Since we left Arizona on May 1, we’ve experienced nothing but bad weather: cloudy days in California, a blizzard with 75 mph winds on the road to Utah, and cold and cloudy days since arriving in Minnesota on May 8. Finally, when we wandered to the breakfast cafe this morning, we were surprised by the pleasantly warm and sunny weather.
We entered the breakfast area to find that the hot foods warming pans were nearly empty of bacon and turkey sausages, and yet there was another hour until breakfast would be over. We waited for no less than 15 minutes until the pans were refilled and emptied again in a minute. Fortunately, Tom rushed up there in time to get me two sausages and bacon for himself.
As mentioned earlier, I seldom eat bacon in these types of “included breakfasts” in hotels since the bacon is deep fried in less-than-desirable oils such as soybean, vegetable, grapeseed, peanut oil, and other hydrogenated oils that I don’t consume. Tom shouldn’t eat them either, but I have no control over what he eats besides the meals I cook, and I never make anything bad for him, either.
Last night, we cooked. Having another quiet evening with no plans was lovely, which we’ll repeat today. We’ll go to Mary and Eugene’s home tomorrow afternoon, after my lunch with Theresa, to play Buck Euchre with the siblings. Tom will drop me off at the restaurant in Blaine and pick me up when I’m done with lunch. Then, we’ll have a short drive to Andover.
The traffic in Minneapolis and its suburbs is comparable to any big city. It may take twice as long at rush hour to get to any distant location. We tend to make plans with family and friends during lower traffic times, usually midday and after dark.
Tom grew up in Minnesota and always lived in the city or northern suburbs. My kids and I always lived in the western suburbs, which differed from the West. Although I spent most of my career in the West, I never got to know the northern suburbs very well. Even now, it’s less familiar to me.
Almost all of Toms’s family live in the northern suburbs; thus, it’s a long drive whenever we get together. Right now, in Eden Prairie, we’re in the western suburbs, and most events with Greg and his family, who also live West, transpire in this area of town. We are about halfway between Tom’s kids and my son. But, the siblings are further north, which often results in a 40 to 45-minute drive in traffic.
However, this area is packed with restaurants and shopping and is within five minutes of a Costco store, of which we are members. We still have a $43 reward certificate we’ll use one day soon, most likely for food since we don’t need to buy anything in bulk.
Today, the housekeeper comes to do the weekly deep cleaning when it’s best if we clear out. We’ll most likely walk outdoors while the cleaning is done, which shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes. They are very fast. It appears there are about 100 units in this residence hotel. The staff is friendly and competent. However, yesterday, they missed us for some reason. So I asked the reception staff for towels.
It’s easy here, and we’re enjoying it, especially not having to think about what to do about dinner each evening. I can’t say we’re saving money dining in since groceries are so expensive. When I shop for groceries for a few days, I don’t see much difference from dining out at a mid-range restaurant. That’s how it is and will be for us for many months to come.
That’s it for today, dear readers. We’ll “see” you tomorrow.
Be well.
Photo from ten years ago today, June 2, 2014:
