It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...

I must mention the sheer joy Mike and I have in regards to remaining in our current neighborhood. We are moving only one mile eastward so to remain in the heart of Longfellow.

At some point, Longfellow neighborhood has become THE HOTSPOT for Macalester alum AND nearly all other comparably creative, hilarious, and good-to-the-bone folk. (For those of you reading this who, to your misfortune, do not live in the Longfellow neighborhood- it's not that I don't think you are also wonderful. Rather, this here is a battle cry to convince you to move into our neighborhood TOO!). I regularly claim that Mike and I were the first to start the diaspora from uptown to our convenient, more residential spot (but still close enough to stores like 612 Xclusive, thank god). Yet, it's likely that our two close friends who first bought homes in the area were the real trendsetters.

Last night's events offer a perfect portrait of the Longfellow spirit. Allow me to set the scene:

After over 18 inches of snow accumulation in less than a 24 hour period...

After 2 shoveling sessions...

After digging out 2 vehicles from one side of the street and then digging out spots to move them to on the other side of the street (gotta love Minneapolis snow emergencies)...

After countless hours spent indoors packing up our upper duplex and cleaning the awful grime off of kitchen appliances that spent much too long collecting oil grease on top of the fridge...

After throwing away countless appliances whose grease was all too much for us (Yes! No more George Foreman! Remember this is MOLLY posting...not Mike. He might have some other words about this choice if actually blogged once and a while. Yup, you HEARD me, Mike!)...

The neighborhood gang exchanged text messages from our warm little caves and decided it was high time to join forces at our local pub, Merlin's Rest. As a central location, all parties trudged through the snow to warm up over scotch, beer, fish and chips, Harvest stew, and sausages. The walk was lovely; Lake Street was quiet except for the occasional stuck vehicle (which my good Samaritan could not pass without a shove or two).

Merlin's was cozy as could be and everyone was just delighted as one friendly face appeared after another. Really, it was the kind of night that we all long for as we grow up. We crave community and friendship, and unfortunately, for many, this is just not feasible due to career or other choices.

Fair warning, this post is about to get super sappy. Proceed with caution! One of the things I love about Mike is his stability in terms of his friendships and relationships with his family. Our decision to buy a house in Longfellow was pretty much all Mike. He had a premonition that we would buy this house even before we went inside and considered where a music studio could go. Mike wanted to stay right where we are.

This quality is something I value in my marriage and life because, admittedly, I get wanderlust sometimes. Every so often, I am ready to close shop, buy a green trailer, move to Australia, and spend my days surfing with Mike and Rachel, leaving everything behind. However, Mike's ability to find and manifest loveliness and joy within our HOME and within a stable COMMUNITY reminds me that maybe I just need to rearrange the furniture.

So! Longfellow it is! I am looking forward to all the future gatherings that reiterate the warmth of camaraderie, the need for stable companionship and, not to be discounted, the beauty of a glass of scotch or a stout on a cold, snowy night.

Snowed In! One weekend before the big move!!!!

Thank goodness moving weekend is NEXT WEEKEND! Mike spent the morning shoveling (we get a discount on our rent as the "care-takers," or rather, "care-taker," of our little duplex unit) as I walked around with Rachel bounding through snow banks.



Now we are warming up and thinking about which room to conquer in terms of packing! The process hasn't been too bad thus far, but we have our share of goods still left to sort. To be honest, ll I really want to do is knit, drink tea, and listen to holiday music! But, nevertheless, we really need to start getting serious about this moving thing, so I will set aside my projects and gift wrapping for now!

Well, we have some big news...

No, not a baby! Yes, a house!

We had the inspection completed yesterday and no surprises, so I think we can officially announce that we are buying a home right here in Minneapolis! Of course, I had to bring small wonder along on our inspection.

