Microblog

My shadow, with a hiking pole to brace against icy sidewalks, reminded me of a Dalek, the violent, merciless, and extremely xenophobic alien from the long-running British sci-fi show, Doctor Who (not to be confused with the ICE goons currently terrorizing Minneapolis). I remember wandering the playground as a kid, arm extended, mimicking a Dalek, chanting their catchphrase: “Exterminate! Exterminate!”

Went for a quiet walk to process my thoughts. I should have been in the classroom working with recent immigrants. Instead, school is canceled for the rest of the week. This follows yesterday’s ICE actions in Minneapolis, which included the murder of Renee Good and the tear-gassing and shoving of staff and students at their school.

The theme of a downtown walk with a friend was elevator doors. The building guards were friendly; at the former Minneapolis Grain Exchange, a guard even directed us to a ‘secret’ underground passage. Lined with vault doors more than a century old, it connects with a building across the road. Click through for a photo.

It was a gloomy day out there: rain, icy sidewalks, and the downtown towers barely visible. ‘Too much like England,’ a friend teased, suggesting we postpone our walk until tomorrow. It was a fine day to stay in and tip the fridge: Japanese curry for lunch, and a strata for dinner.

It’s Monday morning, time to get to work. My goals for the day are to pack away the Christmas decorations (since it’s Twelfth Night) and hopefully finish the jigsaw puzzle. I’ll also be “a-washing”* four loads of laundry. Meanwhile, “my darling”* has gone to visit his mom for the day, about an hour’s drive away; later, he’ll be “dashing away with the smoothing iron,”* as that is strictly his job. *English folk song.

In about two weeks we become snowbirds, which means it’s time for the ‘Clustering of the Rolling Plant Racks’ and the ‘Tipping of the Fridge.’ Our plants are now all connected to the drip irrigation system, while some are also periodically misted. Tonight’s dinner features carnitas I made and froze a month ago; other delights will be making encore appearances in the coming days.

In a moment of boredom, I mapped out the Japanese prefectures I’ve visited (blue), many of them multiple times. While I’ve traveled through the yellow prefectures near Tokyo, I don’t count those. The younger me might’ve felt the need to visit every prefecture to ‘complete the set,’ but these days I embrace the imperfection: a bit of travel wabi-sabi.

Spent most of the morning reviewing our insurance. I confirmed our home’s “All Perils” policy doesn’t list covered events; instead, it only lists exclusions. For example, damage from a burst pipe is covered simply because it isn’t excluded. I also checked the fine print for our 2026 health plan to confirm it provides worldwide coverage and purchased an annual medical repatriation subscription, something we had allowed to lapse during the pandemic.

An advantage, if not a responsibility, of being old is using resources when others can’t. Today at noon, our local bar is quiet. It was doubtless packed last night for New Year’s Eve, but the patrons are now home nursing hangovers. Our New Year’s Day tradition is a walk, though today it was curtailed by the cold; a five-minute stroll to our local, Maxwell’s, for lunch was all we could muster.

A shiny whistle arrived today for my daypack. Three short blasts: ICE nearby. One long blast: ICE is detaining someone.

My hiking pole came in handy for boarding the bus, as I climbed onto the icy hard-packed snow left by a snowplow. Eventually, this snow will be loaded onto trucks and taken to a snow-melting facility.

On a cold day like today, with sidewalks slick from yesterday’s snow dump, I’m a part-time fan of the 10-mile Minneapolis Skyway system. At times, it feels like sensory deprivation while navigating twisting tubes through and between buildings. Today, I found myself imagining its odd lines at a more abstract level, then asked AI to do the same with a photo I took. Click through for the original.

The world gradually turned white as snow fell all day. Indoor activities won out, including this jigsaw puzzle featuring the art of Keith Haring. Once we’ve assembled all of Haring’s instantly recognizable symbols, the white space between the symbols will be a bigger challenge.

Family get-together at Misono. This was one plate among many. It’s definitely American sushi, but I’d like to think even Japanese people would enjoy it. Enjoyed the company, including my nephews, now 17 and 18. I encouraged them to travel to Sweden, Hokkaido, or beyond… I’d gladly pay for their tickets.

Inside, colorful American Indian mosaics and artwork blend traditional and non-traditional materials. Outside, the world fades to grey in the mist. This morning at the Walker Art Center.

LEGO houses by Dwight. 4-seasons handmade lamp (including stained glass) by a colleague of Dwight’s as a retirement gift. Tree (Minnesota deadfall cherrywood) assembled by Tom. Christmas meal: a joint effort.