community supported

I was in Northfield Minnesota today spending the day with my friend Amanda. She is involved with an organic Community Supported Farm; they harvest every Monday and Thursday and bring the shares into town.

I helped this afternoon and it was amazing! The process, the art, and the outcome of this food is beautiful. So much time and labor is put into growing and farming the land.

The concept of a Community Supported Farm is wonderful and something I believe in strongly. In the future I hope to be a part of something like the farm I visited today.

All of the food in the photographs (plus much more) I got to bring home with me! Yummy!


Onions.

Beets.

Squash.

Broccoli.

Potatoes.

late last night

I finished late last night. I cried. I went to sleep dreaming of Harry Potter.

sailing, laziness, and rain

After a fabulous dinner with my parents Saturday and watching Hotel Rwanda (which is a very intense movie) that night...Jake and I headed back to St. Paul Sunday morning. We met Paige, Allisa, Delip, and Amanda at Keys (which is the restaurant below Paige's downtown loft).

We all stuffed into Delip's Buick LeSabre (yup, all six of us fit!) and headed to White Bear Lake for a day of sailing! After I applied SPF 30 to my entire body I was ready to set sail. Even though Amanda sprained her ankle and Delip almost drowned; it was calm and peaceful out on the water and a wonderful afternoon with my friends!



Jake stayed Sunday night and headed back to Iowa Monday morning. I was completely lazy for the rest of the day. I took a nap, read Harry Potter, watched TV, read some more Harry Potter but then it started to rain.

It was raining SO hard that I couldn't resist going outside. I grabbed my rain coat and umbrella and headed out into my neighborhood. I was the only one out exploring the new surroundings; which had turned the streets into raging rivers, house stairs into cascading waterfalls, and yards into lakes. Gravel parking lots with small paths leading to sidewalks were overtaken by miniature rapids from the rainfall. I walked in ankle deep water wishing I was in a small boat setting sail.

And then I saw the most peculiar thing of all, a sprinkler going off in someone's yard. I felt like screaming, "Don't you see the river outside?! The waterfall coming down your roof?!? The rapids I am fighting to get through this street?!?"

No imagination I thought, no imagination.

change of plans

Jake was going to come to St. Paul on Thursday.
But I got sick.
He came on Friday instead.
We were going to spend the entire weekend in St. Paul.
But after dinner at Punch Pizza we drove to Mankato instead.
We thought we would see our parents that night.
But they all had plans so Jake and I shared a blizzard and rented Million Dollar Baby.
After Jeanette's bridal shower Jake and I were suppose to drive back to St. Paul this afternoon.
But it looks like we might hang in Mankato instead.

two weeks

I rolled into St. Paul yesterday afternoon and it felt great to finally be in my own space after almost two weeks away. I didn't have any toilet paper though.

Today I walked downtown to visit my friends at Starbucks. I have missed them so very much! Allisa, Paige, and Miriam were all there, so it was perfect. I got all caught up on the happenings of their lives and of course a little Starbucks gossip. Things have been busy; Allisa had her first ultra sound, Paige put in her two weeks notice, and Miriam bought a house!

Tomorrow Jake is visiting for the weekend so I hope we can all get together.

Also, Jake finally posted some new illustrations. Check them out at Poorly Illustrated.

glow of my screen

I ask Katie to grab the keys out of my pocket.

I handle the steering wheel with ease as I drive home.

Glancing occasionally when I pass a street light.

With the utmost care I open the box of cereal.

Typing now in the glow of my screen I admire them.

I love the sound of the click click click on my keys.

They are beautiful.

So very pretty.

My ruby red fingernails are hypnotic.

i've been tagged

Since back from Montana I have almost caught up on reading all your blogs, helped my parents begin decluttered their house, and started reading the new Harry Potter. I am officially recovering from my vacation (thank goodness I am unemployed!).

Awhile back Marissa "tagged" me so in reply, this is what I have to say:

Ten years ago:

I was 15 years old and in tenth grade in high school. I played volleyball and ran track (800 meters). I played soccer in the summer. I had braces. I was starting to loose my best girl friend (to her nasty boyfriend). I was in the classic high school mood.

Five years ago:

I was 20 years old and a sophomore in college. This was the year my life changed for the better. I started to make better decisions with school and with my involvement with college. I also started a long distance relationship with Jake!

