New Year's Resolution

What more is there to say?

Turf Club

The Turf Club on University Avenue at Snelling has been entertaining music crowds since the 1940s changing its tune with the waves of music genres that have come and gone. There's always something interesting happening. Check out the calendar.

Old-fashioned fun

The golf course on the Mississippi at the Lake Street Bridge has some of the highest sliding hills in St. Paul. Plus you get this wonderful view of downtown Minneapolis from the top. I was out skiing but whole families were sliding and snowboarding the slopes at Town & Country.

Start yer engines

In sympathy with friends on the East Coast. I hope they are all managing to dig out.

Read a good book

Have some Christmas money to burn? Go to Common Good Books, owned by Garrison Keillor and located underneath Nina's Coffee Shop in the Blair Arcade, for knowledgable sales staff, a cozy subterranean atmosphere, and a quality selection of fiction and non-fiction.

Chocolates!

Chocolate lovers, don't miss the final days of the exhibit at the Minnesota History Center. The last display features this giant box of tempting chocolates and testimony from people the world over who have fond memories of celebrating special occasions - like holidays - with chocolate.

Christmas cupcakes

Sweets Bakeshop on Marshall Avenue in St. Paul has some of the most talented cake decorators in town. Each season they create incredibly fun speciality cupcakes. You should have a few of these cute little penguins for your Christmas table.

Digging out the hydrants

The St. Paul Fire Department has put out a call for city residents to help dig out the fire hydrants that have been buried under mounds of plowed snow. A recent email came with a map of the city showing where the hydrants are. I had no idea there were so many - virtually on every corner. This one and its mate across the street are ready to do their duty.

How many snow plows...?

So, really, how many snow plows does it take to keep a runway open? I guess that depends on how fast the snow is flying, and sometimes they can't keep up even here where we're prepared for it. I hope everyone who has to get somewhere by Christmas has a clean runway cleared of snow. Amen.

Tired of winter yet?

We are obsessed here in the Twin Cities with what this blast of snow has done to our complacency and smugness about climate change (used to be called global warming, but that doesn't really explain this). We've had some fairly easy winters lately albeit with some cold spells. Still, March 2010 had not one flake of snow, not one itty bitty flake in what is normally one of our snowiest months. We are making up for it now and it is hard!

Winter biking - maybe not!

Last week I went by this mound of snow with two bikes buried hopelessly (I thought) underneath. After the big blizzard a few days later, they disappeared entirely under what was then a mound turned into a mountain. Now they have reappeared as the city carts the snow piles off to unknown places, though somewhat worse for the wear  - and not really ridable.

Christmas break

Taking a pre-Christmas break far from the blowing snow. Be back in a few days.

Tree shopping

On the blizzard weekend lots of people stayed out of their cars, but in my neighborhood it's still easy to go shopping on foot.

Winter biking

The Twin Cities has become one of the premier biking cities in the nation but winter poses it's own challenges. And this was before the weekend blizzard.

Blizzard of 2010

It just kept snowing all day Saturday. Most shops along Grand Avenue closed early but Punch looks ready for business for those - mostly pedestrians - who braved the storm.

Flight canceled

The Minneapolis airport was a mess yesterday. At least half of all flights were canceled. The airport was eventually closed. Now comes the cold!

Mean drummin'

Normally the blur I get when taking photos in low light just looks like the subject is out of focus but I love the sense of energy of this photo of the 99ers' drummer.

Door to nowhere

"House, n. any place of refuge" is printed on one of the panes of the door that this student at Macalester is contemplating passing through.

Wa pa shaw

Like so many place names in Minnesota, one of St. Paul's main thoroughfares is of native origin.

How much is that reindeer in the window?

The College of Visual Arts has this display in their window but your eyes can play tricks on you if you don't stay focused.