Catching Up

When the Olympics ended, I had so much catching up to do with New items that I did not have time to blog. Now, stuck in bed with a cold, I am able to note the New highlights of the past 2 weeks:

MN State Fair: To celebrate Jonna's birthday,  Jenn, Bridget, and I met up with Jonna + friends at Ye Olde Mill for an always fun ride through the pitch black tunnel o' love. New to Me fair experiences included an after-dark ride on the most exciting elevator in town (Space Tower) and a very salty Pickle Pop - recommended only for the novelty factor. 

Sailing: Anyone who has seen me recently has asked about the hideous bruises across the back of my calves - evidence of my first sailing experience. Little did I know that Bill's offer of a ride last Saturday was actually recruitment for his Sunday race crew. After a brief practice session on one of the most perfect sunny days of the summer, I agreed to use my new skills in the very windy race the next day. Turns out he always wins, so I didn't have much to worry about (except the bruises)!

Republican National Convention: Not one to miss out on one of the biggest events ever to happen in MSP, I dragged TAB and Amanda on a Metro Transit adventure to the March on the RNC on Labor Day. We joined the 10,000+ other peaceful protesters on the streets of St. Paul and saw more cops/riot police than I could have imagined. I was frustrated that the media only told the story of the few anarchists that broke a storefront window. After the march, we heard some great bands at the Take Back Labor Day concert and then spent a few hours trying to return home to Minneapolis.