Make a Weekend of It!! Parks, Zoos, & Museums

Minnehaha Falls Park







Walker Arts Center & Sculpture Garden - See the Cherry on the Spoon!!!

Minneapolis Institute of the Arts will be featuring the 'Kuon: Eternal Flow of Time' by Mayumi Amada and 'The Voided' by Eun-Kyung Suh' ... they're FREE! Open Sat 10a - 5p, Sun 11a - 5p

Mill City Museum and Ruins Park, Downtown Minneapolis, Ruins are Free, Museum is $5 for kids, $10 for adults














Historic Fort Snelling
The original settlement and trade post of Minnesota. Open Saturdays from 10a - 5p. Kids $5, Adults $10.














Minnesota Children's Museum
Open Sat 9a - 5p, $8.95 ages 1 - 101

Bell Museum of Natural History
Open Sat 10a - 5p, Kids and Seniors $3, Adults $5

Science Museum of Minnesota
Sat & Sun 9:30a - 9:30p ... there is also an omnitheatre in the museum, ticket for museum + theatre: Kids $14.50, Adults $18; Just the museum: Kids $8.50, Adults $11 ... And their special exhibition is on the Dead Sea Scrolls!

Lake Calhoun & Lake Harriet
Free! Take a nice long walk around the lakes, visit the rose garden, the peace garden and the bird sanctuary!

Como Park Zoo & Conservatory
The Conservatory and Zoo are open every day, 10a - 6p, Children's Tickets are $1, Adults $2 - And there's a butterfly house!

Make a weekend of it! Twin Cities Restaurants!

It's Labor Day Weekend, 3 whole days to play!
If you plan to make a weekend of it, here are some of our favorite restaurants:
DELICIOUS FOOD:
NORTHEAST (our neighborhood ... we love it here)
*THE ANCHOR FISH & CHIPS - authentic, terrific. Brunch from 10 - 2 Sat. & Sun, dinner available all day on weekends, 4p - 1a Tues - Fri ... map
*THE MODERN CAFE - the best pot roast you'll EVER eat ... map
*HOLY LAND - considered by many to be the most delicious & authentic middle eastern food in the Cities, their rotisserie chicken's really good too ... map
*SEN YAI SEN LEK - Authentic Thai Food (
*THE MATCHBOX COFFEE SHOP - Worker-owned collective, literally the size of a matchbox, best espresso in TC. Stop in for a cup o' fair-trade, organic joe on your way to the reception ... map







DINKYTOWN (Near U of M East Bank Campus)
*LORING PASTA BAR - "temple of affordable elegance" ... definitely elegant, and tasty ... map
*ANNIE'S PARLOUR - MALTS!! Burgers & fries, but seriously, the malts ... mmm ... map
*AL'S BREAKFAST - a piece of Minneapolis history, world renowned eggs benedict(mmm.. their Hollandaise sauce!), waffles & more. They're only open 'til 1p and there's limited seating, so get there early!! ... map

WEST BANK (Near U of M West Bank Campus)
*HARD TIMES CAFE - Vegan, Vege, Collectively Owned, Super Affordable & Super Delicious ... map








*ACADIA CAFE - Sandwiches, burgers, award-winning french fries, and an awesome selection of on-tap beer ... map
*THE WIENERY - Super Dive Diner, really good breakfast for breakfast and Chicago Style Dogs for lunch. A West Bank Historical Site ... hours vary depending on day ... map

UPTOWN
*COMMON ROOTS - Fresh & local deli & cafe ... map
*THE FRENCH MEADOW CAFE - classy and affordable bistro serving local and organic house-made breakfasts & entrees ... map
*CAFFETTO COFFEE HOUSE ... good coffee, fun atmosphere ... map

Gift Info

We are big believers in buying used and Salvation Army doesn't have a gift registry... and to be honest, your presence is our present and if arriving and enjoying yourself is the gift you'd like to give then we are wonderfully overjoyed to have you spend the day with us!!

