Dinosaur Days: Day 1

For this trip, there is no Day 0. I was up late, finishing the Iran posts, but I prepared to be up early enough - almost. I awoke around 7 and took a while to get ready. I called for a cab after 8, and usually, they are pretty quick, but this one wasn't. Then I checked my text messages and my flight was delayed by a half hour! Today, the stars aligned in my favor.

Still, the cab did not come. Another, unmarked car arrived and the driver thought I was his passenger, but I wasn't. So I went back in and waited longer. Eventually, I got a phone call from the cab driver, who was on his way. Another guy in the lobby told me that I would get to the airport with enough time, which matched my experience and helped to ease the creeping fear of having to rush. Finally, finally, the cab arrived. The cab driver was also confident that I would get there in time.

I spent the cab ride talking about my upcoming trip, then my trip to Iran, and my educational background. He was the first person I talked to that knew that Iran was not - and does not consider itself - part of the Middle East and it isn't Arabic. The driver, himself, was from Ethiopia. He said that there were 86 different ethnic groups there, and I brought up my favorite piece of African history, the Battle of Adua. But we were at the airport, so I paid the fare, checked in, went through security theater, and was at my gate in time for boarding.

Well, I boarded and found an acceptable seat: near the back, on the right side, with a window toward the front and one where my shoulder would go. Only I didn't like the first one I picked, so I found another good one in the third row from the back. The plane boarded and we waited to take off. Then we waited more, and the flight attendant told us that there was some thing with the fuel monitors, and it was fine, but we had to wait more. I couldn't connect to the wireless, and the flight attendant said that they may need to reset it and they would have to do that in the air. And we waited. I think around 11 or so, we were finally taking off.

We were airborne, and they gave us snacks and our drink order, but still no wireless. It wasn't until one of my seatmates told me that he could connect that I considered that maybe the credit card fields on the form were converting my keys to numbers, so when I hit ALT + #, it typed the letter. That was it, and I finally got on the wireless. The Model had responded to my text messages about my vacation and told me to come back to Iran <3 <3. I sent him some photos taken from the air, since he had previously asked for photos and videos from America.

We got a great view of the Chicago skyline, and check out that rail-yard!

On the ground, the Chicago people got off and I moved up to an acceptable window seat near the front - might as well get off the plane earlier, I figured. A couple sat next to me, and soon enough, we were taking off for MSP.

I brought a bit of Bruno with me! This is a reminder to clean off my Chromebook before taking it anywhere.

After the short flight, we landed and deplaned. I went off to the baggage claim, but our flight was not shown on any of the carosels, so I walked around, then went over to the rental car counter, but the line was too long. When I returned to the baggage claim, I found my suitcase and went back to the rental car counter. The line was still long, and after a little while, I decided to take advantage of my preferred status and just go to my car.

Well, now, where to go? I figured that I might as well head to the nearby Mall of America. After missing my exit and turning around, I found a parking spot and headed into the behemoth.

I found photo opportunities right away, and then went through the technicolor nightmare that replaced Camp Snoopy. It was pretty much the most ridiculous thing I've experienced in a while, and I was in Minnesota to watch adults in inflatable t-rex costumes.

The store now made famous after some visits last Tuesday.

Around this time, I found the Peeps store, and was at first aghast, but then decided to go in. I was offered a Peep, and I said "of course". There were also all kinds of flavors of Mike & Ike's, and I told the guy working at that station all about the T-Rex outing I was in town for. He had never heard of T-Rex Tuesdays, but I showed him the Mall of America video from this week, and made a new fan.

I then went to The Body Shop and got some more White Musk shower gel and eau de perfume. They were out of perfume oil, however. After that, I went to the Lego store and got the Lego kit that I had wanted ever since I saw KPN post a question about whether to buy it back in December (we said yes).

From there, I began to wander the mall, getting an SD card at the AT&T store, getting some cookies and a Special K bar at the Nestle Toll House store, going into the Hot Topic, then a store called Typo with a big cat in the front saying "Check meowt", and finally finding the Crayola store, my own personal heaven.

It's Sugar: You know you want it.

When you grow out of your Hot Topic phase, you enter your Crazy Cat Lady phase, or you're in both, whatever.

I ended up being too overwhelmed by all the color that I shut down and couldn't buy anything.

After the Crayola store and a walk past the Bubba Gump Shrimp restaurant, I found myself at the Food Court and saw a Sbarros. That is what I decided to have for dinner, because what is more appropriate to eat at the nation's largest mall?

I did up my hair and people watched while I ate my baked ziti and stromboli, then took photos of the giant Lego creations. I tried to find post cards at one of the Mall of America souvenir shops, but the girl there recommended going to the South shop on the second floor. Maybe that was before dinner, whatever. I found the larger Mall of America souvenir shop on the second floor, but that place didn't have post cards either. I ended up buying two magnets, one was a shot glass, and telling the girl working there about my trip to Iran. After leaving, I then found the Lindt store.

I got 100 of these for $30.

It was now time to go and visit my friends K and J, but I couldn't find my way out. I tried and failed to find the Fossil store, which was by the entrance I came in, but ended up having to ask a couple people for assistance. After some photos and several selfies, I was finally outside the mall, heading to my rental car.

There are many women in Minnesota with headscarves, including people working at the mall and my hotel.

I took off for K and J's house and had a lovely couple hours hanging out, doing show and tell, offering freebies from Iranian hotels, and playing with their baby F. Here are a couple video compilations of my adventures so far.

 

They ordered Jimmy John's and got me a pickle, then I had most of the rest of K's pickle because she found it too soft. I loved it. Around 10pm, I had to say goodbye and go to St. Louis Park and check into my hotel. I unpacked a little, then went for a walk around the grounds and found a little pond.

Late snack and the pond at night.

Back in my hotel room, I settled into bed, watching tornado shows on The Weather Channel, and finally getting to bed after midnight.