A Super Visit

The Super Bowl generally has a lot of hype to it but this year it took a back seat to everything else happening.  Lanny & Mary came to town for a home tour of the Harvey House and an initial introduction to puppy Kimber Blu Brown!   With that simply said and it being a one night stay, one would think there would not be too much to write about.  Instead, I am wondering how do I even start to summarize all the events, stories, laughs, surprizes – which doesn’t even include all that happened with the dogs (and cat).

Lanny, Mary, Lana, Kooper & Kimber all joined DeeAnn, Rainie, Keltie and I at the Harvey House on Sunday afternoon.  Holly & Helen stayed at the 5th Street home resting for their turn later in the day, Phase II of the visit.   It was fun for DeeAnn & I to show off the Harvey house and share the stories of what has been done as well as what is yet to be done.   The dogs explored and played, puppy Kimber under a tight watch by Lana.  The humans sat around the table visiting and grazing on the spread DeeAnn had prepared for us.  When we are together we can find many things to share, joke and laugh about but there is something about hearing a chair leg crack and someone (poor Lanny) nearly fall to the floor (thankfully he did not) that sends us all into hysterics.  Apparently that chair did not appreciate being stored for three months in a cold storage unit.

After a late lunch at the Tavern on the Hill, we went into Phase II – going to the 5th Street house for more together time, visiting, and watching the Super Bowl.  Rainie and Keltie stayed back at the Harvey house.  Holly, Helen & Gracie took their turn with Kimber & Kooper and everyone else.  I need not say who was the most exuberant with having company come.  Holly was guided outside to burn off some of the fuel with Kimber, a plan that had some success to it.  As good of a job that Kooper has been doing with teaching Kimber basic commands, Holly has done just the opposite.  There is no sit, stay, or down when Holly is in high gear.  The magic dust did not fall over her when she turned three years old.   As the night progressed, she settled in and engaged with people with more manners.  It’s a treat for her to have someone other than me around.  Mom’s, especially nagging ones,  become old hat after awhile.

The Super Bowl, moreso the commercials and halftime show, provided for some entertainment and rousing discussions.  The money board produced some success for me, it’s also good when you draw the number zero!

Lanny & Mary stayed at the Duluth Suites Hotel in Canal Park using a gift certificate that I had purchased at the Superior Rotary club nearly a year ago.  The next morning we met at the Social House for breakfast, time to share more stories, solve world problems and have more laughs.  Enticing them with a stay at a Duluth hotel may be a tougher sell in the future given their overnight experience.  Having to switch rooms at 2:00 am because of a water pipe leak, walking through the hotel, crossing by the front desk wearing your pajamas and carrying your luggage isn’t what one wishes upon anyone when you offer a gift certificate.  In the end it works out, the stories you hear and laughs you have thereafter make it priceless!

After breakfast, Holly and Helen got back in the party again by each taking a turn going into the Duluth Pack Store.  It’s a favorite store of Lanny’s and I found that at 10:00 on a Monday morning in the winter time, the store is a perfect time for me to bring Holly.  We were the only shoppers in the store for most of our time there, eventually a few people joined us.  Holly thought it was cool to be in a store with carpet and clothing.  She stopped by the canoe filled with rolled up camping sacks, eyeing them up to steal.  Plan thwarted.  She rushed up to a child size mannequin expecting to give, maybe get, some loving but stepped back confused with the non-reactive figure.  She stopped in front of the life size mirror and pondered if another dog was in the room, but left quickly and didn’t want to find out.  Everytime she came across Mary or Lanny in the aisle, she acted like she hadn’t seen them in eight years.

One overnight stay and a few hours of time spent together equals a big boost in spirits and a boatload of memories and stories.   Thank you Harvey House and Kimber Blu for giving us reason to make it happen!   Thank you Lanny, Mary & Lana for sharing your time in Duluth!