Outa Shape
I took Thursday and today off -- we'd planned to go camping, so Kristi is off too (Emma's last day of school was Tuesday), but those plans changed. Anyway, this morning I took a bike ride.
Oof.
Haven't been on the bike much at all this year so far, and it shows. I did an 11.5-mile loop to Dakota County, across the 35E bridge and back across the Mendota bridge. And I'm feeling it.
I did, however, notice some things. The cool quasi-historical markers on the bike trail coming off Lilydale Road (never ridden that path before). The birds flying out of "nests" that are holes in the sandstone (?) bluffs above the path. The purple two-door RAV, just like mine (you hardly ever see 'em), parked just off Hamline above Montreal. The impression of bicycle shoe cleats in the concrete steps leading down from Fort Snelling to the Mississippi bridge along Highway 5 (how did I never notice those before, and how did that guy ever get the cement out of his cleats?).
Yesterday Kristi, Emma and I had an adventure afternoon. Around noon, Kristi took us to REI to climb the pinnacles. Emma has tried before and barely made it her own height off the ground; this time she did somewhat better. Kristi made it more than halfway up the adult beginner's route. And I made it all the way up. (I was very disappointed to find out there was neither a bell to ring nor $20 to grab. What a ripoff.) After that we dropped our car at the megamall and took the Hiawatha light-rail line to downtown Minneapolis. The plan was to go to the viewing deck in the IDS building; Kristi had called the Wells Fargo building and asked if they had one, and they said no, but IDS does. So we go to IDS, and yes, there's a viewing deck, but it's closed. For the last 28 years. Sigh. We had a nice lunch at Panera and came home.
Anyway, between the 50-foot climb yesterday and the ride today, plus lots of hand-planing of the new porch screens to fit their openings and cutting/hanging of trim in Emma's playhouse, I feel a little like somebody's been kicking me in the ribs and shoulders. Repeatedly. And hard.
Ow.
Labels: adventures, bicycling, home
Caterpillar Stampede!
Yesterday afternoon I was almost trampled in a caterpillar stampede. Yes, they're small, and they move slowly, but they have lots and lots of legs. And there were lots and lots of caterpillars -- dozens of them, migrating across our yard and front walk, all heading east. I'm lucky to be alive.
They were black, with spikes, and red feet/legs. Not sure what kind of butterfly or moth they'll turn into Nor do I know why they were all on the lawn, or why they were all going the same direction. There was something vaguely Hitchcockian about it all.
Labels: home, nature
Snelling Avenue
Monday night, the "High Winds Fund" at Macalester College held a public hearing on a proposal to tweak Snelling Avenue where it runs past the college. Since we half a block off this stretch of road, across Snelling from the college, I probably should have attended. But I was lazy and tired (allergies + antihistamines), and I knew that at least two of my neighbors would be attending. So I flaked.
According to neighbor Sheila, who attended and has a lot of experience with community issues, this was just the beginning of the process, so I don't feel like I missed too much. They're considering ideas to make Snelling safer and more attractive. This will likely involve a median strip (possibly wide enough for landscaping and trees, possibly narrow enough to be bare concrete), may involve the elimination of on-street parking or the widening of Snelling, and might
possibly involve free pie for everybody. (I may have made that last part up.)
Anyway, the whole thing is being driven by Macalester's "High Winds Fund". I assumed that this fund had something to do with the electricity-generating windmill on campus, but after googling it I find that it's existed since
1956. Apparently, that was around the last time its website was updated as well, since it lists local utilities as being U.S. West and Northern States Power.
There was probably a point to this post, but I'm afraid I've lost the thread. Mostly I think I'm doing it so that the next time somebody googles 'macalester college high winds', they'll find some information post-dating the Clinton presidency. Consider it a public service.
Side note to klund: surely Gustavus Adolphus would've been a
more appropriate place for a "High Winds Fund" dedicated to improving the appearance of the area surrounding the campus. Just sayin'.
Labels: home
Sketch-Up
Google's
Sketch-Up is a blast. I've had it for a while and never done much with it. But we're preparing to cut open one of our newly-remodeled walls upstairs to add built-in media storage under where we'll hang the TV, and it's great to visualize. I ended up doing a lot more than necessary, because it's so much fun I didn't want to stop. Still no furniture, but I'm sure I'll get around to it soon.
Sketch-Up (including the location of studs in the TV wall):
For comparison, from December:
Labels: computing, home
Snow
We've had a little. Keep in mind that we don't have a hill on either side of our front walk; that's all snow. Nor do we have a snowblower; that was all thrown there by shovel. And Emma's playhouse -- there's a whole mess o' snow there too.
Sorry about the lack of blogging (if you care). Combination of business, ennui and strep. (Emma's over it, Kristi's got it, and I figure it'll hit me tomorrow; I always get sick on weekends. It's a curse.) I'll try to do better.
Labels: home, weather
The Upstairs
So, the remodel is mostly done, and Kristi's parents are our beta testers this Christmas. We still have lots of detail work to do, plus general decorating (rugs, pictures, etc.). But it works.
Looking down the stairs from the landing, you can see the new maple treads. You can also see the masking tape on the treads and wall, because I haven't finished painting the stair skirting. Kristi textured the stairway walls, and they look great.
So, once on the landing, you can take in most of the space. The front alcove is to the left, with a table for games, puzzles, etc. Barely visible behind the baluster in the middle of the picture is our new 42" LCD TV, which will ultimately mount on the wall above where it's currently sitting. To the right of that is the gas stove, which does a great job of heating the room.
Coming off the stairs, now you can see the built-in bed, as well as the new armoire, couch, gliders and tables.
I'm kind of proud of the bed. Much of the work upstairs was contracted out, but I did everything on the bed except the drywalling, from the framing on. I built the drawer faces to match the cabinetry in the bathroom.
Speaking of the bathroom: the shower glass looks pretty good.
So does the rest of it.
Labels: home
