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Heat Waves and Night Markets
Jun. 10th, 2017 09:52 amUgh, we're supposed to hit 95 F/35 C today.
Luckily, a couple of days ago, Shawn and I performed the annual wrestling of the air-conditioner into the bedroom window ritual. This annual event is always such a huge chore, partly because the air-conditioner is heavy and awkward, but also because we have a HUGE king-size bed in a room that pretty much fits the bed and not a lot else. Oh, and of course the bed has a cast iron frame. So there's always this moment when I have the air-conditioner in my arms and I have to shimmy between the bookcase and the cast iron frame (pulled out as far was we can get it) that results in swearing and bruised and scraped arms (because? This may be a surprise for you to learn, but air-conditioners are less malleable than arm flesh. When something has to give, it's NOT the air-conditioner. I swear I rediscover this fact EVERY. YEAR.)
But we managed the job, so we should be ready when the temperatures start soaring.
Yesterday, I met a friend of mine at Ax-Man. Ax-Man is one of those uniquely Midway businesses, the way Porky's used to be, before it was demolished. Luckily, Ax-Man has hung on through the light rail construction, etc.. Technically, they're nothing more than a surplus store, but they specialize in really odd odds and ends. There is, in point of fact, an iron lung for sale there. They have a sign on their window that says, "Admission: FREE!" and Ax-Man is totally the sort of place where you could just go for the experience--though I'd bet you money, you'll be hard pressed not to come out with at least one trinket or curio. Yesterday, I was only going to hang out with Anna while she shopped, but I ended up buying a little turtle keychain light, because, when you press the light button the TURTLE says, "ribbit, ribbit!" I also found a HUGE BIN of really, really, ridiculously CHEAP (we're talking about 2 dollars a piece!) reading glasses in all of the strengths. Reading glasses are something I lose a lot, so it makes no sense for me to have expensive ones. Plus, these came in all sorts of pastel colors. And why would I not want a pair of hot pink reading glasses, I ask you!?
My friend was specifically looking for props for her You Tube series. She does show about various crafts and goodies she finds at the dollar store. Here's a link to her first show:
This trip she was specifically looking for props that would work as a science-y background because she attempted to grow crystals from one of those cheap crystal growing kits and, a bit of a spoiler here? One of the things we were looking for was a hazmat suit. (And, yes, Ax-Man had them.)
That was a lot of fun. I'm going to go through her videos, too. I mean, this is kind of a neat idea for a show, I think.
Mason is officially a 9th grader! As of Friday, he is finished with middle school/junior high! Whoohoo! In celebration, I made him a steak dinner with all the fixings and he got to stay up as late as he wanted.
Tonight, I'm thinking about going to the Little Mekong Night Market on University. This is their forth year, and my FB friends describe it as basically a block party, but it looks like they'll have lots of food and entertainment. The friend of mine who lives in Taiwan turned me on to the idea of night markets, and since I probably won't be able to be in Taiwan for a while, this might be the next best thing. Here's an article I found that describes it: http://www.twincities.com/2017/06/06/little-mekong-night-market-in-st-paul-bigger-and-better-for-its-fourth-year/ Tonight is a night that we host Mason's friend Rosemary, so I'm thinking that after dinner, I might jump on the light rail with the kids and check it out. If we go, I will be sure to take a lot of pictures and write up a full review!
Hope you're finding ways to survive the heat (if it's hot where you are!)
Luckily, a couple of days ago, Shawn and I performed the annual wrestling of the air-conditioner into the bedroom window ritual. This annual event is always such a huge chore, partly because the air-conditioner is heavy and awkward, but also because we have a HUGE king-size bed in a room that pretty much fits the bed and not a lot else. Oh, and of course the bed has a cast iron frame. So there's always this moment when I have the air-conditioner in my arms and I have to shimmy between the bookcase and the cast iron frame (pulled out as far was we can get it) that results in swearing and bruised and scraped arms (because? This may be a surprise for you to learn, but air-conditioners are less malleable than arm flesh. When something has to give, it's NOT the air-conditioner. I swear I rediscover this fact EVERY. YEAR.)
But we managed the job, so we should be ready when the temperatures start soaring.
Yesterday, I met a friend of mine at Ax-Man. Ax-Man is one of those uniquely Midway businesses, the way Porky's used to be, before it was demolished. Luckily, Ax-Man has hung on through the light rail construction, etc.. Technically, they're nothing more than a surplus store, but they specialize in really odd odds and ends. There is, in point of fact, an iron lung for sale there. They have a sign on their window that says, "Admission: FREE!" and Ax-Man is totally the sort of place where you could just go for the experience--though I'd bet you money, you'll be hard pressed not to come out with at least one trinket or curio. Yesterday, I was only going to hang out with Anna while she shopped, but I ended up buying a little turtle keychain light, because, when you press the light button the TURTLE says, "ribbit, ribbit!" I also found a HUGE BIN of really, really, ridiculously CHEAP (we're talking about 2 dollars a piece!) reading glasses in all of the strengths. Reading glasses are something I lose a lot, so it makes no sense for me to have expensive ones. Plus, these came in all sorts of pastel colors. And why would I not want a pair of hot pink reading glasses, I ask you!?
My friend was specifically looking for props for her You Tube series. She does show about various crafts and goodies she finds at the dollar store. Here's a link to her first show:
This trip she was specifically looking for props that would work as a science-y background because she attempted to grow crystals from one of those cheap crystal growing kits and, a bit of a spoiler here? One of the things we were looking for was a hazmat suit. (And, yes, Ax-Man had them.)
That was a lot of fun. I'm going to go through her videos, too. I mean, this is kind of a neat idea for a show, I think.
Mason is officially a 9th grader! As of Friday, he is finished with middle school/junior high! Whoohoo! In celebration, I made him a steak dinner with all the fixings and he got to stay up as late as he wanted.
Tonight, I'm thinking about going to the Little Mekong Night Market on University. This is their forth year, and my FB friends describe it as basically a block party, but it looks like they'll have lots of food and entertainment. The friend of mine who lives in Taiwan turned me on to the idea of night markets, and since I probably won't be able to be in Taiwan for a while, this might be the next best thing. Here's an article I found that describes it: http://www.twincities.com/2017/06/06/little-mekong-night-market-in-st-paul-bigger-and-better-for-its-fourth-year/ Tonight is a night that we host Mason's friend Rosemary, so I'm thinking that after dinner, I might jump on the light rail with the kids and check it out. If we go, I will be sure to take a lot of pictures and write up a full review!
Hope you're finding ways to survive the heat (if it's hot where you are!)
