Ely, Minnesota

The boys and I took a trip to Ely, Minn. for Memorial Day weekend this year for three nights at Camp du Nord (a wedding present from my boss). We stayed in the Pilot House (the single most photographed feature on the grounds!) and it was great!

We were able to kayak, canoe, hike and grab firewood for the fireplace - all included in the fee. Had we paid extra, we could have eaten at the cafeteria with the other families (I much prefer cooking our own food while camping), and a different weekend would have meant more programming for the little one. We did, however, take full advantage of the boats and hiking as much as possible for having a 20-month old bouncing along with us, and managed to sleep outside for two of three nights on our screened in porch above Burntside Lake.

I must also recommend a trip to the town of Ely if you are headed this way. There are tons of outfitters, shops and friendly people. In particular, we ate (twice) at the Chocolate Moose. It was kitschy food and pie for a decent price. They have all kinds of odd beers to try (Ryan had quite a few, including some kind of Dead Guy ale).

Also, we had to check out Soudan, Minn. where there was an underground mine. There are tours that take you down the original mine shaft 27 stories beneath the ground, just the way the miners did before it closed in 1962. Even Keegan could appreciate this as it was very kid-friendly (he kept picking up rocks and saying "rock!" real loud while the guide was talking).

Other than traffic getting there and back, (a 4.5 hour car ride made into five hours!) and a toddler who didn't want to nap, it was a GREAT and much needed vacation! It was great to get Keegan outdoors (he loved picking up rocks, checking out the ferns, and picking up all of the pine cones and putting them back on the pine trees) and he learned lots of new words dealing with nature.

Check out more photos here.

The Greatest Reception Ever

After a getaway to Florida to get hitched, plus a seven day cruise and two more days of exploring southern Florida, we had a reception back home for our family and friends to celebrate our hitched-ness. The planning was probably my favorite part - I wanted something people didn't dread going to, that was very Ryan-and-Katie-esque, and something that no one else does. So, I'll tell you all about it.

For starters, it was at Camp St. Croix in Hudson, Wisc. On a Y-camp training, I discovered their lodge had been beautifully re-done and the grounds were excellent. Granted this was a Valentine's Day reception and there was snow on the ground, so it was a different picture than I had seen last summer. I dubbed the theme to be "choose your own adventure."

Activities included sledding, broomball, and indoor board games by the fire. The camp cooked both vegetable and meat lasagna, plus salad and green beans at a very reasonable price. It was picnic table style dining, so everything was decorated with Valentine's Day decor.

The dessert was my own spectacular idea - see, I'm known at work for blurting out cooking and make-your-own dish days at my choice of a day to plan. So, to fit the theme of choose your own adventure, I made two different kinds of cupcakes, two kinds of frosting, then a huge assortment of toppings (gummi bears, sprinkles, oreos, butterscotch chips, m & ms, etc.). Wah-lah, make your own cupcake.

It was excellent. It was pretty cheap. We had a photographer last minute so I didn't have to worry about capturing the moments. Lots of family and friends, and lots of fun!

Katie does Tucson, Arizona

Today I was pleasantly suprised by Frontier Airlines. If you want to leave on time, on a plane that is not overbooked, and return on time, I recommend the airline.

Priorities: A) two fish tacos from Rubio's, B) a grilled chicken pita from Jack in the box, and C) get outside and get hiking (photos to follow).

I was also relieved that the cheap hotel I found doesn't suck. It's right by the road, but the other side of the room has a door and window that lead out to a balcony near the pool. For $40 a night, I think that's good. Plus I have cable, and after a day of driving around 100 miles around town, walking for two hours downtown and getting up at 4AM, I'm down for laying low.

I'm in Tucson for the USA Triathlon Race Director Certification. Learning a lot!

While here, I checked out University of Arizona campus eateries and shops, a rest stop that provided great hiking and views, and the Arizona-Senora Desert Museum. The shops were okay, not sure where I found that rest stop though! I did meet some New Yorkers admiring mountain as well, and we chatted for awhile before I hit up the museum.

I do recommend the certification for my race director buddies. It was a decent source of networking, but I learned a great deal from others about races around the country, and can't wait to get my own going.

Youth sports

The Pioneer Press is doing a series of front pages articles about youth sports called "a generation on the sidelines." I've been following it, and find it interesting.

Read the latest here

I think it's sad but true - you need money to excel in sports. When you're looking at raw talent in a sport, I don't think financial status matters too much. However, wealthy families can send their kids to fancy hockey camps, play year-round and have better equipment to play the game.

I guess that's one reason I really like the YMCA - they are determined to not turn any families away from being able to use the pool, workout, play sports or go to camp. Every kid should have the right to be active and learn to play with other children, and every adult should have the chance to workout and socialize.

