COFFEE Get a perfect mocha at the Spyhouse

There’s a funky vibe at the

Spyhouse Coffee Shop at 2404 Hennepin Avenue. It’s one of those places you go when you need to get out of the house and feel like a regular woman again. Yes, you are more than just a mommy. Really. And this place will accept you alone or with the little ones.

The place isn’t necessarily set up for kids, but then again, it didn’t seem to be anti-kid either. The black booths were covered in the sort of texture that makes spills (whether by adults or kids) easy to clean up. With a wood floor and brick walls, it’s pretty industructible. There isn’t a play area for kids, but no one raised an eyebrow when my 2-year-old ran from one

side of the booth to the other — then again — and again.

There were plenty of people set up with laptops when I visited on a Friday morning, but also a number of folks who had met others to chat over a cup of joe. And the coffee was absolutely delicious. I’m a mocha drinker, and often they’re too sweet or too bitter. This cup was just right.

Personally, I love a local coffee shop that prides itself on keeping things as local as possible, which is just what the Spyhouse does. Tea comes from the Tea Source in St. Paul, and coffee from Peace Coffee right here in Minneapolis. Other roasters include: Verve Coffee Roasters of Santa Cruz, Calif., Metropolis Coffee Co. of Chicago, Ill.,

Coava Coffee Roasters of Portland, Ore., and Counter Culture Coffee of Durham, N.C.

The Spyhouse Coffee Shop

spyhousecoffeeshop.com

2404 Hennepin Ave S (right next to Via’s Vintage Wear)

Minneapolis MN 55405

(612) 377-2278

2451 Nicollet Ave S

Minneapolis MN 55404

(612) 871-3177

HOURS: M – F 6:30 – midnight | SA – SU 8:00 – midnight

They want you to do your part to help sustain and protet the planet (they are located in Uptown, after all), so they offer these tips on their web site:

RECYCLE

–Take the time to Recycle all plastics, glass, cans, paper, and compost if available to you.

–Remember to sort for your local garbage company to help them with the process.

–Use a canvas bag when shopping to reduce use of plastic and paper bags.

–Stop junk mail. Americans receive 400 million tons of junk mail/year.

–When wrapping gifts, use old wrapping material, newspapers, magazines, etc.

TRANSPORTATION

–Buy a bike. Even if you still love your car, there are times when you don’t need to go far, or carry a lot of stuff with you. And it’s fun to look for that fun, vintage bike you used to have as a kid.

–You can also carpool, take the bus, or light-rail.

WATER

–By turning off the water when you brush your teeth, and reducing your shower time by just one minute, you will save roughly 2,000 gallons of water/year.

–Whether cleaning dishes or clothes, make sure you have a full load.

–Avoid using pesticides, herbicides, and all other chemicals.

ENERGY

–Unplug or turn off appliances, stereos, chargers, computers, etc. as much as possible when not in use.

–Conserve energy by putting on a sweater and slippers to reduce energy use and cost by 5-10%.

–Lower hot water heater thermostat, and use cold water instead of hot as much as possible.

–Buy fresh foods versus canned. Canned foods are 10 times more energy intensive to produce.

–Clean filters on AC units, dryers, etc. Turn off all lights when not in use. Plant a Tree.

DONATING AND/OR BUYING SECOND-HAND

–If you can’t use it, someone sure can.

–Not only is it cheaper and more fun to find that treasure, buy from your local antique store, vintage shop, or thrift store to help to sustain our planet and keep local shops going strong.

EXERCISE

–Try and get at least 30 minutes/day of active time. You can do as little as taking stairs instead of elevators, to joining one of the many sports groups we have in the Twin Cities. (hockey, soccer, softball, biking, kick ball, local gym membership)

SPREAD THE WORD

–Pass the knowledge along to others so that we all become more aware and conscious of our decisions.

Make your own granola, it's healthy and oh-so-easy!

We all want to be healthier, right? Last year, I decided to start making granola so that my family would get a nutritious breakfast. We all know that breakfast sets the tone to the rest of your day, right?

I’m all about taking small steps to health by incorporating one new thing at a time, getting that down, and then moving on. I know that deciding to change everything about my life and becoming all-organic, all-natural, all-health at once isn’t going to happen. But I can take baby steps.

