Much needed vacation...

So we took off last Thursday for Blue Fin Bay on the Northshore of Lake Superior. Erik and I trusted Leslie to not go insane watching our boys for three nights while we headed out of town with the Greene's and the Kuehl's. I am so glad we did it! First of all it was absolutely gorgeous; it felt like we were in another state. I never realized how Minnesota had such different stages of elevation and types of natural waterfalls, rivers, and streams.

Please take note of my $30 pink stocking cap and under my pants (I will not be sharing a picture) my $35 dollar long johns. Not to mention my $59 swimsuit I had to get at Pamida because I forgot to pack one. Because even though it looked gorgeous it was a bit chilly. My fancy phone said it was going to be in the 50's-wrong! It was more like in the 30's with a breeze that could cut right through you.

But my fancy phone did take these kick ass pictures-not bad for a camera phone. We stayed with Tawni in Duluth on Thursday night and trekked up to Blue Fin Bay on Friday to meet the Kuehl's (who by the way are expecting-I told you I would announce it on the blog Amy, she is due in October-yay!). Be sure to share your congrats with them via postal mail because they do not use technology to communicate with the world. :)

Friday we ate at a cute little restaurant that sold some serious gourmet chocolate, Erik bought the biggest and yummiest peanut butter cup I have ever seen and ate. We did a brief hike at Gooseberry Falls but this was prior to the long johns and I was cold, but again it was gorgeous. So we decided to head to the resort to check in, along the way I bought the coveted hat and long johns. Amy bought a new pair of hiking shoes because she brought two left shoes-not very comfortable to hike in.

Friday we ended the evening with some stuffed chicken breasts I got at the local market that was super cute and a game of Catch Phrase that was old school and in a game board box, manual but still very fun.

We woke to have breakfast on Saturday, the Kuehl's were responsible for making breakfasts both days but Brad only remembered to bring two eggs to feed us all. Two HUGE ostrich eggs that held enough eggs to equal a dozen per egg. Tasted just like chicken eggs-he made a great frittata with one of them. We brought back the empty shell to Anthony as a souvenir, he has since not stopped asking questions about it.

Saturday we took off to Tempereste and hiked the waterfalls, stream, and woodlands surrounding the area. That is where all of the pictures from above are, did I mention it was absolutely gorgeous? After the hike we headed to a really cute town called Grand Marais for some lunch and to walk around. Had the best turkey and goat cheese sandwich at a little place called The Crooked Spoon.

Headed back to the resort to hot tub and have a great dinner prepared by the Greene's. Watched the movie Taken with Liam Neeson-(this movie will keep you at the edge of your seat, thought it was smart, insightful, and sad to watch if you are a parent). But the ending is great-seriously rent it if you have not seen it.

Headed to bed by 11:30 and woke up to 15-20 pieces of hard earned and I am sure well spent merchandise the guys discovered at the crane machine in the arcade. Packed up and headed home.

The boys had a great time with Leslie, Chad, and Stu. Alex was calling her mommy by the time I got home and both wanted to stay with them another night. I cannot blame them since they swam everyday, went to the circus, and came home with every light up toy imaginable. But was happy to hear Alex say he was,"hoppy (yes hoppy) to be home."

All in all a great weekend for all of us.  Now Erik is taking off to Wyoming for work to go to the Ditch Witch factory for a tour and pick out his new equipment so I am in single parent mode. Not cool since it takes me and hour and a half to drop Alex off and get to work because the Red River has destroyed my normal path. Forunatley Erik's parents were not affected by the flood this year. Keep your fingers crossed that it remains that way!

Great Movie-it is a must!

