Archive for the 'Holidays/Birthdays/Etc' Category

Chicago trip

Posted by Nate in Family, Friends, Holidays/Birthdays/Etc, Travel.
Saturday, April 21st, 2007 at 7:11 pm


Justin and I got back today from a whirlwind trip to Chicago – left early Thursday morning to the Grandparent’s house, hung out for a bit with them and my parents, and then headed to Laurel’s show.  It was awesome to see her on stage again, one of the last things I can remember seeing her in was Stop Kiss back at Bas Bleu in Colorado.  Stop Kiss is such a different show it’s hard to compare the two, but it really seems like she’s taken a big step with her acting in terms of being more real in the moment on stage — not that she wasn’t before!  Just that it’s one thing I think I notice is better now.  A really fun show overall, I think everyone had a good time.

Friday I slept in a bit, ate Grandpa’s waffles for breakfast, then we all sort of puttered around the house getting yardwork done – mowing, window washing, and trying to get Grandpa’s old car running.  I know Rick took pictures so I hope he writes that up, it was fun to get to play with an engine that’s about as straightforward as it gets.

pict3215a.JPGThat night after dinner I went to meet up with the Chicago boys and Laurel, it was good to see everyone even if just for a night.  Noah, if you’re brave enough to click that picture, is ironing a crease in his pants — while wearing them.  I believe he put a book in there first to help shield the heat, and Rick V.T. was kind enough to offer the tip of waiting for the zipper to cool before removing the book.  Ah, I miss those boys…  :)

Justin and I left at 5 this morning to get him back for a noon meeting.  Whew.  It was fun driving with him, some good time to chat, but man am I tired!

Happy birthday to me!

Posted by Nate in Beer, Holidays/Birthdays/Etc, Homebrewing.
Tuesday, April 17th, 2007 at 10:45 am


Even if I had been able to call up the weatherman and order a perfect day to kick off the grilling season I don’t know if I could have done better than yesterday.  Just gorgeous, it was reading 73 degrees when we went out back to light the charcoal.

nate_cake.jpgAfter last year‘s Hawaiian cake, this year Karen returned to her natural instincts: chocolate, and a lot of it.    She made a triple layer chocolate stout cake using my homebrewed bourbon oak barrel Imperial Stout…  and it was Truly.  A.  Mazing.  You can see me flexing to hold the thing up.

I also found a recipe for wild rice veggie burgers, which ended up being a big hit.  I need to refine my technique for grilling them, I had to pre-cook them a bit indoors so they would stay intact, but I think there might be a better way.  We also used some natural lump charcoal last night which I’m still getting used to — it burns hotter and faster and is much more responsive to airflow.  But less carcinogens!  I also want one of those chimney things to help light them, I don’t want to keep using lighter fluid…

nate_gun2.jpgscott_gun2.jpgAfter eating and drinking for a while, I busted open a sweet present from Scott and Shannon.  The pictures speak for themselves — you’ll notice we’re both out of nerf darts in our guns but still desperately pulling the trigger.  (And safety glasses on tight, natch).

Lastly, I got some Stranahan’s — and can happily report it’s as awesome as I hoped!  And for a grand finale, Karen got the siblings to go in on a long-overdue pint club membership at Town Hall!!!  That means $1 off every beer I buy there, and free drinks from 4-5 on Saturday!!!  Say goodbye to Saturday afternoons, my friends…  Nate’s going to Town Hall (with Karen – she got one too).  Yay!

cake_half.jpgLike an enormous python, I’m still digesting the cake I ate last night… Yum.  Happy birthday to me!

Tro Tro Wants FanIce!

Posted by Karen in Holidays/Birthdays/Etc.
Sunday, February 25th, 2007 at 7:34 pm


A common form of transportation in Ghana is called a Tro Tro.  It looks kind of like a Volkswagon bus or mini-van, and they jam as mantro-tro.JPGy people into them as physically possible, and pile people’s stuff (goods to sell, baggage, furniture, goats) on top.  At some point during our trip to Ghana, Nate decided that my new name was Tro Tro. 

