Minneapolis Mania!

Let me start this post off by stating: PICTURE HEAVY. Not really pictures of me, just pictures of random awesome stuff we came in contact with in the midst of our trip. Like sharks. Two weeks ago, we decided to go to Minneapolis!

Until two Fridays ago, Mike had been at annual Army training for about two weeks. He had the idea midway through training that he wanted to go out of town. I was a bit taken aback, mostly because I figured that being gone for two weeks would mean he would want to be home! Of course, that was not to be! After a little bit of bickering back and forth on where to go (since, let’s be honest, that’s what happened), we decided on Minneapolis. I hadn’t been since I was a kid, and Mike hadn’t been for a few years, either. So off we were!

As soon as he got home on Friday night, we took off. We didn’t stop until we hit Wisconsin Dells, and that was only for a quick bathroom break and a trip to Taco Bell – I discovered that Sinclair gas stations exist, though! I had never seen one, and the giant dinosaur coming out of the top of the building reminded me of the dinosaur that was always stolen from a gas station in Green Bay growing up around homecoming.

We had a lot of fun on the drive there, even though we got pulled over (whoops)! The passenger side headlight of the car was out, which we didn’t know, and the officer questioned Mike on his car’s modifications, but Mike only walked away with a $10 ticket for not having his insurance card on him! That led to a mission to Wal-Mart for the correct bulb, and a bit of a hit to our planned arrival time.

Thanks to Hotwire, we got a great price on a halfway decent room, and finally got to fall asleep at around 2:30 AM. Saturday morning, though, it was up and at ‘em to the Mall of America!

If I can only give one tip and one tip only to those going to the MOA, I would suggest this: go as soon as the place opens. 9:30 AM. Parking is amazing, there aren’t a lot of people getting in your way, and if need be, you can have an in-and-out shopping experience. We wandered around and giggled to ourselves at the gaggles of teenage girls lining up to see Cody Simpson (I have no idea who he even is, but apparently he’s a big deal to those in the 10-16 age bracket) on the way to the aquarium!

So much fun. I had no idea there even was such a thing in the mall, but I was proven wrong. Was it huge? No. was it a halfway decent price for the ability to see a bunch of awesome animals and go through the crazy tunnel tanks? Yes.

After the aquarium, we just wandered around the mall and got all touristy. We were there for around two or three hours, and probably went into four stores. One of which was a new-ish store I discovered called Typo, where I finally found Washi tape! It is just a small store filled with stationery and other items like that – think a bit of an Urban Outfitters vibe about it – and the cashier was awesome and gave me a huge discount for a reason I still don’t know! And I got this awesome metal water bottle for $5 with my purchase. Can’t go wrong. After that was the obligatory trip to Lush, and that was about it!

Out of the three sushi places in the mall, we decided on a small one on the second floor called Tiger Sushi. It was so great! One place advertised ‘American Sushi’, which doesn’t even sound good for a second, and the other seemed a bit too upper crust for what we wanted to pay for a lunch. If you’re at the Mall of America and want sushi, I would definitely, hands down, tell you to check out Tiger Sushi.

Making record time and getting out of the mall at around 12:00, we decided to check out the Como Zoo and Observatory – a free attraction in Minneapolis. Parking was atrocious so we decided to take the shuttle, which was no problem at all. Donated a few dollars at the door and walked around with the families, but were feeling a little disappointed (mostly at how everyone else was acting), so went to the Observatory instead. So many fewer people and such awesome stuff to see! Mike was a little disappointed because their Japanese Garden was closed for renovations, but I told him we’ll have to go back again and see it when it’s finished.

I was getting a bit tired of being around crowds at that point, so we just opted to drive around and find places (mostly yarn stores and auto shops), and then wound up back at the hotel for a few hours before setting out for dinner.

We decided on Psycho Suzi’s Motor Lounge, a restaurant that we found through random searches on our phones. Our food was great and came out quick – it was sad to leave half of it there but we got so full so fast! Only thing I would say I would change would be the waitstaff – our waiter was kind of a jerk.

Sunday was nothing more than a ride home, taking the long way to go to Herrschner’s craft factory in Steven’s Point, and in order for Mike to get his quick driving bug out of the way via the Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive. We got home at around 6:00 PM, both exhausted, but glad to have had the weekend we did, because it was absolutely great.

It reminded me that it can’t be all work and no play – there has to be a break in the monotony sometime. It was so nice to get out of town for just a couple of days.

Love Litas!

In my trip through the blogosphere, I have learned many things. Mostly, that there are way too many ‘fashion bloggers’. No offense, just not my bag. But through these fashion bloggers, I discovered Jeffrey Campbell, and, in turn, the Lita boot. Through that and a quick perusal of solestruck.com, I discovered them – the Cat Tapestry Lita. I knew that I absolutely, without a doubt, needed to have them, no matter what. And just a couple of weeks ago, I finally got them!

Reno helped unpack them.

The gorgeous box!

I love absolutely everything about them. From the packaging all the way to the fit and comfort of a shoe that looks absolutely ridiculous, I adore them more than I can explain. 

 

That.... and they go hilariously well with my Cat Lady vest.

7 Questions with Gentri Lee Link-Up! (#16)

This makes me feel like a little bit of a moron, but today, I discovered Gentri Lee's blog! I noticed that one of the blogs I follow, Adventures in Mediocrity, was doing a Seven Questions link-up, so I followed the link and found it myself! Since today was the first day of the linkup, I decided to do my own Seven Questions from Gentri Lee!

