Ice Fishing - Our First Outing of the Season

Our Sunday afternoon was spent out on a frozen lake in Northern Minnesota. The roads out there were pretty slippery: ice & packed snow, but Sam's a great driver & we made it safely to our fishing destination:)

Hwy 10


We had perfect ice fishing conditions: warm, no wind, and very little snow (plus we had beer). we could easily see the twelve or so feet to the bottom... little bit of fish action... but no one was really having any luck. saw a 5lb Northern though that we would have liked to catch for fun. maybe next time. overall a perfect Sunday afternoon :)

This is how Sam baited my hook... well... it was the only way to bait it because that's where the hook came out of the worm-jigger-lure-thing... I think they made it that way on purpose ;)


That's my lure 12 feet down

Ugly Sweater Parties: All the Rage

It seems as though Ugly Christmas Sweaters have become a primary theme at all the parties this time of year. Which is cool, it puts a playful spin on what would otherwise be your average drinkfest. This year we were invited to Kami & Dan's first annual USP... it was a blast! We played White Elephant with funny gifts, drank something called 'Reindeer Piss' (everclear, apple cider, cinnamon, and nutmeg... delicious... but wow, take it slow!), and just hung around being drunk and festive!

Chelsie & I playing Guitar Heros like the old days!

Sam & I didn't have the time to pick out ugly sweaters for ourselves, and besides, they're usually wiped out by this time of year. And so we opted to wear goofy reindeer headbands that of course lit up.

Us

My friend Chelsie ended up coming down to visit for the weekend & so she, & her boyfriend, got to come along sans ugly sweater. I hadn't been out in so long (probably since Halloween- simply because I've had too much HW or Sam had to work too early) and with some old friends, I was convinced it was 2005... our group's glory days :)

Hmm I should probably go into more detail about the White Elephant game. Everyone attending the party was asked to bring a funny gift, something under $10, to contribute to the present pile that would be passed out according to the numbers that we all drew, and how the stealing aspect worked out. There were gifts such as: KY lube, a REALLY old VCR remote that looked like an early 90's flip phone, a miniature post office facade you could hang as decoration, a few other things I can't seem to remember, and a Wal-mart bag full of empty beer cans and about 2 shots worth of vanilla vodka. And then there was Sam & my present... we basically went around the apartment and threw in some junk we've accumulated over the years such as: 5-6 $1 Wal-Mart DVDs that suck, some sweet glow sticks... you know... for all the Raves that happen around here, a Vertical Hold CD, and the mother of all gifts, one of those water sacs that looks suspiciously like a penis... after white elephant everyone pretty much played with that: throwing it, putting things in it... it was actually pretty gross, but we were all drinking everclear, which made it hilarious. Here's a pic documenting the fun:

White Elephant!


Pictured: Kami, Jim, Chelsie & Chris... & the water 'D.

This party was a wonderful way to ease into the Christmas spirit, infusing it with silliness & good friends we don't get to see nearly often enough! Can't wait for next year's shindig :)