Back to the granola.

Rolled oats, the base of granola, provide lots of fiber, both soluable and insoluable. Insoluble fibre helps speed waste matter through the digestive system by bulking up stools, and fibre is a good remedy for digestive problems such as constipation and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The fiber is also good for your heart; the soluble fibre in the oats reduces 'bad' LDL cholesterol without affecting 'good' HDL cholesterol, lessening the risk of atherosclerosis and other heart problems. Diabetic? The soluble fibre in granola slows down the digestion of starch, which means there is no sharp rise in blood sugar levels after eating granola. Barley and oats also contain antioxidants, which can help strengthen your body in a myriad of ways and prevent disease.

Add nuts to your granola to add a host of nutrients, such as folate, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, zinc, and selenium. They also provide your body with Omega 3 fatty acids, an essential for heart health. A study published in the June 2004 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that pecans, hazelnuts, and walnuts contained the highest antioxidant levels of all nuts tested. Almonds can help lower cholesterol, and are a rich source of vitamin E, calcium, phosphorous, iron and magnesium. They also contains zinc, selenium, copper and niacin. The health benefits of almonds include getting relief from constipation, respiratory disorders, cough, hearth disorders, anemia, impotency, and diabetes. They also helps in hair care, skin care (psoriasis), and dental care. Walnuts contain omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, which are needed for maintaining healthy joints and brain function. Cashews have a high iron content which is needed to make haemoglobin - the red pigment in the blood. Cashews and pecans are a rich source of oleic acid, the same type of fatty acid found in olive oil. If you check online, you can add to this list of benefits, but I’ll stop because I think I’ve covered the highlights.

I’ve been a huge fan of nuts since reading “Blue Zones: Live Longer, Better” by Dan Buettner of National Geographic fame. One of the common threads folks who live past 100 share is a propensity to eat lots of nuts. And so, I’ve been trying to add nuts into our snacks and meals. (By the way, if you want to get good tips on being healthy, I recommend you pick up this book. Or visit, bluezones.com).

I like to make granola myself because then I can control the contents (how much sugar there is, how many nuts, etc.). Here’s a recipe I found online and tweaked. Even my non-healthy husband will eat this stuff — probably because of the maple syrup!

Oh, yeah, and the best thing is that this is truly the easiest thing to make EVER.

BEST GRANOLA

6 c. rolled oats

2 c. chopped nuts (almonds, pecans, cashews, etc. I vary it depending on what I have and what we ate last time)

28 oz. flaked coconut

1/2 c. wheat germ

Dash cinnamon (there are tons of health benefits to spices, too!

1 c. Pure maple syrup

1 c. packed brown cane sugar

1/2 c. olive or canola oil

4 T. warm water

Mix your first five ingredients in one bowl and the rest in another. Toss them together to coat, and divide equally onto 2 cookie sheets (ungreased). Bake at 250º, stirring every 15-30 minutes until crunchy. It will take about 2 hours.

Great deals every day through Groupon, Crowdcut & Living Social

I love deals, but I’m not so big on shopping. I’m also lazy, so I hate having to go in search of deals.

That’s why I love Groupon, et. al.

I think those email services like Groupon were designed just with me in mind. I open my email every morning, I scroll through what they offer, if I like it I click, click, click and done. It’s fantastic.

Don’t know what I’m talking about? Groupon (and services like it) offer deals at 50-90% off stuff. For example, I recently bought a voucher good for $30 to the Mexican restaurant El Nuevo Rodeo for only $15 and a voucher for $10 to Tea Garden for only $5. Groupon emails you the day’s deal, and if enough people cash in on it, the deal is on.

The toughest thing about Groupon is remembering the voucher when I go to use it, but I’ve found that if I just show it on my phone, they’ll let me access the deal.

The second toughest thing is not buying something just because it sounds like a great deal.

I’m good at ignoring the stuff that totally doesn’t apply to me, like the doggy grooming and cosmetic surgery, but I’m easily sucked in by stuff that sounds good. Last summer I bought the Groupon for Gap: $50 worth of stuff for only $25. I’m not a usual Gap shopper and I figured that the rules of Old Navy would apply: 2 or maybe 3 pairs of pants for $50. I had a rude awakening at Gap. I barely got one pair of slacks there for $50.