When you are driving on the roads in Ghana, there are always people selling things along the side of the road and at intersections, especially in Accra, the capital city.  But Steve and his friend Joseph had told us how even though you see the same stuff at every single intersection, the second you decide you actually want something and get your change ready, that thing is nowhere to be found.  And then we experienced this strange phenomenon ourselves.  One evening when we were driving back to Steve’s village from Accra, I said ice cream sounded good, and Steve said, "Ooh, let’s get FanIce!"  So we got our change all ready, and what do you know, no FanIce anywhere!  Even though we could swear we had been seeing it up until that very moment, there suddenly was no one selling it.  Watching our efforts at finding FanIce from the back seat, Nate commented that it would make a great children’s book, "Tro Tro Wants FanIce". 

And so, on Valentine’s Day, this was his present to me:  "Tro Tro wants FanIce", story and illustrations by Nathan Schroeder.  (the first one is the cover, then you sort of have to read it right to left and then down, the images are a little tricky.)
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In real life we never did find FanIce on the road, but we stopped at a petrol station and got some there.  I think he thought this might have been too harsh of a reality for the kiddies. 

So basically, coolest present ever!!!  That kid is so creative, and so talented… I still have hearts popping out of my eyes just thinking about it! 

audacity-of-hope.jpgMy present to him, though pretty darn cool, couldn’t even begin to compete with this.  But in case you are wondering what it was, it had 3 parts:  this book

street-food.jpgthis super awesome fair trade cookbook of street food from around the world so we can learn to make some of the yummy things we’ve eaten during our recent travels,
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and the remedy for our jealousy over Justin and Juliana’s ping pong table: 

We can now make any table into a mini ping pong table!  Our dining room table is perfect for it.  You are supposed to be able to suction cup the net to the table, but we haven’t quite gotten that to work yet, so we just kinda laid it across our tealight holder thingy. 

All in all, not a bad Valentine’s Day.

From Thanksgiving to the Toilet Bowl!

Posted by Karen in Bruno, Friends, Holidays/Birthdays/Etc, Homebrewing.
Monday, November 27th, 2006 at 11:59 pm


I declartable-spread.JPGe Thanksgiving a raging success!  This was Duoteam’s first real adult dinner party.  We used china, dude.  And I was a decorating fool, it was so freaking festive in here.  As I was scurrying around filling dishes with different kinds of candy and nuts and lighting pumpkin-scented candles I suddenly realized that I have become my grandma. 

There was so much food that some of it was barely even touched.  Here’s a list of what I can remember: turkey, ham, Turducknate-plate.JPGen, chestnut soup, pralined yams, beer yams, garlic mashed potatoes and gravy, regular stuffing, oyster stuffing, broccoli salad, green bean casserole, regular rolls and pumpkin rolls with orange butter, pumpkin dip with graham crackers, candied oranges with chocolate ganache, and cranberries.  To drink there was a wide variety of homebrew (Nate’s as well as Scott and Cody’s), homemade ginger ale, brandy, and wine.  Here is a weirdly lit picture of Nate with two, count ’em, two platefulls ready to go.  That’s my boy.

Wait,firemen2.JPG back up.  The Turducken.  The thing of legend and/or myth.  The long-awaited turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken.  And in this case, stuffed with creole shrimp.  I decided to postpone being a vegetarian for this Thanksgiving so as to help out with the vast quantities of meat and because frankly, if a Turducken is in your house you damn well better try it!  But there ended up being so much other awesome food that I was just way more excited about, so I didn’t really eat much of the meat.  I tried some of the Turducken, and for me personally, it was kind of a let-down.  And that’s all I have to say about that.  n-s-pie.JPGBut here is an awesome photo of the boys during deep-frying of the turkey. 

Then for dessert there were 3 different kinds of pumpkin pie: regular, lots of coconut, and just a little coconut with bourbon.  And fresh whipped cream.  Mmmmm.  We all ate ourselves into serious discomfort.  Sierra fell asleepsierra-dog-toys.JPG and Nate proceeded to put things on top of her and take pictures.  Like a pumpkin.  And all of Bruno’s toys.  Eventually we all wandered out to the park to play some horseshoes (Grandma and Grandpa Schroeder just gave us a set – sweet!).  Sierra and I dominated. 

