a few blocks away as the Vikings tied, and then in overtime won, their game.

Certainly gaining an hour in the fall is nicer than losing one in the spring, but overall I don't care for it. The evenings were already feeling long and dark, and although more daylight in the morning is nice, the whole thing mostly just feels like the knell of impending, interminable winter. (Which, I do realize, sounds somewhat ironic given today's jauntings about in the 65° sunshine, of which we've enjoyed an unseasonable amount already this autumn.)

At least I don't have kids to worry about! Good luck to those of you who have to deal with their schedules!

Autumn

Last week was absolutely unbelievable here, with nothing but sunshine and highs in the 70s and 80s (87° on Friday!). Today hit 80° and the rest of the week is supposed to be somewhat cooler, but still sunny. You may recall that four years ago, it snowed on October 11, so this is a very welcome reprieve, especially as our September was decidedly chillier than usual.

The last Sunday of the month was lovely, though--sunny and warm enough to want to be outside, but with a distinctly autumnal crispness to the air. David and I decided to go to Stillwater (where I also ran a half marathon several weeks ago). We visited an apple orchard just outside of town, which was unfortunately rather swamped and overpriced (though it didn't stop us from stocking up on apples and other apple-related treats), and then downtown Stillwater.

We called David's mom on the way back and got her apple pie recipe. I had made a personal-sized apple pie in Home Ec my freshman year of high school, but nothing since then, and never a full pie. My results weren't terribly pretty, but were thankfully highly edible! If we get another shot at some of that crisper autumnal weather, I'd definitely like to visit another orchard (I've had good tips on one near White Bear Lake, where I ran the 20-mile again this year) and try another pie!

Montréal Deux

Internets, Montreal was awesome. It was unlike any other city I've seen; the closest equation I've been able to come up with is Portland + New Orleans + Amsterdam (or, rather, my imagination of the latter, as I've never been there!).

A few things, I apparently lucked out on: the weather was sunny, and relatively cool and dry (with the exception, naturally, of the quite warm and humid Tuesday, the day I climbed Mont-Royal); I was able to find good vegetarian food (which the city's tradition of French cuisine can apparently make challenging); and my hotel was in what appeared to be the coolest part of the city (the hip, young, Plateau).

The city was highly walkable--compact and with good sidewalks--but there was also excellent public transportation (I bussed from and back to the airport, and once the two miles back to my hotel from downtown). Had I been so inclined, there were also ubiquitous "Bixi" bikes, apparently a direct equivalent to Mpls' Nice Rides, but far more extensive (and with what looked to be a bike-friendlier infrastructure, with lots of dedicated lanes and conscientious drivers).

The architecture was consistently charming, not only in the historic, distinctly French, Vieux Montreal, but in the residential areas of the Plateau and elsewhere. There were a few free-standing mansions, but the majority of the residential areas seemed to consist of block-long rows of houses sharing walls, with exterior staircases leading from the street to the second and occasionally third floor. There were lots of very French balconies (frequently with bikes locked to them!) and lots of flowers. Montreal's citizens seem clearly--and deservedly--very proud to live there.

Wednesday morning I went to the studio to see the pieces and afterward had lunch with the artist's assistant and the latter's boyfriend, who is an artist and currently the pieces' conservationist. That afternoon I wrote and then had dinner at a vegan restaurant, Aux Vivres, which reminded me of Native Foods in California and was completely delicious with an adorable back patio.

Thursday I walked through downtown and Chinatown to Vieux Montreal, explored the quays, and then hit the DHC/ART gallery to see their Jenny Holzer exhibition/installation. After that I headed to the "Mac," the Musee d'Art Contemporain, which wasn't amazing but did have a cool music video exhibit. Thursday night I dined with my new pals the assistant and conservationist at a chic bistro in Little Italy, where we lingered over dinner and dessert until 11:00. We cabbed back to their neighborhood, and from there I walked the 15 minutes or so back to my hotel, feeling completely safe even at so late an hour--particularly because lots of people were still out and about, enjoying the beautiful evening.

