2011 Top 10 New to Me Events

My annual post reflecting on the year:
2011 Top 10 New to Me Events (in chronological order)

1. January: Fargo - Hotel Donaldson

For a work trip to the far north, I had a chance to spend the night at the Hotel Donaldson in Fargo, one of the best boutique hotels in the midwest. My room featured woodblock prints by Charles Beck, who was the person who introduced my parents to each other! There was an excellent happy hour, awesome bar with live music, and tasty bread basket in the morning. Worth a trip to Fargo just to stay here.

2. January: Duluth - Fitger's

I've tried Fitger's beer but had never stayed in the historic hotel. Bill and I enjoyed the bitter cold weekend with dinner at my always favorite New Scenic Cafe, skiing at Lester Park (amazing trails right in the city), afternoon beer flights at Fitger's Brewhouse, the firm's holiday party at new to me Clyde Iron Works (stay away unless for a big event), and brunch at new to me Nokomis (loved the food but found the atmosphere lacking).

3. February: Luminary Loppet

How is it that this was my first time skiing the Luminary Loppet? Bill, Patrick, (7-months-pregnant) Maia, and I joined the hundreds of people on Lake of the Isles for this only-in-Minneapolis event. The snow and luminaries were beautiful and it made me so happy to live here. Not sure I will be as brave in 2012 as Maia was (if we even have any snow this winter)...

4. February: 1st wedding anniversary

Bill received the best ever student gift last Christmas: weekend use of the family's cozy cabin on Lake Superior. The views were amazing and we loved new-to-us skiing on a warm winter day at Split Rock Lighthouse. We also loved re-living our wedding by watching Towle's video.

5. March: Spring Break in Spain

As most of you know, Madrid, Bilbao, and Gernika were not new to me, but were new to us and a necessary trip to take. Despite still not having started one of my lifelong to do list items --learning Spanish--we lived like the Spanish for two weeks, enjoying sleeping in, afternoon lunches, and daily happy hours at cafes. Highlights: staying at Cliff and Luis' rental apartments, the world's best veggie food at Isla del Tesoro, gulas in Bilbao's Casco Viejo, and art, art, art.

6. July: Positive pregnancy test

Obviously the highlight of the year and the event that will give Bill and me never-ending new to us experiences. Pregnancy itself has not been my new favorite thing, but I feel lucky to be normal and healthy starting my 28th week on Monday.

7. July: Oriole Park at Camden Yards

We met up with many old friends in D.C. and had lots of new to me highlights but most fun was enduring 100 degree heat at new to me baseball stadium Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore. Only 22 new to me ballparks to go - what will be next in 2012?

8. August: Juxtaposition Arts (JXTA)

This summer I was excited to receive an invitation to join the Fund Development Committee of JXTA, an amazing non-profit that focuses on serving youth on the Northside. JXTA is a small organization that has served hundreds of kids over its 15 year existence and is currently in the process of expanding to make an even greater difference to the families of North Mpls. There are so many great non-profits to support, but I decided to serve this one because of their established history, commitment to teaching youth employable skills, focus on the arts, and visibility in making a difference in a neighborhood that has long been underserved.

9. September: AIA Women's Leadership Summit

Being surrounded in Kansas City by 130 other female architects at a new biannual AIA conference was an enlightening and new to me experience. For two days, we had amazing female speakers on leadership, architecture as a career, and design topics. Can't wait for 2013.

10. December: Wilco at the State Theater

My all-time favorite band has come a long way from their early shows in the mid-90s at Gabe's in Iowa City where I had the unfortunate reputation of being able to fall asleep sitting on the floor in the front row next to the big speakers. Joining all of the other 30/40somethings at the State for Wilco's new to me big stage lightshow and new guitars for every song did not change my view that Jeff Tweedy continues to be a musical genius.

2011 Top 5 Memorable New to Me Events:
1. May: Retiring from AFH MSP leadership
After 6 years of co-leadership of Architecture for Humanity Minneapolis-St. Paul, it was time to retire. I'm happy to say that we found two great new leaders so the Chapter is continuing to provide design services to humanitarian crises locally and globally.

2. June: Assessing homes post-tornado

The May 22nd tornado was devastating to North Minneapolis, and AIA MN responded by providing pro bono design services to families in need. I contributed in a very small way by assessing damaged homes - a very eye-opening experience. Driving through the neighborhood recently, I was disappointed to see that the roofs of many homes are still covered with blue tarps. Let's not forget how much need there is so close to us.

