365 in 365 for 2014: Images 104 through 110

Not much to say about this series of mid-April pictures. The weather was cold and dreary, and I felt weak and weary - of ideas for photos. Minnesota did get some more snowfall during that week, so it was pretty much like all of the other previous weeks. I've decided I should take more business trips during these months, just to have new locales to visit for picture posts. Following is what life was like for a week in April in Minnesota.

No. 104:  04-14-2014

Interesting layer effect of the buildings in downtown Minneapolis.

No. 105:  04-15-2014

If this stairwell was in any other major metropolis, there is no
doubt people would be injured in the bottleneck.  For Minnesota,
it works just fine.

No. 106:  04-16-2014

There was some more snowfall on this day.
Rather than take a picture of the snow, I directed
my ire at this chubby bastard.

No. 107:  04-17-2014

I can see my breath form clouds just by looking at this picture!

No. 108:  04-18-2014

A big hole was left in the Minneapolis skyline when the Metrodome
was deflated.  TCF Stadium will be a perfect temporary home for the
Vikings since no one is used to seeing quality football played there.

No. 109:  04-19-2014

The sister city for Minneapolis is Ibaraki, Japan and
this sculpture of a Dotaku bell was commissioned
by the Japanese city.

No. 120:  04-20-2014

I know the significance of this date, and I used it to get high . . .
by standing at the top of this four story escalator at the
Guthrie Theater.  I was tripping my balls off.

365 in 365 for 2014: Images 097 through 103

If I'm not careful, the weather might just lap me. We've finished the first week of September and already the forecasts are calling for highs in the 50's later this week and overnight temperatures in the 30's. Still warmer than April. September 22nd may be the autumnal equinox, but let's face it, Summer's over.

Not that I'm totally depressed that Fall is almost here. In fact, September and October are my favorite months of the year. I've always had more of a sense of "rebirth" when a new school year started. The weather may be cooler, but pleasant, and you start the month in a new class with a fresh haircut, an updated wardrobe, and a bright eyed hope to the great things you'll accomplish during the year. Then in November, the bottom falls out and you're ready for the holiday break. Once you return, you count the days to Summer like a soldier whose "short" on his tour of duty.

Lucky for me, I've been employed full-time for many years (some of them gainfully) and I mark time differently. It's all about fiscal quarters and fiscal years and September is the end of the next quarter. It also marks my 5th anniversary at my current job. Yeah, September will be a good month; so, here's some pictures from April.

No. 097: 04-07-2014

Once the ice is off the river, boats are ready for cruises.

No. 098:  04-08-2014

An old trolley line converted to a biking and walking path.

No. 099:  04-09-2014

I just liked the way the fire escape went in a diagonal across
the side of the building.

No. 100:  04-10-2014

Anyone else pick up the late 80's remake of 'The Blob' vibe?

No. 101:  04-11-2014

When the ice melts, the river begins to swell.

No. 102:  04-12-2014

The U of M had a couple big fires near campus. This one took out
some student housing.  Fortunately, no one died.

No. 103:  04-13-2014

A blurry evening shot of the Lowry Street bridge.

365 in 365 in 2014: Images 090 through 096

Has anyone else noticed how ugly the months of March and April are?  I don't mean any offense in case anyone has birthdays or anniversaries in those months; but let's face it, there's not a lot of pleasantness to see. If you're lucky enough to be in an area where Spring actually springs, you're still witness to Winter's death throes - gray weather, bare trees, and the crystallized grime of melting snow. However, the Earth still turns and orbits the sun, so you know you're in the home stretch to Memorial Day, when just about everywhere in the northern hemisphere is blissfully warm and bright.  Except maybe Canada.

Now that I've set the tone, here are seven more pictures from earlier this year.

No. 090:  03-31-2014

A remarkably sylvan scene near downtown Minneapolis

No. 091:  04-01-2014

I don't know what this guy's April Fool's Day prank was (far left),
but the police were NOT amused!

No. 092:  04-02-2014

One of several small statuary on the riverside paths in Minneapolis.

No. 093:  04-03-2014

Another day, another snow storm.

No. 094:  04-04-2014

Another four to five inches to shovel.

No. 095:  04-05-2014

Interesting view of the drop in water level at one of the many
locks and dams along the river.

