Minneapolis

A long flight necessitated by a late date travel change, had my flying through Chicago yesterday, getting a quick connection and beating my bags to Minneapolis.  MPL is the second nicest airport in North America after Vancouver.  Lovely layout, good food options and easy to get around.  Also friendly United ground crew who got my bag to me with no problems.

I’m staying downtown, reached easily by the LRT from the airport.  Downtown cores never give you the pure sense of a place, but I’ll be here a week, moving over to St. Paul tomorrow for a couple of nights in a hotel and then staying with a friend this weekend, during which we’ll play some music and hang out.

Three little gigs on tap here this week, and one meeting.  Tomorrow I’m working at a conference presenting some experiences to grantmakers who fund child and family services on what it is like to work in Native communities.  Following that a two day mini Art of Hosting for some people associated with Native Americans in Philanthropy, working with my friends Jerry Nagel and David Cournoyer.  On the weekend, Jerry and I will do some design work for a state wide leadership initiative he is involved in.  I’ll round out the weekend with music with my friend Norah Rendell, a great musician who I have played with for years, and who moved down here to play and teach with her partner Brian Miller.

So good work and good fun in a city new to me.