In The Beginning .... Minneapolis

I have to admit, when Fletch told me we were going to Minneapolis, my face immediately went into a quizzical frown. Ask me where Aix-en-Provence, Galway or even Lompoc is on a map. But, Minneapolis? Lt. Fletcher had a conference to attend and hey! I am retired now. With all of my free time, why not join him? But why Minneapolis? Why not New York, Chicago, Las Vegas .... I'd even take Los Angeles, but Minneapolis? Think positive - United Miles, always a good thing. A new adventure in an unknown city. What is the crime rate? Do the hotels have bed bugs? Think positive, think positive! No cooking, no housework, no laundry for a week .... hum .... and time with my husband. Thank goodness for Google. Maybe I can learn a few things about Minneapolis and it's state, Minnesota. Let's see... Bob Dylan, Charles Schulz, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Jesse Ventura were all born in Minnesota.

Wasn't Jesse their governator? Scary.....

Speaking of characters - a hand full of fictional ones come from the state of 10,000 lakes (don't know if the lake thing is true). They are Paul Bunyan, Mary Richards and Rocky and Bullwinkle!

And now I'll pull a rabbit out of my hat ......

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was inspired to write "The Song of Hiawatha" after witnessing the beauty of Minnehaha Falls located just on the outskirts of Minneapolis. This newfound knowledge of mine conjured up images of 19th century men, stuffed into linen waistcoats with broad rimmed straw hats, walking sticks in hand, a leather pouch filled with paper and pencils slung across their barreled chests as they walk in shaded forests, listening to the chirping of birds, rustling leaves and babbling streams of ice cold water. I can see it, I can feel it, I am THERE! Sorry, got carried away.


So, a state who boasts "milk" as their state drink and the "Common Loon" as their state bird, hum, sounds pretty tame to me with the exception of .....

Hopefully Minnesotians don't dress like this because I will certainly be "under-dressed".

I think Mr. Ventura may have been handling my suitcase as it arrived in Minneapolis. Standing at the carousel watching the luggage slowly move around in a lethargic circular dance, my eyes fell upon my once pristine green Travel Pro suitcase. Gone was the elegant U-shaped image of an outer pocket and in it's stead a protruding plastic toothy grin. My front zipper had been attacked by some unknown source (confess, Jesse!), it looked like sinew still attached to a turkey drum stick.

I was sickened, I was mad, I was tired. I wanted to pull a hotel pillow over my head and go to sleep, minus the bedbugs! After an exhausting discussion with the baggage lady at US Airways, we were off. Beautiful Minneapolis, so shiny, so clean ... what are those attached and connecting to the sky scrapers .... why they are skyways.


To be continued .......