Mini SoS

You know it

Leaf Erickson

My sous chef, Norelle, and I cooked up double batches of two soups on Friday, squash and chicken tortilla. It actually is really helpful to have a toddler balancing precariously on the countertop/clinging to me as I try to chop onions and open sharp cans. It makes me a better man. We also had had lunch at Punch (rhymes) with my former coworker, Phil, and his wife, Barb. We got to hear all about how great retired life is and how they make more money retired than working. Old jerks!

Puzzle master

Seems like everyone else is trying to get one last visit in before the passage freezes over and all supplies must be air-dropped. It's long hard winters up in these parts. On Friday, Great Aunt Jill visited and she brought STICKERS! On Saturday, Elle-Beau, Sabro and Sarge stopped for coffee. Guess what? Sarah is engaged to Francisco and is getting married in just two months (her new last name will be Orange Tree ...Naranjo en espanol). Later, Uncle Charlie & Aunt Ellen, who is transferring to Concordia Moorehead, stopped by after a lunch date with Jake at The Nook. Finally, Baby Nova & Baby Anna (and their parents) came over for a fall dinner. What did you do?

Neighborhood watch

We also cleaned, took nature walks, shopped, and got caught up on our DV-R shows (reducing our DV-R queue is like doing fun homework) . BTB, Jake & I are now addicted to apples & carmel sauce. Prior to last week and I had never eaten a whole apple! (For those of you think we never fight, we had a big fight about carmel sauce which involved me storming upstairs and Nori following suit... so loyal. It was not quite as big as the cookie dough/Office fight of 2007 but close!). BTB again, I would to like be buried coated in Byerley's carmel dip. I may actually die sooner due to all the carmel ingestion so maybe I will keel over mid-drizzle and make it easier on everyone.

In other new, Nori is now sporting the front side braid, much like LC and Johanna Duggar.

Dental hygienist

Is it February yet?

Smuggling baby across the border for her first real beach vacation. Must make pilgrimage to home of her idol, Jimmy. Not going during Spring Break but there will be lots of Ho's there. Can't wait!

falling behind...

We are not keeping up with technology these days. Right now we are contemplating buying our first laptop (hello 2009), in need of a new camera, and sharing an iPod. Well, really it is Jake's iPod but he shares it with me on Tuesdays when work on the East Bank. I realized I was the only person on the whole campus not listening to an iPod! Horror! So, because I have to stay really cool and I already wear granny shoes, I talked him into sharing his with me. I can now listen to Geek in the Pink 3.5 times on my walk in from the parking ramp. Also, I am not keeping up with music very well either...

Resilience

We're rich. I sold five of my mom's Vera Bradley purses on Ebay at only a 70% discount netting her $75. Plus, she had Weekend 2 of The Garage Sale so pretty much Nori's whole college tuition is paid for! Not really, MY college tuition is still not paid for. But it is fun to get money for stuff you already own. Hence, I will be starting a business selling stuff I already have such as...uh....hmm....wait a minute. I don't really have "stuff" - must be a side-effect of the Taco John's years. Another repercussion of my childhood is Nori's new nightly lullaby routine. Every night I sing her a barbershop or lady barbershop song, in all of my joyful-tone-deaf-warbling-glory, oblivious to any shattered glass or howling dogs.

Here is my current set list (a new one each night)

• Red Red Robin
• Bye Bye Black Bird
• Indiana Andy ( 'cross about the mason dixon line!)
• A Good Man is Hard to Find ( this song we dedicate to Jake)
• Mood Indigo (best performed in the car as a duet with Uncle Casey)

Requests welcome!

Lazy weekend with a sick girl

I'm afraid Norelle contracted dolphinitis at the zoo because she has been running a temp and feeling crappy all weekend. Obviously, this put a huge kink in our plans to go out clubbing and stagger home naked.

Instead, my friend Kristi came over for coffee and we got to catch up. Kristi and I were best friends since the 3rd grade and about the only cool people who lived in the East End hood of Winona so needless to say, we had to represent. In sadder news, Jake unexpectedly lost a good friend and mentor, Margaret Adams, this week. They are still not sure how or why she died so suddenly. Jake, along with some work colleagues, went to spend time with Margaret's daughter, Marci, and Margaret's partner, Pat, on Saturday

Last night we had out first ever Family Movie Night!! Nori is now big enough to cuddle on the couch and watch a movie except she didn't really seem to get American Pie. No, we watched Finding Nemo which is far more depressing and anxiety-provoking than An American Tale ever was (poor Fifel, I still can not watch that show!).

