From i to R

If I were superstitious or fatalistic I'd say that after my last post praising the glories of downtown Minneapolis, it was inevitable that something bad would happen to restore the balance. Turns out everything was waiting for me--including a bold thief who stole my iPad from my 10th floor cubicle while there were people working in the office, and I was downstairs getting a haircut.

I was sad. But it felt wrong to dwell on my loss. It's just an iPad after all--it's not like someone died. And I really did love that iPad, but my life revolved around it to perhaps an unhealthy extent. Maybe it's for the best.

Anyway forget that old thing because a week after the robbery I got a new toy! The Roland R-05 portable audio recorder is my new digital friend, and it is going to help me make podcasts. More to follow!

Where all the lights are bright

Even though I'm pleased as punch about my new job, one thing I was not excited about--at least at first--was working in downtown Minneapolis. It's just so far. Turns out, I've been having a lot of fun!

I park in Chaska and ride the Southwest Metro Transit express bus. These buses have wifi, comfy seats, even overhead compartments. I can nap. I can check emails. I can even read a book! It's half an hour to do whatever I want, which is an almost unimaginable luxury.

Before lunch I take a short walk around the skyways. It's fun to explore and it smells great. I realized during one of these walks that a lot of things I loved about living in Japan weren't magical and unique (although some of them were); they were just standard features of a vibrant, active city. I can't do anything about the commute time, but working downtown is now one of my favorite perks.

Everything's waiting for you