14 job-related things about me

25 job-related things about me

I read this article, and thought I'd make a list of my own.

1. My first job was a lemonade stand staffed my my brother, sister and I, and in two weekends, we were able to buy a giant trampoline with our profits. My second was a partnership with my sister to sell beanie baby accessories online - we were not nearly as successful.

2. My first "official" job was grounds crew and leader the of the jail convicts to clean and move thing around the fairgrounds. I lasted five years, and dealt with a lot of garbage!

3. I lasted a whole summer at another fairgrounds, where I regularly cleaned 120 horse stalls with jail convicts, emptied and arranged over 300 garbage cans and mowed over 100 acres of grass. My favorite was mowing until I fell asleep and rode into some soccer nets, and I didn't get to do that so much anymore.

4. At #3 I was required to wear an XXL bright green shirt with the intention to match the sanitation crew. Also, pants all summer, so I ripped a lot of holes in my jeans "by accident" to stay cool. I also learned to drive a skidsteer and tractor, so a big plus there!

5. I worked at a gas station for over five years, and was trained in by someone who quit during my second week to murder someone with her boyfriend, then cut him into pieces and bury him in her parents' yard. So every time I did something wrong, I totally blamed her training.

6. My best job perk ever was getting paid to work on a beautiful island on a marathon. While I worked hard setting up for a weekend, it was warm and sunny, and housing and food were paid for as well.

7. My dream job would be to manage a national tour of triathlons/running races, and set up training trips around the country for athletes (and get to test them out!). I'm also very interested in non-profit leadership, health and wellness, and tourism.

8. My first job out of college was security at a waterpark.

9. I've worked for 28 different organizations. This doesn't take into account working for several departments or several locations one place - always at least 2-3 at a time.

10. I've never been fired.

11. I sold programs and did some marketing for a baseball team, where I met a lot of great people and got free beer and hot dogs after the games. I still miss that job!

12. I used to work two full-time jobs both from 8 to 4. Of course, this was both 8 am and 8 pm that I started (casino and waterpark) and I wanted to die every day.

13. When I quit working at the waterpark, I had to bring a garbage bag full of uniforms because I had worked in every different department to help out at some point in time (my favorite was cabana server!).

14. I've worked on events as large as the Disney Half Marathon, inaugeral events like the Catalina Eco-Marathon, running events in California, Wisconsin and Minnesota, and even directed one with proceeds going to charity.

Katie and Keegan do Rochester/Lanesboro, Minn.

Six-word memoir:
Rochester: Very happening city, wasn't expecting that.
Lanesboro: Historic, saloon, river valley kinda town.

Ultimately, Keegan and I were headed to Lanesboro, Minn. on a suggestion from co-workers who have family there. We ended up making pit-stops in Rochester, knowing it is home to Kemps Ice Cream and the Mayo. The only Fazoli's left in Minnesota is there too, along with any stores, restaurants and parks you could ever need.

Arriving at the destination, you have have to drive down a big hill that overlooks the town. It was a saloon-type town where there was nothing corporate, nothing to wipe out the small businesses, which was refreshing especially after Rochester. There were a few bed and breakfasts, and outfitters for play on Root River. We saw two deer just hanging out near a library, and a waterfall nearby - this was without having to do any hiking, just heading into a parking lot. I wanted to explore the Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center, but it got dark and I couldn't see it (there was a ropes course there, though!). There were several large parks as well.


Definitelay a place to get a canoe next time!

(More pictures)

Katie and Keegan do Red Wing, Minn.

Red Wing, Minn. in a six-word memoir: Quaint town, smells like broiled chicken.

For our first Garmin adventure, Keegan and I choose a town about an hour away that was pretty simple to get to with interesting scenery. We ventured to Red Wing, Minn. and also made a stop in Prescott, Wis.


According to the city's website, it has been chosen as one of the 2008 Dozen Distinctive Destinations by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and highly rated by National Geographic. There are historic houses and shops, a train depot, and it's home to Red Wing Shoe Company, and all situated near the Mississippi River.

(More press about Red Wing)

We chose to hang out at a two-level Caribou Coffee, then view the trains and walk around the shops for awhile. I've rock climbed there before (Barn Bluff) but will be back for more, as well as to catch the train or some good food in the future.

(More pictures)

The Last Lecture

Randy Pausch

I've been looking forward to seeing this. I must say, I expected a bit more than what seemed like at times to be an advertisement for Carnegie Mellow. But the story and lessons were pretty good.

If you knew you didn't have much longer to live, what would you do with your time? I hope I'm never in that situation, how awful would it be to know you've got a wife and three kids who are going to spend the rest of their lives without their husband/dad?

What were your childhood dreams? I don't think I remember mine. I know somewhere that I have a 50 things to do before I turn 50 that I made in high school, I'll have to pull that out and see how I'm doing.