House Swap

This weekend I will be staying at my sisters'  house and watching Sky (the dog) while Kate, Tom, and CeCe go visiting in LaCrosse Wisconsin.  We used to have family there, at the convent, (yes, nuns) but they are both gone now.  It's a beautiful place, and I enjoyed visiting St. Rose Convent too. (Yep, I really did.) Tom still has a relative there, and a family friend is in residence also.  They'll be gone from Friday to Monday, so I get to live my life from the comfort of central air and mmmmmm junk food!

My cousins, Melanie and Les, will be up in the Northland again this weekend at another art fair.  This time Copper Moon Pottery will be down at Bayfront.  You really should check them out!  They asked if they could have a spot on my floor, and since I'm out of the apartment I was able to do them one better!  I agreed to trade my queen sized bed for an awesome green berry bowl!!  I will post pics and you will be jealous!  So they get to stay here with Milkie in the un-air conditioned apartment, and eat....well, I warned them to bring food. :)  There are plenty of eggs, and bread.  Perhaps a hamburger patty in the freezer?  Oh, and some bags of not so fabulous chips on top of the fridge that I pack in my lunches.  I just don't keep a lot of food around, it tends to go bad with only one person eating it, and she isn't home half of the time.

I hope that the Milkster will be o.k. with this.  Melanie and Les are animal lovers, and have several cats of their own, so I think it will all be good.  If she's mad she'll just hide and shred the box when they leave.  We haven't had any biting incidents in weeks............

Homeless (H.H.W.T)

Well, I promised to tone this part of my blog down..... so here are the facts.  We will no longer be giving The Shack in Superior, WI our business.  In the process of re-structuring they have chosen to boot out some very dedicated employees.  That, of course, is their right as an owner.  We, as patrons, also reserve the right not to spend our money, or encourage our friends to spend their money in your establishment.  The end.

So now we really are floating around out there looking for a home base!  Our night began across the bridge in Duluth, MN.  There's a new bar/restaurant that we have wanted to try, located in the old Grandma's in West Duluth.  It's called G.B. Schneider's and it is FABULOUS!  We went inside to check out the atmosphere, very comfy and cozy looking.  Then of course we sat out on the patio with the smokers.  Which is funny because I'm allergic to smoke and was delighted when they were booted outside...... 

The people were warm and friendly, and the server (Jon) was knowledgeable and chatty, which we like.  The fish sandwich (talapia) was flaky, juicy, and very good.  I wont miss the Shack's at all now that I've found this.  The fries were good.....the same fries you get everywhere.  Good happy hour offerings, excellent prices, great food.  The only complaint comes from Lisa.  How can Miller Lite not be in your happy hour pricing??? (edit by Kerri:  They have Miller lite on TAP, not in the bottle as Lisa prefers....something else about the waiter being sexual chocolate......) We will definitely be back.  Looks like a cozy winter home for sure.

When we finished up at G.B's we headed back to Superior to check out Keyport.  For some reason we always overlook this place, but no more!  They have a deck added on now and we sat out there for a drink (vodka w/pink lemonade mmmmmmm) and perused their menu.  Good happy hour deals, excellent prices, so we will be going back for dinner one of these weeks.  Close to home, so that may be where we ultimately land.

It was a LONG night for me, as I am fighting an awful cold.  I took off work early and took a two hour nap before even heading out.  After Keyport we headed over for a Barry fix at V.I.P.  Spent at least an hour there playing "Pass the Pigs" which we used to play at the cabin as kids, and Heidi came and joined us at that point.  We wandered across the street to "Third Base" bar, because Kerri's hubby was there, but he had left.  That was a little "seedy".  We didn't stay.  Stopped in at Charlie Brown's in Billings Park (speaking of seedy....) and then walked down to Jimmy's where we did stay for a drink.  I think I was home by eleven.  I should also mention that all this wandering around was done in the rain.  Did I mention that I have a bad cold?  That was not a smart idea, and I'm suffering for it today.

I did leave my blog info on the comment card at G.B. Schneiders.  Hopefully they'll stop by and check this out.  If you haven't tried them I highly recommend that you do! 

I think next week we are returning to the Kounty Quarthouse since Lisa missed out on that one.  It's either that or Keyport. Then we have at least one week off as Kerri and I will both be out of town the last weekend in August.  That's the weekend I'll be taking you along to the Twin Cities with my "other" girls!

Happy Birthday Milkie

Happy 5th Birthday Milkie!

I have tried and tried to get her actual birthday, but to no avail.  When Milk and I met on Thanksgiving 2009 I believe that she was three years old, so I know that sometime before this Thanksgiving rolls around she will be five.  I'm bored today, so we decided that August 7th would be a fine day for a birthday!  She loved her little princess crown.  Really, she did!  With her temperament I can't believe that she puts up with this stuff.  I think she likes to pose for the camera.  She has gone back to her beauty rest now, I'll see her again somewhere around my bedtime.

