Ramblings from Mpls

It was 86 degrees F. yesterday. In Minnesota, in October. This is crazy. We are still in Minneapolis, it will be four weeks tomorrow since we came for a few days. I only brought three changes of clothes, and none of them are shorts. I have depleted the supply of quarters and Tide, doing laundry more than once a week for DH and myself. We have been here so long the residents know us in the halls and say hello. They probably think we live here now.

Mom is home from the hospital, and doing well, so we are now biding our time at my aunt's home until the doctors say Mom can go back to the farm. Meanwhile, we are four family members trying to make the best of being cooped up in a small two-bedroom apartment in a high-rise senior center. The biggest hurdle so far is climate control. Mom (87) and Auntie (91) both have glaucoma and the lower metabolism and circulation that comes with living a long life. They need the windows closed ( too cold, too windy), the shades drawn (too much glare) The ceiling fan makes it too cold, too; forget the air conditioning.

Then, here I am, having hot flashes. I share a bedroom with Mom; she sleeps with extra blankets on, I sleep with all the covers thrown off and a fan blowing on me. Our daytime solution is for me to sit in Auntie's bedroom with the AC on and my computer in my lap. I am sitting in the same rocking chair she has had for years before I was born. I remember sitting snuggled up with her in this chair and hearing her say, "I can't believe you will be starting second grade already." I'm glad she was able to keep this chair when she moved in here.

Our friends here in town have been wonderful. Invitations for home cooked dinners, overnight in a guest room, tickets to the theater. . . Jennifer and Susan, Debbie and John, Carol and Avis, if any of you are reading this, THANK YOU.

I have to say more about the performance we saw last night. If you are in the Twin Cities area, you must go see Amy Salloway in Circumference! She is a one-woman dynamo of entertainment; she blends humor, drama and her personal demons into a monologue which draws you so fully into her world that you are amazed to find yourself in a theater at the end of the performance. If you have ever fought the weight battle, if you were one of those humiliated in 7th grade gym class, you will especially identify with the themes in Circumference. This is a work-in-progress; Amy is still fine-tuning the script but is courageous enough to perform it as such and allow the audience to give her feedback in its development. There are only two more shows currently scheduled; see her web page for details. I also have to say, Amy is as delightful in person as she is on the stage. She is a friend of the friend who took us to the performance and so accepted the invitation to join our group for a late after-theater supper. Thank you, Amy, for sharing bits of your personal life and an insight into how you weave those events into your performance. I was the one down at the end of the table who didn't say much, but as a fledgling writer I was fascinated by your creative process.

Our internet access is sporadic up here. Minneapolis is in the process of being wired for wifi, but the nearest working node is not really close enough, and it does not reach up to the 11th floor very well. I'll try to squeeze in a post here and there if I can.

I have a coffee mug at home that says, "All I want is a normal life." When I ever get home, I am going to start using it.