If you really want to buy a gift but are at a loss as to what to give, we've tried to put our heads together to come up with some ideas ... Please though, please, buy from your local businesses, and if possible, buy used.

Anyhoo, some gift suggestions follow!

In lieu of a Gift, consider a donation to ...
*Sisters Camelot, providing fresh, organic produce, breads, and more to Twin Cities' communities
*St. Stephen's Human Services, Committed to Ending Homelessness
*The Bedlam Theatre, our beloved non-profit, community focused arts venue lost their floor after a pipe burst ... help them fill the hole!!
*The Greater New Orleans Foundation to help fisherman and their families impacted by the oil spill
*The Simple Way, "a web of subversive friends, conspiring to spread the vision of "Loving God, Loving People, and Following Jesus" in our neighborhoods and in our world.
*Or a charity, non-profit, or cause of your choice!! We'd love to hear of the cause you opt to support!!

Or if you prefer to give a gift, here are some ideas, but please, please buy used (it saves you $$, it saves our conscience)...
*Fondue pot and stand
*Nice drink ware such as wine / champagne glasses, or whiskey tumblers, or ice-tea glasses
*A cast-iron skillet
*A digital camera (mine finally bit the dust, 7 good years of service, though)
*External speakers for a laptop computer... our laptop is our movie player and the built-in speakers are realllly quiet
*We like antiques - shelves, desks, clocks, tables, side-tables, an umbrella stand, etc ...
*We like lamps and don't have enough. I'm a particularly big fan of hurricane lamps...
*Gabe collects blues, folk, jazz, classical, and punk rock records ...
*Books! ... we love books and always appreciate more. Gabe loves civil war / old west / railroad / and music history. I really like astrology / astronomy / herbs / plants & gardening / the history of the labor movement ... we also like novels of all shapes and sizes, pass along your favorites!
*A record player (turntable, receiver, speakers - right now our roommate Dain's record player is the house stereo, but we won't live with him forever ...)
*A two-person tent /a coleman camp stove / a cooler / or other camping gear

Hotel Info

We have a block of rooms reserved at the Country Inn & Suites in Brooklyn Center, MN. My mom and grandparents stayed there a few months back and really enjoyed it. The breakfast was plentiful and the rooms were clean and the sheets were fresh like spring in Minnesota.

We have 12 rooms reserved with discounted rates available Friday 9/3/10 - checkout Monday 9/6/10. There are 8 standard rooms and 4 King suites held with prices ranging from $79 - $89.

The Country Inn & Suites is located at 2250 Freeway Blvd, Brooklyn Center, MN, 55430. To reserve a discounted room please book before AUGUST 23rd. The hotel's direct # is 763-656-5156 and mention the LaCombe/Barnett Wedding Group.

I've linked a map from the hotel to Grumpy's NE as well as a map of the hotel location within the Minneapolis Metro.

Directions from Cedar Rapids, IA
Directions from Des Moines, IA
Directions from Springfield, IL
Directions from Madison, WI

The Reception

RECEPTION DETAILS
WHERE: Grumpy's NE - 2200 4th St NE, Mpls, MN, 55418
DATE: Sun, Sept 5th, 2010
WHEN: 2p - 8p ... it's an open house, come when you can make it - leave when you're ready to go
WHAT: Our wedding reception! Dance, eat, play, give toasts - advice - a smack on the back ...

Our reception will take place in the yard at Grumpy's Nordeast, our neighborhood pub. Gabe has a weekly residency at Grumpy's during the summer called Minnesota Monday's. All MN Brews are 1/2 off, a guest DJ spins MN tunes inside and Gabe plays MN folk and blues outside. It is a great time to catch up with our neighbors, and kick back and enjoy the summer.

When we told Pat, the owner of Grumpy's, we were getting hitched he squealed. It was pretty cute.

The side yard is surrounded by lilac bushes on three sides, and a beautiful hops vine (which should be in bloom) on the other. We want this to be a laid back affair, it is outside so don't dress to warm or fancy and feel free to come and go throughout the day, depending on your schedule.