One year ago:

I was in my last year of graduate school and my last year as a teaching assistant. Second semester of school I moved back home to save money and get away from the annoying girls who had moved into the apartment below me. Living at home again was a blessing.

Yesterday:

I helped my Mom and Dad clean out underneath the steps...OH MY GOSH. We decluttered, organized and chucked some junk! It took us all day.

Today:

Just got back from the DQ and I got to see my friends Meghan and Katie! I caught up on some blog reading and started doing laundry.

Tomorrow:

I want to start working on my photo albums. Go down to Starbucks and visit friends (and pick up tips). Maybe go to the YWCA. Need to go to a work meeting for my apartment building.

Five snacks I enjoy:

Cookies, Blue Chips, Apples and Cheese, Banana Splits, Walnuts.

Five bands that I know the lyrics of MOST of their songs:

This question I do not think I can answer, I am notorious for not knowing the name of a band let alone the lyrics. I like the radio because I can hear all the new songs.

Five things I would do with $100,000,000:

I would start a card shop, I would buy a house for my parents in Minneapolis, I would buy land and build my dream house, I would buy a hybrid car for everyone in my family, and I guess I would go shopping!

Five locations I'd like to run away to:

Italy, New Zealand, California, New York, Maine.

Five bad habits I have:

I procrastinate, I let my dishes build up, I sometimes will not change the toilet paper roll (just set it on top), I procrastinate, I procrastinate.

Five things I like doing:

Take photographs, have Cosmos with my girlfriends, talk on the phone with Jake, write letters, coming home.

Five things I would never wear:

Really lime green, a jumper, really short shorts, pleated pants, tapered jeans.

Five TV shows I like:

The Amazing Race, Survivor, Sex and the City, Six Feet Under, Felicity.

Five movies I like:

Amalie, Hoosiers, Great Expectations, Swiss Family Robinson, Anne of Green Gables.

Five famous people I'd like to meet:

Oh there are too many! Oprah, Julia Roberts, Prince William, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jennifer Aniston.

Five biggest joys at the moment:

My trip to Montana, my relationship with Jake, my blog, my current state of unemployment, my upcoming move.

Five favorite toys:

My iBook, digital camera, my handheld solitaire game, my bike, my new Harry Potter book.

Wow, that is harder than it looks! Hope everyone is having a good day!

glorified

Yesterday Mom and I drove all day and stopped for dinner in Wall, South Dakota; which is the home of the famous Wall Drug Store! As a kid I remember running through all the little shops and thinking there was no possible way for me to see everything...it was so much bigger back then. Last night I overheard a man turn to his wife and say,"This town is nothing more than a glorified shopping mall." Even though Wall Drug is silly and overdone it is an experience and a fine place to rest on a long rode trip.



Montana is breathtakingly beautiful but the home Cindy and Darius have created there is even more beautiful. I thank them for such a wonderful week!





This trip with my Mom was wonderful. We laughed a lot and realized we can take trips with just the two of us...and not go completely crazy.

painted meadows

On our hike today Cindy, Mom and I enjoyed painted meadows of yellow, white, blue, orange, and purple wildflowers. It was a perfect day with a wide open Big Sky view of the mountain valley.

Tomorrow Mom and I are leaving for Minnesota early, the beauty of Montana will be hard to leave.

through the glass

horses, horses, horses

Today I wanted to be from Montana. I wanted to have grown up with horses. I wanted to gallop away into the mountains. But most of all I wanted to be a cowgirl.

random beautiful

Taking almost 150 pictures today in Yellowstone National Park was my pleasure. The pure beauty of nature and wildlife was absolutely breaktaking. It is also the perfect backdrop for taking photographs of people, just random beautiful people.

cows and hay bales

cows and hay bales
Originally uploaded by akl.

Across Minnesota, across South Dakota, halfway across Wyoming and finally Montana!

The South Dakota view from the car consisted of cows, hay bales and rest stops. Today the view from the car consisted of more cows, hay bales, horses, and eventually mountains. The heat rose as we moved west. Today it reached an incredible 103 degrees in Wyoming.

Last night we were in Rapid City, South Dakota. We stayed with our friends Jerry and Carol (who just moved from Mankato last week!). We had a fabulous dinner and enjoyed visiting with them.

