Kris' Blog #6

November 8, 2012

WE ARE IN MINNESOTA! 

Few short hours of driving and one miscue by my co-pilot(make that 2 miscues) we see familiar territory. RUM RIVER! How thoroughly disappointed I am when I find out it’s not an attraction and really just a murky river that flows south….oh well. 

North Branch is just the way we left it and Shawn and I both use Foursquare to check-in to the motel we stayed at during our Haydays trip. I’m still the Mayor FYI. 

We drive directly to the storage facility and shooting range. After all this time, we finally came full circle and are back to the race sled we left over a month prior. What a good feeling.

Within about 57 seconds of arriving Shawn had dressed from head to toe in his sledding gear and was trying to start the sled. However because of the lack of snow, and the fact it was 45deg out, we decided to sort out our gear and clothes and worry about getting the sled into the trailer and on our way again. 

But not before Shawn shared a little secret with me. 

Note to Self: Don’t run a sled into the trailer without wheels or protective boots on the skis….Shawn has a “CAR trailer” and as such, no carbide marks are to be left on the floor…..haha…good luck with that one pal! 

Quick eats at Famous Dave’s BBQ and a stop at Menards and we were back on the road again.

We decide to head South towards Minneapolis and set up shop at a rest area. Problem with that was that we cruised right on by the last reststop before Minneapolis so we kept taking off ramps until we found ourselves in Little Canada. Now, let me share my disappointment with Little Canada with you. No Tim Hortons, no ice rinks, no toques, not even one person close to resembling Bob n Doug McKenzie. Imagine my surprise! 

We did however find out way to a Pub in Maplewood and met a great friend in Jo-Anna. We helped her close the bar after a hard few hours of tearing the sled down. Oh, about that…

So we grab a case of beer, find this parking lot, and start taking the sled apart, shocks, skis, and secondary clutch are all off and put away. I have Shawn re-stud the track. My dad used to make me do it so I appreciated what they did for me during the race year, and the first thing out of Shawn’s mouth when he was done with the track was how much he IS going to appreciate them in there. Lessons earned.

After getting my tongue wet with Rootbeer Schnapps we go inside and decide to meet the aforementioned Jo-Anna.