The Last LA Blog (yep, posted late!)

The Tease
Just as we’re getting ready to leave, L.A. pulls out one of the most beautiful days ever to taunt us and make us doubt the decision that was so easy when it was 105-degrees out. After an all night rain, today was 65-degrees with blue skies and fluffy white clouds everywhere. The play of light that hit the palm trees and made them pop with the contrasting shades was picture perfect. Too bad I didn’t take a picture.

Minnesotans Love Their Winters!

On the other hand, maybe it won’t be as bad as I think moving to Minnesota in the middle of winter. It seems the biggest factor in surviving the cold besides a good jacket, is a great attitude. Minnesotans love their winters! Everyone I talked to in my 4 days there was joyfully looking forward to winter. Maybe they were just being nice and trying to make me feel better about the move, but I think they are genuinely enthusiastic about winter. The residents here are known for their ingenuity and “can-do” spirit. They make the best of their winters by finding fun activities to do in the snow like ice skating, ice fishing, snow-mobiling, snow shoeing, and cross-country skiing. In fact their biggest and oldest winter event, the St.Paul Winter Carnival, came out of a comment someone made in the late 1800’s that the city was uninhabitable. The locals set out to prove them wrong.

“Minnesota Nice”

So far, I have only spent four days in Minnesota, but I have talked to countless people on the phone from school administrators to insurance agents to neighbors, and the “Minnesota nice” I have heard so much about is well deserved. Or is it just that I’m being nicer because I’m anticipating their nice, so it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. Either way, we are all excited about the move.

L. A. Freeways

In contrast to the Minnesota nice, even my relatives here admit that California is one of the least friendly places in the country. That certainly applies to driving more than in any other area of civility. I have been spending more time on Southern California freeways in an effort to say my last goodbyes, and have noticed the rude driving here more than ever. Granted I only drove two days in Minnesota from Woodbury to the airport, but the top speed was about 70 mph on average. In the outskirts of L.A., I often drive 80 mph when there is not a lot of traffic and I have a lot of miles to cover, and I am not the fastest car on the road. The other day I was driving 70 mph in the second slowest lane of the 110-Freeway and almost everyone was passing me. On numerous occasions cars came speeding up behind me at close range appearing to barely miss my bumper as they made a last minute turn into the next lane. As I’ve gotten older, I have slowed down, but still consider myself a good driver and certainly not slow. I have avoided 3 major accidents by driving defensively in L.A. (one car that spun out on the freeway in rush hour, and 2 that flipped over less than 100 yards from me). So, other than the snow, I am looking forward to driving in Minnesota!

Flip Flops in the Snow?

My winter wardrobe is almost non-existent. I own a total of 8 sweaters (half of them short sleeved), 3 long-sleeved shirts, and 7 pairs of long socks. I mostly wear the athletic type, although I do have 4 pairs of wool socks I use for mountaineering. The good news is, I found jackets I forgot I had and don’t wear much in L.A. because it’s too warm. I also invested in an Eddie Bauer down parka rated to -30-degrees, and a pair of Baffin snow boots rated to -40-degrees. I’m sure I will stand out in Minnesota not for my California accent (I’m still trying to find out if I have one), not for my bleach blond bikini looks (I’m brunette and don’t rock a bikini like I used to), but for my clothes. I predict I will be notoriously over dressed or under dressed every day until I get it right. At least it will be an adventure!

Firsts and Lasts: Saying Goodbye to California

When my ten-year-old son got braces last year, he started to mark all his “firsts” while wearing his braces, the way you mark firsts in a baby book. Now that our move to Minnesota is less than two weeks away, we are becoming aware of “lasts” in California, and are getting nostalgic for a place we haven’t even left yet.

Go to the Beach!

 

My "lasts" include dinner out in Pasadena, my last trip to Hollywood, and seeing my last Glendora High School performance. A friend of mine said I should go to the beach one last time. I probably will, but I refuse to consider this move a “goodbye,” it’s just a “till-we-meet-again.” Since my husband’s been traveling for work a lot lately, we've been forced to stay connected electronically. Except for the fact that he doesn’t come home at night, it hardly seems like he is gone at all. (Oh, well, there's also the sex, and the companionship, and his help with the dishes, and the home repairs, and his flying remote control airplanes with our son, but other than that it’s like he never left!). So I’m hoping our friends and family will take advantage of modern technology to keep in touch. “Out of Sight” doesn’t have to mean “Out of Mind” in today’s world of texting, LinkedIn, Twitter, Skype, Facebook, Pinterest, Good Reads, etc. Did I miss any? Oh yeah, the good old-fashioned telephone or God forbid—a letter—you know snail mail.

The Great Giveaway:  “Do You Want Some Mustard with That?”

