The world's largest truck stop is not to be missed, especially if you need some animal themed clothing...
November 22, 2011
November 13, 2011
Bryant Lake Bowl, MPLS
Not too many places left in the US to drink/eat in the front and find 8 lanes in the back. Really fun start to an evening. If you ever have the chance to go, do it!
November 5, 2011
Bradstreet Crafthouse, MPLS, MN
Hand-crafted, stiff, pre-prohibtion era drinks and great small plates like this grilled chicken ban mi sandwich make this relatively new spot in the Graves Hotel a place to check out.
November 1, 2011
Cheeky Monkey Deli, St. Paul, MN
A very interesting and unique menu of fresh sandwiches, great homemade kettle chips, but if you see the cinnamon bread pudding, do not miss it!
October 30, 2011
Mall of America, Bloomington, MN
In my first real visit it sure lived up to it's billing for things to see...but didn't seem that big.
October 27, 2011
October 22, 2011
A sure sign of Fall (no matter how short)...
... Grab a hot apple cider at Annodyne Coffee Shop in MPLS' Kingfield neighborhood. Fall in a warm mug.
October 14, 2011
Thought of the Day
The universe is 14 billion years old; Whatever is bugging you, it ain't a big deal.
October 4, 2011
Direct Current Stream, Sep/Oct
Sep/Oct 2011
And don't forget, Dessa's new album, Castor, The Twin, drops today. Signing at Electric Fetus in MPLS if you're nearby.
This is all possible by listening to The Current, 89.3FM, and streaming worldwide at www.thecurrent.org
October 1, 2011
September 29, 2011
Is yarn hot?
Why yes it is. These pop-up yarn art things are pretty common here. I find them intriguing.
September 24, 2011
Appleman Cycles, MN
Attending the Minnecycle show today, I was afforded a great look at some local MN frame builders. Appleman seems to fill the bill well for a unique/boutique carbon frame.
They had this great looking complete track bike and an equally swell looking complete road bike. Check 'em out.
September 23, 2011
WNBA Fever, catch it!
Play as hard as the men's game, just a lot less dunks. The Lynx Western Conference Finals, Game #1, was a great night.
September 21, 2011
Why Meetup in MPLS Sucks
These are the most recent new meet-ups for MPLS that I got in my inbox, based on user-defined choices, or so they would have me believe. The suck part comes in when I'm a single guy that moved here on my own... or they just suck on their own merits.
New Meetup Group: Let's Make a Collective Theatre Company! [stab me with a prop knife!]
New Meetup Group: Twin Cities Packers Fans [puke]
New Meetup Group: The Minneapolis Viking Offiser's Club [barf]
New Meetup Group: Laughaholics [who doesn't love to laugh!!!!????]
New Meetup: Make New Friends Meetup in Minneapolis [hard to get the gumption to go alone]
New Meetup Group: 1001 Things You MUST try BEFORE YOU DIE!!!! [nah, KMN]
New Meeting New People Meetup in Hopkins [wha?!]
New Meetup Group! Meetup St Paul /Maplewood Divorced Men [It hasn't gotten this bad/sad yet... and St. Paul is far anyways and I'm not divorced]
New Meetup Group: Married Twin Cities Couples over 50 [I'm bookmarking this one for damn sure!]
September 15, 2011
YoYo Donuts, Minnetonka, MN
Already granted numerous awards in the local press, these did not disappoint. I'll have to go back for their $2 Maple Bacon Bar.
September 14, 2011
September 12, 2011
Great idea...
... in theory, but I can adjust and try again. This is a small size Blizzard from DQ. I thought I could get it home in the water bottle cage, not quite. I had to stop a couple times and drink the melt. Perhaps the best part was the DQ counter person who helped me pick out the Chocolate Xtreme mix, and to show me how blizzardy and extreme it is, handed it to me upsidedown. Not a drip...til the ride home.
