Exploring Minneapolis

Johnny is still in town from San Francisco. Thursday night we had late night drinks at the CC Club. I think he enjoyed watching and comparing his hipster to our hipsters - the assortment of cold weather accessories and selections on the jukebox. Late night drinks led directly to late night snow angels. We had brunch at Sunnyside Up Cafe in Uptown, favorite of mine, for its mix of neighborhoodies, hipsters, families. It's rare that you see everyone in one restaurant. That's also the reason I love the Hexagon Bar, off Hiawatha, so much.

I took him around Lake Calhoun and Harriet yesterday. His Converse Chuck Taylor's were probably not the best winter shoe selection. The more we walked around the less feeling he had in his toes.

Johnny quote of the day: "Everything is so pretty. I could live in this. I just need to figure the shoe thing out."

Today I pawned him off on my best friend here and my roommates, while I worked. He spent an hour in the MIA, which was far from enough for him. Tomorrow will be a full day: tubing at Buck Hill, Frida exhibit at the Walker, a quick jaunt through the sculpture garden, the back to the MIA, a tour of the skyway before a movie at Block E.

Ouch: Punched in the Chest - Yet Again.

Last night my best friend Johnny arrived from San Francisco. I did my best to prepare him for the cold he'd experience when he first stepped out of the airport. He watched yesterdays video blog and for the most part was ready - or so he thought. Driving through downtown Minneapolis was chaos. Streets seemed to be closed at every turn for snow plowing, which only delayed my picking him up.

Still 15 minutes away, Johnny calls to say he's arrived and that he feels as though he's been "punched in the chest." He goes onto ramble about this being the coldest thing he's ever experienced, will alcohol absorb differently, can we stop for long johns, if he lived here he'd drink constantly to stay warm.

I couldn't help but laugh. My friend in the car stared at me while I comforted Johnny. After pulling over at the gate and popping my trunk for Johnny's bags, with ice sealing covering my trunk, he struggled mightily, the winter sting spreading across all exposed skin, before finally getting his bags in the trunk and his body in the warm car. It reminded me of my first Minnesota winter experience three years ago. I'll never forget the burn in the pit my chest when I stepped off the plane, in awe of everything around me. In the Bay Area we had basically one season year round. Of course, there are slight variations with increased temperatures in the summer and more rain in the winter. But overall, the Bay Area does not have real seasons as we know them here. I've learned to enjoy the seasons here the longer I've been here. This past summer felt less humid and last winter felt less cold. The weather is easily manageable. It just takes a few more or few less layers.

Johnny had the basic top layers covered, but his hands were still exposed, and Johnny's lungs burned with the temperature flirting with below 0. After brief introductions between Kathy and Johnny, his first words in the car were, "I need some long johns." This afternoon was spent searching for long johns at Costco. before finding them at the Twin Cities own Target. We should have gone to target first, but Johnny's second comments also motivated the trip to Costco. "If I lived here, I'd drink whiskey all the time. Do people here drink a lot?"

Whiskey now in hand, new thick socks providing one more layer his pair of classic Converse tennis shoes and long johns protecting his lower regions, Johnny is venturing out tonight again with me for Mel Gibson & The Pants, a Twin Cities favorite of mine, at Nomad World Pub, which Rob van Alstyne previews here.