Chatted with a guy who was testing a delivery robot. He works for a local company that plans to take on the likes of DoorDash and Uber Eats. They’re evaluating different designs: the turning radius of this one is too wide. As we parted, I wished an optimal design in his future.
Category: Minneapolis
A Blank Canvas
On a cycle ride up one side of the Mississippi to I694, then down the other side: a new riverside park, Graco Park, was taking shape. By many metrics, Minneapolis has one of the best park systems in the nation, helped by property tax levies ($79 million in 2023). We call it our country club.
Slurping Ramen
Practiced slurping ramen at Zen Box Izakaya. Earlier today, Japan’s Prime Minister announced his country will be open to independent tourists, starting October 11. Two weeks after that I get to use a ticket to Tokyo purchased optimistically in February.
View from an Abandoned Truck Scale
On my somewhat random ride, stopped to nose around the exterior of the long-abandoned Fruen Mill. Here, I’m looking up, standing on a truck scale where cereals were loaded.
Five Watt Mouse Door
Finally noticed this mouse door near the entrance to Five Watt Coffee. It’s probably been there for years, so much for mindfulness. The local artist, Mows, has hundreds of these doors with different designs, placed around the world through collaboration and travel.
Common Ground
Looked up at a Downtown sidewalk reflected in a mirrored canopy: two men playing a supersized game of chess, me, my bike, sidewalk art, all reduced to a common visual style.
Nordeast Safari
Giraffe House, spotted on my cycle ride through Nordeast Minneapolis. A baby giraffe is hiding behind a tree.
Being in the Moment
A recent article in the local paper declared the Twin Cities to be “a hotspot for labyrinths.” This morning, I sated my curiosity by visiting one at Bethel Lutheran Church in South Minneapolis. A nearby sign suggested walking the pathways while meditating. I got back on my bicycle instead. I’d consciously been in the present… Continue reading Being in the Moment
Kids with Swords
On our walk: kids with steel swords. They’re attending summer school at the Guthrie Theater.
Wake-up Weather
Wake-up weather presaged a steamy couple of days. This afternoon I imagined myself in New Orleans as I rode my bike along leafy streets with a stop for ice cream.