Bao liberated a stuffed animal at Mall of the Americans. A goldfish. He hung onto it like grim death (wouldn't even let go to allow the saleperson to scan the price-tag) until I paid for it. Then he totally lost interest. This is sort of a game we play. I think we need to find a less expensive game.

Mall of the Americas is a shopping mall. Okay, it's big. Four department stores, 520 shops, a 7-acre amusement park and an aquarium. Four levels, all enclosed. But at the end of the day, it's a mall. And to paraphrase Gertrude Stein, a mall is a mall is a mall. I don't know what I expected, but I was a tad disappointed.

I met up with my friend Marlena (a native of Minnesota who also has a condo in Mexico) and we did a bit of shopping and then had a leisurely lunch at Napa Valley Grille. With wine. The wine was really good. In fact, it was so good we had a second round. Where did the day go? we asked one another.

When Bao and I got back to the room, my head itched, so I scratched it. I felt something, a little lump on my scalp. Further investigation revealed a tick. Yikes! and it was alive! No ticks on Bao, thank goodness. Pity they don't have Frontline for humans. Ticks are everywhere this time of year, I'm told. And not just ticks. Other common, Minneapolis pests include bats, mice, squirrels, raccoons, moles, skunks, gophers, beavers, woodchucks and snakes. And mosquitos.

It's been hot, too. And humid, not like Tucson. My bangs are all curly. Hopefully, it'll cool off when we head into the wild west.