Believe it or not (and you probably won't believe it if you know the McCarthy parents at all as their ability to dwell on any decision is remarkably predictable), Mike and I only needed to tour the Craftsman Style Bungalow once before putting down an offer. Actually, Mike was ready to put down an offer with or without viewing the house first. He was just set on continuing to live in our Longfellow neighborhood, close to many dear friends and the Mississippi River. To be honest, I couldn't agree more with his taste. The bungalow was on the market just for a day and we jumped on it. In this economy, I know the sellers must have been rather pleased!

Here are some photos and videos (with written commentary) taken during yesterday's inspection:


Soon to be carried over the threshold...Notice our inspector and his rad ladder in the background. Next up, a quick video of the backyard (backyard includes: patio, little mud room and backdoor, rain barrel, compost, one car garage with room for the canoe, basketball hoop, and a couple of parking spots...and a fence for the ray ray!):



Now a couple glances inside the house:



"My house...it's never going to be this clean, I think." -Molly reports from kitchen.



Guest bedroom (1) with look into hallway:



And 2nd floor master bedroom:



Wow, both Mike and I are super in love with this place and we cannot wait to make it our home in mid-December! More soon...

Honeymoon Series: Snippets from Day 8

Day eight began with a nature video, of course! Our turkey spotting occurred on our way to breakfast at the Bovine.



After some scones and coffee, we packed our lunches and made a plan to hike up to the top of Mt. Tamalpais!

At the start:


Views from the peak:


Reflections and jokes on the way down:


And, then, on a completely different note, an impromptu visit to my old stomping ground, Slide Ranch. Many of the same goats and sheep were still there! As was my little old trailer, The Turtle.






Meet the goats!
Fiona:


Klezmer and Bata!

Honeymoon Series: Snippets from Day 7

This was one of the most memorable days of our honeymoon adventure. It all began with some nature videos:
First, a lurking morning visitor:



Nature video 2:
Conversation regarding Mike Vasich's recent discovery:
Me: What Would Carol Vasich Do?
Mike responds: What Would Milt Vasich Do?



"It's all about comfort...no regrets."



Man, what I would've done for a pair of wool socks. 3rd confrontation with poison oak that day. I was doomed. That said, Mike seemed to possess the greatest sense of doom as we hiked through private property due to getting completely lost. He claims that he was "trying to keep it real," but I think he really had this image of some crazy land owner from the boonies attacking us with a shotgun...I kept reminding him that we were in northern California...but he would hear none of it!



Lunch break, "a mile or two from our destination...only 20 minutes away..."



Hours later...



I did get poison oak.

Honeymoon Series: Snippets from Day 6

On Day 6, we decided to take a long hike out to the Point of Tomales Bay and the ocean. A day that started sunny and warm in the valley turned into a mighty fog along the coast. The highlight for Mike was definitely the Tule Elk. I wasn't as impressed. We also had our second run in with poison oak. The path went from very wide and paved to NO PATH...only brambles. My legs were not very happy. Mike sympathized.




Mike loved the Tule Elk:

2 more videos from apple picking!

For your viewing (and tasting) pleasure...

Mike on the apple growing industry:



Molly on apples that taste like bananas:

Recap of Parent Weekends - Sept. and Oct.

The last weekend in September was spent in Cleveland Ohio visiting the McCarthy parents! It was a union of friends, family, and musicians! Orange Mighty Trio began their short fall tour in Cleveland with a gig at John Carroll University, an evening gig at Barking Spider (a very spiffy bar and music space in a converted carriage house), an impromptu show for the residents at Grandpa Len's assisted living home, and a house concert at the McCarthy's! With all this on the calendar, I couldn't resist making a quick trip to join in the fun.

Additional highlights of the weekend include a trip to West End Farmer's Market, a John Carroll football game, visiting with Grandpa Len and checking out boxes of his old photographs and letters, and running through the Shaker Heights neighborhoods! Here's a couple short vids:





The following weekend, back in Minneapolis, the Vasich parents made the trek to the cities! Saturday was apple picking, buying fall pumpkins and other goodies, walks through the woods, and dinner at Punch Pizza.




Sunday morning was an early one- I had the Medtronic 10 mile race at 7 am!


