Well, it was a long weekend since it was Thanksgiving weekend. Not a whole lot really took place over the weekend. I did work at Paradise, the day before Thanksgiving and the restaurant wasn’t too busy. We had a good number of people, but by no means was the restaurant packed. The same could be said for Friday and Saturday evening too. In fact, on Saturday, I was slated to work from 4-8PM, but I ended up leaving at 6PM since there was no one at the restaurant.
I coordinated the meal delivery at the local Hy-Vee on Thanksgiving day and that went on without a hitch. I had a lady come at 10:40AM and they were ready for her. Another guy came ten minutes after her and then the rest followed in a couple of minutes. The store really did a very good job organizing everything and it made my job a whole heck of a lot easier. All I really needed to do was to tick the names of the people off and that was pretty much it. The coordinating the meals, Anna and I headed over to Joel and Kathy’s for Thanksgiving meal. Joel prepared an amazing lamb roast and it was delectable to say the least. I brought a salad and two bottles of wine and everything complemented one another perfectly. We had more than our fair share of food and drinks. After dinner, we sat around and just chatted. Life was really good.
Anna left for Maple Grove on Friday morning and made it there safe and sound. She had a fantastic time with her little nephew and I can’t wait to see him over Christmas. I pretty much caught up on my dvds that I borrowed from the library before heading to Paradise. It was Charlene’s birthday and Sarah had texted me to inform me that they would be bringing Charlene over to the restaurant for dinner and I treated them to dinner. They all enjoyed the meal and I was so happy I got to see Charlene on her birthday. Talk about a great night.
Saturday during the day was pretty low key once again. I did spend some time in the library before heading to the theaters to watch a movie. Most people were not interested in the movie I saw so there was barely anyone at my screening, but I do know that the other screenings were pretty packed. I caught the movie, Ninja Assassins and it was definitely an action movie that met my expectations. The restaurant was quiet that night and after I left, I ended up going to Barnes and Noble. There were not a lot of people there and my hunch is that people did most of their shopping the day before so for the most part, they were all spending time away from the malls.
Anna got home on Sunday and she was more than excited to tell me all about her trip and what’s new with Mikey. He’s a small little baby, but doing really well considering he’s a premature baby. That’s really all the news from me for now.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Mahler's Symphony #2 "Resurrection"
The highlight for the weekend was most definitely, beyond any doubt whatsoever, the DM Symphony concert. They played Mahler’s Symphony #2 also known as the Resurrection Symphony and it blew my mind. This was a humongous piece that called for extra instruments in addition to a choir that was close to 150 people strong. Massive would be an understatement. The piece was played without any intermission whatsoever so for 90 minutes, all of us were glues to our seats entirely enthralled by what was being played right before our very eyes. Needless to say, at the end of it all, we gave the musicians a rousing standing ovation that lasted a good ten minutes. They more than deserved it to say the least and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to listen to a performance like that in my lifetime. That was definitely a memory that will last a very long time.
I drove Anna to the walk-in clinic on Thursday and she finally went to see a doctor. She has a sinus infection and the doctor put her on a ten-day antibiotic treatment. She’s feeling much better now and sounds better too. The downside was that she could not go up to Maple Grove to see baby Mikey, but she’ll be able to see him over Thanksgiving break. I believe she’ll be leaving on Friday morning and coming back on Sunday. I know she’s more than pumped about the trip. After the doctor’s appointment, we had dinner with a friend of out who is Moslem and she’s leaving DM to move to Jordan where her family is from. She’s an amazing person and I know I’ll miss spending time with her.
Friday night was the first time in three weeks I worked at the restaurant and business is definitely picking up to say the least which is good. The road construction is almost over which means people will be able to come to the restaurant without having to worry about road detours. It was nice to have a steady business on a Friday night.
