Winter Bucketlist

It's been an all too short summer up here in Minnesota.  Hello again, I am sitting in my kitchen sipping my cup of coffee as I look out the window and ponder.

Being a native Minnesotan you'd think I'd embrace the change in seasons but as I get older I find that I don't like the cold weather all that much.  I am a golf nut and believe it or not, I can still continue to golf all winter long up here in the north land.  We have a few indoor golf domes and this really cool place called Inside Edge in suburban Minneapolis where you can actually play tournaments.  I've played there and it is fun (except when I accidentally hit the power switch and turned off the display.  Ooops!)   Here's what it looks like:



We also have an outdoor tournament for the St. Paul Winter Carnival, although I've never played in it.  I've gone ice fishing, tubing, sledding, and played hockey.

There is so much do to in the winter so I am thinking I really should learn to embrace it, after all , winter can last up to 6 months. So I am making up a Winter Bucket list   Here it is:

1. Sleigh Ride
2. Polar plunge
3. Winter golf tournament
4. Cross country skiiing
5. Skiing
6. Snowboarding
7. Snowmobiling trip
8. Ice Parasailing
9. Dog Sledding

Well that's it. Now I'm off to my warm comfy couch in my comfy and warm slippers.

Netflix Lull

I loooooove Netflix.  I mean, where else can you Binge View Columbo or Kojak?  But it seems that after watching a series I get into this Neflix Lull where I am lost and don't know what to watch.  I search aimlessly looking for the next great show.

 For years my cousin Christian and my friend Rick told me that I gotta watch this show as they said I would love it.  I finally caved as I found the show on Netflix.  Wow, were they right.  The show was great. Both funny, and sad, but always entertaining.  I watched all 8 season and  I always get very sad after watching the final episode, and this shows final episode was really touching.
 

Nevertheless, now I don't know what to watch.  I'm in the Lull looking for that next great show to Bing View.

Well, I've got to go.  I'll let you all know what I find next.  Now if Netflix only had the show Manimal...

The keys to cleaning a kitchen

I love cooking and I love eating but I sure as heck don't like cleaning up.  OK, I admit I have got to be the messiest cook around.  Heck, I am always spilling, splattering, or dropping stuff all over my spacious condo kitchen.

Here is an example:
 
I get so lazy after cooking and being single I sometimes have to find motivation to get off my lazy a** and clean.

 But I found an easy solution for me.  I recommend the following:

1. Make sure you have plenty of wine. I prefer a sparkling Riesling or Muscato.  Enjoy at least 30 minutes before cleanup.

2. Turn on some music.  I prefer Barry.  Manilow that is not White, although he is good to. Any music that will get the toes a tapping.  Sometimes I dance so hard my apron flies off (oops, TMI).  Lately I' ve  been learning to Salsa dance.  Wow, what a workout.

3. Now dance and drink as you go along.

Before you know it, you'll be done. With the wine that is.  After that what's done in my kitchen is done.  Well I'm off to Salsa.

Now where did my apron go.....

Where art thou? Here I am

Sorry blogger world.  I've been a bit lazy this hot summer and haven't got around to blogging much.

Here's the really sad thing, I love to grill in summer and have many recipes for it however, I live in a condo and am not allowed to grill on the deck!  Boo. 

So I haven't been keeping up with new recipes as I have in the cooler months.

What have I been up to?   Nothing.  Just kidding.  Been busy golfing, visiting long lost friends, getting ready for Fantasy Football (Go Zorros! my team nickname) and visiting the newest member of my family, Francesca.  She is a little over a month old.  Congrats to my sister Marisa and her hubby Leif.

Now on to my latest rants

1. I've been watching the Olympics.  Why in the world do they have Apollo Ono reporting! I've had enough of him at the Winter Olympics. Also, it doesn't help to announce the winners on the evening news just before you are about to watch the competition.   Nevertheless, I applaud all of the athletes of every nation.  It is an accomplishment just to make it to the Olympics even if you are trying to throw the match (i.e. the badminton teams).

2. When you are doing online dating, such as I am, perhaps you shouldn't put pictures of yourself next to your hotter and more attractive friends.  Also, doesn't help to put pictures of your food creations, your pets, or pictures of your kids without you in the image. Also, doesn't help when photos are blurry, so small I can't see them, or so dark I don't know who I am looking at.  I know it isn't easy to put  yourself out to the world but you gotta help your self as much as you can.  I know, as I've made some of these same mistakes.