In good spirits thanks in part to a hot cup of coffee, Carol, Milt, and Mike came out to cheer and support me!




It ended up being perhaps my best race of the 2010 season- 8:08 pace average with a 1:21:09 finish. I couldn't have been happier. The morning was absolutely gorgeous- fog rising off of the Mississippi River and the sunlight beaming down on the runners as we cruised up Summit Ave. It was quite a treat to have the Vasich family out on the course! Mike is really quite an elite marathon fan, and now Carol and Milt know the ropes for future races!

More highlights from last weekend...

Mike demonstrating the art of portage. 
I am unwittingly impressed and attracted to this handsome outdoorsman!

Dinner at Alma & Peter's swanky new place! 

Minnesota State Fair!

LRT to Twins Game

Last Friday, we embarked on our first twins game in the new stadium. Too excited to remember our video cam once at the stadium, our only footage is from the light rail. Still kind of cool...

Canoe adventures!

As promised, here are a few videos highlighting our canoe pick-up from REI and it's ignaugaral trip out on the Minnesota lakes. It actually took us a couple of attempts to get the canoe- our first trip to REI took longer than expected, and we needed to get back home for a neighborhood late summer potluck (not mention, the huge pre-labor day sales...as expected, I got a bit waylaid in the women's athletic gear department).

Video detailing first attempt to pick up canoe:


Later in the work week, Mike and I were determined to bring "Lenny" home so we could take her (or, I guess it's a "him") out over Labor Day weekend. This time, I went straight with Mike to the boating department...

Successful canoe pick-up!


Saturday afternoon, we headed out to spend a few hours exploring the chain of lakes in Lebonon Hills State Park, about 30 minutes south of Minneap. It was a gorgeous afternoon, coolish and sunny. The lakes varied between weedy and lily-pads to absolutely clear and silent.

Our maiden voyage:

Autumn Planning!

School starts this Monday morning! The annual opening day certainly throws me and Mike, headfirst, into autumn. Personally, I love this time of year. I've read again and again that many people consider labor day the new "New Year's Eve." I can buy that.


As Mike and I prepare ourselves (and our newlywed-ness) for all the professional, work-related events and goals, we have created a list (over beers at Longfellow Grill, of course) of things we'd love to do together as the trees are changing color.

Here's a glimpse:
Labor day weekend @ a lake (yay! thank you Alma and Peter!)
Long bike ride to Redwing for picnic lunch
Late summer camping trip (with Rachel!? It would be her first camping trip...)
Chili and cornbread night (maybe the perfect evening for writing some of our wedding thank you's!)
Movie Club (like a book club...except no pre-work- just a movie and some critical friends)
Mad Men Halloween Party

Today, We are super excited because we are picking up our new canoe today from REI! The canoe is a special gift from my Grandpa Len. My mom once said that Grandpa Len can be summarized through three major parts of his life: a boyscout, a marine, a Catholic. I might add stellar dad and husband (and grandpa!) to that list. Among his many talents, he would write the most beautiful letters to my sister and I. He'd decorate the envelopes with calligraphy and drawings of flowers and animals. When he signed off, I could always count on his regular reminder: Work hard, play hard, pray hard. More than ever, it's a motto that I try to practice as much as I can.


Anyway, Grandpa Len, who can't talk very well anymore but who can still sing and whistle, bought Mike and I a canoe for our wedding. It's green, pretty light, and a real classic. Although my mom wants us to name it "Gitsch" for my grandma (Jean Gitschier), I think we might name it "Lenny."


Photos to come!

Honeymoon Series: Snippets from Day 5

Saturday morning, Point Reyes Farmers Market.



This Farmers Market had quite the array of colorful vegetables and flowers, but the most impressive selections were the artisan breads, honey, and burrito booths. In this way, it reminded me of Minneapolis's Mill City Farmers Market. Mike and I ended up purchasing some bread from some local lady bakers.