(yes, the bike was rinsed immediately upon getting home)
August 31, 2011
August 11, 2011
Quote of the Day
"Inside each of you is an inexhaustible well of grit, guts and determination...And when the time comes when you are suffering and want to quit – and that time will come – you will reach deep inside that well of grit, guts and determination and find the will to keep going. And to do that remember that you are better than you think you are, and you can do more than you think you can."
- Ken Chlouber
July 31, 2011
July 30, 2011
July 29, 2011
New Game - Rate the Awkwardness
The game works like this -
I will share a story with you and you will rate the awkwardness based on a scale of 1 - 10. 1 being the least awkward something can be; think of when you're walking up steps with no one around and you step one extra time for a step that's not there. It's kind of weird, but no big deal. 10 is the most awkward rating on the scale; I would equate this to having seen your parents be amorous, horizontally. I certainly never have, and I suspect most people haven't (or won't admit to it), but I'm pretty sure we can all imagine that this would be a most awkward occurence if there ever was one. So, with the awkward Rating Scale out of the way, we move to the story and then you can rate the awkwardness in the comments of the post.
>>>
Yesterday evening I had the chance to have dinner at a friends house. I hadn't seen this family or been at the house in over 6 months, but it's usually a fun time. And this evening was no exception - the food was very good, the company entertaining, the wine smooth and all in all a very good night. This friend and her husband have two young boys, a 3 year old and 21 month old. They are pretty energetic youths and this night was no different. By the end of the evening, about 8pm, they were sort of winding down and wanted to do something they do often, "dump truck races".
It sounded like something fun to me and I soon realized what this game entailed. The boys literally race toy dump trucks (think Tonka truck) around their dining room table. There's carpet on the floor that resembles the race track, the dad announces the racing and gives the boys the "ready, set, go" commands, and the mom just generally cheers them on. A pretty clever game as not only do the kids really love it, it wears them out just that last little bit before bed time. Very smart.
So, all seemed well to me as they started this process, when I heard a whisper or two from the boys about... "naked time". Yep, like some kids are known to do, these young lads get naked pretty often. So, once the first utterance was heard about being free from clothing, the clothes came off both boys within three steps in the dining room as the lined up their racing dump trucks.
So there I was, hadn't seen the family in months, slightly inebriated from wine with dinner, about to watch two boys run around their living room totally nude. I didn't think I could make an exit without offending or giving them the idea that nudity is wrong... so I just stood there and watched, and laughed. At one point, I even started using an annoucer voice and started them off. Must have started the "race" a dozen times in about 5 minutes. The races aren't too long and no one ever seemed to be the actual winner either. Of course, we were all winning at that point. Well, they must have ran around the dining room table about 50 times, totally naked, bent over a small toy dump truck. The most interesting part was when someone came to their front door. Mom opened the door to see who it was and the littlest boy just walked right up to the door, in his b-day suit. How unique must it have been for that visitor to see a 21m old come to the front door totally naked.
We all had fun and maybe it's actually only my own feelings on nudity that I was dealing with... the boys sure didn't seem to care one way or the other.
"On your Marks ... Get Set ... GO!!!!"
July 27, 2011
July 26, 2011
July 16, 2011
June 25, 2011
The perfect gift...
- Requires the giver make an extraordinary sacrafice (not necessarily financial, could be time or skill)
- Requires the giver only wish only to please the recipient
- Should be a luxury, something the recipient wouldn't normally buy for themselves
- Should be appropriate to the recipient
- Should be surprising, yet...
- ...Should be one that the recipient desires
- Requires the giver only wish only to please the recipient
- Should be a luxury, something the recipient wouldn't normally buy for themselves
- Should be appropriate to the recipient
- Should be surprising, yet...
- ...Should be one that the recipient desires
June 12, 2011
June 3, 2011
June 2, 2011
Is your commute killing you?
You may want to find out here:
It's worth the short read, but somehow I think we all knew it was true.