3. August: (Pregnant) MC Inland Championship

One of the harder things I've ever done was crewing with Bill through 4 races on what turned out to be the final day of the MC Inland Championship at Lake Minnetonka. I was totally sick from pregnancy and somehow got through one of the gustiest ever races to place high enough for Bill to win the championship for the fourth year in a row. This item does not make my Top 10 because despite being new to me, I feel sick even recalling the experience.

4. December: AIA MN YA Award

In May my firm nominated me for the 2011 AIA MN Young Architect Award, and I worked long and hard on a portfolio to summarize my first 13 years in architecture. I was happy to learn that I was one of two "young" (also both female) architects selected. The actual award presentation was in December where I felt very honored to be supported by so many people who have helped me get this far in my career.

5. July - December: Half year without beer

I feel that enduring 6 months without enjoying my favorite beverage is necessary to note. How many new to me craft beers have I missed trying since July? I'm sure that the trade-off will be worth it.

New to Me 2010

2010 was the happiest and busiest year of my life. I'll spare you the details of the many parties and dinners, art dates, theater performances, Twins wins/losses, book clubs (100th milestone), clothing swaps, house projects (65), sailing races, AFH and LTC volunteering, showers, State Fair, Toys for Tots, overtime work, and daily animal kingdom antics. Here are the New to Me 2010 highlights:

January
3 bridal showers = lots of nice new household gear

February
Wedding: Newlyweds!! Also, new name
March
Honeymoon in Tulum - New to us: destination, Ceynote snorkeling, scorpion sighting, Aaron + Alisa's beach wedding, Mayan ruins, police bribes

April
Target Field Opening Day: all new and awesome!

May
My first spring regatta on Harriet, sleet and all

Architecture for Humanity MN Homeless Locker Project - not exactly new but finally finished

June
Grinnell 15 year reunion: All new to Bill; some new, some exactly the same for me

July
Citizen Architect: me on a panel at the Walker!

Silverwood Lake on consecutive weekends for two lovely weddings: Maia + Patrick, Izy + Jon

NYC vacation: Rachel's dad's amazing apartment, New Museum, Big Bambu on the roof of the Met, MoMA with Emily, 100 degrees in the shade on the High Line, new Yankee Stadium

August
Regattas: Interlakes at Clear Lake (first time in 2nd place) and Inland at Lake Geneva (first time driving a spectator boat)

September
More Regattas: Clear Lake (first team racing) and Die Hard (first party at our house for 80+ guests)

October
Twins loss to Yankees: new only in that it was outdoors

Julie/Julia party: first Julia Child recipe cooked

Monster Dash 5k: first race run with Angie

River Crest Apartments Grand Opening: major victory for housing homeless in St. Cloud


November
New Governor: only sort of in November

22nd: new age = excellent birthday dinner at Barbette with Beaujolais Nouveau

Bathroom remodel: new dual flush + vanity + tile floor

December
SnOMG 2010: New to Me - a snowstorm that actually stops MSP!

Centennial Lakes: indoor bocce at LHB holiday party and skating with Kate







Motto for 2011: Less is More?

New Celebrations

It's been awhile since I posted - busy summer than even busier fall. Since Bill proposed to me on October 4th, everything in my life has seemed new!

New to Me items:
1. engagement ring
2. address on a numbered street
3. house with lots of space
4. dog: Fritz, dog-cat conflicts
5. street parking
6. hand-washing dishes
7. 10 min. shorter commute
8. discussions about guest lists, chicken entrees, centerpieces, ink colors
9. being a landlord (the worst)
10. lots of celebrations just for me!

The photo is from a recent gathering at Spill the Wine that Rachel organized as the "bride's dinner". I'm so happy and thankful to have so many NOT new friends! These women have supported me for many years in many different ways, and I feel so lucky to know them all.

BSE

Erin has labeled this the Best Summer Ever (BSE) and appears to be accomplishing this goal. In 1996, I spent the summer in "school" in Rome, and I've found it hard to surpass that BSE, but 2009 could be in the running for the Best Summer of the Decade (BSD). So far I've been enjoying every warm day and long night outside on my vintage mountain bike, around/on the City lakes, or on a patio, porch, or roof deck. I'm overwhelmed by the weekly overdose of greens from my New to Me CSA and have experimented with multiple versions of grilled fish salads. New to Me highlights from the first weeks of summer:

1. Tomas Sarceno: Lighter than Air - Bill and I happened to be at the Walker on the opening night of this interesting exhibition and saw this Bucky Fuller-esque ball floating in the air above the roof deck (photo at left).

