Minnesota    15 - 28 August 1997

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Fri 15th - Mpls/78°F Brought my hiking boots in to a cobbler just a few buildings away from Chris' and getting them re-soled for $42 (they cost me $40 in 1991). Had lunch at a Dairy Queen. Found ourselves in heaven when we discovered a Barnes and Noble bookstore. I bought Peck's book The Different Drum: Community Making and Peace, Records Price book and a few others.
August 15 Diary
Sat 16th - New Ulm/80°F Stopped at St Peter to buy a bouquet of flowers for Patty. Almost everyone was at Gutzke's for family get together. Bill just out of hospital with a brain haemorrhage. Joyce flew up from AZ. Met Jeff's wife, Star and Paul's wife, Gwynne. Louise in from Virginia. Met the latest generation kids: Billy's daughter, Amanda; Jeff and Star's Austin and Kaila; Mike and Barb's Tyler, Derek and Abby; Paul and Gwynne's Amber. Met Gwen's boyfriend, Jason. Marlin Krohn stopped in and he explained how he was related (video). When the cigarette smoke got too much for me I crashed on the front porch. Bob and I brought chairs to Paul's place and picked up Paul's van so we could get a tour of New Ulm in comfort (video). After supper we watched Vikings lose. Visited in lounge. We stayed overnight.
Bob and Patty	Cheryl-Star-Kaila-Barb	Bob - Shirley
Billy - Jeff - Paul G - Gail Barb - Gwen - Cheryl	Paul w/Amber and Gwynne	Paul H
August 16 Diary
Sun 17th - New Ulm/65°F/rain After lunch with Gutzkes we went to Haala's farm. New, wild puppy. Recently varnished inside, so I had to stay outside. Paul kept me company and we "talked" dairy farming (video). Over to Lafayette to visit Bill and Shirley (video). While there a Dutch couple dropped in. Had a look at a Pamida in Glencoe. Got back to Chris' at 6:30PM. email from David telling us that Steve and Sally had a a son, Christian, on the 13th.
Paul - Sarah - Cheryl - Ryan
Aug 17 Diary
Mon 18th - Mille Lacs/68°F Stopped on highway 169 at a family restaurant for lunch (Denver sandwich). Got to Streasick's place on Mille Lacs at 4PM. Inez gave us Minnesota tee-shirts. She like to use "kazillion" about a kazillion times. We talked until 12:20AM and found out all about their families. Couldn't sleep on the very soft mattress and squeaky wire bed, so it was the floor for me.
	view from livingroom
Aug 18 Diary
Tues 19th - Mille Lacs/68°F-rain Chuck and I moved the new drier into the house and hooked it up. Then we went to Malmo where we had turkey clubs for lunch at Sunrise Cafe, where everyone knows everyone and you sit at "your" place each time. Drove up to Aitken to Pamida where I found a "Cootie" game for Chris. George, a reborn Christian and carpenter, came over to join us for tacos and margueritas. He makes jerky from Chuck's venison and we had a try of the latest batch. Washed it down with an excellent very dry '93 Fortrant rosé.
Aug 19 Diary
Wed 20th - Malmo/68°F Inez brought her albums out when Gail told her that I had a price book. Unfortunately, she sold most at a garage sale and burnt a bunch of them. Had to go their large garage and look at all the stuff in storage, most of which are Inez's shoes and clothes. Chuck's glasses. Inez told us the story of breaking her knee when she fell on a slippery school floor ("Does anyone speak English?") - the 3 "P"s: puck, passout, pee (video). And we also heard her retirement party story. Chuck and I tried forever to get the white sauce, for our chipped ham lunch, to thicken - we didn't know to take it off the heat (video). Heard their timeshare stories (Interval International). Got tired of hearing "That Dominic", so we left at 3PM. Gave up on finding an A&W in Cambridge and got to Chris' at 5:40PM. Angi was there. Lively discussion about the Internet.
We were supposed to be at Lesser's in Shoreview at 6PM and didn't even leave until after that time. Then got lost and couldn't find their road - mix up with "Bridge" and "Bridgeman". Nice place with half acre out back that backs onto a reserve. Heard about Kathy's trip to Nashville at a 75yr+ convention and the havoc that ruled. Watched Strange Brew while sipping a Tosti Asti all four of us on the bed together. They gave us a Northern Vinyards rosé.
Aug 20 Diary
Thurs 21st - Minneapolis/75°F Went to mom's to visit with Angi and Chris (tape of meal). Got mom to tell us about her childhood and family (tape pt 1 tape pt 2). And more chat.
