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The Long Weekend – Day 2

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No, I’m not really skipping out of work for an unreasonably but seasonably Long Weekend and then rubbing your face in it by gloating.

The Glittering Lights of Somewhere Else Dazzled Us!

Probably not. But maybe it wouldn’t be much of a loss if I did. Not a lot gets done on Friday anyway – in some workplaces the whole day is almost a complete waste of time, especially during the summer months. You could argue that a person might be MORE productive if they worked extra hard Monday through Thursday and permanently reassigned Friday to weekend status.

The Local Transit System is Surprisingly Plush

That’s assuming they didn’t already take Thursday off.

I don’t think I did that. Probably not. But if, by chance, I did and in the process saw a few exotic, exciting places and took in some unique or at least highly unusual sights, I would keep it to myself. In any case, I certainly wouldn’t bother you by sending puzzling pictures of my ambiguous activities dully described with cryptic captions. That would be wrong.

They Certainly Know How To Have a Good Time Here!

But enough about me. What are you doing this weekend?

87 thoughts on “The Long Weekend – Day 2”

  2. Today I’m driving part way home and stopping and getting pasties at least once. Can I squeeze in twice?

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    2. As a boy, when my family traveled through the Upper Peninsula we stopped to get pasties. My mother some times made them at home. You can also buy them in Mineral Point, Wisconsin where some of my mother’s relatives of English heritage lived. English miners took pasties into the mines to eat for lunch.

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      1. was it someone on the trail whose dad made a plug in lunch box where a ightbulb plugged in kept the lunch warm. 1950/60 technology at its finest.

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      2. We stayed in two lovely B&B’s in MIneral Point. It’s a beautiful area and a happening town and there’s lots to see and do there. Well worth a visit.

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        1. We stayed in the back of our lovely VW van – this was 1980. It is a great town to visit, been back once.

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    3. i think youd better. i used to go to hurley and then to ironwood and you could get both kinds of pasties. one on each side of the border.

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    4. Certain relatives of mine have been known to transport frozen pasties. They can be bought frozen, wrapped in newspaper and packed in a cooler: ice on the side, beer on the bottom, pasty package on top. I think it would work almost as well with pasties and ice in a smaller cooler.

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    5. Wow. Did we have a drive today. Sent of windy narrow roads as a detour and then an intense cell hit. Heavy bursts of rain. High winds. Hail. We kept thinking we would drive out of it and then it would hit again and again. Over by the other Menominee.

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  3. Well, I wonder where those pictures came from, Dale. I will be going to the Walker art museum to see a film. My daughter works at the Walker and got the tickets for us. I don’t know the name of the film, but it is a special showing and you can’t take your cell phone into the showing because they want to be sure no one does a filming of the film with their cell phone.

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    1. i think you should volunteer to help out if they need anyone for strip searches. i would guess those innocent artsy types would hide cameras in all sorts of places, but i could be wrong….

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      1. They are going to use a scanner to check for cell phones, but I could suggest that they wouldn’t need a scanner if they would get volunteers following your plan, tim.

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  4. my daughters had an off weekend unscheduled and unannounced until monday. you would think if a tournament had been canceled someone would let you know but when you have a 20 year old coach thats the way it goes. i have a job jar that is calling out. my diveway has developed a sink hole that is the size of duluth harbor this week with threats of becoming lake superior if i dont deal with it. should be interesting. i will be an expert on blacktop renovation next monday. hosta division and tree trimming are in order too. how nice to have a summer weekend to sit and relax. i hope to finish clydes book and then begin steves as well. walter mosley will be put in cue and readied for the july meet of the bbc. lawn will be mowed, garden weeded, i will move the speakers to the driveway and let my new discovery spotify (think pandora with a few additional choices) loose on the hostas and the neighborhood. the new puppies are loving the great outdoors but i feel like i need to be there to watch them as the demolish my gardens with play and shade seeking respite. nala and vincent (his left ear had a thing) are the epitome of puppy cute. i noticed the other day that they were the same size as the little dog when they arrived and in 5 short weeks they have basically tripled in size. that should be a weekend in itself. the sense of wonder and celebration in 10 week old sibling dogs is something to behold. i’m thinking sangria is the perfect accompaniment. white or red? i can do red in sangria form and it does feel summery. 1st official summer weekend is launching. july ho…….

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    1. Love your confidence, tim. “i will be an expert on blacktop renovation next monday.” That’s an ambitious to-do list you have there; good luck on accomplishing everything. Speaking for myself, I’m lucky to get one or two items crossed off my list, but a Saturday morning Farmers’ Market visit is a must. Now that I have my zero gravity chair, I can spend a lot of time pondering what my next move should be in comfort.

