Thought for Food

“Minnesota Gurls” (via biteofpythias).

I have never been prouder to be a Minnesotan. No siree, dontcha know.

Jessi reminded me of this photo I took in Lanesboro, MN. Tellin’ it like it is.

Highlight of the weekend was definitely tubing. Lounging for three hours where the cool water meets the hot sun? Yes please. (Even if the Root River is disconcertingly brown and passes through umpteen corn and soybean fields and so is probably 28% insecticide/fertilizer runoff. What’s a little infertility with your Sunday recreation? Life is for living on the edge.)

That said, I didn’t expect it to be so treacherous (ok, a teensy bit treacherous). Riding down the “rapids” (or better said, the “slightly fasters”), I ran into a capsized convoy of tubes and capsized myself. Bye-bye sunglasses, bye-bye flip-flop! And ouch, rock, ouch-ouch rock rock!

In calmer water, we tried to capture my things. Found the missing flip-flop but not the glasses. However we did find lots of cold cans of Bud Light from the capsized convoy.

“Who cares about Marc by Marc Jacobs sunglasses?” I cried, “Free beer!”

I cracked one open and took a glug (whilst mugging for Gena’s waterproof camera, naturally). Promptly spit it right back out. As disgusting as I remember (I think the last one I had was in a dorm room) but hilariously foamy. Which is all to say, picture #7? Not what it appears. That kind of thing can ruin a girl’s reputation. I would NEVER drink Bud Light. ;)

Hangin’ out on an old railroad bridge with my parents and uncle Leo (who rescued me in Chicago when I had to fly there from Indianapolis … thank you!).

Wearing (‘cause I know you’re dying to know) … my favorite-ever work-out shorts, slouchy-pocket t-shirt (I now have three, I love them so) and Bensimon sneakers, both from Madewell, Champion for GapBody reversible sports bra (adore the fit), and Marc by Marc Jacobs sunglasses, now dearly departed (more on that later).

My sweet cousins below the treehouse (there was even a treehouse!).

PS: Cleo got red cowgirl boots for her birthday. The girl is set!

Lanesboro, 6 miles down the bike path, is about as quaint as can be.

There was even a polka band playing oompa-pa music in Das Wurst Haus.

Can’t get that in New York, no sir.

(There’s a nearby Amish community.)

The house sat at the end of a gravel road, no other buildings in sight. A wonderful, shaded bike trail (which was once railroad tracks) went right past, and we made great use of it. That’s my dad under the cathedral of trees.

On the first day someone wrote on the path with chalk: “Say HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Mark is turning 60 and Cleo [my cousin] is turning 7!”

It was so fun hanging out on the porch and hearing happy birthday wishes as bikers whizzed by.

As wraparound porches go, truly the ne plus ultra.

Three, count ‘em three, porch swings and plenty of wicker seating for wine-sipping and watercolor-painting and high-chair-sitting and birthday-pie-eating (and, yes, fly-swatting).

The pain was worth it. My trip to southern Minnesota to celebrate my dad’s 60th birthday was picture-perfect (as you’re about to see, whether ya like it or not :).

That’s the whole gang on the (rented) farmhouse’s beautiful wraparound porch. 35 of us, I believe, or was it 37? 

He’s got a lot of fans.

My wonderful, one-and-only dad turns 60 on Sunday and I’m headed home to celebrate. We’re spending the weekend at a farmhouse near the Red Root River in Minnesota and more than 30 friends and family are joining us. I’m looking forward to biking, tubing (with a Nalgene full of champagne, of course), Badminton Cups in the fading sun, BBQ ribs and pies and more BBQ ribs and pies, relief from this month-long heat wave (it’s only 85 there!), big birthday surprises, and some of my favorite people in the whole damn world.

Happy weekend, everyone!