2. Wednesday night sailing - totally New to Me, every Wednesday night is spent racing (in light wind as luck has had it so far) on Lake Harriet with the LHYC crowd. I love watching the sunlight fade out over the Western sky from the middle of the lake.

3. Famous Dave's, Linden Hills - new to this vegetarian, after 3 post-sailing Wednesday gatherings I think I've exhausted the options for creative bacon-free ordering. Perhaps the hot fudge brownie is made without pig parts. I do enjoy the porch-like atmosphere though.

4. Sushi Tango - for a really long time, this was my one remaining New to Me restaurant in Uptown. The new location (still within Calhoun Square) offers a roof deck but this particular night was rainy so endured the trying-too-hard interior decor to enjoy some very good food. Try the excellent green bean salad.

5. Moto-i roof deck - this New to Me roof deck is so great that it could make BSD all by itself if I could go here every week! Super urban with buildings all around and an awesome view of the downtown skyline without the scene of Stella's or Drink.

6. It's Greek to Me patio - searching for a seat outdoors at Lyn-Lake on a hot Friday night, we looked through the vines on the fence at the lovely patio and wondered why neither of us had ever tried it. I know, it doesn't seem like a viable dinner option, but the courtyard is so European: small tables, low lighting, a fountain at the center. Have a Summit on tap and the eggplant appetizer. I guarantee this place will also be essential to the BSD.

Next up, road trip to Chicago...

New Beginning

Every Friday I get an email from Sitemeter that tells me that I have loyal readers who are still checking my blog every week to see if the polar bear photo is finally gone. IT IS! Sorry about the hiatus. A billion things happened over the last 3 months and although I've been faithful to the New to Me project, I guess I needed a break from writing about it. In March I took a 10 day vacation to Madrid and Bilbao where I'd never been so every experience was New and so much fun! In April I tried out several new places near home, and in May I was off to my 2nd favorite American city, Portland, where I've been multiple times but has endless New to Me opportunities. Now it's Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial beginning of Minnesota summer, and I'm very hopeful that this will be a great summer filled with New. I just kicked it off by watching the Twins win over the Brewers 11-3 with Cuddyer hitting for the cycle so things are looking good so far! Since there is no way to catch up on everything from the last 3 months, I'll just list a few highlights from my trips:

Madrid and Bilbao

1. The best art museums in the world, I think only Paris and New York can compete:Guggenheim Bilbao, Prado, Thyssen-Bornemisza, Museo Sorolla, Reina Sofia.

2. Additional amazing art collections (and architecture) at the Foundations: Caja Madrid, CaixaForum Madrid.

3. Seeing Picasso's Guernica and the town of Gernika.

4. Excellent tapas and fish (major effort to avoid jamon) especially in Bilbao's Casco Viejo.

5. Sunny Sunday in Parque del Buen Retiro - loved McElheny's work in the Palacio de Cristal.

Portland, Oregon

1. Best New to Me restaurants: Belly Timber and Sel Gris.

2. Best New to Me bars: The Driftwood Room and Urban Farmer. 

3. Best New to Me shopping: Brooklyn Industries and Sloan Boutique.

4. Best New to Me coffeeshops: St. Honore and Dragonfly.

5. Best New to Me outdoor and quirky eating establishment: Grilled Cheese Grill.

And, of course, visiting my great friends Rachel, Kara, Ivona, Kate, and Claire was the best of all (see photo above).

New Winter

If you know me at all, you know that I refuse to complain about the long Minnesota winter until March. Now I'm starting to get annoyed by the dirty snow, gray sky, and single digit weather report for Wednesday. But this gray Sunday morning I met up with my friend LaDan who said, "Isn't this a beautiful day?" and I attempted to agree. As usual, I've been enjoying my time by not thinking about the weather and just doing New to Me things. I have several for the last 2 weeks:

1. "Little Rock, 1957" was Chris' suggestion for an interesting historical musical. I would definitely go back to another show by the Youth Performance Company. Watching the youth perform those hard roles was very impressive.

2. Yamuna Body Rolling - Jonna convinced me to sign up for this new age community ed class. Not sure I've completely bought in after two sessions of working out my sore muscles (am also training for a 10 mile race) but will try again tomorrow.

