The Puppy, The Jeep and other items I haven’t even gotten to

Aside

Way behind on my list of stuff to get up here, but here are the important items:

We got a puppy!! Cassie a schnoodle, who is playful, fun, and very cute.
I got a Jeep! A few months ago, actually. Updates/upgrades/fixes have been numerous, need to get the work log started. In the mean time I’m tracking my fuel usage with fuelly, check it out here:
The kitchen is no longer green!! Thanks to my mom, it’s a nice shade of white on the cabinets.
I got a water softener! Woo! Fixed the dishwasher, and unplugged all my appliances. I can now do laundry, dishes and shower with some amazing water pressure and soft water!!
The Theater has new pictures in it, thanks to Michelle who got me some awesome art for Christmas.
I got engaged (see post below and chris-n-michelle.com)

Okay, That’s my visual commitment to come back and make real posts on these things…

How I Fell in Love

Posted on December 1, 2011 by Chris

I met my fiance Michelle a long time ago, but I re-met her a year and a half ago. Our chemistry was undeniable from the outset: I’m a constant goof, with serious spurts that made her laugh more than the goofy parts. She was ever serious with an undeniable flair for the extra goofy during her less guarded moments. Our dear younger sisters pulled as many little sister tricks as possible, and pushed us together over a couple weekends in the summer of 2010. After a wonderful first date at the MN State Fair our love blossomed over a period of 18 months, one weekend at a time.

With her living 4 hours away in the twin cities I got to know the roads from Colton to St. Paul well. Thankfully as with the rest of our relationship Michelle would hardly saddle me with the entire burden: she accumulated just as many miles trading weekends to drive home. Out of the nearly 72 weekends leading up to our engagement I got to see her smiling face all but one. The weekend she was stranded in California was a sad weekend for both of us, including crying on the phone by both parties. Thankfully the phone, which we cried, laughed and got upset over was always there for us. 500+ nights in a row now I’ve heard her voice on the other end, usually the last thing before bed.

The next 18 months of our lives we’ll have just as many laughs, just as many phone calls, and just as many miles, but all of it will be leading towards the day we start our life together.

I love you dear, and can’t wait to write the next chapter of our life.

The Grand Sandwich

Posted on November 14, 2011 by Chris

The girlfriend and I were strolling down Grand Ave one day after eating at Shish (Review later) and noticed this sandwich shop. I love sandwich shops/ deli style food so we decided to stop in and check it out!

The Grand Sandwich
Price
Average Price for sandwich and chips: $8

Service
Friendly Staff, order at the counter and they bring it out.

Food Quality
Really good bread, quality, fresh ingredients. Unique options along with the standby's.

Overall
Solid sandwich shop for a good price among other more expensive boutique shops on Grand.

Website: https://grandsandwich.com/home.php (full menu’s available online + online ordering)

Location: 1672 Grand Ave, Saint Paul, MN

Con’s: Tiny place- not a lot of seating.

Pro’s: Was not overly busy at 2:00 on a Saturday. Fast food, fresh bread, good soup. Ton’s of beer on tap and available.

Food: I had the Trifecta (Turkey, ham and hard salami with swiss on a ciabatta roll with mayo, Italian dressing provolone, lettuce, tomato, and sprouts) and my partner in eating had the Turkey & Avocado.

The sandwich was served hot, with chips and a pickle. It was full of great fresh ingredients and had a really nice balance of flavor. The mayo wasn’t overpowering or overcompensating for any lack of taste. I got mine without onions or sprouts. Excellent sandwich. Chips were cheapie potato chips, I didn’t opt for the upgraded “premium” chips- the sandwich was enough that I left most of the chips on the plate.

The Big Cheese Pizza

Posted on October 21, 2011 by Chris

I’ve been to The Big Cheese several times, certainly over-due for a review!

The Big Cheese
Price
Average pizza price $20

Service
Seat yourself usually, wait staff was friendly, suggested items to try all 3 times service was slightly less than prompt

Food Quality
Fantastic pizza!! Indulge in the specials that can be 1/2 and 1/2 and the Italian nachos!

Overall
One of the better pizza places in Sioux Falls for sure!

Website: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Big-Cheese-Pizza/134749593229569 (full menu’s available online)

Location: 1301 East Benson Road, Sioux Falls, SD 57104

Con’s: Weird location on NE section of town.Pro’s: Nice, hasn’t been overly busy when I’ve been there. Wide range of menu for all tastes. TV’s for football, full bar, music Wednesday nights. Friendly staff, not overly attentive but very accommodating.

Food: Where to begin? Their pizza is TOP NOTCH and I would not go there and not have a slice. I have had nearly everything on the right side of their menu, which are the specials. Don’t forget you can order those 1/2 and 1/2 so everyone gets a bit of what they want. The crust is a medium weight, with plenty of flavor. The sauce tastes home-made and is zesty. plenty of topping on all the pizza’s I’ve had.

The thin crust wasn’t my thing, but was probably one of the better thin crusts I’ve had. I’d stick with hand tossed crust. The Italian nachos are a great treat for a group (they’re BIG!) but the garlic cheese bread was nothing to write home about. I have not have the chicken, or the sandwiches, but the sandwiches sure look tasty.

Favorite Pie: Meeting Place or Buffalo chicken.

Working Hard

Status

Working hard to get this site back up to date with some new plugins, working on my own “Project Tracker” plugin for wordpress 3.x as well. Hopefully soon side projects will calm down and I’ll have time to get it done and working. I purchased a 1995 Jeep Wrangler (YJ) and will be bringing it home this weekend, so add one more to the project list!

Chris Uthe

Things Happen, I do stuff. (Sometimes)