Goodbye Wood Peckers

One of our many home improvements this summer was new windows and siding. This is mostly an FYI to friends and family who plan on visiting us so they don't get confused when they can't find our dark brown house (its a light tan color now). I know it probably doesn't sound like the best time to do a major home improvement project when only one of us was working, but with tax credits, city incentives, and good connections it worked out well for us.



At this point you are probably wondering what the title has to do with the entry, well here comes the connection. We used to have cedar shakes that were dark brown in color. As a result wood peckers would mistake our house for a tree and peck holes into the shakes leaving it quite unsightly in places. Not to mention it is pretty irritating to be woken up on the weekends by a wood pecker hammering its beak into your bedroom wall. After we got the siding it was nice to faintly hear the wood peckers moving on to other houses in our neighborhood (sorry neighbors!)

Home Improvements Finally Ending?

It's been about 3 months since we've returned to Minnesota. I've been busy working while Bill's been busy finding work. In addition to this big task, he also keeps busy updating the home and doing random chores/ errands. I don't know about you, but I usually don't get excited over painting, staining, sanding and cutting the grass. Even though these are on the "least desirable" list for Bill, he has been very diligent in painting cabinets, staining the deck, painting the kitchen (including trim) and coordinating the siding and windows.

I think his "fun list" has finally come to an end. Bill received an offer on a job today!! Let's just say we are both very excited. The job is a good fit with his background and experiences. During this time of job seaching, I've learned a lot about myself. I always tell myself that whatever the experience may be.. good or bad.. I need to learn something. Here is what I've learned:

-Don't try to help when your spouse just wants you to be a spouse and listen. I always want to put on my HR hat and offer recommendations, suggestions, solutions. Sometimes, I just need to be a friend and listen.
-You're in this together. Bill took a back seat with his career for me so I need to show more patience during this process - easier said than done!
-Wants v. Needs. I usually think of myself as a pretty down to earth kind of person, I don't own 50 pairs of shoes and a closet full of designer purses. However, during this process I realize that I have a lot more "wants" versus "needs". I remember teaching this to 1st graders during a JA volunteer opportunity once. The term "practice what you preach" really came into effect here.

We both sat down and talked about our learning lessons this weekend. Then, the offer came today.

The Great Minnesota Get Together

Ahh yes, the Minnesota State Fair - gotta love it. When I first moved out here, I had no idea what a big deal the state fair was. Honestly, I don't even think there's a state fair in NY/CT/NJ. If there is, it's not as popular as the MINNESOTA STATE FAIR.

The background (Minnesotan blog readers can skip this part).

Every year, around Labor Day, the MN state fair takes place for (10 days?) at the State Fairgrounds. From morning until night the fair is open with endless amounts of activities: showing animals, seeing baby animals, horticulture, local companies advertise in booths, music, concerts, amusement park rides and MOST IMPORTANT of all... FOOD. Fair food is greasy, unhealthy and extremely delicious. Ladies and gentlemen, I have to say.. the majority of the food at the state fair were unknown entities to me until my first MN state fair experience. Yes, yes, there's always the classic - cotton candy, hot dogs and hamburgers. But.... it's so much more than that.

First, MN state fair food has a popularity of "food on a stick". Everything you can think of is served on a stick - pickle on a stick, cheese on a stick, fried fruit on a stick, pork chop on a stick, if you can think of it, they have it. Exhibit 1 - bacon on a stick

Second, most food at the fair is deep fried. Greasy, drippy food. Fried candy bars, fried cheese, fried hot dogs, everything. A fair trip is not complete without fried cheese curds. Cheese curds? Yes, little nuggets of cheese, deep fried. Exhibit 2 - cheese curds

Third, very much like our Asian excursion, the state fair is full of PEOPLE. The people watching is worth admission itself. There are so many people that state fair goers often take shuttles to there from remote parking locations. Exhibit 3 - Minnesota's "people mountain, people sea"

In conclusion, our state fair experience was well worth the over-priced, artery clogging, lard and sodium overloaded, sugar showered food. What did we have you ask? Our golden food list included:

A BUCKET of cookies (exhibit 4)

Cheese curds

Mini donuts

Gyro

Shaved Ice

Cotton Candy

Hot Dog

Burrito

Some custard, corn, and tater tot hotdish on a stick- worthy of it's own blog.