St Paul Post day 1

Well, I'm here. I'm alive, and I'm listening (with great amusement) as my Mom explains to my Dad why she wants to take a computer course with one of her best friends. It turns out that the guy who set up her ibook failed to give her any passwords. And as we all know (in this password-happy-society), passwords are essential.

Isn't it great to be home?

(And now Mom and Dad are talking about "sticks" and how you can "stick them into the computer, save your documents, and then take them in this little tiny space and stick it into a new computer." I think they mean a thumbdrive? Or am I the one who's totally wrong?)

The trip here was eventful, unfortunately. The fat man at the lone bar in Pensacola Regional Airport was checking me out as I huffed over to my gate. And later - to my great horror - as I arrived on the small plane destined towards Memphis, my booze-drinking friend was happily sitting next to me. Finishing off his cocktail.

I didn't realize drinking before the plane took off was permitted - but I guess that I was wrong. Never mind the fact that it was only 11:15.

So there I was, squeezed into my 1/2 of my plane seat, trying to say out his vodka-stench, and blaring my ipod while I ignored his drunken bantor. And go figure: he HAD to order the bloody mary just as we were experiencing turbulence.

Yeah. Good stuff. You can imagine what kind of flight it was.

To my great amusement, my drunken neighbor turned up on my next flight destined to St. Paul. Thankfully he was a few rows up and over. I could tell by 1) The rasping cough 2) The stench 3) The loud comments 4) The 2 vodka bottles served to THAT row mid-flight.

Great.

Otherwise - things have been a blast thus far.

Well, for the most part. The three of us went to go see an Italian film...not naming any names here, but we were a tad dissapointed. Considering the last movie we all saw at The Uptown Theater was "The Lives of Others", this one didn't hold a candle to it. And I wasn't the only one with this assertion.

Aside from that - I've spent a few hours at the local YWCA. Between the wate running, biking on the spinner, and swimming (tomorrow!), I'm almost one of the "regulars". Well - not quite. But going to the gym twice in one day consitutes for something.

And now, the three of us, along with my old cat Misty are sitting on the back patio. Mom is talking to the cat as though she's a 6 month old child, and Dad has admitted that the cat, "gets kind of demanding sometimes."

That's what happens when you feed her treats EVERY time she gimps into the kitchen. (For the record, Misty has been terrified of the kitchen ever since the remodel began two years ago). So Misty enters the kitchen = Mom OR Dad giving her several treats.

Who's conditioning who? Never mind - I don't want to know.

Tomorrow we celebrate Norwegian Constitution Day. A very important day for Norwegian's The World Around. Mark it on your calendar - May 17, 1814. As Norway was being transfered from Danish to Sedish control at The Congress of Vienna., the Norwegian's drafted their own constitution at Eidsvol (spelling is way off. My apologies to my Norwegian counterparts). The Norwegians drafted their own constitution and laws, but retained the same monach as the Swedes. The Swedish King remained Norway's monarch, but in all other senses, Norway was self-governed.

And now that we've all had our history lesson for the day, I'm off to bed. (Thanks to Dad for the great lesson!)

But before that, I'll listen to my parents talk about the cats, the movie, Norwegian independance, and tomorrow's celebration.