All day we're grilling free range, grass fed MN beef, raised by a 1000 Hill Cattle Co. rancher that leases land from Gabe's folks ... these burgers are THE BEST. Our friend Food, a cook at the Anchor Fish & Chips (owned by our friends Luke, Jenny, and Kathryn and where I occasionally work) and an expert in grilling grass fed beef will give us a hand by flippin' burgers ... The rest of the meal will be pot luck style, organized by our friends Jenean and Martin (both of whom I work with at the co-op). If you are interested in contributing a dish to the pot luck, please contact Martin Brown at mabrown@graffiti.net!

For entertainment we have a few bands in mind. Some polka, ragtime and klezmer music to keep everyone dancing! We'll add links as we receive confirmations, but for now enjoy some sweet tunes by Jack Klatt and the Cat Swingers, who will close the night ...

And we'll have toasts and dances! Our friend Chris is coordinating the toasts, so contact him if you'd like to have a few minutes with a microphone (chriscashin@hotmail.com). And if you want to make us kiss you'll have to be more creative than clanging a glass (it's a picnic and you can't clang plastic - HA!), we're expecting you to belt out a few lines of your favorite song. Bwa Ha Ha (that's my evil laugh).

We are really looking forward to having all of our friends and family together to celebrate with us. We love our neighborhood, we love the music of Minneapolis and the food of Minnesota and it is going to be really great to have the opportunity to share it!!

The wedding

Gabe planned our wedding before he'd even proposed. We were visiting his folks in Clearwater, MN back in March 2010. Driving past his Grandpa Anderson's farm, he pulled over to the side of the road and said, "If we ever got married, I'd want to have the ceremony over there on Mockingbird Hill. It's probably my favorite place on earth. I'd want just immediate family, nothing big. A very small, very intimate gathering of our family."

Judge Mossey, who was Grandpa Anderson's attorney for years and years and is now a Wright County judge will marry us (wearing his full robes!), September 4th, 2010 at about 2p.m.

The wedding is very simple, no decorations or color schemes other than those provided by God and a guest list including parents, grandparents, siblings and niece, and a couple friends.

Our neighborhood buddy, "Accordion Dan" Turpening will provide music. Mike Heath, a long time West Banker and neighborhood friend of ours, is departing from a camping tradition with friends to take photos of the day.

We will start early, but not too early, picking flowers for the ceremony, drinking coffee, and eating some breakfast snacks. We'll all head to the hill (to do so Gabe gets to build a little road!!) and exchange our vows and ask our witnesses to hold us accountable, even when times are tough.

Afterward (hehehe, by now we're really husband and wife), we'll head to Mike and Cheryl's (Gabe's folks) for sloppy joes, coleslaw, pie, and toasts and revelry.

Gabe and I plan to camp that night by the Rainbow Ocean, and then wake up and prepare for the big party ... THE RECEPTION!!!

did you know we have almost the same birthday?

It's true.
Abby - 2/11/1984
Gabe - 2/12/1981

2008









2010 (with our niece Ava)

a little about ... us.

Our paths collided back in the fall of aught-seven. I was working behind the counter of the ol'Diam coffee cafe here in nordeast Minneapolis and Abby came in to meet her friend Luna.

And after ordering myself a soy latte (no froth), Gabe opted to poke fun at me because "even the most frothless latte has some foam." Luna was late (conveniently) and so we stood there making eyes and giggling and it was all pretty lame ... in a cute, Wonder Years sort of way.

Anyhoo, embarassed and gushing I found a table and waited for Luna to arrive and when she did I was eight shades of red and said "the guy behind the counter's really cute." So Luna, who is wise, said, "well come with me while I order and then you can talk to him again."