Academy Award Nominee: Best Actor, Colin Firth


“Rapturous and remarkable”—Rolling Stone
“One of the best movies of the year”-Time Magazine

Woo! Two posts in one day-Leslie and I went and saw this last night at the Fargo Theatre. It was soooo beautiful. The score was beautiful and the story was heartbreaking. Not to mention I personally LOVE both  Colin Firth and Julianne Moore. I really do think he should have won the Oscar for his performance. Movies like this are a reminder that love is love. Death is death. Nobody should get to judge who others decide to love.
Set in Los Angeles in 1962, at the height of the Cuban missile crisis, A Single Man is the story of George Falconer (Colin Firth, Academy Award nominee for Best Actor), a 52-year-old British college professor who is struggling to find meaning to his life after the death of his longtime partner, Jim (Matthew Goode). George dwells on the past and cannot see his future as we follow him through a single day, where a series of events and encounters ultimately leads him to decide if there is a meaning to life after Jim. George is consoled by his closest friend Charley (Julianne Moore), a 48-year-old beauty who is wrestling with her own questions about the future. A young student of George’s, Kenny (Nicholas Hoult), who is coming to terms with his true nature, stalks George as he feels in him a kindred spirit. A Single Man is a romantic tale of love interrupted, the isolation that is an inherent part of the human condition, and ultimately the importance of the seemingly smaller moments in life. Directed and co-written by acclaimed fashion designer Tom Ford (making his feature debut), based on the novel by Christopher Isherwood.

Cell phones-am I the only one they totally confuse?

Okay so Erik and I have our Verizon "new in every two" availability with our cell phone plan. We decided to go in on Saturday and make a decision. We have visited twice already but just cannot commit to a phone. Why? Because there are 18 million choices. All with different functions, benefits, and applications. I admit I have been spoiled by my phone. I like having access to work emails, taking pictures of the boys, and sexting my husband texting my husband. But I decided I really do not need all this, I can go in and buy the cheapest phone with a flip out keyboard-that is the only function I really did not want to give up.


Oddly enough the guy we originally start talking to we find out happens to be my aunts nephew on her husband’s side-completely random but not surprising because I usually am able to seek out my relatives usually one way or another. He was extremely helpful and VERY patient with The Tortorice's. But we went in on Saturday on a mission. We had a long checklist to take care of and that was one of the priorities because Erik's phone is literally falling apart.

We walk in, ask for Derek. Both of us sit down and our content with our decisions. He starts to transition our phones. In the mean time I start adding up all the costs because even thought we kept it simple there are still some upgrade fees. I realize that the cost difference is pretty insignificant for us to get the new it phone call the "Droid". I ask Derek if I can still get emails with my new phone, he replies no. I ask if I can still have access to some of the applications of my phone that I use, he replies no. He then points out that the cost difference really is marginal. I start to panic because I might be unplugged and not have instant access to the information I want. So I do it-I tell him I have to have the Droid, it’s a must, and what the heck so does Erik. I mean really it’s about time he gets on the up and up of technology. He thinks it’s time he gets an actual email address and is stoked that he has GPS available for free for his golf game, that he can play Star Wars, and have a Magic 8 Ball application on his phone.

So we do it-we feel really cool-we have the best cell phones available from Verizon and Derek gave us a great deal. Not only do we have these really cool phones, we are only paying $30/mo a piece for access to all this information (yes I know what you are thinking).We also have all the coolest accessories to go with our phones. Man, we are so cool.

So we go home and start playing on our new mini-computers. Wow honey look at this, check out this- I can fish on my phone, I can play Scrabble, and look at how clear the pictures are. Both of our phones start to ring, “How do I answer this *&#)(&#(*)(@$?" We start to realize we have no idea how to text, call people right back, and Erik is already locked out of his email. Not only that but there are touch phones so you start putting information in and you hit a wrong button and you are sent through three screens you weren't intending on going through.


Luckily we get 30 days to try out these new monsters we bought. So far it has been three days and I have now realized that sometimes simpler truly is better. So if you call me and I don't answer or my phone calls you back and I don't know it please be patient with me. Leslie is already threatening to toss my new computer in the Red River-I highly doubt I would be swimming after it. Pretty sure we will be visiting Derek again-VERY SOON! Wait-let me check my Magic 8 Ball application and get back to you!