Ice-creaming making!!! We found a recipe for salted caramel ice-cream in Cooking Light magazine on the airplane to San Francisco. Although Mike has always doubted desserts in "Cooking Light," I pointed out that the only difference here was the use of 2% instead of whole milk or heavy cream. Since it was the only ice cream recipe we had, we decided to give it a whirl:



(It was incredible).

And now, some commentary post trail running around Shell, Pebble, and Hearts Desire Beaches on Tomales Bay. Topics include vultures, small children, and melted spatulas:





Commentary from McClure's Beach on the Pacific:

13.1 Minneapolis

After a summer of reasonably tough training, I managed a half-marathon PR (personal record: 1:52:04...5 minutes faster than my spring half marathon- 1:57:24) this morning in Minneapolis!  Hooray.  I don't want to yammer on too much about the run, but it is worth mentioning on this blog because Mike is truly my number one fan.  Not only did he get up at quarter to six on Sunday morning to drive me to the race, he also managed to cheer for me at five points during the 13.1 miles.  Record-breaking husband material, right there folks. 

Here's some clips from the big morning:





Crossing the finish!



Festivities at the finish line:

Honeymoon Series: Snippets From Day 4

A demonstration: even our morning grocery run embodies the themes of our honeymoon.



Worn out from our hiking adventures on day 2 and 3, we decided to spend some time reading our books on Shell Beach, a small beach on Tomales Bay.



Hoping to catch the sunset, we left Shell Beach and headed to Kehoe Beach on the Pacific. Not what we expected, but Mike tries to stay positive:



Leaving Kehoe, we found sanctuary back at Almost Pi.



Note Mike's classic navy sweatshirt, quite the thrift store find (especially after spotting the exact same sweatshirt at a local goods store for $30 more).

Views from the coastal trail.

Honeymooon Series: Day 3 Adventures

Our third day was packed with adventure. A big fan of trail running, I decided to take advantage of the scenic paths. Mike dropped me off from a trailhead seven miles out, and then he hiked from a different trailhead about three and half miles out. The plan was to meet about an hour later at Alamere Falls, a (sort of) secret place off the coastal trail.

The plan went somewhat awry. First of all, I am embarrassed to admit that I was way more scared on the lonely trails than I had imagined. Things were all sunshine as I was climbing up the ridge, but as I sailed down the mountain towards the coast, some negative visions of mountain lions took over. With fog drifting through mossy redwoods and not a person in sight, I think I set a PR (personal record).

Back on the ol' reliable coastal trail (tried and true), I felt safe again. But, as the clock started ticking at the trailhead to Alamere Falls, I started to wonder about Mike. Where was he? Two passing hikers claimed that they left from the same parking lot as Mike about an hour before and they hadn't seen him. Just as I started to get really worried, Mike and his blue backpack came over the crest. He had forgotten his wallet, so he went back to Almost Pi after he dropped me off. Then, understandably, he got lost in Bolinas.


Reunited, we hiked an unmaintained trail down to Alamere Falls.

First in what will likely be many nature videos

I heart nature. And nature vids, of course. David Attenborough is pretty much the dude in my book. I may not have the budget or know-how that the production team of Planet Earth had, but that didn't stop me from taking some perhaps not-completely-fascinating footage of exotic California wildlife (yes, horses made the cut. Look at their masks and tell me that's not crazy bananas).

So, for installment one of nature video series: the fabled, masked horses of Almost Pi.



Oh yeah, and there are sheep. Booyah.

More dog love

As promised, Rachel is here to represent herself and all her canine kin again. In this post, simply some Lady & The Tramp-esque shots of her and Max The Dog Vasich. In love.

Finally, a dinner worth mentioning.

Back in Minneapolis for over a week, it was high time for some quality cooking. This summer, we have been getting our first CSA share from Ploughshare farm. For those of you unfamiliar with CSA's, it's basically heaven in a box for vegetable lovers. We've been really lucky with Ploughshare; we get a "mini-share" and we are never able to finish all the veggies in one week.

This week's box had SWEET CORN!!! This is great news; I can actually eat like five ears of corn in one sitting. Tonight, I just had two.



