Rick Nelson and Claude Peck dispense unasked-for advice about clothing, etiquette, culture, relationships, grooming and more.
CP: When our friend John moved to the nation's capital this year, it made me realize how stable the Twin Cities are. I moved here for college and haven't budged. That was more than 60 years ago.
RN: Maybe not 60, dear. But let's just say that while this native Minnesotan was loathing each and every moment of the seventh grade, you were transporting yourself from your beloved Chicago to the Macalester College campus.
CP: Seriously, though, when so many other cities are revolving doors -- and in New York a BFF is someone you met last Thursday -- what is it that keeps us here so long?
RN: Don't ask me. Newcomers quickly discover that the winter weather isn't the only chilly thing around here. Because natives like me stick to Minnesota like white on rice, our lifelong roots make it tough for non-Minnesotans to break into our decades-old social circles.
CP: Tell me about it. I'm still praying for an invite to that all-Burnsville High kaffeeklatsch of yours.
RN: Hey, we're from Burnsville, so we have to be exclusive about something. But back to your question. After barely surviving this past winter, I'm beginning to question the sanity behind my allegiance to Frostbiteapolis.
CP: Sven Sundgaard notwithstanding, weather is not high on the list of promotable amenities for our metro. One strong magnet, of course, is our cultural abundance.