A View From Up High

This past Sunday we headed over to the Highland Park area of Saint Paul to go up to the top of the Highland Park Water Tower. This is a little piece of history tucked away in Highland Park -- open only to the public one or two weekends a year.

You climb a large cement spiraling staircase to get to the top -- over 100 feet up.

From the top you can see some amazing views -- from the skylines of both downtown Minneapolis and Saint Paul, to the Fairgrounds to the Airport. Unfortunately the day was cold and at that height VERY windy so we didn't stay up top very long. The kids enjoyed the view with the highlight watching an airplane come in for a landing.

Happy Birthday Bill!

Bill turned a year older on Saturday (October 13). In true grown up fashion we spent most of the day with little pomp and circumstance instead working on projects around the house. However, I don't care what any of us say -- we all truly enjoy our birthday and certainly hope that others make us feel special on that day. I was determined to make Bill's day a good one. Originally I was going to make him one of his favorite meals (a turkey dinner with all the fixings) but then he said he didn't want me to do all that work (secretly I think he knew that I have a tendency to underestimate the amount of time it takes me to cook and for some strange reason I think he wanted his birthday dinner ON his birthday). Bill LOVES white cake (I find this so odd as for me cake isn't cake unless it is chocolate) so I set out earlier last week to find the ultimate vanilla cake recipe. My friend and co-worker Carol came through with a recipe from a bakery in New York famous for their vanilla cupcakes with pink vanilla frosting and sprinkles - Magnolia Bakery. Apparently these cupcakes are so good that people literally line up to buy them and you are limited to four per purchase -- so if you need eight you have to go back and wait in line to buy four more. I guess they were featured on Sex in the City as well when it was on.

The cake recipe calls for 1 cup of butter, 2 cups of sugar and 4 eggs among other things. The frosting has another cup of butter and 8 cups of powdered sugar! Either this cake better be darn good or the post-cake angioplasty was not going to be worth it!

The cake was actually pretty easy -- you totally mix it with your stand mixer. I concocted a two-layer cake with pale blue frosting that ended up looking green (I feared a navy blue cake so went a little to easy on the food coloring). On top I sprinkled edible glitter. It certainly wasn't my prettiest cake -- but man oh man is it heaven to eat. Bill seemed to enjoy it as well. I may have hit on a yearly tradition ... I am sure that is all our health insurance will allow!

Ballerina Girl, You Are So Lovely

I am a mom so I get bragging rights. Anna recently started her 2nd year of dance lessons -- ballet and tap. What a difference a year makes! Anna is so serious and I think would go to class every day instead of her once a week Tuesday evening class. Recital won't be until June but already she wants to practice her dances she will perform and is wondering when she gets measured for her costume and more importantly what will it look like and when will it come??

I have to admit I live somewhat vicariously through Anna with this dance thing. I too took dance lessons when I was a youngster -- not as young as her -- and loved it as well. I didn't get the elaborate costumes, the fancy hair and the makeup. But I know how much I would have enjoyed it. Don't get me wrong -- I am not pushing Anna into this and cringe at the thought of her having her hair and makeup done the way it is done for recital for anything outside of recital -- she is only 4 after all. But it gives me such good feelings inside to see her enjoy this so much and I hope the love of it continues. Not just for the costumes but for the discipline, the poise and the confidence I think it can give her.

Here are a few photos snapped last weekend before Anna headed to class on Saturday morning to make up her missed class earlier in the week due to my being at Religion class with Ryan (note I have not yet figured out how to be in two places at once). I totally see why Bill loves to sing to her "Ballerina girl, you are so lovely" from the Lionel Richie song Ballerina Girl.

New York, Day 3, 9.23.07

Day three of my trip started a little later (thank goodness because this girl was getting VERY tired). After grabbing a hot tea and cinnamon scone at Starbucks we boarded the bus and headed over to the ports to catch a two-hour semi-circle cruise that took us down the west side of Manhattan, past Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty and up along the east side. The day was ABSOLUTELY gorgeous for being on the water and I got lots of great photos.

After the cruise we headed back to our hotel, had some lunch and me back up with the group to walk past Rockefeller Center, to St. Patrick's Cathedral and then up 5th Avenue -- elite shopping mecca. It was fun to window shop and of course we had to go into Tiffany's and look. Oh how I long for a little blue box . . .

We topped off the day with cocktails in the lobby and then on to Ruby Foos for dinner and these WONDERFUL ginger mojitos. Dinner was a combination of appetizers, dim sum and some entrees all shared as a group. We had so much fun and laughed a lot. A really fun way to top off the trip. After dinner it was back to the hotel to pack for our departure the next morning.

Thanks so my Aunt Marg who sent me this group photo we had taken. We all bought some type of "New York" t-shirt and wore them for the day -- looking like the true tourists we were! This photo is in front of the hotel, l-r, Cindy and her mom Marlys (friend of my mom), my Aunt Marg, Me and my mom and my Aunt Dorothy.

New York, Day 2, 9.22.07

Day 2 of my trip started out early as well. We met for breakfast at the Carnegie Deli located just down the street from our hotel a little after 7:00. Remember according to my internal clock it is only a little after 6:00 so my body is questioning why on earth I am feeding it eggs, bacon, toast and hash browns. Breakfast served as my first reminder of portion sizes in New York. My breakfast was enough food to last me for 3 breakfasts. Don't worry ... although I felt bad about wasting food I didn't attempt to clean my plate .... not even close!

