Spring in Excelsior and Canine Kleptomania

Featured in the Sun Sailor April 2017

It’s that time of year when we start to see our neighbors again. Winter hibernation has ended, yard work, gardening and outdoor fun have started. Every spring it’s like a reunion and I love it.

The true sign of spring is when Tommy’s Tonka Trolley opens for the season. At that point you know there is no turning back, only forward marching into summer. It’s the return of bare legs and unfortunately, Crocs.

The kids are out on their scooters, playing football in the neighbor’s yard, and we are all fishing for crappie. We grill year-round but this time of year almost daily if we can help it. I think we single handedly keep the meat department at Kowalski’s in Excelsior in business.

Last fall we expanded our family and added a giant schnauzer named Odin. This month he’s 7 months old and growing like a horse. He’s already close to 50 pounds and only halfway grown.

Odin loves people and animals. He is very friendly but sometimes doesn’t realize how big and strong he is, which is why we watch him closely around small animals and toddlers.

To Odin everyone is a potential friend. He loves meeting other dogs and people on the trail and even cries when they walk away. He likes to cuddle and is never far from one of his humans. In fact, as I write this he is laying on my foot under my desk.

Odin is as perfect a dog for us as a dog can be, there is just one thing that concerns me. It is also something that has been a source of embarrassment. Odin appears to be a thief.

While most dogs take your slippers, gloves, or shoes and chew them up, our Odin steals these items and hordes them in parts of the house. I just found a stash with two hats, a sock and a sleep mask, which he accumulated just this morning. Don’t get me wrong, I’m thankful that he doesn’t destroy them. It’s just odd.

Sometimes we have him at our store J. Novachis on Water St. We share a connecting door with Amore & Fede. When the door has been left open, Odin dashes over to Amore & Fede, goes straight to their dog’s Zoie’s bed and steals her stuffed rabbit. After he steals the rabbit he runs it back to our store and tries to hide it.

We have new neighbors at home. Yesterday, Odin saw a door open at their house. He took off into the house and escaped with a pair of their socks in his mouth. There is nothing like prying your new neighbor’s socks out of your dog’s slobbery mouth and handing them back to break the ice.

The other day I came home and Odin was wearing a pair of my underwear over his head, not sure how he even managed that. I checked one of his stash sites and sure enough, he had a fork, socks and a flute in his pile.

Again, he doesn’t chew up any of these things. He just puts them in piles in hiding spots around the house or our store like some kind of kleptomaniac hoarder. When I confront him about these stolen items he looks at me like I’m the crazy one.

Overall he is an incredible dog and addition to our family. We are all perfectly imperfect. This is probably Odin’s way of flying his freak flag, or maybe he is protecting our belongings from something. I have no idea.

Just know that if you meet Odin around Excelsior and go to pet him then find your wallet is missing, know we will make sure it is returned.

You Want to Stick What in my Ear and Set it on Fire?

Have you heard of Ear Candling? Long story short, you put a hollow ear candle in your ear, the other end is lit. Wax and debris is said to be removed form the ear through the process.

In the alternative medicine community there are many benefits given for doing it. The scientific community says it's a bunch of hogwash. Though, these same scientific minds once believed Earth was the only planet with water, which we know today is not true.

It sounded like something fun to try, plus it seemed like a great trust exercise to let my partner stick a candle in my ear, then set fire to it, then letting me do the same to him. I saw it as a modern day trust fall. After a quick trip to Lakewinds Co-Op in Chanhassen, we had our candles.

My hearing hasn't been the greatest over the last few years. I've also developed vertigo. It seems I have a harder time hearing lower tones. Unfortunately this has often meant I don't always hear my man when he is speaking to me, but not looking at me.

Now this is trust!

After a few inches of the candle burns down, you cut the top off then push out what is said to be ear wax. I say said to be, because some believe the debris that is there is not from your ear but from the candle itself.

I didn't have huge expectations, but loved the idea of possibly sucking crap out of my ear.

