Celebrate!

Yay! for birthday celebrations with my wonderful roomie!

Gobble! Gobble!

Okay, so I know that Turkey day has come and gone... and now it's already December. But I thought I would share a photo from Turkey day in the northwoods of Wisconsin.
Willow Wood Lodge is located close to my parent's cabin up north. The family and I went there for a free and fabulous turkey dinner!

Parked on I-94

I went to Madison last week to see Gaelic Storm (my favorite band). On the way back to MN on Friday I was parked on I-94 for four hours.
In the same spot.
No books to read or anything to do.
Sadly, I was stuck in a snowstorm and traffic was stopped due to multiple accidents. It took me twice as long to get home, but at least I was safe. A big thank you to the truck driver behind me who shared his twix candy bar with me!

Who's That Guy?

Michael J. Fox (clearly an impersonator) and Me.
I took photos at a corporate event and here is one of the 175 photos.

Home Sweet Home

In the past month I have been home to Wisconsin several times. I thought it would be nice to get a few shots of my Mom and Dad's house in Edgar. It's great how each home has it's own unique qualities; it's own unique history. This house was built right before I was born and I lived there until I moved away to college.

Fall for Pumpkins

This past Sunday I drove from Central Wisconsin back to Minnesota. The drive was sunny and many of the leaves in Wisconsin were beautiful shades of reds and yellows. I made one quick stop along the way to fulfill my pumpkin fix for the year. I doubt I will actually carve the pumpkin I selected, but it certainly adds a touch of fall to my place.

Please remember:
Never jump into a pile of leaves with a wet sucker.

Summer's Gone

I wish the rain would go away so I could enjoy another summer day.

This is a picture of the Willow Flowage in northern Wisconsin. I was out for a bike ride over Labor Day weekend and took this shot. This spot is about 2 miles from my parent's cabin.

Fear

What do I fear?

I fear that while driving down the highway materials from the flatbed
on a semi truck will come flying off and hit my car. Causing me to crash.

Fairchild

As I walked into the MN State Fairgrounds this year I had a song running through my head. I have only heard the song one time and it was all about the great Minnesota State Fair. It was performed by the house band at Big Top in the opening act before Gaelic Storm. First of all, it was weird to hear a MN State Fair song while I was in Wisconsin. Second, I'm annoyed that I cannot remember all of the clever lyrics.

It would be wrong to complete this post without any mention of food-on-a-stick. The Fair has everything from deep fried candy bars (on a stick) to teriyaki alligator (on a stick). So what was my stick of choice? A frozen banana dipped in chocolate. In Wisco we call them monkey tails and they are hand dipped upon ordering. In 'Sota they are pre-packaged and only come in chocolate. It still made me happy.

Top Of The World

I wished I was smarter
I wished I was stronger
I wish it had been easier
Instead of any longer
I wished I could have stood where you would have been proud
But that won't happen now
That won't happen now

There's a whole lot of singing that's never gonna be heard
Disappearing everyday without so much as a word somehow
Think I broke the wings off that little song bird
She's never gonna fly to the top of the world right now
Top of the world

I wished I'd a known you
Wished I'd a shown you
All of the things I was on the inside
I'd pretend to be sleeping
When you come in in the morning
To whisper good-bye
Go to work in the rain
I don't know why

'Cause everyone's singing
We just wanna be heard
Disappearing everyday without so much as a word somehow
Wanna grab a hold of that little song bird
Take her for a ride to the top of the world right now

To the top of the world

Gaelic Storm at Big Top!

For my birthday (8/10) I traveled to Bayfield, Wisconsin to see Gaelic Storm perform at Big Top Chautauqua. I wore my wellies and got on stage! It was a fabulous show.

On Saturday (8/12) I hit up the MN Irish Fair for more Gaelic Storm. Dancing was easier at this venue and more true fans were there to see GS.

When's the next GS show? Check out their website for a full listing. I'm looking ahead to the November shows in Eau Claire and Madison.

Click here to see more pictures from the show.

Diane Arbus

“A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you the less you know.”
- Diane Arbus

Photographs by Diane Arbus.

ever wonder?

Have you ever wondered why objects have certain names?
Take beds for example.
They are named King, Queen, Full, and Twin.
This does not make sense to me.
Shouldn't the Full and Twin be called Prince and Princess?

In case you wanted to know - I have a Prince.

The Survey!

TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF

Name: Robyn
Birthday: 8/10
Birthplace: Wausau, WI
Current Location: St. Paul, MN
Eye Color: Hazel
Hair Color: Blonde
Height: 5'7"
Right Handed or Left Handed: Right
Your Heritage: German, Polish, Irish
The Shoes You Wore Today: black sandals
Your Weakness: physically? endurance and upper body strength.
Your Fears: Making decisions that may lead to unhappiness.
Your Perfect Pizza: pineapple and Canadian bacon with just the right amount of cheese.
Goal You Would Like To Achieve This Year: personal happiness!
Your Most Overused Phrase On an instant messenger: I do not use instant messenger.
Thoughts First Waking Up: I hit the snooze once and then hit the shower.
Your Best Physical Feature: legs
Your Bedtime: usually around 10:30 p.m.
Your Most Missed Memory:
Pepsi or Coke: neither
MacDonalds or Burger King: if I have to pick - McDonald’s
Single or Group Dates: both!
Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea: neither
Chocolate or Vanilla: Twist
Cappuccino or Coffee: Caramel Latte Macchiato w/ Skim, no whip
Do you Smoke: Heavens, no!
Do you Swear: Sure
Do you Sing: Very loudly in my car
Do you Shower Daily: Yes.
Have you Been in Love: Yes.
Do you want to go to College: I am in graduate school right now.
Do you want to get Married: again? yes.
Do you believe in yourself: Yes.
Do you get Motion Sickness: Sometimes.
Do you think you are Attractive: Every person has a bit of beauty.
Are you a Health Freak: define health freak. I like to be healthy but I don't deny myself chocolate :)
Do you get along with your Parents: of course!
Do you like Thunderstorms: If I am in a safe place, yes.
Do you play an Instrument: I played percussion and clarinet back in the day. I would like to learn violin or steel drums.
In the past month have you Drank Alcohol: Yes.
In the past month have you Smoked: Nope!
In the past month have you been on Drugs: Not so much.
In the past month have you gone on a Date: Yes.
In the past month have you gone to a Mall: Yes.
In the past month have you eaten a box of Oreos: No.
In the past month have you eaten Sushi: No.
In the past month have you been on Stage: No.
In the past month have you been Dumped: Nope.
In the past month have you gone Skinny Dipping: No.
In the past month have you Stolen Anything: Don’t think so!
Ever been Drunk: Yes.
Ever been called a Tease: Probably.
Ever been Beaten up: Not so much.
Ever Shoplifted: Nope.
How do you want to Die: That’s a morbid question.
What do you want to be when you Grow Up: happy.
What country would you most like to Visit: Ireland.
Number of Drugs I have taken: zero
Number of CDs I own: not sure.
Number of Piercings: 2, one hole in each ear
Number of Tattoos: zero
Number of things in my Past I Regret: zero

Summer Softball!

My Dad played in a softball tourney in Edgar, WI last weekend. His team took first place in the 2-0 bracket!

My Dad is in the back row, fourth one in from the left, dark green shirt.

incredible!

There are many opportunities to learn about yourself when you take a road trip vacation.

Here is a sampling. On my summer road trip vacation, I learned...

...that minimizing material possessions reduces stress.
...how to laugh after a big fall.
...that I need to expand the adjectives in my vocabulary beyond "wow" and "fun."
...ravens will peck away at your windshield wipers if you do not cover them (the wipers) with towels.
...an air matress is a blessing.
...that disconnecting from the web and cell phones is a fabulous thing.
...it is a habit of mine to put the needs of others way beyond mine (to a point of not saying how I really feel when asked).
...you can't actually go into the Goonie House - it's privately owned.
...America is an amazing country and I need to explore more of it.

crazy little thing

it's a crazy little thing.
life.
crazy because it does not go as planned.
and i am fond of a good plan.
maybe i should only plan on today.
today is here and going fine.
if i plan for tomorrow and tomorrow never comes then what good was all that planning?
but if i don't plan for tomorrow then how can i move forward?

i think i need to plan.
yes.
plans are good.
but the plan needs to stay flexible.
like play doh.

A flash of harmless lightening,
A mist of rainbow dyes,
The burnished sunbeams brightening,
From flower to flower,
He flies.

- John Banister Tabb

The Heart of a Lion

The largest and brightest star of the constellation Leo is Regulus (Alpha Leonis). This large blue star shines brightly as the heart of the lion. Although not a giant star, Alpha Leonis is still over five times as large as our Sun. It is one of the 25 brightest stars in the sky.

Leo is the fifth sign in astrology and includes invididuals born between July 23 and August 22.