What Up, Vienna? when a girl and a guy from los angeles move their asses halfway across the world

reporting from the middle of nowhere

Well, we are a few days into our trip.  I am sitting at a computer in the Grantsburg public library.  It weren't easy.  The teenager manning the front desk didn't take too kindly to letting an outsider use the services. I tried to pawn my Grandpa's card off on her but that didn't work.  I had to resort to my overpowering charm.  She didn't stand a chance.

It's been a great trip so far.  Tuesday, the day I flew in, Alex and I went to my sister's house in Lakeville, MN and played Dungeons and Dragons with my 16-year-old nephew Nick  and three of his friends.  We brought them food (Mtn Dew Game Fuel, Oreos and Jimmy Johns Subs) and we were instantly accepted.  We had a pretty good time. I think we "won" the game?  I mean, we took out some dire rats, saved some slaves and defeated this mean lady.  That spells success to me.

We stayed at Mystic Lake Casino with my parents that night.  My twin sister and two cousins also joined us for a nice buffet dinner.  I got some slot machining in but the big fun was a couple hours of blackjack with Alex and my cousin Jenny.  Really, my game is craps.  But, alas, they do not have craps at this casino or most Indian casinos for that matter.  So we settled on a $5 blackjack table.   We had a bunch of great oldie tablemates and two dealers in a row named John.  Then, we got Sherri who I insisted on still calling John.  She did not react to that.  Her name tag should have read "No Fun At All."  And by that time all the fun oldies had left.  So we collected our winnings and cashed out.  Alex broke even and I came out $15 ahead.  Eat that, Native Americans!

Now, we are in rural Wisconsin.  My grandpa has a cabin on Little Wood Lake about 12 miles outside of Grantsburg, WI (pop. 1200).  On our way from the cities (read Twin Cities),  it started to get so wooded, Alex got a little afeared of axe murderers jumping out at him.  I said, it is only going to get worse.  And considering it takes a cop probably 45 minutes to get to you wherever you are and that's assuming you can get cell phone reception which you probably can't.  An axe murdering in Burnett County is pretty final.  We have managed to avoid meeting that end as of yet.

Anyhow, as I said, we are at the public library.  Then, we are going to get lunch at the new Chinese restaurant on my mother's insistence in spite of Alex's reluctance.  It's a Chinese restaurant in a teeny town in Northwestern Wisconsin.  What's not to love about that?  I can't wait.  I hope it's awful.

On the way back, Alex is getting a three-day fishing license!  And he's going fishing with my mother!  Oh boy for him!  I will be reading!  A book!  Maybe doing crossword puzzles!  Fishing is wet, smelly and gross!  Hoooooray!

One more thing, we got our camera.  We have been taking pictures.  I promise to add some soon once we have a little more convenient computer situation.

Fondest regards.

All my best.

Talk to you soon.