When I was done getting my treatment I asked my partner in candling and life what the humming noise was. He said it was the humidifier that is one everyday in our bedroom. I had NEVER heard that sound before.

It surprised me so much that I started to cry, wondering what else I wasn't hearing. We went outside and a plane going overhead was louder than I've ever heard it. I could also hear him as he spoke to me while walking away, which before I often couldn't.

Again, I can't say with 100% certainty that the guck that came out of my candle was ear wax, but I can tell you I could hear much better after, surprisingly so. I would totally do it again.

Warning: The image that follows is graphic and gross, if it is indeed crap that was in my ear. If you don't want to see it, don't scroll down. Proceed at your own risk.

Ear wax, debris or candle wax?

Imperfectly Yours,
Natalie

My Top 10 Adventures in Greece

In October I took a trip to Greece through Silversea Cruises on the Silver Spirit. My trip was booked through Sue Thompson at Just Girls Travel. I can not say enough about how amazing it was! Sue knows how to hook a girl up! The mission of Just Girls Travel is "To create unique and meaningful travel experiences for women." This is exactly what they did for me.

I consider myself to be fairly savvy when it comes to planning my own travel, but I can say without a doubt, my trip would not have been as unique and meaningful (as is their mission) without Sue's help.

I've traveled a fair amount and I'm from Hawaii. Greece was the first place I've been  to that rivaled Hawaii! You have seen the gorgeous photos of Santorini, the ruins of the Acropolis and more. I'm going to share my top 10 adventures in Greece.

#1. Having my own butler on the Silver Spirit! Each room on the Silver Spirit is a suite, most with their own private veranda. You also have the services of a butler. Prabath taught me how to say yes instead of "No thank you, I'm fine." I learned to say "Yes Prabath I'd love more wine. Yes Prabath two desserts with my 5 course in-suite meal sounds delicious. " You get the point. I also appreciated how Prabath indulged my desire for multiple selfies with him.

You never forget your first butler

#2. I discovered why Greek people have such amazing butts! It is from all the hiking and walking they do around Greece. I walked and walked and walked. Each day I awoke at a new port. I'd throw back the curtains and experience a new view. Silversea has multiple excursions you can book yourself on and I took full advantage of that. You really get more out of the experience when you have a guide explaining what you are looking at.

Trying to get the "Greek butt".

#3. Got hit on by a little person atop the Acropolis in Athens. Surrounded by the awe inspiring beauty created by a civilization thousands of years ago, I found myself most fascinated by a little person I met. If you follow my blog you may know I have a soft spot for little people and anything miniature. I took it as a blessing from the Greek Goddness Aphrodite that this man started up a conversation with me. Being that my heart belongs to another, I had to decline his offer of a ride down from the top in his private elevator.  It truly was the highlight of my time in Athens.

Wish I had gotten your name. If you know this man, contact me.

#4. Reenacted the first Olympics. My friend Tara and her husband Nic (Who happens to be half Greek like my man) were also on the trip. Moved by the energy of the location of the first Olympics, Tara and I took off like a lightning bolt from Zeus. Of course we lasted about 20 feet before the Ouzo (Greek booze) we indulged in earlier kicked in and slowed us.

If only there was a wine drinking game in the Olympics.

#5. I returned to the sea in Nafplio. On a walk around a local town I stumbled upon this swimming area. There was one local woman in the water. It was the off-season for beach time, though it was a beautiful upper 70's day. Luckily I had my suit under my dress and was able to join her. It was one of the most beautiful setting I have ever swam in, and remember that is a statement coming from someone who is from Hawaii.

Rinsing off after channeling my inner mermaid.

#6. The food! With 24 hours a day room service and exceptional on-board restaurants, it was no wonder my clothes shrank. On the Silver Spirit you can order a 7 course meal in your suite if you like. You eat when you want, everything is all-inclusive including premium liquor. They needed a wheelbarrow to get me off the ship.

Hello lamb, oh how I've missed you.

 #7. The stunning sunsets. My travel agent Sue Thompson at Just Girls Travel is so good, she was able to schedule multiple stunning sunsets for my personal enjoyment. Truly spectacular to witness.