Saturday morning, I got up early so I could watch the Liverpool vs. Manchester City game. It’s amazing how the injuries to Liverpool’s players have affected them. Unlike some supporters who are panicking, I truly feel that once everyone is back from injury, we’ll b able to make a run. We may not win the premiership this year, but I do believe we’ll be able to provide some challenge. After the game, I sang at a funeral Mass for a nun whose mother died a couple of days ago. A number of us from St. Kate’s were asked to sing if at all possible and I volunteered to. After the Mass, I headed over to Carola’s apartment to help her out with some computer problem she’s been having. It took a little longer than expected, but that’s OK since I really did not have anything going on that afternoon.
Anna sent me a text while I was working yesterday that baby Mikey is now home and no longer at the hospital. Needless to say, Heidi and Mark are more than happy with the latest development. Karen will be able to spend a good two if not three days with him at home before she drives back to Bismarck for Thanksgiving.
With Thanksgiving this Thursday, it’ll be a short work week. I’ll once again be coordinating the meal delivery then we’ll be headed over to Joel and Kathy’s for a Thanksgiving meal. It should be a fun afternoon for sure. I’ll be working at the restaurant on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evening since I’ll be in town and that allowed people the opportunity to take some time off and spend it with their family.
That’s all from me.
I drove Anna to the walk-in clinic on Thursday and she finally went to see a doctor. She has a sinus infection and the doctor put her on a ten-day antibiotic treatment. She’s feeling much better now and sounds better too. The downside was that she could not go up to Maple Grove to see baby Mikey, but she’ll be able to see him over Thanksgiving break. I believe she’ll be leaving on Friday morning and coming back on Sunday. I know she’s more than pumped about the trip. After the doctor’s appointment, we had dinner with a friend of out who is Moslem and she’s leaving DM to move to Jordan where her family is from. She’s an amazing person and I know I’ll miss spending time with her.
Friday night was the first time in three weeks I worked at the restaurant and business is definitely picking up to say the least which is good. The road construction is almost over which means people will be able to come to the restaurant without having to worry about road detours. It was nice to have a steady business on a Friday night.
Saturday morning, I got up early so I could watch the Liverpool vs. Manchester City game. It’s amazing how the injuries to Liverpool’s players have affected them. Unlike some supporters who are panicking, I truly feel that once everyone is back from injury, we’ll b able to make a run. We may not win the premiership this year, but I do believe we’ll be able to provide some challenge. After the game, I sang at a funeral Mass for a nun whose mother died a couple of days ago. A number of us from St. Kate’s were asked to sing if at all possible and I volunteered to. After the Mass, I headed over to Carola’s apartment to help her out with some computer problem she’s been having. It took a little longer than expected, but that’s OK since I really did not have anything going on that afternoon.
Anna sent me a text while I was working yesterday that baby Mikey is now home and no longer at the hospital. Needless to say, Heidi and Mark are more than happy with the latest development. Karen will be able to spend a good two if not three days with him at home before she drives back to Bismarck for Thanksgiving.
With Thanksgiving this Thursday, it’ll be a short work week. I’ll once again be coordinating the meal delivery then we’ll be headed over to Joel and Kathy’s for a Thanksgiving meal. It should be a fun afternoon for sure. I’ll be working at the restaurant on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evening since I’ll be in town and that allowed people the opportunity to take some time off and spend it with their family.
That’s all from me.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Man, what a great weekend!
What a week and weekend that just went by. It was out of this world!
Anna and I went to the performance of “Rent” the musical on Wednesday. We saw them when we went to St. Louis during the summer, and thought that it was a great performance even if they seats weren’t the best. This time we had amazing seats. We were not able to sit together but we were two rows and two seats apart right smack in the middle and five rows from the front. Trust me, you could not get any better seats than what we got. Both of us are huge fans of rent and I must say that this production even though both the leads were the same, was a better production than what we saw in St. Louis. Everything about it was just amazing and I’m so glad we got to see it before the tour officially ends. What an evening.
