Sick of it already

I've been sick since Thursday. I hate being sick. I'm tired of being tired. Aside from the miraculous Friday spent sleeping, I haven't been able to sleep during the day at all - not a wink. This doesn't bother me if I'm well, because I don't nap...but I'm not well...so dammit, let me sleep more! *argh* I'll stop whining now...

Boring Week

It's that time of the year where nothing really exciting happens. Holidays are over, my birthday has passed, now it's time to just hang out and wait for spring to arrive. I caught some kind of cold/flu bug and took the day off work. Good thing, too, since I spent the majority of it sleeping. I can't remember the last time I slept that much - I'm a wreck! ;)

Birthday Weekend

Well, today's my birthday - and we celebrated this weekend with an array of going out, shopping and whatnot. On Saturday, we went to Dave & Buster's - which is a restaurant/arcade very similar to GameWorks. The food was pretty good, but the arcade was just ehhh - plus the games were in competition with the music, and then the hostess had to mic over everything. Just plain loud (and no, it's not because I'm too old).

Today, I was one step ahead of my parents by waking up before they called. After wifey woke up, we went to Original Pancake House for some breakfast. Then it was off to look at new cell phones, as the battery in mine is starting to lose it's ability to retain power. No such luck, however - none of the phones really screamed "buy me now" except the iPhone...or too expensive. We then went to Best Buy, where I bought my first video game in two years. *heh* After some debating, we ended up spending the evening watching Ocean's Thirteen, eating bacon cheeseburger pizza and finishing off with cake baked lovingly by Elizabeth.

All in all, it was a good birthday. I think I should have taken tomorrow off from work - but maybe I'll do that next year. =)

It's Meez!

This avatar creation site is pretty cool and allows you to keep multiple 'versions' of yourself in an album (think different locations, wardrobe, etc.), plus a closet to save your favorite items. Not too shabby!

La Belle Vie

To celebrate Valentine's Day, Elizabeth and I always try to go someplace new that neither of us had been to previously. Our first one was Luci Ancora, then 128 Cafe, followed by Forepaugh's and this year we gave La Belle Vie a go. The restaurant was originally in Stillwater but moved in at the 510 Building in Minneapolis, conveniently placed across from the Walker Art Center. We had an eight-course menu, some of which were delicious and some were a little too French for our palette. But that's okay, we had a great time nonetheless. The deserts were to. die. for. It was a good pick on wifey's behalf! =)

I'm Certifiable!

Today, I learned that I passed my ITIL Foundations v3 Exam and am therefore officially ITIL Certified. Way cool!

Ski Trip

Last Thursday, my friends, their kids and I trekked up to Biwabik for our annual ski trip. We were supposed to be in the villa that my friends stayed at 2 years ago, but we got put into a lesser model. That was kind of a bummer, but we made due with the different layout.

I caught a cold on Tuesday, so I was a little out of it and only hit the slopes on Friday. I would have skied Saturday, too, but after two nights of being up until midnight and getting woke up at 5am by screaming toddlers I was too tired to move much. Plus, I was a little sore from taking a digger after my left ski caught an edge...I have scrapes, scratches and bruises to prove I was there!

The weather on Saturday turned bitter cold, so it was a good thing I didn't go out. It was cold enough going to put gas in the Jeep, but nice to get out and do something anyway. It also helped with starting it up this morning (2 of 5 didn't without assistance). I didn't realize how cold it was until I saw it read -24 degrees on the thermometer...yikes!

Overall, it was a good weekend - but next year I think I'll stay somewhere separate from the little tikes. Too much noise, drama, and distraction.

Super Bowl Giants

Good job, NYG ...good job! The Giants really deserved their win over the Patriots. They played their heart out and got things done. Sorry Tom Brady, maybe next year your team will make it far enough to play for another ring against the PACKERS! =)

Early Birthday Present

My wife is way-cool and gave me an early birthday present! She bought tickets to the Matchbox Twenty / Alanis Morrissette concert on Monday night. I've always wanted to see Matchbox Twenty, so this is a pleasant surprise for my birthday!

The Sample Room

Last weekend, Wifey and I decided to try someplace new for a night out. We ended up deciding on The Sample Room. It's a nice little neighborhood establishment in NE Minneapolis that features flights of wine and tiny little portions of freshly-made delicacies. Think tapas, only less of a Spanish fare. You get to choose a cheese, meat, seafood and vegetable plate from about 3-4 varieties each. It was really really good, and is on our 'go there again' list.