Spoiler alert: In Finding Nemo, Marlin the daddy fish, loses his wife and 400 egg babies to a barracuda, leaving him with only Nemo. Devastating! Then, Nemo disobeys him and gets kidnapped. Nightmare! Marlin then has to avoid getting eaten by sharks in rehab and other horrible sea creates all while Nemo is stuck in a dentist's aquarium awaiting certain death at the hands of Darla. Depressing! We have not finished the movie yet so I sure hope things turn around! The surfer, hippy sea turtles are about the only happy note in the whole movie. This is for kids?

I wrote to the zoo to send me a pet...

they sent me a....????

On the lookout for bears...

Teddy bears

TootBear

the rare KennaBear

swimming brown bears!!

Li Li

and Lo Lo!

Clean sweep

This is an organized mess, ready to purchase

Our meter reader said Hol's basement was "like gold". I beg to differ...

We survived Holly's Garage Sale! I was especially proud of the fact that I sold one gent a pair of wooden clogs from Denmark AND a bird clock. Once he had the clogs in hand, I just knew I could talk him into the bird clock. Sucker! We filled an entire industrial-sized dumpster with junk, got a couch stuck in not one but two hallways, found OJ's missing glove, wore fur coats, took a sun nap on a buffet in the front yard in said fur coats, ate McDonald's, Bloedows, and Tracy's chili, haggled with old people, gave discounts to kids, cursed, laughed, found old treasures, and earned many a sore muscle. What we won't do for family!

Just getting started...

For a good time, call Mick at 507-454-6350

Dumspter Dale lounging on mound of junk.
Respected judge by day, total loser by night.

Happy 20th Birthday Fluffy!

Happy 20th Birthday Ellen!

Burried in stuff

In moving/garage sale hell. Couch is currently wedged in doorway, 4 guys yanking and pushing for 45 minutes. So much to do, not sure we will sleep tonight? Major thanks to everyone who is helping: Jake, Charlie, Steve, Tracy, Jill, Papa, Pam, Liz and not Casey.

The haps

I don't really have anything to say but that never stops me. It's not like I think you care, but really, if you are still reading this....

Radiators are bled pumping hot water throughout the house. I am going to make a concerted effort this year not to complain about my frozen house because all that does is solicit tons of unwanted advice about insulation, old houses, us being a cheapskates, or how we should stop taking trips and just finish the damn basement. I already know all these things. When you come over to my house, do like Missy and just bring your slippers. And zip it. Your sweatshirt, I mean.

Speaking of winter, I went bargain hunting at Once Upon A Child yesterday for winter coats and such but they had nothing! They did have some adorable brand new Baby GAP sweaters and dresses so Nori continues to be almost as fashion-forward as Jake. We stopped by Target in search of winter shoes and she ran over to the faux-Ugg boots, exclaiming "Boots!! Cute!!!", but then decided they were "too tight". She thinks everything is too tight, she would prefer a toga to a shirts with a collar. Nori has suddenly stopped sleeping through the night, waking up crying a stream of consciousness, "Momma! Momma! Cuddle! No! Lay down! Sleep! Georgie!" It's half precious, half annoying. She is my talkative sweetie who now knows several verses to Cheeseburger in Paradise, such as "heaven on earth with an onion slice.... Heinz 57 and 'tatoes" and also to Bob Marley's Three Little Birds singing, "don't worry...'bout a thing....be alright!". I love this girl!

Yes, we watched the Twins. It was fun, I actually enjoyed seeing all the bloopers and dingers.

This weekend is my mom's big garage sale in Winona. I was really dreading it but a major thanks to my Aunt Pam who has spent HOURS helping my mom sort, organize and price everything! They have done a lot of hard work so this weekend will likely require more biceps than brains (too bad Tracy won't be there).

That's all I got...

Decorah

10 year reunion at Luther last weekend! Stunning hotel with special VIP toilet. Glorious cold rain. Amazing parade. Healthy gastronomy in the form of Chinese, pizza, and taco buffets. It hasn't changed a bit. It was fun to have a bunch of Norse friends all in one place, which is rare these days. Everyone looked younger and thinner than ever. Who was there? Take a peek at this adorable shot:

Left to right: Andy & Missy, Brad & Sarah, Bill & Katie; Front Row: JD & Stephanie and Megan & Jake (sorry for the red eye)

I bet you wanted photos, right? Post are so much more interesting with photos! I would post some but my camera will.not.take.any! So, get used to it. My camera sucks and my blog posts are now photo-less forever more.

ABC's

in the closet

I was totally a domestic lady yesterday. Got up early, fed & dressed my girl and myself, took her to daycare, worked all day, made dinner, and then organized both of our closets for winter. I would like to thank myself for packing away most of my warm clothes with food crusted on them. I would also like to thank Dorothy for embedding hundreds yellow dog hairs into every sweater I own (not the kind of hair you can brush off or even use a sticky roller on, it requires manual extraction as it is deep into the fabric fibers). Hello fall!