Delinquency at 42

I'm hesitant to write about NEW #7. I mean, what if you think less of me? What if you think I'm irresponsible? After all, what kind of a woman plays hooky from her job - and then proudly counts it as number seven of her year of new? That sounds like the worst kind of woman, right?  You should immediately stop reading anything I write, lest you become as delinquent a woman as I!!

Beware, all ye who read on!! (And don't say I didn't warn you.)

I, who called in to work only one time in eleven years (for a very legitimate reason), played hooky on Monday. I didn't want to go to work, which is not new (especially on a Monday), and so I didn't. I... just didn't go. I called and said I couldn't make it in. That was it. I had no valid excuse, other than the need for a mental health day.

Well... that and the fact that my friend had established playing hooky as a goal for me to meet this year. She felt I needed to embrace the necessity of mental health days - and the decadence of an unplanned absence. If I achieved the goal, she would treat me to a meal. (Where to go, where to go??? Mmm!!)

Since it's already the end of August, I was starting to worry that I wouldn't meet my very important goal. It was easy for me to keep putting it off. I kept making excuses for why it was better for me to go to work, but really, it's just hard for me to not show up if I'm expected to show up - and I mean really, really hard. I have, what some might call, an overactive sense of responsibility. It may not really be that noble... it may just be that I never want to let people down, or give the appearance of irresponsibility because then people might think less of me. Hmm. Is there a pill for that?

As mentioned in one of my recent posts, my long-time boss, who I very much respect and like, is out on leave for very unfortunate medical reasons. Well, sadly, though still difficult to do it, this made it a bit easier for me to call in... it would be harder to call in to her because - well, I don't know. I can't lie to her, and I couldn't tell the truth, so it's easier to just keep showing up. Anyhow, Monday morning, I called in to our big boss. I didn't lie, but I didn't feel the necessity to elaborate either. Elaboration isn't actually required - one does not need to be ill under our compensated time off policy... but it is generally polite.

Well, after the deed was done, I went back to the sweet slumber of the innocent that I was no longer.

Then I got up and we pondered what to do with my unexpected day off. R suggested Stillwater - we love to walk around there, along the river, popping into the shops (only I like that part). Well, when R mentioned Stillwater, I remembered that my dear friend, who had set the goal for me, has been wanting to go to this restaurant/bar in Stillwater. She'd seen a segment about them on the news because they reportedly had the best mojito, which is her favorite. Something about taking the day off because of her (I really would have never done it without her support and encouragement about the importance of mental health days) and then going to the very place she really wants to go made me giggle with delight!! (Don't worry, I'll go back with her!)

So I giggled all the way to Stillwater and on to Smalley's Caribbean Barbecue and Pirate's Bar.  Hey - it's Caribbean!! That was quite a bonus!

Appetizer of conch (R's favorite!) and sweet corn fritters - yum!!

R's meal was jerk chicken with pinto beans, sweet potatoes, and corn cake. 

I had a jerk chicken sandwich...  love the pirate imprint! Great touch!

Well, it was all delicious - if you find yourself in Stillwater, do go there. It's fun and yummy and definitely a bit different.

Even though I typically stick to wine when I enjoy adult beverages, in honor of my friend's encouragement and support of my mental health, I ordered a mojito. While I can't really compare it, it was seriously delicious - and went perfectly with the jerk spices of our meals. You can't always believe everything you see on TV, but apparently when it comes to the lovely minty mojito, TV is right-on!

Mojito cheers, to my friend!!

Unfortunately, the superstitious part of me, that I prefer to pretend doesn't exist, fears that my back having gone seriously out again, that same day, is poetic justice for me so naughtily playing hooky. It doesn't work that way, right....  right? Of course, the next day when I went back to work - hobbling around like Quasimodo - no one questioned at all why I'd called in.

My back prevented us from walking along the river, but it was still a very fun number seven: hooky and another new eatery: four thumbs up!!

