Some New England Pics

New England 09

I have returned.

While I wade through email and try to sort out some pictures, enjoy this snapshot I took of Walden Pond at sunset on Sunday, October 25th.

Go St. Paul!

A bunch of very cool people with whom I row will be in Boston this weekend competing at a pretty big regatta. Good luck at the Head of the Charles this weekend, MBC! Pull hard and bring home some pretty, shiny bling.

You are free to move about the country.

Well, I am free to move about the country...though I'm not actually flying the airline that uses that slogan.

I am off for the next 2.6 weeks to enjoy the country. (Ah, I have finally found a map where my state is red...well, almost red. It's kind of a dark hot pink. That's as close as I'm probably going to get any time soon, despite T-Paw's valiant efforts recently.)

To be more specific: this area of the country. I will be on the lookout for these. And also, maybe this.

Later.

Sports Wrap-Up: not the kinesiology tape kind of wrap-up, either.

As I sit here huddled in my freezing cold office, wondering if the Twins were so smart they couldn't put a retractable roof on the new stadium, when a year from now, they could be playing Detroit in 40-degree rainy weather (snow expected by the weekend. Why do I live here? Oh, that's right: I like it here), I realize it's been a great week in Minnesota sports. It's also entertaining to see players from the different teams at the others' games (and I'm hoping they're cheering on the home team...not those evil Wisconsin or Michigan teams).

-The Twins. You just can't count these guys out. The people at the Dome have been busy, and have changed over the field from baseball to football back to baseball in 48 hours, and now we're all set to watch the Twins and Tigers battle it out this afternoon. And of course I love Mr. Awesome AL batting champ himself: Joe Mauer, along with other great players like Joe Nathan and the bullpen, Cuddyer, Kubel, Denard and Delmon. Let's hope Baker pitches well today and prolongs the Twins' life in the Metrodome a bit longer. (Although I did see the new Twins sign go up on Target Field late last week, and that was pretty cool.) Anyway, if you're going to the Wild game early, you can check out the Twins game before the puck drops.

-The Wild drive-through rally was this morning, which means, of course, that the home opener is tonight (let's hope they win, which they didn't do on Saturday in Columbus, but lifetime they're 7-0-1 in their home opener, so this bodes well for us, even if they haven't figured out who their captain is, yet).

-But we do know who the captain is for the Vikings...well, one of them, anyway. And his name is Favre. I have decided that as long as he is winning, I will like him. And he is awesome. Take that, cheeseheads.

Also awesome: Jared Allen. I am *almost* willing to forgive him his mullet (or skullet, as it's sometimes called) for his incredible sacking ability. *Almost* Note to Mr. Allen: if you're like Sampson and would lose all defensive power if you cut your hair, don't. But if you're not Sampson, cut your hair post-haste. You may continue to calf-rope your victims as you like, but I also might lay off the drinking and driving bit.

Also hilarious: this entry from Purple Jesus Diaries about how other objects in the Metrodome should be bought and named...'cause Mall of America field sounds retarded, so why not make everything else in the Metrodome sound stupid?

-The Gophers played Saturday, but unfortunately they didn't bring home the Axe and those 'Sconny boys took it home instead. Brew's crew is bruised. Let's hope they pull it out next week against Purdue. Purdue isn't doing that well this season, so they better win this homecoming game (especially with away games at Penn State and Ohio State coming up).

-In other news, there was a small marathon here on Sunday, and my fellow teammates rowed at the Head of the Mississippi on Sunday, as well.

Quote of the Moment (about 100 years ago)

"The truth is rarely pure and never simple. Modern life would be very tedious if it were either, and modern literature a complete impossibility!"