3. What's with all these new "roundabouts"?   I know there supposed to save gas but man is it scary when you are driving in them.  Never sure if the yahoo that's about to enter is actually going to stop.  I guess it is about the same as a stop sign intersection.  I love it when someone misses the turn and has to keep on going. Oops, that was me.

4. I saw a shocking story on NBC's nightly news.  The beloved Red Box phone booths in England are slowly disappearing and they did an investigation to find out why.  Really?  Could it be the same reason the pay phones are declining here in the U. S.?  This is news? Wow.

5. And speaking of news, is it necessary for the anchor man to read comments off of his Ipad during the broadcast?  I saw this over the weekend.  I watch the news to be informed not to hear comments from the stations website.  It just looked goofy.

Well, my beloved Twins are out of last place (for now) and football season is about to begin.  Although it's been  hot in Minnesota the past few weeks I love it as I soon know things will be changing.

Well with that off my chest I am signing off.

Urban Dwellers

That's my fancy word for those of us who grew up in the inner cities.  I too grew up in the inner city of St. Paul Minnesota (it's a little city next to it's big brother, Minneapolis, but I digress).

I just read an article today on NBC that the for the first time in 100 years that the cities are growing much faster than the suburbs.  Here is the article if you would like to read it: Cities Growing Faster than Suburbs.

Look what is happening in Detroit: Detroit   What a rebirth some parts of that city are seeing.

Or look at

Being a former "urban dweller" (or as my friend Maria would say, a "city boy." ) I can understand this why.  Although I now live in suburb of St. Paul I do miss some things about the inner city.  I miss the people, the sounds of the traffic and trains (I know call me crazy) and the feeling of something always happening.

If you watch the daily news you may think that the inner cities are full of criminals and crime is rampant.  Yes there are parts of St. Paul which are not the best but that is true of any place, including some suburbs.

Here are some pictures of my hometown that perhaps you weren't aware of. 

This is a fountain in Irvine Park which is blocks away from Downtown St. Paul


Here's a snapshot of the Como Conservatory (open all year long).



Farmer's Market in Lowertown:


Segway Tours of the city: 
Segway St. Paul


I could go on an on. I encourage you to explore the city nearest you. Think of it as an adventure and go off the beaten path.  Who knows, you may discover things you hadn't known.  Who knows, perhaps someday I too will move back to the inner city.   Now maybe I should take my own advice and venture on over and explore that city west of St. Paul.....

Winery Visit

This past weekend Maria and I went to the Alexis Bailey Vineyard in Hastings, Minnesota.

We got to sample 12 wines for only $10 for both of us.  It was very relaxing.  Here are some photos of the winery.  I can only claim one photo is mine, that is of the band.

 

There was a great band playing too. The one thing I noticed is that everyone seems to be in a good mood as they sip their wine and chat among each other.  I was so relaxed I didn't want to leave. 

Both Maria and I seemed to prefer the white wines most.   My favorite was their Country White while I think Maria's was the Golden Gris.   I will definitely have to go back for more. 

Here is the vineyard's website if you would like to check it out for yourself:

Alexis Bailey Vineyard's web site

Big Dock from Japan

As I was watching the evening news one story  really caught my attention.  It was about a big floating dock from Japan that was torn off its moorings during the big Tsunami and has just recently washed up on the Oregon shore.  There is some concern that the dock could be radioactive and there is also some concern that it is carrying sea life that could negatively impact the ecosystem of the West Coast.

A few things came to my mind immediately. 

1. Didn't someone see this coming?! It's not like it suddenly showed up out of nowhere.  Look at it! With all our technology someone couldn't see this big chunk of steel and concrete floating in the ocean?

2. If someone saw this coming why and the heck didn't they sink it out in the middle of the ocean or tow it back to Japan?  Now they aren't sure how to get it off the beach and it's going to cost taxpayers thousands to clean and remove it. Geesh!

3. The authorities weren't sure if it was radioactive yet there are children and adults playing around and on it! Cmon kid's, let's check it out!

Here's the story if you want to read up on it.   Japanese Dock