Well, in case you've completely lost respect for me, perhaps you'll earn it back when I write my next post. Number eight will be about something very excitingly new... a shiny new trophy!  Yes, then you'll respect me again.

HJ ☺

A boy and a girl in a little canoe...

Just a boy and a girl in a little canoe

With the moon shining all around

As he glides his paddle

You couldn't even hear a sound

And they talked and they talked

Till the moon grew dim

He said you better kiss me

Or get out and swim

So what you gonna do in a little canoe

With the moon shinin' all a--

Boats floatin all a--

Girls swimmin' all a rou-ou-ound!

Okay, okay... It wasn't evening and I actually did kiss him, but I waited to do so until we were out of the canoe... I was already nervous enough that I was going to sink the canoe. 

So, number six of new at 42 was a canoe ride. Now, if we're going to be technical about it - and we are - I have canoed before. Part of my very strict and binding contract with myself was that I could consider old things new, if I haven't done it like three decades... and if it's somehow come to fill me with all sorts of worrisome ideas. I used to canoe back at camp, in the mid 80s or so, I guess. I used to really enjoy it. After all, I love being in or on water!

Every year we meet my family in the Wisconsin north woods, and for the last few years R has expressed that he'd like it if I canoed with him. (He used to canoe quite a bit, before his canoe was stolen some years ago.) For some reason I've been really resistant, though. Okay.... to be honest, mostly that reason is because I've been quite afraid that I'd sink the canoe. I was a lot lighter back in the mid 80s, after all. I was a lot lighter a few years back, for that matter... back before I allowed my drastically worsening anxiety issues to dictate my daily menu.

That, the weight, is a problem I have to fix, but in the meantime, my dear hubby still wanted to canoe and was 100% certain that I wouldn't sink it. Turns out, he was right. 

Still, I was relieved to see (after I was already in it) that the weight limit on the canoe was 3 person or 700 lb maximum - phew!  That was definitely a relief, but I was still nervous. R is so gentle with me and my craziness, though. Once I got in, I relaxed pretty well. It's not like I'm afraid of falling in the water - I swim just fine. Yet, knowing me, I'd conk my head on the canoe and sink to the bottom. Fortunately, that didn't happen. In fact, I relaxed enough to get out my camera and start taking some photos... ahem, while R did all the paddling. Nice, huh? He didn't mind - he was just glad to have me out there with him! 

After a bit, we went back to shore and picked up a very special someone. This is my nephew - he's awesome!! 

So, canoeing was a big success! I will definitely go again. It made me realize how silly a worry this one was. Some of my fears fill my whole person with complete and utter panic that takes me over - like flying and going over big bridges, and occasionally just living. 

Canoeing was never like that - it was just a worry that I let get bigger and bigger in my head. One might argue that the other ones I listed are just in my head too, but there's a big difference between utter panic and a misguided notion. I'll have to keep that difference in mind. 

I guess the thing is that flying and bridges and living are all things that, you know, I absolutely have to face and get through - no matter how much I might panic about them. Canoeing and horseback riding (something else to tackle again in the future, perhaps?) and other worrisome, but not panic inducing, activities are things I can avoid...  but doing so perhaps robs me of some of life's pleasures and beauty. 

Along the lines of canoeing, we tried another new, while we were up there. We go every year and tend to go to the same places every time, not that there are that many to choose from. Well, this time I wanted to do something else new, so we grabbed my mom and went to the Red Canoe for an early lunch - or was it a late breakfast?

Lovely, 

charming,

full of all sorts of fun treats, and

quite delicious!

What a great place! I've seen it every year, but never went in - so glad we tried it this year. My mom went back two more times before she left (we only stay a few days, but my family stays a full week).

So two canoes and two successes!

Now here's something that was also new, but considerably less of a success....

On a whim I picked up this strange looking fruit, right before we left. It's called a kiwano melon.

I thought R and my niblings might like to give it a try, just for fun. 

They might have had fun trying it... but they kinda hope they never have to again...

