MinneSo'Lost

Hi Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to my friend, Ganesha. 

Now you're probably like, uhhh Taryn why are you showing me this pot belly'd elephant sitting in a perfect lotus position? Well I'll tell you why...
(After a little research..) I've found that Ganesha is typically noted as being the elephant god; associated with being the god of wisdom and learning, the mover of obstacles. He is often regarded as the Lord of success and destroyer of evils, wealth, education and knowledge.

Yeah Taryn..so like what's the point?

After three full weeks of being in a brand new state, figuring out the roads, figuring out my projects (or lack there of) I still have no idea what I'm doing. I'm frustrated, scared, grumpy and tired. The projects I am working on deal with problems and analysis I have never dealt with before, ever. I am having the most difficult time remember that it is okay that I have no idea what I'm doing. I have to constantly remind myself that if I can muscle my way through this I'll be so much wiser after. If I can struggle through this, with a respectively positive outcome, I will such a beneficial skill set that will only allow me to accomplish more. I have to constantly remind myself that all forces are equal and opposite; whatever frustrations and struggles I have now, can only result in something positive. It's a tough idea to wrap my head around when all I want to do is show my team that I am not a dud and I actually have some inkling of what I'm doing.
I am one of the most awkward people I know but this internship pushed my boundaries of discomfort.   I'm not talking gas and stomach issues, I'm talking about physical frustration knowing that aside from menial data collecting, I have very little to contribute to these projects. I am for once, in a position where I am unable to take charge and just accomplish something (if anything); to me, that feels just the same as failing. I have yet to figure out if I have this problem because I am too timid to ask questions or if I'm just so lost that I just don't know what questions I should be asking.

So why Ganesha? If I were to ever have a spirit, god, otherworldly idol looking over me, I would hope it were this guy (or girl, you know- ya-ya feminism and stuff). Finishing my third week of internshiping and still as lost as when I first started, I'm going to need a lot of help ushering in wisdom, knowledge, education and success into the later half of my summer session here. I will gladly let an elephant idol scare and trample away all the evil and obstacles he can. So, Ganesha, help me lotus position my way to some kind of clarity within the next few days, please.

Apologies for the sappy-pre-quarter-life crisis ramble here. I"ll try to find some food related things soon; till then..
Stay tuned! Stay hungry!
-Taryn Julia

MinneSo'Cultured!

Greetings! Guess where I went today? The MIA! (Not to be confused with the CIA) The Minneapolis Institute of Art museum is adjacent to the campus about 6 blocks from downtown.  I was a lucky duck today and got off of work early so I scooted into the city for lunch and culture!
My first stop: Lunch.
The Copper Hen on Nicollete Ave in Minneapolis was delightful, for a lack of better words. Sitting at a big cherry wood table (to myself 'cause I'm a brat) I was surrounded by exposed wooden beams, high vaulted ceilings, chalkboard menus and adorable thistles in little white milk jars. Adorable! I had the Sherwood Forest; smoked Wild Acres turkey, brie, tart apple slices, caramelized onions and aioli, on wheat bread with a side of smashed potato fries. The sandwich was delicious but the smashed fries?! I don't even know how to describe how yummy they were! Everything was chased with homemade lemonade...served in a little mason jar because why not!?


Just around the corner was the MIA. Situation on a full blocks worth of area, I was greeted by huge Corinthian pillars that lead to a marble entry way...and a naked statue. The first floor housed art from Asia, Pacific Islands, Africa, Ancient Art, Early Americas and Modern/Contemporary art (which I always enjoy). By the time I got to the second floor I was so tired but I had to keep going!

Asian Thing....

Another asian thing...

More asian things...

Large ethnic minority in asian things.. (Hmong outwear actually, which was really interesting to see. Each village has a particular cloth, print or type of attire specific to just them. Their individuality also ranges to their hair style, jewelry and baby carriers)

Japanese asian things...

