Just spent a LOVELY two (plus) days with DEAR friend Tena! She came up in a TERRIBLE "thunder sleet" storm on Thursday. I was afraid she wasn't going to make it, because of the weather, but she DID!! She said that she drove through TWO INCHES of slush and ice for the first hour or two of the journey...been there...it SUCKS!
Her visit started with a stop at my school for a tour. She got to "experience" some of my lovely first graders (first class AWFUL...second class GREAT!). She also read a couple of the stories that I'd picked out to read to the kids. She's amazing...I was TOTALLY engrossed with her storytelling!
She also got to meet a bunch of my teacher friends...WAY funny, because they all acted like they knew her from somewhere...part of it was that I've talked about Tena A LOT with my "up here" friends, but MOST of it was the DELIGHTFUL :-) picture of her that I have on my computer. It's one of my favorites...where she's singing and wearing a turban...HILARIOUS character shot (although she doesn't really agree!).
After school we had dinner at Italian Pie Shoppe (see review on my blog if you're in the twin cities and need a GREAT pizza!), then met Duane and drove over to Woodbury to go to Trader Joes (see review on my blog if you're in the twin cities and need some FABULOUS groceries!). Tena hadn't been there for a few years, and we were only TOO HAPPY to take her! After Trader Joes, we came back to my place and "caught up" for the remainder of the evening!
Friday, I took a personal day, and we took the light rail downtown to have breakfast at Hell's Kitchen (see photo above...Tena and "the birds"). Tena and I both had the lemon ricotta pancakes, which are FABULOUS, but she also had a side of porridge, and said that it was AMAZING. I'll have to try it next time I'm there!
After breakfast, we shopped at Macy's and Marshall's, looked around downtown, and then headed over to the new Guthrie Theater to check it out. I've been before, but it was Tena's first visit, and I think she was amazed (as we all are with their GORGEOUS new space!). We looked around inside for awhile, then took the LONG escalator up to the "bridge to infinity" (or whatever it's called). We sat outside for awhile, took some cool photos, then headed back to the light rail, and rode it back to the Mall of America for more shopping.
Tena found some AWESOME shoes at one of the stores, and we had an interesting experience in Coldwater Creek. I was picking stuff out for her to try on, and we were putting together outfits for her, and a lady noticed us (me), and wanted to know "how she could get one"??!! (a gay man to help her pick stuff out). Tena, without pausing, said "you have to hang out in the theater...GREAT friends and fashion consultants, but not much in the way of 'husband material' there". TOTALLY funny!
At one point the woman grabbed my arm and asked how much I'd charge to be her "fashion consultant". I think she might have hired me on the spot if I'd agreed! COULD have had a lucrative side job...oh well!
Tena ran into the woman as she was coming out of the dressing room to show me something she'd tried on, and the woman asked "where's your friend??!!". Tena had to let her know that I don't follow her EVERYWHERE...!
After a few hours at the mall, we came back to my place, and then met Duane for dinner. Actually he'd already eaten, so Tena and I had dinner at Red Robin in Apple Valley, and he sat and chatted with us until we finished. We left Red Robin and went for gelato at Ring Mountain, then came home and collapsed.
Saturday, we got up, and headed to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts for a morning of art appreciation. We saw a TON of fabulous art, had lunch at D'Amico and Sons (the turkey and dried cherry salad, of course!), and then met Duane at Southdale for a movie. We saw "Superhero Movie". My advice AVOID IT! ICK! STUPID! SUCKS! DON'T GO (unless you're a pre-pubescent boy...then you might find it mildly amusing). ICK! YUCK! DID I SAY SUCKS??!! Where do they come UP with this dreck??!! ICK!
A tour of the new Crate and Barrel at the Galleria, dinner at Big Bowl (see review on my blog if you're in the twin cities and need some AWESOME chinese food!), and a night of karaoke with friends from school at Caspar's rounded out our whirlwind Saturday!
A word of advice about karaoke...when the crowd is singing mostly country western stuff, and you get up and sing "You're the One That I Want" from the musical "Grease", the crowd will NOT be very impressed with you...! Tim and Julie were supposed to join us, but Tim threw his back out, so they couldn't come. If HE'D been there, I would have sung "Copacabana" (my SIGNATURE song), because he promises that he'll beat anyone up who gives me trouble :-)
Tena left this morning, and I launched right in to cooking a "post Duane's birthday/weekend after Easter" ham and scalloped potato dinner for Robin and Dave and the girls, and Duane. Now I'm headed to Jake's to hook up with some former Harry & David co-worker friends (need to get the dirt on our managers move to the Albertville location...what's up with that??!!), then will probably be in bed by 9:00...I'm EXHAUSTED!
For more on Tena's visit, check out HER version on HER blog: http://www.gleaminggloat.blogspot.com/.