May 28, 2011
Plate of the Day
Please note that I stopped at the red light to take this pic. Seemed like a funny country themed F150.
May 19, 2011
May 16, 2011
Reading is fundamental.
Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.
The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!
May 4, 2011
Difference between Italy & USA
An American professor was on sabbatical in Rome. Everyday through his kitchen window, he observed two stone masons dutifully building a wall. After 6 months, the wall was nearly complete. The professor introduced himself to the masons and told them how much he admired their beautifully made wall. He also explained that in the States an army of guys would have finished this work in two weeks. The professor wanted to know how the masons were able to make any money since it took them so long. Where upon the dumbfounded masons asked the professor, "how do YOU make any money if the wall is finished in two weeks?"
April 30, 2011
April 27, 2011
Quote of the Day
Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure...than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.
- Theodore Roosevelt
April 20, 2011
Maple Love
After the year and a half it took to finish the first quart, it was time for a second. So good, especially when it's still snowing in April.
April 2, 2011
Top match.com Headlines
There are some real beauties women use for headlines on match.com.
The headline is the quick bit of text you have to grab the potential suitors attention, like...
- Slightly Used; No Box [sounds attractive, but no]
- Not getting rid of my 773 area code [ok, this almost worked on me]
- hi [very catchy - how did you come up with this gem?]
- No, honey, you can't steal a cop car [I have no words, well, except the ones I wrote here]
- "Cake or death?" " Cake please." [Death please]
- Wanna do a crossword puzzle with me? [do I have to?]
- Looking for the Sparkles [is Sparkles really capitalized? What is sparkles? Look elsewhere]
- Hi [notice the subtle capitalization of the 'h', sure to pull in would-be suitors... but did she copy that other girl?]
- Is it my turn yet? [I don't know, I'll ask the teenager running this ride]
- Love to laugh [wow, that is a unique trait that really draws in the boys]
Those are all direct quotes, I couldn't make this stuff up.
I only wish you could all see the photos too.
The headline is the quick bit of text you have to grab the potential suitors attention, like...
- Slightly Used; No Box [sounds attractive, but no]
- Not getting rid of my 773 area code [ok, this almost worked on me]
- hi [very catchy - how did you come up with this gem?]
- No, honey, you can't steal a cop car [I have no words, well, except the ones I wrote here]
- "Cake or death?" " Cake please." [Death please]
- Wanna do a crossword puzzle with me? [do I have to?]
- Looking for the Sparkles [is Sparkles really capitalized? What is sparkles? Look elsewhere]
- Hi [notice the subtle capitalization of the 'h', sure to pull in would-be suitors... but did she copy that other girl?]
- Is it my turn yet? [I don't know, I'll ask the teenager running this ride]
- Love to laugh [wow, that is a unique trait that really draws in the boys]
Those are all direct quotes, I couldn't make this stuff up.
I only wish you could all see the photos too.
March 22, 2011
Quote of the Day.
"The problem today is how to be persuasive when we ask our kids to struggle. This is the key to everything. Cycling isn't a sport like others, it's not a game: it's sacrifice, sweat and blood. With the bike you can find treasure, but to stimulate a child to look for it is more and more difficult. How do you get them to understand the value of labor?"
"Because today we live by playing, even as adults. Playing with mobile phones, sending millions of useless messages, we play games on the computer, in front of the television and on the internet. Football is a game that pulls well in a society like this. Most other sports are games. Cycling is something profoundly different: It is a way of life."
Alfredo Martini, Interviewed in Cycling Pro, May 2010
"Because today we live by playing, even as adults. Playing with mobile phones, sending millions of useless messages, we play games on the computer, in front of the television and on the internet. Football is a game that pulls well in a society like this. Most other sports are games. Cycling is something profoundly different: It is a way of life."