This morning when I woke up I was really struck by the difference between my other cats and Milkie.  When I would make any kind of a move in the morning Misty and Pepper would pounce, crying and carrying on for food, attention, or nothing in particular.  Sometimes I would fake sleep just to keep the little demons at bay.  When I woke up this morning Milkie jumped onto the end of the bed.  I smiled at her and motioned for her to come and be petted, and was met with a look that totally said "Great, she's up."  She sauntered over for a pat or two and then jumped up into the window to look at whatever she was after in the first place. 

Milk found me later in the morning when she wanted to play, because it's still all on her terms, and I'm fine with that.  We take things slow around here, and little by little the trust is building.  I have been able to pet her belly, and I haven't seen her teeth in weeks.  When she gets up later I have a special nip treat that I've been saving for just such an occasion.  The Milkster loves her nip!

(H.H.W.T.) Here Fishy Fishy!

The tour is somewhat toned down tonight.  Kerri is out of town, and no one else tagged along, so it was just Lisa and myself out on our home turf at The Shack.  This is how things started out.

The free glasses that the beer came with are the large kind, that are just awesome for iced tea!  Sorry beer fans, but I am not one of you.  While Lisa and I were hanging out with the free samples lady in the liquor store, the rep from this beer company comes along and gives us each a glass.  Well, first he told me a joke.  Why don't you take your beer to the beach?  (I'll tell you at the end)  So we tried the samples, and I didn't even mind it too much.  It was ice cold, and the day was so hot and humid.  I figured if they were that cold they would go down pretty well sitting out on the hot deck.

The Shack has begun serving a new menu, and this was my first look-see at it.  Honest opinion?  I think we're getting too fancy pants for our jeans.  The jury will have to be out until I try these new items.  However, I am really ticked off.  The Shack has the best fish sandwich, bar none, in this city.  Wait, let me restate that.  The Shack HAD the best fish sandwich.  It's off the menu.  I talked with Jon about it, and he said he'd bring it up at the meeting.  It doesn't mean much coming from little old me, but if people don't say anything it wont ever come back, will it?  I did actually mention the blog, and that I write about them all the time.  So someday when I'm famous will you bring back the damn fish??

So this is what I had instead.  It's called "The Belknap Burger" (street the restaurant is on) and it has cheddar, lettuce, onions, tomato and thousand island dressing on it.  The thing was honestly as big as the burger I had last week, and the burger itself was just as good.  I am partial to blue cheese though, so the Kounty Quarthouse still has my favorite burger.  The Shack fries are still the best though, and I enjoyed every one of them tonight!

Usually Jon does the deck parties, but the beer rep was doing the raffles tonight, and I don't know how to describe him.  Very low key.  Extremely low key.  So low key it's hilarious.  He's wandering around calling out numbers, but no emotion whatsoever.  This is the same guy who told me the joke and was actually pretty animated in the liquor store, but for whatever reason he's like Deano (his name) downer on the deck.  So anyway, we don't win anything, but Jon's Mom, who hung out with us, happened to be trying to get rid of a Packers Tshirt that she won somewhere else.  Score!  Then at the end, we were harassing Deano about the raffle  being fixed, because honestly all the people at one table won everything, and he swears my number was called.  So he shows me my ticket in the "winner" pile, but wont give me a prize......lets just say Lisa fixed that one on the way out, and I now have matching glasses.  :) 

I also have an incredible tummy ache and a headache.  I never feel like this after a night out, so it must be the beer.  Ugh and ish.  No more.  So of course this guy I know, and like, and maybe could be interested in sends me a text.  "Out with the girls?"  I explained that I was, and that I'm already home.  "Want to come out for a beer?"  *eye roll*  Not tonight, I have a headache. 

You'll get sand in your Shlitz.

Sassy Six!

Tomorrow, August 2nd, our baby turns six!  Caitlin Ruthmarie is off to first grade in the fall, but no worries there.  This is one lil chick who can handle whatever comes her way!  As I'm writing this I can hear thunder rumbling in the distance, and that's appropriate because we had awful weather the day she was born.  A tornado warning even, and that is rare for here.  Perhaps it was more of a commentary on the little bean who was coming into our lives than a weather statement?  Tater the Tornater. ;)

I see pieces of myself in each of the girls, but this firecracker reminds me the most of myself as a child.  That devil may care, spit in your eye attitude that got me grounded every time I turned around, is working just about as well for her.  I love her spirit, I love her smile, I love that she snuck a hot dog into the stew pot.  I totally agree, stew is awful!  I wouldn't have been brave enough to do that to my Mom though, her Mom laughed, I would have been t.o.a.s.t. 

Happy birthday my sweet sassy six year old.  Where does the time go?  I love you, my wild, willful, wonderful girl!  Don't you dare ever change!