Cooling it. In paradise.

It’s a trade I’d not make. Giving up Minnesota. For Las Vegas and Nevada. No way do I want to go from heaven to hell. But Maureen made the trade. And likes it. She’s a former Minnesotan. Left the state nine years ago. To live in the hellish hot Las Vegas area.  We sat next to each other. Last Monday. On a plane ride. From Minneapolis to Las Vegas. We chatted. And I speculated that Maureen has Irish ancestry. Her first name sounds Irish. She confirmed the accuracy of my guess. Maureen has seen snow only once in Vegas. And doesn’t miss it. But confesses. She could live without the stifling heat. Summertime temperatures of 100-plus degrees most days. But a price worth paying. Because she’s near her son. Other children are back in Minnesota.  Providing a good excuse. For  Maureen to escape the heat. And to cool it. In paradise. –Jim Broede