Victory for the North!

On a recent trip to the northern tundra of Minneapolis-Biceps, his mother and I-went window shopping.
We came across a store named, ‘Victory’, that changed our lives. Well, at least Biceps’ life.
Because of ‘Victory’, he will actually consider the color blue in a decorating sense. And mustard gold.
And for that, I am forever thankful.

The owner, Kerry Ciardelli, and I must have been separated at birth. She knows everything that makes my little heart skip a beat.

Every corner held a new delight to study…and then study again, because I had missed something.

I will take all of these, please. Geoffrey-please pack these up and send them to the car.

The portraits, the zebra head, the gold mirror-I cannot believe a woman that I have never met knows my style, oh so well.
I love everything about this place.

My eyes surveyed the exquisite fabrics, the white porcelain coral, the hand-made journals and thank you notes, and I realized that I had gone to my happy place.
I was overwhelmed and didn’t want to ever leave. Except for that nagging feeling of needing coffee. So, that motivated me a bit to quit loitering…

The store and its owner knows nothing about me or the fact that I am blogging about them. If you are in the Linden Hills neighborhood of Minneapolis, you should stop by. But don’t tell them that I told you to do so. That won’t get you anywhere.

A Lovely Bed and Breakfast in New Mexico

Typically, Biceps and I aren’t the Bed and Breakfast types. Here are some reasons why:
-We enjoy being freakish recluses while on tour.
-We love a 24 hour fitness room.
-And crazy enough, we like a private bathroom.

But every once in awhile, we feel the need to interact with normal human beings.
The kind of humans that wake up before noon and enjoy practicing proper hygiene.

This Bed and Breakfast, Lundeen Inn of the Arts, is situated in the historic district of Las Cruces, New Mexico and it is gorgeous. It was the answer to our mid-tour slump and the solution to our desire for a reciprocated conversation that had nothing to do with music.

After being showed to our room (complete with a private bath, mind you), the ‘hostess’ encouraged us to explore the surrounding property at will.
The meandering paths led us to cute outbuildings-surrounded by stucco walls and framed by desert landscapes.

We sat under the ancient trees in the courtyard which shadowed us from the midday desert sun and talked of the things we missed back home.
After being philosophical for way too long, we decided to retreat back to our room and enjoy the view of the Inn from our balcony.

But not before taking this shot of Biceps. This man is dangerously handsome.
Any who…the Lundeen Inn was a wonderful respite from the touring life. It almost made us feel like we were normal human beings once again.
Almost, but not quite. That just doesn’t happen overnight.

My Robe, My Chicago

A hotel room that offers a robe invites my weary soul in, covering me in a luxurious white fabric that is too impractical for me to actually own. It’s that little bit of home that is missing when I’m on tour. And since Biceps cannot sleep in a room that isn’t the temperature of the North Pole, a robe is a much welcomed amenity.

The Hotel Sax is situated right on a little river that runs through downtown Chicago. It is near everything your little heart desires. (The hotel did not pay me to say any of this. In fact, they would probably prefer not to be associated with such “kind” as myself….)

Slithering into the hotel lobby in our grungy tour clothing, doubled with my ripped suitcase eaten by the bus bay door; we felt out of place.
A bit under dressed. And a little dorky.

We hopped into the first available elevator, averting our eyes from the other normal humans-the ones without backpacks stuffed full of bagged salads and boxed wines.

Just on the other side of our door was the oasis we needed. I drank in the small, but tastefully decorated hipster room. I did not drink the ten dollar bottle of water ‘offered’ to us from the mini bar.

The mirrored nightstand added that whimsical charm you don’t often find at a hotel. Plus a little bit of humor when one is shooting such things in a frenzy.

I love a hotel bathroom with a little va-va-voom. Typically, we encounter a tan explosion with a little more tan for contrast. This bathroom not only had the ‘voom’-it came complete with the ‘va-va’-wonderful soaps, lotions and thick towels.

And after a long hot shower, I opened the closet door hoping against hope for what I really longed for.
And Hotel Sax did not disappoint.

A Mexican Reminder

I had a bit of a pity party this weekend.
I am woman enough to admit it.
My cell phone (my right hand) was snatched from my cart while shopping at Lowe’s. Right out from under my nose. I saw the ‘perps’ and even tried to get them to admit to what they had done. They took off, of course.
My one chance to punch someone had passed me by.

While waiting for the workers to review security tapes at Lowe’s, I began to pray that ‘those dirtbags would get caught, that there would be a prosecution and a restitution’.
And my Creator, for some crazy unknown ‘Omniscient’ type reason, brought to mind our trip to Mexico-where my cell phone didn’t matter to me anymore.

Slowly, my prayer began to change. I started praying for the men who stole my phone-that they would find Jesus somehow. My Creator brought to mind this picture as I was praying, and I knew what He was trying to say to me. I speak German, so sorry if this translation isn’t spot on. I believe the words on the fence say, “God is much bigger than my problems”.
Do you know where this fence was? Scroll down.

Here.
Next to the city of Reynosa’s landfill. This is where several hundred people call home, living in shanty’s and shacks and surviving off of other people’s trash.

Their children played soccer in this dirt lot, which was surrounded by the smoldering landfill. They were some of the happiest children I have ever met.

The shanty townspeople pilfered through the garbage, finding anything they can sell. They are so hip and green and don’t even know it…

And as I drove my air conditioned vehicle back from Lowe’s and pulled into my driveway, I was reminded of the enormity of the blessings in life. The blessing that I didn’t deserve.
I noticed that my driveway was surrounded by a freshly mowed lawn with landscaping and pathway lights. That my white house had beautiful black shutters and fresh paint on the windows.
And that my wonderful husband, Biceps was waiting for me inside with a huge hug and probably Cowboy at the helm. I cried right there in my van, realizing how unimportant the loss of my cell phone was to me at that moment.
I think it’s always good to have a little Mexican Reminder.