Now I try to be pickier and to just buy the stuff I think I really can’t live without. Or the stuff I’ll be buying anyway.

I recommend signing up for all the deal services you can find. Right now, I subscribe to Groupon, Crowdcut, LivingSocial, and KGBdeals, as well as the Star Tribune Deal of the Day. I’m not a huge fan of the Tribune’s deals and am thinking about removing the KGBdeals, but I love the other three. It might sound like the deals just clog up your email, but I have them all go to the one account I’ve set up for junk email, so it doesn’t bug me.

A few extra emails a day is a small price to pay for good deals that I don’t have to work for.

Try it today, and I’m pretty sure you’ll be hooked too.

Try cloth diapers out; use a diaper service

Want to try cloth diapers out?

Taking the jump by purchasing a couple hundred dollars worth of cloth diapers isn’t an easy thing to do. What if you end up HATING it? What if it really is a hassle like all those doomsayers have told you? What if it just isn’t convenient and doesn’t work out for you?

I love cloth diapers, and I’d like to see you try them out. So here’s what I suggest:

Use a cloth diaper service.

Yes, there are cloth diaper services these days. Isn’t that just wonderful?! In fact, there are two right in the Twin Cities and another in southern Minnesota. I was tickled pink the other week to see these diaper services splashed across the front page of the Star Tribune variety section. In case you missed the story, click here http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/112823874.html.

It wasn’t too long ago that the same newspaper reported that the last cloth diaper service in Minneapolis was closing. But folks want cloth diapers these days, and they want easy options. We want to be able to save money and not contribute to overflowing landfills. And because of that, new businesses have started up.

All Things Diapers, based out of Blaine, was started by a husband and wife duo who used cloth for both of their children. “We truly believe that everyone can use cloth diapers, and our mission is to make them both convenient and cost effective,” said owner Patti Cross. She and her husband offer a three-day trial for only $10! The prefold package is then $10.50 a week, or use SoftBums Echo diapers for $30 a week. Parents place the wet diapers in a diaper pail; if it’s a pooper, shake the solids into the toilet, but you don’t have to scrub them. Customers pick their own delivery day, and can opt for once or twice a week at no extra charge. There is also a package for folks who want to use both cloth and disposable diapers. The company will also work with your daycare, and provides a list of daycares that that accept cloth diapers.

All Things Diapers prides itself on being green, using bicycles or hybrid cars for delivery and line-drying diapers when weather permits.

All Things Diapers

(Cloth Diaper Delivery Service & Cloth Diaper Baby Store)

12064 Central Ave NE,

Blaine, MN, 55434

(763) 439-1973

www.allthingsdiapers.com

E-mail: allthingsdiapers@yahoo.com

I love the slogan for Do Good Diapers, based out of Minneapolis: “Let Do Good Do the Dirty Work”! Owners Peter and Kathy started the company while searching for a diaper service when baby Elliot was born. Most of their customers pay $20 a week. Prices range from $18 to $24 a week and are based on the number of diapers you use. The cost for twins is $24 — which sounds pretty cheap to me! The trial package is $20 for one week; if you decide to continue, the $20 is applied to your future bill. Do Good Diapers combine cotton pre-fold diapers with either the water-proof Pro-wrap velcro or Thirsties Duo covers. They also provide the Snappie (today’s version of the diaper pin), the diaper pail and deorderizing discs.

Do Good Diapers

3134 California St. NE

Minneapolis, MN 55418

(612) 990-2183

dogooddiapers.com

Email: DoGoodDiapers@gmail.com

Want to see cloth diapering in action before you commit? Monthly Cloth ‘Nappie’ Hours have been set up at two local stores that cater to moms. Stop in for a quick 10-minute demonstration, ask questions and get a hands on cloth diaper demo at either Peapod’s or Bellies to Babies. All attendees will receive a coupon for $10 your first invoice from Do Good Diapers.

