Moving and Minnesota

Today was a long day, but my bulky items are now at the house in Columbia Heights that I'll be moving to in September.

At the Budget car rental office this morning, the guy who was setting me up with my van looked at my Minnesota* license and asked me how I was liking DC so far, and how I liked Minnesota, adding that he had heard it was nice, the people really friendly. He seemed possibly Somali, and there are a lot of Somali immigrants in Minneapolis, so I asked him if he knew anybody in Minnesota. Yes, he said, quite a few, uncles, cousins, etc. "And they all talk about it like it's just the greatest place." Which warmed my heart, I must say...score one for Minnesota (or immigrant optimism, or both).

*I actually tried to get a DC license this morning, but when I arrived at 8:30, 15 minutes after they opened, the line was out the door, around the side of the building, then around the next corner and down the back of the building. And that was just the wait to get through the security checkpoint (x-ray machine and everything), once you got inside you took a number. I am so dreading going back there to get a license, car inspection, and registration.