Berit Thorkelson is a freelance writer who finds it difficult to resist the pull of garage sales, dirty martinis and roadside attractions. She’s married to Clint, a carpenter, and they have one son, a contemplative little toddler named Roy, plus one adorable mini parti schnoodle, Nico. Together they live in an 1890s urban farmhouse in Saint Paul, Minnesota, that they’ve almost completely renovated, from the original floorboards up. Berit’s also a lazy runner, a reluctant gardener and a committed, yet sloppy, cook.