It tasted like a strange mix between a cucumber, a kiwi, and a cantaloupe. 

Yuck! Yeah, some new things are better left as one and done.  

By the way, this is my niece - she's awesome!!  She also taught me something new... it might be another old/new, but I really don't remember: slapjack!

I adore my niblings!! 

The rest of the family is pretty great too, truth be told... even if this sign, in one of our cabins, is a little fitting sometimes.... ☺

This one too! 

It was truly a wonderful trip, both the new and the old. 

I have about a thousand more photos I'd love to post, but I'll refrain.... for now.

Hey, maybe next year we could stay the full week... and then I'll have a couple thousand, probably.

Strange, but true: number five

This has been a rough, rough week. It included some very difficult news about someone important to me, some challenging interpersonal interactions, and the first bocce loss of our season. All of these were new, but not the nice kind of new.

In an also not nice, but more humorous (darkly so), kind of new, I fell out of a booth this week. Yep, just toppled right out... no, there was no alcohol involved, thank you very much. Just... klutziness meets stressed out, I guess. I had just stopped off for a little super fast lunch, after visiting the aforementioned individual in the hospital. They gave me the wrong sandwich, so I was sliding back out of my booth to correct it, and instead... I just... toppled over onto the floor....on my side, in essentially a fetal position... but still holding most of the sandwich, the top of which plopped onto the floor next to my face.

Yep. 

I only wish I had a photo of it, but I'd have had to get up off the floor, grab my camera out of my purse, then lay back on the floor to take it of myself. By then, it wouldn't have been as authentic. 

So I laid there a second in shock, then looked around - one guy was looking at me, but didn't say a word. I just looked back at him (from the ground) and said, "Well, that's never happened before." He just went back to eating and I scrambled up as fast as I could.

Isn't that strange? There were many customers and workers there, yet not a single person checked on me or offered to help. What kind of people ignore someone who topples onto the floor right in the middle of a restaurant? I've decided that, as ridiculous as I am, I'd much rather be someone who topples out of a booth onto the floor, than someone who ignores someone who topples out of a booth onto the floor. 

My friend thinks I should count that as one of my new things of 42. Hmm. I'm not sure about that, but then again...  it was pretty notable. It also really made me realize that I really do want to be someone who notices others needs. I think I already am that way - at least most of the time - but it sort of reinforced that too many are not - and to not let my own problems jade me from others' needs. 

So there you go... number 5 was toppling out of a booth in the middle of a busy restaurant.

On the bright side, the week also included a very lovely Finnish dinner with friends and a relaxing acupuncture session. Also, today we are leaving for a little vacation with the family in north eastern Wisconsin. We go there every summer, but hopefully we'll find some new adventures there this time.

I'm also very excited to bring our new Utila photo book down to show my family. It's been so fun showing it off the last couple weeks. Even after poring over my photos for so long before it was complete, seeing our favorite special memories and sights displayed in that huge beautiful book is just mesmerizing!  I find myself running my hand along the pages, as if doing so would be to touch the sea again. 

Speaking of the Utila photos, Shutterfly (who I used to make my photo book) sent me an email deal for 12 free thank you cards today, which I just couldn't resist. (The code is 12Free.)  Seriously, after this tough week, it felt like such a bonus!! I chose R's very favorite photo from Utila - Big Bite - and kept them blank inside. He's going to love these!  He may be a man of relatively few words, but he really likes having good cards on hand to send out to people once in a while. He's so sweet. I can't wait to get them back. 

3x5 Folded Card

View the entire collection of cards.

Well, I guess that's about it for today's strange, but true, rambling post. Oh, one other thing... here's my latest submission for Photo 52. It's not me toppled onto the floor, but hopefully it'll suffice. This was another one from Falls Park, in Sioux Falls.

Week 33 of Photo 52: Black and White

Until next time!
HJ

Road trip!!

