Tomorrow I leave for Minneapolis. I don’t think I’ve mentioned it, but I’ll be there the rest of the week for work. Turns out that I may have some free time during my stay, so if you’ve visited or live there and know of something worthwhile, let me know. I’ve been there once before, in my last job, and all I had time to do was visit the Central Library of the Minneapolis library system. What else should I do?

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I had a fun weekend in that it was fun, and a kind of crappy weekend in that I was busy and spent too much money. As much as I love having so many social engagements (because remember how miserable I was before I moved here, with no friends or family around?), they are expensive and make it hard to do things that need to get done. Like homework. And bathing.

Friday night we had dinner with some friends, then came back to our place for an exciting game of Trivial Pursuit Totally 80s. We were all quite young in the 80s and so didn’t do very well. After awhile we moved into a “lightening round” in which you must speed-read the questions, and anybody can answer. If anyone gets the right answer, the person whose turn it is gets a pie piece even if they’re not on a pie space on the board. It was fun and fast, so I highly recommend this method in times of need. We drank beer, ate ice cream, played Nerf basketball, Tetris and Guitar Hero before finally calling it a night.

Saturday night I met up with some old high school friends. There was a group of five of us (called SMEAR, which is an (acceptable) acronym from the first letters of our first names) who hung out in high school. Some of us manage to still get together on a regular basis now that we all live in West Michigan again, but this was going to be a big reunion with all five of us. But dinner and movie for five turned into dinner for four and a movie for three. It was not a rave success, but those of us who could make it had good time.

Sunday we went to my grandparents’ house for Easter dinner. It’s rare that the entire family (aunts, uncles, cousins and all) comes together, even for holidays. But this time everyone was there except one of my sisters. We had fun, but nobody ate the $15 veggie tray I bought and brought. Next time I get assigned something, I’m just going to pretend I forgot because it won’t be missed and then I save 15 bucks.

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The next few weeks are a bit crazy for me. I’m gone all this week, and as soon as I return I have plans almost every day through the first week of April. Not to mention trying to finish up everything for school before the semester ends. As soon as that happens, I’m off to New York for five days. Then finally, finally I think I can breathe a little until summer classes start up May 5. Then it’s school two nights a week until early August, when I leave for a family trip out west. I hope I find time to enjoy the sunshine and warmth, once the weather finally turns. Which may never happen at this rate.