Hard to not think about Thanksgiving in any year without also thinking about food. The corn casseroles, all ready to go in the oven. We’re hosting a big group, so need to be prepared!
And the aforementioned “big group”…
That’s right, I just added a new category/tag as of this post too. Welcome to “Koodoo” on the far left next to Little Miss!
Hey look, a rare picture with me in it!
Enough group pictures! Time to start digging in.
Okay fine, one last group picture, this time off TJ’s phone.
-FF
So like I said previously, Redflare’s summer didn’t go as she planned.
So when she planted her garden in the spring, events occurred where she chose to then not tend to it as much as she originally wanted.
What that meant though, as we were picking apples, is that we found a good stash of fresh tomatoes hiding away to bring in!
-FF
Fall came and we realized that the apple trees were looking extra ready to be picked.
Redflare was away so we weren’t quite sure when to go about doing it, but out we went.
We got quite a few!
-FF
So this was the first year (even though now it’s been over by a few weeks) that they went back to school physically after covid.
I wanted to make sure they started things off with a favorite and fun breakfast for the event.
Coffeecake!
It’s like a cinnamon crumble cake, but for some reason we all call it coffeecake.
-FF
So on the way home we had the rare opportunity timing wise to go ahead and visit this place rather than just drive by it like we usually have to do because of other commitments or timing (they’re closed in the winter, for example).
When we were driving by in August (2022) they had a bunch of Marvel statues so naturally all of us being nerds, we went in to take a look.
TJ insisted I should pose next to some, so in a rare me sighting, I obliged and did so.
Hopefully Hulk don’t mind paparazzi.
He didn’t seem to.
And because I barely have a sweet tooth, but do like soda, I treated myself to this oddity to finish off my drive home.
(It was very good, though it exploded into my lap.)
-FF
All I wanted was a cliff bar between orientation sessions.
All I got… was heartbreak.
-FF
If we’re in the Twin Cities, where do we go eat that’s nice and close now that we’re checked into the hotel and before we officially park for orientation itself? (They let us just park in the front drop off driveway as we unloaded our bags.)
Looking at the Google Maps of the area previously, we already had a good idea of where we were going to go:
We haven’t been to an Old Chicago for a few years at this point, so it was a very welcome revisit.
To celebrate Superman’s birthday further he wanted to go to Red Lobster.
Newbie naturally went for her usual of just fries and their biscuits.
Meanwhile Little Miss went for the crab.
So I woke up nice and early naturally for the second day of the orientation. Time to go hunting for breakfast I guess.
No, not Starbucks. Caribou.
Why not go with the cliché? Starbucks didn’t have a mint coffee. I walked in, looked at their menu, and walked out and across the street. Came to find out later that Little Miss’ orientation group went to the Caribou too, just at a slightly different time, so we barely missed each other.
-FF
This summer (now we’re into the end of June for some reason rather than July) Little Miss had her college orientation weekend.
I think the strangest part about it was having time to myself. We were there for her orientation, but the parent stuff was really only Saturday with a few smaller things Sunday morning, leaving my Saturday evening in Minneapolis free.
So I went walking. Both to find someplace to eat for dinner and because I wasn’t really sure what else to do in case Little Miss needed something.
What I did eventually find, and confirmed with Google, was a restaurant/bar right near campus.
The weekend was intended to make her get out of her comfort zone, but here I am, sitting down by myself, and ordering food.
FlameFlash.net 