Microblog

Our closest river crossing, Bridge Number 9, reopened today, so we went for a walk. It gives us a straight (well, curved) shot to the University’s East Bank and medical campus. The new railings are now well above a cyclist’s center of gravity and serve as a suicide deterrent.

We heard stun grenades in the distance as we lay in bed last night: ICE was showing their displeasure with citizens exercising their constitutional rights. At school this morning, a guard station had been set up to prevent goons from entering the building. We kept the classroom door locked. Some learners opted to join the classes remotely. As I left the building, a helicopter was circling just a few blocks away.

On my walk, I decided to pay my respects to the Father of Waters (statue) at City Hall. To my surprise, a press briefing was just starting, so I stuck around. I listened as local and state leaders bore witness to the violent ICE occupation of our city; instead of dividing us, their presence has only brought the community together.

After our successful elevator doors walk last week, a friend and I went on a ‘mansion walk.’ We braved the icy sidewalks to explore a Minneapolis neighborhood featuring a scattering of mansions built by families like the McKnights (3M) and the Pillsburys. Today, most of these properties serve as offices and event spaces.

Started gathering items for our upcoming trip to the Southern Hemisphere summer. The currency is left over from a trip in 2020. We use the detergent sheets both at home and while traveling; there’s enough here for 14 loads. The Japanese coffee filters have become an essential part of our gear. Our entire packing system relies on Ziploc freezer bags ranging from one pint to two gallons.

​The barista at Open Book’s coffee shop gave me a friendly wave as I walked in for my usual six-ounce Americano. I’d been examining the sign telling ICE goons to stay away. Some are billeted in hotels in our neighborhood, and judging by their low literacy levels, I’d be surprised if any wanted to walk into this temple of books for a cuppa. Similar signs are popping up on businesses all over the city.

Hygge was clearly a theme as we walked into Orchestra Hall for a Nordic chamber music concert performed by members of the Minnesota Orchestra. The program featured works by three Scandinavian composers: Valborg Aulin, Otto Mortensen (I had to Google both), and Jean Sibelius. The current music director, Thomas Søndergård, is from Denmark and his predecessor, Osmo Vänskä, is from Finland, reflecting the Nordic roots of many Minnesotans.

My shadow, with a hiking pole to brace against icy sidewalks, reminded me of a Dalek, the violent, merciless, and extremely xenophobic alien from the long-running British sci-fi show, Doctor Who (not to be confused with the ICE goons currently terrorizing Minneapolis). I remember wandering the playground as a kid, arm extended, mimicking a Dalek, chanting their catchphrase: “Exterminate! Exterminate!”

Went for a quiet walk to process my thoughts. I should have been in the classroom working with recent immigrants. Instead, school is canceled for the rest of the week. This follows yesterday’s ICE actions in Minneapolis, which included the murder of Renee Good and the tear-gassing and shoving of staff and students at their school.

The theme of a downtown walk with a friend was elevator doors. The building guards were friendly; at the former Minneapolis Grain Exchange, a guard even directed us to a ‘secret’ underground passage. Lined with vault doors more than a century old, it connects with a building across the road. Click through for a photo.

It was a gloomy day out there: rain, icy sidewalks, and the downtown towers barely visible. ‘Too much like England,’ a friend teased, suggesting we postpone our walk until tomorrow. It was a fine day to stay in and tip the fridge: Japanese curry for lunch, and a strata for dinner.

It’s Monday morning, time to get to work. My goals for the day are to pack away the Christmas decorations (since it’s Twelfth Night) and hopefully finish the jigsaw puzzle. I’ll also be “a-washing”* four loads of laundry. Meanwhile, “my darling”* has gone to visit his mom for the day, about an hour’s drive away; later, he’ll be “dashing away with the smoothing iron,”* as that is strictly his job. *English folk song.

In about two weeks we become snowbirds, which means it’s time for the ‘Clustering of the Rolling Plant Racks’ and the ‘Tipping of the Fridge.’ Our plants are now all connected to the drip irrigation system, while some are also periodically misted. Tonight’s dinner features carnitas I made and froze a month ago; other delights will be making encore appearances in the coming days.

In a moment of boredom, I mapped out the Japanese prefectures I’ve visited (blue), many of them multiple times. While I’ve traveled through the yellow prefectures near Tokyo, I don’t count those. The younger me might’ve felt the need to visit every prefecture to ‘complete the set,’ but these days I embrace the imperfection: a bit of travel wabi-sabi.

Spent most of the morning reviewing our insurance. I confirmed our home’s “All Perils” policy doesn’t list covered events; instead, it only lists exclusions. For example, damage from a burst pipe is covered simply because it isn’t excluded. I also checked the fine print for our 2026 health plan to confirm it provides worldwide coverage and purchased an annual medical repatriation subscription, something we had allowed to lapse during the pandemic.

An advantage, if not a responsibility, of being old is using resources when others can’t. Today at noon, our local bar is quiet. It was doubtless packed last night for New Year’s Eve, but the patrons are now home nursing hangovers. Our New Year’s Day tradition is a walk, though today it was curtailed by the cold; a five-minute stroll to our local, Maxwell’s, for lunch was all we could muster.