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  5. i think the mural has to be adopted by the trail as an official somthing or other. baboons chainsaws machismo and babes all in one. kind of sums up what we are all about in one fell swoop doesnt it? where is the building? i see the sidewalk /road comes right up to the baboons armrest. love it.

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    2. I think that mural is in the XYZ gallery in Minneapolis which is in the lobby of the very small movie theater that Dale wrote about for The Line Media.

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    3. Can’t quite figure out the main creature. It looks rabbitty but also baboony like a baboon in a rabbit suit. Buy why would a baboon need to hide his/her (zher!) baboonity?
      Another photoshop exercise?

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      2. Oh, dear – it’s gotten to the point that I didn’t even notice that the baboon was wearing rabbit ears.

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  6. This is a miles to go before I sleep weekend: niece’s play Saturday morning, possibly helping a friend with painting Saturday afternoon (if not, there are some truly amazing weeds that need to be dislodged from the garden), daughter’s art class Sunday morning, then pool party with daughter’s second grade class at her (former) teacher’s house…somewhere in there I need to squeeze in a visit to the Y with my workout buddy. Oh and a nap.

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      1. The muscled stud evidently was not paying attention during the chainsaw safety lecture, judging by the way he is swinging the tool around in one hand. I hope I have better sense than that. I am pretty sure I’m not the curvy gal either – she should get as far away from Mr. What’s-the-Big-Deal-If-I-Decapitate-Somebody as possible.

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        1. i love the 60’s like attraction to those babes who are attracted to beefcake chainsaw dudes. the seven year itch was on turner this morning. i had to tear myself away. i have two trees to take down and cut up for firewood and a firepit patio foundation to put in on my to do list as well but i dont think i will get it all done.
          ot
          i got an offer to become a rock star today from an old buddy who hit it big in the record biz. he wants me to grab my brother and my son and do a jones family launch into the footlights. he is sending the cd of the 20 or so songs i am to choose form and the address of the studio to head into. its fun dreaming. wouldnt that be a gas.

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  8. Rise and Shine Baboons!

    This will be a futz and putz weekend. Weeding today, then going to Open Studio tonight. I see conflicting weather reports. If it is not raining I will be outside. I hope to sleep a lot too. I’ve been having vivid dreams of late which are also pleasant. Last night I was planning my retirement. In the dream I was age 64 — instead of my real age– and getting ready to take the leap. It was very exciting until I awoke and realized I was 6 years early! So maybe I’ll stay asleep.

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    2. Huh – I had a dream about work last night, too…only for some reason I was at a co-worker’s house (where I have never been), napping on his couch, and his dog kept waking me up by licking my face. Even though the dog was pretty cute, I think I like your dream better, Jacque.

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    3. a six year prep time for the big leap may not be a bad idea at all. what if it could all go perfectly because you had your ducks in a row? what a concept.

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  9. Love the caption under the camel photo, Dale. My weekend depends to a large extent on my own personal transit system. My old Saab has been in the shop since Monday of last week. Yes, you read that right, last week. I’ll spare you the details; suffice it to say, I’m beginning to understand why Saab has gone bankrupt!

    Tomorrow, June 23rd is Sankt Hans Aften, the evening that Danes celebrate midsummer by burning witches on bonfires, and lots of singing. Fortunately there are enough Danes in the Twin Cities to carry on this tradition with great gusto, but because of a conflict with a Nordic Singers concert on Saturday evening, the Sankt Hans celebrtion has been moved to Sunday evening. Both the Nordic Singers (all performers from the Royal Danish Opera) and the Sankt Hans celebration are open to anyone who is interested. Let me know if you want more details. I might ad that the Sankt Hans celebration includes a marvelous potluck (some of the best cooks I know are in this group), hayrides and a barn dance, fun for the entire family.

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    1. This post makes me really nervous, given that way back in the family tree is a “witch” hung in Salem, MA–Elizabeth Jackson Howe.

      Are you burning real witches? If so I will put out a burn warning!

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      1. Nah, Jacque, we’re pussycats. We make our own witch out of twigs and branches, much like a scarecrow, appropriately attired as a witch. The witches are said to fly to a certain mountain in Harzen, Germany.

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  10. I may be reading too much into the photos but I think I spotted Dale’s alter ego in one. And I am intrigued by the photo names—Fantasy Vacation 1, 5, 8. Will more of this album be revealed??

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  11. Tomorrow, Roommate and I are finally going to see “The Avengers”. We’re not actually the last people in our social circles to see it, but fairly close. Then, on Sunday, we’re going down to Blue Earth County with a friend who is judging the Cambria Eisteddfod:

    http://www.morgancreekvineyards.com/cambria-eisteddfod-poetry-festival

    Another friend, poet John Rezmerski, helped to start the Eisteddfod a few years ago. This will be the first time I’ve attended it, though, since Pride seems to always be on the same weekend, or it was too hot to do either. This year I decided to blow off Pride for poetry. We’ll be bringing some copies of our group anthology for the sales table, and with any luck we’ll sell a couple!

