Monthly Archives: February 2012

Figs & Fiber Optics

Fig Lights
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Every time I visit New York City, I may as well be visiting another country. It’s so far removed from the farm town I call home. It’s hard to imagine what childhood might be like here, navigating crowds and a concrete jungle. Though neither would a New Yorker youth imagine what it’s like to live a simpler life. Like packing peanut butter sandwiches in your saddle bag, grabbing the reins and mounting your horse, and riding with your siblings through wide open plains in a cornfield jungle.

Manhattan has an energy and frenzy that many love and others thrive in. For me, it’s something to savor in small doses. You see, my hometown county has 72 people per square mile. Manhattan? 69,464 people per square mile. As you can imagine, stepping off the plane at La Guardia is like taking a polar bear plunge in sensory overload.

I can manage on my own in Manhattan surprisingly well with a different kind of horsepower, delivered by yellow cabs, subways, and trains leaving from Grand Central Terminal and Penn Station. But among the plethora of people, cultural discoveries, new perspectives and soaring skyscrapers, there are still simple things. You just have to slow down to notice them. For example, at the Trump Hotel Soho, I wonder how many people have really noticed the glass and fiber optics fig tree.

If you slow down and savor, you realize even the most complex (and chaotic) cities are made from the same, simple things. But luckily, I have the horse sense to realize the pulse and pace of life in Manhattan is not for me.

February 13th, 2012|General|Comments Off on Figs & Fiber Optics
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1,440

Clock
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00:49
Lately, I’ve squeezed my 1,440 minutes a day to the eXtreme. As much as I wish for it, time won’t pause nor stretch or offer surplus. It’s here, it passes, and the next moment comes. It can be traded or borrowed from one activity to another, but in the end, it’s all consumed.

My time consumption needs to go on a diet, or least a reallocation. The routine I’d hoped to establish in 2012 has routinely gotten sidelined. I’m evaluating my discretionary time and parceling out blocks of time for the ebb and flow of my creative projects, fitness goals, and social pursuits. To get more done, I’ll spend time on the things that matter most and fill in the rest. But first, I’m giving back to sleeping hours. It’s about time.
01:25

February 8th, 2012|General|Comments Off on 1,440
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Scales of Justice

Rosedale
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I stopped at Rosedale Center (mall) tonight, and the chandeliers reminded me of the “scales of justice” icons you often see in the legal profession. I’ve worked with a lot of lawyers in my job over the past three years of online storytelling, and I have reached one conclusion. I am thankful that I am not a lawyer.

Back to the mall: I didn’t spend a dime, but it’s only a matter of time. I was window shopping for a new camera lens, and I’ve got a feeling this project may cost some coin. I also realized I’ve actually committed to a 366 blog this year, so bonus photo for you! 329 days left!

February 7th, 2012|General|Comments Off on Scales of Justice
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Wilson

Football
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I don’t watch much TV. I turn on the tube at night, mostly for background noise and partly to keep from talking to myself. (Kidding, of course. Sort of.) So, when you have a TV that still plays VCR tapes, it’s almost guaranteed you are not hosting the Super Bowl party. It’s good to have friends.

February 5th, 2012|General|Comments Off on Wilson
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Hop’s Salon

Hop's Salon
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Moving back to Minneapolis has led to unexpected but happy reunions. Like Hop Bui. I first met Hop in 2001 when she owned U Salon in a storefront below my University Village apartment. She cut and styled my hair for the following four years and two music albums, until I left for grad school. From my moves to South Bend and Chicago to Hop’s move with her family to Houston, we’re both back in Minnesota. Hop now has a new salon in Dinkytown. And if you ask me, it’s a cut above the rest.

February 5th, 2012|People|Comments Off on Hop’s Salon
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Hostas

Hostas
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This winter has been unlike any other winter I can remember. I was braced for a bone chilling bout this year after living at a lower latitude the past six years. Instead, it’s been a pleasant surprise. Today’s image is from a photowalk last spring at McDonald’s (HQ campus not your local restaurant). It felt like spring this morning, and hostas were on my mind. I was tempted to shout out “Hosta” la Vista, winter. But I know better.

February 3rd, 2012|Nature, Photography|Comments Off on Hostas
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Misty

Saxophone
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I stepped outside this morning into the mild misty air, and with a skip in my step and music in my ears, I transported to 1993. Well, not really. But in my imagination, the downbeat of the drum kit signaled the smooth saxophone solo to cut through the mix of the swinging jazz band. And, I was in seventh grade once again playing Misty. Misty for you.

Listen to a clip:

February 2nd, 2012|Music|Comments Off on Misty
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Minnesota Muskies

Minnesota Muskies
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Puzzled. That best describes my reaction on entering the Target Center to watch the Minnesota Timberwolves and instead finding the Muskies. Did I miss something? Am I at the right stadium? Turns out, tonight was the first night the Timberwolves are wearing throwback jerseys of the Minnesota Muskies, to honor a basketball team from Minnesota’s past (1967-68). This photo captured a Minnesota three-pointer, though the Pacers would win 109-99. Thanks Target for the suite seats.

February 1st, 2012|Minneapolis, People|Comments Off on Minnesota Muskies
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