Online at 35,000 Feet

Delta is offering free Wi-fi until Christmas, so, always eager to get the good deal, I bought a ticket to Denver, then on to Phoenix to join the family at Marty's parents' for Thanksgiving.

Being online while in-flight provides for many great opportunities and several challenges.
First, the challenges:
• do I really need to use Google's Chrome as my browser? Turns out the answer is "no." That makes me happy.
• I've succeeded in spilling the crumbs from a free pretzel bag onto the keyboard of my Mac.
• I adeptly spilled stale coffee on my iPhone. Thank goodness it was not GOOD coffee that I wasted.
• I had hoped to take a nap during this flight. Now I feel compelled to be "productive."

The Benefits:
• I was able to go through all my email. Turned out to be only 2.
• I am able to research what all the fancy possibilities are associated with the Google Mobile App, like orkut.com. Well, now I know that if I ever find myself in need of strong social networking connections in India or Brazil, I've got the capability on my phone!! Whew. I can sleep well tonight.

I couldn't leave with Marth and the kids on Thursday because of several commitments, all of which were better than I had anticipated. On Thursday, I was allowed to go to the gate with the family. This was critical as all seven kids carried their own backpack and pulled a carry-on. Well, okay, Sadie didn't. Plus, there were three car seats to bring along. We were quite a sight.

Thursday evening was a donor "thank you" reception for HOPE Adoption & Family Services, held at the Grain Belt Brewhouse and hosted by RSP Architects. I moderated and said a few words at the end. I met some incredible folks, all with big hearts and great stories about the impact of adoption(s) in their lives.

Friday had me in a Ramsey County courtroom for a small civil trial. Opposing party didn't show, but the judge had us "run through the motions" to get everything on the record. We won, which is not terribly difficult when the other party doesn't show and was really quite a scoundrel.

Friday night was the St. Croix Concert Series' first concert of the season. You can get to their website from my website. My law practice supports the Series. It is a great contribution to life in the valley. Piers Lane performed works from Chopin. I'm not a big Chopin fan. His works are not soothing and are extremely "busy" to the ears. However, Piers was absolutely incredible. He is a piano genius, and quite likable to boot.
Afterward, there was a donor's reception at The Dock Cafe, where I met some very nice people.

Saturday was a superb day. A complex mixture of relaxation and intense activity. Got much done around the house; started with most important things and worked through my list.
Emma and Grace, sorry. Painting the last part of your door and getting your mirror up did not make the cut-off. We'll do them when we get back.
Yummy stuff too! I had some left-over Korean food.
Mirror of Korea - great place for bi bim bop.

Everything was covered in ice this morning. As I loaded my suitcase, I had to slowly work my way down the Suburban, holding whatever I could, to avoid sliding down the driveway.

It was a pleasant reminder that the St. Croix River will soon be frozen.