What I did Over Winter Break: below 20 degrees edition

What did your colleagues do with their winter break this year? Look for blog posts over the next few weeks from the Communications team about their winter breaks. Care to share your winter break story? Just let Josh Smith know; we'd love to hear what you did!

It was 20 below and snowed the whole time, by Lizz Zitron

We spend Thanksgiving with my family in Kansas City, MO and Christmas in Princeton, MN with my in-laws. Located an hour north of the Cities, Princeton is a thriving small town. There are 8 tanning salons, including one in the senior center, and 3 banks in town. And they got a Wal-Mart only just last year! Not bad for a town of about 2000 people*.

There is also the K-Bob Cafe, owned by my in-laws. My husband's family has owned the family diner since the 1960s. They specialize in pies made with a lard crust, so I don't eat them. It is lots of fun to have in-laws who own a restaurant for many reasons. 1. They don't mind that I bring my own coffee in (theirs is too weak, to encourage people to stay longer and order more food.) 2. They will make me things off the menu and don't think I'm a jerk for asking. 3. We don't have to pay. I suggest the cinnamon roll French toast (day old rolls cut and made into French toast.)

My in-laws live on the land belonging to my husband's great, great grandparents. My great-grandparents were chased off of their land by Cossacks, so this is a new idea to me. With dial-up internet and tons of snow, my in-laws' place is ideal for unplugging and relaxing. We did this by snow shoeing every day, using my husband's grandparents' snow shoes. Turns out show shoeing is good exercise and fun. Even when it's 20 below outside.

My husband's cousin is a children's TV star in Minnesota. He stars as Choo Choo Bob, and I'm sure you can take it from there. We trekked to the St. Paul Train Show where Choo Choo Bob performed for a packed audience of toddlers and preschoolers. It's fun at family gatherings when the little kids freak out because Choo Choo Bob is at their house! They don't realize he's their cousin.

We spent our last day in the cities at the Minnesota History Museum, checking out the Prohibition exhibit. I love how interactive exhibits have become because it means I stand less of a chance at getting kicked out of museums nowadays. People used to drink a whole lot more alcohol before Prohibition. This is in part because drinking water was so unsafe. So, be grateful for modern plumbing?

*There might be more, I don't know. I grew up in a city so every town feels like 2000 people live there to me.