Hi from MPLS!

Well I made it here via Denver with ease. The Denver airport was calm and I landed in Minneapolis 10 minutes early. I didn't think I'd have a chance to update this here blog for a week so if you are a bloglines subscriber please add my bloggie to your subscriptions and you'll get updates whenever the heck I update this thing!

Anyway...

I arrived x-mas eve. at almost 10pm here. When my ma & I got to her place I was pretty tired and discovered my face wash had leaked all over her x-mas present. A book called Breathing Out by Peggy Lipton. So mom had to wash off all the goo from her book while I had to wash out parts of my suitcase. Funny. That has been the only mishap (LITERALLY KNOCKING ON WOOD). The next day we got up & had x-mas lunch with my beloved grandma. Then we went to my uncle Rog's & opened some gifts from my aunt Jan. Then back to grandma's where I stayed overnight. She is 93 and her health is not so good. She's struggled with depression this last year after discovering a hairline fracture in her hip. Pain is depressing. Well anyway it was so wonderful to spend time with her & I was nearly in tears as I left her this afternoon.


Here is an example of how my granny is. We were walking in the lobby of her building which is independent living for the elderly. We passed by a table that notifies the resident of who recently died. Grandma as we walked by "oh I wonder if I know whoever just kicked the bucket." So funny. Then late last night she shows me a x-mas picture card folks send to show how annoyingly happy & heterosexual they are, and she says pointing at different folks in the pic "oh here's Bob and here's Evelyn and here's a retarded boy, he's Bob's retarded brother." Oh God she cracks me up.


Mom & I went to visit my great aunt Rose (my granny's sis) whose 91 years old. She's doing worse than grandma & I think it's in part because her one child is never really around to take care of her. Loneliness sucks! So after seeing here I landed here, got settled in and then went walking. I walked up & down Nicolette mall, which for you Portlanders is much like 5th & 6th avenues downtown Portland. I went to a queer store called Rainbow Road a block off Nicolette mall on Grant Street. It opened up a couple years before I moved to Portland & was glad to see it still there. I lived 1&1/2 blocks from there so I saw my old apartment building too.


So much has changed downtown. Many things I don't recognize but it was funny because at one point I was walking around & my eyes looked at a neon sign on a building that has been there since I can remember & I realized I never see that sign anymore and I suddenly realized I'm indeed no longer a Minnesotan.


Tomorrow Heather & I go to breakfast & then who knows where the day will go. The next day it's my mom's birthday & I just pray I can hold my tongue. My mom is really rude & emotional and wants everything her way and all the attention all the time. It's really exasperating in every sense of the word. But I just try to have the attitude that she is walking theater & I'm getting a free show. And despite it all she is funny and wild & sometimes really fun. I love her and know she's loves me with all her crazy heart. That's what is important.


You must be wondering if it's cold here. Well yes but it's just like Portland right now. Only there is still leftover crusty snow all over. It's great. I love that it's not totally freezing. Well here's a pic I took tonight oh the IDS tower. Enjoy!