AFOL* Inspiration

There’s always something new on our weekly Sunday morning walk: today, LEGO inspiration. There’s going to be some heavy lifting at this University of Minnesota heating plant. *Adult Fan of LEGO.

Changing of the Guard

Cycled to REI Co-op to pick up ponchos that also cover our backpacks. The coating on our old ones was disintegrating, and I couldn’t find a good way to remove the old coating then apply a new coating. I thanked the ponchos for their long service then launched them down the chute.

Trip to Patagonia

Our hiking jackets were getting a bit ratty, so we decided to head over to Patagonia in St. Paul. Naturally, we both ended up choosing the same style. We’ll be modeling the jackets in a couple weeks when we go hiking through England’s border (with Scotland) country.

Zen Box Izakaya

Walked over to our local izakaya, a Japanese bar that also serves food. They had emailed me a $5 discount for my birthday, but I didn’t need an incentive.

Shortcut to Donuts

Knowing great donuts awaited us on the other side was a strong incentive to seek out this “secret” passageway in the Minneapolis North Loop.

Shielding Cyclists from Traffic

Watched this protected bikeway being extended towards our home, still a few blocks away. I appreciate being physically separated from traffic. About 200 miles of on- and off-street bikeways make Minneapolis one of the most bikeable cities in the country.

Phew! What a Scorcher*

As temperatures nudged towards 100, cycled an abbreviated route along almost deserted trails. *The title probably originated in the UK as a spoof of a tabloid headline.

Categorized as Summer

An Annual Treat

Another slice of my once-a-year Princess Torte. Since I was born in a time zone six hours ahead of Central, I got to enjoy my first slice yesterday evening.

Categorized as Birthday

Family Walkabout

We cooled off on a hot day by walking around the Guthrie Theater with family. On the very yellow ninth floor, where all the windows are yellow, there’s a section of glass floor where our grandnieces showed no fear.

Categorized as Family

Filling in Time at the House of Balls

Wandered around the outside of the House of Balls behind Cedar Riverside LRT Station, a good place to kill a few minutes with a friend before his train arrived. The artist who works here specializes in found objects.