1. It's the first day of August - are you savoring the summer or ready to jump into fall?

Jumping in with both feet. I'm not partial to any particular season, but would say that fall is one of my favorites. It's when I start to see more knitting business, and I wind up in full-on craft mode to prepare for Christmas! Heck, I'm already there!

2. You need a quick and healthy meal, what do you make?

Ice cream! No, just kidding. Salad. I have ready to eat salad in the fridge ready for dressing most any time. I always feel great after I eat a huge salad for a meal!

3. You're at the mall, how do you shop?

Quick and dirty. I am not one to loaf around and go from store to store - I like to just go, get what I need, and leave. I really, really dislike the mall in general.

4. Would you rather buy a new house, or renovate an old one?

It's split, for me. I would probably lean more toward renovating an old one, though. There is something so wonderful about old architecture - and it's true, they really don't build them like they used to.

5. Long hair or short hair?

I am always much more comfortable with long hair. Not sure what it is, but I never feel quite right without it! Short hair suits others, but definitely not me.

6. Who is your oldest (not by age) friend?

Likely, Laura. I have talked about her a little bit here and there, but we have been BFF's for as far back as I can remember. She also recently started a blog! You can check that out here!

7. What is your favorite blog - currently?

So many favorites! But I will definitely say that Adventures in Mediocrity is one of my favorites, if only because it introduced me to this linkup!

Check back next Monday for another set of questions!

Changing perception day by day..

Once in a great while, you have a conversation that makes you think. It can be with someone you already know or a complete stranger, but it happens, and you can’t get it out of your head for anything. And you don’t want to.

Since I got my first tattoo at age eighteen, I have been viewed differently. Of course, one in three people in the United States have at least one tattoo these days, but there has always been a stereotype leading back to a negative connotation – bikers, drug addicts, and all around bad people. I am, of course, none of those things, and I know it. As I added onto the collection of color on my skin, I noticed more and more that I was being looked at in public, and these days it is not uncommon for a random person to make a comment to me, or reach out to touch my skin. For the most part, I don’t mind it. More times than not, they are respectful interactions.

I was probably 19 or 20 when this photo was taken. 

I am not writing this as some sort of sermon about how all people with tattoos aren’t bad people. Individuals who fit into the negative connotation still exist, and they are everywhere. What I am out to say, though, is that I am proud of myself. Proud of what I have been able to do with the life I’ve been given. I have a great full-time job, a home, and a relationship with someone who cares about me. I make enough money to live, and then some. I am supported by friends and family, and they are more protective of me than anything else.

Going with the negative connotation by the general public, though, I still notice things. I am stared at constantly at stores and restaurants, especially when I am with family. I have been followed around at stores in the past since I apparently look like someone that would steal (to the point that I had to get money out to prove I could pay for the things I was carrying). In order to interview for my current job, I wore long sleeves, wore my hair down, and removed the facial piercings that I could, just to not be judged.

And you know what? I got that job. And the one after it. These days, I hide nothing. I am accepted. I work each and every day just like everyone else, tattooed or not. What the general population still sees, though, is my tattoos, not me. And you know what? That’s fine with me.

Being heavily tattooed is wonderful in some aspects and a burden in others. Wonderful in that I have set out, from basically day one, to change people’s minds about heavily tattooed individuals. I do what I can to volunteer with free time to improve the lives of others. I field questions whenever I get them – my favorite is the “didn’t that hurt?” in response to my septum piercing – and just all around attempt to help improve people’s view of someone ‘like me’.

What this all comes down to is the conversation that I had yesterday. I was at a local Michael’s store, buying a bottle of Mod Podge to continue a project I’m working on. I was just about to the checkout, when there was a woman standing there asking the cashier a question. Instead of just walking away, though, she took one look at me and took me aside. “You are one of the most beautiful people I have ever seen.”

Standing there in my thrifted Rod Stewart t-shirt from 2007 and my bright purple corduroy shorts, I didn’t exactly believe her. She looked at my tattoos, made a comment about the Vincent Price portrait on my thigh, and asked to give me a hug. I didn’t exactly know how to take this sudden flow of positivity, but I just went with it. I hugged her and we launched into a conversation about who I am, what I do, and how much I appreciated her amazing comments. So often, someone makes a single comment and doesn’t say anything else.

2010.

She introduced me to her daughter, who, just by looking at her, reminded me a lot of myself in high school. Dark hair, a Joan Jett t-shirt, studded belt. A person I have been. In some aspects, likely outcast for not being the status quo, but also due to the help of her supportive mother, taking life by the horns and doing what she wants to do anyway – looks included. It was refreshing.

I was, and am, lucky to have the parents that I do. I have been fully supported in most every viable decision that I have made to get myself where I am today. The girl’s mother reminded me a lot of my own, and it made me happy to know that someday, maybe at my age, the girl would have the same attitude that I do about life and the world around her.

They told me they are working to put together a project centering on changing people’s minds about the tattooed community, and I was all in. I gave her my information, and we parted ways. She told me that she would call or e-mail me to keep in touch, and I hope she does.

Sometimes, conversations strike you at exactly the right time, and the words are exactly both what you need to hear, and what you need to say.

I wish life could always be that pure.