Author: Tom Wilson

Taking It to the Streets

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

The Show Had to Go On

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

Love Hotel Amenity

[wp_quiz id=”1823″] I have nothing against love hotels as places for courting couples to get some privacy for a couple hours, or a traveler to get a cheap bed for the night if they can wait until late night to check in. I have issues with other uses that involve exploitation. I took the photos… Continue reading Love Hotel Amenity

Drooped Antenna on a Pole

[wp_quiz id=”2011″] There are about 40 of these devices scattered around the Minneapolis and St. Paul downtowns, and the campuses of the University of Minnesota. This one is across the road from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. It consists of a box, an antenna, and a solar panel. The antenna is always drooped, as… Continue reading Drooped Antenna on a Pole

A Suspicious-Looking Backpack

[wp_quiz id=”1930″] Picture the scene yesterday. We’re in the meticulously restored Minnesota Governor’s reception room. The older nephew is listening intently to a short presentation. The younger one is wandering around at the back of the room looking for some object that he could climb. Dwight and I stand by, waiting to intervene if necessary.… Continue reading A Suspicious-Looking Backpack

Smooth Sauces Every Time

Here’s two techniques I often use to create guaranteed lump-free sauces. In both cases, the secret is to get rid of water. I wish I had known these methods in my early cooking days. Roux Butter contains water; water and flour form lumps. When creating a roux, I don’t add the flour until the butter stops… Continue reading Smooth Sauces Every Time

Green Box on Rusty Bridge

[wp_quiz id=”1740″] I love to prop my bike against a railing on this iron bridge and stare at the rail yard below. The bridge is new, replacing another iron bridge that was starting to fail. Failing bridges are a serious concern all over the United States. The concern becomes visceral in Minneapolis with memories of… Continue reading Green Box on Rusty Bridge