Robbie orchestrated a surprise party for my 60th birthday yesterday at the Contented Cow in Northfield. Surprise #2: Gilly, Graham and Tyson showed up. Surprise #3: Collin and Amanda flew in from New Jersey.
See the album of 100 photos, the large slideshow, or this small slideshow:
Robbie and I won a New Ulm Chamber of Commerce drawing back in March when we saw the New Ulm-based movie, New in Town. The Chamber’s gift basket contained all sorts of goodies, but the biggie was a night’s stay in the Silverson Suite at the Beyer Haus B&B, courtesy of the owners (also bloggers), Bill and Peggy Beyer.
The meticulously restored Beyer Haus B&B has many charms, including luxurious hot tubs, a hilarious dog named Mr. MacDougal who can briefly balance a basketball on his nose while zooming around the backyard, and miniature dioramas hidden in the baseboards of every room.
We were joined at breakfast by a neighbor of the Beyer’s, Ann Makepeace, who serves on New Ulm’s Heritage Preservation Commission. Ann was one of those involved in the creation of the Historic Downtown Walking Tour Video Podcasts that I’ve heard so much about from Northfield Historical Society’s Hayes Scriven. We checked out two iPods from the Visitors Center and spent a couple hours downtown on Saturday afternoon on the podcast walking tour, including the Post Office/History Center above. We used most of the 50 dollars of Chamber Bucks that were in the gift basket for some outdoor dining at the ‘upscale Italian’ Lola’s Larkspur Market (newspaper story) restaurant. Fun coincidence: our waitress, Maggie Mae, grew up in the Beyer Haus. Maggie’s Room was her bedroom.
See the album, the large slideshow, or this small slideshow:
I had breakfast with my mom earlier today on her 86th birthday. She’s standing in the flower garden she helps maintain on the grounds of Gramercy Park Cooperative of Eagan where she lives.
Sept. 27 update: When Collin and Amanda came to visit, we all paid her a visit for some sweet rolls and coffee.
I went to take photos of Tyson and Graham doing a tandem skydive yesterday near Baldwin, Wisconsin. When I got there, they surprised me with an early birthday present: "We’re paying for you to go, Dad." I needed no arm twisting. As I wrote back in July on Locally Grown, I don’t have a bucket list. But as a bit of a thrill seeker, my list would likely have more than a few adrenaline rush experiences, skydiving among them.
I love extreme roller coaster rides but nothing I’ve ever ridden compares to this. Dangling your feet out the door of the plane for 15 seconds at 13,000 feet is thrill #1. A-n-t-i-c-i-p-a-t-i-o-n. The first 15 seconds of the plunge is thrill #2 and it was the biggest rush I’ve ever felt. Nothing else comes close. The next minute of free-falling is thrill #3. Weightlessness rocks! Add spins to it for an extra kick. The final 10 minutes of turning and spinning after the chute is deployed is thrill #4. They hand you the steering straps so you can experience how easy it is to control the chute. Landing is thrill #5.
John Bucsko, co-owner of Skydive Twin Cities was my tandem guy. He said this has been their best year ever despite the recession. It’s a first-class operation. The staff was fun and friendly, the plane was top-notch, and all their preparation routines smacked of a rigorous approach to safety. I watched them pack their chutes. It was like a prayer service. Complete silence as the focused completely on the task at hand.
See the album of 19 photos, the large slideshow or this small slideshow:
Tyson paid the extra fee to have them video his jump.
Update Sept. 15: Collin jumped in New Jersey to join the club:
Our oldest son, Collin, is getting married to his longtime sweetie, Amanda Urhlass, on Nov. 7, 2009 in Rincon, Puerto Rico.
The blog site is up at elevenseven09 (sign the guestbook!), the B&B has been reserved (Blue Boy Inn), and more details should be forthcoming soon.
I just can’t decide what to wear.
Getting everyone together on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day this year proved tough so last Sunday we did a combo. We got lots of yard work done and constructed a makeshift canopy on the deck to block the sun. It worked!
“C’mon, honey. It’s cold, it’s windy, it’s pouring rain. Let’s go camping!”
Yep, that’s Robbie, looking like a hazmat worker but still as cute as ever, trying to keep warm and dry at Frontenac State Park on Saturday night. Let’s just say it was a memorable experience.
For a variety of kid-related reasons, we didn’t celebrate Mother’s Day here in Northfield yesterday. (It’ll happen Real Soon Now.)
But Collin and Amanda sent these flowers to Robbie, via my cousin Jane Williams and her Forget-Me-Not Florist here in Northfield.
I took these photos at an informal gathering with some of my high school graduation class last week. Yep, Nazareth Hall Preparatory Seminary, class of 1967.
I’ve set up a Nazareth Hall Facebook group for now, where I’ll continue to post updates and photos of our gatherings which are likely to happen every 2-3 months.
We had a little birthday wingding for Graham on Sunday… only a couple weeks late. Our birthday present? Having the gathering at his house which forced him and Tyson to clean up their house before we arrived.