Peapod’s Natural Toy and Baby Care (Thursdays):

• February 10: 4 - 6 PM

• March 10: 4 - 6 PM

• April 14: 4 - 6 PM

• May 12: 4 - 6 PM

• June 9: 4 - 6 PM

Bellies to Babies Maternity Consignment (Thursdays):

• January 27: 5 - 7 PM

• February 24: 5 - 7 PM

• March 24: 5 - 7 PM

• April 28: 5 - 7 PM

• May 26: 5 - 7 PM

• June 23: 5 - 7 PM

In case you’re not convinced yet, did you know that on average, cloth diaper users save $661.44? That’s something to crow about!

Coffee shouldn’t be this hard to find

My search for a cup of coffee in the cities hasn’t gone well.

It shouldn’t be so difficult. This is the Twin Cities, the mecca of coffee houses in the state. Right? That’s what I thought before I lived down here and I used to explore the city by checking out fun coffeehouses with a friend.

Now I think it’s impossible.

Here is exactly what I’m looking for: A quiet coffee house where I can study. It needs to be open until 10 p.m. I’d appreciate it if there weren’t a million people inside chatting loudly. I’d like it to be locally owned (aka not a chain). It would be great if it were located within 5 minutes of my apartment and had convenient, free parking. And it needs to make a good mocha (not too sweet, not too bitter) with fresh whipped cream (none of that Redi Whip crap).

I’m still looking.

I remembered a great coffee shop a friend and I had visited twice somewhere off University Avenue. But try as I might, I couldn’t find the right spot on University and settled for a Starbucks at 815 South 25th Avenue near the U of M campus. At first, it seemed perfect. There were two men at one table, and I took another small table in the corner. But soon, I and the girl behind the counter were the only women in the place. It was packed with Somali men — loudly speaking Somali men. I couldn’t hear my computer keys clack above the din. Strike that coffee shop off my list.

The next week I decided to go looking for Overflow Espresso Cafe again. This time I went farther east on University than I thought it would be, and I found it at 2929 University. I was sure this was going to be

the one. They have a fantastic sculpture in the center of the coffee shop and a great view of a pond out the windows. It’s also huge, and a lot of people go there, so it’s noisy. What was worse, however, was the industrial-sized ceiling fans spitting cold air down on an already cool autumn evening. Brr. I was so cold, my fingers wouldn’t type.

Enough with trying to find my own coffee shop. It was time to ask my friend, neighbor, former Isanti County resident and 12-year Minneapolis resident where the nearest and best coffee shop was. She suggested the May Day Cafe off Bloomington. Of course, a few days later when I went to find the place with the deadline for a paper looming over my head and a screaming kid at home, I couldn’t remember the street or name. So I used the Where? app on my phone, but only found a Maya Cafe. It had shut down.

I kept driving south and found a Caribou at Minnehaha Parkway and Cedar. It would have to do for now.

Another week brought another search. I walked up to the May Day Cafe at 34th and Bloomington. The doors were locked at 6:30 p.m. I got back

in my car, drove around the block and headed south on Bloomington again. The Sisters Sludge coffee house at 45th and Bloomington looked promising. But it wasn’t. As I stepped up to order my cup of joe, another woman asked how late the place was open; I had 15 minutes until it closed at 7 p.m. It was back to Caribou at Minnehaha and Cedar. I felt like I was back in my small town where everything closes by 6 p.m.

The next Tuesday I tried to find the 2nd Moon, which was supposedly within a mile of my apartment at 2225 East Franklin. Couldn’t find the small storefront in the dark; should have activated my Google Navigation. The Wolves Den at 1530 East Franklin is closed in the evenings. Back to Caribou at Minnehaha and Cedar — at least I can find that place.

The next week I decided to head west to Uptown, although that’s past my 5-minute drive. I turned

left at Lyndale to see what was nearby, and drove past Bob’s Java Hut. Hmmm... As a biker, I’d always wanted to check that place out, and this night seemed as good as any other. I walked in — and was greeted by some funky music and a low mumbling of voices. I parked myself near the back and got to work. No one hit on me. I was able to block out the other various conversations around me. This coffee shop held promise.

I went back the next week. There were a few more people this time so I switched spots twice and it was a bit cold, but it’s still the best I’ve found. There’s a relaxing atmosphere, and great motorcycle art on the walls. The mochas are perfect.

Bob’s Java Hut — you’re my new study spot.

