Minnesooota 2008!!!

So my first visit to Minnesota was a success! I got there on Saturday July 12th around 5PM, with Britt meeting me at the airport. Our first stop, gas station convenience store to pick up some Vitamin Water and a Red Bull, as I was beyond tired (I had gotten up at 5AM that day). Afterwards, we stopped by the grocery store to buy a few of my essential needs: lactose free milk, cookies, chips, salsas, and other junk food (Britt’s family is super healthy, so they wouldn’t have any of these products).

Anyways, after an hour at the grocery store, we finally headed to her parent’s home… and met her parents + younger brother! We got there just in time for cocktail hour (ale beers, yeah!) and then dinner… after the meet & greet and answering a whole bunch on questions from the parents, that night we headed over to a bar to meet some of Britt’s friends and ended the night around 2AM. The entire week was spent doing errands, a little shopping (visited the Mall of America, where jeans, caps, and CDs where purchased), having dinner with her family, and meeting her extended family (they were around starting on Wed thru Sat night). On Thursday, we got to party in Wisconsin (woohoo!), for it was Britt’s brother’s bday… sad to report, this was my only experience in Wisconsin.

I also got to hang around with Jud on Sunday, as we went to a Twins game (they were playing the Texas Rangers). At the Metrodome, they were at least two Central American people: the Rangers starting pitcher from Nicaragua (Vicente Padilla), and your host! Central America represent! Overall, the trip was extremely positive and I really like Britt’s family… now, her parents are planning on coming down around Oct/Nov08… we’ll see how that goes.

Britt and I chilling at Lake Harriet in MN... so many freaking lakes... everybody is outside jogging, biking, rollerblading, walking, etc...

Carlos, Britt, Megwen, Tara, and Keely (Britt's college friends)

Carlos, Molly, Britt, and Mark (Britt's younger bday). I bought him a number of shots in the hope of getting him drunk, but alas, it was not to be...

At the MetroDump... Go Twinkies!!!

Britt's family... Starting of the left: Nick (Britt's older brother), Marlo (Nick's gf), Mark (Britt's younger brother), Drew (Nick's friend), Bob (Britt's dad), your host (Britt's bf), Mary (Britt's mom), and Britt (que chula!).

View of downton Minneapolis from Jud's office... Stillwater (where Britt's family lives) was about 30 mins away... kinda of a rural area (saw plenty of cornfields).

On other fronts, it’s raining like crazy down here now in Guatemala… they have been lots of mudslides and roads sometimes get completely covered in water, making evening rush-hour more chaotic than usual. I just had to invest in new tires for my car, after a little incident in which one of my tires exploded after going into a huge pothole (more like a crater).

My mom is heading to the UK for the entire month of September, to visit my sister and her grandkids… I haven’t seen Marnix and Noah since Xmas last year and probably won’t see them this year, as their going to Haiti this time for the holidays… que lastima!

That’s it for now… until the next inning… later!

Abrazos,
CRCP

P.S. - I might try and run a 5K or 8K cross country in August… we’ll keep you posted.
P.S. II - Another Late Show Top Ten…

Late Show’s Top Ten Signs Barack Obama is Overconfident
10. Unlike Al Gore, he's decided to get fat before the election
9. Offered Bush 20 bucks for the "Mission Accomplished" banner
8. Asked guy at Staples, "Which chair will work best in an oval-shaped office?"
7. The affair with Barbara Walters
6. Having head measured for Mount Rushmore
5. Visiting White House this weekend to learn how to use Bat-Signal
4. He's voting for Nader
3. Offered McCain a job in gift shop at Obama Presidential Library
2. Announced his running mate will be Andy Dick
1. Been cruising for chicks with John Edwards