Kristi's Top Ten Complaints about Midwest Retitement Living

[trixie]

Kristi's Top Ten Complaints About Retirement Living


1. Miss cruising South Bay hills in the Mercedes with Brian and Rudy.

2.Have you ever been shopping at a Nordstrom's in Minneapolis ?

3.It's nothing to toss your tam over.

4.These Scandanavians think they invented skating.

5."Cheesehead" must be code for "crooked building contractor".

6.Janet Lynn...get over her already, people.

7.Miss the bigger mall in Edmonton.

8.DMV spelled it "Yamagucci" on the new permit.

9.Janet and Wayne promised us a trade to Phoenix.

10. Other team wives never ask for my pork hock and pickles recipes.

[speedy]

I'm confused...Kristi's married to Bret Hedican who just signed a multi-year, multi-million dollar extension with the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh. Is she living in Minnesota in the off-season or something? I must be missing something LOL.

[sk8rzmom]

Bret's family is from the Twin Cities metro area, and I believe they have a cabin "up north" as is popular in MN. At one time she and Bret had a home in my neighborhood, but as we moved years ago, I don't know if that's still the case.

[sk8rzmom]

To add a few more complaints:

11. There's nothing like lutefick to ruin a good holiday dinner.

12. Cold? Who's cold?

13. Is there any decent ethnic food available besides bratwurst?

14. What the heck does "Uff da" mean anyway?

15. How many of those blondes are natural blondes?

16. How many of those tans are from spending time outdoors?

17. What is so thrilling about another shopping mall?

18. Why do people laugh at Garrison Kiellor?

19. Who is Garrison Kiellor?

20. Blizzards, tornadoes and algae blooms.

As a native, I'm allowed to laugh at our quirks!

[trixie]

I love Garrison Keillor...but i didn't know how many would know who he is.

Good ones !

[Mazurka Girl]

A lot of people know him because he's popular nationwide from NPR (National Public Radio) :)

[proam]

[quote:c0f03f893a="trixie"]I love Garrison Keillor...but i didn't know how many would know who he is.

Good ones ![/quote:c0f03f893a]

Yep, he is on NPR and also a book author. I’m from PA and knew about Garrison Keillor for years, I feel I know how Minnesotian really live. :wink:

[trixie]

I first read him after I had lived in Alberta for over 10 years and, boy, so much of his stuff applies equally to that area . as well.

Within my circle of friends I doubt if anyone has reas him, aside from my husband, and my Mom.

[sk8rzmom]

Ohmigosh, Garrison's fame is way more wide-spread than I'd have ever imagined.
Minnesota humor tends to be very dry and understated. I didn't think that would be appreciated anywhere else in the country. And yes, all of our men are handsome and all of our children are above average (LOL!)

[Blue Ridge]

D'yall really talk like that, too? :lol:

[Bailey]

Yeah, they do. There is a definate Minnesota accent...

And, I believe they have a home in Bemidjie, just north of Minneapolis. I've never been, but I hear it is very beautiful with lots of lakes and resorts.

[sk8rzmom]

Kristi's inlaw's (IIRC) have a family place "up north" as they popular jargon goes, in a town named Bemidji, the supposed birthplace of Paul Bunyon and his ox, Babe. There's a huge statue of them at the end of Lake Bemidji.
And yes, people here do a rather distinct accent, although the natives will deny it. Fargo was a little exagerated, but just a little!
The whole northern 1/2 to 1/3 of the state is covered with rolling hills, acres of pine forests, and lots of lakes, 10, 000 if you believe the Dept. of Tourism. Sounds real great until you have to live through a Upper Miodwest winter. There's nothing to block the wind as it decends on the Lower 48 from it's origins at the North Pole. And once it snows, it doesn't melt until sometimes mid-April, accumulating to up to 5 feet in a bad winter. The first winter we lived here, a guy came "mushing" his dog sled team down our road. I was ready to pack and leave right then!

[schnood]

It's actually "lutefisk" (lye fish) and is quite tasty

[calypso56]

sk8rzmom said:
>There's nothing to block the wind as it decends on the >Lower 48 from it's origins at the North Pole.

Gee, and I thought Canada might get some credit for absorbing a bit of that bad weather as it swoops down from the North Pole towards the USA.

[sk8rzmom]

Oops, I owe an apology to our Canadian friends! We love you guys! What I meant to say is that there is nothing like a large geological formation (mountain range) to block the wind, as the Eastern US has with the Appalachian Mts. Central Canada and our Upper Midwest are often colder than Alaska (our supposedly coldest state.) Sometimes my typing gets ahead of my thoughts!

[Patsy]

Their "cabin" is in the Brainerd area, about 75 miles NNW of Mpls. the "tasty-ness" of lutefisk is a subject of great debate in the Northern Plains. :lol:

[sk8rzmom]

Thanks for the correction; it is Brainerd, not Bemidji.
Another real appealing thing about MN life is the size and quantity of the mosquitos (otherwise known as the state bird).
With the West Nile virus making it's way up here, it's no longer a laughing matter.
Lutefisk, as I understand it, is an acquired taste. I justdon't like it enough to try ot acquire it!