Birthday Weekend

My wife and my birthdays are separated by only a few days. We decided a long time ago that we wouldn't buy each other gifts, but would do something a little out of the ordinary. We like the idea of doing stuff, not collecting stuff. This year, we purchased tickets to the WCHA Final Face off tournament. We are big fans of Gophers women's hockey, but we do not see games often enough.

Friday, my wife had to work a little late which meant we not only missed the first game (WI vs. ND), but didn't have time to eat dinner before the second game. It wasn't a big deal, eating at the arena, but the food isn't the greatest and we knew we had to make time to eat before the championship game on Saturday. Fortunately, the Gophers won Friday night to set up an even more fun Saturday game.

Saturday we slept in some and then worked our way around our neighborhood, taking care of little things we had been meaning to do for quite a while. We made up a list of things to do and actually checked them all off (true it was a fairly short list). This was great, giving us a much needed sense of accomplishment. But then it was time to truly enjoy ourselves some more.

We were going to grab a bite at the Blue Door, one of our favorite local eateries. It wasn't even 4:30 and we figured we wouldn't have much trouble finding a table. NOPE!! There must have been 6 people waiting outside the door, and more making their way up the sidewalks toward the bar. I don't know what was going on, but it makes me want to case the place to find out when they aren't busy. We didn't feel like waiting as long as it would take for food there, so we cruised down to the Groveland Tap, another favorite of ours. The beer list is great, and I am now a super fan of the Cajun Lucy, just the right combo of spicy and flavor. Couple that with a Summit Oatmeal Stout, pure bliss.

Unfortunately, the Gophers lost the game that night, but it was a fantastic game. They played amazing for 2 1/2 periods but WI pushed hard and brought it to OT. 9 minutes in the Gophers couldn't keep up with the pressure and let in the game winner. Again, a fantastic game even though it wasn't the outcome we wished for. Carrie and I came home quite tired and worn out from playing so hard. A very nice way to celebrate a birthday.