Farewell to Farms

Knowing from the very beginning that my Minneapolis base would only be temporary, I attempted to make the best of it when I bid for certain flight routes. I requested overnights in Appleton, Wisconsin (my old hometown) and it seemed fitting that one would fall on my very last trip out of MSP. An uncle, aunt, and two cousins showed up to take me out to dinner. I was allowed to choose where we ate. I remembered enjoying a place down by the river called Pullman's, an old trolley depot from when Appleton used to have street cars. I had previously only been there during the summer months, when the sun beat down and people sat outside under umbrellas drinking all sorts of ales.

In winter, the atmosphere was a bit different. I couldn't at all remember what I ordered at Pullman's, which might indicate that I didn't really come for the food. Nevertheless, the average cheeseburger I ordered was served up with family curiously inquiring about my new career.
"Do you turn your phone off when you're flying?"
"Of course...otherwise the battery will drain."
"Can you give us flight benefits?"
"No."
"When are you getting married?"
" . . ."
"Can we get flight benefits?"

And so it went. I had a busy schedule this evening and went back downtown to meet up with some high school friends. There are very few people I still communicate with from h.s., so my friends capped out at two.

We met up at a place at the end of College Ave called Jim's Place. It has a sort of old world vibe to it with pictures on the wall of bar patrons from decades past going back to the days when the world was black and white and men wore hats. But tonight it was taken over by college kids playing darts, 15 cougars out on the prowl, and three kids who shared a common high school over ten years ago. One of them had dark hair. The other two were pale gingers and not to be trusted. We caught up on the exciting events of our lives. "I just got married last month," said one. "I just put my child to bed," said the other. "I'm craving donuts," said I. One mentioned that there was a time back in High School when I went to the grand opening of a Krispy Kreme in Appleton at midnight. I honestly don't remember this happening, but don't doubt for a minute that it would be something I would do.

Speaking of food . . . the following morning after landing in MSP, a wholesome looking woman opened a tupperware and offered us cupcakes. All three of us tried one. For a brief fleeting moment, I questioned this decision. "Should all three of us being eating the same thing? What if it's laced with cocaine? Oooh! Is that nutella?" Nom nom nom. It was delicious. It is always interesting what one sees on a plane. The flight attendant said a woman walked onto the plane clutching a wedding dress and crying hysterically. Was I flying from Las Vegas or Appleton? Back in the cockpit, it was all business. It was one of the dreaded five-leg days that seem to drag forever. We made two more trips out to North Dakota to remind me why I really won't miss flying in this part of the country. Although Appleton and Minneapolis had both crested over 40 degrees, Grand Forks, North Dakota was adamant that it should never be more than 14. Farewell MSP. It's time for warmer pastures.