The Perfect Date

This is out of order…I’m really annoyed by that.

I forgot this one on my list, and jumped ahead to the sleepover. Grr.

Oh well, I guess since they were both about six weeks ago, what could it possibly matter?

At any rate, I hadn’t seen Elena in quite some time. We chat, constantly, but a visit hadn’t happened. We decided to make a date night. I love date nights. It is something I only ever do with her, but it is so fun.

I picked us a nice restaurant. Faces Mears Park. Aptly names, as the restaurant faces Mears Park. It is a sustainable cooking restaurant and I found it just by browsing St. Paul reviews. Turns out, Lane had been jonesing to go there for a few months! It was kismet.

We had a great dinner where I talked endlessly about meeting Christian Kane. I was almost embarrassed at how much time I put into retelling that story. But she knows who he is and she went with me to see him in Portland, so it was important to me. She, once again, gets great friend honors for listening to me drone on for over an hour. At any rate, dinner was really good. Great service, drinks were fantastic. I was driving so I didn’t gulp down four of them like I wanted to…  I had an Asian tuna melt. Phenomenal. Unfortunately, I talked for so long it got cold and I only at half of it. But it was terrific.

After dinner, we drove to the Highland theater to see The King’s Speech. Elena chose the movie. And, well, once again, she did not disappoint. (She has a knack for picking good things–movies and books especially). I had never been to the Highland theater. It is old-fashioned, with a marquee out front and only two screens. Super old school. I LOVED it! I’d drive out there to see a movie any time.

When we were pulling up to the theater, it is right in the middle of a busy street. We were running close on time and getting a little nervous about finding parking. I turned on my parking karma and wham! there was an open spot on the street, no meter, right across from the front door. How lucky is that?

Then, if the karma wasn’t enough, the car parked directly in front of us had the license plate that had SEE for its letters. SEE is Lane’s last name. I couldn’t believe it! I mean, what are the odds of that?

So, of course, I grab my phone to snap a photo:

Elena said, “why are you taking a picture of that?”

I said, “so I can blog about it”. And she said, “okay, but make sure you say that I said it is crazy because 094 doesn’t even mean anything to me.”

That, of course, cracked me up. Who cares about the numbers? Her last name is on the license plate of the car in front of the ONLY OPEN PARKING PLACE on Cleveland. That’s not enough?

Anyway, I found out later, that the theater is literally a half a block from my dad’s new store. So weird. His first day was Monday and this was Friday. So two days later, he was driving by that same theater, on his way to his new job. How strange. If I had known, I’d have dragged Elena to the store at midnight to take pictures!

The movie was, fantastic. Cannot possibly say enough good things about it. I was tickled pink it won Best Picture. Very deservedly, if you ask me. And Colin Firth? Sigh. ‘Nuff said.

After that, we drove up to Crocus Hill and looked at some of the beautiful mansions, then I drove her back to her car in downtown. It was just a bit after midnight and I was strangely revved. I should have been tired, but I wasn’t.

I was headed toward home when Gus suddenly took a sharp right and drove us deeper into the city. I had no idea where he was going until he parked himself right across from Rice Park. Evidently, Gus had a desire to see the ice sculptures for the Winter Carnival.

According to him, it was extremely nice out for the middle of the night:

32 degrees in January, at midnight? That is practically tropical for MN. Seriously, I had no gloves on and my coat was unbuttoned.

By contrast, right now, writing this it is March 11. It is about six weeks later and it is NOON instead of midnight. And right now, it is 36 degrees. Does that give you an idea of how nice it was outside?

Unbelievable.

So, there I was wandering around downtown St. Paul in the middle of the night, by myself. I was surprised at how not weird it felt. I wasn’t nervous. Heck, there were tons of people around. It was strange. Apparently, midnight is a popular time to check out ice sculptures.

I think ice sculptures actually photograph really well at night. Better than during the day!

The sculptors were actually still hard at work finishing their creations. The judging wasn’t until a day or two later, so there were lights and chainsaws and activity everywhere you looked.

It kind of felt like I was part of some secret group. Not many people get to hang out and watch the carvings in the middle of the night. It was fun.

Amazing, isn’t it? These are just blocks of ice…carved into these amazing shapes?

This was the entrance. It is totally lined with pine boughs, it smelled like every wonderful Christmas memory you’ve ever had. I actually just stood there for a moment, breathing through my nose.

The carnival is, obviously, celebrating 125 years. This is the ice wall you saw me in front of with Arionna. Tell me it isn’t cooler at night.

