I still can't figure out Minneapolis. Last night's showing of JUNO at the Uptown Theater was packed. The ten o'clock show started thirty minutes late because people kept streaming in. Of course, there was only one cashier, which created a bit of a bottleneck. A busy movie theater on an otherwise quiet night is a peculiar feature of Minneapolis. It's dark out, cold, most businesses are closed up, the streets and sidewalks are empty. It seems like there is nothing going on anywhere. But then you walk into some random restaurant, movie house, or music club, to discover that it's hoppin'. The energy level is up. You could be in New York. Minneapolis is a generally barren city full of small, disparate, pockets of activity.

The New Green Buses

On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, on my way out of town, I noticed one of Minneapolis's new electric hybrid buses. It was hard to miss. The largest bright green vehicle on the road. The side of the bus was adorned with the possibly redundant slogan: Go Greener. I was really excited, I said, "Wow, look at that bus. I can't wait to ride in one." But when I was in Madison, Wis. for the holiday I noticed hybrid buses going up and down State Street. And then I remembered that NYC had hybrid buses everywhere. This isn't actually cutting-edge technology. So, are these really the first hybrid buses in Minneapolis, or is this just a new publicity campaign?

Some basic rules to consider when using a Minneapolis bus.
1. It's impossible to run after a bus with grace and confidence. There will always be another bus. Running after a bus that has already shut its doors and begun to pull away from the curb will only erode your self-esteem.
2. Just because you enter the bus by the front door doesn't mean you have to leave by the front door. When I watch some one walk all the way from the back of the bus to the front of the bus to get off, I think, there has got to be some insane primal instinct kicking in. There should be signs on the bus that say: Leave Out The Back Door, Already.

This a representative photo showing the hustle and bustle of downtown Minneapolis. I took this while riding the six bus down Hennepin Avenue. The building in the picture is actually a parking garage. It has fake windows to make it look like a restuarant that is under renovation, or simply out of business.

A Rat with Wings Finds a Nest

This is bizarre. I've never seen a nesting pigeon before. This pigeon tried to keep it cool. But you can tell from the expression in its eyes that it knows it's trying to get away with something. It probably just accidentally landed in another bird's nest. Anyway, I saw this nesting pigeon on Hennepin Avenue, and immediately ran home to get my camera. Some people in New York call Pigeons Rats with Wings (the same people who call the ground, "the floor"). I don't think that's fair. Sure they flap around in your hair every once in a while, or get in your way on the sidewalk, or maybe even poop on you (which has only happened to me once). But they don't come into your house and gnaw holes in your box of Grapenuts. They don't scurry. They don't have pink, hairless tails.

The Problem With Books

I have a book problem. Here's a sample of books that I own that I still haven't read. These aren't even close to the top of my Books I Own & Still Need To Read list. Some of my more urgent reads? 1. New York Trilogy, Paul Auster 2. Young Hearts Crying, Dick Yates 3. Victory, Conrad 4. Moons of Jupiter, Alice Munro 5. Herzog, Saul Bellow. Plus I've got a half dozen books that I'm about half way through (Gotham, The World Is Flat, A Crown of Feathers, Dutch Shea Jr, and others). And still I visit the public library at least once a week. Is it possible that I spend just as much time looking for books to read as actually reading books? I'm currently reading Black Swan Green by Dave Mitchell. There isn't enough time to read everything I'd like to. I get the NYer every week and the Paris Review once every three months, and how about the hour I spent this morning reading the NY Times? My problem with books is just that I love them too much.

My room-mate's car nearly got stolen last night. Apparently the thiefs couldn't quite jump start it. The steering column has been wreched out of place. Every coffee shop in town seems to have a robbery story, from armed robbery to over night break in. It's strange. I started at a new coffee shop last week. And the first thing I was shown was footage from a surveillance camera of three men breaking into the back room and pilfering the safe. This was during business hours and the store was full of people. There's a strange crime wave going on. Is Minneapolis simply unconditioned to criminal activities? It definitely gets quite after dark. I rarely see cops. And I never see cops on foot. There just aren't enough people walking around. I've known several people who've been mugged. I guess you're an easy target if you're the only person on the sidewalk.

This has nothing to do with Minneapolis, but I picked up the new New Pornographers album after deciding in advance that I wasn't going to get it. I bought their last record, Twin Cinema, and barely listened to it. I thought, do I really need more of the same? More (obnoxiously?) tight, super frenetic pop songs? But I had a chance to listen to Challengers in the store, and well, I liked it. The new record is sweeter, there's a little more breathing room, I guess. And I'm a sucker for Neko. On a related note that does have to do with Minneapolis, I'm getting impatient for a good Minneapolis band to come out with a new record. I find myself prowling the record stores pouring through the local stuff hoping to find something cool. I picked up a bunch of promising stuff this past winter (Mouthful of Bees, Winter Blanket, Signal to Trust, and even Ela. Though Ela's actual record, compared to a live show, is pretty flat). So my question is, where're all the good bands at?

