Can a bike shop stay in business?

I'm often amazed at the bike shops that stay in business. You have to be a smart, savvy, and an ever-changing business person to do it well.

Below is a screen shot (maybe an actual "photo-copy") from a 1990 Bridgestone catalog (a now defunct bike brand). It all holds true today though, and maybe has gotten worse with the introduction of the internet.

Revisit: Reads Landing Brewing Co., Reads Landing, MN

Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN

The first hint of Spring, even if only for a few short hours. Summer, please hurry. 

Project He SL, commence!

"Pretty little maids all in a row..."

Quote of the Week

You know it's funny what's happening to us. Our lives have become digital, our friends now virtual...and everything you could ever want to know is just a click away. Experiencing the world through second hand information isn't enough: If we want authenticity we have to initiate it - The Art of Flight / T. Rice

Summer House Santa Monica, Chicago, IL

This is my first abbreviated restaurant post. The food and company kept me so busy and happy that I didn't take any pics after the first few. Forgive me.

It's a warm, light, inviting space in the former Tilli's location. I thought it would be tough to bring a California feel to Chicago, but they did it and it works. Not only does the place look pro, the staff, at least our waitress, was very pro as well. She handled us without issue.

It was a great visit to this relatively new spot on Halsted. We had a great time and I hope to be back soon.... and visit their pizza place now open next door.

Penrose Brewing Co., Geneva, IL

Fun spot to catch up with an old friend and it was hopping (pun intended) on a Friday night. Totally eclectic mix of young and old, white collar and blue collar, hipsters and dufuses. 

Though they seem to have an affinity for making Belgian IPAs, even if you don't like the pale ale family, they'll have something you'll like. I had a very easy-to-drink saison and a dark n' stormy Belgian black ale. 

Very comfortable inside with an upscale brew pub feel, iron and wood decor, picnic table seating and lots of energy from the people. Reasonable prices also helped, plus flights and growlers-to-go. Tours are supposed to be "coming soon". 

Thickest wallet ever?

I swear this thing was 6" thick when folded. I watched him remove/unearth it from his pocket, but am still not sure how it fits (in his front pocket!). 

Like George Costanza, maybe this guy is proud of how much crap he carries around in his "pocket purse".

Jersey Mike's, St. Anthony, MN

It's not often I'm told of a sandwich chain I don't know about, as it's possible sandwiches are my favorite food group. But wouldn't you know it, I'd never had the pleasure of devouring a Jersey Mike's sub, until this past weekend. And frankly, it was glorious.

Get the Big Italian and dress it "Mike's Way". Now, the place and amenities are just like a Subway, but this sandwich was like no other in this price range. The meats and cheeses are actually sliced fresh right in front of your gob. It seemed to go a long way in providing some excellent flavor. I enjoyed every bite. 

Rest assured, this is a place I will soon be back to. 

Como Zoo, Pt. 2, St. Paul, MN

More fun animals out and about at the zoo. Some inside, some outside. Some known, some less so. Some easy to capture in pics, some not so much. 

Como Zoo, Pt. 1, St. Paul, MN

The sunny but chilly day gave us the bright idea to visit this inexpensive city zoo. Despite the cheap price, see if you can tell what priceless spectacle we witnessed...

Though I have no idea how they figured out this activity, this big boy (er, girl?) didn't stop doing their "laps" the whole time we here in the place. It looked fun actually...plus everyone that was watching it loved it too. 

Go, see live music...

... in your area, I don't think you will be disappointed. And I mean an actual, paid-for concert, not some karaoke or open-mic thing. Make a night of it, you'll be glad you did.

Blouse out of Portland, OR 

The Dum Dum Girls out of Minneapolis, MN

FeLion Studios | American Made Honoree

Just another reason Madison is actually so cool....

Awesome Weather Blog - Winter in Review

Never thought I'd use the phrase "Awesome Weather Blog", but I guess that's what happens when you live in MN. This is the place to go. Now on to their look-back at this last winter...

Winter 2013-2014 Perspective

Sunday temperatures across parts of the Midwest were some of the warmest readings we've seen since late last year. The 2013-2014 winter was quite a bit colder than average from Canada to the eastern two-thirds of the nation, but NOAA sheds light on how our cold winter compared to the entire globe.

See more from NASA's Earth Observatory HERE:

"For many residents of North America, the winter of 2013-14 has felt like one of the coldest in many years. Waves of Arctic air brought extended periods of cold weather and above-average snowfall to the middle and eastern portions of the United States and Canada. Seven Midwestern states had one of their top-ten coldest winters, and the Great Lakes were chilled until they reached nearly 91 percent ice cover. Even portions of Mexico and Central America were cooler than normal.

But human memory is not a scientific measure, and long-term perspective tends to get lost in everyday conversation and news coverage. The winter of 2013-14 followed two winters that were significantly warmer than the norm, which likely made this season feel worse than it was. Researchers at the U.S. National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) reported that the average temperature of the contiguous U.S. for the winter was just 0.4° Celsius (31.3° Fahrenheit), about 1°F below average."

"The map below puts the North American winter in wider context. On a global scale, land temperatures for the December through February period were actually the tenth warmest in the modern record, according to NCDC, 0.87°C (1.57°F) above the 20th century average."

"Far eastern Asia, particularly China and eastern Russia, were significantly warmer than normal. In Europe, Austria and The Netherlands observed the second warmest winters in their records, and Switzerland its third warmest. With temperatures as much as 5°C above normal, spring crops and plants began sprouting several weeks early across much of Europe. And in the southern summer, the extended heat waves in Australia and Argentina stand out."

Graphic: Successful People vs. Unsuccessful People

Could this also be titled something like "Happy People vs. Unhappy People"?

http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140319142240-15077789-the-differences-between-successful-people-and-unsuccessful-people

THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS - Do Or Die

Stop & Stare - "Sunburst", Dale Chihuly, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN

You can't help but notice this sculpture/chandelier hanging from the foyer in the MIA entrance. I feel like I've seen similiar works in other museums around the country. I finally took the time to look a little closer and get some information on the artist.

 

This piece, like all his work, is really a sight to behold. It looks lighter than air, but as noted below, is made completely of glass and weighs more than a ton. Kind of crazy, no?

 

Out of doors at the MIA

The first day of Spring brought sun and above freezing temps. Strong start, time for some pics..,