peevish mama

Sometimes I just can’t believe I live here.  I can’t believe everyone doesn’t live here.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:  I love Minneapolis.  I was walking around Lake Harriet today, grooving to some tunes and compulsively zipping and unzipping my parka for optimal temperature control when I saw something so adorable, I had to stop and stare, a huge grin on my face.  There was a guy on cross country skis who had lassoed himself to his dog.  The pooch was mushing for all he was worth and was actually going so fast that the guy lost all control and royally wiped out . . . snow and skis flying every which way.  The dog stopped immediately, turned around and waited patiently for his owner to get his shit together.  That’s when I noticed the dog was wearing a fleece vest.  This little duo typifies the particular breed who lives here.  Here’s a guy who wanted to take advantage of thesunnygorgeousfreezingcold day with his dog and decided to try something new . . . something potentially mutually enjoyable and exciting.  It took an idea, a little extra planning and time, and off they went.  It reminded me of the woman who bikes around with a tiny dog strapped to her chest.  The dog is totally stuck, legs splayed forward, but the look of ecstasy on its face says it all.

And today Doctor Dash and I were eating a little lunch, gazing out the window when we noticed some people were ice skating on the creek.  Back and forth they glided . . .  I felt like I had been air dropped into a Courier and Ives painting.  Again, these people could have gone skating anywhere – every neighborhood has its own park with its own rink, not to mention multiple groomed rinks on every lake.  But these people got a little idea, and decided to try this instead. They decided to forgo the warming houses and rubber mats and sit on the banks of the creek to strap on their skates.  Not the easiest option, but for them, today, the best.

Here’s to all the winter warriors who live and thrive in this fair white city.