3. Spyhouse - the new 2404 Hennepin Ave location is a decent place to spend a few hours when you have 2 days to read an entire book club book ("The Worst Hard Time" by Timothy Egan: recommended).

4. Agri - finally made it to this neighborhood restaurant. Ryan indulged my mac n' cheese obsession by sharing their gluten-free version. Not impressed. The beet salad was a little better but still off.

5. Nick and Eddie - my new favorite! Sit in the bar for great atmosphere, good food, reasonable prices. Beer selection could be better so went with wine for a change.

6. Trotter's Cafe - yes, I crossed the border to meet Mike for breakfast. Similar to my uptown favorite, Common Roots, with a better bakery and free coffee re-fills. 

7. Muddy Waters - finally made it to this place that I've been driving past for years. Hip atmosphere with loud (but within my taste) music and a nice brie sandwich on baguette. Glad I was wearing black.

8. My Restaurant Week choice this year was Fire Lake - another new favorite. Brad and I both had excellent (and huge) meals paired with a nice Minnesotan beer selection. The almond crusted trout was unbelievably good as was the oatmeal stout bundt cake with ice cream! May go down as the meal of the year.

9. Seconds Before played a good set at a New to Me venue in Northeast: Club Underground. Who knew that was there? Will return soon to try those fries. 

10. Another place I've driven past for years but never been inside until now is the American Swedish Institute. LaDan and Rex were up for checking it out so we toured the fancy Turnblad Mansion. The house was very ornate and lovely, but it was actually too crowded for comfort. On a Sunday. Huh.

11. Finally, I really enjoyed seeing films at two festivals this weekend: Women with Vision 2009: Dimensions at the Walker for Agnes Varda's endearing "The Beaches of Agnes" and the Minneapolis Jewish Film Festival at Sabes for an interesting documentary, "At Home in Utopia".

Only 2 more weeks til spring...

 

Police Ride-Along

One of the coolest parts of my Leadership Twin Cities class is the requirement to do a ride-along with a police officer. I just got back from spending a snowy Friday night in a Minneapolis Police Department squad car with a female officer of the First Precinct (downtown). I had high expectations for the experience, and it actually turns out that not that much happens on an average winter weekend night. Totally New to Me, I have never been in a squad or really ever talked to a police officer so I learned a lot. Events of my ride-along:

1. Drive to Bobby & Steve's Autoworld to pick up food for officer at Precinct desk.

2. Hang out at Precinct desk and watch downtown video cameras while officers eat.

3. Investigate stolen car incident at video store.

4. Give parking ticket to woman returning to car parked illegally in Cedar Riverside area.

5. Observe intersection by Bedlam to unsuccessfully try to catch people driving through stop sign.

6. Investigate argument at Riverside tower.

7. Pick up tip on possible illegal gun sales from source at Riverside tower.

8. Give parking ticket to woman returning to car parked illegally in Cedar Riverside area.

9. Investigate possible domestic violence case at Fairview Riverside ER.

What I learned:

1.  Not a lot happens in downtown Minneapolis on an average Friday night before bar close.

2. A lot of gas is wasted by leaving squads running all of the time.

3. A lot of people do dumb things such as leaving their car running with doors unlocked at the video store.

4. A lot of motor vehicle tickets are given because nothing else is happening.

5. Cops think that security guards are not cool.

6. Cops wear a lot of heavy gear and guns.

7. Unless something is really important, response is not quick.

8. A woman who cannot speak English or even spell in Somali probably will not be able to leave an abusive husband.

9. It is easy to have a negative perspective on humanity/society when all you see is bad stuff.

Mes Amis

Over the last couple of weeks I've been reminded again and again of how many great friends I have in my life. I feel so grateful to all of you for always being there for me when I need you. Here is a brief list of recent New to Me activities avec mes amis:

1. 112 Eatery - Bookclub had an excellent meal to celebrate our 10 year anniversary (to the day)! We were all sad that Renee was too sick to make it but vowed to do it again in less than a decade. I could have had an entire meal of the sea scallop appetizer and cauliflower fritter side dish. I knew the menu was not very veggie friendly but was still disappointed at my limited options. Very good (if salty) food at reasonable prices. Felt at home in the Warehouse District exposed-brick urban atmosphere.

2. Roat Osha - Uptown's newest restaurant was disappointing. With the same owners as Tum Rup Thai, I did not like the atmosphere as much (TV's and not as intimate). Am still working on appreciating Thai food and did like my dish with pineapple but was not impressed by the prices, service, or anything besides the free and convenient parking. 

