Family, Friends & Poco Loco

Family, Friends & a Little Bit of "Poco Loco"

(Aunties, Cousins, and Filling the Nebraska-Sized Hole in Our summer Vacation.)

While driving through Minnesota, we made a stop at Janet’s Aunt Peggy’s house, which turned into an evening of sharing stories and laughter. Aunt eggy picked one of her friends and we headed to the local Bowling Alley for Dinner, the town is so small it’s one of the only places to eat out at. The stories and memories were flying, and time just went by to fast.ñ

From there, we went up to visit my dad’s older sister, Aunt Lorraine, who lives near Lake Prior. She’s 98 years young and turning 99 this September! Sitting and chatting with her was truly a gift. My cousin Nancy joined us, too, and as if that wasn’t already wonderful, we had a fun little surprise: my third cousin Tanner happened to be in town and stopped by with a friend. Made the trips more memorable.

🎭 A Little Restaurant Trickery

After the visit, we stopped at a Mexican restaurant to grab a bite before heading home. Now, let me set the stage...

It was a bit chilly, so I stepped out to the car to grab my sweatshirt. At some point after that—while I was either gone or distracted—Peggy decided to have a little fun at my expense.

She told the waiters (in her best Spanish) that she's been practicing important words—like “poco loco” (a little crazy)—and then explained that I was the poco loco one. Apparently, she told them I thought I had money... but I didn’t. So, they should just give me a fake receipt and hand her the real bill since she would be paying.

Well, after dinner, the waiter tried to slyly hand her the bill under the table—mission almost accomplished. I spotted it, thinking she was just being sweet and trying to treat us. I said, “Very slick,” and then the whole story spilled out.

They were all laughing. I stood there like, Wait, what did you say?! Eventually I said, “¡Yo no soy loco!” And the waiter, deadpan, said, “Your friends were telling very bad stories about you.” 😄

Needless to say, he got a good tip for playing along.

🧭 Wrapping Up and Filling the Hole

The next morning, we visited my cousin Karen in Rochester. She lives nearby and is always such a joy to talk to—which might explain why we didn’t leave her house until after 1 PM. She’s currently selling pallets (yes, like wholesale treasure hunting), and Peggy couldn’t resist digging through and buying a bunch of stuff. That was a whole adventure on its own.

Now, we’re heading to Nebraska. Why? Because when we look at our travel map with 20 states marked, Nebraska is a gaping hole right in the middle. And we can’t have a hole in the middle of our story. So off we go—to fill in the Nebraska-shaped gap in our great American adventure.

🛣️ Final Thoughts

This trip has turned into much more than just a drive. It's about reconnecting—with the past, with people, and with places that are somehow both familiar and brand new. Whether it's family we haven’t seen in years, spontaneous visits, or waiters who think we’re poco loco, every stop adds a layer to the story.

And now, with Nebraska in our sights, that story gets one step closer to being completed.