Alfredo Martini, Interviewed in Cycling Pro, May 2010
March 16, 2011
quote of the day
I was coming home from kindergarten--well they told me it was kindergarten. I found out later I had been working in a factory for ten years. It's good for a kid to know how to make gloves.
- Ellen DeGeneres
- Ellen DeGeneres
[I would see her live in a heartbeat]
March 10, 2011
Quote of the Day
There are lots of ways of being miserable, but there's only one way of being comfortable, and that is to stop running round after happiness. If you make up your mind not to be happy there's no reason why you shouldn't have a fairly good time.
- Edith Wharton
- Edith Wharton
March 9, 2011
Quote of the Day
We should be taught not to wait for inspiration to start a thing. Action always generates inspiration. Inspiration seldom generates action.
- Frank Tibolt
- Frank Tibolt
March 7, 2011
March 5, 2011
Uh-oh
Maybe the trendy side of bike culture (as opposed to the spandex side) had finally jumped the shark after seeing it incorporated into the displays at the Gap. Yes, you heard correctly, the Gap. Ah well, maybe more bikes will get bought after you get your khakis.
Sears.
As a kid some of the best days and some of the craziest days happened at Sears (my dad worked for them for 20 years). The middle part of today got pretty exciting. I don't own tons of tools, but I understand the attraction.
March 2, 2011
Why Aren't You Married - Tracy McMillan
A female friend of mine sent this to me and I thought it was interesting and thought-provoking enough to re-post it here.
Enjoy.
_________________________________________
You want to get married. It's taken a while to admit it. Saying it out loud -- even in your mind -- feels kind of desperate, kind of unfeminist, kind of definitely not you, or at least not any you that you recognize. Because you're hardly like those girls on TLC saying yes to the dress and you would never compete for a man like those poor actress-wannabes on The Bachelor. You've never dreamt of an aqua-blue ring box.
Then, something happened. Another birthday, maybe. A breakup. Your brother's wedding. His wife-elect asked you to be a bridesmaid, and suddenly there you were, wondering how in hell you came to be 36-years-old, walking down the aisle wearing something halfway decent from J. Crew that you could totally repurpose with a cute pair of boots and a jean jacket. You started to hate the bride -- she was so effing happy -- and for the first time ever you began to have feelings about the fact that you're not married. You never really cared that much before. But suddenly (it was so sudden) you found yourself wondering... Deep, deep breath... Why you're not married.
Well, I know why.
How? It basically comes down to this: I've been married three times. Yes, three. To a very nice MBA at 19; a very nice minister's son at 32 (and pregnant); and at 40, to a very nice liar and cheater who was just like my dad, if my dad had gone to Harvard instead of doing multiple stints in federal prison.
I was, for some reason, born knowing how to get married. Growing up in foster care is a big part of it. The need for security made me look for very specific traits in the men I dated -- traits it turns out lead to marriage a surprisingly high percentage of the time. Without really trying to, I've become a sort of jailhouse lawyer of relationships -- someone who's had to do so much work on her own case that I can now help you with yours.
But I won't lie. The problem is not men, it's you. Sure, there are lame men out there, but they're not really standing in your way. Because the fact is -- if whatever you're doing right now was going to get you married, you'd already have a ring on it. So without further ado, let's look at the top six reasons why you're not married.
1. You're a Bitch.
Here's what I mean by bitch. I mean you're angry. You probably don't think you're angry. You think you're super smart, or if you've been to a lot of therapy, that you're setting boundaries. But the truth is you're pissed. At your mom. At the military-industrial complex. At Sarah Palin. And it's scaring men off.
The deal is: most men just want to marry someone who is nice to them. I am the mother of a 13-year-old boy, which is like living with the single-cell protozoa version of a husband. Here's what my son wants out of life: macaroni and cheese, a video game, and Kim Kardashian. Have you ever seen Kim Kardashian angry? I didn't think so. You've seen Kim Kardashian smile, wiggle, and make a sex tape. Female anger terrifies men. I know it seems unfair that you have to work around a man's fear and insecurity in order to get married -- but actually, it's perfect, since working around a man's fear and insecurity is big part of what you'll be doing as a wife.
