I love driving home by the neighborhood park and seeing the kids hockey leagues tearing up the ice between the pines. I stopped tonight because besides the normal children, there was a dog out there! Can you spot it? I love watching dogs try to run on ice. I feel like that could be dropped down to slow-motion and put on You Tube for good laughs. So yeah, it's winter in Minnesota. The high on Monday? Negative Four. That's the HIGH. And dang, I love it here.

In my forever attempts to keep this a fun and happy place, I will not talk about my transition from Mac to PC over at the Star Tribune. Just know that as a *designer* things looking pretty and being easy and simple to use/navigate is VERY important to me. And this is why designers like Macs. And why PC-loving IT departments are evil.And after work I came home, cracked open a new bottle of wine, drew a bath and settled in for a good soak. I am normally not a bath person (obviously! look at how small my tub is!), but hopefully this will change with our NEW BATHTUB that comes with the (hopeful) bathroom remodel this spring. Fingers crossed.

Because who doesn't love starting Monday morning with two fillings before the start of your 10-hour work day? And let's get one on each side of your mouth so you are full up on novocaine and drooling through the morning! Man. I know how to party.On the upside? This week has no where to go but up. I hope...

Man, this weekend was packed. I am ready to settle into the sofa and veg out to some serious brain candy. Good thing the Golden Globes are about to come on (interrupted by a little Downton Abbey, of course). Snarkiness spanning the century!This photo was one that I caught today during a family portrait on the east side of town. I really, really adore this family, and I thought this was a sweet moment.I'm back at the paper for 40 hours again this week (oh! And I get two cavities filled! Fun for all!), so I'll be trying to think of ways to keep this space interesting. Be patient with me...

What a full Saturday! Probably because I slept in until 11:15. Yup. I love being an adult.After rolling out of bed, there were a bunch of errands, a lovely visit from Mere and her pup Wally, a KU basketball game (which we won, of course), some classwork and then a party this evening. The host of the party was a coworker of Jamie's, and unbeknownst to me, a bourbon afficianado. Most of you know that when I gave up grains, I gave up whisky. This was probably one of the hardest sacrifices for me (more than bread, that's for sure). Anyway, our host had an amazing bourbon collection, including this bottle which I had never heard of before. You can read more about it here. Fascinating, no? And I managed to resist it. Truly amazing, I tell you...Also today, Merlin got a playdate. I've noticed that Merlin is even MORE excited on walks now when he sees another dog, and it got me thinking that maybe he's a little lonely. So Mere brought her dog over and they played a little. Not a ton, but I do think Merlin had a good time. And Wally? Mere's dog? He loves, loves, loves toys (Merlin could care less). And he dug out a ton of Memphis' old toys, some of which she had hidden around the house that we hadn't found yet. It made us both happy and sad to see them get such good use again. Yes. I am a total sap. I'm working on it.

First off, three cheers for finishing up a full 40-hour week of PC training, eh? You can bet I had a tequila (or two) tonight in celebration.But in general, what a great night! We met up with a ton of friends over at First Ave and then mosied over to check out the Best New Bands showcase. I had seen three of the bands, but not the rest (there were seven, I shot six -- don't hate, I needed to squeeze in dinner!). And I was so, so impressed. Every single band brought it, and the shows were all fun and great and I was thrilled for everyone on stage. My favorite acts were Wiping Out Thousands (above) and The Chalice. Both just left me grinning and dancing and were a total blast. But my very favorite suprise of the night was DJ Snuggles. I had never seen this guy before (WHY NOT??) and holy smokes was he fabulous! Best. Beatboxer. EVER. Like... better than the dude in Police Academy. And yes. I realize referencing Police Academy shows that I am old and white. Whatever,  I'm trying to set a bar here that Mr. Snuggles annihilated. If you can see him, do it.To see more photos of the show, they're up over here. Enjoy!