365 in 365 for 2014: Images 013 through 019

The winter isn't even a month old and the season has already weighed heavily on most Minnesotans.  There are the die-hards with their outdoor hockey and ice fishing and extreme jogging (this is the same as regular jogging, but in sub-zero temperatures), but I don't associate with these people.  The ones I do are as tired of the cold and snow as I am.  I had to shovel snow again this weekend, but had some help with a very sunny day. The front walk looks better, but all I could manage on the driveway was to make the snow pack as flat as possible.

Although I'm not part of the cold weather crowd, I did have a run-in with one of their number.  Friday night was a special hockey night as I believe both the women's and men's U of MN hockey teams were playing outdoors in TCF Bank Stadium, the regular home of the college football team and the temporary one for the Vikings starting next year as the new stadium is built (the Metrodome/Mall of America Field was deflated on Saturday).  I was stopped at a red light on University Avenue on campus when a taxi pulled up next to me.  I heard some sort of vocalization and when I looked, there was a lumberjack-looking man, complete with auburn Viking mustache, leaning out the front passenger window.  I rolled down my window with trepidation.

"Game time," he said.  There wasn't any sort of inflection in his statement, so I didn't know if he was asking or telling me.

"I'm sorry.  I don't know," I replied.

"Where are you going?"

"Home."

A look of shock and confusion suffused his face.  "You don't . . . you're not going to the game?"

I was dreading where this line of questioning was going.  Mercifully, the light turned green and his taxi sped away.  Nothing more was exchanged between us, but I'm sure he said "what an asshole" to his fellow passengers.

I'm still not sure what he was wanting from me.  I suppose to engage in some pre-game ritual to get each other fired up for the upcoming contest.  Unfortunately, I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and he chose the wrong person.  I guess my response should have been something like "OH, IT'S ON NOW!  FUCK YEAH!"  This would be followed by a series of grunts, shouts and hoots.  

So, I missed my chance to bond with the hardcore Minnesotans.  Maybe I will practice this type of exchange at G-Bug's next volleyball tourney.  I'm sure I can get away with some rough cursing around teen aged girls and their parents.  I'll let you know how it goes.  Until then, here are the next week of pictures.  Enjoy!

No. 013:  01-13-2014

The only other time I could get this picture would be in a canoe.

No. 014:  01-14-2014

Near full moon behind an apartment building in NE Mpls.

No. 015:  01-15-2014

A view of Mpls overlooking Lake of the Isles

No. 016:  01-16-2014

The imposing edifice of the Cathedral of St. Paul

No. 017:  01-17-2014

TCF Bank Stadium hosting Gopher hockey

No. 018:  01-18-2014

Growing up in West Hartford, CT, there was a small, two screen
theater called The Elm that showed late run movies for $.99.
The Riverview reminds me of The Elm.

No. 019:  01-19-2014

The Intimidator back at the net.  She doesn't need to jump to get
her hands over the net.  A force to be reckoned with.

365 in 365 for 2014: Images 006 through 012

A fairly quiet week this week, if you call surviving the Polar Vortex and traveling to Rochester, MN quiet.  The Vortex was something to behold.  I read one post on Twitter that the temperatures in Minnesota were colder than some places on Mars.  Mars!  I'm no astronaut, but I think that's even farther than the moon.

Other reports said this was the coldest air mass to settle onto Minnesota since 1996.  I moved here in 1995, and that year I was initiated to Minnesota winters with record snowfall.  Why I didn't leave after the second winter with record wind chills is beyond me.  By 1998, G-Bug was born, so I've been pretty much anchored here until she goes to college.  Where and when we decide to move will be dependent on where she decides to matriculate and how much we have to spend to help her go there.

Below are the first full week of pictures for 2014

No. 006:  01-06-2014

On the Sunday before the Polar Vortex hit, I was shoveling
the front walk.  Afterwards, when trying to clean a smudge
from my glasses with my shirt, they snapped in my hand.
I think the cold made them brittle.

No. 007:  01-07-2014

Rice Park still in its Holiday finery with the Landmark Center
seen in the background.  For those of you who might be worried
those are not frozen victims of the Polar Vortex.