If you are planning to come over to say goodbye, be forewarned that you will leave with something—an old white elephant gift that was never opened, plants the movers won’t take, hamster houses (the first hamster died shortly after my son received his Pet Care belt loop in Cub Scouts), condiments, etc. The mustard jars seem to be reproducing at an exponential rate in our refrigerator, so bring your hot dogs and we’ll have a barbecue, or maybe make some Jackson Pollock splatter art with it.

The Seven Stages of Moving

Forget anger, denial, bargaining, etc., the stages in moving are Excitement, Fear, Anxiety, the Shopping-for-Sub-Zero-Temperatures stage; the Making-Your-Husband-Finally-Get-Rid-Of-the-Bachelor-Decor stage; the Making-New-Friends-Right-Before-You-Leave stage; and the They-Love-Me-They-Really-Love-Me-Sally-Field stage where you realize you will be missed more than you thought.

 

"I Wish I Had Done That!"

Along with enjoying my lasts, comes the I-Wish-I-Had-Done-Thats. I wish I had gone to the Rose Bowl Parade, or gone on a Star Tour in Hollywood, or gone on a gondola ride in Long Beach. My only consolation is that now I can be a tourist when I come back to California for visits, and I can be a tourist in my new city too. They even have gondola rides on the St. Croix River!

Ten Days and Counting

 

With just ten more days left in California, we’re getting to the nitty gritty details. I’ve registered my son in his new school, applied for a dog license, set my auto insurance to cancel, submitted a change of address with the post office, notified the landlord, booked a flight and mandatory vet check for the dog, and submitted the last Cub Scout advancement paperwork. I have had going away breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, twice with some family members, so that now there is nothing left to do but leave. It’s bittersweet. We’re looking forward to our new adventure, but will never forget the love and generosity of our family and friends. Sniff, sniff.

Moving to Minnesota!

Minnesota or Bust!

Yep, we’re moving to Minnesota. This an inside joke with my family— The Minnesotan “yep” is as prevalent as the Canadian "eh" which has been famously parodied on SNL. I spent four days there house hunting and noticed they say it a lot. I came home saying it, and now I can’t stop. Nope.

Why Minnesota?

Why would we want to move to Minnesota? I'm a California girl born and raised, but our family is adventurous (rock climbing, mountaineering, etc.). So when my husband was told in order to advance his career he should consider relocating to Minnesota, we thought, “Why not?” For those of you who don't know, 3M stands for "Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing" company. Sure we would be leaving almost all of our family, our friends, the 270 days per year of sunshine, but 3M is a great company. Not to mention that we can buy a house twice the size of the one we are renting in California!

“Have You Ever Lived in the Snow?”

Besides the question of  “why Minnesota?,” the second question people asked was, “Have You Ever Lived in the Snow?” The answer is “no,” however I have camped in the snow at 13,000 feet. Does that count? I’m trying not to obsess about the weather, although as I write this the high in Los Angeles today will be about 85 degrees, while the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul) will have a high of 38 degrees. At the same time, I do want to be prepared. Down stadium parka—check! snow boots—check!; giant flask of Jack Daniels—check!; St. Bernard to carry giant flask of Jack Daniels—I’ll have to work on that.

California’s Dirty Little Secret

One word. Sunshine. I know that's sacrilege to say, and someday very soon I will regret taking it for granted, but believe it or not, we get tired of the sunshine. Well, it's not so much the sunshine as the heat in L.A. People think Californians are so healthy because we can exercise outdoors year-round, but according to the statistics, Minnesotans are healthier. What they don't tell you is that the heat keeps you indoors a lot during the summer and makes you lethargic. Also, it's no secret that the air quality isn't so great in L.A. People who have spent their lives in California like to point out how much better it is now than in the Seventies, and it is, but in a state of 37 million compared to 5 million in Minnesota, you are bound to have more air pollution. Although moving from California to Minnesota may seem a little extreme (I currently own more tank tops than scarves), I won’t miss the smog, the heat, and the traffic.

Palm Trees and Water Tanks

I noticed when we visited that just about every suburb east of St. Paul has water towers reaching into the skyline. I wondered if they were used for agriculture, for drinking water, or were outdated relics of another era. We were told they were still in use, but nobody could tell us for what. In one area we could see four different water towers off in the distance. It was surreal, like a Sci-Fi movie where aliens take over Earth, and start building bizarre structures to facilitate the destruction of mankind. In L.A.we have palm trees. And though they may seem exotic or romantic, the fact that they are seen everywhere from Beverly Hills to the poorest neighborhoods of East L.A., takes away some of the romance.

Bye, Bye Surfboard

And lastly, as part of our final move preparations, I sold my beloved surfboard. No, not everybody in California surfs, but I was always a tomboy. My husband said I should keep it, but I gave it to a good home with a nice surfing family who will actually put it in the water rather than keeping it locked away in a basement like some man-made creature gone bad.

A New Chapter

So, here we are in the final countdown with 18 days until move time when we completely dismantle our life as we know it and start anew. A new adventure, or...? It remains to be seen. Stay tuned.