Party Crasher

Jim & Kathy in front of Chateau Thomsen

I showed up in Minneapolis to see my best friends Jim and Kathy Thomsen, thinking we would have some quality time over dinner to catch up.  Little did I know that we were going to be on the party circuit of all party circuits. 


Jim Enjoying the Minnesota Sun



I have known Jim and Kathy for over 30 years, having travelled with both of them in UWP.  Jim and I have been best of friends forever and often talk about how we live very parallel lives.  We're both from large families, both from small towns, paid our way through college (we both went to SDSU -- me, San Diego State University and Jim, South Dakota State University), our birthdays are one day apart, we wear the same watches, drive the same car -- the similarities are frankly kinda freaky. 



Drinks on the Tee

Party Time

Though we only speak three or four times a year, it's like we just saw each other yesterday.  I have so much pride over the success Jim has experienced in business, where he has grown to the number 3 guy at a Fortune 500 company, and is considered a future CEO candidate.  However, all of that success has not changed him one bit.  He loves Kathy more today than he did 30+ years ago when he met her in Up With People, still loves a great glass of wine.  Enjoys a long run.  Loves to get philosophical and like, me attributes much of his personal growth to travelling in UWP. Thus getting to spend time with them and their friends was an absolute treat.
However, when I planned this trip I had no idea I would be hitting Minneapolis at the same time as graduation.  And I tell you what, you give Minnesotans a little sunshine and cocktail and they will surely throw a party.

You see their beautiful daughter Leah was graduating from high school and saying her goodbyes to all of her friends, before heading off to school at Pepperdine in the Fall.  This meant we hit the party circuit.  I have to tell you, the peeps in Minneapolis know how to throw parties.  Each was themed, had a life-sized stand-up figurine of the graduate in the colors of their future university, and had more alcohol than even I could consume.  Though I lost exact count, I'm thinking we went to at least six parties in two days.  Some were golf parties, lunch parties, brunch parties, afternoon parties, dinner parties or ping pong parties, but the best part was pretty much the same people were at all them, which meant by day two, I had a bunch of new friends who were sorta wondering if I had moved into the neighborhood.

It was so great to hang with Jim and Kathy and to share this incredibly important time of their daughter's life with a vagabond like me...