We met back up with our group at the hotel at 8:30 to take a bus tour down to Ground Zero. From there we toured the temporary museum of 911 memorabilia. The museum has video from survivors, time lines and photos of the attacks, photos of the victims and a list of all the victims. Most moving however were the glass display cases that contained items found in the rubble like a menu and flat ware from the restaurant, elevator signs, keys to offices and most moving to me -- a New York Fire Fighter's turnout coat. After the museum we embarked on a guided walking tour of the site of the World Trade Center towers and the buildings surrounding the area. This was my most memorable part of the trip. First we walked by the fire station directly across the street from the station. They have a bronze plaque showing the likenesses of the fire fighters from that station who died in the attacks. On the side of the station is a 57 foot long bronze plaque memorial. Very moving to see. I have been to Ground Zero several times and it was always this big hole. It was very strange to see work and building being done here. I met this with mixed emotions. On the one hand I understand the importance of moving forward and certainly the financial impact to NYC of not moving forward in the long run is more devastating than the financial toll of the attacks on 9/11. But on the other when you are there and you see the devastation you can't help but feel for the victims and their families. Because so many victims remains have been unidentified this is in essence a burial ground if you will. The plans we were shown indicate that much thought was put into this entire 8-acre area in trying to meet the needs of all involved. Our tour guide, Gerry, worked on the 82nd floor of the North Tower and was working the morning of the attacks. He was also working in 1993 when the bombing happened and he credits that with the reason he and so many others survived. As soon as the North Tower was hit on the 93rd floor (this was the tower first hit in case you have forgotten) he felt the jolt and felt the building sway back and forth. He instantly recognized that this was not the normal swaying you felt in the building. His instincts told him to leave, NOW. He got out and was safe. Unfortunately two co-workers, for whatever reason, decided to go back and sadly they perished in the collapse. Gerry was so willing to share details and information with us. He said for him, volunteering at the museum and doing these tours is very therapeutic for him.

After leaving Ground Zero we reboarded our tour bus and toured our way through China Town, Chelsea, etc. Some people opted to be dropped in China Town as the shopping on the weekends is stellar. You can barter for just about anything and apparently this is THE PLACE to buy "designer" bags ... read Prada, Kate Spade, Coach, Gucci, etc. etc. etc. We decided to stay on the bus as it started to rain and we didn't have our umbrellas. The bus tour was fun and informative.

We got back to the hotel, freshened up and headed out to find some lunch. After lunch we decided to make our way through the street fair (read: LOTS of vendors selling everything under the sun) that was on the street in front of our hotel. We spent the afternoon doing this and found some great deals.

For the evening meal we headed to a Brazilian Steak House, Churrascaria Plataforma (http://churrascariaplataforma.com/) for an amazing meal. We started with "Caipirinha" (a concoction of fresh limes, sugar, ice and "Cachaça" - Brazilian liquor made from raw sugar cane) and the salad bar. Both were wonderful but the drink was VERY strong. The fun really started when they began serving the first of 16 courses of meat. I can't even recall them all but what I remember eating: chicken, salmon, prime rib, garlic steak, rib eye steak, tenderloin, BBQ ribs, brisket, veal and ham. We had so much fun and had a wonderful maitre d' named Marcus who took care of all us ladies like we were princesses. He picked up the tab for all our drinks in fact. Definitely a young man who does his job well!

After dinner we walked to Rockefeller Center to go to "Top of the Rock" -- the three (one inside, one outside but with glass walls and one open one) observatories on the top of Rockefeller Center. This was a wonderful way to top off our evening and the views were stellar.

On the way back to the hotel we discovered the people to buy the "designer" purses from are the men who come out under cover of the night with purses in sheets spread on the sidewalks. I found a black Prada bag and bartered my way to a good price. Funny how a "designer" purse puts on a smile on my face and a skip in my step every time I use it now.

All in all a very good, very busy second day.

Crutches, Cam Boots & Achilles Tendons, Oh My!

Bill has some new best friends thanks to an injury yesterday at work. At some point while at a fire Bill tore his Achilles tendon. Yes OUCH! After enduring pain that only seemed to get worse and by dinnertime was becoming unbearable, he headed to the ER at Region’s Hospital. The diagnosis was not what he was expecting. After much manipulation … read “unintended torture at the hands of the very good ER docs at the hospital” the determined his injury was with his Achilles tendon. But the bright(?) spot is they don’t think it is completely torn – just partial or maybe only fissures. An MRI later this week will tell us more. In the meantime Bill is wearing a Cam Boot and hobbling around on crutches. Of course both the cat and dog have determined the crutches are either A. a tool of torture meant to terrorize their existence or B. something teasing them and begging to be played with. Animals are so funny.

Oh yeah and Bill now has a chauffeur (read CAROL) because of course he injured his right foot and of course because it is not humanly possible to drive with the Cam Boot. He is off work now until at the earliest Sunday and he is fearing if the injury is worse than we are hoping, he will end up going onto “light duty” which means 8-5, Monday-Friday at a desk, pushing a pencil. Now most of you who know Bill well or at all know that a desk job and Bill just don’t mesh. Needless to say he is determined to follow doctor’s orders.