Microblog

Wipe down, pump the tires, lube the chain: off on two wheels. With temperatures about to hit 77°F, a ride was mandatory. The trails were dry and ice-free, and everyone seemed to be in a great mood. Only the lingering piles of snow served as a reminder that the snow season isn’t quite over.

My walk today took me past the stadium where the Minnesota Vikings play. Downtown was reflected in the glass on the stadium’s west side, where five 55-foot-wide glass panels can be swiveled open.

Since I was a child I’ve had a soft spot for British Ordnance Survey maps; the 1:25,000 detail is perfect for the inn-to-inn hike we’ve planned for Scotland this April. However, after struggling with the Ordnance Survey website today, I switched back to Grough Routes. It’s a much more professional mapping application that uses the same high-quality mapping data.

There was warmth in the sun when I went for my walk today. Snow was slipping off roofs but still clung on tenaciously.

Two days in a row now, I’ve opted for a climate-controlled walk. With temperatures hovering around zero, I took the light rail to the Mall of America for a mall walk with friends. We walked past hundreds of stores, all of which, with one exception, did not interest me. After the walk, I did take a look around the LEGO store.

To paraphrase Oscar Wilde: there is only one thing in the world worse than the Skyway, and that is not having the Skyway. While I don’t care for the way it stifles life at street level, I certainly appreciated it today. I enjoyed walking part of the 9½-mile system in shirtsleeves with friends even though it was single digits and windy outside.

Aglaonema sat by the window as snow fell all day, waiting for longer days and bright sunshine. Meanwhile, we stayed in, doing indoor things, and arranging to be in a kinder climate next March.

A light snow was falling as we walked into Orchestra Hall for a Minnesota Orchestra concert. The program included pianist Kirill Gerstein, who performed two concertos: a modern piece by Thomas Adès, a British composer new to me, and Ravel’s Concerto for the Left Hand. It was impressive to hear such a rich, full sound produced by just one hand. By the time we left, the snowstorm was intensifying.

Tonight, Macbeth on the thrust stage at the Guthrie. I asked AI to restate the first two acts as though Macbeth was you-know-who: ‘Listen, we’re going to make Scotland great again, okay? The previous administration—Duncan, total disaster—was weak. Very low energy. We’re doing a complete takeover, and frankly, the witches, they’re tremendous people, they saw the vision. They told me, “Sir, you’re going to win so much you’ll get tired of winning.”‘

Back in the classroom today. As usual, I’m impressed by the positive attitudes of the adult learners, including these sentences they created. The exercise was to build a sentence containing “crowd out,” “territory,” or “foreigner.”

At the U today, I popped into the Union for a bagel and couldn’t stop noticing things. Displeasure with ICE goes without saying, while the Iran War teach-in looks mighty interesting. That reference to uric output is an ad for a punk rock band. Meanwhile, the range of lifesaving devices has evolved since my student days, beyond the obligatory fire extinguisher. Now, there’s a “stop the bleed” kit, Narcan for overdoses, and a defibrillator.

Joined a rally as it was gathering here before the start of a Minneapolis School Board meeting. While there’s plenty to protest lately, this hits home. Proposed budget cuts include laying off 50% of adult education ELL teachers, including the teacher I work with. Chants included: “Save adult education” and “In Minneapolis, we show up for each other.”

It’s the classic snowbird’s lament: a cluster of medical appointments for us both immediately after returning to winter. Walked over to the U for labs, then headed to nearby Kinzō for some tonkotsu udon. Lab results trickled in as I slurped my comfort food.

On our Sunday walk, with temperatures climbing into the high fifties, yesterday’s snowy, monochromatic landscape had found some color. Here at Gold Medal Park the grass and trees are still a few weeks away from fully greening up.

Walked over to the farmers market on a fresh overnight dusting of snow, a reminder that winter isn’t finished and that local produce would be scarce. I carried home crusty bread straight from the baker, along with bacon sausages and lamb from a local farm for “Sausage Saturday” and a Sunday root vegetable braise.

Took the opportunity while Dwight was seeing a friend to grab a spicy lunch at a nearby Thai restaurant. A “Private Property” sign on the door explicitly forbids immigration enforcement on the premises. The City of Minneapolis estimates that since December, ICE agents have caused well over $100 million in economic damage to city businesses and workers afraid to go to work, while straining city resources.