…or is 1st avenue still a little strange on a bike? The street changes have been around for a while now, but I can’t seem to enjoy riding between parked cars and the curb. Most people are conscious getting out of the drivers side (well, some people are). But most individuals aren’t exactly aware of bikers from the passenger side. The first time I was riding down this stretch, 2 doors almost clipped me. And if you’ve ever been down here, you know there isn’t much swerving room.
*Sidenote* While I was taking this picture, another group of bikers were behind me complaining about the new set up. One of them explained to me that she was actually pushed by a car who tried to drive in the bike lane.
Maybe it will take people a little longer to get used to–but for now I’ll detour it.

I think this next item is really cool, Bob Collins and Mary Lucia have put their 5:15 segment online. I know with many folk Bob and Mary can inspire a love’em or hate’em situation, well you can put me in the love’em camp.
MPR News Cut: Fresh Eye on the Radio
Give it a listen.

*Update*Speaking of MPR,if you haven’t seen David Brauer’s, of Minnpost, piece on MPR Executive Pay check it out, especially the comments.

While Secrets of the City has art The Affair
AND
scandalOnline Protest Promotes Viewer Interaction

Citypages trys to help out Snoop, who was in town last night, with Advice for Snoop Dogg on getting high in the Twin Cities

My only advice to the Snoop Dogg would be don’t exhale, but I’ll bet he knows that already.

Since Crazy stays crazy

I’ll close it out with: Smart went crazy

Thanks to everyone who came out and ran in the Monster Dash. The weather was cold, somewhat snowy and windy. I guess the added layers of costumes helps out in some ways. The best costume was probably the bearded Forrest Gump running. The 1/2 marathon results are as follows: Mens-  Joseph Radosevich 1:14:15. And the women’s – Nancy Buselmeier 1:27:28. We look forward to the Polar Dash on January 1st!

Bike Jerks is putting on the Track or Treat (fixed gear only). Alley Cats are always fun, but doing it on Halloween night should be redonkulous.

And if that doesn’t tickle your fancy, check out Team Orthos’ Monster Dash 1/2 marathon, 10 mile and 5k at Lake Harriet this Saturday. Afterwards, there will be a party (21+) at the convention center.

Wright County authorities are investigating an underground teenagers’ fight club in Monticello that sent at least one fighter to the hospital a week ago.

“We’ve heard of fights before, but nothing organized like this, where they put a video on YouTube,” said Lt. Todd Hoffman, a Wright County sheriff’s deputy. “We just want to put a stop to it before somebody is severely injured.”

A clip of the fight, subsequently taken down, was briefly posted online, he said.

I thought kids these days were raised to believe that everyone is a winner?

Terry Straub
Program Coordinator
University of Minnesota Extension
Hennepin County Master Gardener Program
479 Prairie Center Drive
Eden Prairie, MN   55344-5378
P:  612.596.2130
F:  952.828.7280
Preferred E-mail at:  strau097@umn.edu
Hennepin County Master Gardener Hotline:  612.596.2118

Become a Master Gardener!  Applications are now on-line at www.hcmg.umn.edu.

“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”  Marcus Tullius Cicero

Well come to St.Paul and enjoy Concrete and Glass a three day music festival that is my favorite price, FREE! It has a little of everything: classical, hip hop, rock, there’s even a cello and drum quartet.

If that doesn’t float your boat you can always check out Solid Gold at the Turf Club on Saturday, I hear they’ll be playing new material.

Just to get you in the mood for some Mn music, here’s the lovely Dessa and friends.

What’s in your shuffle?

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Enger Tower is an 80-foot (24 m), five-story blue stone observation tower atop Enger Hill in Duluth, Minnesota.[1] The tower is at an elevation of 451 feet (137 m) above Lake Superior, providing panoramic views of the Twin Ports. Each of the tower’s levels has a lookout that is accessible by stairs. A green beacon mounted on top of the tower can be seen for many miles.

MPR reports

a close look reveals trouble. A stone bench on the first level is all but gone — reduced to a few rocky shards jutting from the tower’s side. City Architect Terry Groshon points to the hole in the tower roof, where rain and fog creep through on Duluth’s colder days and to a nearby steel rail that’s half-eaten by rust. Water gets into the cracking masonry, freezes, and pops the rock and concrete out. Some people pick at the loosening stones … He doesn’t have a price tag yet, but he thinks it would take a couple hundred thousand dollars to patch it up for another decade, and over a million dollars to do it right

As a child Enger Tower was one of my favorite places to picnic and I try and make it there at least once a year. The views really are spectacular and I hope the city finds a way to fix this amazing landmark.

If you’re heading to Duluth then Enger Tower is a must visit and not just for the views from the tower. The surrounding park is beautiful and the drive along Skyway Road is breathtaking.

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Minnpost reports

A record-setting crowd visited the 2009 Minnesota State Fair’s opening day Thursday. Minnesota Public Radio captured a portion of those 114,439 people from a video camera setup near its stage at the Fair and sped up the time from opening to closing to make this 20-second video.

So you know, go get something on a stick.


(What is the dude at 1:27 up to?)

I hear Summit has beer on a stick this year. I’d like to see you drink a day’s worth of that in twenty seconds.

Seriously, do it, send me your video.

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