2651 South Lyndale Avenue, Minneapolis

www.bobsjavahut.com

Hours:

Monday to Thursday 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Friday 6 a.m. to midnight

Saturday 7 a.m. to midnight

Sunday 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Open 365 days a year

New to the city of Minneapolis

So, I’m new to the city. And as a newcomer, that means that I have absolutely no idea how to get anything done.

I can’t find anything.

I mean, where’s the best grocery store? Where do I change my driver’s license? Where do I buy new tabs? Where do I get a screwdriver (the tool type, not the orange-juice-with-a-splash-of-vodka sort). Is there anyplace nearby for a white, white girl to tan? How about a Costcutters where I can be guaranteed a good haircut? Kinkos? Menards? Coffee shop owned by a local person (that doesn’t cater to just Somali men) and is open late into the evening so I can study?

As a woman who knew where absolutely everything was in her small town, and knew most of the shopkeepers by name too, this is a very difficult place to be in.

I really hate getting in the car to run an errand and suddenly realizing that I have no idea how to get where I want to go. Even when I know where a store is, I can’t find the roads I need because I’m south of it now instead of north. You’d be amazed at how many roads don’t connect at the same place for both north and southbound traffic. Thank goodness for Google Maps and a cell phone. Else I’d still be driving around looking for a Subway.

As a newcomer, I’ve discovered that I’m constantly breaking rules. Some I know better about. Others I’m perplexed about how to get done what I need to in order to keep within the law. A few weeks into our life down here we got a ticket on our Ranger because the front plate was missing. That was a Friday. On Monday we got another. Whoa! I might have deserved one, but two? I asked a friend where I could go to contest the tickets and she kindly volunteered to walk me to the correct city office: the humongous Government Center in downtown Minneapolis. Gulp. We headed there on a Wednesday afternoon. Turns out the complaint department closes at like 1 p.m. on Wednesdays. Who would have thought?

I went back a few days later to get things straightened out (not on a Wednesday). After waiting for 1.5 hours, my 21-month-old and I were ushered back into some poor, unsuspecting man’s office. Once there, Josey started hollering; she’d had enough of this waiting around and being told “Don’t touch” business. Three minutes later, our two tickets were forgiven and we were being helped out the door.

He laughed when I told him I’d gone back home to my usual license bureau in Cambridge to buy a new license plate. “We have license bureaus in Minneapolis,” he assured me.

Fast-forward three months and I decided to check out one of those alleged city offices. This time, I picked one that wasn’t located downtown in hopes of moving through the process quicker. We’ve (finally) purchased a house and it was time to update my driver’s license (and hopefully get out of jury duty in Isanti County). There’s a Hennepin County Service Center in the basement of the Global Market off Lake Street and Chicago Avenue. While I wouldn’t call it fast compared to Cambridge, it was definitely a quicker experience than what I’d found at the downtown center. Plus, it doesn’t close at 4:30 p.m. but is open until 6 p.m. That’s a nice perk.

So, for you other newcomers, here’s the scoop on Service Centers:

General number: 612-348-8240

Web site: hennepin.us (Click on licenses, certificates and registrations)

Midtown Exchange Service Center (aka Global Market)

2929 Chicago Avenue S., Minneapolis

Hours: Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Eden Prairie Service Center

479 Prairie Center Drive, Eden Prairie

Hours: Open at 8 a.m. Monday to Friday; closes at 7 p.m. Monday, 5 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday and 4 p.m. on Friday.

Southdale Service Center

7009 York Avenue, Edina

Hours: Opens at 9 a.m., closes at 6 p.m. weekdays. This location (as well as the Minnetonka and Brookdale ones) are open Saturdays until 2 p.m.

Ridgedale Service Center

12601 Ridgedale Drive, Minnetonka

Hours: Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Brookdale Service Center

6125 Shingle Creek Parkway, Brooklyn Center (In case you need to change your name, this location is near an office for that, as well.)

Hours: Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Maple Grove Service Center

9325 Upland Lane North, Maple Grove

Hours: Opens at 9 a.m.; closes at 7 p.m. on Mondays, 5 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday, and 4 p.m. on Fridays

Hennepin County Government Center Service Center (downtown)

300 South Sixth Street, downtown Minneapolis

Hours: Monday to Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (These are the main hours of the building, but don’t necessarily reflect individual departments.)

