Last Saturday was the Hope Lodge Gala in Minneapolis, and here I am with my bro and sis at the staging house, and that's me, with the back of my Dad's head, apparently super-psyched about the Sauvignon Blanc. The gala was the whole reason for a trip to Minnesota, but the week was jam-packed with talkin' and jokin' as usual. I was picked up by my friend Karen1 (not to be confused with Karen2) and we spent a surprisingly fun afternoon in a coffee shop playing with coloring books. My friend Sue took me shopping for the gala outfit Thursday, and although it was grueling, I really liked what I wore. The next day I hanged out with my brother (really? "I hanged out with him"? Hung sounds better, but I don't think it's right) and we saw "Iron Man" twice. Sunday I floated on a boat with my cousin Jim for three hours and then met some people for the contractual Mother's Day dinner. Monday I had a dinner party for my friends from St. Kate's, and Tuesday was Dad's day, marred by a developing cold that forced me to nap through several hours of our quality time.