2. You're Shallow.
When it comes to choosing a husband, only one thing really, truly matters: character. So it stands to reason that a man's character should be at the top of the list of things you are looking for, right? But if you're not married, I already know it isn't. Because if you were looking for a man of character, you would have found one by now. Men of character are, by definition, willing to commit.
Instead, you are looking for someone tall. Or rich. Or someone who knows what an Eames chair is. Unfortunately, this is not the thinking of a wife. This is the thinking of a teenaged girl. And men of character do not want to marry teenaged girls. Because teenage girls are never happy. And they never feel like cooking, either.
3. You're a Slut.
Hooking up with some guy in a hot tub on a rooftop is fine for the ladies of Jersey Shore -- but they're not trying to get married. You are. Which means, unfortunately, that if you're having sex outside committed relationships, you will have to stop. Why? Because past a certain age, casual sex is like recreational heroin -- it doesn't stay recreational for long.
That's due in part to this thing called oxytocin -- a bonding hormone that is released when a woman a) nurses her baby and b) has an orgasm -- that will totally mess up your casual-sex game. It's why you can be f**k-buddying with some dude who isn't even all that great and the next thing you know, you're totally strung out on him. And you have no idea how it happened. Oxytocin, that's how it happened. And since nature can't discriminate between marriage material and Charlie Sheen, you're going to have to start being way more selective than you are right now.
4. You're a Liar.
It usually goes something like this: you meet a guy who is cute and likes you, but he's not really available for a relationship. He has some condition that absolutely precludes his availability, like he's married, or he gets around town on a skateboard. Or maybe he just comes right out and says something cryptic and open to interpretation like, "I'm not really available for a relationship right now."
You know if you tell him the truth -- that you're ready for marriage -- he will stop calling. Usually that day. And you don't want that. So you just tell him how perfect this is because you only want to have sex for fun! You love having fun sex! And you don't want to get in a relationship at all! You swear!
About ten minutes later, the oxytocin kicks in. You start wanting more. But you don't tell him that. That's your secret -- just between you and 22,000 of your closest girlfriends. Instead, you hang around, having sex with him, waiting for him to figure out that he can't live without you. I have news: he will never "figure" this out. He already knows he can live without you just fine. And so do you. Or you wouldn't be lying to him in the first place.
5. You're Selfish.
If you're not married, chances are you think a lot about you. You think about your thighs, your outfits, your naso-labial folds. You think about your career, or if you don't have one, you think about doing yoga teacher training. Sometimes you think about how marrying a wealthy guy -- or at least a guy with a really, really good job -- would solve all your problems.
Howevs, a good wife, even a halfway decent one, does not spend most of her day thinking about herself. She has too much s**t to do, especially after having kids. This is why you see a lot of celebrity women getting husbands after they adopt. The kids put the woman on notice: Bitch, hello! It's not all about you anymore! After a year or two of thinking about someone other than herself, suddenly, Brad Pitt or Harrison Ford comes along and decides to significantly other her. Which is also to say -- if what you really want is a baby, go get you one. Your husband will be along shortly. Motherhood has a way of weeding out the lotharios.
6. You're Not Good Enough.
Oh, I don't think that. You do. I can tell because you're not looking for a partner who is your equal. No, you want someone better than you are: better looking, better family, better job.
Here is what you need to know: You are enough right this minute. Period. Not understanding this is a major obstacle to getting married, since women who don't know their own worth make terrible wives. Why? You can fake it for a while, but ultimately you won't love your spouse any better than you love yourself. Smart men know this.
I see this at my son's artsy, progressive school. Of 183 kids, maybe six have moms who are as cute as you're trying to be. They're attractive, sure. They're just not objects. Their husbands (wisely) chose them for their character, not their cup size.
