Wedding, reception and open house today--which is why we're here in Minneapolis on this cold April day. The sun is out, and the snow banks are collapsing into puddles. I think the temperature is somewhere in the 40s, with a strong wind. My son was bored with the whole wedding thing, so now, while the open house is still going on, I've brought him to PC Palace, one of those rent-a-computer-for-$5/hour places. He's playing a Star Wars game on their X-box, which is hooked up to a projection TV--heaven for an 11-year-old. I'm checking my favorite web sites, catching up on e-mail and journaling here (or "blogging here" if you're a web head). We dropped in here last night for an hour, too. Apparently, their main clientele is the local college crowd from the University of Minnesota, which is around here somewhere. Last night, they were playing metal or goth music, or whatever it's called (Marilyn Manson-type stuff) while Philip played NHL Hockey on the X-box and I did my web surfing. (My wife sat by Philip on the leather couch and read a book, actually one of Philip's scholastic books: Conversations with J.K. Rowling, which is pretty interesting.) Cool decor here: black carousels, black computers and monitors, charcoal-gray carpeting and walls, and a black leather couch for those playing the PlayStation or X-box games. Now if only they served coffee.

Some Like it Hot

Speaking of coffee, doesn't anyone in Minnesota like their coffee hot? I'm a real caffeine addict (like many writers, I suppose), and I've been ordering coffee everywhere we go. So far, it's always been served luke warm. Even the "gourmet" coffee they served me at the Science Museum was tepid. The hotel serves free coffee in the morning, but it's also not hot. I tried putting it in the microwave in their little breakfast room, but the machine kept cutting off after 20 seconds. I finally got it to a drinkable temperature, but not what I consider hot. Only the coffee at the wedding reception scalded my lips, which is how I like it.

We're staying at the Econolodge on South University Avenue (PC Palace is across the street), and the best thing I can say about it is that it's cheap and clean. None of the "little" things work, though: the room's coffee maker, the TV's remote control, the room phone (can't make outgoing calls) and one of the soda machines in the hall: all disfunctional. Sigh. Good thing we've got our cell phone with us.