Love This City!
Minneapolis is just gorgeous. Isn’t it?
I nearly lived by Loring Park when I first moved up here almost 9 years ago, but I ended up in the suburbs instead… *sigh*
Also? I’d really like a DSLR. A Nikon D60 (with a 35mm f/1.8G AF-S lens) would be just fine, and it’d only cost about… $700..? *doublesigh*
Because I already bike to work.
So, I joined the 2009 Commuter Challenge at work on Saturday. I didn’t join last year, or the year before, etc. because I already bike to work 95% of the time, when there’s no snow anyway. Basically, I already do it, so why sign a piece of paper? But, this year… this year I didn’t get to say “No, thanks” to the 40yr old woman. Nope. Instead, I was faced with that woman’s 10yr old daughter, so I ended up caving with an “Ok, why not” instead. That’s a cheap stunt right there – getting the young generation to guilt ya, heh. *chuckle*
As much as I’d dig winning a prize, I’ll feel a little guilty if I do, since I’m not actually changing my (already decent) transportation habits, and the whole point is to get people thinking of ways they can change their habits, right?
Affordable vs. Comfortable
We did a bunch of apartment hunting today. The place we were really looking forward to seeing ended up being more expensive than we hoped it would be. On their website they mentioned “one free month”, but they won’t pro-rate that savings over the length of the lease. Also, they only have one laundry room and it’s waaaaay too far from the available apartments. So yeah, it’s pretty much out of the running despite it’s gorgeous location and all the “extras” it offered.
We looked at two additional places that ended up being much higher on our “maybe” list. One is walking distance to my work, which is amazing for me, but it has very few amenities and is a little bit small at 950sqft. However, the price is right… only $900/month with heat included.
The other? It’s about 3 miles farther away from my work, when compared to where we live now, which might make biking less appealing. It’d likely turn my 20-25min ride into more of a 45min ride. It’d be fantastic exercise, but it’d also leave me a sweaty mess upon arrival. If I decide to take the bus instead, it’d be difficult for me to get home on the weekends without rearranging my work schedule. But, it’s larger, at 1000sqft, and has a washer and dryer in-unit. And an indoor pool, fitness room, and underground parking. However, it’s also $978/month, and you have to pay for your own gas/heat.
I dunno. Maybe I overestimate the effect of the price difference, especially considering the more expensive option is 3 miles closer to work for Jon, which means less gasoline. And we wouldn’t be using quarters for laundry, which would be nice. I can’t help but wonder though, will I get enough value out of the amenities to make up for the extra long commute? I’m not sure I would. *sigh* It’s tough though, because I know how much Jon would love to live there.
I wish this was easier!
City Night Life.
My belly dance class this session is in Minneapolis, in the Lowry Hill neighborhood. By the time class gets out, it’s somewhat late. Bars are open and some people have polished off more than a couple. While waiting at my bus stop to go back home to the suburbs, I’m almost sure to see someone interesting… or they’ll see me.
It’s hard to describe the guy who decided I’d be his entertainment for a few minutes last night. It’s possible he was homeless, but it’s also possible that he just didn’t prefer bathing. I didn’t bother to ask. He stopped me and asked if I was an ex-service person, probably because I was half-practicing the choreography I’d just learned at class and under my heavy coat it may have looked like I was doing some kind of drill. Of course, I made the mistake of answering and being cordial, so he decided we should chat until my bus came. There were other people at the bus stop though, and the intersection is pretty well lit, so whatever. I didn’t mind listening to him babble a bit.
The thing was, after a while, he wanted to know my story. I didn’t have an answer for him. I could tell him what I do for a living, and what I spend time on, but I couldn’t tell him “who” I am, other than to say that I’m a daughter, sister, and wife. Now, I know who I am, but I can never seem to put it into words that sound the way I want them to. *shrug* Anyway, it was an interesting experience and it certainly got me thinking. Maybe someday I’ll find the words.
Purses
I’m not a particularly girl-y lady, but I have managed to obtain a couple of intriguing purses over the years. What can I say? I really like odd, out-of-the-mainstream things. Also, I tend avoid leather bags and purses for some reason. Heh, it’s probably my last remaining habit from the 3ish years I attempted to be a vegetarian in college. Anyway, my favorite purse is my Owl.
I found him at the Loring Park Art Festival a couple of years ago. He’s big enough to fit all the stuff I need to drag with me, but not so big as to get in the way when I’m bustling around town. He’s also a lot lighter than the prettiest purse I own, which is made of galvanized steel. Jon originally crafted the chainmaille purse to sell on Ebay (this was well before Etsy existed) but due to the costly labor involved in making it, and the expensive shipping due to it’s weight, he wasn’t able to make a sale at an appropriate price. So, I snagged it for my own! It’s a riot to bring it out to Renaissance Festivals. Everyone thinks it’s really cool, and well, it IS really cool. So, what kind of purses/purse habits do you have? Are you a designer fiend? Do you prefer handmade goodness? Share photos if you’ve got ‘em!
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