Offer

Back again in Minneapolis, for the third time this month! This funky building is the McNamara Alumni Center on the U of M campus. I was called back for another interview, and this time, they told me they wanted me to take the job. We spent the next few months negotiating details, but we knew that it was time to leave California.

Cruisewear

Ellen models an adorable outfit for our upcoming Florida vacation and Disney cruise. We couldn't resist buying the pink straw hat.

You know what I could really go for? Canadian.

I spotted this in downtown Toronto. This just tickled me. How often have you thought of going out for some Canadian comfort food?

Just dropped in

This turned out to be my season for visits to Minneapolis! I was actually en route to a conference in Toronto, and my 30 minute connection in Minneapolis became an unplanned 30 hour layover, due to a fire in the airport that disabled most of the systems there. I took advantage of the stop to visit with friends Scott, Patrick, and Ilene for brunch.

Unhappily, my luggage went AWOL for most of the trip, and I got to wear these clothes for four straight days.

The lineup

In the faculty lineup in Pasadena for the annual commencement ceremony. I march in with the College of Allied Health faculty and don't really have anything to do other than clap for the graduates. I still enjoy the ceremonies, long as they are. This was my last ceremony for Western, and I felt that was going to be the case, even if I didn't know how my interview in Minnesota would turn out.

Mission Control

Back at work, we're testing a teamwork simulation assessment I developed. It was a lot of fun being in the control room monitoring everything on four-way split screen.

So we loaded up the truck and moved to...

We went to Bouchon in Beverly Hills for Mother's Day. I think it was our only visit to Beverly Hills while we were in LA. We walked down Rodeo Drive and had a lovely champagne brunch, feeling (for a moment) like LA people.

He's checking it twice

On my way back to LA, I spotted this gentleman in the Delta Sky Club in Salt Lake City.

I didn't realize that Santa flew commercial during the rest of the year.

Science!

I snapped this shot of the forecourt of a new biomedical science building at the U, on my way back from the job interview. It was good to be back on campus.

A change of scenery

After a year in California, I decided to start applying for other positions. My job was pretty good, but Rachel was unable to find work, and we still felt like our life was a temporary situation. I wasn't looking for any new job at all, but something that might take us back home.

In December, I applied for a position at the University of Minnesota. I heard nothing in response and forgot about it. Then, in February, they reached out to me for a video interview. In March, they asked me to come out to Minneapolis. If nothing else, it was a free trip and a chance to visit the place I thought of as home. (I hadn't been back since a weekend in September 2009, when I was still trying to sell our old house.)

So, May 4 finds me admiring the mountain view from the Salt Lake City airport, on my way back to Minnesota.