Happy Leap Day!

Are you jumping for joy? It's Leap Day! On February 29, which occurs every four years, we balance out the orbit of the Earth around the Sun and the rotation of the Earth. The total time it takes the earth to complete a cycle around the sun is 365 days and 6 hours plus some change, so every four years there is a surplus of 24 hours. We account for that discrepancy by adding an extra day to February once every four years.


Now, if we can get everyone to jump at the same time on Leap Day perhaps we could adjust the Earth's spin to perfectly synchronize with the orbit around the Sun. No? Just a thought.


Happy Leap Day!

Christina Celebrates Ten Year Anniversary With Condor Management!

Christina has worked for Condor for ten years!

Congratulations to Christina on her ten year Anniversary working for Condor Management, which was on February 18th!

In the time that Christina has been employed with Condor Management she has worked at all four of Condor's Minnesota properties and has lived at three of them. During her first four years with Condor she was a full-time employee. Then Christina decided that she would like to pursue the culinary arts and was thrilled that Condor supported her decision. At that point she transitioned into part time employment with Condor. These days she's working at Lexington Heights Apartments and Raven Hill Apartments, helping to fill in the schedules at both communities. She's attending culinary school when she's not working.

Christina notes that she is thankful for the wonderful staff at Condor Management and she's developed some great friendships by working for Condor. The consensus among all the staff here at Condor Management is that she's a wonderful employee and we are very grateful to have her around!

To celebrate her ten year anniversary we're thinking that it would be only fair if Christina made us all a Dark Chocolate Soufflé!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine’s Day has its origins as a holiday to honor an obscure saint named Valentinus, but now more commonly it is a day to celebrate romantic love.

This new meaning of Valentine’s Day is credited to Geoffrey Chaucer, an English poet from the middle ages. Eventually this holiday evolved into a day to express your love to your partner by presenting them with flowers, different confections and cards known as “valentines”.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Congratulations To Our Early Bird Drawing Winner!

Congratulations to Ryan in the 7000 building who won the Early Bird Rent Drawing this month. He is excited to deduct $50 from his March rent.

We do this drawing every month and you have a chance to be the winner if you pay your rent on or before the 1st of the month. Everyone who pays their rent on or before the 1st of the month gets their name put into the Early Bird Drawing. Out of that pool of entrants a random name is selected and the lucky winner gets $50 off of rent for the following month.

So when March's rent comes around don't forget the Early Bird Drawing and get your rent payment in early! We all know what the Early Bird gets... that's right, a chance to get $50 off of rent the next month!

Last Minute Valentine's Day Ideas From The Staff

Are you looking for some last minute ideas for Valentine's Day? Here's some ideas from the staff.

Special Dinners

 Malone’s Bar and Grill
12635 Elm Creek Blvd N.
Maple Grove, MN 55369
(763) 447-6500
Malone’s will be feature 3 special items on their menu for Valentine’s Day! Casual dining with prices that range from $8.95 - $20.00 per person.

Buca Di Beppo
12650 Elm Creek Blvd
Maple Grove, MN 55369
(763) 494-3466
Buca offers a romantic Italian setting featuring traditional and updated fare with prices ranging from $12.99 to $26.99 per couple. They will also be featuring their famous Peach Bellini on Valentine’s Day.

Pittsburg Blue
11900 Main St N
Maple Grove, MN 55369
(763) 416-2663
Pittsburg Blue will be featuring 3 specials ranging from $11.95 - $28.96, as well as their famous Dinner For Two which includes a three or four course meal and a glass of wine for $89.95 - $94.95 per couple. If you make your reservations for before 4:00PM they will also include a free glass of champagne for you and your loved one.

Cooks of Crocus Hill
3925 W. 50th St., Edina, MN 55424. (952) 285-1903
877 Grand Ave., Saint Paul, MN 55105 (651) 228-1333
Cooks of Crocus Hill offers a lively Supper Club class where you and your Valentine will prepare a portion of a multicourse dinner. You make the meal and Cooks supplies the grown-up beverages! The menu includes lobster bisque, beef tenderloin medallions with blue cheese and herb crust, potatoes au gratin, warm spinach salad with pears and honey-bacon vinaigrette and molten chocolate cakes with whipped cream for dessert. Yum! The class is from 6:00PM to 9:00PM and is $75.00 per person.

Nicollet Island Inn
95 Merriam St.
Minneapolis, MN 55401
(612) 331-1800
www.nicolletislandinn.com
The most romantic Valentine’s Day dinner in Minneapolis! The famous Valentine adorned Inn will be pulling out all the stops as they lavish their guests with romance and wonder. Not only will Executive Chef Adam Droski be offering a five-course menu including some items such as beef tenderloin “confit”, butter poached lobster gnocchi or strawberry and basil “shortcake”, they also offer overnight stay packages, weekend getaways and even horse-drawn carriage ride. 

