Everyone needs a stroll down memory lane once in a while...

But one shouldn't live there.

This week I've been revisiting my childhood. Taking naps as often as possible (it helps when you leave work at 1 or 2 every day - don't worry, that won't last past this week; your gov't $ will be hard at work again beginning on Monday), drinking orange sunkist and chocolate milk (but not together), eating grilled cheese and curly fries (okay, I eat those all year 'round) and ice cream every night for dinner. It's awesome. Next up: grape pop and maybe some of those sugar dipstick things. A woman at the boat club was describing to me how she makes her own homemade grape soda. I think I might have to try my hand at that...

Where did May go? I feel like time pretty much stopped on the 21st, so I'm still thinking it's about Tuesday of last week. But now that I'm getting invitations to weddings and BBQs and other random outdoor events, I guess I'll have to realize soon that summer is upon us and it's time to get out and enjoy every possible moment of it.

The madness for 2007 is complete.

Session ended on time - barely. Deadlines are good for people. Without a constitutional deadline, there's no way the Legislature would ever not be in session here. The Minnesota Legislature adjourned at midnight on Monday night, and with all the pomp and circumstance over and done with in about 30 minutes, we were outta here at 12:30 early Tuesday morning.

The other good news is that we also have a constitutional requirement concerning how many days the Legislature can be in session in a biennium. Since we burned through so many of them this year, we won't have nearly as many to work with next year. And because of that, we get to start later. Instead of the first week of January, I can breathe easy until February 12th next year.

I'm exhausted, so I'm planning on working very little, sleeping much, and rejoining polite society. I'll see you in a week or two when I wake up.

Bird Watching

Ok, so I'm no ornithologist, but it was interesting this morning during rowing practice to see both an eagle and a heron of some sort, both within a few feet of each other (though one was up in a dead tree, and the other was in the water). Between that and a sunrise peaking out between some clouds, it was a nice morning.

Happy Syttende Mai

To all Norwegians, happy Constitution Day. You can read more about Syttende Mai's significance here or check out all things Syttende Mai and the Norwegian National Anthem here.

Legislative Threats From State Senator Larry Pogemiller

And this is who we deal with on a regular basis at the Minnesota State Senate...

Ham Lake Fire up in the BWCA

The fire up in the Boundary Waters is huge, and growing. I read this morning that only 15% of this fire is contained, and it's grown to over 96 square miles. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like I'm going to make it up there this season...

Check out more of these pics at the Minnesota Incident Command System website or at the Star Tribune gallery or Pioneer Press gallery. As terrible as these fires are, there is something awe-inspiring and hauntingly beautiful about them, and some of these photos capture that feeling well.

Congrats, Philip

I heard through the grapevine that your graduation ceremony is this morning. Congratulations, Philip, on getting your MBA, and all the best for a successful future.

It's a Sad Day

"The Other Columnist" link is being removed today. The Star Tribune has been forced to lay off 145 employees. Unfortunately, this means that James Lileks, while remaining an employee of the Strib, will no longer be writing a daily column. Fortunately, James Lileks is smart, and has his own website and blog, and he shall remain in the "Spotted Bloggers" category. Let's have a moment of silence for both the ol' "Backfence" column, long since gone, and the "Daily Quirk" column, now a mere memory.

Cinco de Mauer

I went to the Twins' game on Saturday. Saturday, of course, was Cinco de Mayo. I hate to say it, but even with Santana pitching and the "W" in the win column, it was a rather dull game. Except, of course, for the group of people sitting in front of us. The guys in the group had on some rather interesting attire - sombreros, grease mustaches, ponchos made out of kitchen rugs. They informed us that they were celebrating "Cinco de Mauer", to which I responded, innocently enough, how was this possible when Joe wasn't even playing. They inebriatedly claimed I was a downer. Suffice it to say, our interaction with the group was decidedly more amusing than the game.

Survival

I made it through the first week of practices with the competitive team. I'm breathing a huge sigh of relief because I've been able to keep up with them. All those late nights this winter on the ergs are paying off...

As for work, I'm surviving there, too. My major budget bill has been floating in the Minnesota Legislative Twilight Zone for a couple of days as it wanders around the conference committee, to the House floor, to the Senate floor, and back to conference committee. But I think we'll take it up today on the floors of both bodies, and it's looking like the Governor will actually sign what we've got (as of now). I hope nothing changes! I would like to go home and sleep at some point this weekend (although I already know it will not be tomorrow...).

Row, Work, Work, Work, Work, Work, Sleep; Repeat.

That title pretty much sums up my life. I have rowing practice at 5:30 every morning now. My hands are completely torn up. But oh, man. Being on the water for a sunrise is incredible. Today, everything was all foggy and misty, and as the sun rose, the moisture burned off, and the sun came out. There's nothing like being out on the water when something like that happens. If I weren't concentrating so hard on what I'm doing and wondering how many blisters I've popped open that morning, I'd have a silly grin on my face. It's completely worth it.

What's hard, though, is afterwards, putting in a 16 hour day at work, and then getting a few hours of sleep before starting it all over again...Nevertheless...

I love my life.

It's May Day

Happy 37th Anniversary, Mom and Dad.

I'm sure May Day to you isn't quite the distress signal, but more the celebration.