The White Russian

Gray Skies

We have had every shade of gray this weekend, accompanied by so much fog that you can't see past your neighbor's house. It was even too cloudy to view the super moon, and now we have to wait 19 years for the next one. Way to ruin your first day, spring.

Regardless, we took TJ downtown to see the river before the flooding begins. 

I fear the Lift Bridge is going to be out of commission for a few weeks. There's not a lot of room for the waters to rise. 

The sandbags are packed and ready to go. Now we just need the sun and a few warmer days.

Still Winter, But...

Spring officially begins tomorrow, but I just wanted to let everyone know that it is still winter here in Minnesota. We have several feet of snow to melt before the party starts. At least the temps have warmed enough for Adam to put away his winter coat. 

TJ is enjoying his remaining days of snow. This year, we discovered that he really loves chasing (and eating) snowballs. Like chasing (and eating) squirrels, however, his skills for coordination and achievement haven't quite developed. Enjoy our lame video, and please understand that it's way more exciting in person.

The day it broke 50 degrees was the same day that Adam hauled out the grill. By the way, check out his toe shoes. He's very proud of them, although he has been advised to only wear them for a few hours at a time.

Fear not! Under the mountains of snow, spring has emerged! Quite impressive, really, since all the snow melt has only occurred within the last few days. We're close to the end of this marathon winter.

Pickles Post

Pickles has been ignored all winter since, unlike TJ, she's not really into the cold and snow and lack of precious grass. So, we thought she deserved a little post of her own. Here is how she has spent her entire winter, summed up into her four favorite activities.

1.  Begging to be let outdoors, probably to eat some grass, but maybe also to try to sneak up on a bird (we have tried to discourage this particular activity, being as how we also enjoy birds in the yard). She likes to use the "big, sad eyes" pose, a trick she learned from the dog.

2.  Staring into space for hours at a time. This is a very typical pose, and we hope that she is just daydreaming and meditating, not plotting or scheming. She can be very hard to read, like a secret agent.

3.  Annoying us, particularly when we have better things to do, like reading or watching television or sleeping. You can almost see the evil in her eyes.

4.  Sleeping. This is unquestionably her favorite activity. She almost makes you believe that she really is the sweetest cat in the world.

Bonspiel! Brrr!

Time again for the Erickson's annual bonspiel and potluck. This year, Andrew and Lauren were our chief competitors and - strategy! - our roommates. 

Also, since this is the closest we're getting to a vacation this year, we stopped to take in the sights of Lake Superior.  Please note that there are humans (male) ice-fishing off the shore. They've probably been there for hours.

Part I: Lake Superior

Incidentally, Lake Superior is the closest I'm ever getting to the Arctic, because if the Arctic is even half as terrifying as the ice floes and waves that tried to wet my toes, then I want nothing to do with it. Plus, all the penguins live in the south.
 

Part II: Tiki Spiel

All I know about a "bonspiel" is that you have "sweepers" to speed up the ice (above, with "brooms") and "curlers" to send the "stones" down the lanes. I'm not quite sure how Adam fits into this highly athletic and serious sport. In addition, our "skip" Ryan was wearing a "tiki skirt".

Here, Andrew is "in the house" (that's right!) to direct traffic. Things can get a little crazy.

Andrew and Lauren exploring the weight of the sport. Also, I think they're breaking more than one rule in this photo.

Lauren got the hang of it very quickly, especially for a first-year. I'm confident that she'll be back next year and will probably beat us all.

Adam and I had a little domestic disagreement on the ice. That is to say, I don't think he was taking this competition very seriously.

Part III: Party Favors

Winners received a grab bag full of favors. But Sarah had an extra bag for losers, so that's how we wound up with a dried, compacted square of something awesome. We couldn't wait to get into warm water to see what would happen. As it turns out, not much.

Surprise! A 12-inch square SpongeBob washcloth for children. When knotted, it also made a great ball for playing catch, although I think it's fair to say that you really had to be there.

Thanks Ericksons!
(P.S. Our pizza check is in the mail!)

Supa Fantastic Ginny Gin Gin

I brought in a well-respected real estate lawyer to get his opinions on my latest gin infusion. We played "You Don't Know Jack" for an evening and consumed one of the mason jars.

"Despite its pedestrian pedigree, Cub Foods' own Heritage Gin drinks like "Hero"tage gin when baptized with melange of lime, lemon, cuke and basil. Its ease on the pocketbook is paralleled only by its drink-ability and refreshment -- a true 4-time winner in the You Don't Know Jack game of drinks. In short: buy it, mix it, drink it -- you'll be richer for the experience." - Robert Q. Williams

After some partying with the Hammonds the following weekend, I am left with 2 inches of gin. That's considered a success...........right?

Here are my thoughts:

• I used really, really cheap gin. It was a 1.75 liter jug of Heritage brand from Cub Foods. This is some pretty rough stuff, but the flavors masked the quality of the gin. Next time I wouldn't choose the cheapest gin I could find, but something a little better.
• The basil I used was from a package in the produce section of the grocery store and I don't think it was sweet enough. The lime and lemon rinds bitter up the gin while the basil and cucumber help to mellow and sweeten. On a second attempt I would try to use a sweeter basil, which will be easier in the summer when I can grow my own. I initially thought the basil would overpower the drink, but it didn't.
• I would also add more cucumber slices. Tonic water is sweetened, bitter, carbonated water. The cucumber adds a nice subtle flavor to the mix and take away some of the extremes of the other flavors.
• I would only let the gin infuse for about 3 days. I noticed after 2 days the lime rinds had lost a lot of their color and the basil was starting to look wilted. Flavors can transfer to the alcohol quickly. So when the infusion is ready, strain the gin, and then transfer it back into a jar. It will last a long time and doesn't go bad. I still have my some of my bloody mary vodka and black currant infusion.

Conclusion: If you like gin and tonics, you have no reason not to try this. It's easy, tasty, cheap, and Williams approved. What more could you ask for?

The Gentle Bull