Category: Personal
Strange and Wonderful
Krista found this card while we were in California, I think, and gave it to me in celebration of a comment in Art’s seminar on ethics (years ago) from Zoe regarding the particulars of my thought processes (paraphrased): “Your mind is a strange and wonderful place, but for the rest of us can you unpack that a bit?”
It’s difficult to do that, because I most often operate on feelings that tend to make leaps that are impossible to explain or retrace. My friend Kenny gave Krista a copy of his dissertation a couple of days ago, but was really hesitant to let me read it—but it was a huge gift to me. In the first chapter, there was a distillation of his thoughts that brought years of office conversations we had into sharp focus.
We’re both “visual rhetoric” guys that are not interested in interpreting visual artifacts. What we find interesting is the process that allows us to use vision as an epistemic tool for socialization. I have struggled for a long time to come up with a defensible rationale for that path, and Kenny has made a lot of progress not only in exploring it, but also in being able to discuss it. I’m really going to miss him, and will have to get over to visit him at his new home at Case Western.
Aurelio’s Pizza
Looking back now, it seems like my impression of the place isn’t much different from Aaron Landry’s. His review is what started me thinking about restaurant reviews in general, because his seemed more straightforward than most: decent background statement, simple choice of standardized menu items, and commentary that was not overly effusive. Nice.
What interested me most about the review was the fact that this was a place less than a mile from my apartment that I had never even heard of. Decent food in Roseville? What a concept! Then we went to the place. We ordered the same sort of thing we usually do—some sort of combination reasonably identifiable as the house pizza. It just plain sucked. The ingredients were less than fresh, the pizza was greasy, and huge chunks of bell peppers (which I detest on pizza) dominated the thing. How could two experiences be so far apart? I didn’t write anything then (months ago).
We vowed to go back, as Krista explained that most real food reviewers eat someplace at least three times before passing judgment. I can’t say that we’ve eaten there three times—just two—but the experiences (caused by our choice of item ordered) are radically different. Landry always orders a simple pepperoni or cheese pizza it seems; the second time, we just ordered a small pepperoni and mushroom.
Average White Band US Tour
“Taste of Minnesota” is pretty bland this year, with not much to talk about. There are pictures, though. I also got around to uploading the short video of November that I shot in Tulsa. The quality is not stellar, but it is fun to save little bits and pieces of things as they go by.
Automatic
We made it back to the Twin Cities around eleven last night after a 14 or so hour drive. It puzzles me that the first thing I wanted to do today was to get back in the car to get the stuff we needed around the house. For some reason, it just seems more natural to be moving instead of sitting still.
But the automatic nature of living here is slowly returning. I found myself taking only a third as much money out of the ATM. Living here is cheaper than being on the road, and there are no ATM fees. If I can just reprogram myself to being still though, it will be easier. The robot videos are apropos of nothing; I’ve just been collecting them for some reason.
Suckers n’ stuff
Just over a month ago, we were in Iowa. It was before the floods, and looking at the number of road closures I’m not really happy to go back just now. It’s hard to get any sort of traction because I have spent most of this year away from home. What starts as adventure can end up as tedium, if you overdose on it bad enough.
But Tom Waits does not tour frequently, and it seems worth it to brave the waters of Iowa to get to the Brady Theater in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Besides, there are unfinished family visits and the hope that maybe for a time life can be reasonably drama-free. Except for Tom, of course.
It’s been a glitter and doom kind of year.
Minnesota Zoo
Minnesota Zoo
Trying to make sense of it all
Well, you know I need a steam shovel mama to keep away the dead
I need a dump truck mama to unload my head
What does it mean “a volcano erupting?”
A good time to be home
It seems as if we really timed our arrival back in the Twin Cities just right. Too bad we’re too exhausted to enjoy it that much.