Minneapolis' Brass Rail Bar (in that old, narrow building on Hennepin Avenue that looks like it's about to cave in out itself) makes an appearance in the liner notes of the new Okkervil River record. So does the Crystal Corner Bar in Madison, Wis (where I saw Rob Krieger of the Doors perform when I was sixteen). Okkervil River is not a MPLS band, they're from Austin, Tex. When I first breezed through the liner notes, I assumed that the photos were of Austin. But what do I know? The last song on the record also references a Washington Avenue bridge (and, actually, the Brass Rail).

I find myself yelling at motorists whenever I walk around uptown. I don't know if this is a sympton of road rage, a personality flaw, or a normal human reaction-called fear-to being in the path of an accelerating two-ton vehicle. Last week, I yelled at an entire family as I crossed Lagoon. It was a mom and three kids, and they turned onto Lagoon as I was trying to cross. All their windows were down, and the kids stared up at me as I said, "I really appreciate this!" And I thought, what's the hurry? I'm the one walking. You're traveling at 30 mph, and you don't even have to stand up to do it. Why not hold on a second so I can get across the street safely? But nope, I was duly ignored. And recently I yelled at a guy who was driving in the bike lane downtown on Hennepin Avenue (not the first time I've see this). I was stopped on my bike at a stop light, and when I looked behind me there was a guy in a purple trans-am, windows down, his newly implanted hair strands undulating in the breeze, and totally happy with himself for taking advantage of this extra lane that other drivers seemed oblivious to. I said, "hey, this is the bike lane!" and he ignored me. We met up again a block later at the next stop light. By this time he'd moved over to the bus lane (a single lane buses use to travel in the opposite direction). I pedaled next to him, and told him he was in the wrong lane. Of course he knew he was in the wrong lane, and continued to ignore me. I repeated myself many times: "Yo, man, that lane is not for cars." As the light changed he turned to me and said, "Give it a break." I'm not sure what I hoped to accomplish by giving him a hard time, except to let him know I was mad that he was making my life a little harder. Maybe if he'd apologized or hadn't been driving the purple trans am (too fucking audacious, it even sparkled like motorcycle helmets from the 70's), I would've been more forgiving. I felt like he was infringing upon my right to bike safely in downtown Minneapolis. As I pedaled away, I uttered the requisite "fuck you." I didn't feel totally satisfied with this exchange. I'd been happy and now I was mad. But then, a moment later, I passed a cop car. I pointed back at the lane offender, still in the bus lane. I don't necessarily like siccing the cops on people, but I couldn't help myself. "We see him," the cop behind the wheel said (he probably saw the guy the whole time he'd been stopped at the light. And probably the guy had seen the cops the whole time, too). Ultimately, I'd rather not exchange words with motorists. It's not entirely civil. And how long until someone gets out of his (or her?) car and beats me up?

What you doin' up here walking?

Here's a picture of the pedestrian bridge that crosses over 94. With our skyline in the background. I have a problem with I-94. I know it's convenient and easy, but isn't there something a little insane about a freeway in the middle of town? Who's idea was this? Probably the same guy who decided to scrap the street cars. Robert Moses, perhaps? There's a poem by John Ashberry on this bridge, which is a nice (and surprising) touch. But the poem doesn't change the fact that, considering the size and ferocity of the roadway below, the pedestrian bridge seems like an after thought. Instead of the half coherent words of John Ashberry, a message like: "Sucka! What you doin' up here walking for?" would probably be more appropriate. I have a crazy dream. I'd like to see the pedestrian become the basic unit of the Twin Cities and not the automobile.

This Could Be The Middle of Nowhere

This is a signature Minneapolis move. Obviously this used to be a fast food joint. Now it's Uptown's premier breakfast joint. There's a thai place down the street that's done the same thing. It's kind of ridiculous. But I like it. And isn't it cheaper to slap on a new coat of paint, block off the old drive-thru, and stick up a new sign then to tear the whole thing down and start over? Anyway, I'm not complaining. I've decided to appreciate Minneapolis's lack of refinement. It's like admitting that you prefer Aerosmith over the Rolling Stones. You understand that the Roling Stones have put out some rock n' roll masterpieces (every album, really, from '68 to '81), but you just find Permanent Vacation to be a really, really enjoyable record (this isn't a perfect analogy, but I'm going to stick with it). That's how I feel about Minneapolis. It's no masterpiece but I still like it. It's an enjoyable place to be. Right? Also, why aren't there any skyscrapers in Uptown?

Last night I watched a documentary called Word Play, about crossword puzzles and about the man, Will Shortz, who edits them for the NY Times. The guys in the movie could finish a puzzle in two minutes. Of course I couldn't even wait for the movie to finish before I ran to the table in the dinning room where the Sunday Times was scattred, looking for the crossword puzzle. I Couldn't come close to finishing it. I'm not a person who is naturally inclined to do puzzles. I think I lack a certain amount of curiousity. I spent about 45 minutes working on the puzzle today (Monday is the easiest day). I eventually decided that I didn't need to (or, just couldn't) fill in every box. It looked so easy in the movies.