3. Health issues day at Leadership Twin Cities allowed me to tour both HCMC and Courage Center, two interesting health care facilities that I had not previously had reason to learn about. Not as thought-provoking was the post-session happy hour at suburban Doolittle's. I have such a hard time saying anything nice about the suburbs.

4. A free gift card led me to Gabe's "Roadhouse" for a decent fish fry the other night. What is a roadhouse anyway? Pretty much felt like I crossed the border to Wisconsin for a few hours. Not necessarily a bad thing.

5. I've been looking forward to the opening of Live Forever: Elizabeth Peyton at the Walker and the exhibition did not disappoint. The small size of the work was a surprise, but the quality of the paint and the themes of youth and beauty were seductive and so easy to like. Curator Laura Hoptman's lecture, 'End of the Century', was very interesting especially in her explanation of the "arriere-garde". Speaking of influential women, see also this interesting article on the women running Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art and the Walker Art Center.

6. For a quintessentially Minnesotan art experience, the Art Shanty Project on Medicine Lake cannot be beat. My favorite shanty was the paper tube structure with origami. Eating buttery baked potatoes in the Art Car Taxi stand was another highlight. And the polar bear sliding around on ice was awesome.

New Year

Three weeks into 2009, my commitment to New things is going strong, but my commitment to Mad About New is waning, as you may have noticed. I probably should have made a New Year's resolution to blog, but my only resolution is to become a better Scrabble player, and I am happy to report that I have already achieved that goal. Since the resolution did not include any specifics on "better", it turned out to be pretty easy. I have a Page-A-Day Scrabble calendar as a constant reminder of the goal, am learning the lingo through reading 'Word Freak', know most of the 101 2-letter words, and am earning 300+ points in most games. I am also realizing that it would be pretty easy to become obsessed with this project.

Meanwhile, I've enjoyed several new art experiences and even discovered that St. Paul can be a nice day trip or Friday night date! New to Me, January 1-25:

1. Text/Messages: my texting friends Rachel and Em and I checked out an interesting new show at the Walker on our day off

2. MacPhail Center for Music: spent 1/2 a day there for Leadership Twin Cities - perhaps I should take up the bass?

3. Minnesota Shubert Center: LTC tour of the Hennepin Center for the Arts and relocated Shubert Theater - reminds me once again of the amazing arts scene in MN

4. MIA's new show of drawings from the Weisberg Collection: coldest night in 5 years and the museum was packed - worth a trip to check out this amazing collection by little-known artists

5. St. Paul Chamber Orchestra: inspired by LTC and $10 ticket special, Bill and I experienced the SPCO featuring the London Sinfonietta playing a mind-opening piece of unusual classical(?) music: Heiner Goebbels' Songs of Wars I Have Seen

6. Nomad World Pub - another place I've been meaning to go for years - enjoyed Surly Smoke and Jones Street Station

7. St. Paul day trip - Em and I ventured across the river to many new places: Cooqi gluten-free bakery (fudge-like brownies - yum), Lula (well-organized vintage wear), Everyday People Clothing Exchange (new location), Bead Monkey (now must make this necklace), Ten Thousand Villages (a gift shop making a difference), My Sister's Closet (found perfect vintage fur hat), and Picky Girl (love the name and great small selection).

I also made it to a few New to Me restaurants: 

1. Tiger Sushi - new location at 28th & Lyndale has great food and good atmosphere (despite a tv on the wall)

2. The Liffey - blueberry stilton was certainly New to Me

3. Pizza Luce in St. Paul - have now been to all locations

4. Pop! - cute but not awesome for the vegetarian

5.Hell's Kitchen - fun for group breakfast with out-of-town guest Jen

And, finally, the best part of the New Year was this week's inauguration ceremony for our New President Barack Hussein Obama. Watching on tv in the lobby at work and then celebrating with my bookclub that night, I have new hope for the future!

December

Doing new things in December turns out to be the biggest challenge of my project so far. For many including me, December is mostly about traditions. On the first Saturday, I get to pick up my free Christmas tree from my generous realtor, Tim Hyde. Then I spend the next week hastily preparing for my annual Holiday Open House, now in its 10th year of tradition. It's great to see friends, some that I only get to see on this one occasion a year, and afterwards pile all of the toys that everyone brings around the tree (see photo) to donate to Toys for Tots. Other December traditions include attempting to out-do Angie's creativity in sugar cookie decorating at my mom's, complaining about said mother's comments about my life in her annual Christmas letter, watching the British Television Advertising Awards with TAB, attending the candlelight service at my mom's church on Christmas Eve, and overall eating too much.

