Houston, we have a problem.

I don't feel good.

I need my mom.

She's 2000 miles away.

Sniffle. Cough. Ugh.

I need some drugs.

But it's cold outside.

Chad will go to the store.

He's sleeping.

Crap.

Sweatas.

The weather has taken a major shift here in middle Minnesota. When I left for church Sunday morning at 10 AM it was 70 degrees outside. I was actually a little warm sitting in church...granted I was suffering from a bit of sensory overload and that always makes me sweat...that's a story for another day.

Anyway, by the time Laney was born at 3:10 CST it was 48 degrees outside. AT THREE IN THE AFTERNOON! I have never lived anywhere where it actually gets colder as the day carries on. I was wishing for my brief hot flash from Sunday morning service to return.

So I went to the gym this morning at about...8 or so. So the sun was up. I walked outside. 39 degrees. It's 42 right now. Need I remind you- IT'S STILL SEPTEMBER.

Okay, I can deal with the weather. It's cold, but whatever. There are fires, soup, blankets, snuggies...I don't have a snuggie. What I realized today is that I have exactly 31 sweaters. With the way winter goes- I could be wearing winter clothes for like 7 or 8 months. And on REALLY cold days- I'll probably be wearing several sweaters at one time. That means I am going to run out of clothes very quickly and by the time it's all over- I'm going to want to throw every one of my sweaters in a bonfire. Which will be convenient because when summer comes that's what we do in Minnesota. We have bonfires. To keep the mosquitoes away.

So...I'm looking at my wardrobe (we won't even talk about my lack of pants and appropriate shoes and socks) and I'm thinking...I may have to wear shorts until it gets below freezing just to make sure my "winter" clothes actually last. Or...I may need to go shopping. That might be the answer to all of my problems.

So long summer wardrobe. See you sometime in July.

Missing Life.

Something happens when you move away from home. You start to miss things. Family. Weather. Friends. Food. Your local news. For me it's sushi. Holy crap I miss sushi. I think about it. I dream about it. I read about it. I make people talk about it. I have even considered braving sushi at a chinese buffet in Brainerd. I didn't, don't worry.

There's other things I miss too- not just sushi. Moments. I miss a lot of moments.

Awkward moments. I missed my brother's new girlfriend meeting my parents last week.

Precious moments. I missed Lorna's first day of preschool.

Proud moments. I missed Siah coming in 57th place in his first cross country meet.

Nostalgic Moments. I missed Maddie's first day of junior high.

Surreal moments. I missed Ryan's baby shower.

Meaningful moments. I missed Pastor Rick's apology.


Today was the worst. Just as Bret Favre threw a HUGE touchdown pass to win the first home game in the very last seconds, my best friend gave birth to her second child. And I missed it. I got to be there on the phone and hear little Laney's first cry, but I missed seeing her face and being part of her entrance into the world. She's perfect. 5 lbs. 11 oz. 18 1/2 inches long. Round little face. Long fingers and toes. Peach fuzz hair. She's healthy, but there was a scary minute right when she was born and we couldn't hear her crying. I held my breath and tears rolled down my face. Then she cried. I exhaled.

These are moments I never dreamed I would miss. I think this is the first big moment I haven't been apart of since Ryan and I were little girls. I want nothing more to be home right now. But I know I can't be. In a few weeks I will get to hold baby Laney and I can't wait for that moment. It's the moment that I missed today that makes me think about the gazillion moments I'll miss ahead. So it's not the sushi I'm sacrificing...it's life as I knew it.

Auntie Nels loves you, Laney. See you soon.

Good Tea, Bad News

I was at the Cocoa Moon today...writing. And the really nice lady at the counter was really excited about the rain outside. She talked about it for a long time. I asked if I could trade my iced tea for a hot tea. It's hard to drink something on ice when your toes are frozen. So it begins...

Adult ADHD

I've been accused of hyper activity since I was a kid. It's true- I don't sit still real well. Even worse, when I am sitting still it just gives me a chance to scheme about all of the mischievious things I could be doing. This is how I, at nearly 27 years old, often find myself in trouble. This is why the idea of a desk job in a cube farm scares the crap out of me. 9-5 might as well be a death sentence. It's not that I'm opposed to work...I'm just opposed to...boring work. HOWEVER...living in the great north where unemployment is nearing 20-percent...I would work just about anywhere. I even considered McDonalds for a couple of days. At least it would give me something to write about. .

I'm not working under the Golden Arches. Not yet. But I did find a "job" that works well with my attention deficit issues. Well...it's a couple of jobs. I started writing a few months ago for Causecast which is s GREAT organization that is geared toward creating practical ways to get people involved with the causes they believe in. I write on everything...seriously. EVERYTHING. From Bob Dylan to Nanosolar Power to Michael Moore. It's a real treat. Shameless plug for Causecast? Yes.

So the OTHER things I'm doing that I'm calling a job because it fills my day and gives me money is a Marketing Solutions gig...sounds like a load of crap. No, I'm not selling knives. It's actually a pretty cool deal. I work with Architectural firms and Construction companies to help them fulfill or recreate their mission and better market their services to their target audience. It's a real job. I swear. Crazy enough...I am actually using my degree. Not many people can say that.

So, it's a good deal. My days are full, my pockets are...filling up...sort of and I don't have to sit behind a desk all day. Life in the Middle is pretty good.

New In Town

Okay so I saw this movie like...last Christmas and then again right when I moved. I laughed and cried at the same time because...let's face it- this is my life. I was at the Mall of America the other day (I don't hang out there often- I had family in town) and witnessed the beginnings of a scrapbooking fair. Yeah...I don't really know what else to say about that. Anyways...here's the trailer...it's a pretty funny movie and totally captures Minnesota culture. Listen for the "so"s and the "hot dishes" and "oh, poor thing"s.

And the bone chilling cold...it's very real and very cold. Thankfully not yet. By the way...summer decided to make a reappearance...but I think it's gone now for good. 10 day forecast: slight chance of snow. Brace yourselves.

10,000 Lakes and counting

Minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes. Literally if you look at a map...there are lakes everywhere. Growing up I remember going to three lakes. Just three. Lake Tahoe. Folsom Lake. Pine Crest Lake. Well...and some other small lakes in the Tahoe Basin, but nothing memorable. This summer (which decided to show up sometime in the middle of September) I have gotten to see the lakes of Minnesota. I think I am well on my way to seeing all 10,000 of them. At some point I think they run out of names for the lakes and they get names like "Round Lake" and "Boy Lake"...Long Lake...Big Lake. Super original. What's great is when you're trying to get directions and the response you get is..."Just take a right at the lake".

Fall is Coming.

I'm sitting on the sun porch of my Minnesota home (one of my favorite places in the entire state). The leaves are starting to change. The mornings are getting cooler each day. I'm pulling out my warmer clothes and getting ready for Autumn. I went for a great run this morning and wore long sleeves. I barely broke a sweat because the air was crisp and clean. No humidity...no heat. Lots of sunshine, but definitely not heat. Fall is in the air. WAIT A MINUTE...

It's September 1st. That's one day past August! The kids aren't even back in school yet. What the heck is fall doing here already? I know...it's gorgeous. I totally get that. It is! The leaves, the feel of the air...but summer just got here. Seriously...if winter comes as quickly as fall....well, I'm protesting.

I now live in a place that is full of people who endure 11 months of winter in hopes that they might survive long enough to see if summer maybe shows up...if even for a day or two.