Microblog

Posted my new YouTube video: Filtering LEGO Stud-Side Up. I thought about calling it Studs on Top, but decided against it to avoid drawing in the wrong crowd. I also skipped the LEGO nerd term SNOT (Studs Not On Top) to keep it family-friendly. Click through to watch.

While walking to Zen Box Izakaya for dinner, we passed the Guthrie Theater, whose thrust stage towered above us. The 2025–26 season had just been put on display, but we already have season tickets. When I was a teenager in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, my mother and I regularly had season tickets for the People’s Theatre. My need for theater has persisted since.

Took a break from my bike ride at The Trailhead in Theodore Wirth Park. I love the soaring lines of this building. The non-profit Loppet Foundation built then donated the facility to the Minneapolis park system, and is involved in its daily operations, promoting DEI in this diverse part of the city. Inside, I sipped an Americano while watching kids getting ready to ride the mountain bike trails maintained by the Foundation.

From the vantage point I discovered at the airport last week, watched planes take off, including this A320. My friend didn’t know about this part of the airport, which is surrounded by runways and reached via tunnels, so we made it our cycle ride today.

Wearing a cut-resistant glove, forced open a tracker to remove its speaker (the tiny white and gold circle). The speaker’s beeping is an anti-stalking feature, but I don’t want a bike thief to know they’re being tracked. My plan is to hide the tracker in a cavity behind the reflector, but it doesn’t quite fit. The reflector vendor is going to 3D-print a case with a slightly wider cavity that will fit.

Chatted with AI about the Chinese eggplant I’d picked up at the farmers market. Arrived at a recipe for which I had all the ingredients. AI called it Smoky Braised Chinese Eggplant with Fennel and Tomatoes, and provided an ingredient list and a self-evident recipe for a braise. The dish did not catch fire: the smoky flavor comes from smoked paprika.

A storm brought an early start to my day. Looking west from our home, I watched the storm approaching around 4 a.m., well before sunrise. There were periods of constant lightning in the clouds, illuminating the area. I never did see ground strikes. Visibility was poor due to a downpour, which delivered over an inch of rain.

While cycling to get a haircut, I did a double take when I saw this yard sign. Humor is a surprisingly effective antidote to autocracy.

Today was my annual ‘Cycle to the Airport’ day. I rode through tunnels under runways to a viewpoint surrounded by four runways, where I watched planes take off and land on parallel runways. I just missed the departing Tokyo flight, which was probably for the best, as I would have only imagined myself on it.

​On our walk, I introduced my friends to the House of Balls, where we saw sculptures all over the property made from found materials—including this whimsical art truck. Artist Allen Christian has been doing this for over 30 years. The property appears in articles with titles like “Weirdest Museums in Minnesota” and “Twin Cities’ Most Fantastically Odd Museum.”

Riding with a friend, we biked a route that included two new trail sections along the Mississippi River, one passing under a freight rail bridge and another beneath a busy road. We stopped at the new Aki’s BreadHaus and WunderBar, enjoying delicious pastries that brought back childhood memories for my friend. We continued our trip carrying freshly baked baguettes for later.

A tracker I’d ordered arrived in the mail room today. Now, the challenge is to explore use cases. The first idea is to help me remember my daypack, especially in coffee shops! When I walk 30 to 60 feet away from the tracker, my phone vibrates and displays: “Hey, did you leave your backpack behind?” Next up: tracking my bicycle if it’s stolen.

On the maiden voyage of Dwight’s new bike, we stopped at Northtown Yard. The absence of dozens of locomotives in storage suggests the economy is doing well right now. I’ll be watching this metric in the coming months as tariffs kick in and government statistics become unreliable. Way in the distance, through the smoke from Canadian wildfires, you can just make out the profile of downtown Minneapolis.

After 30 years, Dwight was ready for a new bike, one with a more upright posture that eases the pressure on his wrists. Today he picked it up and brought it into our home to fiddle with the attachments and admire his purchase. It’ll soon be relegated to a rack in the basement garage. And no, it’s not electric.

Worked with an English Language Learner at this workspace in Franklin Library. It’s normally very quiet, but the librarians have put my mind at ease, confirming that it’s okay to talk. We sometimes pause to smile when a group of little kids gathers for a summer program. This is a safe and welcoming space, which I consider important for my adult learner.

On my way to the final ELL summer school class, I passed the old Love Power church. The congregation moved out in 2018, but the mural is still there, a local landmark. When it was painted in 1997, the church wanted a blond, blue-eyed figure. The artist, however, chose to paint one with darker skin, much to the congregation’s dismay.