Surprising Adventures

I have recently had some pleasant and surprising shopping adventures. For years I've avoided a restaurant only about two blocks from my house because the food wasn't very good. Even when the owners changed it didn't come onto my list. Then one day someone at work mentioned that she and her husband drive over here to go to this restaurant. I thought I should give it a try and one morning had a splendid spinach omelet. Then I noticed a sign about a Friday breakfast special and was delighted indeed with the strawberry and banana crepe.

I've been searching for a bag to cover my new camera, but one that doesn't scream "Camera inside." I've looked everywhere. Then I decided to stop at the REI store. I've not been there for years, and simply couldn't believe my eyes. The waterfall scene is quite improbable about 50 yards for a busy freeway. What a pleasant surprise.

Planned and Unplanned Adventures

Over the Memorial Day weekend I flew to Lincoln NE to spend time with friends. My schedule coincided with the every two year Lincoln Quilt Guild exhibit. My friend and I had a wonderful time visiting this huge exhibit.

The unplanned part of the weekend were the storms. Two nights found heavy thunderstorms moving through the Lincoln area. There was much clean up to do. We were lucky however to escape the tornados that moved into Iowa and Minnesota at the same time.

I just checked the plane fare thinking about a trip again in about 6 months. Already the plane fare is up $150!

Traveling Adventure

I took the photo primarily to check out the "sport" feature on my camera. I'm delighted I can take a picture in which the tarmac attendant was waving the wand and there isn't a blur. Being able to do this was certainly one reason for the new camera.

Having this photo though gave me the idea to describe travel. This picture was taken at the Lincoln, NE, airport. It is a very short walk from the gate to the plane. At the MSP airport one deplanes and walks a bit, and then the next leg of the trip is 3 moving sidewalks. Then another short walk to a tram. The tram delivers one at the top of a terminal leg. It's another short walk and then an escalator to the baggage claim area.

When the bag is recovered, it's a short walk to yet another escalator. Then it is a 100 yard walk (think football field) to the next tram. This takes one of the area of the light rail. The escalator to the train is very deep. Actually this dumps one at the point to buy a ticket. Then it's another escalator to the train level.

Next it's a 12 minutes ride to the stop where I catch a bus. The buses all do a layover at the station and it's more than a little irritating to watch a bus pull in and then the driver shuts the door and wanders over to the small building where drivers take a break. At last the door opens and then it's 10 minute ride to where I get off and finish off with a 4 block walk home.

Definitely Adventures Here

I have two experiences that show just how diverse Minnesota and Saint Paul is becoming. Last Friday evening I stopped at a nearby grocery store for a few items. Most of the other customers checking out were young Hasidic men wearing traditional dress. The check out persons were one Caucasian, One Asian, and one African American. Looking about I saw customers of many other racial origins including one woman, wearing a tank top, who had an artificial arm. Maybe the best of this whole experience is that no longer do persons with a disability need to hide in public.

Coming home just a few minutes ago,I saw the wonderful combination of a Little League Team all decked out in their uniforms, getting ready to play a game in the nearby park, all mixed up with persons of Asian Indian origin all decked out in clothing that would have not been noticed in New Delhi. They were just leaving an ethnic church service held at the nearby Catholic Church. I've been seeing them for about the last six months every Sunday. Part of me wonders, though, if these are the Asian Indians from Guyana who have recently immigrated into the Twin Cities. I had one student from this community in my spring semester class.

Right Time, Right Place Adventure

Readers in the past may remember that my washing machine broke, so I've become a laundromat customer. Yesterday was cold and rainy, no fun to be running around on errands. Today looked better so I went out on this errand. On the way home, I chanced upon a wagon train, part of Minnesota's celebration of 150 years of statehood. On Friday I came upon a different commemoration. I was coming back from the Mano a Mano warehouse over the Mendota Bridge. The walks on the bridge were lined with American Indians protesting 150 years of genocide. There was nowhere safe to stop for photos. That is the only reason that this blog entry is not more balanaced.

Warehouse Adventures

I've written before about volunteering for Mano a Mano. Today was the first time I've ever been to the warehouse. After we sort things at the Mano a Mano office, boxes are transferred to the warehouse. Large objects such as hospital beds and dental chairs go directly to the warehouse.

This weekend Mano a Mano is able to ship 20 tons of materials to Bolivia through the Denton Program implemented by USAID. How much is 20 tons? The photo of the hospital beds above shows slightly more than 1000 pounds. It really doesn't take long at all to load in 20 tons. The wheelchairs pictured in the warehouse are all loaded in a truck and will be transferred to the MSP airport in the morning.

My Friday job usually is to sort and package the medications. Those boxes all end up with a label of 22. It was fun to see some "22" boxes in the warehouse, now shrink wrapped and ready for shipping. These will go off in another shipment of 40 tons later than month.

Adventures with Tears

This evening was graduation. We have over 800 graduates so afterwards it's a mob scene. I stumbled onto two graduates in the auditorium lobby and one grabbed me for a hug. She said, "I wouldn't be here it if it wasn't for you." This student was in my fall classes. She came to me explaining she was struggling with depression and her doctor wanted her to drop out of school. She explained she really didn't want to drop out and wanted to know what I thought. We worked out that she would simply do what she could with the fall courses and I'd give her incompletes for the courses. I also avoided placing any spring semester students with her preceptor, so that she had a place to finish the practicum.

Recently I had begun worrying about her. If she didn't get these courses finished the grades would turn to an F at the end of this semester. Then suddenly in the e-mail I began to receive her undone assignments. In the last two weeks she has turned in everything and I've turned her incompletes into grades. But even before tonight I had good news. Her practicum activity involved working on a huge project between two state agencies, and now she has been asked to continue on the project as a paid consultant. She is thrilled with the confidence that has been given to her. She is also heading for graduate school to become a Nurse Practitioner to specialize eventually in pallitative care.

I was in tears with the hug and statement, "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you." It's not been an academic year that I've enjoyed at all. It is so good to find out I did something for someone!