Half-joking, Mike and I like to tease each other with sly remarks like, "Now, that's husband level." The compliments are always a bit tongue in cheek because, ya know, our Macalester education taught us a little about the perils of hetero-normativity, but, to be honest, we are also genuinely appreciative when we step up our game for each other.

Hence, the homemade bread. That is wife-level.

Honeymoon Series: Snippets from Day 2

The daily breakfast quandary- bovine or no bovine?



Solved.



Journey to Mt. Wittenberg:



View from (almost) the top:



Amazing Mountain Creature!



Results are in; Banana Slug is the infamous mascot of UC Santa Cruz.

Proof of the Love Calculator's incredible accuracy

As previously noted, The Love Calculator is a site where you insert two names, and a percentage of compatibility is determined for the couple. As Molly and I scored 98%, obviously LC is worth its weight in gold- but to further demonstrate its ability, note the incredibly accurate calculation derived from the following parties:



These animals are indeed enamored with each other, and happen to be our dog: Rachel the Dog, and my parents' dog: Max the Dog Vasich. Pictures to show what should be a fairly self-explanatory love connection:
(Rachel left, Max right with bros Chris and Paul, and Dad Milt)












This post also serves as an introduction to a subject that will likely be a frequent blog icon: the aforementioned Rachel the Dog. For those who don't know, Rachel was a surprise (quite literally!) Christmas gift from Molly, and we brought her up from but a wee pup, and now are quite in love with our little wild one. Many more Rachel posts to follow...

Jenga Competitors

Mike and I have a passion for games- board games, yard games, cards, and sports of almost every variety (Except for video games; I am hardly ever a participant because I have no game. Mike is the record holder for every category of video game in this household).

In fact, our penchant for game playing has been known to rub off on our eager friends. Within a few weeks, "Time's Up" became the game of choice both in the Longfellow and Powderhorn neighborhoods. And more recently, Dixit, the game of visual storytelling, has discovered a dedicated following in the Dale & Victoria neighborhood in St. Paul. And of course, Parcheesi and euchre remain regular go-to's.

During our honeymoon, we spent a few evenings raiding my Aunt Jane's game collection at Almost Pi. The first night, we indulged in a rather competitive round of the all time classic, Jenga, as the pasta water reached a boil.

We captured a few nearly treacherous moments; both for your enjoyment, and to catch each other at sneaky cheating (oops, I mean to demonstrate our skillful balancing abilities).

Honeymoon Series: Snippets From Day 1

Breakfast at the Minneapolis Airport.





SFO!



Tour of "Almost Pi," Point Reyes, California

Introductory Post.

Our wedding day certainly marked the start of a new era for us.  It seems only appropriate to begin this stage with a joint blog.  A funny urge, perhaps, but we've talked about hosting such a blog for while. 

For those of you who know us, you might admit that it's a wonder that such different people manage to complement each other so well.  We often tease each other that it's lucky that we met in person because internet dating bases would never pair us (On the other hand, lovecalculator.com set us at 98% compatible; a result only bested by Mike's brother, Chris, and Adolf Hitler).  Yes, we both graduated from Macalester College, both the product of non-divorced parents...but the buck pretty much stops there.

Yet, differences can be pretty much awesome.  We inspire, surprise, and challenge each other so that our lives never get too dull!  Hence, perfect material for a Minneapolis-based marriage blog...something for everybody.  Our blog will include collaborative posts, as well as individual contributions, photos, podcasts, and video footage (from our very own "Small Wonder!" camcorder).  Most of our content will focus on our life in the Twin Cities, but we will also draw from our travels. 

Enjoy and please comment!!!!

Honeymoon Sneak Peak

A small gadget appropriately named "Small Wonder" was a favorite wedding gift. We captured many memorable moments from our honeymoon in Point Reyes, California with the mini camcorder! We will share many of the clips here over the next few weeks. So, stay tuned!

Here's our trip crossing the Golden Gate Bridge. Just Mike, Molly, and a car full of Trader Joe's groceries (and wine!).