Do as the Locals Do

Last month, on a particularly cold day, B and I ventured out to walk on the frozen, solid Lake Calhoun to try to make peace with our new, snowy climes here in "Uptown" Minnesota.

During our snowy walk, B found some very interesting tracks...I wonder what they could be?



BIG BEAR!!!! B narrowly escaped!



...but it turned out they weren't bear tracks at all.  Watch out, B, it's a DINOSAUR!!!!


Crazy day! Of course, the highlight of the day was that I was able to check off an item from my 2013 List - make a snow angel!


And...now that I've made my snow angel, I'm ready for Winter to be Oh-Vee-Eee-Arrrr...Winter here in the Great White North is intense!  Good news is, the sun is shining on this Easter Sunda, and the snow is melting...and with the big Wolverine wins this weekend (onto the FINAL FOUR), I think our luck is changing, and spring is on its way!  (Yes, that was a really weak/non-existent connection between the Michigan win and spring coming...but I wanted to work in that big WIN somehow!)

Spooky Mormon Hell Dream

Last month, on Februrary 15th, I crossed off another item from The 2013 List.  B and I went to see the acclaimed Book of Mormon here in Minneapolis, at the Orpheum.  Admittedly, I knew almost nothing about this cheeky little musical, except that it was written by the South Park guys. So, I figured it would likely be more than just a little politically incorrect, it would probably lean excessively toward the sacrilegious, it was most certain to be highly profane laden, and without a doubt it would be absolutely hilarious.  Needless to say, the show held up to my expectations on all fronts, and did not disappoint in any way.

For those unfamiliar, BoM is a coming-of-age story of a pair of teenage Mormons, hoping to fulfill their mission (and help secure their rightful place in Heaven), by converting locals in Uganda to Mormonism.  Full of kooky characters, spoofs on other musicals, religious desecration, and biting cultural satire, this musical was hilariously awesome, and I didn't feel one ounce of "Catholic guilt" while watching it, and laughing all the way.  The title of this post is my homage to my favorite number of the night -- Spooky Mormon Hell Dream.

This is the 3rd musical that Br has ever seen (we saw Les Mis earlier this year, and last holiday we saw the surprisingly sweet and entertaining "Christmas Story" the musical), and I think he's starting to change his Grumpy Cat "I don't like musicals" tune.  He just had to give 'em a fair shot!  Now, to contemplate what we should see next...

Prior to the show, we had an amazing dinner at Cosmos at the Graves Hotel in downtown Minn.  Due to the Feb 15th date, they were serving a fixed Valentine's Day Menu, and it was delicious.  I enjoyed the crispy fried oyster, sea scallops, veal tenderloin and king crab, and chocolate cake, while Brian dined on the white shrimp,chicken ravioli, beef tenderloin, and passion fruit tart.  We did a lot of sharing across plates.  The drinks were incredible too, and I'd love to go for a casual happy hour some time (and I'd also love to check out dinner on a regular night, without a fixed menu).

All in all, we enjoyed a fun and delightful evening, and the 2nd item is officially checked off my list!  I've actually crossed off a few others at this point, so I better get caught up and start writing, or else they won't count, now will they!?