HELLO YOU.
Item number one of utmost importance is that Bowling for the Cure happens this Saturday, April 22. Here is a brand-new flyer with the raffle prizes and all the information you should need. Please be there, because it will be awesome, and you can’t argue about the raffle prizes being pretty fantastic, too. So Friday! I discarded the gym idea but quick when I realized how nice it was outside, and walked instead. I kind of love this route, because it’s exactly six miles, covers a lot of different-and-interesting territory (like the Japanese garden at Lake Harriet, because I love the paper-crane memorial thing), and also you’ll notice I skip the most annoying intersection in Uptown because I usually get there around rush hour. I did it in 1.5 hours, and 4mph rules. Then we did indeed go play GIANT T-REX WITH SCARY-LIGHT-UP EYES MINIGOLF in Spring Lake Park. I didn’t know where Spring Lake Park was until I went there, and now I’m not sure I’m happy that I know. But the minigolf was superfunny, and it took us about fourteen hours to get through it all, since we’re totally never going to be professional golfers. Which is fine, because I hate polo shirts. Saturday was the first opportunity I had to spend quality time with the new Cybex equipment at the Y, and it is hot. Of course, I got all overenthusiastic and did a lot more than the usual, like figuring out that I could leg-press 275lbs. 3x12x275 later, I may have created some hammie-and-ass soreness that would hang around for the next 48 hours. I’ve also been riding the bikes there pretty regularly, since we’ve talked about renting mountain bikes in Alaska, and I’m completely untrained at that. For some reason, I get bored to death on the bikes and have to stare blankly at the TV. I have no idea why it would be any different than the elliptical, but it is. Maybe because it involves sitting? Saturday night, I went to see the Dan Band at First Ave with Wendy and Jenny. I had no idea what to expect, other than the fact that Wendy promised it would be really funny. We got there pretty early and were going to go sit at the Irish bar across the street after we got our hands stamped, but then realized that First Ave was pretty empty, and therefore: tables. We decided to hang out there. I had forgotten that the Yeah Yeah Yeahs were playing there the next night, and I wanted to go, but knew no one else who liked them. I decided to ask about tickets anyway. The dude at the counter said they had only two tickets left; I figured it had to be a sign, and bought them. We went to the upstairs bar and got a table overlooking the stage. We watched Brice, which was unnoteworthy except for the keyboardist, who would occasionally play a maraca-style instrument shaped like a pineapple, and therefore became the subject of much speculation and amusement. Since the floor wasn’t crowded, we decided to go downstairs for the Dan Band. Which I’m really glad we did, since it quickly became the most-fun show ever. That’s saying a lot. We were in hysterics the whole time. We danced and sang along at the top of our lungs. I nearly died during the Milkshake song. SO GODDAMN FUNNY. And apparently Dan is straight? Huh. Because Cindy and I had had a long conversation last week about the fact that the last two stalls in the bathrooms at First Ave not only look out onto the street but can actually be seen-into from outside, we had to use them. Wendy and I sat on the radiator and waited; as if by magic, the doors on those stalls opened at the same time, and the girls in them exited. I yelled GO! GO! GO! and we made a dash for them. Which was really awesome, because there was nobody else waiting. We sat in there and watched the goings-on on the street while we peed, and I made sure that Minneapolis saw my ass when I pulled up my pants. I’m just like that, you know. First Ave was too slow to start the dance music, so we decided to go to the 90s instead. We danced in the retro bar until it closed at one, and then went down to the techno bar, which should be best remembered by the giant Soco mural on the wall. We danced some more, and I honestly cannot express how VERY MUCH I love the dancing. It’s almost mind-altering. When I write my book that consists of a giant list of things guaranteed to make you really, really happy, ‘dancing with complete abandon’ will be in the top ten, without question. Round about 1:30 or so, a guy came dancing up to me, and I don’t really remember much about him except that he was shorter than me and had on a wifebeater and gold chain. So, totally hot, right? Hahaha. Anyway, we were dancing in that way people do when it’s 1:30 and there are strobe-lights and smoke and they’re drunk (I wasn’t at that point, but dancing makes me feel verymuchso regardless). It was totally fine until he went to kiss me, at which point I very artfully dodged (um, I think it involved shoving), and made a run for Wendy and Jenny. He was kind enough to only assault me from behind once after that, and after the brushoff, he disappeared. Shortly thereafter, we laughed our way back to the car. Sunday morning, Stephanie and Wendy and I did the 6-mile round again in the sorta-rain, because we’re hardcore like that. Afterwards, I had to go have family-time with the parents. My mom made veggie enchiladas for Easter, because she’s cute. Stephanie and I went outside to play catch, which then turned into marathon-catch, since we just use it as talking-time. I’m not the best at throwing (sometimes the tree catches it), but I’m a good catcher, and I do it with panache. Seriously, she’s always laughing at me for doing these ballet-moves. It’s not intentional, but it is quite stylish. Also, I dive a lot, and essentially end up doing a good hundred-or-so lunges with my left leg. Guess who’s limping like a dumbass today? Yeah, me. SO SORE. Last night, Cindy and I went to see the Yeah Yeah Yeahs at First Ave. It was a great show, if short, but that was OK because, well, I’ve been out into the hours most people consider morning five nights in a row now, and that’s going to start leading to no damn good. Oh, they did a slower, acoustic version of ‘Maps’. LOVE. Tonight Wendy and I are going to learn to drive a train. My advice to you would be to avoid the railways of Minnesota for a few weeks, just to be on the safe side. HOT.Jenni P.S. Oh, and this design? Ultrasimple is the new black. I updated a lot of crap on this page, too.