Wow. I go out of state for a while and when I come back, one of my regular reads is gone! NuclearMooseCandy chucked it all. In the immortal words of Ballou, he’s gone, man, solid gone.
Looks like TechGnome is gone, too. Sorta. I mean, the lights are on at that URL, but no one’s home. Not yet, anyway.
So where was I all this time? Puttering about in the Frozen North, also known as Minnesota, as I visited my Aunt Teeny. I went with my son Squirt and my MIL (mother-in-law), who also happens to be Teeny’s sister. Lots of history between Milly & Teeny. Lots.
This was my first visit to the Land of 10,000 Lakes, and here’s what I thought of it:
- It was pretty. Even what Teeny called “ramshackle houses” are cute in Minneapolis.
- Minnesotans believe in huge lot sizes, even for “ramshackle” homes. I bet they think we Californians live in shoeboxes. They’d be right.
- Those huge lots are covered with the greenest, lushest lawns you’ve ever see. And guess what: Minnesotans don’t need no stinkin’ lawn sprinklers.
- Aunt Teeny told me the state bird is the mosquito, and I believe her. I got eaten up like you wouldn’t believe…and it wasn’t even officially skeeter season, either.
- Minnesota is full of friendly people who don’t mind striking up conversations in the grocery store checkout line.
- Gas is 50 cents per gallon cheaper in Hennepin County than it is in San Diego County.
- St. Paul has a fantastic Historical Society.
- Camp Snoopy: lots of fun to watch but Squirt looked at me like I was crazy when I offered to buy him a ticket. I guess 14 is too old for Camp Snoopy.