Present Joys

We flew to Edinburgh on Aer Lingus by way of Dublin. Their branding and livery is pretty on-the-nose.

The fourteen minni kids are back home! Let me tell you about our sunday together:

• This morning, I woke up early to pack and rendezvoused with the gang at 9am. We dithered around for a while then decided to go to breakfast. We ended up at the News Room, the same place we’d had dinner on wednesday night. (I made everybody sit in the exact same places as before for continuity’s sake.) I had a very delicious corned beef hash and a ton of different beverages (including a bloody mary, which John did not like the taste of at all.) Lutz picked up the tab for our meal, which was both totally uncalled for and extremely generous. We have been taken care of grandly.
• After brunch, a handful of us walked with Lutz and Burleigh to the sculpture garden where we saw the giant cherry + spoon and some other stuff. The walk itself, which took us through a lovely park in downtown Minneapolis, was lovely. There were churchbells ringing and ringing and ringing and it was an amazing experience. When we got to the sculptures, Haley and Burleigh climbed on them.
• Then we rode to the airport and did all the nonsense associated with air travel. I “opted out” of the naked body scanner machine and took a pat-down instead, which was completely hilarious to everyone involved. My friends gleefully took highly illegal photographs of the whole experience. As the wise John said, “Nigel finally got his neck massage!”
• Our flight was smooth and uneventful with a dull three-hour layover in St. Louis, during which most of us ate appalling food at Chili’s. The ride home was nice, surrounded by friends. And then we said goodbye. Back to school soon? What’s school?

Today I flew to Minneapolis with these fabulous people. Tomorrow begins AIGA’s annual conference. Lots to do!