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Question: Where do you take three New Yorkers? Answer: the Bohemian Flats, near the University of Minnesota. Such interesting history that I never knew until tonight.
In 75 minutes, our driving tour also included Northeast, Dinkytown, U of M East Bank, St. Paul (Cathedral, downtown, & State Capitol), West River Road, Washington Ave, and Hennepin.
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After several months of daily searching, late nights of online reading, talking with my parents, family and friends, and touring around the western Twin Cities for showings, I’m about to make one of my biggest investments ever. I’ve learned an incredible amount. Thanks to Uncle Jeff for helping me scout them out. Contingent upon a satisfactory inspection, I very soon will have a house to call my home.
Rhubarb pie is my favorite, and this was my first one of the summer. The pie crust was stubborn, but it rolled out to my will.
Best pie crust ever – Pastry for Double Crust Pie from Better Homes & Gardens. Three ingredients + water. You can do it!
Rhubarb filling:
5 cups chopped rhubarb
1 1/2 cups of sugar
3T. corn starch (or flour) to thicken
Before adding the pie filling, I lightly coat the bottom pie crust with sugar. For the top, beat an egg white and brush it on the top to get a golden look. Sprinkle top crust with sugar.
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I pledge allegiance to Expect More. Pay Less. However, I shop for groceries at multiple stores, so was excited that the newest Lund’s has opened in my backyard. (Not quite as close as Jewel which was 30 feet from my apartment building in Elmhurst, but it’s a block walk away.)
Built in 1912, the building was constructed by Reno Motor Company and housed a number of showrooms until the mid-1940s. After nearly eight years since it was proposed, the new Lund’s had its grand opening today (on Thursday when I took the photo). As a treat to myself, I stopped in for Bing cherries and gourmet cheese. My cousin Karen is a foodie at the Lund’s in Plymouth, but they didn’t have any samples after I walked home from the Twins vs. Phillies baseball game. A couple other things I love: they have Redbox and now I don’t have to drive to the closest one. They have Caribou coffee. And, they have a separate wines & spirits store, a restored 1914 building built by the Stur-Bullard Motor Company, once home to several car show rooms, including Nash and Ford. I love seeing historic buildings redeveloped for new uses, and I’ll drink to that!
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I pass by First Baptist Church, next to the University of St. Thomas Law School, quite often. Though, I’ve never heard the bells. Neither did I today.
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The first time I saw the acronym “MOA” was in a script for a University of Minnesota Admissions skit to high school students. Unsure of what to do with it, I quickly pronounced it “Moe-ah” and hoped it would go unnoticed. It didn’t. Apparently, that is not what locals call the Mall of America. What did I know? I didn’t write the script, I reminded them; I was just reading it. The 70+ Admissions Ambassadors didn’t let me forget that for the rest of the fall recruiting season.
For out-of-town guests, visiting the Mall of America is somewhat of a right of passage. I prefer shopping at any of the three ‘Dales, but this is one tourist destination people visiting Minneapolis will surely be asked about back home. The call of the mall, I guess. So in that spirit, I shared the MOA experience with my Target Canada colleagues (their request).
We dined at Twin City Grill, and it was terrific as I’d expected. (It’s part of the Lettuce Entertain You restaurant portfolio and after trying a dozen of their concepts between Chicago and Minneapolis, there’s not a single one I haven’t liked.)
We walked through Nickelodeon Universe, Lego Imagination Center, American Girl Place (their stop not mine), and in true Midwest fashion, I ran into someone I know. My friend Megan, who I went to school with from K-12 and lives in Sioux Falls, spotted me circling the mall, which was totally unexpected and made my night.
And of course, I ended up buying something, too. Totally MOA.
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Lunch on Nicollet at The Local with my brother, a museum stop at Mill City Museum with my parents (the flour mill of the Washburn Crosby Co., today known as General Mills), and my cousin’s mega graduation party in Plymouth with family and the “Flamingo Friday” neighbors of Polaris Lane. What a day!
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My cousins and I went to the Twins vs. Cubs game tonight, and the game was a hit with three home runs by the Cubs though ultimately a win by the Twins in the 10th inning. While the Cubs were my preferred Chicago team (and tonight’s pitcher, Jeff Samardzija, played ND football while I was at Notre Dame), it was root, root, root for the home team.
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Once the HQ for the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, today’s Marquette Plaza building features a groundbreaking support system which includes 16 catenary cables strung between two towers. The cables worked much like the cables of a suspension bridge and give the property its signature U shape on the front of the building.
The U shape reminds me of the smiles and laughter shared by colleagues tonight at the Monte Carlo. While our friend Erin from New York City had been scheduled for open mic night, Acme Comedy Club switched the plans. Instead, Erin delivered her solid material for us on the patio of Monte Carlo and proved that while you can’t always count on a comedy club for support, you can always bank on your friends.
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This past winter, I recognized that I needed a sufficiently challenging goal to force myself to train again. It’s been nearly a year since I trained with my Elmhurst running group on the Illinois Prairie Path, incidentally the first successful rails-to-trail conversion in North America. But the lessons and advice I learned have stayed with me.
My pacing has slowed 1 minute per mile (a combination of more hills in Minneapolis (and you thought it was flat!) and less regular training). But I know how to prep the night before the race, fuel before and during the run (GU is delicious), pack your drop bag (flip flops!), how to pace that very crucial first mile and the rest of the race (thanks to Garmin), how to pinch and pour the water cups, mixing the right music for my iPod shuffle, and how to stretch.
I loved the cowbell, drums, cheering from spectators and most of all the signs. Some favorite ones: “Run Like You Stole Something”, “Where are You All Running to?” and “Worst Parade Ever.”
It was fun to race many parts of the course with my college friend Erika. And, I’m proud that I ran the entire race without stopping–eating my GU and drinking water on the run and finishing (unofficially) at 2:01. For a junior high kid whose worst living nightmare in P.E. class was running one mile, it’s amazing what you can accomplish with training and determination.
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In between seven hours of The Spots bootcamp (Target’s choir) and a summer soiree with coworkers, I stepped into Loring Park for a quick photo of the Dandelion Fountain. The sun broke through the trees and clouds at just the right moment to spray the fountain with light. Built in 1975, this fountain known as the Berger Fountain is a must-see in the spring and summer months.
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