Once again, for Kip.


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We three kings of Orient are,
Bearing gifts we travel afar,
Field and fountain,
Moor and mountain,
Following yonder Betsy.

We Three Kings Of Orient Are
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I greet you from snowy, icy, yucko Minnesota. We had almost six inches of snow over the weekend and I had to mince to the car this morning in my non-slip-proof knee-high black suede boots. They are cute, but dangerous in this weather. Will I ever learn? (Sadly, no.)

WINTER/WEEKEND

Yes, as I mentioned, six inches of snow. Andrew played outside Saturday and Sunday with his pals from across the street, mainly sledding on the low hills around our house; at one point I looked outside and saw Andrew and Joseph sledding down the steps across the street, laughing their heads off as they went bumping down. Little boys are different from little girls.

We had a nice weekend. Kip and I had tickets to see Chicago in concert Friday night at the Orpheum Theater in downtown Minneapolis -- one of those old restored movie palaces. It was a great, sold-out show, and Chicago still sounds fabulous. (We saw them a few years ago in concert with Earth, Wind and Fire at the Target Center, but this was a much better venue.) The crowd was filled with boomers rocking out. We still rule.

On Saturday we headed out in the morning, bought groceries and then came home and hibernated. We watched "Waitress" Saturday evening and liked it, kind of, but I found it a little disappointing, given all the good reviews I'd read. It seemed rather disjointed, like it didn't know what kind of movie it wanted to be. I did like the guy who played the doctor, and realized Sunday night that he's also the guy who plays a doctor on "Desperate Housewives."

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES

!!!! What on earth was Lynette screaming about at the end of the show? Is her whole family toast? Do you think Carlos is dead? (It's pretty clear that the mayor is.) And wasn't all that tornado stuff silly? Clearly, those writers never lived in the Midwest, and were equating a tornado watch with a hurricane warning, or something. Kip, the former meterologist, was all but sputtering with outrage. And was anyone else disappointed by the denouement of the Katherine-Adam storyline? Or *is* that the denouement? Personally, I was expecting something far more sinister.

Sheesh. I should get out more.

WHAT I'M READING

Kip lucked into a copy of "Tamar" by Mal Peet at the famous Julie Chuba welcome-to-St. Paul pig party in August, and it landed on a to-read bookshelf, where I found it yesterday and clutched it triumphantly to my bosom, uttering cries of delight. (I should get out more.) I started reading it and I cannot put it down. Seriously. I can't. I'm typing while holding it right now, so excuse any typos.

CANDY CANE JOE JOES (FROM TRADER JOE'S)

Love them, even with the extraneous apostrophe, which nevertheless I refuse to acknowledge. It seems that I love all things peppermint: Twisted Peppermint stuff from Bath and Body Works, Kemp's peppermint ice cream, Candy Cane Joe Joes ... I never knew this about myself. At least my breath will smell minty while I eat myself into a coma over the holiday season.

KIP'S ILLUSTRIOUS NAMESAKE

He modestly neglected to mention in his survey responses that the Kip Sundgaard for whom he is named was on the Olympic ski-jumping team in 1976. And Kip Sundgaard's son -- and Kip Sundquist's cousin -- is Sven Sundgaard, the weather gnome on KARE-11 TV. (Seriously, Twin Cities folks, doesn't he look like a gnome? Or like Ed Grimley, the pointy-haired character that Martin Short used to portray on "Saturday Night Live"?)

ISN'T THAT ENOUGH TRIVIAL NONSENSE NOW, BETSY?

Yup. More than, I'd say.

Here are Kip's responses to my questions.

What was your first job?
Working at a service garage/tire sales shop. They hired me to help move their stock of tires to a larger facility. About the same time, I worked on a farm, cleaning sow stalls and spreading manure.

What was your favorite job?
Being a weather forecaster in the Air Force.

Have you ever been fired?
Just recently - From a job I held for over six years. Third best thing that ever happened to me.

Favorite fitness activity?
Walking I suppose, our dog Otis gives me lots of exercise. I also love to waterski, but I don't know if I could do it anymore.

Favorite all-time TV show?
Too tough to call. M*A*S*H, The Muppet Show, Hill Street Blues, Homefront, Frasier, Sex and the City, Boston Legal.. God, I watch too much TV.

Lipstick, lip gloss or nothing?
Hmm, depends on my mood. ;-)

Do you take vitamins?
No, but I should

Favorite fruit?
Ted Allen or Raspberries. Depends on my mood.

Least favorite vegetable?
BEETS!!!!!!!!!!

Ginger or Mary Ann?
Ginger is a wanna-be ho. Mary Ann any day.

Betty or Veronica?
Betty. See above.

What do you wear to sleep in?
Do people actually wear clothing to bed?

Do you have pets?
Otis.

Living grandparents?
My awesome Grandmother Emma. (Grammy) OK, she's Betsy's Grandmother, but I claim her as my own. So there.

Are you named after anyone?
Yes, my cousin Kip Sundgaard, much to my Father's dislike. Fortunately, my Mother had good taste in names. (IMHO) My middle name, Eric, comes from "Eric the Red"[sic] God knows why.

Did you like gym class in high school
Hell no. Not until I kicked every "jock's" butt in tennis. That was fun. :-)

Are you a registered voter?
Yes. I'm a budding Libertarian. I used to be a staunch Republican. The boat has sailed.

Do you subscribe to any magazines?
Cooks, Cooking Pleasures, yada, yada...

Favorite cookie?
Tollhouse, hot from the oven.

Do you drink coffee black, or with cream and/or sugar?
What is this cream and sugar you speak of?

If you could go anywhere for vacation, where would it be?
Sydney Australia

Do you eat veal?
Mmmmm.

Have you ever been hospitalized?
Yes, but not for anything serious.

What song makes you drive faster?
Radar Love, I Can't Drive 55, a couple others I can't think of right off.

Do you know how to change a tire?
Yeah, usually to my regret.

Anything pierced?
Ears.

Do you have an "emergency book" in your car? What is it?
I swap different books on tape.

Is your hair the color you were born with?
Damn straight, if not shot with a bit of gray. I will admit I color it once-and-again to cover the gray.

Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip?
Both! I used to detest mayonnaise, but I like it for most things. I *MUST* have Miracle Whip for turkey sandwiches.

Whipped cream or Cool Whip?
Whipped cream if it's fresh. Cool Whip is OK in a pinch.

What word do you find amusing?
Um, if you have to know, you can e-mail me.

Ever visited a strip club?
Yeah, a couple times, but I find them rather uninspiring. Not saying I have anything against nudity... Just sayin'.

Do you play an instrument?
I used to play the trumpet. Many years ago.

This is for Kip. Who else?


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