Category: Americas

Avalon

Staying in Avalon on Santa Catalina Island, 30 miles from Long Beach by ferry. Avalon is the southernmost town in Los Angeles County, and a mythical island in the legend of King Arthur.

It Never Rains in Southern California

Got on board a westbound 747 (actually an A320-200)/ Didn’t think before deciding what to do/ …/ Seems it never rains in southern California/ Seems I’ve often heard that kind of talk before/ It never rains in California/ But girl, don’t they warn ya?/ It pours, man, it pours.

Something New

There’s 9½ miles of skyways in Minneapolis. My goal today was to find a section I’ve never walked before. This section, running through Thrivent Financial’s headquarters, was new to me. Until 2013 Thrivent only served Lutherans; today they serve a broader market.

Being Prepared

Started collecting stuff for a trip to LA. The TAP transit cards have sufficient value on them for all our Metro rides. The extension cords will be useful in an old hotel on Catalina Island. The remaining items reflect the new normal: we choose to mask-up on flights and transit.

Other Places

While Dwight drove his mom to her home up in Fargo, I planned my quick trip to another distant place, at least in my head. Ramen at the counter of our local izakaya before the Guthrie crowd, then home to a mythical Japan, an anime movie from Studio Ghibli.

Caffeine Fix

Broke my no-coffee-after-midday rule. It was just too tempting at Dunn Brothers Coffee in a former Milwaukee Road Freight House. Now energized, walked home as snow started to fall, the edge of what promises to become a major snowstorm.

Seeing in the New Year with Seafood

On today’s walk I was on a mission: buy ingredients for our traditional New Year’s Eve paella. Coastal Seafoods, hidden in an industrial area, sells the best seafood in town. It was hopping, so I took a numbered ticket and browsed while fifteen customers ahead of me got served.