Tiny figure of asian things.. (Theres actually a ram on his hat! My zodiac animal!)

Asian things to rest your head on (aka a pillow...no fluffy down feathers here!)

The second floor featured more Modern and Contemporary art, Europe from 1200-1600 and Europe and Americas from 1600-1900. There was a lovely exhibit featuring photography as well. I'm pretty sure I went to every room...pretty sure. I have a billion more pictures but....my phone doesn't want to share them yet. Sorry bout it!

 Woo so modern!

These are tiny little figurines from Japan. It said that they're used as charms that help keep sashes and belts on. These things were TINY! 

These things were so detailed, you could see the Monkey picking something out of the guys ear!

Shameless kimono selfie #SKS!

"Natural" 

They had this section praising Swedish architecture and design. I'm pretty sure they just bought things from Ikea in Bloomington.

"Swedish Modern Design"

More "Swedish Modern Design"

Some cute "Swedish Modern Design"

Though this looks small, it was probably twice my height!

Guess who this is!

I really enjoy the composition of the smooshy lines..

I actually really liked this one

G. Dub looking all regal and stuff

This was in a "period-style room." Real authentic artifacts, I'm sure.

Livin it up in the "Versailles" room...Shameless Versailles Selfie! #SVS

Oh, I really liked the depth and dimension of this lady sitting somewhere...

I just thought this was the funniest painting ever and really hoped the artist didn't use a live model, cause that pose is fierce!

(Heres some actual knowledge) Back in the day Cream of Wheat enlisted really good artists to paint their ads, to make them more relatable to their customers. (I might have made that up)

Oh. You fancy huh

This is a terrible picture, but this is the old, OLD Otis elevator that I accidentally took to the basement level. And then an old museum worker lady was like "uh, what are you doing down here" to which I responded with a quick "oh! I must have not hit the button fast enough" Awk...Ward!

Do you even lift bro?

Sorry this isn't all about food! One day we'll get back to the food things...but till then!
Stay tuned! Stay hungry!
-Taryn Julia

Minne'So Exciting Things and Stuff!

Picture update blast!

This is Cheyenne. She's full of the need for attention.

This is Harley. I don't think he likes me.

Weaver Lake! On my second day at work. 

This is the loverly view from my bedroom window. #watertower

Trip to St. Louis! Look at that arch. Apparently you can ride up it. In a tiny little glass pod. No thanks.

In St. Louis, we travled to Grey Summits, to see the Land O' Lakes-Purina test farm. 

Wonderful birthday flowers! 

Oh yeah. I turned 23. 

That's it (Actually, these are the only pictures on my phone)!

Stay tuned! Stay hungry!

-Taryn Julia

Minnes'observations

I've been here for almost three weeks now! Here are some general observations about Minnesota....

• The restrooms have NO toilet seat covers. I don't understand why. Everything else in the bathroom is automatic though! 
• The roads...are the worst! Pot holes as big as lakes. Cracks as big as rivers. Construction as frequent as he mosquitos here! 
• On that note...the roads make ZERO sense. The other day I was driving and my GPS told me to something like..."Use the right two lanes, exit North County Road 5 toward East 35 West toward Minnesota 56"..... At least thats what it sounded like...
• Speaking of driving, there's a thing called the "Minnesota Zipper." Some big hullabaloo about going every other car when you enter onto the highway/freeway/maze/angry concrete. Isn't that a given?
• The Minnesota River is flooded!
• People talk about "going North" a lot. I have yet to figure out what that actually means....
• On that note...People hunt here. (Odd) And because people hunt, there are postings on buildings telling you not to bring guns onto the premise! Again, thats not a given?! 
• Everyone drinks "Pop" here. In the morning. In the afternoon. In the evening. All the time. Also what is Pop?
• I think I've experienced this so called "Minnesota" nice...I think.
• When it's 85 degrees outside sometimes it rains. Rain storms are usually followed by thunder and lightening and sometimes a tornado warning. But then it stops after 5 minutes and you look outside and theres usually a rainbow. #optimism 
• On the fourth of July, you could probably see at least 5 firework shows without turning your head.
• Back to driving and roads; I have only seen a handful of stop sign lines. How are you suppose to know where to stop!?
• Gas is really cheap...compared to California.