Today we arrived at Cindy and Darius's home in Big Sky Montana. We drove into the Gallatin Canyon along the Gallatin River (the movie A River Runs Through It was filmed on this river) and it was amazing. I had a hard time staying on the road!

Tomorrow we are all heading to Yellowstone.

p.s. Did I mention that Cindy and Darius have wireless?!!!

road trip

Tomorrow morning I leave on a road trip to Big Sky, Montana with my Mom. We are staying with Cindy and Darius, my God parents, who have also been my Moms friends since high school.

I have packed my cell phone with car and wall charger, digital camera and charger (borrowing Jakes camera), and my iBook and charger. Oh, and I guess I packed some clothes too.

I really don't know how much I will be on the Internet in the next eight days...So, please forgive me if I am unable to visit your blogs---it doesn't mean I am ignoring you!!!

dish towel

fireworks
Originally uploaded by akl.

As Jake and I pulled up into my driveway last night we could see he was already up there with tri-pod and camera set. Completely decked out in full National Geographic Photo-Shoot Attire my Dad was prepared with long sleeves and pants along with a hat and dish towel under it.

No mosquito's were going to distract this photographer.

I ran inside to get my Mom just as she is stumbling out of her bedroom from taking a nap. She also had prepared for the night.

We all head up the ladder to the roof to watch the show. The show was great, my Dad taking pictures the whole time, my Mom and I ewing and awing, and Jake running back and forth between helping my Dad and sitting with us...

After climbing down from the roof and uploading all the pictures onto the iMac, we enjoyed a slide show of the fireworks now accompanied by the William Tell Overture. No mosquito's this time.

poorly illustrated

jake high point
Originally uploaded by akl.

This is the photo I was trying to upload when the conversation with my neighbor occurred (see previous post)!

That is a picture of Jake almost on the top of Maine. The photo was taken by our friend Matt, who we both went to high school with, who I was in church bell choir with, who plays the drums tremendously well, who we both think will be famous for it someday.

Jakes new blog is called Poorly Illustrated. This picture is not poorly illustrated.

linksys

Oh no!

I am sitting at my south window with my lap top on the sill (it is sorta like my office) trying to upload a picture to my blog and talking to Jake on speaker phone at the same time.

As I glance down to my neighbor who just came into his backyard (I have suspected his house to be my benefactor for the majority of my wireless connection) I notice he is looking up at me...I wave down at him and he waves back.

We say, "Hello."

He then asks, "Are you picking up wireless?"

I say, "Ah yeah, sometimes I can."

He curiously asks, "Which network are you on?"

I say, "Oh, usually it is called default."

I ask, "Do you have wireless? What is your network?"

He says, "It is cleverly called linksys."

I think, shit, that is the network I am currently on....

He continues, "Yeah...I should probably put up a firewall."

I say, "Well, hey, I am only here for two more months...If you do, you do, if you don't that would be great!"

We sorta laugh about the situation---me sitting at my window--he paying for my Internet.

Shit.

roof top

I was on the roof of my apartment building last night watching some fireworks from, Taste of Minnesota ,which started yesterday on Harriet Island.

It was one of those perfect nights with a nice cool breeze. I had never been up on the roof before and it was amazing. Some of the houses in my neighborhood are higher than my apartment building!

Right now I am still in St. Paul trying to get some things done before I head down to Mankato for the weekend.

I wish everyone a wonderful Fourth of July!

garlic powder

I woke up with a sense of completion. It was my last day at Starbucks.

I thought maybe I could avoid my overly sentimental self and go through the day without too much attention.

Well, as soon as I took a picture of me getting on the bus to go to work for the last time...I knew it would not be the case.

I had a great morning with Allisa, Paige, and Eddie (they call us the A Team). I made them pose for some more pictures (they only gave me a little grief). It is hard to imagine not...knowing that I will see them everyday. No matter how much I was ready to do something different with my life, I feel so lucky to have spent this year working at a Starbucks in downtown St. Paul, with them. It makes it all worth it.

I said my good-byes to the regualr customers and appreciated everyone's well wishes.

"You know, now that Anne's gone, this coffee just doesn't taste the same...

Mine either.

Do you guys realize that you poured garlic powder into your coffee?"

Along with a perfect illustration, this was my good-bye card from Dave, Mark, and Craig. Three hilarious customers that I had the pleasure of getting to know this past year. They always made me laugh! Thank you Dave for making such a funny card, I love it.