In addition, here is a brief list of New to Me things from December that may or may not become new traditions:

1. Eating greasy Chinese food from David Fong's. Hopefully leaving my cell phone there will not be a tradition.

2. Schmoozing with teachers at Blake's Holiday Party at MIA. My guess is that even Blake will not be able to afford the extravagance of another party like this.

3. Learning about comic art at The Minnesota Museum of American Art. Unfortunately, this museum is closing (probably did not help that this is the first time I've ever been there) so will not become a tradition.

4. Eating excellent Nepali food at Everest on Grand. Put this on my list of reasons to drive to St. Paul! Definitely a new tradition.

5. Eating decent Indonesian food at BALi. TAB loves this place so I'm sure I'll be back. The location, atmosphere, prices, and spices are great.

6. Bill and I were glad that we braved the coldest night of the year to listen to the Lyra Baroque Orchestra's Holidays with the Sopranos concert. Very beautiful music in a perfect venue. Would like to check them out again.

7. Making veggie stock, lentil soup, and apple dumplings on the winter solstice. Hopefully a new tradition.

8. Christmas shopping without going to the mall: online and local stores only this year. Definitely a new tradition.

Happy NEW YEAR, everyone!

New Year

Happy Birthday to me (and several other friends & family members)! A New Year started for me last Saturday. Although I was not ready to turn 36, I did have a great day and really fun party at Herkimer & moto-i with about 30 of my closest friends. Since I have been too busy doing new things, I still haven't blogged about New to Most moto-i which I've declared my favorite bar and been to 3 times since it recently opened. I love the location, atmosphere, drinks. The food could and hopefully will improve over time. How cool that sake is being made at Lake & Lyndale.

I think I'll leave the New Year resolutions for January 1st and only resolve right now to keep up the New to Me project. Over the past month of not blogging, I've at least kept a list of New that I'll post here. Every time I'm trying to pick a place to go, it is difficult to decide if I want to take the opportunity to add to my New project and risk a bad experience or choose somewhere that I know I like. Questioning my choices is exactly the point of the project of course, so I'm going to keep with it in this New Year.

1. AFH MN's first design/build installation: Twin Cities Homeless Locker Project

2. Cannot believe I've never been here but no need to go back: Country Bar

3. Worth checking out: India at MIA

4. Kinda crowded: The Mad Ripple at Grumpy's NE

5. Kinda creepy Halloween open studio night at Casket Arts

6. The excellent Jolie Holland at Cedar

7. Surprisingly good exhibition: Tetsumi Kudo at Walker

8. Yum! New dining hall at Grinnell

9. Grateful to Mary for telling me about Pieta Brown at M-Shop

10. Good thing I was there to carry a few trophies: LHYC banquet

11. Election celebration and Lucinda Williams at 1st Ave

12. Good happy hour if a bit too bright: Pagoda

13. Band was really good, smoke was too much: XYZ Affair 

14. MN Opera: The Abduction from the Seraglio

15. Go see the whittled ladder at MAEP at MIA

16. So dark: 007

17. So cold: Raku at Hemingway's studio

18. Will be back again to Los Andes restaurant

19. Worth the free admission (really, very funny): Brave New Workshop

20. Blake school play: Much Ado About Nothing

New President! Yes we can and did.

November 4th, 2008, Election Day: I think I can say it was the best day of the last 8 years. For well over a year, every time I've opened the refrigerator, I've looked at a postcard from Obama's campaign with a photo of Barack announcing his campaign in Springfield, IL and these words to live by: "In the face of impossible odds, people who love their country can change it".

I first learned of Barack Obama from my friend Mala who often spoke about her incredible Constitutional Law professor at the University of Chicago. Later came his 2004 Democratic National Convention Keynote Address "The Audacity of Hope" and suddenly everyone was talking about the man who would someday lead our country. Then I read his two books and was so interested in the stories of his family and commitment to community organizing in "Dreams from My Father" and his values and view of America in "The Audacity of Hope". If you haven't yet read his memoir, I was going to suggest buying it right now but see that it is sold out everywhere!

