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February 2012
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Dennis Jansen

January 30th, 2012

Winter, finally

So winter finally came.

Winter in Minneapolis

Winter in Minneapolis

Well, snow did. We had a few sub-zero days but today we were well into the 40’s. We manage regardless of the temperature.

Winter in Minneapolis

The colder it gets inside the cozier it feels inside, so it’s not so bad.

My month of overtime just ended with 60-hour week. It felt like a lot, but I realize that many of my friends are routinely billing 80-90 hours a week at their law firms.

Today was a bit odd because I am now down to a 48-hour week. At some point I had to say, “Okay, I’ve been at the office for nine hours, it’s time to go.”

I took a quick pit stop at Mall of America on the way home. I accepted an offer for a senior position on another team, so I figured I could use some of my overtime pay to buy some new ties and sweaters for work.

The sweaters from H&M were a hot mess. I was horrified in the changing room and reminded that I need to get back to the gym. I was on the LA Fitness personal training schedule but my trainer randomly quit working for the gym without telling me. I found out when I showed up at 5:30 a.m. one morning and no one was there to meet me. That and a bad illness was enough to get me off of the fitness wagon. I’m back on now. I’m signed up for an ungodly time on Wednesday. Maybe my fitting room horrors will behind me come spring.

I finally found some semi-flattering sweaters and ties at Banana Republic. Someday I’ll get out of there with a bill under $250. Maybe I should get one of those credit cards they always try guilt me into. Finding a flattering overpriced sweater is quite a charmed problem to have.

December 20th, 2011

Ugly sweater day

It was ugly Christmas sweater day at work. I don’t have any ugly Christmas sweaters, so I wore an ugly University of Miami sweater.

ugly sweater

Close enough.

After work I ferried the dogs to the pet hotel. The paperwork was horribly confusing after a 10-hour workday. The nice thing is that I managed to finish all of my work for the week, so I don’t have to take my work laptop on vacation.

Tomorrow we fly to Miami. This should be fabulous.

December 12th, 2011

Muzzle

It has come to this.

muzzle

I don’t have to worry about my neighbors’ unleashed dogs now. Curiously, no one asks to pet him anymore either. Hm.

December 9th, 2011

Gertrude the Rottweiler

I’m more likely to take Gertrude places because she doesn’t scratch up the upholstery of my car like a certain someone.

rottweiler

rottweiler

The cuteness is just a bonus.

December 4th, 2011

The dog driver

I got in my car at Target and saw this:

dog in car

The funny thing is that Gertrude no longer climbs to my driver’s seat when I leave her in the car. I guess not all dogs learn to stay in the back.

November 24th, 2011

The finger fiasco

So it’s Thanksgiving and I’m in the ER with a pornstache.

The end of Movember can’t come quick enough. The handlebar mustache makes me look super sketchy and the African ER nurse is glaring at me because I look like a junkie.

I’m in the ER because our early morning trip to the dog park went horribly wrong. I’m at the dog park watching Gertrude play with a puppy when I hear screaming behind me. There’s a pileup of dogs and Harley is in the middle of it.

I jump in with the other dog owners and reach into Harley’s mouth to pull him off of a mutt. That was a mistake and my finger gets torn up. I’m told that the other dogs are fine and that my hand is the only casuality of the dog fight.

Sigh. No more dog parks for Harley. Ever.

Dragging my dogs to the car with a bloody hand is super awkward. The pornstache doesn’t help.

Four hours and seven stitches later, I am off to Walgreens for antibiotics. Juggling the hospital paperwork with my banged up hand and facial hair makes me look super sketchy. The pharmacist glares until she realizes that I’m not a junkie, just clueless.

My index finger bone is also fractured. Apparently my finger nail is completely gone and the bone was hanging out. Ugh. I’ll see if I can get into the orthopediatrician’s tomorrow.

Gory pictures after the jump.
Continue reading “The finger fiasco” »

November 22nd, 2011

Over the bridge

The dog walks haven’t gotten difficult yet. Only a slight chill over the bridge.

central avenue bridge minneapolis

central avenue bridge minneapolis

This is the same bridge with the Frankenstein monster. There’s a Dunn Brother’s Coffee at the other end, so it’s worth it.

November 20th, 2011

Back to Lake of the Isles

The snow caused us to return to our old stomping grounds at the Lake of the Isles.

Lake of the Isles

Lake of the Isles

There were geese everywhere so we had to leave early. You know how Harley gets around goose poop. I can’t deal.

November 19th, 2011

Snow day

And the snow came.

 snow Minneapolis

That’s the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank, one of my favorite buildings. I haven’t seen the Occupy Minnesota protestors out there for a while. Maybe winter has done them in? Anyway, the building looks even better in winter.

Oh, and Gertrude loves the snow. Harley isn’t so sure.

 snow Minneapolis

November 18th, 2011

The last day

The gig’s up. Tomorrow it snows. That means I’m spending as much time outside with the dogs as possible today. I took the dogs on a long hike by the Mississippi.

Mississippi River

The walk was a little too long for Harley’s taste.

Harley car

He’ll get over it.