MPLS2010 - Final Post / Birthday #35

(top to bottom) Me at Texas Roadhouse in Grand Forks, Sarah at the Bad Waitress in Minneapolis.

• I'm home. Sarah rules for driving the whole time and setting up the entire weekend. Love you!
  
• Yesterday, I had the best damn omelette I've ever tasted. My taste buds were blessed and caressed. A visit to Al's Breakfast is now an absolute must for every trip I make to this lovely city. It's super-narrow and small, so it's packed all the time. Be prepared to wait for a seat – your patience will be rewarded by kick -ass food at great prices – and end up sitting beside someone you don't know. Sarah and I were on culinary Cloud 9 after dining. I don't know how she stayed awake to drive to Grand Forks, but I'm certainly glad she did.
• Texas Roadhouse of Grand Forks, I love you. Pleasant service, fall-off-the-bone ribs, and a handful of thick waitresses. That's all I need, really.
• Hey...I've started to put up photos. So there.
  

So...I turned 35 yesterday. I've been anticipating (read: dreading) this for several weeks. What can I say? Me and the passage of time don't get along that well. I'm prone to thinking about the past and moves I should've made, but didn't*. The thing is, I'm actually in a better spot than I ever have been in my life, so really...I should just shut the fuck up and enjoy the ride before God punches my ticket. With that said, I should head to bed, because complaining ain't sexy.

*Breaking resolution #1. I'm fighting against my nature.

MPLS2010 - Post 3

• Today, the eating was epic.
• If you're in town, be sure to visit Hell's Kitchen. Ralph Steadman art on the walls...instant cool points. We decided to check out their gospel brunch (complete with vocal quartet and keyboard player), and it was terrific. I had a truly filling and lovely bison burger topped with blue cheese and a side of fries. The fries were a vehicle for their amazing homemade ketchup, which couldn't be more tomato-y. Oh, I forgot to mention our starter! Two words: sausage bread. It's de-fucking-licious. Combined with Hell's Kitchen Peanut Butter, you've got toast that puts a foot in that ass. I bought a large jar of their PB for home. It had to be done.
• We must've spent three hours at Ikea. End result: we now own a Verksam chair, which has great back support. That, and a shoehorn that looks like a snake. Ssssss!!!
• I've admired Murray's from afar for years, and I decided that it was high time I admired it from inside. Yo...I can't remember the last time I was so stuffed AND happy. Silver Butter Knife Steak for two with potatoes au gratin, sauteed mushrooms, Caesar salad, and a mountain of shoestring onion rings. Steakgasm. Icing on the cake? Our waiter, Dennis. So suave. Fuck this graphic design and illustration shit...I wanna be him when I grow up.
  
• Tomorrow: Al's Breakfast and Texas Roadhouse in Grand Forks.
  

MPLS2010 - Post 2

• It's 12:13 AM. Adult Swim time. I'm preparing to sit through an episode of Bleach, and two episodes of Fullmetal Alchemist for one episode of Cowboy Bebop.
• A packed day! Breakfast with Lon, his lovely daughter Alice, and the super-awesome Dale Flattum was terrific. Corn pancakes, y'all.
• We went to Electric Fetus right after breakfast, followed by Robot Love, Soo Visual Arts Center, a nearby art store, and Cheapo. I'm coming back home poor.
• Had lunch at the Bad Waitress. Food = terrific. For non-alcoholic drinks, I recommend the Robert Palmer.
• From there, Sarah left me to my own devices at Big Brain Comics, while she found an amazing deal on shoes at Avenue.
• Have I mentioned how much I love Big Brain? I probably have. It's the cleanest and most organized comic store I've ever been in. While there, I heard the new Tom Waits live album and Grant Hart's new solo recording. Both are great. Again, more money was spent.
• Missed out on visiting the Who Made Who folks, so we briefly visited a nearby record store, then dined at Pizza Luce.
• Pizza Luce is my kind of place. The staff is fun, and the menu copy is suitably cheeky. We had some of the dopest wings I've ever tasted, followed by a killer 12" pizza, and an incredible sundae. God-willing, I'll be back.
• In the morning, Hell's Kitchen, then Ikea.
  

MPLS2010 - Post 1

• Howdy! Typin' atcha live from the Microtel in Bloomington, which is 10 minutes by car from the Mall of America.
• Left a Super 8 in Fargo for Albertville, MN this morning. Did a lot more shopping than either of us bargained for. Started that off with lunch at Culver's, a place I'd marry if such a union were legal...and if I wasn't already taken, of course.
• From Albertville to MOA. More shopping. I have new shoes. They were needed. Baked spaghetti at Tucci Benucch, followed by cheesecake. Stuffed as fuck.
• In the morning, breakfast at Maria's with Mr. Unitus. Peace!