On Friday, we got to see the Vienna Boys Choir and talk about an out of this world choir. The boys were outstanding and they sang impeccably. Regardless of what language they sang in, you could tell that they did not have one bit of accent. It was truly a joy to listen to them. They sand three encores and the last was the song, “We are the world” which was so appropriate. All the boys were showcased in the last encores. Needless to say, all of us gave them a rousing standing ovation. They most certainly deserved it alright. After the concert, Joel and Kathy invited us over to their place for a nightcap. We had a fun time with them and another couple who were at the concert too. This couple goes to the same church as them. What a wonderful way to end the evening.
Oh, I’m sure I mentioned that Anna’s sister gave birth to a little baby boy on Wednesday. He was born a month early weighing in at 5lbs and 3 oz. Anna spoke to Heidi yesterday and she said that he’s slowly gaining weight and hopefully he’ll be able leave the hospital this weekend. They hospital will not let him leave until he’s able to eat by himself. Anna is planning on heading north this weekend to spend time with her sister and her little nephew. Karen will be there too. Everyone is happy that everything is going well with the baby and mom, and just can’t wait for the baby to come home.
Anna has not been feeling well for a number of days and she slept in on Saturday morning. We really did not do a whole lot that day. We watched the Iowa Football game and viewed some dvds. She most certainly did not feel up to doing anything which was fine by me. In many ways, Saturday was a blur because we really did not do anything productive whatsoever.
That really was the week that was. It was a lot of fun. This coming weekend, I can guarantee that I do not have as much going on. The symphony will be performing and it’ll be a good one. It’s going to be huge orchestral piece together with a large number of vocals. I can’t wait for that.
Anna and I went to the performance of “Rent” the musical on Wednesday. We saw them when we went to St. Louis during the summer, and thought that it was a great performance even if they seats weren’t the best. This time we had amazing seats. We were not able to sit together but we were two rows and two seats apart right smack in the middle and five rows from the front. Trust me, you could not get any better seats than what we got. Both of us are huge fans of rent and I must say that this production even though both the leads were the same, was a better production than what we saw in St. Louis. Everything about it was just amazing and I’m so glad we got to see it before the tour officially ends. What an evening.
On Friday, we got to see the Vienna Boys Choir and talk about an out of this world choir. The boys were outstanding and they sang impeccably. Regardless of what language they sang in, you could tell that they did not have one bit of accent. It was truly a joy to listen to them. They sand three encores and the last was the song, “We are the world” which was so appropriate. All the boys were showcased in the last encores. Needless to say, all of us gave them a rousing standing ovation. They most certainly deserved it alright. After the concert, Joel and Kathy invited us over to their place for a nightcap. We had a fun time with them and another couple who were at the concert too. This couple goes to the same church as them. What a wonderful way to end the evening.
Oh, I’m sure I mentioned that Anna’s sister gave birth to a little baby boy on Wednesday. He was born a month early weighing in at 5lbs and 3 oz. Anna spoke to Heidi yesterday and she said that he’s slowly gaining weight and hopefully he’ll be able leave the hospital this weekend. They hospital will not let him leave until he’s able to eat by himself. Anna is planning on heading north this weekend to spend time with her sister and her little nephew. Karen will be there too. Everyone is happy that everything is going well with the baby and mom, and just can’t wait for the baby to come home.
Anna has not been feeling well for a number of days and she slept in on Saturday morning. We really did not do a whole lot that day. We watched the Iowa Football game and viewed some dvds. She most certainly did not feel up to doing anything which was fine by me. In many ways, Saturday was a blur because we really did not do anything productive whatsoever.
That really was the week that was. It was a lot of fun. This coming weekend, I can guarantee that I do not have as much going on. The symphony will be performing and it’ll be a good one. It’s going to be huge orchestral piece together with a large number of vocals. I can’t wait for that.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Flying solo.
