it's been a little bitty bit since i last posted. i think i'll blame that on the weather because let's face it: when you live in minnesota, you try and pack as much activity into the few months of truly beautiful weather as you possibly can! the rest of the year you're at home hibernating so this is the time to be social, to be outdoors, and to have a blast. i'm guessing people who live in year-round warmer climates don't face the problem of running out of time to do all of these fun activities because they don't try to jam it into a few months' time.

anyway, what's been happening? well, there was the 2nd annual Memory Lanes Block Party which I've now attended both days of both weekends and hope to keep the tradition alive next year...below is Lucy Michelle & the Velvet Lapelles [and please note...click any of these photos to enlarge]:


the weather was sort of rainy that weekend and has been rainy a lot lately so that's meant a decent amount of comfort food being consumed...

pictured above: ramen, spinach, egg, ginger [of course]

pictured above: mini-bowtie, tuna, peas, soy cheese

pictured above: whole wheat rotini, steamed broccoli, homemade gravy

the tuesday after MLBP we decided to have a picnic for which laura put together this lovely pasta salad and we passed around a plate of caprese salad [soy mozzarella for me]:

the following weekend i went on a camping trip [the annual Chuckfest...camping, amazing food, lovely music, good friends...] a few weeks ago. i've been pretty active with my friends as well, especially now that the gang is all back in one place and everybody's done with school, at least for the time being. work at the museum is steady - and some days it's pretty awful because there's no air conditioning and this place holds heat like an oven - but i'm still loving the experience. i've been getting more serious about looking into grad schools, though; particularly on those rainy days when it feels so much like autumn and i get all nostalgic. so, i hope to take a roadtrip sometime this year to the various schools i'm considering and apply for the fall of 2011. i love my job but i also love learning and i have big hopes for the future.

after my "vacation" but due to the fact that the market has been MOSTLY flowers and lettuce, as pictured...


...i've been shopping a lot more at the local Tim & Tom's Speedy Market, where produce is relatively cheap and everything else is...well, not. it could easily be called Tim & Tom's SPENDY Market. so, in order to make the meals affordable, filling, and long-lasting, I got really into making pita-pizzas. crisp up the pita bread in the oven with a bit of olive oil, layer your ingredients, cook until the soy cheese melts...easy, cheap, and delicious! pair with some salad and you're good to go...

pictured above: tomatoes, sprouts, cucumbers, onion, mushrooms, soycheese...some of this went into a salad, some of it onto a pita pizza...all of it was delicious!

pictured above: soycheese pizza topped with garlic powder & crushed red pepper...not super attractive, but SUPER SUPER tasty...

pictured above: salad consisting of spinach, raw asparagus, beets, and goddess dressing.

anyway...friday night i went to an opening at the Weisman, yesterday i had brunch with my roommate, today i headed to the Stone Arch Festival with my mom & stepdad to celebrate Fathers Day...big couple of weeks ahead of me, too, starting tonight when i get off work...

Tonight = book club...! I didn't read the book but I'm excited anyway
Monday = Sarah...I wish the weather forecast wasn't so dismal as I'd love to head to the beach.
Tuesday = my stepdad [he needs me to help him set up a new cell phone] + my therapy appointment
Wednesday = cooking & Top Chef night with Brooke [NOT going to Stink Lines show...trying to avoid unnecessary drama]
Thursday = possibly dinner with my biodad before he heads to the lake[?]
Friday = possible date-night [?]
Saturday night = Pride
Sunday night = heading up to the lake with biodad for a 5-night, 4-day stay

all in all, it's shaping up to be a great summer!