I am not an Obama supporter because I agree with all of his political positions. Throughout the campaign, my ultra-liberalism has come out many times as I've been frustrated by what I consider to be his moderate positions especially on the environment and gay marriage. But his message of HOPE is what I need to pull out of the FEAR message of the past 8 years. Since the Wellstones were killed in the plane crash, I have barely listened to the news for fear of the next horrible act of the current administration. Obama gives me hope that every day will now be better, that the world's perception of the U.S. can be positive again, that racial stereotypes will change.

On Election Night, Erin, Sheila, and I went to Policy and a Pint (New to Us) at MPR to watch the returns on large screens with great food and Summit for only $10. A really fun time, i would definitely recommend trying another Citizens League event. The countdown to 10:00 when the west coast posted their returns was like New Year's! And then in a second, the left coast turned blue on the screen, and the 8 worst years of my lifetime were over. There was nothing to do but cry. We listened to McCain's speech on they way home, and I thought it was very good (except for the background boo-ing). I watched Obama's speech at home with just my kitties and friends by text, and cried with happiness through the whole thing (especially the part about the new puppy!). Change has come to America! 

As you may know, Angie and I have a Presidential Bookclub and are working our way through the biographies of all of the American Presidents. Currently we are bogged down in John Tyler but someday we'll get to the 44th! Along those lines, I was super excited to see this New to Me exhibition at the Weisman this week:Hindsight is Always 20/20. The text is fascinating, and I can't stop thinking about the giant TERROR from Bush's legacy. Check it out before January 4th. In 8 more years our new President's message will be added: HOPE.

Bad and Good New

Bad New: The big New to Me event of the past 2 weeks is learning that I am allergic to cats and dogs and this is causing me to have asthma. Since this was a complete surprise, I will never know if I've had these allergies my whole life or if they developed recently. So far I've learned that the most allergen-producing dogs and cats are males with black fur and dogs with double coats (such as German or Dutch Shepherds). Check, check, check. That pretty much sums up the animals I've been exposing myself to lately. So I've been struggling with the emotional consequences of not touching or sleeping in bed with my favorite animals and with finding the right combination of medications so that I can give my co-workers a break from these 6 weeks of coughing. I'll keep you posted. See left for cutest kitty ever: Chloe.

Good New: Emily and I had lots of fun on Saturday night trying three New to Us hotel bars in renovated classic Minneapolis buildings. At least the RNC was good for something. 

1. Restaurant Max at the Hotel Minneapolis. The only reason we even went here was because the website claims to have happy hour from 9-11 everyday. Apparently, this means everyday except Saturday. I suggest trying it on any other day because the atmosphere is nice (a little too bright) and the drinks (especially Gatsby's Daisy) are excellent. The decor has probably too much going on but the historic features like the white marble columns are lovely.

2. B.A.N.K. at the Westin Minneapolis. Sorry, Angie, I just couldn't wait to try the deviled eggs (awesome)! I can safely say that BANK's feature drink, the blueberry mojito (with fresh berries), is the best cocktail I've ever tasted. Sitting in the cozy lounge seats in the dimly lit former Farmers and Mechanics Bank three story space, you feel like a glamourous visitor to another time. 

3. Prohibition at the W Minneapolis - The Foshay. My mom always used to tell me about the Foshay being the tallest building in Minneapolis until the year I was born so it was fun to finally get to the top of this cool Art Deco tower. Walking into the lobby on a Saturday night, the place was packed and didn't seem much like the Minneapolis that I know with the lines to each bar! We immediately decided to check out Prohibition and save the Living Room on the first level for a weeknight. The views from the 27th floor bar are great and I liked the intimate feel of the library-like space. Unfortunately, it really was too crowded to hang out so we just looped around and will have to visit again soon. 

Overall, it was fun to be tourists in our hometown on a warm fall Saturday night! The preservation of these amazing landmark buildings of Minneapolis as spaces for the public to experience (if you have a bit of cash for one spendy drink in each place) is great to see. 

Atmosphere

This post is about New to Me restaurant atmosphere worth checking out, not the concert tickets that Tab and I failed to get before the second show sold out this week. Lately we have been too focused on social activism (see First Fundraiser and CANtastrophe) to keep on top of all upcoming social activities. 

Not to say we've given up all social planning; we gathered for a baby shower for Mark and Amy at (new to most) Barrio at 9th & Nicollet this week. The excellent atmosphere reminded me of Barcelona: long and narrow space, red walls, dark with tasteful lighting. We skipped the house specialty tequila shots and compadres this time, but Mark and I enjoyed the tasty cocktails (see photo of us with Old Cubans and Cassie) while the others had non-alcoholic drinks unlike any Shirley Temples I've ever seen. Let's just say we hope Amy's drink was N/A - the glass was rather fancy. None of the food is on a happy hour special, but I'd still recommend the small plate of mahi mahi tacos for $3.50. Another great feature is that you can reserve a table!

