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We’re just back from a few days in Chicago. Smartphone apps made travel by train, plane, and bike a breeze. I was able to purchase all transit using my phone. App Example Transit Use Cases Metro Transit –Buy tickets for light rail from home to MSP (Minneapolis airport). Fly Delta –Check in for flight.–Display boarding… Continue reading Transit Apps for a Short Trip

A couple days ago, we flew into Chicago’s Midway Airport then took the “L” to an industrial area on Chicago’s South Side. At 57 St. Design. We walked through a dusty woodworking shop where workers were building furniture from American hardwoods using traditional methods. We discussed a few pieces we will order, including our first decent… Continue reading Feathering the Nest

A strange thing happened as I was jogging around a lake a few days before the 2016 US presidential election. In my November 1, 2016 post I wrote: A diminutive older woman was trying to catch my attention. She announced proudly in a Russian accent that she was voting for the Republican candidate for President. “Very… Continue reading Russia in Minneapolis

It’s 1960. My maternal grandfather, my Aunt Madge, my brother, and I had been summoned to “the Kremlin.” Madge consistently referred to her brother’s Glasgow home as “the Kremlin.” This reflected her disconnect with her brother, Malcolm. He was clearly keeping his distance from the rest of the family, possibly for good reasons. The backstory… Continue reading The Time I Was Summoned to “The Kremlin”

Today I did my annual bike ride to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, MSP. On previous rides to the airport, I’ve visited Terminal 2. This time I wanted to take my bicycle to Terminal 1. However, it’s not possible to cycle to Terminal 1 without running afoul of the law. MSP has two terminals: Terminal 1-Lindbergh, with 117… Continue reading MSP Terminal 1 by Bicycle

It took an invitation from a friend for us to do it. Last week, Dwight and I found ourselves picking up trash from a main drag that runs through our neighborhood. All the way back to childhood, I’m grateful for friends appealing to my better instincts. Sometimes appeals to people’s worst instincts are strong motivators.… Continue reading Taking It to the Streets

When she was a child, my mother was acting up. My grandmother pointed to a little girl sitting passively across the room: “Why can’t you be like her?” My mother retorted: “Nobody is paying attention to her.” She was probably a little older than the toddler uncomfortably propped on the chair in the photograph at… Continue reading The Show Had to Go On

Since my last visit to South Korea in 2017, I have come to crave the comfort of Korean-style rice bowls: rice topped with little heaps of meat, vegetables, and a soft-cooked egg. Yolk permeating rice is one of life’s great pleasures. The photo at the top of this post shows a fine example awaiting my… Continue reading Bibimbap: Korean Comfort Food