It's probably crazy talk--kind of like how when it's sunny in Seattle and thus one of the most beautiful places on earth, I think about moving back--but I could see myself maybe living there. Maybe. I still have to figure out how their winters really compare to ours!

Here are more photos; click here to see larger versions and/or leave comments:

Pansy

Here is another comic that recently made me smile:
Today there was no parking on my block so that the street sweepers could come through. Ordinarily this happens a week or two after the snow melts. As we didn't have any snow at all last month, it was kind of odd to realize that the streets had been dry--and, I suppose, unswept--for so long.

I've lived here long enough to know that one more snowfall isn't entirely out of the question, but it does feel an awful lot like spring. Glorious, shiny-sheets-on-the-bed, windows-open, eating-on-the-patio, planting-seedlings, garden-fantasizing, running-in-shorts, spring!

Chicago

This weekend, I was in Chicago and Urbana-Champaign. I presented at a conference that I had signed up for primarily in the interest in having my department reimburse me for visiting Ellen, and which I had been cursing over the past few weeks for causing me to write, and then completely re-write, a paper that would figure little in my actual dissertation.

However, to my great surprise, the conference ended up being the best I've ever attended--despite the fact that the organizers' laptop wouldn't read my DVD and I had to show the clip on a television cart, and that they had no way for me to advance my own slides, so I had to indicate each of my approximately 45 slide changes to the guy running the laptop. The organizers were helpful and friendly, the presenters gave interesting papers and asked smart questions, and there was even a nice lunch on Friday. It was great.

On Saturday afternoon Ellen and I rode bikes, hiked, explored one of UIUC's fantastic round barns, and later made delicious Indian food. Sunday we took the bus into Chicago and spent the afternoon there before I caught my MegaBus back to Mpls (one of those overnight affairs, made more delightful by an entirely sold-out bus). I am back home exhausted from a weekend that was full, exhausting, and completely worth it.

All the outdoor photos are courtesy of Ellen (as were the bike I rode and the jacket and helmet I wore).

Falls Again!

You may recall that last year for IQD, David and I visited Minnehaha Falls, although it was so dark that we didn't see all that much of it. We returned about a month ago and saw it in its fully-frozen splendor.

But this weekend, revisiting a few of the scenes of a year ago, we actually went behind the falls, and it was one of the most spectacular sights of my life!

Again this time, the stairs were the most treacherous part of the trip. There was a well-worn path through the snow to the falls, easy to follow once one jumped the gate. (The top of the stairs were chained off with a "do not enter" sign, and the path to the falls themselves was blocked with a low gate, but it was clear that few regarded those dicta: the crowd behind the falls by the time we left was almost as numerous as the one at the top. The city doesn't clear the stairs, and presumably doesn't want to be held liable for any accidents, but apparently knows that Minneapolitans will get their ice climbing on, and doesn't seem to guard the site.) Behind the falls, there was a bit of ice, but it was mostly bare dirt (the first I'd seen since November, and exciting in the oddest of ways).

David made a video to document the experience. He shot all the footage and stills on his phone, as neither of us managed to grab the camera:


Here are all his photos. I took a few, too, but they're still on my phone at the moment. Also: somehow I can't find my sunglasses, so I'm wearing the emergency pair from David's glove box. It is not a fashion statement.

"Get schooled" in "style"!

I was sorting through old e-mails today and came across this picture, which I'd had David snap with his phone when we were in Albuquerque this summer:

Here are a few more Blackberry photos he's sent me, which I don't think I've shared here.

May 16: Bozzy, DB, and me with a Portland bear:

May 26: Karen's big dog in Lincoln:

June 13: David and me eating outside at Sweet Basil (I think):

August 1: Bremerton with my Seester:

August 2: Brother Rockstar's birthday cake, made by his housemates:

August 5: A recently-groomed Lucy, riding on David's shoulder: