Microblog

Snow fell on the *other* football stadium as we walked through St. Paul’s Midway. Minnesota United will start playing soccer here when it is completed, spring 2019.

Just down the road from where we live, at the headquarters of the American Academy of Neurology, a brain ice sculpture editorialized about the big game this weekend. The Academy is running a campaign to educate people about sports concussions.

Walked past a University of Minnesota heating plant on a sunny, bone-chilling day.

A chain-link fence, concrete, a Humvee, and National Guard soldiers blocked my usual walking route to my Wednesday gig. Meanwhile black Department of Energy helicopters crisscrossed low overhead, mapping background radiation. All this for about twelve minutes of actual game.

A fantastical creature, carved out of ice, celebrated winter as I walked through downtown St. Paul.

On my chilly Downtown walk: bicycle racks were safe from bicycles behind a double row of temporary security fencing.

Posted Beyond the Hogwarts House.

Created 18 listings on eBay to get rid of stuff we don’t use. All proceeds will go to Direct Relief, a charity that improves the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergencies.

Replaced my 35 liter backpack with a 30 liter backpack. It has plenty room for everything I need for unlimited travel, including hiking boots. I have yet to reduce my needs to 24 liters, the volume of a paper grocery bag.

Wandered around Downtown with a friend. Peered into buildings, including the Art Deco Rand Tower built in 1929.

Walked across two interstates (94 and 35W), as I do most Wednesdays.

Performed an annual ritual: The Replacement of Spices We’ve Had More Than a Year. Total cost: $3.01.

On my walk, snow was falling on Gold Medal Park.

On my walk, a re-lit Grain Belt Beer sign added warmth against a grey sky. The sign had been dark for twenty-one years.

Posted Freakin’ Cheap: How to Fly with Your Pet Without Paying Fees.

Mailed leftover New Zealand currency at the main post office, downtown Minneapolis.