Microblog

Out walking with friends, the contents of a board game was scattered across our path. A brief effort to spin a story about what led to the spill, a discussion on the proliferation of Little Free Libraries and how they’re often packed with books no one wants, appreciation for digital library books.

Cycled up one side of the Mississippi and down the other. Here below the Lowry Avenue Bridge, two people are fishing, with downtown Minneapolis straight ahead at a bend in the river.

On my cycle ride today, I spotted this photo session. Known as the Guardians of the Flame, law enforcement members and Special Olympics athletes will carry the Flame of Hope into the USA Games Opening Ceremony at the U this evening. There are currently 4,000 athletes from all 50 states in town

We subscribe to the bi-monthly Cook’s Illustrated from America’s Test Kitchen because we like its analytical approach to cooking. Recently, Dwight has vowed to try one new recipe per month from the magazine, something I strongly encourage. Already, his banana bread and biscotti are the best; today, it was the turn of focaccia, hopefully a new Friday tradition.

My cycle route included Fort Snelling. In the 1830s, Dred Scott (yes, that Dred Scott) lived here, enslaved by an army surgeon. The infamous 1857 Supreme Court ruling declared that Black people, whether free or enslaved, were not United States citizens, and that the federal government lacked the authority to restrict or abolish slavery. In 2026, we continue to resist the undermining of human rights by today’s Supreme Court, which is once again dividing our nation.

It’s raining on-and-off all day, so I’m staying close to home. My morning consisted of three loads of laundry intertwined with an exercycle downstairs in the workout room, Open Book for an Americano and a donut, and Trader Joe’s for dinner provisions: just a few reasons we love living in ZIP 55415, the fastest-growing urban core in the country. ​(The infographic is AI-generated. Maxwell’s in an 1894 building, is our usual Thursday night dinner destination.)

​Attended a panel discussion on AI in cancer research and care. It’s not the kind of event that would normally catch my eye, but when I received an email from the U about it, I decided to go. My oncologist, a professor at the U who researches recurrent and advanced prostate cancer and uses AI in his work, was one of the featured speakers. Hearing him speak reassured me that his real intelligence and good humor won’t be replaced by a machine anytime soon.

My friend and I cycled to the Twin Cities Model Railroad Museum, a place filled with several large model railroad layouts and interactive buttons to push. While we were there, one volunteer, an older guy like most of the folks helping out, told us that he actually has more fun at the museum than the visitors do. The photo shows a mid-century view creatively based on my Minneapolis Mill District neighborhood, including the Stone Arch Bridge.

We have six paid news subscriptions, all digital. Today I decided to check the ownership of each news outlet to understand which could be most susceptible to political interference. None is owned by a conglomerate or individual with strong ties to a political party. Click through for a table showing ownership of each news source.

Tore out a tangle of irrigation tubes installed by a former landscaping contractor in two of our building’s planters because half the drippers weren’t dripping. I replaced them with a system based on pressure-compensated manifolds (bottom right) that deliver a reliable 2.0 gallons per hour to every single emitter, regardless of water pressure. Thirty years ago, a fresh-grad landscaper introduced us to this technology, which back then was mainly used in farming.

My learner texted me to cancel the usual Friday tutoring session because she’d lost her voice. Suddenly, I had a free morning, so I decided to cycle somewhere I hadn’t been before. Spotting this overpass across a huge BNSF rail yard in Fridley on a map, I had to go and investigate. The grain elevators are part of a massive General Mills plant.

On my walk, Fragments Reimagined, a call to end gun violence in our communities, at MCAD (Minneapolis College of Art and Design). For me, these paintings hit the mark because they focus on our common humanity. Many of the pieces focused on guns and violence which I suspect many perpetrators would find exciting and may promote more guns. Until we all agree on our common humanity, I believe gun violence will not be contained.

I’m grateful for modern science, and for a comforting bowl of tonkotsu udon a couple blocks from the hospital. My oncologist had just recommended a newly developed test that sequences the evolving DNA of the tumor and white blood cells to point toward new, targeted treatments, including immunotherapy. In old movies, it’s a little doctor in Vienna proclaiming, “You shall play the violin again.” In real life, it’s just science.

The objective of today’s adventure with a friend was Holman Field, a general aviation airport across the Mississippi from downtown St. Paul. It’s named after Northwest Airlines’ first pilot, who died performing stunts. The top picture shows the 1939 terminal where we popped in for a cold beer on a steamy hot day; the staff were incredibly welcoming of two grungy cyclists. The lower picture shows a gate area, where the stairs lead up to a U.S. Customs office.

Cycled over to the U for a blood draw to get the labs done a couple of days ahead of a consult with my oncologist. Over a breakfast bagel in the Coffman Union, this graph came up in MyChart: the tumor marker is taking off again at a fair clip. I’ve been riding this rollercoaster for over 10 years now, and remain hopeful for a few more descents. I’m grateful Dwight rides with me.

On our regular Sunday morning walking route, I was surprised by this art installation at Boom Island Park. That’s me stretching as high as possible to get a shot that would capture a recognizable section of the piece, but I only managed to get details of some fingers. Interpretive signs featured a drone shot and explained that this is part of “Beyond Walls,” a “human chain around the world” spanning 23 cities, beginning in Paris.