July 2016

My July started with a 1 1/2 week vacation, which I started my 1st full day off by going to an evening concert (Johnny Holm) with friends..

I deliver papers with clients in my regular ft-job, so we decided to do it on Saturday since Monday was a holiday. Unfortunately, the door to the local paper was closed, so I decided to ride my bike at the local park after dropping off the work vehicle. I took a lot of video and pics of various birds along the bike trails.

Later on, I would drive to Albertville Outlet shopping mall with a couple of friends. On our way, we stopped at Starbuck to check out some planes during a fly-in breakfast at their airport. On our way back from Albertville, we drove to Lake Maria State Park along I-94, which I 've always wanted to check it out after passing the sign of this state park many times. We timed it to head back and stop at Starbuck again for their annual fireworks show.

I would take advantage of our week vacation by going to the cities to spend time with family-friends in St. Paul. I would watch the fireworks through my parent's backyard patio screen as I watched other firework show "live" on t.v. My nephew had baseball practice at Battle Creek Elementary School, so I joined him, my brother, and his teammates. I ended up playing soccer with this young boy (Somali) playing nearby as his mom watched.

It was the annual big summer "Prairie Pioneer Days" in our town (Morris), which I went with some friends to a a rock concert in town. They had fireworks in the background, which made the venue more interesting. I got a free drum stick when the drummer threw several at the crowd towards the end. It capped the evening for me!

The following day, I would attend my favorite pancake feed and watched a little of the parade from my house during the afternoon. It was a great weekend before I had to go back to work the next day after a 1 1/2 week vacation.

One of the karaoke songs I did this month was Annie's Tomorrow, along with many theme parody songs from church worship-praise music: Come & Let your "peace" (parody from "presence" & NO longer a slave to...."anger" (parody from "fear"). I ended up sharing a short 10 minute message at church (Sunday, July 17th) about these parodies, which we can change the wording and fit/declare (in Jesus' name as spiritual warfare) our own personal life challenges or circumstance in life.

"Lord give us a New Song..."

I took advantage of the nice "hot" summer weather by going swimming at Glacial Lake with a couple of co-workers after work on Tuesday, July 26th. I was able to build enough confidence to swim past the swimming area and go as far deep out shore. I was hoping to do it more as "fresh" water is a lot better than "indoor" chlorinated water!-> see Health: Be more safe in Swimming Pools? goodnewshealthandfitness.wordpress.com

On Thursday, July 28th-we had the first of many weekly soccer/futbol pick-up games in Morris. We met for the first time at the UMM soccer field and it was fairly hot (80's)!

My friends who had the last weekend off from work, joined me on a road-trip up the North Shore on Saturday, July 30th ..

Gooseberry Falls State Park Visit (July 30th 2016)

and the South Shore-Wisconsin- side & Michigan: Upper Peninsula the following day (Sunday, July 31st 2016)

August 2014

I started the first day of the month with my drain pipe trench project. I was in the "mood" after finishing a similar project for Jost Construction last month. I did other projects around and outside of the house the next day. I finished screwing the gutters I put on my garage for better stableness with the potential heavy snow on top of the garage during the long Minnesota winters. I also worked on my downstairs bathroom shelf (make it more stable too).

The 2nd weekend of the month, I went down to the Cities for a high school buddy's wedding. In fact, he had two weddings (traditional-Vietnamese & Cambodian and regular the next day). It was a great cultural experience and fun overall to celebrate a long time friend's BIG DAY! I also took advantaged of that weekend to help my older sister and her boyfriend "move" on Sunday. It was a productive and fun weekend!

On the 15th (Friday), I attended a friend's concert "October Ocean - FREE Debut show" at our new local church building. It was a great time to hangout with friends on a Friday night.

During this month long digging trench project, I was able to chat with many passer-bys. It was a great opportunity to chat with neighbors and community members that I haven't had time to chat with.

On Wednesday (20th), I was able to go the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre with my workplace to see "The Little Mermaid".

On Friday (22nd), my family and I went to the annual "great together"-> Minnesota State Fair . It was almost the perfect weather as it wasn't too hot and partly cloudy. It much more comfortable compared to last year as this year was less humid.

On Sunday (31st), my local church hosted a picnic and water baptism at Glacial State Park in Starbuck, Minnesota.