Nothing manmade can compare to the beauty of what Mother Nature creates.

#8. Meeting the local people. While on Santorini I took off on my own after a tour for a nearby beach. One of the people I met was this cab driver, whose name escapes me now because I can barely remember my own kids names. Anyways, he had just picked up a large pizza and shared a slice with me. I found most of the Greek people to be friendly, helpful and possessing a wonderful sense of humor. My kind of pizza.

Cab drivers in the States have never offered me pizza.

#9. Meeting people on the Silver Spirit. Though friends of mine went on the trip we did most excursions and meals separately. I loved being in bed by 9pm. My friends Nic and Tara could fill you in on the nightlife aboard the ship. I collapsed each night in a food coma. I had the pleasure of meeting my new friends Marion and Amanda. Marion is from Minnesota and her daughter Amanda lives on the east coast. We hiked, drank, explored and got lost together multiple times. Lovely people who I look forward to seeing again. Though, if never let Marion take your photo unless you want her thumb in it.

My fellow explorers.

#10. Coming home! One of the best things about my trip was coming home. Though my trip was the trip of a lifetime in many ways, it made me realize even more, how fortunate I am to have the people I do in my life. Dorothy had it right when she clicked her ruby red shoes and said "There's no place like home." Can you blame me? Look what I got to come home to.

My own piece of Greece, at home where my heart is. 

Just Girls Travel and Sue Thompson truly accomplished their mission of sending me on a unique and meaningful trip. I'm looking forward to our next adventure together. If you would like to join me or book your own, be sure to get ahold of Sue Thompson at 800-634-7414 or email at Sue@JustGirlsTravel.com

Adventures in Urban Farming and Zombie Apocalypse Prepping

I'm a believer in preparing for the coming Zombie Apocalypse. As part of my post apocalyptic preparation, I've been trying to learn how to grow herbs and vegetables. I fancy myself somewhat of a budding urban farmer, pun intended.

Though I've never really had a green thumb, I've impressed myself with my progress. Check out my Spam can herb garden. Reduce, reuse, recyle. I've finally found a use for some of the many cans of Spam I go through.

From seed I grew my first carrot. Reality did not meet my expectation! I'm holding my carrot, to the left is what I expected.

Regardless, I'm not giving up. Rome wasn't built in a day, and my Zombie Apocalypse Prep Garden won't be either.

Why My 50th Birthday in 2020 Should Matter to You!

If you like 24 hour room service, a butler at your beck and call, an endless supply of wine and vodka, fine dining, suites and exotic locations, I'm about to become your new best friend.

Throw on your best pair of spanx and your favorite lipstick because we have some celebrating to do! In September I'm turning 45. I've decide to kick off a 5 year celebration of my coming 50th birthday in the year 2020. I've been taking a month to celebrate my birthday since I turned 40. It's time to up that game!

Of course I still have work, responsibilities, blah, blah, blah, but it's time to also get serious about some of my bucket list items, especially the ones involving travel. To do so, I've partnered with Just Girls Travel and will be hosting multiple travel tours domestically and internationally. I don't think there could be a more perfect job for me unless I were hired as the personal assistant of my favorite little person, Peter Dinklage.

Most Awesome Little Person of All Time

My first trip with Just Girls Travel is to the place that is NUMBER ONE on my bucket list! If you follow me on social media you know that I'm madly in love with a Greek man. What better way to deepen our relationship than for me to leave him home and go on a luxury cruise around the Greek Isles!

I'm doing this for us baby! 

You can join me on this Adventure With Natalie! Contact Sue at Just Girls Travel. Full details about this adventure is on their website. CLICK HERE

If you don't already, be sure to follow me on twitter @NatalieNWebster and on Facebook. In addition to my usual daily shenanigans, I'll be sharing the many #AdventuresWithNatalie involving the 5 year celebration of my 50th birthday.

I'll let you know about other trips as we schedule them. In the meantime, I'd love to hear from you! What is on your bucket list?