Happy Halloween!!!

Sarah and I carved pumpkins tonight. Fyi, it's not easy to buy pumpkins on Halloween day. We went to Copps. All out of pumpkins. We went to Woodman's. All out of pumpkins. We went to Walmart. All out of pumpkins. We finally achieved success at Cub's, where we had a sad selection of partially moldy pumpkins from which to choose. But we were both happy with our eventual purchases. Myself going for a smaller-than-usual pumpkin; Sarah going with a ginormous pumpkin. After carving them, we performed a Halloween ritual that replaced our heads with our Jack-o-Lanterns. Then we frolicked around in front of a Haunted House for a while. But anyway, Happy Halloween everyone!!!

Happy Birthday, Me!

I'm 28 now! I'm old!

And in sadder news, Patrick Swayze died. ::insert tasteful tombstone here::

Jay Cooke State Park
Happy Camping

Okay, at some point I intend to blog about Guatemala (even though I did already post pics on Facebook and possibly everyone who reads my blog is also friends with me on Facebook). BUT. That is too daunting a prospect right now, especially since I haven't been good at posting as of late. So I hope to ease my way back into posting with this post on my recent camping trip with Joleen. Maybe it will re-inspire me and take away some of the panic I feel when thinking about posting a new blog entry.

And have I mentioned that I'm super busy now? Yeah. 'Cause I am. School. Work. Etc.

The weekend prior to the start of this current semester, I went back to Rochester. I went to the Renaissance Festival with Joleen and the 'rents, saw Sam the Nephew (not to be confused with Sam the Butcher), and then went camping with Joleen. We left after dinner from the Cities and stopped at Banning State Park simply as a stopping point between MSP and our final destination (which had no campsites available that night). When we arrived, it was dark and started to rain. Fun times for setting up the tent. Although it actually wasn't too bad. There must have been a group campsite nearby with about a bazillion children in it. Again, could have been more annoying.

We left early-ish the next morning, and managed to not pay. We are bad people. (We did passively try to pay...we just weren't active enough to actually end up doing it...It's not our fault that the ranger didn't come back to our site and take the money from the picnic table like he said he would...or our fault that we couldn't be bothered to drop the envelope of money off in the drop box the next morning as we left...)

On the way to Jay Cooke State Park we were on a quest to find a place that sold 1) firestarters and b) a little propane thing for our little gas camping stove. Because seriously. Need coffee when we wake up in the mornings. Even if it is instant. Apparently, small town MN is closed on Sunday. We were forced to go to the Super Walmart in Cloquet. I hate Walmart, but there's something to be said for giant mega-retailers that are actually open 7 days a week and carry the shit you want.

We checked in and got a campsite. Joleen put up the hammock I got in Guatemala. It's comfy. We went hiking.

Hey, look at me!
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Look. the water's such a pretty orange color...
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A view. Of trees. And a river.
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Testing out the new Guatemalan hammock ($11)
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Hobo dinner and wine. Mmm. And flaming elbows.
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We went hiking the next day, too.

Ooh, look at the (St. Louis) river!
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I apparently have this new thing where I like to be
photographed while pretending to jump off a bridge.
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Simultaneously pretty and gross. Great accomplishment, Nature.
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The water is clear.
There are many rocks in it.
It is so soothing.
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Oh my God! The tree ate Joleen!!!
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Both Joleen and I wore New Zealand shirts while on this trip. Fyi.
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This is me not wearing my New Zealand shirt.
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Then we went home. And I started school again.

I Have A Nephew!

While I was in Guatemala, Brian and Shannon gave birth to a baby boy. Samuel Brian Christopherson was born on August 4th (3 weeks early, or so). He weighed 7 lb 6 oz. He was jaundiced, but otherwise seemed fine. But yesterday, while at a check-up, it was discovered that he has coarctation of the aorta...or narrowing of the aorta. Which basically means that his heart is working too hard and blood isn't being properly circulated throughout his body. He's currently in the PICU at the Minneapolis Children's Hospital, and will be having surgery on Monday morning. :( Poor little guy. Here's hoping that everything turns out well.

BUSY BUSY BUSY!!!

So, this past weekend my siblings and I threw our parents an Annibirthary Party. This year they both turn 60 (Dad on July 16, Mom on Nov. 30) and it's their 40th Wedding Anniversary (Sept. 6). About 60 family/friends were invited. We had a lot of food. We had a lot of decorations. It went well, thankfully. But I was so consumed with doing stuff for that that I still haven't gotten around to thinking about what I'll need for Guatemala. And I leave on Friday morning! Ahh!

I am oh so tired.

And seriously, Honduras--why do you have to be all, "Hey, let's have a coup!" right when I was planning on visiting Copan? If I have to miss going there b/c you're all riot-y and/or border-close-y, I'm not gonna be happy. :( Think about me once in a while, wouldja? ;)

Here is the video of my parents' life/lives that I made and showed at their party:

Canned Heat
Dance!

Have you ever wanted to see Sarah do baton, jazz, ballet, and tap in really hideous outfits? If so, you're in luck! See below:

It's official! Al Franken has won The Race to the Senate! He was sworn in today. Finally.