Posts

We Had Whistles; They Had Guns

Image
As much as I can, I avoid using my blog to recount the endless provocations and destructive actions Trump and his administration are taking. I would rather spend my time writing about what these offenses mean to me and holding up a mirror to those who support this madness, hoping to appeal to their better angels. If there is a goal with a post like this, it's to help people see another perspective and, hopefully, to cause them to think outside the lines conservative media and conservative politicians would like them to remain in, in steadfast loyalty to them and their narrative. I recall learning about propaganda in middle school. I was fascinated by the thought of so many people being lied to and not realizing it. I never imagined it could take root here in the United States. We're too smart for that, or so I thought. But I lacked imagination. I lacked the understanding of what billions of dollars fed into a media conglomerate could do as they invited people to come for the he...
Post a Comment
Read more

Making Sense of Our World

Image
I don't always ride for my physical health; I ride for my mental health as well. My bikes and my walks are my escapes from the world and its problems. They're what I use to help sort out my thoughts, just as writing in my blog does.  I remember the exact stretch of highway I was riding, just east of Lydia on a beautiful Sunday morning in October 2008, when I stopped being owned by the Republican Party for my pro-life vote. I took it back. I had been contemplating the presidential endorsement Colin Powell gave Obama on Meet the Press a couple of hours earlier. It was a powerful endorsement and one I couldn't ignore. I made a conscious decision in that moment to open my mind to switching my support.  Before that morning, I had always been a reliable vote for conservatives, primarily because of reasons centered around abortion. But they were using me. Putting the issue of abortion aside, it became clear to me that I could no longer support a political party that was heavily we...
Post a Comment
Read more

So Long, CI

Image
I attended the official lighting ceremony for the Glowing Tree in Bloomington earlier this month. I was worried that the new version of the lighted oak wouldn't live up to years past, but it did. It's every bit as beautiful as it ever was, and likely even better. I spoke with one of the workers and one of the owners of the home where the tree resides. They said it took 40,000 lights and 160 man-hours to string the lights. I've included a video of the tree's lighting at the end of this post.  If you're in the Minneapolis metro area, you can find the tree less than a mile southwest of the Mall of America, just west of Cedar Ave. Here's a link . Our 17-year-old furnace began acting up when we turned it on last month. It was an ignition issue. The tech who came out to service it said the manufacturer no longer made parts for our Ruud furnace and that it would need to be replaced. Thankfully, the tech was able to get it working again, but cautioned us that it was a t...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Glowing Tree will Soon Glow Again

Image
Fifteen years ago, I set up a Facebook page called Glowing Tree in Bloomington , dedicated to a beautifully lit oak tree west of Cedar Ave and south of Old Shakopee Rd. The tree was lit each year from Thanksgiving through January 1st, but it went dark eleven years ago when it became more of an attraction than the owners were prepared for. I spoke with Bob Little then, the man who owned and maintained the tree. He said they were getting so many people driving through the neighborhood to get a closer look that it was becoming a nuisance for what used to be a quiet suburban street just southwest of the Mall of America. It was also a significant expense to maintain and operate, he said.  Who didn't love crossing the Cedar Ave bridge to look out across the marsh and take in the beauty of the tree shining brightly for all to see?  After the tree went dark, our holiday seasons seemed lacking in the years that followed, without the lighted tree that so many looked forward to seei...
Post a Comment
Read more

Faith Talk and More

Image
In December 1974, my dad's job took him—and what remained of our family at home (two younger brothers and our two pups, Mopsy and Toto)—to Pottstown, PA. My father allowed me to stay behind and finish my senior year of high school. I was a troubled kid, so I'm not sure why he placed any amount of trust in me. I had been actively using a variety of recreational drugs up to just a few months before this point (primarily speed, LSD, mescalin, etc), but I had stopped all of that activity after a frightening trip on LSD one night where I prayed to God that if I survived, I would straighten up. And I did.  My parents allowing me to remain behind felt like they were ready to be done raising me. While I was grateful not to have to uproot my life and move with them, I quietly harbored resentment about it for years. It felt like they had given up on me. I recall them stopping by the apartment they had rented for my sister and me on their way out of town—one last goodbye. As my dad and mo...
2 comments
Location: Lakeville, MN, USA
Read more

Chip Dipper and I'm Concerned

Image
Cliff turned 22 months old a couple of days ago and is already certified in chip dipping . He also let out an "oh shit!" recently. What will he do or say next? I have no idea, but the thought of what it may be makes me smile. The pups and I have been getting in lots of miles walking in our neighborhood and beyond. For now, we're averaging about 4 miles (6.4 km) a day, with 2 miles in the morning and 2 in the evening. Once the cooler weather sets in, we'll walk less. It's good therapy for my knee's rehab.  Like many others here and abroad, I'm saddened by what I'm witnessing happening to our country. We're being ruled by people who, at their core, are white supremacists. They've formed the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement by co-opting, to a large degree, the Christian church and have launched a Christian nationalist agenda using the Evangelical Church as its springboard. What's disturbing about it is the unholy alliance between the ...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Follow-Up and an Anniversary

Image
Tammy had a follow-up appointment last Friday with a member of her medical team to discuss the findings of an MRI she'd had done the previous week to check for any damage to her heart after her cardiac arrest event in August. We're happy to say that her heart shows no signs of damage. That was such great news to hear. The nurse practitioner we met with said, "You're a very lucky lady." We're relieved and thankful.  We paid a visit to the Lakeville police department a few weeks ago to inquire about meeting with the team that responded on the morning of Tammy's emergency, to determine a suitable time to meet the crew and express our gratitude. An officer we spoke with told us they were having an award ceremony for Officer Russel Spearman, the officer who first responded to our 911 call, the following Wednesday at the start of the shift. Officer Spearman knew nothing of the ceremony, nor did they tell him we would be there.  They had us wait just outside the ...
Post a Comment
Read more