Everyone Needs a Good Wife

That's what my colleague Joanne said to me today. Some of you may remember Joanne as our Minister of Dirty Laundry when Bob was sick. An amazing woman to be sure. Anyway, today, I went to see her and the office we will soon share on the 15th floor of the Thrivent building in downtown Minneapolis. They are kind enough to donate space to LWR. I was feeling very anxious about moving my office there. Getting back into the commuting rat race and all. A dress code. But let me just say, I feel good. It's a stunning space and I am going to love working there.

Even got my security badge. If you saw that Night in the Museum movie you can imagine the security office and personel.

"Ma'am, I dot all my i's and cross all my t's," said the guy who evidently was the head security guy, and evidently wanted me to know that. "If you're not on the list, you're not getting a badge. That's just the way I am."

"Ok, am I not on the list?" I ask.

"Yes, you are," he said with authority. "But I just wanted you to know that if you were not on the list, you wouldn't get this badge."

Another security guy recognized the name Speirs as a Scottish name and hoped my husband wasn't a Yankees fan, when I told him he was from Brooklyn. He isn't. He said his best friend is Bobby Speirs of Chicago, who is also a Scot. I like him.

Friends, my new office is very tightly secure. And I'm IN. I'm out there. Downtown Julie Brown. Up there high atop Minneapolis with a 10-mile view of the St. Paul skyline. Yeehaw!

And what's for dinner? Tator tot casserole, of course, baked by my fabulous husband. Isn't this the loveliest table setting you've ever seen? Things are looking up, in spite of the puzzle of the heart. (More about that later for those of you not reading the liver care page site, from which I'm trying to wean myself.)

Peace and joy, T