My Turn

Have you ever been an EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH ? I don't believe that I have ever had that experience...UNTIL NOW!

Yep, I am an official employee of the month. Does that sound like I am bragging? Well, I'm not. Here's the deal. Where I work, each month two individuals are named employee of the month. I know, it is a singular sort of title but nevertheless, two people share it each month. It isn't a merit award; that is why I am not bragging. Everyone gets a turn. It was simply my turn to be named.

There are two perks to enjoy as employee(s) of the month. The first is a reserved parking spot near the building. It is right beside the spots reserved for all the doctors who do surgery at our clinic.

Unfortunately, it really is just one spot. I used it one day last week when the other employee of the month was out sick. It would have been great except by the time I left work, I'd forgotten about it. Yep, I walked to the regular parking lot and had to turn around and return to my car. EMBARRASSING! I think I will leave the parking spot for the other employee of the month.

The second perk is very nice, though. Every day someone at work places a lunch order for any of the surgeons who are present for lunch. They get the meal from a different restaurant each day. They have copies of the restaurants' menus and the physicians get to choose what they want and it magically appears for them about noon. Cool for them, huh?  Well, as one of the employee of the month honorees, I also get to order a free lunch each day. Woweeeeeeee!

So, being an employee of the month, even sharing it, is very tasty!  

Minnesota Tourists

On Monday we became full-on tourists for a day.  I love, love, love being a tourist!  

The main stop for our day was to visit some Minneapolis ruins.  What?  You didn't know there were ruins to tour in Minneapolis?  Well, it wasn't like the Mayan ruins we'd toured in Mexico, or Greek or Roman ruins overseas, but it was quite interesting.

What we were touring was Mill City Museum, known as "the Most Explosive Museum in the World". It is a museum built right into the burned out shell of an old flour mill.  The flour mill had experienced two disasters in it's past, a fire and a huge explosion caused by flour dust.  It turns out that flour dust is more explosive than gunpowder!  I bet you didn't know that!

The mill was right along the Mississippi River.  The area now is a mix of old, deserted mills as well as trendy restaurants and upscale condos, some built right into the old, old buildings.  The tour included a ride up to an observation deck where we could look out over the river, the city and down into the ruins.

After our tour of the mill, we crossed the Mississippi on the Stone Arch Bridge, open only to pedestrians and bicyclists.  We enjoyed a nice lunch, just happy to be together.  

I hope you enjoy the photos of our day as Minnesota Tourists...

The outside of the flour mill.  The observation deck is the top floor of that section above the ruins.

The sign was still mounted on top.

 Looking down from the observation deck.

 Our brother-in-law, Joe, looking very, very interested in the view.

 My very beautiful sister-in-law, Sue, reluctantly letting me take her photograph for my blog.

 Another mill across the river.  Parts of it are being made into upscale apartments and lofts.

 The Stone Arch Bridge across the Mississippi was quite charming.

 The weather was absolutely perfect for our lunch outdoors.

Just a LITTLE Lunch

I picked up Maria and Cordelia Thursday.  Cordy's energy has improved and so we took a sack lunch and went to join Grandpa at church for lunch.  We went into the fellowship hall and Cordy saw the preschool chairs and tables set up.  She was quite intrigued by the furniture that was just her size!  So, we had a little lunch.  Get it?  LITTLE lunch...

VACATION!

I recently enjoyed a nice family vacation to Arizona.  There, we spent time with Ben (son), Sara (daughter-in-law), and Carol (mother-in-law).  It was so great just to be together.  I really think a family commune would be a good idea but I can't quite get everyone on board with that. 

We made it to downtown Phoenix to see Body World and The Brain.  Have you seen that exhibition?  I was excited to see it and was actually quite awed by the experience.  Each body was posed to best show muscles, nerves, etc.  The exhibit included a baby in utero as well as babies from about all stages of prenatal development.  I think those were the ones most impressive to me.  Even at 8 weeks gestation, the babies were clearly human.  How can abortion be right?  Oops...I was just about to get up on my soapbox.  Maybe another day.

Anyway, Body World was amazing but knowing that the bodies were real people gave me a very odd feeling.  I wasn't creeped out but rather felt like I was getting a little too personal with strangers.  Just for the record, I do not want to be plasticized.

After the tour, we went for lunch.  The weather was lovely!

Here are pictures from our outdoor lunch...

 It was a good time.  I am so grateful for the ability to travel to family.