I discovered the Bremer Bank parking lot off Seventh is heated, but a bit expensive. There’s also a ramp underneath the government center that you access on the west side of the building.

And if you want to drive to Cambridge for tabs, here’s my easy-to-find, easy-to-park, easy-to-chat-with-all-the-employees License Bureau I’ve used since I was 16:

225 South Ashland Street, Cambridge

763-689-1130

Thoughts from the dentist’s chair

I found myself in the dentist’s chair the other week wondering how I am going to instill good dental habits in my daughter. I have to confess I don’t have the best flossing habits, as noticed by my dental hygienist. “How often do you floss?” she asked me. What’s the best way to answer this question, I wondered. “I have ups and downs,” I responded. Meaning: I floss a week or so after my dental cleaning and then don’t again until two days before my next dentist appointment.

Then I really got to thinking as she got down to scrubbing my teeth and I couldn’t open my mouth to say anything anyway. I don’t have a good flossing habit — and I blame my mom. I really do. She made us brush our teeth two times a day, and I do that religiously. I can’t live without brushing my teeth two times a day. But I almost never brush more than that, and I know of some people who absolutely have to brush after lunch too. And I don’t floss. Almost ever.

Will my daughter be blaming me for her poor dental habits in another 30 years?

Will she be blaming me for other annoying habits, like leaving her water glasses all over the house, vacuuming only when it’s really dirty and being late to everything? Will she blame me for other things? Like smothering her or getting after her for stupid, little things? Will she review her life and blame me for not being able to communicate her thoughts and feelings to the man she loves? Just what will my failings be as a parent?

How can I avoid them?

Is there any way to avoid them?

I wish I could be that perfect mom, but the simple truth is no matter how hard I try I'm pretty sure I'll never be that person. (And I'm pretty sure she doesn't exist anyway.) But how can I minimize the damage? The answer to that might take longer to ascertain than I have dentist appointments for.

Wines I’m raving about this week

I confess that I get my best recommendations for wine from the Cambridge liquor store wine connoisseur Bobbi. And she told me I don’t need to spend over $10 these days for a great bottle of wine. My frugal soul has taken those words to heart. Occassionally I splurge, but I never feel like I have to in order to prove I have great taste. Nor should you.

Here are four wines I’m currently raving about...

• Lindemans Moscato

Moscato is my favorite wine, hands-down. Light, pairs with everthing and bubbly - what more could you ask for? At a wine sale last spring, I bought half a case of this wine. I couldn’t help myself. It was only $3 a bottle.

• Barefoot Bubbly Moscato Spumante

Yep, it’s brand spanking new. And quite delicious. This was my pick for New Year’s Eve this year. (Hey, just because I did my toasts at 9 p.m. because I couldn’t make it until midnight doesn’t make it any less good.)

• Europa ChocoVine

I can promise you that you’re going to love this wine. Think Bailey’s Irish Creme in a wine bottle. It’s billed as the “taste of dutch chocolate and fine red wine” by the Holland-based company. I’ve heard that there is also a Raspberry ChocoVine. I have to get my hands on a bottle of that soon...

• Frisk Prickly Riesling

It’s a riesling with an attitude - a bubbly attitude. I have to confess I have absolutely no idea how much a bottle of this stuff costs; it was a gift from a friend of mine with whom I share a love of cats. I plan to pick up some more though as I loved it. Sweet bubbly wine. It sounds like moscato!

Wrong answers in Minneapolis -- by the folks who supposedly know

Don’t believe the first answer you get, or the second. In fact, you probably want to get at least three answers. That’s what I have learned after a few dealings with the city of Minneapolis.

Let me tell you: I am not impressed. In fact, so far I think the city of Minneapolis is pretty ineffectual and definitely too big for its own pants.

It took me two calls to get a garbage can. I’m still waiting for my recycling bins.

My street wasn’t plowed for three days after the big storm in December.

And that ridiculous 311 system. Just send me to the correct department, please. I’m tired of getting answers that are wrong by people who shouldn’t try answering them because they don’t know what they’re talking about.

First example:

I called to see if I could get a dumpster and leave it on my street during snow emergencies. I didn’t want to pay the cost of having the dumpster company come back after the road has been plowed, of course. I wanted to leave it there until my home improvement project is done — which might not be until spring.

