Microblog

These LEGO parts arrived to brighten up this rainy day. I’ll use them to experiment with building vehicle front ends. In the past I’ve steered (!) away from cars and trucks, but this injects variety and I’ll learn stuff. Also arrived today via Kindle, borrowed from the Hennepin County Library, “LEGO and Philosophy”: philosophy professors… Continue reading Overthinking LEGO

A cycle ride with a friend included St. Paul’s Midway industrial district. We were surprised by the vibrant murals scattered throughout the district, including this one. The stylized butterfly behind the girl honors missing and murdered indigenous women. Later, I learned we had stumbled upon the Midway Chroma Zone where local and national street artists… Continue reading Unexpected Art

My bicycle route today included several miles of trail from St. Louis Park to Minneapolis that have recently opened after being closed for several years for light rail construction. The trail has been upgraded and now includes underpasses under roads and this structure that bridges the light rail tracks, a freight track, and a busy… Continue reading Bicycle Expressway

Veggies from the barbecue, chicken thighs still on the barbecue. Simple Sunday dinner, easy cleanup.

Continued planning my next LEGO adventure: the front-end assembly of a front wheel drive truck. It’ll feature steering, a differential, and independent suspension: plenty subsystems for me to study and build. I’ve been checking my gears drawer for parts and building a shopping list. In the front, note my proud display of shock absorbers. In… Continue reading Planning a Beast

It was a perfect summer’s day for a long cycle ride with a friend visiting from the UK. Here we paused at Bde Maka Ska (Dakota for “White Earth Lake”), formerly named after a slave owner and slavery advocate who never visited Minnesota. Later we stopped for grilled cheese sandwiches (a favorite) at Longfellow’s named… Continue reading Visiting Minnesota

It was the last day of the semester, classrooms have gone silent for the next two weeks. After the break I’ll be back here for summer school. (The device on the table on the far left is assistive technology for a visually impaired learner. The tower rack in the back corner stores and charges laptops.)

Walked over to the Guthrie for Skeleton Crew, set in a Detroit factory break room during the 2008 recession. Four Black characters brought the struggle of vanishing blue-collar jobs to life.

A friend and I made our annual expedition to Reservoir Woods and up to a 30-million gallon tank serving St. Paul. We cycled slowly up in low gear, realizing in coming years we’ll need to dismount and push. The humidity was high, so by the end of the ride we both felt we’d had a… Continue reading Pushing Our Limits

Tonight’s our anniversary, so I whipped up a special (well, for a Monday night) dinner. Halibut baked in parchment is so easy, yet feels a touch exotic. Accompanied by an eight buck bottle of New Zealand Sav Blanc from Trader’s we had a fine meal, grateful for our years together. The extra halibut (in the… Continue reading Halibut and Gratitude

Spotted these tiny houses on Nicollet Island on our Sunday morning walk. The little door and windows on the left definitely look like a “mouse house” by local artist Mows. The house on the right is likely a mass-produced fairy house.

Afterglow, back home from a Minnesota Orchestra concert.

The plan was to pedal with a friend visiting from the UK, but rain showers and lightning in the forecast threw a wrench in our gears. Instead, we opted for a long walk through Minneapolis. At the offices of Ryan Companies, an architecture, engineering, and construction firm, we reviewed this wooden model of Downtown.

Every Thursday, on my walk from the bus stop to the school where I volunteer, I pass by Minneapolis’ oldest cemetery, Soldiers and Pioneers Memorial Cemetery, founded 1853.  In the photo three rows of weathered headstones mark where Civil War soldiers are interred. Each stone carries a name and the poignant statement ‘A Soldier.’

A cycle ride with a friend included Victory Memorial Drive where the flag was at half-staff, which mystified us. On Memorial Day (Monday) the flag is flown at half-staff until noon. Later I learned that at other times only the President and Minnesota’s Governor have the authority to require the flag at half-staff, but neither… Continue reading A Lesson in Flag Etiquette

Cycled with friends to Malcolm Yards, an excellent food hall rising out of the shell of a (formerly) dilapidated 130-year-old industrial building There’s a cycle path all the way and beer is self-service (charged by the tenth of an ounce), what more could I ask? Enjoyed good company and a flavorful cauliflower dish prepared with… Continue reading Malcolm Yards