-Algernon Moncrief, The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde (1895)

Monday Madness (or just plain ol' Monday Night Football)

Found on the packaging of Brach's candy corn: "Each year Americans consume enough Brach's candy corn that if laid end-to-end, would circle the earth 4.25 times." That makes me wonder three things: 1) does everyone in America eat candy corn the way I do? 2) what about the whole world's consumption of candy corn? Are we talking like, earth to the moon or something, then? 3) what about the other types of candy corn (i.e., non-Brach's)? I mean, jelly belly has very good candy corn, also. If we add in both the world's population eating candy corn + all candy corn brands, are we talking earth to the sun? Or maybe that's only if they all eat candy corn the way I eat it...pounds and pounds every fall...

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You know what I hate? When the power goes off at my place...All. Day. Long. Like yesterday. Although it was really entertaining to see Xcel Energy using a backhoe on the newly re-landscaped lawn in front of my building, it was not so entertaining to have no electricity for 12 or 15 hours.
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You know what I love? The Importance of Being Earnest at the Guthrie. My only qualm about the play is that it packages up rather too neatly in the last five minutes. Otherwise, hilarious and quite fun to watch. In the first place, the fact that the Guthrie opened up with Algernon's horrible rendition of Chopin's Fantasy Impromptu made me start laughing out loud before even the first line of dialogue...and then secondly, continued to me finally discovering where the term "shilly-shallying" might have come from (spoken by Aunt Augusta in the first act - and then respoken years later on the Senate floor by a particular member of the Legislature who many thought just made up the term - only now it is proved otherwise; the phrase was, at the very least, spoken as far back as 1895)...and finally, to every droll one-liner, every cheek holding a tongue, and every moment of dry wit, all of which I adore. I love such humor, and was rather appreciative of the entire production.
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Dinner at Harry's followed the Guthrie, with delicious poutine and a quattro formaggio burger. I managed to stuff the entire thing down my gullet, because I'm serious about my dinner. In the words of Oscar Wilde's Algy: "Yes, but you must be serious about [dinner]. I hate people who are not serious about meals. It is so shallow of them."
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All,

We know exactly how I will be spending my evening tonight: watching the Vikes v. the Pack on my pretty new TV. The question is how I will be reacting: I think cheering on Fav-ray to win the game will likely win out in my emotional frenzy. I mean, he's on my team now! I've respected his game while outright despising his guts for so long, it's been very challenging to know what to do. Except, I've known for years that he'd a) never retire until they bury him six feet under whatever football field he happens to be on when he dies in like 70 years, (yes, Juls, it's true: he won't actually RETIRE-retire until it's announced in the obits) and b) end up playing for the Vikes as a final flip-off to the Pack.

go Vikes!

Does this sometimes look too familiar, and not just how Michael Scott spends his day at work?

I have met an angel.

And her name is Doctor Chiropractor Lady. She is way cool, and I now believe that chiropractor = miracle worker.

I wish that someone (i.e., the doctors looking at my X-rays) had noticed much earlier (say, the first day it happened when they took the X-rays, and supposedly looked at them) that one of my foot bones was out of joint and needed to be put back in place. Apparently my talus (more info here) has been out of whack for two months, and no one figured out that that was the reason I had no range of motion (other than my physical therapist, who finally sent me to the chiropractor because she couldn't get it to move after weeks of therapy). Within 10 minutes and 8 adjustments to my foot yesterday, I got back full range of motion. I'm now chock full of kinesiology tape to keep the bone in place as much as possible while my body tries to get re-used to having all my bones in their proper positions. I have two more adjustments scheduled next week to help my body retrain itself that this really is the right way to have my bones.

Argh! It's so frustrating to know that this could have been resolved weeks and weeks ago. I've decided that I hate my clinic (2.5 weeks to get me in to see a podiatrist when I possibly had a broken foot? And then she couldn't even read X-rays?), and I'm leaving them. We may not have many options in choosing our health care because of red insurance tape, but I will use what power I do have and say "no" to them. The next group might not be any better, but that's a risk I'm willing to take.

Anyway, I'm in a bit of pain now, but it's a good kind because my foot now *feels* right, and the pain is more soreness than bad pain. Also: I can walk down steps without difficulty. Life will be good again. I'm very happy about that.