Last week I also enjoyed a New to Me restaurant, Obento-Ya, my favorite since discovering Nameste. Stylish and small, this place is a gem in a tiny commercial district on Como & 15th Ave. SE. Ryan and I enjoyed the sushi, robata (do not skip the Japanese pumpkin skewer), and katsu. I can't wait to go back for the vegetable bento. Prices are super reasonable and service is good. I wish I could go there right now, but the only drawback to my new favorite restaurant is that it closes at 9:00 and is not open Sunday. They do have happy hour M-S 5:00-7:00 so just one more reason to go back tomorrow.

CANtastrophe

CANstruction turned out to be the most memorable New to Me event of the past week. What I thought was going to be a leisurely Saturday morning building a can sculpture with my co-workers became an all-day marathon of re-building the toppled ruins of 3000 cans of organic food under the lovely fluorescent lights of the Mall of America. The photo on the left (note wall of cans lilting a bit sideways) was taken 2 minutes before the photo on the right (note 3000 cans spread across the floor). I guess we should have recruited a structural engineer to our design team. By late afternoon, we had perfected the art of rubber band reinforcement and "St. CANthony Falls at Night" remained standing for the required 48 hours before we packed up what really looked more like a fancy grocery store display of Amy's canned soups to send to Second Harvest food shelf. Despite the extra time, the project was fun and watching a wall of cans topple like dominos just isn't something you get to see every day! 

Campus Ecology

New to Me: being quoted in an article on the National Wildlife Foundation's Campus Ecology website! Check out "The 'Demand' Response - Training Wheels to Energy Efficiency." I spend much of my day job thinking about energy efficiency and trying not to be completely frustrated all of the time with the building industry's lack of progress with regard to sustainability but won't get into it here!

Top Nine

The last 2 weeks were a vicious cycle of thinking I'm over this annoying cold and doing more new things, then feeling more sick and so on with the ultimate result of no blogging. Top 9 New Highlights:

1. AFH MN Twin Cities Homeless Locker Fundraiser - a big success with over 200 attendees and $3000+ raised for our project - thanks everyone for your support, and I'll post the details of the locker build date soon!

2. Playing tourist in my hometown and checking out hotels for Jonna's school project - climbed the Chambers stairwell to view the awesome murals by Juxta Arts (see light rail mural photo) and learned the lingo on a tour of the sassy new aloft hotel (see photo of me 'recharging' by 'splash' aka the pool). 

3. Visiting the Museum of Russian Art for the final week of the Russian Impressionism exhibition and the MIA for the first week of the Eero Saarinen show - go check out the architectural models.

4. Finally eating at the new Kingfield neighborhood restaurant: La Chaya. Loved the atmosphere (nice lighting), service, and wonderful food flavors - try the green bean, spinach, beet, and avocado salad. They are lacking any local beers on tap, unfortunately.

5. As it is the start of a new clothing season, Emily and I found ourselves at the MOA last week as it is the location of our favorite store: H&M. We now have a decent dinner option (Tiger Sushi) in the case of finding ourselves hungry for something other than the world's best banana creme pie (Twin City Grill).

6. For 2 days last week, everything was New to Me at my intro to Leadership Twin Cities. At this retreat, I was introduced to 60 new colleagues through a series of icebreakers, small groups, and training sessions. Many of us found it easiest to bond over the open bar at the bonfire! Look for more posts on LTC new adventures over the next 9 months.

7. Trying seriously sweet waffles at Sweet Lou's in Northfield. Liked the square theme throughout.

8. Listening to the amazing classical guitarist Sharon Isbin and the Minnesota Orchestra's performance of Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez. Also enjoyed Ginastera's Variaciones concertantes with all of the individual instrument solos.

9. I was not planning to list sailing on Lake Harriet as a New to Me activity until I found myself sailing ALONE this afternoon. Bill and I were enjoying the last day of summer when we came upon 2 people unable to right their capsized boat. He opted to help by jumping over to their boat thus leaving me alone on The Tangerine. Luckily, I'd had about 15 minutes of lessons earlier today so was able to sail myself around for awhile before figuring out how to pick him up again (nice jump, btw). Am very proud of my courage!