Alright, so that's the bad news. The good news is that I believe every woman who wants to can find a great partner. You're just going to need to get rid of the idea that marriage will make you happy. It won't. Once the initial high wears off, you'll just be you, except with twice as much laundry.
Because ultimately, marriage is not about getting something -- it's about giving it. Strangely, men understand this more than we do. Probably because for them marriage involves sacrificing their most treasured possession -- a free-agent penis -- and for us, it's the culmination of a princess fantasy so universal, it built Disneyland.
The bottom line is that marriage is just a long-term opportunity to practice loving someone even when they don't deserve it. Because most of the time, your messy, farting, macaroni-and-cheese eating man will not be doing what you want him to. But as you give him love anyway -- because you
February 28, 2011
NYC by Mouth
Did you ever spend an extended time with your grandparents as a kid? Like you were dropped off for a week or more during summer vacation? Well, I did. One of the things that struck me about "old poeple" at the time was how much they thought about food - planning, eating, discussing. Of course now-a-days, food is a huge topic in our lives, on TV, and in our cities. I also find myself thinking about trips and visits to places in terms of - "Which restaurant is the best for ____?" or "What should we do for dinner on the last night in town?"
It is with that in mind that I offer a list of foodstuffs that I had on a recent, two-night trip to NYC.
- 1 $17 dirty martini - I know, the price, but it's NYC... and it was good
- 1 hot-from-the-pan traditional English popover - this was pretty dang good and fun to try in "real-life" after seeing it on TV
- 1 wonderful, almost spring-like, Bib lettuce salad with a mustard vinagrette
- 1 hunk of NY strip steak - too crusty for my taste, but great sauces along with it
- 2 glasses of a very nice Malbec HERE
- 1/2 of a very simple and tasty Apple Tart with cinnamon ice cream
- 1 bite of a peanut-butter chocolate cake concoction that the table next to us insisted we try - no joke
- ~5 vodka-sodas (tonic has sugar you know)
- 1 egg, ham, potato & bagel breakfast delivered to the apartment - not a bad way to start the day
- 1 free, 2oz. Illy espresso HERE - who said NYC is expensive?
- 1 Gray's Papaya hot dog - well worth it and not too filling before actual dinner
- 1 not-so-good Moscow Mule - made with lemon. Bad juj-ju... visit Omaha for the real deal
- 3 nice tapas dishes - fresh, spicy sausage; smoked almonds; traditional Spanish tomato bread
- 1/2 of a Cornish game hen HERE - quite tasty, could have had crispier skin
- Mashed yaro root - alot like the most buttery mashed potatoes you ever had, but slightly stickier
- Oyster bread stuffing - not a fan of this fishy-ish flavored stuffing... and I like stuffing
- Really tasty fingerling potatoes at two different spots, and some french fries at one place too
- 2 glasses of a decent red wine
- 1 blueberry, pineapple juice, orange juice smoothie
- 2 glasses of fresh squeezed OJ, a great way to get your C
- 2 shots of unknown name, though we did see some flavored vodkas being poured in
- British breakfast HERE that included steamed eggs with herbs (very good!) and a scone with Devon ceam, also quite tasty
- 1 Vitamin Water at JFK - waaaay overpriced, but I needed the minerals & electrolytes
One thing surprises me - I had no beer during the whole trip. There are still some things I've not been able to sample in true NYC fashion, that I would love to try - pastrami or corned beef at a traditional deli (Carnigie or Katz'), the hearty grub at Vaselka's, Montreal BBQ from one place in NYC that serves it, and I'm sure the list could go on...
It is with that in mind that I offer a list of foodstuffs that I had on a recent, two-night trip to NYC.
