365 Pix in 365 Days for 2015: Images 012 through 018

I didn't start Week 3 of pictures with the intention of having a theme, but one seemed to have grown organically as I perused my photos. Not only has there been a lot of change over the nearly two decades I have lived in the The Twin Cities, but there has been a surge of new construction in the last few years. The fact that nothing stays the same is hardly an epiphany, but I'm starting to look at places and remembering what used to be there. So, Week 3 is a series of pictures of the old and the new.

Upcoming weeks will have a different mix of pictures as I start my traveling season for work. I'll be making another trip to Chicago followed by one to San Francisco. I'm excited for the latter as I haven't been there for about five years. My wife is jealous because her dad and his wife live there and I will be spending the weekend with them. Cost and timing were not on our side, so she wasn't able to meet me there. I plan to make it up to her later this year.

Anyway, enjoy the pictures and commentary.

Image 012:  01-12-2015

The swankiest corner in the Grand Avenue area of St. Paul.
There used to be a Ciatti's in this corner building.  Now there's
an Axel's and a Cafe Latte.

Image 013:  01-13-2015

Preparations for the Red Bull Crashed Ice Competition.
There used to be a path of sloping green grass here, and before
that, a light rail tunnel from back at the turn of the century.

Image 014: 01-14-2015

This is a new housing development called The Paxon.
There used to be an abandoned concrete parking garage just
a year ago last summer

Image 015:  01-15-2015

I was sad to hear that Pracna on Main was closing. This was one of
the bars on Minneapolis' Main Street, one of the first streets in the
city, that had 'patio' seating during the summer. My Wife and I
once stopped here after dropping off our tax returns. We were
going to get some money back and felt like celebrating.

Image 016:  01-16-2015

My Wife and I were invited by some friends from work to attend
a benefit at Cooper's for a young woman who was battling cancer.
There were tacos, bingo, a raffle, and silent auction. Oh yes, and
dancing.  Lots of awkward dancing.  I'll just say there was a dolphin
impression and leave it at that.  I had never been to Cooper's before,
so it was new to me.

Image 017:  01-17-2015

Just one of several add-ons and new buildings being erected in
Minneapolis.

Image 018:  01-18-2015

G-Bug had her first tournament with her new team, the
17-2 squad. There used to be a young lady who didn't get
much competition time on the 16-1 team, but not this year.

365 Pix in 365 Days for 2015: Images 005 through 011

The coldest weather of the winter descended on Minnesota, coming from the most likely of sources - Canada. The mornings started below zero with wind chills making the air feel somewhere between -25 and -30 degrees.  The upper Midwest wasn't the only area of the country affected, as I read Facebook posts from friends on the East Coast lamenting similar wind chills in New England and two inches of snow falling in Washington, DC, which put the entire area in lock down something fierce.

Having gone toe to toe with the Polar Vortex previously, I have a few survival tips for those who aren't used to such bitter cold.  1.) Invest in a couple pairs of thick, cotton socks; 2.) Under Armor makes for a great first layer when getting dressed; 3.) Keep you head and ears covered; and 4.) The first 20 degree day after the cold snap will feel like a hug. Enjoy it!

Here are the pictures for this week.

Image 005:  01-05-2015

In spite of the bitter cold, you can still see some remarkable sun
rises.  This one is over Beaver Lake near the house.

Image 006:  01-06-2015

I think this is binary code for "weather sucks!"

Image 007:  01-07-2015

About 18 years ago, after I first moved to Minnesota, I attended
a christening at this church for the son of the friend of the woman
who would eventually become my ex-wife.

Image 008:  01-08-2015

One of the new Green Line Light Rail stops in downtown St.Paul.

Image 009:  01-09-2015

Scene of downtown Minneapolis taken from the I-35W on ramp
off of Highway 55.

Image 010:  01-10-2015

Another successfully completed shoveling effort. I think this
is the sixth time since November.

Image 011:  01-11-2015

My "man corner" where I plan to do much of my
blogging.  We don't have enough space for a "man cave."

365 Pix in 365 Days 2015: A New Hope, Images 001 through 004

I intentionally put myself on hiatus from my blog posting and picture taking during the last quarter of the year. I was getting too far behind with my picture posts and I wasn't feeling all that inspired to write anything else. I had looked at the photos I had taken and thought if these aren't interesting to me, they certainly won't be interesting to anyone else. So, like any business with a product in the waning stages of its life cycle, I decided to close shop and retool.

I didn't lose my interest in blogging and from time to time would read some of my posts. The writing was rough in some cases, but I could still elicit a laugh every now and again, and I knew the punchline was coming. Even the picture posts were interesting. I tried to make these more compelling for the reader with my tweet-like, one liner style captions, and some worked and some didn't. For me, the pictures were a reminder of things I had seen and places I had been during the year. Reviewing some of the pictures on my camera I didn't post brought me right back to the day I took them.

I think the chronicling aspect of the photos should be my reason for taking the pictures and making the posts. I was too focused on trying to find something interesting to capture when rarely is there a year when something interesting happens EVERY SINGLE DAY. There are going to be days I spend just doing laundry or other chores and maybe a rainbow stack of folded towels is how I will remember it. Finding something clever to say about it will be the hard part.

So, with a new attitude, a New Year, and maybe eventually a new camera, I'm going to start a new 365 Pictures in 365 Days project.  Third times a charm, right?

Image 001:  01-01-2015

Last year, the shot of choice to ring in the New Year were
"baby Guinness." This year was Fireball whiskey and Manhattans
made from Anejo Patron and Dashfire bitters. The result was a
snow angel made while in my underwear. Batman underwear.

Image 002:  01-02-2015

You heard of crop circles? Minnesota has "lake circles."

Image 003:  01-03-2015

The frozen Mississippi River below downtown St. Paul. This past
June these steps and the park above them were underwater when
the river flooded its banks.

Image 004:  01-04-2015

St. Paul from the east side and the river is still frozen. I was, too,
after taking this picture as the weather dropped to single digits.
I don't think those barges are moving anytime soon.