Thoughts about News

This will be the first time I've ever written something for the public eye.  I didn't think about doing it until my mom encouraged me to do so.  I'm usually pretty late to new fads like blogs.  Case and point blogs have probably been around for years now.  I recently moved to Minneapolis Mn to be with my girlfriend.  She's from here but we met in portland OR.  I lived in PDX for about 7 years on and off, mostly on.  When she left in September of '09 I was bartending at a little place called the Muddy Rudder in the Sellwood neighborhood.  The Rudder is a blues and beer bar.  Ten taps that are usually at least fifty percent IPAs.  Anyway I was having fun but nothing was really holding me there.  So I decided I'd take an "adventure" to the midwest.  I thought Minneapolis was a cool city after all my visits.  I spent the first two months living with Rosie, my girlfriend, her parents, Jim and June, and their dog Smirk.  I worked at a restaurant cooking.  Cooking has always been my fall back.  I can always default to the restaurants.  No matter how bad the economy there has always been a restaurant that could use me.  I guess it's luck.  I like to think I just have a great personality.  The first months were tough.  I was both lonely and never alone.  June stayed up late so I couldn't avoid her.  She's a middle aged woman from an italian family.  She loves to talk.  I don't really love to talk.  I just like it.  I just wanted to come home and chill at 11:30 pm after a busy night at the restaurant.  But instead I came home and listened and said a few words here and there.  In fact we really got to know each other well.  After two months Rosie and I found a place in Uptown Minneapolis.  It's an old home with four floors including the basement.  Our landlady is a nice old woman from Senegal.  She loved us because we both like west african food and music.  Plus I've been to Ghana so we had common ground.  The man upstairs is from Benin.  All our neighbors are from Mexico.  And down the block is a Somali mall.  One white couple lives a couple houses down.  It's a bit dirty.  There's trash everywhere.  But it's safe.  People keep to themselves for better or worse.  Now I work for a giant global logistics company.  I clear freight through customs at the ports.  It's really not a glamorous job.  I spend my day stressing about documents and government regulations.  Rosie is a waitress and also teaches pilates.  She is so damn sweet.  I wouldn't stay here if it wasn't for her.  I love that girl.