No. 096:  04-06-2014

The North Star Woolen Mill that was in operation until
1949, but has been made into condo lofts.

365 in 365 for 2014: Images 083 through 089

I'm on a pretty good blogging kick right now, so I'll bang out the month of March for my picture series.  I had my first business trip during the month and flew down to Memphis. The trip wasn't one I planned and I took it to satisfy a requirement from my general manager. It was a trip from hell as I missed connections and had to spend the night in Chicago on the return. I should write more about that as the story is amusing, now that I'm four months removed from it. I'll do what I can to break out the monotony of picture posts with other interesting factoids that happened to me.  Maybe I'll write about that one time I saw a blimp!

No. 83:  03-24-2014

A picture from outside of Graceland.  I need a camera that
takes better pictures at night.

No. 084:  03-25-2014

A street car on Main Street in downtown Memphis.

No. 085:  03-26-2014

A lighthouse near Boom Island in Minneapolis.  The old
Grain Belt brewery is in the background.

No. 086:  03-27-2014

This is a cut-through under a building in downtown Minneapolis.
It saves people from having to walk around the full block.

No. 087:  03-28-2014

A faux facade in an area where the buildings were converted
to medium to high end condos.  Seems to be the way of things
in downtown Minneapolis.

No. 088:  03-29-2014

The Wife and birthday gal in-between stops during a night
full of celebrations.

No. 089:  03-30-2014

The Captain and his First Mate.

365 in 365 for 2014: Images 076 through 082

Chris Kuball isn't the only person who can ruin a summer day with reminders of winter. Here is my next series of pictures from back in March.

No. 076:  03-17-2014

There used to be a large building that blocked the view of the
highway.  The view will be blocked again when the St. Paul Saints
have their new ballpark in 2015.

No. 077:  03-18-2014

An old brick building in downtown Minneapolis.

No. 078:  03-19-2014

The new Green Line light rail going through the U of M campus,

No. 079:  03-20-2014

The slowly melting Mississippi River.

No. 080:  03-21-2014

The slowly thawing downtown St. Paul.

No. 081:  03-22-2014

A quick freeze after a thaw creates a skating rink at
the Battle Creek dog park.

No. 082:  03-23-2014

A beacon in Mounds View for the small,
regional St. Paul airport.

365 in 365 for 2014: Images 069 through 075

It seems odd to be posting pictures from back in March, especially having returned from a Summer vacation in Orlando, but that's the price you pay for "postcrastinating."  That's a new term I coined for putting off updating one's blog.

At any rate, a few weeks ago my buddy invited me to hang out around a bonfire at his place with his family.  I was in between business trips to LA and Houston and it was almost a month since we had even spoken to one anther. The Wife joined me, but had to work the next day, so we couldn't get as crazy as we normally would. My buddy and I took a trip to the corner store for a chord of wood and on our return, we ran into one of his neighbors. He was going to be watching playoff hockey in his garage with his wife, which seemed too tempting to pass. After getting the fire started for our better halves and a couple beers, we wondered across the street.

As I may have documented, spring in Minnesota has been as precipitation-filled as the winter.  The evening of the bonfire was a nice break from incessant rain the last couple weeks, but the topic of conversation eventually turned to the horrors of the winter and the God-awful shoveling, plowing, and snow blowing we endured.  THAT'S how bad the winter was - insisting upon itself in the minds of Minnesotans months later.  And like that bitter season, I couldn't wait to escape the verbal summary.

So, in that vein, here are the pictures, truly taken in March; although some of you may think these were taken more recently.

No. 069:  03-10-2014

The frozen Mississippi River under the Fairview Riverside
Hospital, where G-Bug was born

No.070:  03-11-2014

Upriver from Fairview Riverside is the Southwest Steam Plant.

No. 071:  03-12-2014

The Stone Arch Bridge from a vantage point downriver.

No. 072:  03-13-2014

A couple college students on the hunt for Pennywise the Clown.

No. 073:  03-14-2014

Did you know the town of Mounds View near St. Paul is named
for a series of burial mounds on the bluff overlooking the river?
You do now.

No. 074:  03-15-2014

A picture both whimsical and disturbing.

No. 075:  03-16-2014

A gray sky above a grayer river.