Tomorrow I’ll be stopping at the post office to drop off a box filled with foreign coins and banknotes. Last year, at Newcastle International Airport, I showed my nephews an easier way to dispose of foreign currency. I led them to a big, bubble-shaped currency donation bin, then handed them some UK coins. As you… Continue reading How to Dispose of Unwanted Money
Author: Tom Wilson
Freakin’ Cheap: Almost-Free Flights
How about an almost-free flight to Tokyo? How about applying for a credit card with a 70,000 airline frequent flyer (FF) mile signup bonus, using the card for three months, then cutting up the card? 70,000 miles can buy a round-trip ticket from Minneapolis to Tokyo. Flying is not always the best way to accumulate… Continue reading Freakin’ Cheap: Almost-Free Flights
A Red Solo Cup
This morning I read that the developer of the red Solo cup, Robert Hulseman, had died. The cup was first produced in the 1970’s and is known to generations of students as the cup of choice for keggers. It’s also the preferred growing container for cannabis. I took the photograph at the top of this post… Continue reading A Red Solo Cup
My America
Today I waited at Cedar Riverside light rail station for a friend. We were going to walk and chat about our memories of the area. He, and his father before him, had attended the nearby Augsburg College. [See his blog post.] 100 years ago, the Cedar Riverside area of Minneapolis was the first American home… Continue reading My America
Imperfect Gifts for Long-Haul Travelers
The other day I came across an article at wired.com with the click-bait title: 10 Perfect Gifts for your Favorite Long-Haul Traveler. I was skeptical right out of the starting gate: I travel light, a declaration I repeat ad nauseam. Recently I renewed my passport, and opted for the version with more pages as I was running… Continue reading Imperfect Gifts for Long-Haul Travelers
A Carny’s Final Journey
If I die in a distant place, my instructions are simple. No coffin, no embalming, just have me cremated then shipped back in a generic box to Minneapolis. That’s it: one final flight to MSP, then scatter my ashes somewhere. Lakewood Cemetery would be a fine place for The Scattering. It’s beautifully maintained by a… Continue reading A Carny’s Final Journey
Our Personal Kitchen Assistant
This week we welcomed a personal assistant into our home. Or, to be more precise, FedEx delivered a Google Assistant. It’s a stubby, round box you plug into the wall. It listens for our commands and talks to us via surprisingly good speakers. It connects to Google services over WiFi. It sits in a corner… Continue reading Our Personal Kitchen Assistant
Hidden Cities
The term “hidden city” conjures up all sorts of romantic notions: a Mayan city lost in a jungle; a Soviet-era science city excluded from maps; abandoned tunnels under a city, beyond the rule of law. It’s also part of a strategy some people use to save a lot of money when traveling. I’ve posted about my plan… Continue reading Hidden Cities
My Post-Election Microblog
In 1960, in a school playground in Northern England, boys were grabbing younger boys and demanding: “Nixon or Kennedy?” If you answered “Nixon” you got roughed up. All the boys were answering “Kennedy” so I answered “Nixon.” I was nine. My nephews are eight and nine. I wonder if last week’s election has inspired bullying… Continue reading My Post-Election Microblog
The Meaning of Shadows
This morning I photographed my shadow, firmly attached to me. Although it was almost noon, the sun was quite low in the sky. In 1847 Hans Christian Andersen wrote The Shadow, a short story that talks to the present time. Here’s the bare details: A man gave his shadow permission to leave and explore the… Continue reading The Meaning of Shadows