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  12. Farmers Market trip on Saturday morning. How nice that my local market does not open at the crack of dawn so I don’t have to rise at 5 am to beat the crowds.

    Gardening – mainly in the form of weeding. Also some harvesting of red currants and rhubarb, maybe black currants, too. The raspberries are starting to turn red, but I don’t think they will be ready to pick this weekend – raspberries don’t actually get ripe in June, do they?

    Depending on a phone call I may (or may not) get – the start of a part-time weekend job – or not, as the case may be.

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    1. Edith – which is your local F.M? We’re already eating our raspberries – way early. Envy you the currants…

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      2. Yes, black currants are the sooooooooo delicious. I never knew how good they were before I grew them – I never see them at the store or even the farmers market.

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        1. Good grief – who typed that: “the sooooo delicious”??? What the heck was I on when I typed that?

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    2. Yes, I have to harvest another round of rhubarb and pick red and black raspberries. Everything is early here because of warmer weather.

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    3. Just had a raspberry smoothy for breakfast. Having abundant raspberries in the yard always makes me feel rich.

      Also need to deal with red and black currants and pick the gooseberries.

      I should be standing over the jam pot this weekend, it seems, but I am going to be cleaning out the garage and basement instead. Both projects long overdue.

      With any luck, pulling weeds is going to seem like a nice break from that!

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        1. I said nothing about finishing either of those projects 🙂
          I can tackle the garage until it becomes stifling, then I shall retreat to the much cooler basement (which it was “too cold” to deal with during the winter).

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  13. This afternoon my mom and I will plan what to perform at her residence’s Gathering on Sunday. one of the residents has organized a semi-weekly program that is sort of like “Open Mike” – invites residents to participate by singing, playing an instrument, anything – one lady did some clogging while my mom played the piano. This Sunday is a belated Fathers Day one, so Mom will accompany Husband and me leading a sing-a-long. Need to find father oriented songs…

    My friend Fern from California is here till early this afternoon, been here since Wed. nite. Saturday morning is a potluck at Powderhorn Park – organized by a Minn. ex-pat who uses this method to see his old friends when he passes through on a visit. Dale, he was one of the people who helped (on the electronic end of things) to get KFAI launched, back in the day.

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  14. Morning all. Teenager and I are starting the weekend early. We’re having “Take Your Dog to Work Day” here at my office, so we bundled up both the pooches, a couple of gates and the required bags (just in case). We’ve made the rounds and met all the other dogs in the building and then at 10 a.m. there is a Yappy Hour on the lawn for all the buildings.

    Rest of the weekend will be rather mundane after that. Some yardwork, some scrapbooking, some working on my holiday project. Some vacation planning. Hopefully all will be very calm and restful!

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  15. My long weekend starts today. This morning, daily chores with a little more attention to detail because I will have a visitor. I hope to spend an hour or two in the garden. Then later a mentee will come by with her cousin from Addis Abba; he has visited the U.S. before but never been in the home of an American, I will try to represent well. Then we are off to explore; no plan but I’m thinking the list of choices will be; Wedge for a lesson in coops and shopping for me, Minnehaha Falls, Mississippi river, bird sanctuary, lakes, downtown library, outdoor café for a break and outdoor dinner somewhere and check for block parties or a little festival somewhere. Or maybe we will just sit in my yard, walk in the neighborhood and go eat in the park.

    This young woman and I often make plans to meet for what I think will be a two hour lunch and then I don’t get home until hours later because of something that is totally off plan. But we always have a good time with lots of laughing.

    My only other plans are gardening, the rain and heat that kept me from the garden have created a jungle out there, and meeting with a young single mom to help her create a budget and problem solve her life. Oh, another mentee from Equador is a cop in my precinct and he wants to stop by for my coffee soon but will probably stand me up. Other things will happen too.

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  17. Morning!
    Depending on the weather I need to mow roadsides and grade the driveway (Our driveway is about 3/4 of a mile long. Yes, winter can be a b*tch. Well, depends which way the wind is blowing as to how much snow we get over it. But that’s why I have an 8′ snow blower on the tractor.)

    And we have a plan: we have mulch around part of the house and the darn chickens get in there and did it all up and move it all downhill. So I’m going to put some netting down under it; see if that stops the chickens digging. Will let you know about that Monday.

    Planning on seeing ‘Madagascar 3’ with the family on Sunday.

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  18. It’s hard to work when everybody else is off. On Saturday I agreed to do volunteer work for Minnesotans United for all Families at the PRIDE Festival in Loring Park. I found a task that should be appropriately boring-working in the office and logging-in donations. There’s a party on Sunday given by my favorite , now departing colleague. Good thing the rest of the baboons are taking care of chores because I am skipping that list this week.