In the evening more friends joined us for some mulled wine and Hoopla.  I haven’t spent much time with my friends for awhile now, so for me it was so great just to have everyone together.  And to not be crabby.  And to not fall asleep in the middle of all the fun. 
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Every year Cody puts together a post-Thanksgiving football game which he likes to call the Toilet Bowl.   This was the first year that the Toilet Bowl was held in Minneapolis, and in fact it was at Corcoran Park in our front yard.  We had quiophelia.JPGte a turn-out!  I overheard Cody say later "I’m just not used to playing with people who are… physically fit."  In addition to the football, there were babies!  Or I guess, a baby and a toddler, since Ophelia suddenly became an official toddler, temper tantrums and all (I have yet to actually witness one, I’ve just heard tell from Anni).  Part of the reason for the grbruno-duke.JPGeat turn-out was because Madeline brought her entire family.  This meant a surprise visit from Dusty and Victoria, who were our neighbors for like 3 days before they moved to Iowa.  Boo.  But they brought with them their new dog and Bruno’s new best friend, Duke! 
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After the football, everyone came over for some snacks and even more homebrew with the addition of Dusty and Victoria’s brews.  The great Pumpkin Beer-Off took place, which was a taste test between Nate and Scotty’s pumpkin beers.  Here is Peacock, showing us her tasting technique, and possibly her future parenting technique…  Needless to say, both beers were delightful and enjoyed by all.  But Nate’s "Liquid Pie" is a tough one to beat.

I’ve missed my friends.  I’ve missed Nate.  I’ve missed having people over and just enjoying their good company.  This was a much-needed holiday, and I’m so thankful to have gotten to spend it with such wonderful people.  And I’m thankful for this pumpkin-turkey.  pict0004.JPG

Happy Dog-iversary!

Posted by Karen in Bruno, Holidays/Birthdays/Etc.
Tuesday, September 26th, 2006 at 8:30 pm


It has officially been one whole year since we adopted our little dog-friend, Bruno! Sunday the 24th was his one year dog-iversary. We know that he was a completely different dog then, but it’s so hard to remember what he was actualy like. When we see him constantly tearing around the house with a toy in his mouth and doing everything in his power to entice you to just play with him, it is so hard to remember that when we got him he didn’t even know how to play. We had to teach him. It’s so hard to remember that his coat was rough and grody, his ribs were sticking out, and he had a big, bad cough.

I met a woman last weekend whose husband had recently passed away. She has a 16 year-old and an 11 year-old, and she said that their pets had been invaluable in helping them all get through it. She said that for 3 months after he died the dog waited at the door for him to come home. It all made me think a lot about the kind of place pets can have in your life and in your family, the kind of companionship that’s somehow just different from anything else, and how being greeted at the door by a super excited Bruno never feels any less wonderful. We know how lucky we were to find each other, and we can’t wait to have many more years of fun with him. We love you Bruiser McGee!

Happy Birthday to me / First Day of the State Fair!

Posted by Karen in Holidays/Birthdays/Etc, State Fair.
Thursday, August 24th, 2006 at 8:28 am


In case you somehow missed my standard month-long countdown because I’ve been off galavanting around America’s heartland, today is in fact my favorite day of the year, my birthday. And the day is off to a pretty good start. Nator the Great served me up some raspberries and fresh whipped cream, along with caramel toffee scones for breakfast! Ohh, that boy knows the way to my heart. Though I can’t recall a birthday in the past where I’ve prayed for rain, this year rain means getting off work, so I’ve been hoping, and wishing… And it looks like the gods are smiling upon me because the radar is showing thunderstorms all across the metro! What’s more, it’s the first day of the Great Minnesota Get-Together! It’s almost as if the whole state of Minnesota is celebrating my birthday…

In honor of the greatest event of all time, here is some suggested reading: http://www.myprontopup.com/weblog2.html. Yesterday’s "Love Tilt-a-whirl" posting has a link to a seriously awesome music video: "State Fair Lady". Though it can’t steal the place in my heart for Scotty’s "I Wanna Go to the MN State Fair".

And to help prepare for MN State Fair ’06, I think it appropriate to reminisce about MN State Fair ’05, with the following photos. Enjoy.