The fourth items of newness at 42 happened this past weekend, when I went to Sioux Falls, SD to spend some time with sweet, industrious R.  He'd been there working a full week already, at a fair. This after very recently being gone for 10 days to Minot... (Ugh!)  He wondered if I might like to come down on the weekend to hang out with him. I really, really love that he wanted me there!! It's only a four or so hour drive, so I took Friday off and headed west, young man!

Since we'd be out that way, I figured I should find something new to do. Normally when we're in some city to work a show, we work, then we eat somewhere we spot near the hotel, then we head back to the hotel - that's about it. Of course, working is the primary concern while on his business trips, and it doesn't always leave a lot of time or flexibility - but hey, why not try to find a little new in between the cracks, when possible?  So I did a little research and asking around. After all, every city has new and fantastic aspects to it! (Well, probably...) So, let me tell you - we ended up with a big 2 for 2 in Sioux Falls.

First, there's Falls Park. An apt, though understated, name for such a breathtakingly beautiful place!

While R worked at the show, he thought I should go scope it out first - just to make sure it would really be open and we could get there easily enough. This way I could also get some photos during daylight hours, and at my leisure. (Though I'm noticing I seem to have a smudge on my lens... grr!)

They have a nice observation tower there, from where I took this photo above - but this isn't even all of it. To the left of me was a big pond and more rocks, where several people were fishing.  I knew R would love it!!

I came down from the observation tower and bopped all around the area, getting some beauty and exercise in - and a little reading.

Not too bad for a "selfie" - but then I was taking selfies long before they were called selfies.  I don't think we had a name for them, back then. That was also long before we could see how they turned out, before seeing how they turned out - if you see what I mean...

We wanted to go together that evening, but it rained quite a bit so we went the next morning instead. As such, we didn't have much time because R needed to get to work, but we got to bop around together for awhile. R absolutely LOVED it there!! He so wished he'd have known about it that whole week, as he'd have gone down before work to eat breakfast (usually a can of beans that he opened with his knife ☺), and maybe throw his lines in.

He gathered quite a little audience, as he galloped across the rocks: my little mountain goat. It was really funny to listen to people commenting about him and his scampering abilities.

Yep, Falls Park = four thumbs up!

Part two of Sioux Falls new was going to Mama's Ladas. A colleague recommended it highly - and I'm so glad she did.

All they serve is a handful of enchiladas (chicken, beef, seafood, vegetarian), chicken nachos, chips, salsa, and guacamole - and some delicious sangria. That's it. When you do all of those things so perfectly, who needs to offer more? (They don't actually serve them out of their hands, but after trying these, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't mind it if they did!)

These are the spinach and seafood enchiladas, since you probably can't tell under all that cheese. Delicious!!

In addition, the place is just as cozy and charming as all get-out! It's about the size of a shoe-box, but somehow, they just got it perfectly perfect. 

Just like I did, when I married R!!

This photo was only half posed... it was supposed to be a photo of us toasting, but R surprised me with a little smooch.

Mama's Ladas also = four thumbs up. (Though for the record, R isn't as enthusiastic at pulling him into my thumb rating system. He told me they're my thumbs, so rate as I see fit. Then I told him I only have two - and the other two are his, so he did agree to it, "Sure, two thumbs up is fine, I guess... Good food." Works for me! )

So if you ever find yourself in Sioux Falls, please do check both of these places out. The weekend, though always active, left me feeling very energized! Maybe there's something to this newness.

And if you're really, really, REALLY lucky, you just might stumble onto this quality entertainment.

Long live 80's hair band wannabes! Even when seeking new, there's always time for something classic, right?

☺

Going global

After sleeping in on Saturday morning, catching up on some much needed sleep, I lounged around in my jammies for a while. It's been a busy summer so far, so I didn't feel bad about a little laziness. I didn't have any errands to run, so I considered just lounging around the rest of the day. But then it occurred to me that I should find a number three NEW to do. Having more laziness than inspiration, I turned to the expert: Dr. Google. Doc Google always knows best, and in this case informed me that the Midtown Global Market is one of the best things to do in the Twin Cities. (A few of the other items suggested, I've bookmarked to do with R.)

