On this chilly day, steam from a district heating plant periodically obscures the 1929 Foshay Tower. A crane lifts materials for a new apartment tower that will permanently block our view of the Foshay. I’ll miss the company of the old-fashioned Foshay name signs when I wake in the night. Categories: Home Living Read more

After three days sheltering from the Arctic blast, screwed up the will to walk one block to our local bar for Reubens and beer. Categories: Winter, Our Neighborhood Read more

Followed building instructions while marveling how Hokusai created Great Wave off Kanagawa in 1831 before the Impressionism movement had started in Europe and while Japan was still closed off from the world. The quasi-pixelated style of the over-loved print lends itself to a LEGO interpretation. Note Mount Fuji and the three boats. Categories: Arts, LEGO, Japan Read more

On a bone-chilling day, planned for warm weather in places I love. Made hotel reservations for a three-week trip to Japan with Dwight, our nephew, and his dad. We’ll fly to Kagoshima, then slowly make our way to Tokyo by train. The pandemic put the kibosh on previous attempts at this trip. Categories: Japan, Plan Read more

Stocked up at Seward Co-op for our weekly Sausage Saturday. “A little of what you fancy does you good.” (From a 1915 English music hall song.) Categories: Eat, Home Living Read more

On my Skyway walk, I imagined I was in an airport heading for a warm-weather destination. Here, in Hennepin County Government Center, monitors direct individuals to court-related rooms. Security screening is just around the corner. Categories: Winter Read more

Walked the Mall of America with friends. Made an impulse purchase at the LEGO store: a reward for riding a medical rollercoaster in the past 24 hours. (It ended well, reward enough.) There’s a tradition here: whenever I visited "the doctor's big house" (hospital) as a kid, my dad would give me a toy car. Categories: LEGO, Cancer Read more