A St.Paul Adventure

 

Many people would think it crazy to wake up at 4 AM to go to a hockey game.  Those people are obviously not pictured above.  My fiance and I woke up at 4 AM last saturday to drive the four and a half hours to St.Paul so we could see the Wild play the Red Wings.  Or maybe it was to spend the day with some of our closest friends.

 

Were we tired?  Absolutely.

 

Did we get lost in the Skyway system? Yes...

 

Did people stop to offer us directions? OF COURSE- this is Minnesota.

 

Did we drink beer and Irish wiskey? That shouldn't even be a question.

 

Were we dissapointed with our trip? No.

 

Despite the fact that the Wild lost, and Mia did a happy dance when they did- FYI she's a Red Wings fan, the game was close.  We met some new friends and goofed around with our old friends.  We ate and drank and sang songs from Frozen as we power walked between bars.  And yes, we are nerds.

 

~Anne

 

1984

I grew up in one of the tiny little towns that dot Northern Minnesota.  We had 3 televisions stations and dial up internet- If I wasn't outside or at a hockey rink you can bet I was curled up on my bed reading.  I was "that girl" who spent half her lunch hour reading, after I reviewed the lunch hour gossip that is.

During English class one year we were told we had to read one book each quarter- outside of our normal class assignments- this was obviously completely fine with me.  These books were ours to choose(from a specific list- of course) and if someone else choose the same book we were allowed to get to gether during class time and discuss.  There were two books that still stick out in my mind seven years later, but for wildly different reasons.  Catcher in the Rye made me want to pull my hair out, while 1984 made me want to read everything George Orwell had ever written. To this day I still see references from 1984 and point them out obnoxiously to anyone nearby.

Photo Credit to Google

As I have mentioned before, I participate in a bookclub once or twice a month with two of my best friends.  During these meetings we discuss hockey, soccer, beer, food, Scotland, travel plans, grad school dilemas, wedding details, oh... and eventually the book of the month.  I decided book club would be an excellent opportunity to hear new oppinions and insights about this novel that has, until recently, maintained its title as my favorite book.   

Before diving into 1984 again, I thought it would be a good idea to try and decipher why this book has stuck with me so long.  I only read it the one time, but I can still quote parts of it word for word.  Why did this book, out of the 20 to 30 I read a year, stay one of my favorites?

 

One of the main reasons is becasue it was different than almost anything I had read before.  I had been some what stuck in a Nancy Drewesque rut for a while.  I had only read mysteries, mysteries, mysteries, maybe a historical fiction book thrown in there for fun, and more mysteries.  This was my first foray into dystopian novels and man did I get hooked.


It's also creepy, but not horror movie- you will never sleep again so why bother trying- creepy.  Moreso, it is disturbing- at first glance a person thinks "This could never happen" but then the further into the book a person delves the more similarties they can see between orwell's version of society and our reality.  This is an intersting thought that leads to even more connections, thoughts, and discussions. 

Photo Credit to Google

Books that provide a segway into discussions- more so than oh that was a quick read- are so amazing.  How a person interprets a book and what conclusions they can draw from it are a reference point into how that person thinks about and sees the world. This has to be the second reason for loving 1984- it is one of those books you can discuss for hours beyond just literary themes or character development.

I am sure there are many more reasons that this book has stayed in my "recommend to everyone" pile.  However, I am interested to see how it holds up after April's reread.  Perhaps it wont have as much kick as I remember, or maybe it will have more.  I am fairly certain the ladies in book club will bring up ideas I never had thought of, that is if they can get through it- I know Dystopian novels aren't everyones cup of tea.

~Anne

I Can't Wait for Summer Because...

 

Who doesn't love summer? 

 

This girl.

 

 

Don't get me wrong there are tons of things I love about summer but,

I get sick of the heat and miss the snow and skating of winter.

I miss cuddling under blankets and drinking apple cider.

BUT, this winter has been ridiculous and I am completely ready for summer and here are some reasons why:

 

 

1. BOAT TIME

2. Sitting on a deck eating deliciously grilled food

3.  Tubing down a river... with drinks

4. The Farmers Market- delicious veggies, lefse, and cool trinkets

5. FLIP FLOPS

6. Randomly running 5ks

7. Camping, Kayaking, Bike Rides, Rollerblades

Summer... I am more than ready for you now!  :)

~Anne

Resolution- Yoga

Thanks Google

I know that traditionally resolutions are made the beginning of the year.   However, I believe in continuously evaluating and re-evaluating my goals and needs. So in keeping with this idea I am making a resolution in March to go to 1 yoga class a week (except when my yoga instructor-Kay- takes her vacations or I am out of town) for the rest of the year.  Some people would consider this an easy challenge, and those people would be wrong.

While yoga is an amazing exercise that stretches and strengthens muscles, it is FREAKIN' DIFFICULT.  I am not flexible. I land on my face while awkwardly trying to get into poses.  My balance is way out of wack.  I am hyper active and don't do quiet time.  I burst into fits of laughter.  Basically yoga and I have issues.

Despite these issues, yoga teaches me so many things:

How to be patient and steady during a workout- you can't rush yoga. 
What muscle groups are strained from my last week of running. 
Endurance.
A better understanding of my body's limits- when to push them and when to give them a rest.
How to let the day go and be happy in this moment.
To not get discouraged by messing up and falling on my face.

Yoga is an exercise of the mind as well as the body.  By practicing yoga I hope to learn control over my thoughts and attitude, increase my flexiblity and posture, and finally for the first time ever- be able to do a back bend.  Yoga is a great cross-training day and break from my running schedule.  So bring on all the Tree, Mountain, Warrior, and Happy Baby poses.

~Anne