Minnesota Trip–Day One
Up early to re-pack and try to fit everything in a carry-on so I don’t have to check my luggage. Caitlan took me to the airport. There was a bit of a delay at the check-in, but then I got to the gate. Trouble was, it was the wrong gate. But they didn’t tell us. I finally figured out that something wasn’t quite right and went to the next gate where everyone else was boarding. I asked and found out that that was gate. Good thing I asked. It was a small plane, and the girl sitting across from me had a guide dog–a rottweiler. It was smaller than usual. She said it had been starved by the first owner and so it’s growth was stunted. Her name (the dog) was Berlin, and she was a very nice dog. It sort of made me want a dog that could travel with me. Oh, well, not now. Anyway, I don’t know why the woman had the dog. She wasn’t blind or deaf. Maybe she was a trainer. The other people who sat with us coming to Milwaukee were two women (nurses?) who were coming here to get some kind of training on ultra-sound equipment. When I got to Milwaukee, I was supposed to have a 3 hour layover, but I talked to the gate agent at Nancy’s suggestion and got a flight that was an hour earlier. After another delay, it turned out to be less than that, but that was ok. There was time to get a coffee, orange juice, and a bacon, egg, and cheese bagel. Then Caitlan called and was upset that when she and Kyle were moving my car to Rita’s where it will be parked this week, they back into something and dented the rear bumper. Well, that’s the second time it’s been dented (I backed into Bertha’s jeep in the church parking lot). I told her not to worry about it. Could have been something far worse. 
Photos of Lake Michigan beneath the clouds
Made it to Minneapolis at about 3 and Mor-Mor and Nancy were right there to meet me. We drove back to Owatonna and they took me on a little tour to see the new hospital and the church that Nancy has been helping to drywall and paint. When we pulled up at 2020 Linn Drive I felt like I was going back in time. This house feels like another home to me. Pretty much everything is the same as I remember it from the early 70’s. The last time I was here was ten years ago with KK and Ian. I have my same bedroom back. We went out to eat ribs at Applebees and now we’re going to watch some tv. I feel like I’m at “home.”