The first answer was exactly what I wanted to hear: Oh, it’s no problem. Just park it on the odd side of the street (luckily that’s our side), and shovel around it when it snows. You won’t need to move it during the snow emergency. After I spoke to my contractor and he spoke to the dumpster guy, I called back. The dumpster company has been having lots of problems in Minneapolis this winter.

The second answer was the one I didn’t want to hear, and so I figured must be true: No, you can’t just leave a dumpster in the street when there’s a snow emergency. You have to move it, and the city of Minneapolis doesn’t care how much extra money that incurs for you. They need to plow the street. All right. We put the dumpster behind the house instead. I can understand having a cleared off street (especially in light of my earlier complaint that the city didn’t plow me out until three days after a snow storm!).

Second example:

Yesterday, I called 311 to see if I needed a demolition permit to tear out the crappy stuff inside my house. My contractor warned me I probably needed it. But the lady who answered my call, who said she was authorized and knowledgeable about permitting, told me that no, of course I didn’t need a demolition permit unless I was demolishing the entire house. I checked online, and the information on the city’s web site about permits agreed with that answer.

I called again in the afternoon to see what I could learn from a second person. After I repeated my story about what I wanted to do in the house, she also told me I was just fine.

To be on the safe side, I asked that someone from the permit department call me back. I gave my number and got ready to wait one to three days.

A man from the permit review department just called me back. Yes, I do need a permit to remove interior stuff, he told me. WHAT?! He got annoyed when I was obviously annoyed at having been told the exact opposite by two other city employees. Whatever.

Needless to say, I am not impressed by the city of Minneapolis. It’s about time they start sending people to the correct city department again instead of using some ridiculous answering service that isn’t even based at city hall. And that’s what I plan to say on my comment card when I visit the zoning department. Wonder if they’ll bother listening to the people they serve... I won’t be holding my breath.

On Buying A House

Buying and selling a home are not easy tasks. We sold our place last fall, and just closed on a new house on Dec. 22 after searching over four months for the perfect place. I’ve decided there are no perfect homes, so the way to get what I want is to remodel. We bought a fixer-upper in South Minneapolis that had been foreclosed on.

Buying a bank-owned propery means that the entire purchase is going to take longer and be more frustrating — and the only reason to go through it is to get a home for less. We have limited funds, so a remodel was out of the picture unless we could get a house for under $200,000.

After selling a new home in Cambridge for $200,000 we were amazed at how much less home we got in Minneapolis for the same price. That was a hard pill to swallow. After biting the bullet and accepting that home prices really aren’t that low (despite the media reports to the contrary), we made the offer on a foreclosure that have been lived in very hard. But unlike many other foreclosures, it hadn’t been so badly damaged by the folks who previously lived there that we needed to repair broken walls and burst pipes. Thank goodness.

We made the offer in early November, and then waited to hear back... And waited and waited. It was over a week before the bank told us they had accepted the offer, and it took nearly that long for their realtor to let us know they were looking at it. I’ll just state up front that I don’t have a high opinion of most realtors, and I have a particularly low disregard for those that handle foreclosures. The agent representing this particular bank didn’t work for this commission, that’s for sure.

I do recommend our realtor to anyone; Vickie Christensen of Century 21 Moline Realty in Cambridge goes above and beyond — and I’m not just saying that because we are related. She returned phone calls, and when she didn’t hear back from someone else, she hounded him/her, calling all the numbers she could round up, including cell, office, and home, as well as emailing him. When there was an issue -- and we had plenty of them — she stayed on it until it had been resolved. That’s the kind of realtor I can admire.

Knowing we had a holiday (Thanksgiving) in the mix, we set the closing date for five weeks out. We had to push it out another 2 or 3 times because the bank we bought the house from was so slow our lender couldn’t get things done in time.

Another big issue that muddied our deal was the bank account our down payment was in. When we got the check after selling our home, I dashed to the bank and popped it in my account. To make things simpliest, we decided that only my husband would apply for the loan on the new house. The problem surrounded the fact that we have seperate bank accounts. (We’ve operated just fine until now with our own seperate ones.)

For some reason I still don’t understand, our lender was far too interested in where the money was coming from for the down payment on the new house.

