Journeys 3.1

Back in the classroom today. As usual, I’m impressed by the positive attitudes of the adult learners, including these sentences they created. The exercise was to build a sentence containing “crowd out,” “territory,” or “foreigner.”

At the U today, I popped into the Union for a bagel and couldn’t stop noticing things. Displeasure with ICE goes without saying, while the Iran War teach-in looks mighty interesting. That reference to uric output is an ad for a punk rock band. Meanwhile, the range of lifesaving devices has evolved since my student days, beyond the obligatory fire extinguisher. Now, there’s a “stop the bleed” kit, Narcan for overdoses, and a defibrillator.

Joined a rally as it was gathering here before the start of a Minneapolis School Board meeting. While there’s plenty to protest lately, this hits home. Proposed budget cuts include laying off 50% of adult education ELL teachers, including the teacher I work with. Chants included: “Save adult education” and “In Minneapolis, we show up for each other.”

It’s the classic snowbird’s lament: a cluster of medical appointments for us both immediately after returning to winter. Walked over to the U for labs, then headed to nearby Kinzō for some tonkotsu udon. Lab results trickled in as I slurped my comfort food.

On our Sunday walk, with temperatures climbing into the high fifties, yesterday’s snowy, monochromatic landscape had found some color. Here at Gold Medal Park the grass and trees are still a few weeks away from fully greening up.

Walked over to the farmers market on a fresh overnight dusting of snow, a reminder that winter isn’t finished and that local produce would be scarce. I carried home crusty bread straight from the baker, along with bacon sausages and lamb from a local farm for “Sausage Saturday” and a Sunday root vegetable braise.

Took the opportunity while Dwight was seeing a friend to grab a spicy lunch at a nearby Thai restaurant. A “Private Property” sign on the door explicitly forbids immigration enforcement on the premises. The City of Minneapolis estimates that since December, ICE agents have caused well over $100 million in economic damage to city businesses and workers afraid to go to work, while straining city resources.