Minneapolis, Minn.Here are some photos of my recent trip to Minneapolis. I enjoyed my trip a great deal. I traveled with Captain Steve Martin of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, who certainly kept me entertained the entire trip. I was the keynote speaker at the International Association of Firefighters Conference. 1. We arrived in Minneapolis on Tuesday. As you can see, we had a little trouble finding the hotel. 2. At last, the Hilton. (They really should bring those signs down to eye - level). 3. People in Minneapolis are very friendly. This gentleman was quick to tell me where to go. 4. Here I am with a jazz band. I sat there for HOURS. I couldn't make out what song they were playing. Silent Night? Or just, "Silent." Next, I was off to the conference. 5. Here I am with the one of the conference coordinators the day before the conference. 6. Next, I'm checking out the speaker's platform, to see if it fits. 7. It fits very well, in fact, I feel very much like Captain Kirk. 8. Here is where I realized I'd have to enlarge the print on my speech. 9. Sound check! 10. I don't know who these guys were. They claimed they were firemen. 11. More guys who claimed they were firemen. Overall, the conference was a huge success! The people of Minneapolis couldn't have been nicer. It was great to talk with firefighters from all over the country. I recall talking with two firefighters from the big island of Hawaii; one of my favorite places on earth. I also talked with a group from Boston. Wow! There were groups from all over the place. Finally, after talking and listening to their stories, I came the conclusion - that even though everyone may have a different accent, they all fight fires and risk their lives saving others; a pretty awesome job when you think about it. We should all be very thankful that there are people who dedicate their lives to this profession. It is simply impossible to give them TOO much credit. I had the great pleasure of meeting Dr. Henry Lee, the renowned forensic scientist. He is truly one of the funniest human beings I have been around in a long time. He is also one of the brightest. Seven or eight of us had dinner the night before the conference. We all sat with rapt attention, listening to his humorous, but true, stories. I enjoyed him immensely. I hope we get a chance to do that again in the future. Before I go, I want to make special mention of Lori Moore. She did such a great job in coordinating the conference. Getting some 2,000 firefighters into one house was no easy chore. But she did it and with great style! Tune in next week for an update on my trip to Johnson City, Tennessee. Thanks for stopping by, Randy.
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