Okay, I know this seems like an awful lot of space to dedicate to pictures of a bed, a bathroom, a stereo, and a bathrobe, but let me explain...
Right now I'm in downtown Minneapolis, MN, staying at the luxurious Grand Hotel Minneapolis. To be exact, right now I'm sitting on a bed fitted in fine Egyptian cotton sheets, leaning against 3 generous down pillows, wrapped in a silk and Egyptian cotton robe. This is after I took a hot bath in a tub that actually allowed me to lie down, with the complimentary Aveda shampoo, conditioner, and body bar. Oh, and I almost forgot the lavendar bath salts. I've also devoured the two Godiva dark chocolates so lovingly tucked into the robe on the end of my bed by the housekeeper who turned down the sheets. This is the first time I've been here to Minneapolis, and I wasn't sure what to expect. I've been very pleasantly surprised! In fact, I'm a little out of my element, what with the $9 bottle of Evian in the wetbar, the doormen that I'm not sure if I'm supposed to tip for opening the door for me everytime I want to go outside (pretty sure I don't need to tip 'em unless they grab a cab for me or take my bags...), and the massive buildings and heavy traffic.
I'm here for a continuing education course on Pediatric Incontinence and Pelvic Floor Dysfunction (which so far has lived up to the hype). And while I'm thoroughly enjoying the luxury, I can't help but wish Mike was here to enjoy it with me. I hate coming to these things alone... I spent 2 hours walking around downtown after class got out tonight. Which on the one hand was a bit enjoyable, but on the other hand it was a bit scary, and a lot lonely. At least, considering my recent illness, it's serving to help me recover. I'm extremely eager to get home and get back on the bike though. Nothing like a full week off followed by sitting in class for two straight days to make me feel like my ass is growing by the second, which is inversely proportional to my speed... you see where the mind games get going....
My afternoon reinforced my love for Coeur D Alene. Although I have to admit the 10'-12' wide sidewalks, propensity for public transit, and bike-friendly traffic lanes make me a bit jealous. Downtown also has an amazing skybridge system - you can litterally cover blocks and blocks and blocks all under cover if you wanted. Which I guess probably comes in handy during hard Minnesota winters. Again, the pedestrian way of life is encouraged. I also found myself having multiple feelings about my anonimity in this relative sea of people. One minute, it felt liberating to be somewhere where no one knows who I am - I could pick my nose, scratch my butt, whatever I wanted, and know that I would never see these people again. The next minute, though, I felt deeply lonely. I wanted someone to care that I was scratching my butt - I wanted to care that someone could see me scratching my butt. Let's face it, in CDA, if I was seen scratching my butt, everyone would know in about a day, maybe two, tops. Double-edged sword, that whole butt-scratching thing in a small town. And for the record, no public butt-scratching ever occurred.
I was quickly discouraged and very self-conscious when I tried to kill some time shopping. I found Macy's, figuring I could blow a little money there. Whoa!!!! Between Louis Vuitton, Coach, Kate Spade, and others I hadn't heard of, I couldn't find anything in my price range (translation: clearance rack at TJ Maxx). Walking through the store in my Old Navy jeans and v-neck henley just didn't feel very trendy! I made my way to the "basement," which really was an underground deli, complete with fresh-to-order greek salads, fruit, wood-fired oven pizzas, fresh sushi rolled to order, gelato, Starbucks... and DIET COKE! Thought I was going to pass out from joy! In this hotel there are no vending machines, nor in the one across the street where our class is being held. Which, for those of you who know me well, is serving to just about kill me. I just might have to take up drinking (gasp) coffee to get my caffeine!
Tomorrow is the lab section of the course. Ugh. I can't even undress in a lockeroom, so I hope the placement of perineal electrodes for surface EMG will be done in a discreet manner! The class has 18 of us - all females with the exception of one guy... poor thing. It must be hard, no matter what you tell yourself about how this is all medical terminology/anatomy/physiology, to sit in a room with 18 women while we all discuss the intricacies of the female (and male) "nether regions." Have to say I don't envy him...
Wish me luck. I'm off to curl up under my down comforter, on the down pillows, listen to my iPod broadcast on the complimentary iHome system, and pick the remnants of dark chocolate from my molars.... but I'll leave the $125 robe here at checkout.
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