Biking in MPLS

What would happen if MPLS had more official bike lanes? There's the Greenway, which is great as long as you're going East to West. But there aren't very many places that people can bike safely and comfortably. It's asually a harrowing experience. At times, death-defying. The nice thing about bike paths-the Greenway, for instance-is that though you must be aware and attentive, you don't have to be unrelentlessly aggressive. If I rode my bike as casually as the average car driver, I'd be dead by now. This isn't entirely the fault of the driver (except for the fact that he or she chose to take the car). Bikers don't share the road with cars, they bike on the street and hope for the best. There are arrows on Bryant Avenue (that remind me of the speed boosters from the old Nintendo game Excite Bike) and a lame reminder to "share the road with bikes." There's a bike lane downtown along Hennepin Avenue which bizarrely disappears around 12th Street. But no serious, efficient lanes for a person who'd like to use his or her bike as a means of cheap transportation. Holland, of course, is famous for its bikes. There's the sidewalk, there's the street for cars and then there's a separately paved lane for bikes. And the NY Times recently reported on a plan in Paris to reduce car congestion with self-service bicycle docking stations and more cycling paths. Maybe we could take bicycling more seriously in Minneapolis? As stated in the NY Times article, "'This is about revolutionizing urban culture,' said Pierre Aidenbaum, mayor of Paris's trendy third district, which opened 15 docking stations on Sunday. 'For a long time cars were associated with freedom of movement and flexibility. What we want to show people is that in many ways bicycles fulfill this role much more today.'" We don't necessarily have to do anything revolutionary, but Minneapolis is pretty flat, with nice straight roads. Whenever I'm on my bike I think, Minneapolis would be an ideal city for getting around by bike if it weren't for all the cars.

Last day in New York. Yesterday was a busy tourist day for me. So far I've had some lazy days in Brooklyn. Going to the coffee shop downstairs, going to the soccer field for quesadillas, drinking coffee at the soap shop. But yesterday I went into the city and wore myself out. I had a double cheeeseburger and a single scoop of frozen custard at the Shake Shake in Madison Square park for breakfast, I picked up a couple magazines from B & N at Union Square (Zoetrope's All Story and the Atlantic summer fiction issue). Browsed the Virgin Mega store for a while. Then walked down Broadway to Other Music and picked up Jaylib's Sound Champion, the Elvis Perkins record (which I haven't listened to yet) and, for my younger sister, a nine minute ep by Vampire Weekend. I went to see Rescue Dawn, walked around SoHo, drank a cup of coffee in Washington Square Park, and finally ate dinner at a fish and chips place on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. I did a bunch of other stuff, too. At the end of the day, though, I felt like the whole point of the outing was just to look at girls.

Brooklyn By Bus

This vehicle gets you in and out of the neighborhood. Reminds me of Minneapolis. Get your seat by the window, hope no one sits next to you. I took this bus to a donut shop in Greenpoint this morning. The donuts were great (I got 1 honey dip, 1cream filled and 1 glaze donut with chocolate and sprinkles) but the bus ride was even better. I brought along a copy of Saul Bellow's Herzog but just kept it on my lap for the whole ride. Only two dollars for an hour long tour of Brooklyn. No tour guide though, unless you count the driver occasionally calling out the stops.

Abandoned Baby Head in Red Hook

Found this baby head by a pier in Red Hook. Its eyes were milky blue (rheumy?) and the plastic skull was filled with water-which I discovered after I kicked it. According to a recent NY Times article, the average New Yorker throws out several more pounds of garbage per day than the rest of the country. That's because the average New Yorker obviously can't tell the difference between treasure and trash. The baby head ended up stuck on the front of a bike, eyes facing up toward the handle bars, as a practical joke. I don't know how funny it will be to the bike owner, but it seemed like the right thing to do.

In NYC

This is an Uptown Minneapolis blog. But I'm not in Minneapolis right now. I'm in New York City. I don't really know what's going on in Minneapolis. Two nights ago, I saw the free Spoon show at Batter City Park. I knew that Battery Park City was different than the Battery-the tip of Manhattan-but when I met my friend in TriBeCa I expected to hike downtown for the show. Instead we just walked a few blocks west along Chambers street. The Spoon was show good. The band was well rehearsed. They didn't let any of their fans down. I was caught in a down pour before hand and my shoes and socks were soaked. I kind of hoped the show would be cancelled. I've been working/hanging out at a soap shop in Brooklyn. Essentially trying to figure out my life. I left Minneapolis two weeks convinced that I was never going back. Now, I'm starting to miss MPLS. I guess you just get used to a place. When I was in Minneapolis, I focused on all the problems (the car culture, the vacant streets and sidewalks, the early nights, the weird crime problem). I'm excited to return to Minneapolis for another year and make it work. My roommate told me that you either have to accept Minneapolis for what it is, or leave.