Aug 21 Diary
Fri 22nd - Minneapolis/75°F Picked up Angi from Mom's and we went to Dad's. Riverdale so Angi could send a fax. Had a barbeque chicken meal. Then Angi mowed grass for the first time ever (video). Gave Chris the Cootie game and we played it with Lavonne, who was very funny (video). Angi won. Dad had bought a cider, because I like wine. Dad told us the Bechyn fire story (video). Walmart on way home and got Peanutbutter, and Almond M&Ms.
	with Cindy Lou
Aug 22 Diary
Sat 23rd - St Paul/80°F email from Noriyo who is now married. Had mom and Angi send an email to David. As we were waiting for the bus Chris and I had to pull our zippers up at the same time on our identical shorts. Bus brought us to the State Fair (for $1), where our first stop was to get a foot long hotdog for Chris. Poultry building so mom could admire the chickens. We split up and gathered again at noon at the Beer Garden. Grandstand to look at the fine arts. Bought a copper raccoon for mom and collage magnets. Gail and I did the double ferris wheel for old times sake and a hokey pirates spook ride, just for fun. Pronto pups, chili dogs, chocolate cream puffs. Bought a ring for Ne. Poor mom injured her foot and it was a big drama getting her to the bus at 3PM. Gail and I went to Yorktown (south of Southdale) to get a bird book for Chuck "Tweety" Streasick. Sent Gail in for Chinese and came back with a "double" which was about 5 times more than we could eat, and that included Angi who slept over.
Aug 23 Diary
Sun 24th - Bechyn/80°F We went to Bechyn for the Czech Festival. Quite a few of the family showed up (video). Dad showed me around the town and who lived where and what buildings are now gone (video). (Polka: video and photo). From there Gail and I went through Morgan on our way to Sleepy Eye to stay with the Kosaks. Dad, Chris, Angi and Lori joined us for a meal (video).
Aug 24 Diary
Mon 25th - Sleepy Eye/80°F Chris called and gave me instructions to Steve's place in Plano, TX. Went to New Ulm's Bonanza Steakhouse for supper and birthday celebrations (Jeanie's and Gary's). Impressed Lori's kids (Jessica and Joey) when I identified a Third Eye Blind song. When we got back to the house we found a bird feeder from Jeanie's boss - so now she has to put up the one she was given last year. We watched home videos from 1987 (e,g, Gary was star fullback and homecoming king).
Gary - Shelly - Lori - Jeanie	JB - Joe - JNM - Gail - GK - SK - LB - JK
Aug 25 Diary
Tues 26th - Sleepy Eye/86°F Found a travel Monopoly at Ben Franklin and lawn chair strapping at Coast-to-Coast Hardware going out of business sale. The owner, Judy Thomas, is retiring to her vast properties - she bought in the "Golden Triangle" south of the Twin Cities and made a bundle. Found out that Shelly was on the drive-through at the bank so I walked up to the window for a laugh and she converted some $100 notes for me. Went to Lori and Dan's for supper. Heard about a New Zealand couple who bussed to Sleepy Eye and thought they would get a cab to the Farm Fest at Gilfillan (part 1 - part 2). Jeanie also spoke about Bernie's death (tape).
	Dan - Jeanie - Gail - JNM - Eloy
Aug 26 Diary
Wed 27th - Sleepy Eye-Morgan-Hills/82°F Bit of a joke that Eloy now shaves to drive the truck, because he no longer delivers eggs but now its printed materials to fancy secretries in fancy buildings. Bought a nice new brass mail slot and gave it to Jeanie at Nex-Tu-Nu (video) where we met Shelly's mother, Joanne. Found Goofy suspenders there. Said our farewell and went to Mark and Roxie's farm for an hour and had a tour of the operation (video). Then we had lunch with Jerry at the Carriage House Café in Morgan. Told us how one day he saw a woman with great legs, turned out to be his sister, Jeanie. Met Kim, Leonard Malecek's wife (video of one of his trucks). Drove to Hills and Hansens. Elbers joined us for supper. Bob had to go to the "Crow's Nest" (scorers' building) at the high school football field and I went along. Millions of grasshoppers. Had a soak in the hot tub.
Aug 27 Diary
Thurs 28th - Hills/80°F Gail went with Kay to see the Souix Falls waterfalls. In the evening went to the high school football game, not really fitting in at the pre-game brat and chips with former jocks on the baseball field. Watched the game from the Crow's Nest. Hills-Beaver Creek beat #4 rated Leroy-Ostrander 9-man team 13 - 0. Good game but I was more entralled with the 7 cheerleaders who had about 30 different cheers and a group of around 50 girls in the stands knew them all. Back home for a soak in hot tub with Bob.
Aug 28 Diary
All Albums	1997 Trip Albums	MalleyGram