Gifts

Shari’s Berries
For those traditional gifts we all love to give and receive try Shari’s Berries! They offer a wide variety of delicious covered berries as well as beautiful floral bouquets from great partners such as ProFlowers and Personal Creations as well as others. Call 1-877-Berries or visit them online at www.berries.com. Prices range from $18.00 - $100.00+.



Simonson's Salon and Spa
13950 Grove Drive Unit #300
Maple Grove, MN 55311
(763) 494-4863
How about a relaxing and romantic couples massage to start off your Valentine’s Day? With several styles to choose from Simonson’s is the place to be to start your celebration. Plus when you buy a gift card 10% of gift card profits between 2/1 - 2/14 benefit the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women movement, which raises awareness of heart disease as the #1 killer of women. All funds will be donated locally.   

Special Outings

The Hitching Company
(612) 338-7777
If you would like to take your sweetheart on a romantic ride around downtown Minneapolis or Nicollet Island, consider doing it in style in your very own horse-drawn carriage.


Minnesota Wild
Xcel Energy Center
St. Paul, MN
If old fashioned romance is not your thing, consider the excitement of our beloved Minnesota Wild for your Valentine’s celebration. The Wild are playing against the Anaheim Ducks on February 14 starting at 6:30 p.m. Tickets from $35 - $250 available at Ticket Master.

Valentine's Carnival
Maple Grove Covenant Church, 9350 Upland Lane N, Maple Grove, MN
Saturday, February 11, 11:00 am – 2:00 p.m.  $1 for four tickets.
Food, Games , Face Painting by Rainbow Party Arts, Crazy Hair, Inflatables, carnival games, cotton candy, snow cones and lots of prizes. $0.25 per ticket, most activities 1-2 tickets for sale at the door.

Gobble Gossip: Apparently The New Neighbors Are Turkeys!

Welcome our newest neighbors here at Eagle Ridge! Our staff recently snapped this photo of a flock of wild turkeys that visited Eagle Ridge Apartments.

Wild turkeys at Eagle Ridge. We're thinking they'll need a bigger apartment.

Did you know that wild turkeys were once rare in Minnesota? According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources our state's wild turkey population is not only expanding but has grown from just a few birds in the early 1970’s to more than 30,000 today! Turkeys eat almost anything they can catch, including grasses, grain, berries, insects, acorns and even frogs and snakes. They form flocks of six to forty birds that roost in trees each evening. In 1782 the turkey lost by a single vote to the bald eagle for the honor of being the national bird. If you would like to learn more about Minnesota's wild turkey population visit the DNR website here.

Where's The Snow?!

With next week’s temperatures predicted to be in the low to upper 30’s and no chance of snow we may start to feel as though we are heading into an early Spring. Considering our snow fall total from last year, we here at Eagle Ridge think that most Minnesotans would agree; we deserve a break!

Listed below are the top ten snowiest winters in the Twin Cities from 1884-2011.

Top Ten Snowiest Winters

in the Twin Cities 1884-2011

------------------------------

1.  1983-84 ....... 98.6 inches

2.  1981-82 ....... 95.0 inches

3.  1950-51 ....... 88.9 inches

4.  2010-11 ....... 86.6 inches(thru April 20)

5.  1916-17 ....... 84.9 inches

6.  1991-92 ....... 84.1 inches

7.  1961-62 ....... 81.3 inches

8.  1951-52 ....... 79.0 inches

9.  1966-67 ....... 78.4 inches

10. 2000-01 ....... 75.8 inches

Gary plowing one of the sidewalks at Eagle Ridge during one of the few snowfalls this winter.

That same sidewalk now. Notice something different? Just a little snow!

Happy Birthday Keven!

We recently celebrated a special day here at Eagle Ridge, Keven's birthday was on January 25th! Please join us in wishing Keven a happy birthday. Keven celebrated his birthday at Malone's with family and friends. Happy Birthday Keven!

 Keven enjoying his favorite turtle cheesecake with his co-workers.

Tours And Shows At The Guthrie Theater

One of the wonderful benefits of living at Eagle Ridge Apartments is the proximity to a vibrant theatrical scene. There are several excellent theaters in the Twin Cities, such as the Ordway, Orpheum, and the Guthrie.

This weekend is the first weekend of the month, and that means that the Guthrie theater in Minneapolis will be holding its Architecture Tour at 9:00 AM. Every first Saturday of each month they hold a special tour "covering everything from ground plans to groundbreaking, site selection, neighborhood influences and noteworthy elements that have garnered worldwide attention." Cost of the tour is $15.00.

Check out the Guthrie Theater for some great shows. Here are the current shows they have on stage:

Julius Caesar
by William Shakespeare
directed by Rob Melrose

Cat On a Hot Tin Roof
by Tennessee Williams
directed by Lisa Peterson

End of the Rainbow
by Peter Quilter
directed by Terry Johnson