...in which I wonder at Midwestern ridiculousness.
Well, I'm in Minneapolis. It's a nice town, and although it's cold I have been informed that it's actually unseasonably warm for this area at this time of year. Since I'm staying with my non-smoking sister and have to go outside to enjoy a smoke, I am thankful that it's fiftyish and sunny.
It is nice to see everybody, but there are too many of us. Large groups of people make me uncomfortable, as some of you know, and I'm kind of feeling overwhelmed by all the folks, I guess. There are six adults and three children here. But my brohter and brother-in-law are occupying the boys and the womenfolk have all wandered off together, so I'm huddled up alone on the couch working on my NaNo and listening to my earphones and pretending no one else is here. It's pretty nice.
Last night I really needed a bottle of wine (and to escape from everyone; the two desires come from the same place and go hand-in-hand). I was going to go walking in search of one, but my sister said there were no 24-hour groceries or convenience stores within walking distance. I assumed she was lying about this; she thinks she lives in a bad neighborhood (I don't know if this is true or not, but it doesn't look that bad) and she didn't want me walking around at night. So Bryan, my broter-in-law, took me out and about in search of cheap wine.
It turns out that my sister was not lying. This town has no convenience stores. It's amazing. We only managed to find maybe three and they were all closed. And the groceries here don't sell wine. Beer, yes; wine, no. We went all over town and couldn't find any wine. Is there some kind of law here that only liquor stores can sell wine? Does anyone know?
It's sad that in a major American city a decent, upstanding citizen can't get wine when he wants it.
I need to go back to my novel. I just wanted to complain about that. How can you run a city without wine? I suppose I'll have to go to a liquor store. And I bet there aren't any open today. Bastards.
Okay, that's all my bitching for now. But some unpleasant things are gonna be said about the Twin Cities in my NaNo today. I'm about to introduce a minor character who is just back from a visit to Minneapolis and who isn't happy about the wine situation.
Take that, Minneapolis! Feel the sting of my cutting rebuke in my cheap crap fake novel that no one will ever read! Reflect upon your treatment of me and tremble before my righteous anger!
Okay, back to work. Oh, and happy Thanksgiving or whatever.