We had to state that we were still together, hadn’t seperated and hadn’t filed for divorce. We had to reiterate that we were living together. I sent one letter stating my husband had full access to my bank account. That wasn’t enough, so I withdrew the money and put it in his account. Then I needed to send a letter stating that I’d given him the money to use for the down payment. Then I had to send a letter that we both signed stating we lived together. Whew! Lesson learned. Next time pay attention to who will be applying for the loan and make sure the proper funds get in that bank account.

Our other major issue surrounded our home appraisal. The appraiser noted a broken window in one bedroom and a stain on the kitchen ceiling. Our lender refused to give us funds until the window had been replaced, and because of a snow storm the foreclosure bank-hired contractor didn’t get to the job until the day after we were supposed to close. Then without a request from us, the bank decided to hire someone to paint the ceiling in the kitchen. This brainiac sprayed the ceiling without covering any of the cabinets or appliances with plastic, leaving white overspray on everything. I couldn’t believe it. Good thing we planned to redo the kitchen otherwise I would have been absolutely furious. They damaged the home we were purchasing just days before the sale was final.

In general, we learned the contractors these banks hire are total hacks. Instead of rekeying the garage, the guy just broke the door. When doing a pressure test on the plumbing, they made a new hole in the wall instead of using the access box right above it. And someone along the way broke a screen in another room.

We were nervous the day of our closing because our realtor told us things could still go sour. Luckily for us, the deal went through and we only had to wait around 2 hours in the office of the title company. I’m so glad we didn’t have to return the next day. Finally we were homeowners again!

Tea party at Tea Source

Plan a tea party with the girls and head over to Tea Source in St. Anthony.

The tea store located in St. Anthony Shopping Center is in one of the ugliest strip malls I’ve ever seen — but it’s chock full of fun shops, like Annona Gourmet and Hidden Treasures Thrift Store, as well as a Hennepin Country Library. Bring the girls and stay all afternoon.

There are four small tables set up inside Tea Source, which make for an intimate tea outing. While we were there (two moms with an eight-year-old and a two-year-old), there was another young mom with her baby and toddler, as well as a group of three seniors. The aromas in the shop are heavenly, and the tea is delicious. I ordered the small pot of one of the daily specials, which came on a tray and filled up two plus cups. I added a little honey, and could have stayed there sipping tea all afternoon.

I plan to return on a Tuesday for the $3.35 sampler. Enjoy five cups of tea for that one low price. Nice! I love deals. What’s more is that tea featured on sample days is 20% off for bulk purchases. The theme on Jan. 18 is Organic Teas and on Jan. 25 it is Tropical Dreaming Teas.

I left with a 4-ounce bag of the black Lychee and another of the Breakfast Assam. Since first being introduced to the Tea Source by my aunt a few years ago, I’ve become addicted to the Chai blend mixed with the strong black Breakfast Assam. I’ve also purchased a travel French press mug, and drink at least one cup of freshly brewed tea a day. Delicious!

After our tea party, we headed out to brave the cold in a short walk to the Hidden Treasures Thrift Store, a non-profit shop that benefits Bethlehem Baptist. Ya know how most thrift shops smell slightly musty and are completely disorganized? This place is completely opposite! It was a well-managed shop and even carried nice furniture.

Next door is another of my favorite specialty shops, Annona Gourmet. It carries flavored oils (such as Perisan Lime and Tuscan Herb) and vinegars, as well as pastas. We love the black olive fettucine noddles, and recently tried the southwestern chipolte, which I found too spicy. You also can’t beat the freshly baked bread loafs for only $2. Hurry; they go fast!

Tea Source

2908 Pentagon Drive

Minneapolis, MN 55418-3209

(612) 788-4842

www.teasource.com

Hours: Mon-Sat 8am-8pm; Sun 10am-5pm

Hidden Treasures Thrift Store

(612) 706-3223

www.hiddentreasuresonline.org

Hours: Mon-Thu 9:30am-7:30pm; Fri-Sat 9:30am-5:30pm

Annona Gourmet

(612) 354-2927

www.annonagourmet.com

Hours: Mon 2:30pm-6:30pm; Tue,Thu 10:30am-7:30pm; Wed,Fri 9am-6pm; Sat 9am-5pm