She made this easy, because when we got there she ordered a quesadilla with no cheese. Ample opportunity to poke fun (together!) that a quesadilla, by name, implies cheese. After giggles and red cheeks we returned to our table. **le sigh**


Around this time, my co-worker, Jim, arrived on the scene. Turns out the girl he was headed t'wards the alter with had been a coworker of Abby and Luna's over yonder at the Eastside Food Co-op. He made a bit of small talk with them before climbing behind to counter and starting his shift. I inquired about the gals seated around the corner, and mentioned that I thought the one called "Abby" was quite a looker, that is to say, quite pretty indeed. Jim, lacking in the discretion that I prefer in my confidants, returned to the seating area to "wipe down tables."

Ok, so, while Jim may have stopped by mine and Luna's table, he did not, as Gabe has implied, come right out and say that Gabe thought I was cute.

That happened a few minutes later, once Luna and I were getting up to leave...

We were heading toward the door and stopped to say goodbye to Jim, and Luna mentioned that I thought Gabe was cute. I tried to brush her comment off but Jim was ready to play cupid and said "Oh, really?? Well he thinks you're cute too."

R-E-D. My face.

Well, I had conferences in Colorado for the next few weeks and was leaving that next morning and so what did I have to lose??

I walked past Gabe as he smoked a cigarette went right to the passenger seat of my car, wrote my name, number and e-mail address on the back of a receipt. I turned around, walked right up to him, shaking like a leaf in the wind and said "A bird told me you think I'm cute, I think you're pretty cute too. I'm leaving town for about a month, but when I get back it'd be great to hang out sometime." Then I turned and tried to place one foot in front of the other until I reached my car. I got in, giggled uncontrollably and drove away.

And what did he do?

He lost the sheet of paper.

Of course I lost that piece of paper! I had things to do! I had a plan! There were boxcars to ride! Highways to hitchhike! Songs to sing(for my supper)! I was gonna see the world! Dirty, wide-eyed and alone! Like a normal goddamn person! I wasn't gonna be one of them weirdos who siddles up alongside some girl for life, even if she did keep my brand of sarcasm in her pocket, not to mention wear my brand of rose-colored glasses with her perfect smile.

So while she went off to her conference in Colorado, I stuck her phone number in a pocket with a hole in the bottom and continued plotting my next adventure; secretly hoping she'd stop back into the coffeehouse before the next freight train could take me away...

Three weeks after we met, I returned from my mountainous journeys. And as ridiculous as this might sounds, I waited for his call... and I waited. And after about a week I walked into Diamond's and said "Why haven't you called me?"

Well I started coming in more frequently. I worked from home at the time and made Diamond's my remote office a few times a week so we could chat and after about a month (seriously!) I said, hey, I'm planning to paint my living room but my ceilings are really high (it's true, they were about 10 feet), you happen to be quite tall ... could you lend a hand?

And so we had our first date. Gabe came to tape my ceilings. (It took me more than 3 months to actually paint the walls.) He still wouldn't kiss me though.

And so a few weeks after that it was getting to be winter and I said, "Hey, I need to put plastic on my windows, but as you saw, they're quite tall. Could you stop by and lend a hand?" And so he did.

Afterward we went for a walk around Northeast and on the stoop in front of Diamonds, I'd finally had enough and so I leaned right in and kissed him.

So. There.

And now we're getting married. And believe it or not, marriage was my idea. She was actually surprised. But that's a story for another web log...

We're Gettin Hitched Up

Equally yoked and totally stoked.
You didn't hear it here first, but here's a good place to follow up.

Gabriel Philip Barnett
&
Abby Rae LaCombe

will officially become

Abby Rae LaCombe
&
Gabriel Philip Barnett

Saturday September 4th, 2010.

Well, we're not changing our names... or our address... but we are agreeing to spend the
rest
of
our
lives
TOGETHER.

We went to Buffalo the other day, Wright County Seat, and took our pledge and signed our document and now our marriage certificate is in the mail (actually, they won't mail it. We hafta pick it up.), ready for use beginning Monday, July 12th.

We'll do our best to wait 'til September.