Fire in the Hole

Last night, I got up around 12:30 AM to potty, and when I looked out the window only to see fire trucks. I got myself dressed, went downstairs and outside, only to see the entire street filled with all sorts of emergency vehicles! There were at least 20 of them up and down the street. People were standing around everywhere and while I couldn't see any flames, I sure smelled smoke.

In the morning on the way to the bus stop, I could see the front lawn of my condo covered in ash. There were more cars parked in the street than usual, and then I noticed people sleeping in their cars. My bus stop is just outside of this apartment unit, and on the news, we found out this fire burned at least two or three units, and 100 people were evacuated. Below are pictures of the burned out units.

What a Storm!

I was supposed to be up in Duluth, MN for a League of Minnesota Cities conference on June 20th, but they received such a huge rainstorm, there was flooding, road closure, and the city all but shut down. Animals got loose from the zoo and were found all over the city! They received over 9 inches of rain in a matter of hours, and roads were washed away.

It's hard to see, but because so much sediment ran off from the hills, the water, including Lake Superior, turned red!

The next day, we were able to go up and it was as if nothing happened. Fortunately, the conference went on without a hitch and my stay at Canal Park Lodge was fun. I'd recommend staying there!

What Happens When You Don't Take Care of Yourself

I thought I had heartburn for a few days, and it turns out it was much worse. I had acute pancreatitis, and that caused me to win a three-day stay at Fairview Southdale Hospital. They don't know what caused it, but I had a swollen pancreas, an infection, and they think a gall or kidney stone may have passed through the head of the pancreas.

For three days, when I was finally able to eat or drink, it was nothing but liquids. Sounds like it will be a low-fat/low salt diet for at least six weeks.

Losing 30 pounds in a matter of two weeks was great, but not really doing it this way. However, now that it's off, I hope to keep some, if not most, of it off!

Back to My Roots

On this trip to Colorado, I taught two of my nieces how to make won ton soup the way my Mom and Grandmother used to make it. Trouble was, I could not find any Daikon in Colorado Springs! Really! 

So on a trip to my Disney collectible dealer in Lakewood, CO, (The Gift House) Febra and her family told us of a huge Asian super market and Chinese restaurant nearby called Super Star Asian Cuisine and Pacific Ocean International Marketplace. They weren't kidding! I found all sorts of food on which I was raised. And look how huge the Daikon is! It's a root vegetable that is wonderful in soup and loaded with vitamins. Too bad I found this place on the last day of my visit, but we'll be back.

And for those of you who never have had Coco Rico, you must find it. It's like carbonated coconut water.  Brought me back to my youth!

Morning Wood

 Check out this AmericInn in Pequot Lakes, MN. Looks like Paul Bunyan decorated the place. I woke up and saw wood everywhere.

Not a Figment of My Imagination

I know it's hard to see, but my new Figment, entitled "Heights of Imagination" Figment, arrived today! I'm so excited!

How lucky am I to receive #59 out of 500 and to have the piece signed by Bruce Lau. Fortunately, all my Figment pieces are signed by the artist. Below are the finished and whiteware versions of Figment, courtesy of WDCCDuckman and Enesco.

WDCCDuckman 2012 Figment

JUMBO Prawns!

This picture does not do it justice! If you ever find yourself trapped in Tourist USA Hell, also known as the Wisconsin Dells, do yourself a favor and eat at The Del-Bar. They have all sorts of fantastic foods and drinks: steaks, seafood, wine, and Side Cars.

But if you're debating on an appetizer, you have to order the jumbo prawns! They are beyond jumbo. Where did they find these? I don't want to know if it was near a nuclear plant.  We always come here twice a year for business trips, and let me tell you. The Del-Bar, and especially these prawns, make the trip worth it.

The Del Bar