So off to number three, aka the Midtown Global Market, I went. It's a part of town I don't typically drive to. I was a bit apprehensive about that, but am so thankful for gps on my phone!

What a g-diddley-gorgeous day!

So g-diddley-gorgeous, in fact, that after shopping at the global market, I'd go home and hang out on our patio with a book and a little something I picked up at the market... more on that little something later.

(I'm such a sucker for cool statues!!)

Anyhow, since it was 3 pm and, to my sorrow, I'd not eaten a thing yet, I had the pleasure of remedying that situation with Safari Express' Chicken Suqqar. I couldn't resist getting a sambusa, as well. It's much like a samosa, both of which I find irresistible. Pure deliciousness!

Though the word suqqar reminded me of my favorite horsey from camp (Sukaar!), I tried to put that out of my mind...  because this was one of the world's most delicious concoctions!!!  Also one of the spiciest! Mind you, I truly like a pretty fair amount of spicy heat, but this had my nose running in a matter a fact sort of way, all while being so incredibly flavorful!!

Yet this was not a hot for the sake of hot sort of dish. While it is probably too spicy hot for most of my midwestern friends, it was wonderful. They give free samples, so you can judge for yourselves. The mango chicken curry may be a better choice for many - it also has some heat, but much less, and also has some nice sweet. So if you go to Safari Express, which I do recommend, and if you consider ketchup a spice, beware. They told me the chicken curry is quite mild, so that might be a good selection - but the free samples are a wonderful thing.

R is very interested in going here with me because I told him they also serve camel. I can't wait to go back with him!

Food, was not, however, the main reason for my going there - though my only real reason was to check out something new. I'm not a big shopper, really, but the global market is my kind of shopping... just wandering around and checking out interesting things, with no particular agenda.

It was rather pleasant. I found a few treasures, which were reasonable enough for me to purchase on a whim. On a practical note, I picked up a little produce and some raw honey for my honey.

Then I stumbled on a woman and her son, who were set up at a table full of art, all of which was made by her son and daughter. 

I was very much pulled in by this piece, which I obviously then purchased. I love supporting small, independent business - and a mom and teenager is about as small and independent as it gets. I absolutely loved that she and her kids were set set up at the global market. Her daughter was actually set up at the Uptown Art Fair, which was happening this same weekend. 

Anyhow, I think this piece fits in very well in our home. I had to move the main wedding photo of R and me, but it's good to shake things up sometimes. Besides, it didn't move far. I like the new print, called "Open Hearts" here in between our smaller wedding photos.

As for my other treats - they kinda speak for themselves...

This is my new favorite brand of chocolate, at the moment. The almonds and sea salt in dark chocolate is simply out of this world good!! However, in the spirit of new, I figured I should try the ginger one this time...

When I got home, I enjoyed this out on our patio with my new book. (New books are pretty commonplace for me, so they don't count!!)

The dark chocolate and ginger was really interestingly good - definitely a different combination to my palate - but in all honesty, it might not have been good to try this when my whole system was still trying to process the intense and slow-burning heat of that Chicken Suqqar. The ginger seemed to heat me up even further. Despite the coolness of the evening, I had to sleep with the AC on. I liked it, but I think for chocolate, I'll tend to stick with my almonds and sea salt. They also have a mint one I would like to try, but mint and chocolate is not at all new to me. As a bonus, each bar has a love sonnet in it, in case that suits your fancy. 

And that's about it for number three. The global market was a fun and new experience for me- one that I will definitely return to with R - I think he'll like it there, especially the camel.

There are several other eateries there to try out and many more treasures to explore. Of course, I'm trying to be careful to not confuse my attempt to experience newness with buying new things. Still, I really have been enjoying our new print, which only cost me $20 and hopefully helped and encouraged a young person.

Chocolate is a life necessity, so that cost is irrelevant.

.