Since we're here, in Minnesota, we'd like stop by Whiteley Creek Homestead-- the homestead where we spent half our Honeymoon two years ago.

BUY THIS BOOK.

Read it, and pass it on. Buy another one for your shelf, and a couple more to give to friends.

I just finished reading it. I LOVE it.

Time to WAKE UP, America!

Well, Mark met (practically) every member of the Rose Ensemble -- and he was a hit!

We went to their 'bon voyage' concert last Sunday.

So when they told Americans to store up a year's worth of food, maybe we should have said "in the pantry"?

"Cause I guess some folks got the wrong message.

We're in the Midwest -- in Minnesota. We haven't been here for nearly two years, since our wedding.

Baby Mark just met another exotic relative -- this time his 2nd cousin twice removed. Also on this trip he met his Great-Great-Great Aunt. With his 4th cousin that he met a few months ago, that makes quite a collection of relatives.

He doesn't have any uncles that he's older than, or anything quite like that, but still...

Whew. It's been two weeks since an entry here -- not for lack of material, but because the wheels haven't been spinning smoothly for awhile.

I always blog when things are going well, when I'm organized and efficient -- it fits in seamlessly. In fact, it's a *sign* of me being more productive.

We've had lots of strange occurrences around here.

The other night, we were all out front, me working on one of my bikes, and the Baby and TSG helping (Baby Mark mostly by chewing on the ratchet set).

Suddenly two of our neighbors burst out of the building, one sobbing. It is our very drunk, very emotional 3rd floor neighbor, and a girl who lives in our building they proceed to have earnest conversation, laughing and sobbing and being dramatic (the guy more so than the girl was three sheets to the wind for sure).

Then the guy comes over, and the girl follows - a little embarrassed for him. He tries to talk to the baby, says hi to us, points out his boyfriend's car across the road, explains his boyfriend's first two favorite parking spots.

And THEN. It gets weird.

Suddenly a tall, older gentleman with an athletic build, wrinkled skin, and a Roman nose appears in our midst.

"May I ask, how to get to the holiday Inn?", he asks in a thick European accent. "I am from Switzerland."

I start to explain how to get there, but TSG has more recent knowledge that the closet Holiday Inn is, in fact, closed. Then our female neighbor chimes in trying to send him down a non-existent street. When suddenly:

"I don't want to freak you out man," says our that-bottle-of-wine-is-now-an-ex-bottle neighbor, "but I'll just hop in your car and direct you." (With much slurring of his words.)

At this point the very polite but rather freaked-out gentleman begins to back cautiously toward his car.

...I never want to see a "rewards" credit card again -- especially a travel based one.

I like Alaska Airlines, but EVERY flight, several times, they ask you to sign up for a "Alska Airlines Signature Credit Card" from Bank of America.

Yay! You get 20,000 miles.

Here's the catch: there's a $69.00 annual fee. So, basically, you are paying for those extra miles. You might as well forget the card, and just buy the ticket.

What do these credit card companies/banks expect you to do? Do they really expect you to have a multiple rewards accounts (from them) fro each service you use? Is it really worth our time? NO.