How Can You Not Be Excited?

It is a new day. This is the moment. It's all about hope and virtue. What a week! What a country! What a man!

My sweet daughter and I had dinner this evening and we talked about the historic nature of our times - this week in particular. And she was struck by how much everyone is talking about how historic this is - she wondered whether it's allowed to talk about history and to "mark it" as history as it is unfolding. It seems a little like cheating.

She wondered if people really realized the importance of those days of dreaming and hoping with Martin Luther King. It was before the internet and cell phones and 24/7 CNN updates. How did it all unfold and when did people really realize the power and importance of those moments and those words and actions?

I am glad that I am here now to live these moments. I am ready to do what I can to help this country along. We are excited to see it unfold and to be apart of creating and working toward something better.

What will it look like?

Is It Really A Good Idea to Live Here?

I think living in Minnesota is sort of like childbirth. It's extremely painful, but astonishingly wonderful. I'm cold from about October to April. I'm freezing at this moment even though I am wearing long underwear and two layers on top of that, I have the heat cranked, and a space heater blowing on my legs.

In May and June we forget about all this pain and revel in the beauty of Minnesota spring. I can't wait to forget this January. Brrr.

The Blown Fuse

Do you remember the first time you blew a fuse and had to figure out how to fix it? I remember distinctly. I was living in one of my first apartments - it was groovy because it was very old. The coolest thing about it was that it had one of those Wizard of Oz basements - you know, the kind where you had to go outside and lift up a door to get in? There was a dirt floor and lots of monsters and critters in there. I had never even gone in the basement - I just knew it existed. But then of course, I blew a fuse and I had to replace it. I had to do a lot of positive self talk to get myself to go down into the dungeon, but I did it. Did I mention it had a dirt floor and one of those naked light bulbs that sort of clanged and buzzed?

Later in life, after I bought my own house, I would often call my dad when I had fuse or electrical problems. There were times when even replacing the fuse didn't fix the problem - so I called Dad. He lives within walking distance and I always told myself that he wanted to come over to visit, so why not give him an excuse to do so?

Today when I got home from work, but 18 year old daughter tells me she blew and replaced a fuse. I was flabbergasted. She said it with such a nonchalant attitude, as if it was the simplest thing ever. I asked her how she fixed it and she said, well I went down stairs and took a look and replaced it. And then I asked her how she knew how to do it and this is where the magic comes in... she googled it!

I call Dad, she googles. Progress.