By the way, I took that my setting the timer and balancing my camera on a parking meter. Really. I *just* made it through the ice and snow to my spot before it flashed. Barely.

Because it was an anniversary, they put old photogaphs from previous carnivals right into the ice, like a large photo frame. It was really impressive.

Of course, I wanted a shot of myself in the ice throne.

Yes, I’m really there. But the only place to set my camera down (other than the ground, but that was too low) was so far away, the flash wouldn’t reach.

Finally, I wandered around until I saw someone looking bored enough to help me. I asked her to take my picture.

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My favorite is how you can see the purple of my sleeve shining through the ice ball on the edge of the chair. So cool. Literally. Even with the mat to sit on, ice chairs are cold.

Maybe *that’s* why babycakes didn’t like it?

Well, either way, I loved it.

I was down there for about an hour, just checking things out and taking pictures. It was really a great way to end our date night. Next time, I’m making Lane stick around for the midnight excursion.

 

First Sleepover

The first weekend in February, I was lucky enough to have Arionna spend the night with me. It was the first of many sleepovers to come.

It was a big week for her, as it was also the week she learned to stand up.

On Friday night, we just stayed in and played until she went to sleep.

I managed to get what may be my favorite picture of her….

Wow. I just love that.

She slept okay at my house. I had trouble getting her to stay down, but once she was asleep it was about six solid hours before she woke up. And she didn’t cry when she awoke, just talked to herself in her crib.

Even though she isn’t smiling, I love this photo. Just the merging of all the different colors as she sits on my bed. She just finished eating Jello (her first!) in my bed. Yes, she ate in my bed. I didn’t know where else to put her, it isn’t like she can sit at the table!

The next morning, we were up bright and early and just played in my bed for a while.

She’s very cheerful when she wakes up! Or maybe because I was letting HER control the remote. She never gets remote privileges.

Then I let her play with the pink pillow. That thing might be the smartest thing I ever bought!

She was literally gasping for air she was laughing so hard. Plus, you can see ALL of her teeth in that picture!

After we got dressed, we decided to call up Grandma and see if she wanted to go out to breakfast with us. It was insanely early and since I was up, I needed to eat. I figured Ari would like to taste her first Denny’s (I was right) and I hadn’t been in years. Grandma was delighted to be a part of our special time together. While we waited for her to arrive, I tried to get a shot of me and my best babycakes.

That’s not too bad…the best of the lot, for sure.

After breakfast, we were looking for something to do to kill time and we decided to drive out to Grandpa’s new store on Ford Parkway. It’s all the way on the far edge of St. Paul, so it was a bit of a drive. My mom and I had never been there, so it was fun to see where he works now. He was shocked to see us and gave us all the grand tour. He was even nice enough to carry the baby, who is no lightweight.

I figured we needed to mark her first ever tour of a Produce department back room. It will be the first of many, no doubt!

Neither one of them was really a good sport about it, but it is still recorded for posterity.

On the drive back, we decided to pop into downtown St. Paul to see the ice sculptures. We didn’t stay long, since the baby had no coat, but we took a few cute shots.

I was bound and determined I’d get her on the ice throne. After waiting and waiting with a calm baby, once it was finally our turn:

Think she liked it?

My mom hadn’t even stood back up or fully let her go and she’s wailing that hard. Mom just scooped her back up and off we went.

//

She seemed to like the ice wall much better.

Then, because I think Em and Chad let her watch too much Wheel of Fortune, we decided to get this poor child some culture. So we took her to the Ordway.

Of course, that is a joke. We did not take a ten-month-old to the symphony.

But we thought it was funny.

Then, on our way out, we saw the classic statue of Herb Brooks. Naturally, I thought it time for another photo op. My mom thought it was weird.

I told her it wasn’t weird, it was funny.

Then I offered her the baby so we could get a shot of Ari and Grandma and Herb. Grandma said it wasn’t necessary.

But then….

She climbed up there, so I guess that meant she just wanted to be alone with Herb.

Of course, seconds after I took that she said, “why did you take a picture of me ALONE with him?” And I poked a little fun at her and she said, “give me the damn baby” or something similar.

And suddenly, even though she was JUST up there with me, Arionna has now realized there is a third “person” on this pedestal and cannot take her eyes off that statue.

That ended our adventure to downtown St. Paul. The baby was getting tired and so we headed back to my house to hang until her parents picked her up.

Grandma even let her play in the fireplace…

…things sure have changed since *I* was a kid. Grandma was a lot tougher then.

Thanks for the memories baby cakes…it sure was a fun weekend!