Minnesota - Fong Style

Last weekend, I had another AMAZING trip to Minnesota. This was by far one of the best I can remember in a long time for a lot of reasons.
I finally had the opportunity to see a very dear friend of mine from college; someone I haven't seen for almost 12 years. It felt as though no time had passed...We laughed for hours, and to be honest, it was a freeing experience. I don't know if you've ever laughed so hard that tears roll down your cheeks...it was that kind of night.
We went to a historic Chinese restaurant in Bloomington, David Fongs. The decor is very retro...dating back to around 1958 when it first opened. The booths are covered in a deep reddish leathery material; the woodwork dark and mysterious; the lights were dimmed to a late-night-just-before-they-call "last call" tone. For the most part, the waitresses were tiny little waifish old ladies with thick glasses; their hair held in buns with wisps of gray hair hanging every which way.
It has a kitschy yet homey feel... I fully expected someone to walk in with acid-washed jeans and mullets or Farrah Fawcett-style hairdos (oh wait...they did!). Throughout the night, the jukebox spit out Madonna and Bon Jovi...the crowd mixed with old men, frat boys, and every other type of person in between.
The waiter, a kind older gentleman could sense that we had a lot of sharing to do, and never pressured us to order, yet stood back...waiting in the wings...ready for any moment we needed something.
My friend is truly one-of-a-kind...she always has been. She has a sense of humor that most stand-up comics only wish for. Her one-liners and stories sent me scurrying to the bathroom on numerous occasions. My mascara was half-way down my face so many times throughout the evening, I often wished I had refrained from wearing it. In short, she's an amazing and beautiful human being, both on the inside and out. I adore her!
She stood by me during one of the worst points in my life and made me laugh, held me when I cried, and was just...there for me. It's something that I've never forgotten, and will never let go of.
Very rarely do people like her come into your life, but when they do, make sure you let them know...even if there's distance at times...that you cherish the time you've gotten to spend together. I hope she knows how much she means to me!
**
Otherwise it was a weekend filled with movies, Trivial Pursuit tournaments (which were extra fun because one of my best friends is just as competitive as I am), hanging out, cooking, laughing, eating lots and lots, and just plain fun! It was exactly what I needed.
I got to spend some extended time with someone else who is also very important to me...someone who I've known for a number of years, but only recently got to know in a different way and now see them in a whole new light.
Coming home was a little bit harder this time...not that it's not every time. It was difficult to say goodbye again and get back on the plane.
It's probably a good thing I left when I did, since on Saturday, I started feeling like I was coming down with something...and boom...by Monday morning, it was full-blown ickiness. I went to the doctor on Tuesday and found out I had a nasty sinus infection and have been without my voice for the most part over the past two days.
Let's just say that NyQuil and lots of tea and antibiotics have been my friend lately.

So what did I learn from my last trip to one of my favorite places? I am extremely fortunate to have some wonderful people in my life... Only good things are yet to come. I look forward to my continued journey.