Naturally Optimistic

If I make it through this weekend it'll be a miracle.

Had to be up at 5am this morning as Jason & I were on the local morning show (I forget what it's called) hyping the need for extras for our shoot this weekend. I have decided I am a "mid-morning" person...although it was very beautiful, sunny & peaceful at 5am...I don't think I could do it every day. KMD - are you planning on joining us this weekend? Let me know so I can email you the details! :) PS I was supposed to BE there at 6am and this photo I took as soon as I pulled out of my garage - doh! Ah well.....

Eeek, my adorable niece & nephews came home this week. I'm so happy for my sister & brother-in-law that their new ones are doing so well. And are SO cute. Here they are modeling their "going home" outfits from Auntie Carrie & Uncle Steve (eeek, that still sounds so weird!). They are Josh, Hannah & George in order left to right.

At times like these.... I miss living in LA!! Do you KNOW how close I used to live from Amoeba Records?!?!?!? *sigh*

Ah the clumsiness associated with pregnancy has begun... Well it began a while ago. After a weekend shoot I was unloading our craft services supplies (food, paper plates, beverages, etc) and was dealing with two rather full crockpots of creamy wild rice soup which didn't get eaten (grrrr). I had them both on my counter and planned on just dumping them out because really? What was I going to do with 30 servings of wild rice soup that the smell of made me a little queasy? As I picked up one crock pot, I caught the 2nd one with the cord or my hand or something and I ended up dropping the entire thing on the floor of my kitchen. Luckily MOST of the soup stayed confined to the crockpot (well, and the floor) but I did get quite a bit of auxiliary splatter on my baseboards, cupboards, nooks & crannies underneath cupboards, oven door, dripping into the over drawer etc. Boy that was fun. Next last week I was dishing up some pork chops & potatoes that I had made for dinner and prompt...

Yesterday was gorgeous - hot, humid, sunny (okay, that wasn't all that great...but we have to soak it up here in N. Minnesota!) and the winds calmed by evening - Steve suggested we go for a paddle. We put the canoe in right by Endion Station which is near the LakeWalk in Duluth. Poor Steve has to carry that big heavy thing (heavier than a normal aluminum canoe - blech) by himself but I got stuck with two backpacks, two paddles & two life jackets. The lake was cool (okay, COLD) and so refreshing - the air currents swirled around us - at times hot and sticky, at times cool as the wind off a glacier (or the lake in winter). We paddled along the Lake Walk getting a different perspective than most in the summertime and reminiscing of our walk on the lake last winter (we were in about the same area - weird!). We watched sailboats hoped that no thousand-footers would come in or out (imagine the wake!) and enjoyed the sound of the water lapping at the edges of the canoe. It was peacefu...

Steve & I made plans a few years ago to do something - just the two of us - outdoorsy on the Solstice every year. I envisioned "date nights" well into the future, but who knows, once Chick Pea is here perhaps he/she will be included too. We'll have to play it by ear. Last year we took a lovely picnic and wine on a hike in the Old Growth forest near Spirit Mountain along the Superior Hiking Trail. The year before that we walked on the beach and watched the sunset and the moon rise. The year before that I can't remember because I didn't blog about it (sad! but true!!). This year we made plans to go canoeing. Wednesday night was so warm and wonderful and STILL we thought maybe JUST MAYBE it'll be like that on Thursday too. Wrong. It was too breezy & cool. Steve mowed the yard and I washed a mountain of dishes and by time we grilled and ate it was getting late. We took the canoe and hit a couple of boat landings along the St. Louis River (in hopes it wou...

Last weekend Steve & I got away for a little R&R. I hadn't been camping since last summer and we hadn't backpacked yet together with our new wedding gifts (gear!). I had the one weekend in June off and it timed perfectly with Grandma's Marathon here in Duluth which equaled a perfect weekend to get the heck out of dodge. Our plans were to leave "early" but we still didn't really leave til mid-afternoon on Friday. That's how we operate. We loaded up our new packs (REI's "Venus" and "Mars" - aren't we cute?) and hit the road. Steve had an inspection to do in Tofte so we took the long way but I didn't mind driving up the North Shore with my honey and enjoying the view. Of course we DID have to stop for Dairy Queen in Two Harbors. The clouds were ominous and the weather radio reported that a string of storms were moving in. As we got closer to the state park the rain came. And I mean it CAME. It poured. For a while we wer...

