Wednesday, May 15th

DIY Pizza, photo by Michael McKinney

With Farmers Markets opening and spring already turning into summer, (yesterday the temperature spiked to over ninety degrees), the Minneapolis lakes have opened, the winds have become more formidable and the lack of mild weather has changed to more severe and unpredictable patterns.  Last Saturday I bicycled to the Saint Paul Lowertown Farmer's Market and spoke with another cyclist who had just been caught out in a brief hailstorm, though I later saw MPR news reported the brief hail was more of a Graupel.  Whatever, ice cubes from the sky, I say hail.
I made a pizza with some asparagus, Feta cheese, brocoli, and tried to discern the difference between tomato paste and tomato

Cranberry / Walnut Bread, Photo by Michael McKinney

Lake Calhoun, Photo by Michael McKinney

 sauce, but they seemed both to be palatable.  I followed that up with making bread on monday night, two yeast-risen loaves made with organic flour, walnuts and cranberries.  I lacked a sweetener though, so I used a cup and a half of confectioners sugar, some almond extract and a teaspoon of cardamom.

After riding and blogging about the half-century last week, a ride out to Stillwater seemed appropriate.  The route I took utilized half of the Gateway trail, then wound past Lake Jane to County Road 12, then a rapid descent on Myrtle street to downtown, and a rapid ascent up Chilkoot hill to Chestnut street.

I stopped in at Chilkoot Cafe, a bicycle shop and bakery / cafe located across the street from The Bikery, another bike shop and bakery / cafe.  Although I worked at The Bikery in 2008-2009, I don't frequent either establishment enough to have become cynical of their products or their clientele.  The lemon bread tasted like it had been made with Meyers lemons grown from the tears of unicorns.  Simply that good.

Red Earthen Ware, Green and Bisqued, Photo by Michael McKinney

I am including a review from Goodreads I wrote about a book called The Imperfectionists, concerning a failing English newspaper in Rome, Italy.  It's not a bad book, and doesn't have any limiting factor to its success other than being a bit esoteric.  If you really enjoy the thought of living by a deadline, and being pursued by editors for some jingoistic malaise on the human condition, it might be right up your alley.

The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The newspaper industry is dangerous to Basset Hounds.  Because the internet is dangerous to the newspaper industry.  Therefore, Basset Hounds invented the internet.

I didn't get much from this novel, just some anecdotes about journalism, the vainglorious lifestyles of foreign correspondents, some mild hedonism and a blatant disregard for reporting accuracy in favor of manipulating the public at their won expense.  Does a certain politician pose a threat to your industry?  Why not punish that person with disreputable articles?  Punish them first with fallacy, and again with the truth.  Make their honest and best work seem underhanded and duplicitous by misinterpreting their words and actions.
That is what journalism is about, selling copy.
Making money.
Creating furor in order to pull back the layers of deception and reveal...journalism.


View all my reviews

Finally - I don't want to speak too soon, but if it's one thing I've learned about cycling the Minneapolis Lakes, don't go the wrong way.  Folks are really serious about the unidirectional signals for each lake.  A couple of years ago I almost got clotheslined by an irate Rollerblader.

Half Century

This being the first week since the spring Equinox that hasn't had an unprecedented snowfall, and the Specialized Allez, with a new double crank was staring at me, taunting, almost daring me to get out and ride, I spent yesterday on a three hour tour around Lake Minnetonka, via the Geenway and the Luce Line.  The ride was great - no technicals, no flats, other riders getting out and knocking off the last of winter's grip were in good spirits and a light wind from the SouthEast emboldened me at the start and humbled me at the finish.  Like a good drink.

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Since re-configuring the Allez, I've been riding it around town as I still don't own a car, and riding safely is less expensive and less restricting than buying bus passes.  That being said, I spent some time on tuesday at a sewing studio in Minneapolis patching a pair of jeans.  A friend has been bartering her skills and artistry, (trading pottery and bread for her time), in order to keep me from appearing too raggorous.  Raggedy.  Comprised of rags.  I guess the term is "Distressed".
Here are a couple of photos of that project, including the distressed jeans, before and after being patched, again.

Photo by Michael McKinney, at Sewtropolis

Photo by Michael McKinney, at Sewtropolis

Photo by Michael McKinney, Hamline Avenue bridge

Photo by Michael McKinney, Como Lake

Photo by Michael McKinney