Meghan and I returned from Minnesota this past Monday where we toured the booming metropolis of Woodbury, Minnesota. It makes the twin cities look like trailer park! Actually, I am just joking. Woodbury was a beautiful suburb of the twin cities - which were beautiful as well. We took a boatride up the Mississippi (did I get all those double letter sets in there? - I think I got 'em) toward Minneapolis and then turned around. We went through one lock - which was an awesome experience. It really gave us a feel for how the older travel technology worked back in the day. We also visited friends in Rochester (home of the famous Mayo Clinic). That is also a beautiful and quaint city. For some reason it reminds me of Syracuse.

I loved our trip to MN. So I've created a short list.

THINGS FREQUENTLY HEARD IN MN

"Hey, I didn't know they have Target out here!"

"What is that? It looks like a civilization of people! Jeez, there are people who live in Minnesota? How did that happen!"

"Yes, New Yorkers there are other cities, towns and -- yes, even Targets outside of NY."

"Ooh yah?"

"Yah noa?"

THINGS NOT HEARD IN MN

"Man, the Texas humidity sure beats this 70 degree, breezy, dry-air weather. I can't wait to get back to the San Antonio Steampit!"

"Is smoking permitted in this casino?"

I'm going to include a few pictures from the wedding and then one from our visit with our good friends Brendan Barry and Arianna Pescatore. Brendan works feverishly as a comb fatality analyst. It's really a lucrative profession. You'd be surprised how many people mame themselves with general household items like combs. Arianna is the "mud-mixer" for the Rochester Women's Mud Wrestling Team. It's quite an esteemed position she holds. We had lots of fun with them. They are close friends from graduate school and are downright damn good people!



We were also able to visit the Mall of America. This is the one that has roller coasters running through it. We ate some fantastic sushi that papa-san would go nuts for!

Rita signifies RIDICULOUSNESS

Man, another hurricane! The roads here are packed with people from Houston, Corpus Christi, Galveston, and the other surrounding areas. How much more natural disaster and evacuation can one area of the country take?!

Actually, we are lucky because the storm will only brush by us, it will be primarily east of us by Beaufort, TX and Houston. But it is still crowded. It's inconvenient because our roads are not built for such high volume of traffic, but do not mind it in the grand scheme of things. I mean, it can't be easy for those who were displaced by Katrina, and now those who are displaced due to Rita.

A Visitor from the East Coast

Woo Hoo!!!! We have a visitor!

Marlaena visited us this weekend - as some of you already know. She arrived last night. We brought her to a local resort where we had drinks and appetizers and met up with one of our fellow residents. Then we went to a local Italian restaurant and had some good family style italian food. It was excellent!

Today we showed Marlaena the base. Then we went downtown to the riverwalk, where we ate lunch. It is one of our favorite places - where we will happily take any visitors when you come out here! After lunch we walked to the Alamo and visited the grounds there. Despite the rain, our spirit was not hampered. But some of the pictures may show evidence of the rain. It is surprising because it almost never rains here between June and September. After the Alamo we went to Pat O'Brien's. It is a pub that began in New Orleans. It serves southern favorites like jumbalaya, po' boys, and gumbo. But they are most famous for their drink: The Hurricane. Unfortunately the original Pat O'Brien's is probably submerged in water due to the hurricane (no pun intended). So we went to the one in San Antonio and ordered 3 hurricanes. The proceeds of every hurricane you order there this week is donated to the Katrina Relief Fund. We had a fabulous time today and have returned home to get ready for tonight.

We are meeting up with a woman who is in our resident class and her husband who arrived to San Antonio for the first time last night. She has not seen him in 3 months. So we are going to a place called Howl at the Moon. It is a bar that features dueling pianos. It should be an absolute blast! We will forward all pictures that come out of a potentially deboucherous night! For the time being, enjoy the ones we took today.

More Pictures

Here are a few other images.

7,000 and growing

Has anyone been watching CNN? I haven't checked the other news stations, but I know CNN has been running stories about some of the people from Louisiana and who are being bused to a place called Kelly USA. 7,000 are there now and they expect the numbers to continue to increase. Kelly USA is where I am currently working until the end of September. I imagine we will be innundated with patients until they are able to go somewhere else. I never thought the place where I would work someday would make national news!!! We're also currently on standby to help out if they need us.

Katrina's Damage

In case anyone is wondering, yes there are Air Force crisis response teams that are being sent to help with the relief efforts in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Houston - at the Astrodome. As residents, though, we will not be sent. It would be an amazing experience to be a part of it, but at this point in our training it's far more important for us to continue with our current rotations. Besides, for every resident that is sent, a liscenced, well seasoned psychologist also must be sent in order to supervise us (since we're not liscensed).

There is a major military medical hospital in Mississippi. Many of their patients have been airlifted into our hospital here in San Antonio. It's kind of impressive the way organizations are supporting one another. The major grocery store franchise here (HEB) is donated .5 million dollars to help with the efforts. Despite these, isn't the devastation just shocking? The lawlessness of some of the survivors is also disturbing - as I'm sure you all agree. While I'm on a roll...

--the media KILLS ME!

It's like the American media has become the 24 hour complaint line. People call complaining that efforts are not fast enough, the military has responded faster in Iraq than here at home, that the police on the scene of the disaster won't speak to the news reporters, blah, blah, blah. Shoot, I wouldn't speak to them either the way they dramatize every situation by pointing out what's going on, then speculating who is to blame. I thought the media was supposed to be a source of information, not the 24 Hour/Day American Grievance and Gossip Hotline. Just thought I'd share a thought or two...