A few years ago we decided we would eliminate as much paper as possible. Eliminating paper has been a satisfying but imperfect journey. Our records are available to us when we travel, we no longer have a filing cabinet. 100% of our tax records, including receipts, are electronic and meet Internal Revenue Service standards. However, along the…… Continue reading The Consequences of Being Too Paperless
Author: Tom Wilson
Looking Forward to Winter
It’s State Fair time in Minnesota, which means winter is just around the corner. Winters in Minnesota can be lovely, with blue skies and bright sun reflecting off fresh snow. But there’s so much winter: it appears in November, and lingers through April. Some days can be brutally cold. It’s time to nail down winter…… Continue reading Looking Forward to Winter
Letting Go of the Big Stuff
We’re not getting any younger. It’s time to move from our home of 25 years to a condo where stairs are optional, and maintenance is someone else’s responsibility. Initially, we are leasing a place with less than half the floor area of our house while our condo is being built. We’ve been getting rid of…… Continue reading Letting Go of the Big Stuff
Defending Seoul
Seoul, South Korea, April 17, 2017. I knew I was in trouble. The silence was broken by a whirring sound close behind me. A military security camera was locking onto me. I quickly put my camera away, but it was too late: an armed soldier was walking down an embankment towards me. A couple hours…… Continue reading Defending Seoul
9 Things I did around San Diego
USS Midway. I’m just back from a few days in San Diego. My partner was attending a conference, so I took advantage of a Delta Airlines two-for-one coupon, and a “free” hotel room. I explored parts of San Diego, and also went down the coast to the Mexican border and up the coast towards Los…… Continue reading 9 Things I did around San Diego
Scenes from a Bridge
I love this bridge. Built for rail in 1883, Stone Arch Bridge crosses the Mississippi then curves through the Mill District into downtown Minneapolis. When I traverse it on bike or foot, I think of immigrants arriving from the East being welcomed by this scene before starting a new life in Minneapolis or points beyond.…… Continue reading Scenes from a Bridge
Journey to the House of Balls
White paint traced the black lines of the graffiti letters on the concrete of a freeway overpass spanning the Cedar Lake Trail: a failed cover-up. I imagined a subversive city worker performing the cleanup: “F*** you Mitch McConnell” was still visible, white on gray. “Images hiding in plain sight” was my theme for the day. I…… Continue reading Journey to the House of Balls
You Can’t Always Get What You Want
On Monday morning I cycled with my partner, Dwight, on his commute to work. He took the turnoff for work, I continued on to the town of Excelsior on Lake Minnetonka, 18 miles west of our home On Excelsior’s main drag, I noticed the yellow tile shown in the photograph at the top of this…… Continue reading You Can’t Always Get What You Want
Framing the Future
Today I came across some of my deceased aunt’s papers: degree certificates and an insurance policy. The policy covered two fur coats and a mink stole, total declared value UK£270 in 1965, circa UK£4,700 (US$6,000) in 2017. She saved the papers for my safekeeping, presumably in perpetuity. I’ll scan, catalog, then shred them. Money. A…… Continue reading Framing the Future
My Hike Close to North Korea
April 2017: I set myself the goal to hike on my own as close as possible to North Korea without breaking any laws. The demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas was certainly out of bounds. As was the area immediately to the south of the DMZ where civilian access is strictly controlled. The southern…… Continue reading My Hike Close to North Korea