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March 09, 2005
"It's that month again..."
March is a month filled with occasions that I keep track of. Fabulous Babe’s birthday is this month. The night we met was on St. Patrick’s day which is another one of those sorts of things that sticks with me. Of the two of us I’m the one that keeps track of this “stuff” which works out fine.
Three years ago Fabulous Babe and I moved to our happy home here in the Land O' Lutherans. Being Minnesota it snowed about 8 inches one day the week following. The house was chosen after two exhausting days of searching in the January before the move.
In hindsight we truly lucked out in picking this neighborhood. Our neighbors are swell and their kids are like our extended family. (We buy a lot of Girl Scout Cookies.) Our quirks compliment each other nicely and I can honestly say I’ve played host to just about every blankety blank home party business possible.
In general we’ve encountered “Minnesota Nice” in great portions and “Minnesota Ice” in fortunately much smaller portions. (I’ve met people to whom Passive Aggression is their life’s work and greatest achievement.) Fortunately the grumpy sort are easy to spot and my irritating but genuinely friendly nature usually triumphs.
The accents still throw me from time to time. Last night Fabulous Babe had to restrain me from throwing something at the television when the forkwit on the news kept calling the electronic gizmo for the Minnesota’s first toll road a “Trans-PON-der” instead of “trans-ponder” which is what normal people everywhere else in North America call them.
One of the first things we noticed about this place was the tremendous number of children in the neighborhood. (The average was 3 per house when we moved in.) Minnesotans are a prolific people and as strange as it seems to some in other parts of our country family values are an important part of the fabric of this state. If anything it’s an intensified display of the natural order to lead productive lives and see your legacy passed on to those who come after you.
It goes without saying that if you love to pay taxes you certainly should think about living here. Fabulous Babe was reading a story from the Wall Street Journal tonight and it became very clear that while there are more expensive places to live tax wise we’re close enough to the top we should duck.
We’ve never regretted moving here for one moment. Climate you adapt to over time. Friends you will discover. Your home is what you choose to make it and we are glad to call this one ours.
Posted by Jim at March 9, 2005 10:04 PM