- 1 $17 dirty martini - I know, the price, but it's NYC... and it was good
- 1 hot-from-the-pan traditional English popover - this was pretty dang good and fun to try in "real-life" after seeing it on TV
- 1 wonderful, almost spring-like, Bib lettuce salad with a mustard vinagrette
- 1 hunk of NY strip steak - too crusty for my taste, but great sauces along with it
- 2 glasses of a very nice Malbec HERE
- 1/2 of a very simple and tasty Apple Tart with cinnamon ice cream
- 1 bite of a peanut-butter chocolate cake concoction that the table next to us insisted we try - no joke
- ~5 vodka-sodas (tonic has sugar you know)
- 1 egg, ham, potato & bagel breakfast delivered to the apartment - not a bad way to start the day
- 1 free, 2oz. Illy espresso HERE - who said NYC is expensive?
- 1 Gray's Papaya hot dog - well worth it and not too filling before actual dinner
- 1 not-so-good Moscow Mule - made with lemon. Bad juj-ju... visit Omaha for the real deal
- 3 nice tapas dishes - fresh, spicy sausage; smoked almonds; traditional Spanish tomato bread
- 1/2 of a Cornish game hen HERE - quite tasty, could have had crispier skin
- Mashed yaro root - alot like the most buttery mashed potatoes you ever had, but slightly stickier
- Oyster bread stuffing - not a fan of this fishy-ish flavored stuffing... and I like stuffing
- Really tasty fingerling potatoes at two different spots, and some french fries at one place too
- 2 glasses of a decent red wine
- 1 blueberry, pineapple juice, orange juice smoothie
- 2 glasses of fresh squeezed OJ, a great way to get your C
- 2 shots of unknown name, though we did see some flavored vodkas being poured in
- British breakfast HERE that included steamed eggs with herbs (very good!) and a scone with Devon ceam, also quite tasty
- 1 Vitamin Water at JFK - waaaay overpriced, but I needed the minerals & electrolytes
One thing surprises me - I had no beer during the whole trip. There are still some things I've not been able to sample in true NYC fashion, that I would love to try - pastrami or corned beef at a traditional deli (Carnigie or Katz'), the hearty grub at Vaselka's, Montreal BBQ from one place in NYC that serves it, and I'm sure the list could go on...
February 20, 2011
February 15, 2011
February 14, 2011
I'm melting...
Caller: "Yes, hello. I am hoping you can help me with my service."
Company: "What seems to be the issue, Ma'am?"
Caller: "I'm not getting any cable signal - it's not working - I can't watch my shows."
Company: "I see. What's your account number, social security number, phone number, and address?"
Caller: "I'll get all that..."
[4 minutes later, after finally conceding she has an account]
Company: "Thanks for inquiring with us today about your signal issue. I'll check a few things right now... Everything looks fine on our end, Ma'am."
Caller: "No one else has called about problems in the building?"
Company: "No, Ma'am. It's ship-shape."
Caller: "You're sure everything in the building, inside and out looks good?"
Company: "Yes, Ma'am. Please check with your TV support center for issues that maybe causing this problem. and have a great day."
Caller: "Oh, alright. I'll ask my son to come over and look at it. Thanks [click]..."
February 1, 2011
January 27, 2011
America Bikes?
From America Bikes:
> Bicycling and walking make up 10% of all trips made in the U.S., but receive less than 2% of federal transportation funding.
> Bicyclists and pedestrians account for 13% of traffic fatalities, but receive less than 1% of federal safety funding.40% of all trips in America are two miles or less, 74% of which are traveled by car.
> Americans spend, on average, 18% of their annual income for transportation. The average annual operating cost of a bicycle is 3.75% ($308) of an average car ($8,220).
> A small reduction in driving causes a large drop in traffic. In 2008, the number of vehicle miles traveled dropped 3%, translating to a nearly 30% reduction in peak hour congestion.
> Transportation sources account for 70% of our nation's oil consumption and for 30% of total U.S. GHC emissions.
> Simply increasing bicycling and walking from 10% of trips to 13% could lead to fuel savings of around 3.8 billion gallons a year. This is equivalent to having 19 million more hybrid cars on the road.
