What a Rush

Will and I have a Minnesota bucket list. Two of the things on that list were to see A Prairie Home Companion at the Fitzgerald theater downtown St. Paul, and to see Storyhill (at least) one more time in concert. When I saw that Storyhill was going to be the musical guest on PHC, I just had to get tickets- we could check 2 things off the list with 1 show. Unfortunately, they were SOLD OUT. Rush tickets were really cheap, but the website said you had to get in line between 12-2, and the show isn't until 5....and there was no guarantee that you would get tickets. I wasn't sure at first, but eventually I decided it would be worth the wait, so Will dropped me off a little bit after noon on Saturday. Luckily, they just gave you a rush number and told you to come back at 4, so I didn't have to sit in front of the theater all by myself for 4 hours....awkward.

I am SO glad we got tickets. We ended up getting seats ON stage, right behind the band. It was so fun seeing how the show is made and being so close to the action. And Storyhill just never disappoints. They were awesome, and now they have tons of new fans all over the country (they were the #1 folk album on Amazon this weekend, which is impressive for a local band who broke up for four years and got back together because their fans demanded it:). Garrison was equally impressive, with his quick wit and impeccable timing. If you ever want to go see A Prairie Home Companion, definitely get rush tickets- it is a real rush. And you will feel very Minnesotan. What could be better?

Until next time,
Kirsten

Where there's a Will there's a Way

Will has been training for a 5K over the summer, and his goal was to run a 7:30 min mile or less....and he ran 7:19! The race started at Boom Island and went over the stone arch bridge, a pretty scenic route. Will finished within the top 35 (out of 500), so his training paid off. I cannot imagine running that fast for a prolonged period of time, so I am impressed:)

Pumpkins with the Paumens

Last weekend, Will and I headed out of the city to pick some pumpkins. Will's mom grew up on a farm in Maple Lake, MN- about 1 hour out of the city. Will's uncle John has a pumpkin patch out there, and what a year for pumpkins! I don't even know how many we ended up picking, but there were way too many for us to fit in our cars. I had actually never been to a pumpkin patch, so it was fun to see them growing "in the wild" vs. at a grocery store:)

It is an even more fun tradition, though, because all of Will's cousins come out and bring their kids. They are all adorable and hilarious (Bridget told me, "I think you're Kirsten" in a very matter-of-fact manner). The kids loved the tractor rides from the patch to the house. It was a perfect day too, sunny and warm. Last year at this time, it was snowing, so we'll take what we can get!

Thanks John and Nancy for the great time!

River Quest

I probably won't ever do it. So I read Eddy Harris' trip from Itasca to New Orleans. A quick read, and up my alley, an adventure travel text.

Just finished the book today, while over looking the river itself. Cold crisp, but perfectly sunny day in St. Paul. Had to check out the Mississippi today too. Harriet Island is partially underwater now as the fall rains have led to some urban flooding.

Up next, Theroux's The Great Railway Bazaar.