Well, I pretty much spent the weekend alone. Anna went to Rock Island, IL to accompany a number of students who were at a national competition. She left on Friday and came back on Saturday evening. I really did not do a whole lot of stuff except to watch the final season of Boston Legal. I came upon the dvds when I was at the library and could not believe my luck. I’ve been a huge fan of Boston Legal for a number of years and have been trying to get my hand on the final season. I’m so glad I got to watch it. Needless to say, I was one happy camper and it was a joy watching the final season. There were a number of episodes where I just laughed so I hard I ended up crying.
Our young adults group had dinner on Wednesday and we had six people at the dinner. All of us had a good time. On Thursday, Hoover High School had a fundraiser to send their band students to Kofu, Japan which is the sister city of Des Moines. The fundraiser took place at a Japanese restaurant and it was very well attended. I was happy to see a lot of people supporting the students. Anna bid on a number of items and actually won a round of golf at the Ankeny Country Club. She said it’ll be a good gift when her dad is in town since he loves to golf. The admission ticket included a number of food items, but it was not enough for me so I ended up ordering some sushi and sashimi from the menu. It was good.
Saturday morning I had breakfast with Jim. It’s been a couple of months since I caught up with him after his retirement from priesthood. We had breakfast at the restaurant where we’ll be opening the wedding gifts the day after the wedding. I’ve heard really good things about their breakfast buffet and came away impressed. The food was good and there was more than enough to eat. I believe everyone will have a good time at the breakfast buffet.
After the buffet, I met up with Joel and Kevin at Star Bar for our monthly guys’ meeting. We were glad Kevin was able to make it. He has not been able to make the last three meeting, so it was nice to catch up with him. After the meeting, I came back to the house and watched more Boston Legal episodes. Anna arrived home at around 3:30PM. The student made it to the semifinal, but did not make it to the finals. We went for evening Mass then it was a fundraiser at St. Kate’s to help send the students to El Salvador. It was a very nice evening that was a lot of fun. Charlene sat at our table and it has been some time since I caught up with her so that was very nice. We then went to a Halloween party hosted by Anna’s friends. A number of people dressed up in different costumes and some really cracked me up. There weren’t that many people in attendance, but all of us had a good old time.
That was how the week and weekend went. It wasn’t too eventful. This week, Anna and I will be going to, “Rent” the musical on Wednesday then on Friday, we’ll be going to the Vienna Boy’s Choir at Drake and it’ll be an out of this world concert, I’m sure of it. Saturday, we’ll be headed to Ann’s house for dinner. I told Ann that I’ll be more than happy to get more yard work done if it needs to be taken care of. It’s still kind of early to predict the weather for the weekend, but we’ll see.
Our young adults group had dinner on Wednesday and we had six people at the dinner. All of us had a good time. On Thursday, Hoover High School had a fundraiser to send their band students to Kofu, Japan which is the sister city of Des Moines. The fundraiser took place at a Japanese restaurant and it was very well attended. I was happy to see a lot of people supporting the students. Anna bid on a number of items and actually won a round of golf at the Ankeny Country Club. She said it’ll be a good gift when her dad is in town since he loves to golf. The admission ticket included a number of food items, but it was not enough for me so I ended up ordering some sushi and sashimi from the menu. It was good.
Saturday morning I had breakfast with Jim. It’s been a couple of months since I caught up with him after his retirement from priesthood. We had breakfast at the restaurant where we’ll be opening the wedding gifts the day after the wedding. I’ve heard really good things about their breakfast buffet and came away impressed. The food was good and there was more than enough to eat. I believe everyone will have a good time at the breakfast buffet.
After the buffet, I met up with Joel and Kevin at Star Bar for our monthly guys’ meeting. We were glad Kevin was able to make it. He has not been able to make the last three meeting, so it was nice to catch up with him. After the meeting, I came back to the house and watched more Boston Legal episodes. Anna arrived home at around 3:30PM. The student made it to the semifinal, but did not make it to the finals. We went for evening Mass then it was a fundraiser at St. Kate’s to help send the students to El Salvador. It was a very nice evening that was a lot of fun. Charlene sat at our table and it has been some time since I caught up with her so that was very nice. We then went to a Halloween party hosted by Anna’s friends. A number of people dressed up in different costumes and some really cracked me up. There weren’t that many people in attendance, but all of us had a good old time.
