Snow! Finally, we have a substantial two feet of snow, so we’ve been frolicking and shoveling several times a day for a week. Minneapolis plows bike paths before streets, so the only linear neighborhood skiing left is along the railroad, in the “no trespassing” zone. My friend Michal and I deemed it worthwhile to break the law for a good ski, and I to break my ski pants jumping the fence to get there.
Food! Our block club held its annual progressive dinner during one of the snow storms. Our next-door neighbors and we hosted dessert at our house, after having appetizers, salad, and dinner at three previous stops. I can’t decide which is best: the food or the excuse to see the interiors of neighbors’ houses. Both were good this time around.
Squash! Max has a new passion: squash. He has daily reports of his escapades, which I didn’t understand…until now. The U is hosting the state squash championships this weekend, which means I am temporarily not banned from the members-only rec center and have watched and learned about this fascinating game.
Ira Glass! We saw him. It’s wrong, I know, but This American Life came to Minneapolis as part of its promotional tour, and we went. The show was what you’d expect: thought-provoking, challenging, and enlightening…a thorough and typical public radio seduction of the mind. I left feeling inspired, but also humble and ordinary. I thought I had original thoughts and perspectives, but Ira and his crew called me out on every one of them, forcing me into the now familiar routine that involves a personal reassessment of complex issues I’ve simplified. It was an amazing show and experience, and I no longer vilify them for deciding to try TV. The promotional tour (and Terry Gross interview) worked on me. Sigh. Check out their TV trailer: http://www.thislife.org/
See snow and food photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ccharp3r/tags/snow2007/
Posted by cindy 