To..... Holly & Pete! Although Claire Marie arrived a wee bit early sounds like she is doing pretty dang good. I can't wait to see pictures!

Steve & I are off for the weekend to do a little backpacking in the George Crosby Manitou State Park which is up the North Shore (Lake Superior). Our packs are ready to go and hopefully I'll make it with 30lbs of stuff on my back. I'm trying to simplify but it's not that easy. I am mostly looking forward to setting up the hammock, opening my book and hanging out with my sweet husband. later!

Does anyone have any donut holes? Seriously....

The other night Steve was attending at meeting for a local Trails Alliance here in Duluth. It was at a Cafe. When he got home he mentioned that he was going to have a glass of wine (he MUST finish the box in the fridge downstairs, right? pooh) and that he hadn't ordered any beer or anything with his dinner as some of the other Alliance people had. And then he said "some people ordered malts." Within 2 minutes I had the blender, the malt powder, the milk & ice cream out and we were making malts. mmmmmmmmm, so much better than wine (for now). :)

Okay - so if you've probably figured out Steve & I are having a baby! I am 10w, 1 day today and the official due date is January 7, 2008. We already have a nickname - "chick pea" as the week we found out (or the week after or something) the baby was the size of a chick pea according to a book or the web - I can't remember - and it just sort of stuck. It was a bit unusal for us to see an ultrasound because it is so early but the Doc just wanted to make sure everything was a-okay. What a TRIP to see the little chick pea moving around. Initially it was swimming all over the place! The arm & leg (one at least) were clearly visible as was the fluttering of the heart. Absolutely amazing. Steve's eyes about popped out - mine probably did too. It all has become so much more real to us now! Please keep us and the chick pea in your thoughts as we start this new adventure together!!

(or in other words:)

At long last I'm posting some photos of our OPEN HOUSE a couple weeks ago. It's been a hectic few weeks - what with a rock show to put on, triplets being born, a quick 150 mile trip to the cities and back, 5 band interviews and an "after party" to "host." Whew! Anyhoo.... Welcome! The awesome spread put on by the New Scenic Cafe - yummy! Steve with our neighbors Dustin & Anna (hi Anna!) and my friend Margie. Steve and I on our sweet new IKEA couch (very slippery though! doh)... Mingling...

I'm an auntie!! My sister had her triplets yesterday - whohooo!! They are: Hannah Jean Born at 12:30pm 4lbs 3 oz George William Born at 12:32pm 3lbs 14oz and Joshua Wayne Born at 12:31pm 4lbs 6oz Hannah & George are at the Special Care Nursery and Joshua is in the NICU to help him out with his breathing. They are all doing very well though. Kathy is doing awesomely! She is so mellow and strong and just freaking amazing. I am so excited & happy for both her & Jay. I bet they can't wait to hold these wee ones in their arms!!!! Oh and Aunt Carrie is pretty dang proud too:

Well, the first weekend of shooting is DONE for GOD ROCKS. Whew! It was such a crazy past 5 days - unbelievable. The open house on Wednesday was a HUGE success - great food, tons of wine, lots of new people to meet. It was really fantastic. I was so impressed with the turnout and the COOLNESS of the people we met. I'm excited that there is such a supportive community for us here in Duluth - yay! Thursday & Friday were our "tech" days at St. Scholastica. We had to get the theater ready for our ROCK SHOW. We had to paint the stage & hang curtains, set lights, drape the risers (after moving some), clean and put away and stash and haul in groceries, and costumes and TONS of rock show gear and fog machines and 3 very large crosses (note: a nun (it's a Catholic Monastery/College) walked past Jason on Thursday night as he was carrying in a 10' cross - her comment was "you're working late." - as if it's just an every day occurence to see this! ha...