Duoteam Q & A

Posted by Nate in Holidays/Birthdays/Etc, Wedding.
Friday, June 9th, 2006 at 10:47 pm


  • What year were the members of Duoteam born?
    • 1977
      • The same year Star Wars came out.
  • What’s Nate doing at work these days?
  • And Karen?
    • Digging, planting, mulching, driving a dump truck, etc.
  • Does Duoteam speak of itself in the third person?
    • Yes. It does.
  • Is it true you have an 8-tap kegerator in your basement?
    • Yes.
  • How’s your garden doing?
    • Really well. The tomato plants are HUGE, the pumpkin is growing like a maniac, and the cucumbers started slow but are putting on a strong showing. Not to mention the out of control rhubarb, exciting raspberries, chili peppers, dill, and basil. Great stuff.
  • What’s Bruno been eating lately that he shouldn’t?
    • Mulch from the rain garden.
  • How long have you been engaged?
    • About an hour.
  • How’s that working out for you?
    • Awesome!
  • Can I see the ring?
  • Did Karen really pick out that ring while travelling in the Orkney Islands a few years ago?
    • Totally.
  • And Nate went there to get it?
    • No. He got it on the internets.
  • Is that cheating?
    • No.
  • So, engaged. Yay?
    • YAY!!

Arizona wedding

Posted by Nate in Holidays/Birthdays/Etc, Travel.
Tuesday, May 30th, 2006 at 2:38 pm


This is Karen and I about 24 hours ago, hiking a canyon north of Tucson, AZ. Did you know saguaro cacti don’t start branching out until they’re at least 50-60 years old? That probably puts this monster behind me at over 100 years old. Whoa. The saguaros were blooming while we were there, and I found out each saguaro flower opens just once, in the cool of the night, and then closes forever by about noon the next day. If it was pollenated, it will produce fruit, if not… try again next year.

We were in AZ for Karen’s brother’s wedding, a very nice ceremony and reception with lots of good food and fun. Karen was in the wedding party and looked great, but we’ll have to wait for the official photos to come back since I don’t think either of us got any.

The wedding was on Friday, leaving us Saturday and Sunday to explore Tucson and lounge by the pool, and we managed to hit three local brewpubs! There are even a few we didn’t make it to — who knew there were so many in Tucson? Not me. Good times all around, good people, and congratulations to Dean and Daniele!

Nate’s Birthday Bonanza!

Posted by Karen in Holidays/Birthdays/Etc.
Wednesday, April 19th, 2006 at 12:02 pm


Nate’s birthday weekend included:

  • Grilling! Not only was this the first time we used our awesome new grill, but it was our very first barbecue at our house! Our friend New Guy is doing a quite nice job of modeling it below – look out Price is Right girls.

  • Hanging out on the deck and putting our new patio furniture to good use. The homebrew and root beer were flowing, and the Hawaiian birthday cake was delightful if I do say so myself.

  • Easter/birthday brunch at Cafe 28. And the rumors you’ve undoubtedly heard are true, we ate pork sausage and bacon! First time I’ve had pork in like 10 years! It’s all part of my decision that supporting meat producers who are doing things the right way (free range, organic, sustainable) will make a bigger difference than just not eating meat at all. This restaurant buys their meat from Fischer’s Purebred Hog Farm, which raises happy, healthy piggies in an environmentally sustainable way. I’m not sure how much Nate actually cares about all that, but he sure seemed happy to have a reason to eat meat! The other exciting part of brunch was finally getting to have our first taste of Surly, Minnesota’s new beer. Very exciting, and long overdue.

  • Easter baskets! When putting together last year’s baskets, my world was rocked by the discovery that no longer are there just Reese’s peanut butter cup eggs, but you can now get ANY candy bar in the shape of an egg! Of course I had to buy one of each kind – for both of us! I learned a valuable lesson from the guilt and chub that was the result of eating each and every one of those eggs. So this year’s baskets came from Whole Foods, not Walgreens. And they actually were pretty awesome – and sans the self-loathing. I did the worst job of hiding them EVER – how could I possibly have not realized that the kegerator would of course be the first place Nate would look? Even if he didn’t look there first, he probably would have gone there to get a beer to see him through the search!

powdered sugar love

Posted by Karen in Holidays/Birthdays/Etc.
Tuesday, February 14th, 2006 at 12:06 pm


What’s that you ask? Why, it’s french toast stuffed with cheese, veggie ham, sausage and bacon. My favorite breakfast in the whole world. But what really seals the deal on this Valentine’s Day breakfast are the powdered sugar hearts on top. I once told Nate that rather than a bouquet of flowers from the grocery store for Valentine’s Day, I’d prefer he spend 5 minutes doing something easy but sweet. He’s a creative guy, I knew he had it in him. And ohhhh, how he nailed it this year. Powdered sugar hearts just made my whole day. I’m all a-flutter.