Maalin wanaagsan

This makes me happy:
Somali class in St. Cloud inspires connections with immigrants [St. Cloud Times article]
( Full text in here )

I did not know that there were over 6,000 Somali immigrants here. Wow! I noticed a lot more Somali families at the mall two weekends ago, and there were two little girls in that Fifth Grade math class I helped out in, and there's the Somali Cafe on East St. Germain, but it just didn't hit with me that there was that large of a community here.

The genes I inherited

My dad has had his motorcycle endorsement for years. I think he got it long before I was born, but I can't remember at all a time where he actually rode motorcycles. So he is particularly jealous of me and my two motorcycles. (Well, two for now.)

He has changed his ever-present search for a boat to a search for a motorcycle now, especially since some of the ads running down in Tampa are saying that the new 250cc bikes can get as much as 80 mpg. This weekend he and Mom went out and sat on a few Hondas, Suzukis and Yamahas. He says "Mom forgot the checkbook," so they didn't buy one. Yet. :) He got himself a "Cycle Trader" magazine and has really been eying up the lots.

I'm not holding my breath, though, as he's been looking for a boat for at least three years. But, boats are much more expensive and the type (read: size) of boat he's looking for won't fit in his garage and would cost a lot for storage and upkeep whereas a bike could fit pretty easily in the garage. His next problem would be to find enough room in the garage for two bikes, though, as he says if he gets one, "Mom's gonna want one for herself, too." heheh

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He says he probably won't buy one until they get back from Aruba next month. His friend Randy is an accountant from International Falls and goes to Aruba every spring after the tax season. Dad finally agreed to go with this year. He was complaining because "it'll probably get up to 90 here today so," he doesn't "know how hot it'll be down in Aruba."

As it just snowed this weekend up here, I told him I'd sit in a snowbank for him, then. Whiner!