No. 008:  01-08-2014

Overlooking Phalen Boulevard with the Hamm's (later Stroh's)
brewery buildings in the background.  St. Paul enjoyed
a "golden hops age" when the city was a major beer producer.

No. 009:  01-09-2014

A favorite lunch spot, the Smack Shack in the North Loop of Mpls.
I usually get the lobster mac & cheese, but they do offer a
Connecticut style lobster roll.  Growing up in CT, I didn't think
the state had a style of anything.

No. 010:  01-10-2014

A large pedestrian bridge connecting Boom Island Park to Nicollet
Island in Minneapolis.

No. 011:  01-11-2014

G-Bug had scared the competition off the court in the first day
of the Rochester Scrimmage.

No. 012:  01-12-2014

The Intimidator moments before she does her Dikembe
Mutombo "not in my house" finger wag.

365 in 365 for 2014: Images 001 through 005

Yes, I'm going to give this "project within a project" another chance for the New Year.  I'll keep my fingers crossed I surpass the number of posts I made last year.  Here is the first batch of five photos.

No. 001:  01-01-2014

The shot glass that helped me ring in 2014.
Filled it with "Baby Guinness" shots - Bailey's
with coffee flavored Patron.

No. 002:  01-02-2014

The yardstick by which we will be measuring the amount of
snowfall this winter.

No. 003:  01-03-2014

The start of what was to be a very exhausting
weekend for the Wifey.  Fortunately, everything
worked out well, although she still has some
recovering to do. 

No. 004:  01-04-2014

We had a spectacular view of St. Paul's Cathedral.

No. 005:  01-05-2014

There really isn't that much more to downtown St. Paul.

Happy New Year!

Well, it's 2014.  A New Year and a new opportunity to start a project I don't show enough discipline to complete.

Dammit!  One of my resolutions for this year was to be less hard on myself.  Man, I'm such a failure.  Dammit!

I'm looking forward to what 2014 might bring as 2013 ended like the denouement a few hours after a large meal.  The weather turned bitterly cold to start December with a couple days of snowfall.  The weather put a damper on any plans, such as getting a Christmas tree or getting ahead of gift shopping, because, really, who wants to go shopping in that crap?  So, although the holidays occur the same time every year, they sneaked up on us yet again.  

Fortunately, I had some vacation days saved, so I was anticipating Friday, December 20 to be my last day of work for 2013.  Alas, it was not meant to be as my last snow shoveling efforts exposed me to the flu virus.  During my peak gift-getting season (the week before Christmas), I spent two days in bed.  I could have stayed home an extra day, but I didn't want to come to work on the 30th AND the 31st, so I dragged myself into the office to finish the week.

We also had a family trip planned for the weekend prior to Christmas to visit with my wife's grandparents as my father-in-law and his wife would also be in town.  The problem was the trip wasn't as simple as over the river and through the woods; it required a 5 hour jaunt through America's Dairyland, Wisconsin.  The night before we left, the slapdash efforts I made months ago to squeeze a little more useful life from our bed frame finally gave way, so we spent the night in our living room on a thin air mattress (I actually slept on the couch).  By the time the whirlwind holidays were done, we were glad just to relax; although I did have, like so many parents on Christmas day, "some assembly required" activities, namely rebuilding the bed frame.  We should be good for a longer time, as I used longer screws, mounted a curtain rod bracket to the head board and cross beam, and wrapped the whole deal with box tape.

That should be enough of the holiday blues.  There were moments of joy among all the angst.  We had a nice round of bowling with my in-laws when we were in Marinette.  The Wifey and I may have started a new tradition of going to Costco together before Christmas and picking out things each of us would like.  G-Bug and I had a "wrap-up Christmas" excursion to the Mall of America (perhaps another new tradition) to fill in any gaps in the list of things she wanted.  Also, I got an unexpected bonus from work, which helped me fulfill my end of the new family traditions.  All things considered, I'm glad to be in 2014 now.

One of the things that really bothered me as we got to the end of the year was my inability to keep updated on this blog.  I had great intentions and a lot of good ideas and experiences to blog about, but procrastination got the better of me.  I was pretty good with taking daily pictures, but I didn't want the 365 in 365 posts to be the only things for my followers.  To wrap up 2013, here are a select group of pictures taken during the year.