I scored 25%...

http://www.gagirl.com/quiz/gender.html

So I took this quiz and scored a whopping 25%. The funny part is I thought I nailed it. How about you?

Why did they burn their bras and not their husbands drawers?

I found this and thought it was fun to share:

From a 1950's high school home economics textbook, teaching girls how to prepare for married life.


1. Have dinner ready: Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal on time.

This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him, and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospects of a good meal are part of the warm welcome needed.

2. Prepare yourself: Take 15 minutes to rest so you will be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh looking.

He has just been with a lot of work- weary people. Be a little gay and a little more interesting. His boring day may need a lift.

3. Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives, gathering up school books, toys, paper, etc. Then run a dust cloth over the tables.

Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift, too.

4. Prepare the children: Take a few minutes to wash the children's hands and faces if they are small, comb their hair, and if necessary, change their clothes.

They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part.

5. Minimize the noise: At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of washer, dryer, dishwasher or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet.

Be happy to see him. Greet him with a warm smile and be glad to see him.

6. Things to avoid: Don't greet him with problems or complaints. Don't complain if he's late for dinner.

Count this as minor compared with what he might have gone through that day.

7. Make him comfortable: Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or suggest he lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes.

Speak in a low, soft, soothing and pleasant voice. Allow him to relax and unwind.

8. Listen to him: You may have a dozen things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first.

9. Make the evening his: Never complain if he does not take you out to dinner or to other places of entertainment; instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure, his need to be home and relax.

10. The goal: Try to make your home a place of peace and order where your husband can relax.

Sooo...any comments?

What is the story? When I ask for advice there are no comments. When I don't care either way I get 10. Is this reverse psychology from you all or what? The funny thing is this falls into a subject I have wanted to post on for a long time simply because it has intrigued me. When, why, and who comments on blogs.

When do I comment? I find it funny when people seem to fall in the pattern on commenting on one of my posts because I commented on theirs but if I don't comment on theirs there will be no comment. Does this happen to be coincidence or is this blog etiquette that I am not familiar with? Either way this is not an angry comment just an observation.

Why do I comment? I am they type of girl that leaves a comment when I feel like it, not out of obligation but because something struck me funny or because I wanted to just shout out some support to my fellow blogger. Not because I feel obligated to. So I should stop crying about not getting advice last post? Yep!

Whose blog do I comment on? Any and all that will let me that I find interesting. Nie Nie does not give you that option and it drives me crazy! But she also is able to safeguard herself from any negative comments that may come her way. I find it disturbing when you read comments and they are all negatively geared towards the writer of the blog-simply unnecessary. Yes I believe in free speech, unfortunately some people take it to the next level simply because they can, not even processing what they are commenting half the time and do it to drive traffic to their own blogs.

Why do I blog? Because I love it! I love this community that we have going on and really do appreciate all the support, insight, and comments. I love reading about all of your lives, getting updates on your kids, and feeling that I am not the only crazy in this universe. Cheers!

Should we stay or should we go? Advice please.

So Erik and I are debating selling our camper at the lake. We laid out our pros and cons.

Pros:


1. It is a special experience with our boys.

2. We have made many great friends at Tony's.

3. It is also a great way to keep up with friends that also camp there.

4. We all love the lake, especially when it is sunny and warm.


Cons:

1. Even though boys love it they are exhausted after staying out there due to later bed times, overload of activity, and there schedule gets thrown.

2. Extra expense of the camper and lot rental. Not to mention groceries, gas, etc. So changes that we want to make on our house tend to go on hold.

3. We don't have a boat so we don't have regular access to the water.

4. We love it when its warm, but get no use out of it when it is rainy and cold.

5. The maintenance of our home goes down over the summer and we are trying to win the battle of an overgrown lawn as well as a ridiculous amount of laundry.

6. Since we pay for it we feel like we need to use it and tend to not do anything else over the summer.



So you can probably see where we are leaning. Any thoughts to help a girl out?