Microblog

Attended a packed Westminster Town Hall Forum to listen to 18-year-old David Hogg, a survivor of the 2018 Parkland mass shooting. He talked about gun violence: root causes, the law that prevents the government collecting statistics, and ways we can participate.

Walked past disposable buildings. 40 years ago I worked in this neighborhood in a building thoughtfully named “Plant 4, Building 3.”

Enjoyed a pre-show drink at the Guthrie before exploring inner beauty, Cyrano de Bergerac.

St. Patrick’s Day Eve 2019. Conducted the traditional Slicing of the Cabbage. Actually, we often have braised cabbage and sausages on a Saturday.

Walked through “Little Mogadishu” (the Cedar Riverside neighborhood) on my way to buy groceries. As with earlier immigrant groups, the Minneapolis economy benefits from Somalis working hard for better lives for themselves and their families. We all win.

We decided we only need one car: generally, I prefer walking or transit. Donated our 1996 Honda Civic, with 83,000 miles on the clock, to the Newgate School. The school promotes self-sufficiency: students learn car maintenance, tuition-free; single moms are given cars at no cost.

Took transit to avoid wet feet.

“Discovered” the Hennepin Medical History Center hidden in a basement of Hennepin County Medical Center

Posted An Atlas Obscura Walk in Chicago.

I’m optimistic, spring is just around the corner. Assembled a natural gas grill while plows cleared last night’s snow. There were no parts left over when I finished.

Walked in search of history, including the site of the first self-sustaining controlled nuclear chain reaction (1942), a 2.5 ton cosmic ray detector that flew on space shuttle Challenger (1985), rotting in an alley, and the site of Michelle and Barack Obama’s first kiss.

Posted An All-Expense-Spared Trip to Chicago.

The glitterati smiled while I waited for a haircut.

Visited All My Relations Gallery to see an exhibition honoring missing and murdered Native American women. While a missing white woman can get saturation coverage, these women usually go unreported in our media.

I enjoy wearing out walking shoes. Bought two more pairs at Schuler Shoes: they recycled the down-at-heel pair.

It was unusually cold, so it was a good day to walk the Minneapolis Skyways with a friend, and explore lovely old lobbies.