Day 3 - Bloomington, MN

Yes, 2 places in 3 days that have the same name - not a typo! 

Today has been a walk down memory lane in many respects, some memories almost 30 years old and some literally freshly born ...

As some of you know, I graduated with a Master's degree from the University of Minnesota in 1988.  I have been a Christmas correspondent with several of my fellow students during the last three decades, but we have not been together in the same place in all that time.  Until today.  I was so delighted to have dinner with a fellow graduate that came all the way from Duluth for the occasion.  We had a delicious meal and even better conversation.  I am so grateful for relationships that can pick up where they left off, even if that was many moons ago!

This stopping point also presented an opportunity to visit with a former member of my HR team and his wife, who are celebrating 8 weeks with a newborn.  It was a blessing to rock the baby to sleep and give the parents a break to enjoy their lunch.

In the meantime, the cats are adapting to life on the road.  Maggie (left) has realized that this means she can sleep on the bed, even at night, which is a luxury she never has at home. 

Josie explores every inch of each hotel room the moment we arrive.  She is a Houdini cat, looking for an escape route.  Tonight, we were convinced she had gotten out of the room, since we could not find her anywhere in the 25x15 space.  Turns out she had found a hole in the box spring and crawled inside.  Fortunately, she is a slave to her 11 p.m. wet food, and she came out as soon as she heard the spoon tapping on the ceramic dish.  Needless to say, that hole is thoroughly blockaded now! 

And now your fun facts about Minnesota:

Minnesota is infamous for its cold winters. Luckily, Minneapolis residents can stay warm with the Minneapolis Skyway, an indoor pedestrian walkway system that links many downtown buildings. Spanning 69 blocks and seven miles, it's the longest continuous skyway system in the world.

Peanuts creator Charles Schulz was born in Minneapolis and grew up in St. Paul.

The Honey Crisp Apple was named the Minnesota State Fruit in 2006, and for good reason – it was invented by the University of Minnesota as part of an apple breeding program.