> 89% of Americans believe that transportation investments should support the goals of reducing energy use. > 71% of Americans report that they would like to bicycle more.
> 53% favor increasing federal spending on bicycle lanes and paths.
> For the price of one mile of four-lane urban highway, around $50 million, hundreds of miles of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure can be built, an investment that could complete an entire network of active transportation facilities for a mid-sized city.
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America Bikes →
> Bicycling and walking make up 10% of all trips made in the U.S., but receive less than 2% of federal transportation funding.
> Bicyclists and pedestrians account for 13% of traffic fatalities, but receive less than 1% of federal safety funding.40% of all trips in America are two miles or less, 74% of which are traveled by car.
> Americans spend, on average, 18% of their annual income for transportation. The average annual operating cost of a bicycle is 3.75% ($308) of an average car ($8,220).
> A small reduction in driving causes a large drop in traffic. In 2008, the number of vehicle miles traveled dropped 3%, translating to a nearly 30% reduction in peak hour congestion.
> Transportation sources account for 70% of our nation's oil consumption and for 30% of total U.S. GHC emissions.
> Simply increasing bicycling and walking from 10% of trips to 13% could lead to fuel savings of around 3.8 billion gallons a year. This is equivalent to having 19 million more hybrid cars on the road.
> 89% of Americans believe that transportation investments should support the goals of reducing energy use. > 71% of Americans report that they would like to bicycle more.
> 53% favor increasing federal spending on bicycle lanes and paths.
> For the price of one mile of four-lane urban highway, around $50 million, hundreds of miles of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure can be built, an investment that could complete an entire network of active transportation facilities for a mid-sized city.
View the source document with citations →
America Bikes →
January 26, 2011
Climate Change and You.
Looking Back at 2010: Are Accelerating Weather Extremes A Symptom Of Climate Change? Gary Betts, climate scientist and commentator, had a few thoughts for Vermont Public Radio which I thought were worthy of sharing: "The Earth's climate system, which is rather unstable, is being driven by the increase in greenhouse gases and the warming of the Arctic into new patterns, and these are giving us new extremes of weather. Climate change is forcing us to face something that nobody wants to face. It is now widely acknowledged that our industrialized world, created by science and technology and a market economy, is polluting the atmosphere and oceans; and driving rapid climate change. We now face the paradox that although humanity is responsible for this; the longer we delay in changing direction as a society, the more the Earth system is slipping beyond our control. Climate scientists have been issuing warnings for twenty years, and every year our understanding of the Earth improves; so we can better estimate the climate risks we face. But there is a naïve assumption that our politicians will use this valuable information to redirect the economy away from fossil fuels, and so steer us away from the looming precipice of irreversible climate change. But in fact, politicians will say and do almost anything to avoid responsibility for difficult and painful decisions. So at the national level our paralysis has deepened." Image courtesy of Stu Ostro, forecaster at the Weather Channel.
Taken from this area-weather blog: http://www.startribune.com/blogs/114448069.html?elr=KArks:DCiUBDEaLDyUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUebcOQ_17cQ_eciaU
January 22, 2011
I scream...
... no, not because it's below zero out, but because I figure if hot foods and drinks can keep you cool in the summer, ice cream will keep me warmer in the dead of winter - right? I'm willing to test the theory with MN's Sebastian Joe's premium Hazelnut and Chocolate English Toffee flavor choices tonight... and they have a cold weather discount (20%) in January and February - hot (pun intended) diggity!
January 16, 2011
More radiator cleaning.
Got out my vacuum's tech attachment kit (really tiny parts/hose) to take care of lingering hair issues in my rads (that's Canadian for radiator). I can't believe how much more came out. I'm scared to do the other ones.
January 14, 2011
I thought this was pretty cool.
You can also see more recent updates to the story by looking at the Blog section.
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