Minnesota is unusually warm for this time of year. It should be about -12C (10F) at the moment – and it’s hovering about freezing. Still, Tim and Liz took us out to Tims (mad) sisters place over in Wisconsin to go snowmobiling.

Snowmobiling is lots of fun. I was surprised at just how fast they go – we got up to about 45-50mph on them.

The other picture there is of Tims sister (Marilee) skijooring… which is where you attach a harness to a dog and have it pull you around. Good exercise for both human and dog! And no, it’s not cruel (or at least didn’t seem to be) the dog went beserk with excitement when it was getting harnessed. There’s a short video of skijooring here

Then another day I went for a bit of a bike ride down to the Mississippi.

I also had to check out MOA – the Mall Of America. Just ‘cos it’s completely tasteless. It used to be the biggest in N.America – until Edmonton in Canada took that particular accolade? away. I believe they have plans to enlarge it!

The picture on the right there is of the fairground inside the Mall.

So yes, one day left here and then I hop on a plane (well, walk) back to NZ. Really quite excited to be static for a while. I have really enjoyed hanging out with Liz & Tim & Fiona & my lovely God-daughter Ciara.. I wonder how big they’ll be the next time I see them!

Thanks to all the thousands of people who have texted me happy birthday. Unfortunately like last year I won’t actually receive any as I’ll not be able to check my irish one anyway – and the NZ one will have wiped all the messages off the network before I get home. Sigh

27 now! can you believe it? I feel *ancient*. Though I’m mostly in denial about it. I mean really it’s not that far off 30. Still, I’m not thinking about it! Will try to make the most of what remaining years I have left on this planet. In fact, here’s a poem my brother Chris sent me a while ago…

If you can keep your head when all about you
 Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
 But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
 Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
 And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream-and not make dreams your master;
 If you can think-and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
 And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
 Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
 And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
 
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
 And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
 And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
 To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
 Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
 Or walk with Kings-nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
 If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
 With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
 And-which is more-you'll be a Man, my son!

Anyway, to start off the way I wish to continue my 28th year on this planet of ours, I tried a new sport! Cross country skiing. Then visited a kite show on the lake (there were people sailing and windsurfing on the ice!!)

Finally ate lots and drank a reasonable amount! Thanks to everyone who mailed and called. I love you guys *sniff* ;)

I decided I needed to get a little exercise and headed off for a short walk around Lake Harriet (the malts are why I needed the exercise)

So I was walking around the lake and I saw 3 guys ice fishing – something I had heard about but never done. Basically you use a massive screw to make a hole in the ice (18 inches deep) and then see what you can catch. So I got to talkin’ with them and turns out they were all comedians (and I love comedy). Kermet (the guy catching the fish) is from Hawaii and so his friend David thought it would be cool to take a Hawaiian ice-fishing.

So later on that evening Tim and I headed over to check out the comedy show – and it was actually really really good fun. I’d been to the Murphys Laughter Lounge in Dublin a while ago (instead of the Comedy Cellar above The International Bar) Anyway, this American talked his way onto the stage to be given 10 mins as a visiting comic. It was awful, his entire routine sucked (sorry, but it did). But these guys in Minneapolis were great – really enjoyed the evening.

Pretty uneventful trip to Minneapolis. Liz Loveday (the cousins we were staying with in London) very kindly ordered me a taxi to Paddington, which was great as I am taking full advantage of the 2 bag allowance on my way back to NZ.

Immigration and airport checks were all very straight forward. The fingerprinting made me feel like a criminal, but all in all it was fine.

Liz (sister this time) picked me up at the airport with Fiona and Ciara (her two daughters) in tow. It’s a pretty nice city actually. Flat, but with lots of trails and lakes to run around. Well, actually, as it gets down to -20 here sometimes, the lakes are all frozen..

One day we also walked down to this waterfall (Minniehaha) which is mostly frozen – though the falls are still falling. It was amazing, I hopped over the barrier and slipped on down to the base. There I met a guy who said it was possible to get behind the waterfall.. so that’s what these pics are all about.

After spending a few short but lovely days with my grandparents it was off up to Sussex for my Aunt Rosemarys 25th Wedding anniversary – and a great excuse for a family get together. No pics yet but I will get them up eventually!

Then down to London (thanks for the lift Uncle Anthony!) and Mhairi and I stayed a night at her friend Kirsty again. Even got to look at the moon through Kirstys Christmas present of a telescope.

And far too soon it was time for me to head off to the States – Minneapolis – to see my sister for 10 days before going back to New Zealand. It was weird saying goodbye after traveling so long and so far together (groovy interactive Google Earth Map coming soon!! :) I’ll be making the most of my time in New Zealand to be sure to be sure, but I am also looking forward to our next adventure! (Mhairi is going to be getting her tennis qualification in Scotland for the next 9 months or so?). Anyway, thanks MB for an awesome 4 ish 5 ish months of travel – I’d never have survived without ‘cha (nor had so many misplaced objects found!)