Boxing Day

Posted Boxing Day: A Day for Selling Vacations. When I was growing up in England, the day after Christmas was a day for relaxing and eating leftovers. Television advertising, finally freed from promoting the excesses of Christmas consumption, switched to hawking packaged vacations.

A Day for Selling Vacations

When I was growing up in England, the day after Christmas was a day for relaxing and eating leftovers. Television advertising, finally freed from promoting the excesses of Christmas consumption, switched to hawking packaged vacations.

Kurisumasu Sushi

Gyaru peace sign (mandatory in Japanese selfies), in front of a boatload of sushi at a family lunch today. I’m wearing a Yokohama soccer team shirt, reminding my brother-in-law and nephew of a fine evening in a Shibuya (Tokyo) bar.

Merry Thursday

It’s Thursday, so we crossed the road to Maxwell’s for dinner. Dwight’s Summit Extra Pale Ale next to my Surly Furious IPA, both local brews.

Skyway Sanctuary

The sun was shining, but the wind was biting, so four miles of my walk found me in the Minneapolis Skyways where I rediscovered gems like the lobby of the 1923 Medical Arts Building.

Avoiding the ER

Icy sidewalks drove me to the skyways, where I walked through interesting spaces, including the Westin in the former Farmers and Mechanics Bank building.

Peeling Back Japan’s Layers

Assembled map layers to help figure out a trip to Japan next March. Layers include a 19th Century journey by explorer Isabella Bird, a 17th Century journey by poet Matsuo Basho, an ancient 88-temple pilgrimage, rural train lines liable to be closed, and OLLE hiking trails on Kyushu. More layers to follow.

A Splash of Color

On my gray, misty Mississippi walk, a vibrant mural splashed across a concrete wall stabilizing the riverbank. “What Will Sustain Us?”—art that discourages taggers and transforms the mundane.

Still Waters

We took our usual Sunday walk along one side of the Mississippi River, then headed back on the other side. The weather was comfortably in the mid-30s, and there was no wind. Even the river was calm.

A Trip to Dayton’s

Walked around a chilly Downtown, mainly indoors, with friends. At the reimagined former Dayton’s flagship department store, visited a Winter Makers Market. Tomorrow my friends celebrate 55 years of marriage, how time flies.