A Road Trip Odyssey

Featuring the Latest, Wildly Fascinating Items +                      Commentary re:  My Road Trip to MN

I am in the luxurious Grand Kahler International Hotel in downtown Rochester, MN, just across the street from both the Mayo Clinic & Gonda buildings. Tomorrow (TUE 1/16) I begin my Executive Health Program 2018, promptly at 7:00a with a chest x-ray.

Before the morning is over, I will have enjoyed tests, procedures, & consultations, including--besides the chest x-ray--bone mineral density [Not worried. Many people are sure that I'm dense, maybe overly so.], electrocardiogram, review of medical information, blood collection & tests, and ultrasound of abdominal vessel [Never heard of it. * ].
* For the record, I DO know what an ultrasound is. I'm counting on one of my sisters-in-law and/or a niece to get back to me about the latter.

The afternoon is a little bit lighter:  eye exam, pharmacy consult, wellness consultation. [Also personal business, including a newspaper hunt + license plate expedition. SEE below.]

Travel + Weather

• When I got up this morning at 6:00a, in Norfolk, NE, the air temp was 0. I forgot to check the wind chill. Considering we were in a wind chill warning, I'm thinking it was really, really cold. By the time I left @ 8:30a, the air temp had dropped to -2. Again--duh--I forgot to check the wind chill.
• Here's the temp travel log [no wind chills to share]:  When I got to Sioux City @ 10:10a, it was -3 . . . -4 at Le Mars, IA, at 10:45 [Have you ever been to the Ice Cream Visitors Center? It's been awhile for me, but it was always a favorite stop when we took the kids to visit my grand-parents in Northwest IA.] . . . -6 at Sheldon, IA at 11:45. [I recorded that temp for the sake of my niece & her family. They know why.] . . . -8 at noon in Worthington,MN, where I got onto I-90 for the trek across southern MN {Slogan:  We are a state of scenic drives, including Southern MN, if you like windmill farms & one or two frozen lakes."] . . . -5 at Fairmont, 1:10p. I filled up the car & in 5 minutes started getting frostbite--as far as you know . . . When I finally had a chance to check temp & wind chill at the hotel this afternoon at 4:35, it was 2/-20.
• I just talked to Lois on the phone (6:10p), & the wind chill is -32 in Norfolk. [I encouraged her to do a Temp Challenge, but she is not always submissive to my will.]
• Roads were clear of ice & snow pack until I got into Rochester.
• There was a lot of ground blizzard activity along I-90, so more than once I had to slow down to 45 m.p.h. because of little to no visibility.
• SPECIAL WEATHER ANNOUNCEMENT [courtesy of Accuweather]:  My phone just informed me that Rochester is in a Wind Chill Advisory until TUE at noon. [Knock me over with a frozen feather.]

License Plate Update

• I lost my score sheet, so I had to start from scratch by writing down license plats on a piece of note paper. [Do you know how hard it is to write on a piece of note paper . . . while driving . . . in a ground blizzard? I can neither confirm nor deny that I have experience in this.]
• For the record, today I noted NE, IL, SD, WI, IA, MN, MO, WA, ID, CO, FL, NY . . . & I remembered seeing AK & PA in Norfolk.
• Also for the record:  Lois & I had already seen some of these plates in & around Norfolk.
• Tomorrow afternoon I think I'll drive the car around the parking garage, because I'm sure I can pick up more states. [I do this for fun . . . or maybe it's my OCD.]

Faux Pas *

* French for "blunder."
** Need I remind you that I'm multi-lingual? Technically, I don't, because it's my blog & I can make that claim w/o factual documentation.

• When I took a hike through the subway tunnel to do some scouting in the Mayo & Gonda Buildings, I left my key-card in the room. Fortunately, the young lady at the front desk was very nice about it & didn't even ask to see my driver's license.
• Ever been to one of those corn maizes? Ever wonder why P.E.T.R. [ You can understand why People for the Ethical Treatment of Rodents, except for the giant rodents in the Deadly(?) Forest [or is it Fire Swamp?] that almost kill Lesley & Buttercup in "The Princess Bride.]  That gives you an idea of trying to find your way around the Mayo & Gonda Buildings. *

* It's especially difficult for someone with me who has undiagnosed AOADHD. **
** adult onset ADHD ***
*** Knock knock. Who's there? ADHD. ADHD who? It's freezing outside!

• I took the wrong elevators & ended up on the wrong floors and/or bldgs at least 4X.
• I had to stop 3X & ask for directions . . . from women! 
• What should have been a 20-minute excursion at most turned into a 40-minute expedition.
• Tomorrow morning I'm hoping that when I leave the subway tunnel from the Grand Kahler Hotel, I'll remember to turn right & everything else will fall into place.
• Just in case, I am getting up 2 hours before my 1st appt & giving myself at least 30 minutes to find my way to the right desk.
• Wish me luck. *

* I know, I know. Lutherans don't believe in luck. Well, it's just an expression, OK?