Overdo Update

Hello everyone. I have been very busy this past month. So that means two things, I haven’t had time to blog about it and this one blog will be quite lengthy. I will split it up into the events I experienced.

Minneapolis in the autumn

King Tut
At the beginning of the October, my roommate and I attended the King Tut exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art. It was interesting to see items which archeologists claim to be 10,000 years old or more. However old these items were, the technology the Egyptian people used was amazing. In college I learned they were a very advanced civilization, but I think they may have been more educated and talented than we give them credit. The fee for the exhibit was a bit pricey….$30 and because it was Monday….a day the DMA is normally closed, we didn’t get to see the rest of their collection. Also, no pictures were allowed. I was a bit upset because there is no damage if you turn the flash off. They just didn’t want people using images of the exhibit for profit.

Meet Me In Minneapolis
Later in the month I met my best friend (my bff), Teri, in Minneapolis. About a year ago her family moved to Hankinson, North Dakota. They live about 45 minutes from the famous town of Fargo. I had not seen her since six months before she moved. We’ve been friends for 31 years, there’s no way that a thousand miles and a few months separation will come between us. Besides, with modern technology, we are in touch almost daily. After that long, you are not friends, you are family. She’s my sister-at-heart.
So, Teri, her daughter Rachel and Alyssa, a friend of Rachel’s, all met me at the Minneapolis airport, which is actually in Bloomington. We checked into our hotel then had lunch. We had to kill time while waiting for the hotel shuttle to take us to the largest mall in the US, if not the world….the famous Mall of America. We spent 9 hours in the mall….a whole day at work….and only saw approximately 1/3 of the mall. The two girls, 13 and 14, went to the amusement park and spent most of their time there. Anyone who purchased admission to the amusement park received an arm band which was valid during that business day. The girls came and went out of the park as they pleased. We did not please because every time they left the park, they got lost inside the mall and couldn’t figure out where they were to tell us so we could come and get them! It was a little frustrating.
The next day, we uhh, well, we got a late start. I’ll just say the two girls slept in really late. I guess they were worn out from the amusement park! After we all got dressed and ready to go, we headed into St. Paul, on the other side of Minneapolis. We heard about a pizza parlor that is famous for their pies. The four of us shared one and had some left over. Before leaving, we went to the little girl’s room and encountered some weird activity. We saw two people in a stall and some strange sounds. We just left because we were not sure what happened. On the way out, a very young girl started into the bathroom alone and I stopped her. Although I wasn’t sure what was happening, I didn’t want her going in there alone if it was some deviant activity. Teri told a waitress that something was happening and the management might want to check on it. I will spare you the details but it was NOT deviant activity.
We went to the zoo and conservatory from there. We got there about 5pm and unfortunately, they closed at 3pm. We walked through a nice little walking trail back to the vehicle and took pictures. Not much else happened after that. I went there to spend time with Teri, not to go sight-seeing. We both had a good time but didn’t get to spend enough time together.

Airport Anxiety
I got to the airport at 10am Sunday to fly home. I was bumped to the 3:15 flight, which had mechanical problems. After many hours and many times of getting my hopes up, I finally boarded a plane at 12:15am….14 hours later. I didn’t want to get too far away from the gate in case there was a chance I could get on another flight. By the time I realized I had time to go sit down and eat a hot meal, all of the restaurants in the airport were closed. I wasn’t alone. I met a very nice lady who was travelling by herself. Miss Irene, from San Diego, CA, goes on riverboat cruises and loves to meet new people….at the very young at heart age of 90. I only hope I am as active as she is, if I live as long as she has. She did tell me with a heavy sigh that one of the sad things about living so long is she has outlived her family, husband and friends. She is a fantastic lady and we had a very nice visit. If anyone reading this knew Mama Clara, this lady reminded me very much of her….sharp wit and a keen mind.

Exercise
I decided that Miss Irene had a great key to living so long. She said when she was younger she didn’t take care of herself but when she was in her 40s she started taking better care of her health. I thought since I’m not quite 40, I might have a chance at living to be 90….or at least being healthy. I incorporated exercise. Most everyone knows that I’ve lost quite a bit of weight over the last 12-18 months. To this point, I’ve avoided exercise. My doctor told me just walking 10-15 minutes a day would be a good start. So, I decided to walk on my breaks at work, short walks on the lighted sidewalk. On Thursdays, I started out walking with a special friend at a park in Irving. Since this decision was made, he purchased a bicycle. Since I don’t have a bike, I borrowed one from my Aunt Dorothy, and the two of us ride our bikes together.

Southern Tradition
Since the re-invention of Lisa….starting my life over….I’ve experienced a few firsts. November 1 was another first. I went to a NASCAR race at Texas Motor Speedway. I am still a bit in awe over the entire thing. Right now, all I can say is wow, and boy it’s loud, and HOT. I’m sunburned on my face…in November.

So Long
Well, that’s all for now. We will see what Firsts the near future holds for me. Who knows what will happen. I do have a birthday coming up. Until next time.