Have a great week!
Her visit started with a stop at my school for a tour. She got to "experience" some of my lovely first graders (first class AWFUL...second class GREAT!). She also read a couple of the stories that I'd picked out to read to the kids. She's amazing...I was TOTALLY engrossed with her storytelling!
She also got to meet a bunch of my teacher friends...WAY funny, because they all acted like they knew her from somewhere...part of it was that I've talked about Tena A LOT with my "up here" friends, but MOST of it was the DELIGHTFUL :-) picture of her that I have on my computer. It's one of my favorites...where she's singing and wearing a turban...HILARIOUS character shot (although she doesn't really agree!).
After school we had dinner at Italian Pie Shoppe (see review on my blog if you're in the twin cities and need a GREAT pizza!), then met Duane and drove over to Woodbury to go to Trader Joes (see review on my blog if you're in the twin cities and need some FABULOUS groceries!). Tena hadn't been there for a few years, and we were only TOO HAPPY to take her! After Trader Joes, we came back to my place and "caught up" for the remainder of the evening!
Friday, I took a personal day, and we took the light rail downtown to have breakfast at Hell's Kitchen (see photo above...Tena and "the birds"). Tena and I both had the lemon ricotta pancakes, which are FABULOUS, but she also had a side of porridge, and said that it was AMAZING. I'll have to try it next time I'm there!
After breakfast, we shopped at Macy's and Marshall's, looked around downtown, and then headed over to the new Guthrie Theater to check it out. I've been before, but it was Tena's first visit, and I think she was amazed (as we all are with their GORGEOUS new space!). We looked around inside for awhile, then took the LONG escalator up to the "bridge to infinity" (or whatever it's called). We sat outside for awhile, took some cool photos, then headed back to the light rail, and rode it back to the Mall of America for more shopping.
Tena found some AWESOME shoes at one of the stores, and we had an interesting experience in Coldwater Creek. I was picking stuff out for her to try on, and we were putting together outfits for her, and a lady noticed us (me), and wanted to know "how she could get one"??!! (a gay man to help her pick stuff out). Tena, without pausing, said "you have to hang out in the theater...GREAT friends and fashion consultants, but not much in the way of 'husband material' there". TOTALLY funny!
At one point the woman grabbed my arm and asked how much I'd charge to be her "fashion consultant". I think she might have hired me on the spot if I'd agreed! COULD have had a lucrative side job...oh well!
Tena ran into the woman as she was coming out of the dressing room to show me something she'd tried on, and the woman asked "where's your friend??!!". Tena had to let her know that I don't follow her EVERYWHERE...!
After a few hours at the mall, we came back to my place, and then met Duane for dinner. Actually he'd already eaten, so Tena and I had dinner at Red Robin in Apple Valley, and he sat and chatted with us until we finished. We left Red Robin and went for gelato at Ring Mountain, then came home and collapsed.
Saturday, we got up, and headed to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts for a morning of art appreciation. We saw a TON of fabulous art, had lunch at D'Amico and Sons (the turkey and dried cherry salad, of course!), and then met Duane at Southdale for a movie. We saw "Superhero Movie". My advice AVOID IT! ICK! STUPID! SUCKS! DON'T GO (unless you're a pre-pubescent boy...then you might find it mildly amusing). ICK! YUCK! DID I SAY SUCKS??!! Where do they come UP with this dreck??!! ICK!
A tour of the new Crate and Barrel at the Galleria, dinner at Big Bowl (see review on my blog if you're in the twin cities and need some AWESOME chinese food!), and a night of karaoke with friends from school at Caspar's rounded out our whirlwind Saturday!
A word of advice about karaoke...when the crowd is singing mostly country western stuff, and you get up and sing "You're the One That I Want" from the musical "Grease", the crowd will NOT be very impressed with you...! Tim and Julie were supposed to join us, but Tim threw his back out, so they couldn't come. If HE'D been there, I would have sung "Copacabana" (my SIGNATURE song), because he promises that he'll beat anyone up who gives me trouble :-)
Tena left this morning, and I launched right in to cooking a "post Duane's birthday/weekend after Easter" ham and scalloped potato dinner for Robin and Dave and the girls, and Duane. Now I'm headed to Jake's to hook up with some former Harry & David co-worker friends (need to get the dirt on our managers move to the Albertville location...what's up with that??!!), then will probably be in bed by 9:00...I'm EXHAUSTED!
For more on Tena's visit, check out HER version on HER blog: http://www.gleaminggloat.blogspot.com/.
Have a great week!
2 comments:
Fun! I'm glad you edited... when I read it the first time, I was like, "It was COLDWATER CREEK, not J. Jill!!" :) Love ya!
ALL of those stores start to look alike after awhile...oy!
Post a Comment