Thats it for now!

Stay tuned! Stay hungry!

-Taryn Julia 

Minnesota Golden Hour

Hi Everyone! Here is my lovely face in my new lovely house in the lovely Minnesota golden hour. Today was my first day of work. It was filled with a lot of sitting and one of my least favorite things EVER!....Phone calls.

Wins for the day:  I didn't get lost at the Arden Hills Campus. I got a free lunch. I got to meet Beth Ford (aka the boss lady of supply chain and operations at LOL..her handshake was something else). I got to read a book. I got some sweet polo shirts.

Losses for the day: I got lost getting out of my neighborhood. I got lost getting back into my neighborhood.

Thats it for now. I have to go figure out where St. Cloud, Minnesota is. (Is that where Charlie St. Cloud was filmed? Zac Efron is that you!?) Anyways...

Stay tuned! Stay hungry!
-Taryn Julia

MinnesoTa'ryn: I'm Here!

Welp! I'm here in Minnesota, Eagan to be exact. I have met my lovely Minnesota family already, unpacked a few of my boxes, did my pilot grocery shopping (in a Trader Joes!) and have experienced my first Juicy Lucy! Let me recap a little....

Heres a little cheap screen shot of our trek to Minnesota

I started in my home for the past 5 years, San Luis Obispo, made a quick day stop in Alameda to pack all of my things and get a final Bay Area meal and then Tuesday Dad and I began our trip to the Midwest! On our first day we made it through Nevada until we reached Tooele, Utah. (Shout out to the Comfort Inn and Suites in Tooele for being one of the nicest hotels I've ever stayed in!)  Tooele is about 15-20 minutes away from Salt Lake City where apparently it still snows. The first time I've seen snow in a long time! 

Day 1 total driving time: ~10 hours. Hotel rating: 4.5/5 stars. Weather: Cold. Cold. Cold. Scenery: Beautiful! Max Speed Limit: 80 MPH! 

Somewhere in Colorado. Somehow the only place we stopped.

Touristing Tourist Dad. 

After Tooele we made our way through Colorado and stopped at the boarder in Cheyenne, Wyoming. (Digression: we were suppose to power our way to South Dakota but due to weather, and by weather I mean thunder storms and tornados, we made a last minute decision to take a different route. And....) On the way to Cheyenne, we stopped in this tiny tiny town called Rawlins. On a whim, I decided that we would go take a tour of the old Rawlins Penitentiary. Abandoned in the '80s, the penitentiary was the home to hundreds and hundreds of prisoners. We were shown the cell blocks, the showering stalls, the death chambers, death row, and the original hanging location. We also got to see the baseball field, the library and the dining area (which had some really wonderful, original murals done by an inmate named Art, who had one arm). It wasn't until after we left Rawlins that I started to do my research only to find that the prison is rated one of the top ten haunted places in the United States! AHHHH! Good choice self. 

Our lovely tour guide in Cell Block B, I believe.

Dad finding his long lost cousin, Something-Something Yee, who happened to also be a cook.

Probably a wrong place, wrong time sort of thing. Or not, he does look like a Scary. 

Causing trouble in Wyoming

The view from the jails' baseball field. 

Anywhose, onward to Cheyenne.  Cheyenne is a cute little town, with a massive railroad running through it. We had dinner in town at The Albany. Delish. Around town they have these human sized cowboy boots, each painted with a different design by different local artists. For breakfast we went to the Luxury Diner, where part of the restaurant is in an old caboose! 90% of the diners were old dudes that obviously go to the diner at least once every week.  (I found out that Carl was 84 and had cataract surgery last year. George had a pancake that morning because he hasn't had one in a while. And Steve didn't want anything with sugar in it for his oatmeal...he also skipped out on the coffee and diet coke. Way to be healthy Steve!) From breakfast we headed to.....Lincoln, Nebraska! 

