As we walked along the oceanfront, a wedding was winding down. On our return, not a single petal remained, as if the tide had swept away all traces of celebration.
Category: In This Together
Ghosted
Wandering the halls, I searched for remnants of the hotel’s old identity, now meticulously erased by last week’s rebranding, not even a shadow remaining. The hotel’s management had paid off a former US president so they could remove his name and brand from the building.
School’s Out
It felt like classic April weather when I arrived for English Language Learning classes this morning. Since I’ll be in Hawaii then Japan for most of the next two months, it won’t be until mid-April that I walk through these doors again.
Confronting Tough Issues
I always enjoy walking across two University of Minnesota campuses on my way home from oncology appointments. Today, stopped at an exhibit about the global impact of local activism in Minnesota, especially in areas of torture, racism, and domestic violence.
The Coffees Looked back at Us
On a Downtown walk with friends stopped at Gray Fox Cafe for refreshments. Their cappuccinos looked pretty fine, it almost seemed a shame to drink them.
Shocking Discovery
Spotted this on my North Loop walk. A cover had been bent off an electric meter box, exposing live busbars behind the meter. The meter was running, so I knew this was a shock hazard, especially for a curious child. I called 311 and reached a live person who assured me they would dispatch someone to fix this.
Future-Proof Parking
Today, I spotted a new electrical box on the wall behind our two parking spots for a future EV. Along with almost half of our building’s residents we opted to pay to have the wiring installed. This was expensive with long cable runs to connect each charger to control equipment in a distant room, so I’m impressed by the number of neighbors who participated.
Multiple Realities
At the Walker Art Center today: “Multiple Realities: Experimental Art in the Eastern Bloc, 1960s–1980s,” artists who pushed boundaries under communism. The threats faced by our current system share unsettling parallels, whether it’s the targeting of sexual minorities, the suppression of inconvenient historical truths, “alternative facts,” or attempts to control access to information.
Deciphering Metaphors
Thursdays are my ELL (English Language Learning) days. I support three classes: Intermediate, Advanced, and Writing For Advanced Learners. This week, metaphors were the main attraction. The Intermediate class delved into powerful lines from MLK’s speeches, like the “same boat” analogy. Later, in the Writing class we explored Frost’s “Road Less Traveled.”
Getting a Head Start on 2024
Took two online classes as part of a continuing education requirement. Previously I’d completed some English Language teaching classes, but today I took required general classes on teaching adults.