That was how the week and weekend went. It wasn’t too eventful. This week, Anna and I will be going to, “Rent” the musical on Wednesday then on Friday, we’ll be going to the Vienna Boy’s Choir at Drake and it’ll be an out of this world concert, I’m sure of it. Saturday, we’ll be headed to Ann’s house for dinner. I told Ann that I’ll be more than happy to get more yard work done if it needs to be taken care of. It’s still kind of early to predict the weather for the weekend, but we’ll see.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Feeling a little under the weather.
Sorry I’ve not written sooner. I’ve been feeling a little under the weather. Not to worry, it’s not H1N1. I’ve spoken to a couple of people who had it and they all say that it’s a very fast acting virus. Within 12-24 hours you know you’re sick. I was feeling a little achy and have had a slight fever – not enough to warrant me calling in sick at the office. I’m feeling better now, and today was the first day I woke up without any aches and that’s a good thing.
Not too much took place over the week and weekend. Anna’s choir had their first concert on Tuesday and I surprised her by taking the evening off at the restaurant and making it to her concert. She did not know I was going to be there. Her students did a good job and they sounded good, much to her pleasure. One of her senior students who has been in choir since his freshman year even said that it was the best concert he’s been a part of. Kudos to Anna!
For three hours on Saturday, we both went to a workshop pertaining to liturgical chances that will be taking place in the Catholic Church in the coming years. It was a good workshop and the person leading it is a dear friend of ours. We were told that the earliest these changes would come into place would be the end of next year, but that’s a big if. After the workshop, I went over to Ann’s place and helped her out with some yard work. The weather was nice enough outside that we got quite a lot done. Anna could not make it because her band had a gig that night. As always, it was great to catch up with Ann. We’ve not gotten together for some time so just being with one another was really nice.
That’s pretty much the weekend. This evening, our young adults have dinner then tomorrow, we’ll be attending a fund raiser organized by the band students at Anna’s school. They are trying to raise some money so the students can go to Japan. On Saturday, it’s another fund raiser and this time it’s at Drake for the students so we could send the students to El Salvador. After the fund raiser, we’ll be headed to her friend’s place. They are having their annual Halloween Party and Anna has an idea of what we’ll be wearing. I’m going to leave that up to her!
Looks like it’s going to be a busy week for the both of us. Cheerios!
Not too much took place over the week and weekend. Anna’s choir had their first concert on Tuesday and I surprised her by taking the evening off at the restaurant and making it to her concert. She did not know I was going to be there. Her students did a good job and they sounded good, much to her pleasure. One of her senior students who has been in choir since his freshman year even said that it was the best concert he’s been a part of. Kudos to Anna!
For three hours on Saturday, we both went to a workshop pertaining to liturgical chances that will be taking place in the Catholic Church in the coming years. It was a good workshop and the person leading it is a dear friend of ours. We were told that the earliest these changes would come into place would be the end of next year, but that’s a big if. After the workshop, I went over to Ann’s place and helped her out with some yard work. The weather was nice enough outside that we got quite a lot done. Anna could not make it because her band had a gig that night. As always, it was great to catch up with Ann. We’ve not gotten together for some time so just being with one another was really nice.
That’s pretty much the weekend. This evening, our young adults have dinner then tomorrow, we’ll be attending a fund raiser organized by the band students at Anna’s school. They are trying to raise some money so the students can go to Japan. On Saturday, it’s another fund raiser and this time it’s at Drake for the students so we could send the students to El Salvador. After the fund raiser, we’ll be headed to her friend’s place. They are having their annual Halloween Party and Anna has an idea of what we’ll be wearing. I’m going to leave that up to her!
Looks like it’s going to be a busy week for the both of us. Cheerios!
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