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  19. We are gardening this weekend, as usual, and preparing to be gone to Duluth later next week and next weekend for the Handbell Workshop.

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    1. Renee, are you in one of those fabulous handbell choirs that does amazing music? I was in a HB choir in junior high, I think, but we never did anything very ambitious.
      How those fabulous ones keep track of which beat belongs to their individual bell fascinates me.

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      1. Well, we try. We learn new techniques all the time and it is surprising what kind of sounds you can get out of a bell and all the strange things you can do with a bell. I find that in order for me to play correctly I have to engage motor memory for when to pick up and put down the bells, read the music for my notes and the sybols for the different techniques, which is hard because the parts are all written together on the same staff, and listen to the entirety of the ensemble to know where my notes fit in.

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        1. Some years ago I attended one huge hand bell choir concert in one of the local mega churches. Hand bell choirs from all over were there and had been rehearsing together for only a couple of days. Literally, there were thousands of hand bells. I was completely blown away that that was possible. I was nervous the entire time that someone would screw up, but it never happened.

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        2. I would guess that there were more mistakes than you realize, We ringers are pretty good at hiding mistakes.

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  20. The clouds have vanished and the skies are clear and sunny. We spent a peaceful first night in the cabin and we’re now in Cornucopia enjoying wi-fi and coffee. We’ll fill the water jugs at the artesian well and head back to the cabin.

    Steve saw a family of sandhill cranes on the way up here and I saw a couple of whooping cranes along Hwy 63 in a field. I saw a gray fox on the road out to Steve’s cabin.

    Tonight we’re going to the Big Top Chautauqua concert and tomorrow we’ll take the ferry to Madeline Island. Have fun today, ‘booners! We’re thinking about you!

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  22. i’m in a pretty weekendy, vacationy frame of mind. Not having much to do at work is contributing, too. Small birthday gathering tonight for a friend chez moi, fish tacos on the menu.
    Tomorrow I’ll be packing for camp vacation and spending time with son #2 (a movie or Noises Off at the Jungle). Sunday, I’m in a top secret flash mob (keep it under your hat or I’ll have to kill the lot o’ ya). Then I drive 3 1/2 hours to heaven in SW Minnesota in time for supper.

    At camp,we do the “dinner”/”supper” nomenclature. Even though I didn’t grow up on a farm, the evening meal was always “supper” so it’s no big adjustment for me. Some campers are always correcting themselves.
    Tonight we’ll probably have Medisterpolse or Frikadeller (names are for PJ). – sausage or meatballs to the rest of you. Then SINGING at 7:00.

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    1. Lisa, have a great time at Danebod. I’m hoping that Dave, my smoked fish monger at the Farmers’ Market might have brought me some medisterpølse tomorrow from the Danish butcher in Frederik. He’s such a great guy. Love, love, love my Farmers’ Market vendors.
      For some insight into what Dale is up to this weekend, check out his Facebook page. Looks like he’s into the good life.

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      1. We had frikadeller last night with steamed new potatoes, baby carrots, broccolli, cauliflower and sugar snap peas in a sour cream butter sauce with parsley and dill. Summer food at its best.

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      2. St Paul FM? I usually go to Minneapolis or Kingfield but I love the St Paul one. No bananas from who-knows-where there.
        Your summer dinner sounds lovely. Camp food is pretty good (prepared by the school lunch “ladies”) but not very Jewish/vegetarian friendly (lots o’ pork). We’re teaching them little by little to have options.

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        1. Definitely the St. Paul Farmers’ Market! I don’t mind the bananas, oranges, and pineapples at the Mpls. market, I know they’re not locally grown. It’s just that you can never be sure where even tomatoes and other item that can be grown here come from.

          Pork is a staple of Danish food for sure (frikadeller are made from ground pork), although these days in Denmark you’d be hard pressed to find some of the traditional foods served up here as Danish. Do they ever serve smørrebrød at Danebod?

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  23. There was a delightful Danish restaurant in south Winnipeg on Pembina Highway (aka Highway 75 or the Palm to Pine Highway) that served homemade rullepolse and every type of smorrebrod you could imagine. The proprieretess was a lovely elderly woman as round as a barrel, andshe and her her pink-cheeked husband served memorable meals. We never could duplicate the flank steak to make the rullepolse the way she did.

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    2. We left Winnipeg around the time that Hong Kong was to be returned to the Mainland Chinese government. Since Canada was part of the British Commonwealth, many Chinese residents of Hong Kong, also part of the Commonwealth, immigrated to Canada to avoid the takeover. The elderly Danes sold their restaurant to some Chinese immigrants and tried to teach them how to make the smorrebrod, but it eventually transmogrified into a Chinese restaurant that eventually closed. It was sad.

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