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Posts tagged minnesota
Couch Surfing
May 22nd
In my multiple conversations with my pal Evo, he thinks my idea of sleeping on an inflatable mattress in the back seat of my car is bad. Bad idea? That I should use my contacts through social media to find couches to crash on at night.
So fine, here goes. I’m planning a road trip to Minneapolis from Phoenix in late August. I really don’t have a schedule so I’m flexible. I just want to be there in time for my friend’s birthday at the end of that month.
If you live on this highway path and have a couch or spare guest space (and preferably don’t have cats) and wouldn’t mind putting me up for a night, sing out. You can email me or whatever.
Phoenix to Albuquerque or Santa Fe, then through to Kansas City and up to Des Moines. Then to Minneapolis.
Also if you know of some attractions along that route that one shouldn’t miss, I might be interested in that, too. Like I said, I’m not in any hurry but I don’t have a bunch of money to throw around.
Actually, there’s another route more through Colorado and Nebraska than through Kansas, so if you’re on that route it works too. Sounds prettier (Kansas has to be booooorrrrring) and just about the same total miles.
Burnt Booblies
Jul 8th
Yesterday we went over to Lanesboro and wandered around, had breakfast (meh) and then went tubing. It was really nice going tubing during the week when we were just about the only people out there. We’d run into one couple canoeing and once a family kayaking, but the rest of the time we were on our own. It was sooooo nice.
And snowcalla posted that I flashed an Amish guy. No way! Firstly, I didn’t see any Amish people all day and Secondly, that guy was wearing plaid shorts and barely glanced up (double-take actually) as we floated by topless. Okay, *I* was topless. But boy are my boobs roasted. After we changed clothes in the car we stopped at another place for lunch (elk burger – another meh) and headed back before the rain. Cara’s hubby brought home pizza for dinner and I didn’t care for that either. I suppose after how many days of interesting and excellent food I was due for an off-day.
We watched V for Vendetta last night. I never saw that movie before. Natalie Portman might actually become a real actress someday. This was the best I’ve seen her do.
Tomorrow is the SPAM museum. I can hardly wait.
Min-eh-sooooo-tah
Jul 6th
Cara's koi pond
Flew into Minneapolis Wednesday on US Air. First I didn’t have a seat because stupid me forgot to check in early online. Then I was stuck in a window seat next to poor Mr. Morthan Chubby who had gas. But other than that the flight wasn’t bad. Got to MN and there was my good friend (snowcalla ) Cara! Long drive back to her house in Austin where I met and hugged her hubby. Actual roast dinner. Beautiful backyard. Through that night and the next morning I saw little things I’d forgotten northern nature had over the desert.
One bunny, fireflies, huge squirrels and green green green. MN reminds me of Michigan. Not the shit hole industrial areas I grew up in, but the farms and hills and trees further out of crappy places like Flint and Detroit.
Thursday we meandered back up to the Minneapolis area around Bloomington and Edina – and stayed in a suite at a Marriott Residence Hotel (where I had my own room cuz sometimes I snore) where we met up with (wickedgroovy) Heather. Fireplace and full kitchen meant we didn’t have to go out as much but we still did. 
We went shopping at Surdyk’s for designer cheeses and other stuff I’d never heard of. Sheila/Evo would love that store. Registered at CONvergence and wandered the art room and then back to the hotel to get ready to go out.
We’d decided to celebrate our 2009 birthdays together regardless of the fact that they aren’t even close. Started at Bradstreet, a tapas place. I think Tapas is greek for single servings of expensive and great tasting food you’re supposed to share. I tried new things like fois gras (yuk) and lamb ribs (fuck yeah) 
and enjoyed the crab cakes I ordered as a safety dinner in case I didn’t like anything else, such as the asparagus, the calamari and the lamb burgers the others ordered. I’m sure the lamb burgers would have been tasty if someone hadn’t decided to dump an entire pepper shaker on each one.
Cara, as always the leader in our expeditions, ordered the drinks. Starting with a Cooper’s Union – beautiful tall glass, Prairie, Lemon, St. Germaine Elderflower Liqueur, Grapefruit, Gruet Sparkling, Orange Flower Water – and I made it about a third of the way through that. I think it was the elderflower that turned me off. So Cara told them to bring me something interesting with orange and vodka, which they did and I couldn’t really enjoy that either. Just plain, thanks. That’s me, just plain. Then there was something red and slimy I couldn’t even attempt, so Heather and Cara drank that and I finally got my plain screwdriver. But by then I was pretty toasted.
From there we went to a club at The Chambers Hotel called (I kid you not) The Red White and Fucking Blue Rooftop Lounge, which appeared to be the gay men mecca of the greater north plains states. Seriously. I’m pretty sure there were single hetero men there (because there were couples and groups) but finding one would be like finding a needle in a haystack. Great hopping club, with quick and plenty drinks and an outside area. Lots of conversation areas, a thing I never understood in a club where the music is kept loud. Who can conversate over that? But check out the weird toilet seats. 
I’ve never seen toilet seats that thin in a ladies room, although when that guy walked in like it was so natural for him I wondered if there even was a distinction between the ladies and men’s.
After Cara finally shed the guy who had latched onto her, we wandered across the street to another club that was virtually empty and had a chocolate dessert. Then upstairs to the rooftop bar. Waited I swear 8-10 minutes for someone to show up behind the bar so we could order drinks. Then some lizard started talking to me, then Heather and finally settled on Cara. Man she can attract them. We dumped him and headed back to our hotel hoping for some hot tub time. No such luck.
Fridayy noonish we headed to CONvergence. Not a big Con and after years of Dragon*Con, we were spoiled. Ran into (Hellziggy) Sharon before I could finish texting her I was there. She showed us around including the free food and drink areas. They hand out free water and soda and tea, and rice. Yup, cups of rice free and a bunch of stuff you can add for flavoring. What a brilliant idea rather than preparation intensive sandwiches and stuff. They had other food as well. And all around the indoor pool area there were party suites assigned to the different groups and tracks to decorate and provide booze at night.
Between the few panels and traipsing the party suites, we hit the dealer’s room where I found two small wooden containers for Casey to put Ed’s ashes in and ran into (EmmasDad) Mike. Back at the hotel we had the casserole Cara brought, drank some Strongbows, snacked on cheeses and fruits, and just hung out. Friday night as we were parking back at the Con there was a huge fireworks display nearby so we got our Fireworks Fix out of the way early. Good thing, Saturday night at the Con was a fiasco and all the fireworks were too far away to actually see.
Kiltlifting
Late Saturday morning we headed over to the Mall of America, had our pictures taken with Dora and Diego, wandered around some more and then headed back to the Con for one panel. Back to the hotel for swimming and hot tubbing and had to sneak the Strongbows in coffee cups. Back to the Con for an attempt to see fireworks, ended up wandering the parties instead.
Somewhere in there we had Heather’s enchiladas, went to Vilification Tennis (throwing insults back and forth which was hilarious – but half the people were improperly miked and you couldn’t hear them), met the Skepchicks ladies, saw Pamela Gay again (she has no clue who I am) and did more shopping and fancy food snacking.
Sunday we packed and headed up to downtown Minneapolis to Loring Pasta Bar for a scrumptious brunch. I can’t remember if I tried anything new there, but I’ll bet I did. I tried so many new things this weekend. Then back down here to Austin to recover. Cara has a wonderful home and yard for quiet recovery.
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Sorry this is so long, but it’s taken me all day so I don’t want to break it up. Tethered to my phone is slow but I can’t seem to access their wifi. I’m here until Friday with plans ahead for tubing and visiting historical points of interest. I am having the best time!