Day 2 total driving time:~ 7 hours. Hotel rating: 2.5/5 stars (cause it smelled funny) Weather: Rainy! and Cold! Not the business. Scenery: I don't really know, it was raining too hard. Theres cool rock things...I think. Max Speed Limit: Probably 75MPH but it was raining. 

From Cheyenne we headed to Lincoln, Nebraska. I was aiming for Omaha but that pesky College World Series was happening! Of course, being in Nebraska and 50 miles from Omaha, we had to have some Omaha Steak! So off to Misty's Steakhouse we went! Delish! And of course I wanted ice cream and guess what!? The University of Nebraska, Lincoln was a convenient 10 minutes from us. UNL's "Dairy Store" is plopped right in their dairy pilot plant, in their food science building. (I had french toast and Dad had peach!) UNL is a beautiful campus, almost beautiful enough to make me think about getting a second masters (ha! not). It was pretty nifty seeing their pilot plant, comparing it to the one at Poly and being able to identify all of the machines and whatnot. (My extra year of school did pay off!)

Day 3 total driving time:~7 hours. Hotel rating: 3.5/5 stars. Weather: Hot! Scenery: Flat Flat Flat. Max Speed Limit: Probably 75MPH again.

Last day of driving! From Lincoln, we passed through Omaha and Des Moines. Then Minnesota! FYI Minnesota has a really cool welcome sign when you enter the state...that of course I missed. The sign says "Minnesota welcomes you!" What it should say is "Minnesota welcomes you...to bumpy pot hole roads and the most confusing highways ever!"

So I'm here now after 4 longs days of traveling. As sad as it sounds Dad and I haven't really done much because of 'car-lag,' the equivalent to jet-lag. (Common symptoms include: sleepiness, tiredness, snooze all the time'ness). Thats it for now. I'll talk about a Juicy Lucy next time because it's that important. Till then...

Stay tuned! Stay hungry!

-Taryn Julia

Where I've Been. Where I'll Be.

Updates...updates...
Well I'll start with this, happy mothers's day! Moving on...

Speaking of moving... I'm moving to Minnesota in about a month! I'm about 40% excited, 50% terrified and the other 10% is just filled with a proportionate mixture of stress, joy and some panicked moments. I think at this point I am most stressed about finding a stinken place to live! ( which makes me even more excited to see the tail end of summer so I can find a place to stay-stay for more than just a year.)  Let me elaborate more about my internship, which is not much of an elaboration.
This summer I'll be working with Land O' Lakes in the Continuous Improvement department. For the duration of summer I'll have three (maybe two depending on how fast I work) projects to work on. L.O.L.'s ( as it's casually called) headquarters are in Arden Hills, MN. As far as I know, I'll be commuting between Arden Hills, Spencer (in Wisconsin) and Pine Island (which is in Minnesota and is also not an island as far as I'm concerned). The Spencer facility produces powdered cheese (I think...) like the stuff that makes your fingers orange, post Cheetos massacre and the Pine Island facility makes processed cheese ( I.e. The stuff that turns your insides orange, post nacho massacre).

That's basically all I know for now. Next I have to plan my trip for getting out there. Yay for road trips! As I project that I'll be having some quality me time in Minnesota (I promise I won't be too much of a turtle) I'm going to try to keep this more updated, if anything so yawl can see more Minnesota! Maybe I'll call those entries 'Life at L.O.L' or  'Mini-Sodas' or 'Wait, this isn't California'. Whooooooo knows. Until next time....

Stay tuned! Stay hungry!
-Taryn Julia