What are the chances?

Lest anyone think that I have never experienced crime - all that needs to be said is that I lived in Mason City, Iowa during my high school years.  Mason City has the highest crime rate per capita in the state of Iowa.  I've had my car broken into, been threatened with a baseball bat - twice, had someone come up to the passenger side of my car at a stop light and start punching my friend, not to mention the murder and kidnapping that went on.  However, for the last 13 years my wife and I have lived in communities where locking your door at night is optional.  (Although I always did it out of habit... not locking your door at night in Mason City was just asking for it.)  So it came as a bit of a surprise yesterday afternoon, as I returned from the grocery store, to see a bunch of cop cars, with lights flashing, staking out a perimeter just yards away from our apartment building.  At first I thought it was an accident - but then I got an email from the seminary:  someone had robbed the local bank at gunpoint.  He walked into the bank, showed a gun, asked for money, took a hostage - and as he fled fired two shots at an off duty police officer.  Crazy.  From the sounds of it such activity is rare for this little neighborhood, St. Anthony Park - I guess we're getting the whole big city experience.
   Here's the story.

I'm not trying to make light of the situation - I'm sure the bank teller is pretty shook up - but bank robberies ain't what they once were.  Obviously this guy was no Jesse James - getting caught in Wisconsin after stopping for a few drinks and crashing his van.  I'm guessing there won't be a book or movie deal.

Swimmin' with the Fishes

For those who don't know my kids are obsessed with the water.  Even the youngest - who can be a bit anxious about the world - is starting to become very comfortable splashing around.  For the past 4 years my kid's most treasured possession has been the $10 inflatable Wal-Mart pool we bought shortly after moving to Sioux Center.  All summer long - every day it wasn't either raining or frigid - my kids would swim.  Needless to say have to live in an apartment meant the pool was left behind.  I'm not sure who felt worse about it - the kids or mom and dad.

I think it's an established fact that smells are the quickest way to memory recall.  Although I'm not a good swimmer - one whiff of lake water and I'm trippin' down memory lane.  As kids we didn't swim in pools very much - we took at trip to the lake.  The sand, the cool water, the junk food - and the fish.  We would go to Green Lake - a very clear and cold lake - which allowed us to see the small fish that would nip at our ankles.  We'd splash around awhile, get sand in every crevasse possible, then fall asleep during the air conditioned ride home. 

We knew yesterday was going to be a hot one - ended up being 95 with high humidity - so we filled the cooler, loaded up the van, and went in search of the beach.  We ended up at Square lake - about a 40 minute drive to the northeast.  It wasn't a very big lake, but the beach was nice, not very crowded, and the water was crystal clear.  So clear, in fact, that we could see fish swimming around.  The kids swam like crazy, diving to the bottom looking for snail shells and submerged treasure.  (There were actually 2 guys in the water with metal detectors searching for some guys wedding ring.  The guy had only been married for 3 days and lost his ring in the water.  They ended up finding it after about 20 minutes of looking.)  After a few hours of swimming and snacking we headed back to the apartment - with the kids snoozing.  I know I'm not supposed to relive my childhood through my kids - but I am very grateful for our time at the lake.  I'm curious to know how they will remember all of this stuff...I guess we'll find out in 10 years or so.

Moving Forward Back

There's a Temple of the Dog song called Pushin Forward Back.  For some reason this morning I have the catchy refrain in my head.  My family and I just finished moving to St. Paul this weekend.  Back to school with me... I need to get smarter to keep my job.  So for the next two years I will take courses at Luther Seminary and try to sharpen my insights.

I'm originally from Minnesota - the big town of Willmar.  I've been infatuated with the Twin Cities since I was a kid.  The few times my parents would take us to Valley Fair, a Twins game, or the great white north, I was mesmerized by the tall buildings and winding four lane roads.  I've always wanted to live here... and now here I am.  I ripped my family up from four years of putting down roots in Sioux Center, Iowa.  Four years was plenty of time for my older kids to become best friends with the neighbor kids.  Enough time to finally coax the two Hispanic kids from across the street to come play soccer with us.  Enough time to become "regulars" at local restaurants and coffee shops.  More than enough time for my wife's family to get used to the idea of having us around.  Then, like a band aid, with one violent motion .... here we are, sitting on the western edge of St. Paul on a humid August afternoon.

I can tell the kids are a bit out of sorts.  They have all cried at one point or another... and our youngest - who will be three in a few weeks - told my wife she wanted to sleep in the "crib" at "her house".  Hopefully they will be alright... everyone says they will.  "It will be good for them" I've heard more times then I can count.  I hope they're right.

In the mean time I guess we'll have to make due.  We've been to Ikea already - and my oldest daughter is bound and determined to go to the Mall of America for some reason.  (She heard there is a roller coaster inside...and some doll store).  My son - well he's already reaped the benefits of living in the area.  Yesterday we took the bus downtown to Target Field and took in a ball game.  At this point he mainly goes to eat hot dogs and drink soda - but that's not that much different then his old man.  He got a free baseball bat for being a kid - and we saw the Twins beat the Mariners 4-0 behind a solid outing by Francisco Lirano.  Oh well... I guess we'll have to make the best of it.