First of all this is really just a bunch of poppycock. You don’t need any of this stuff to enjoy real maple syrup at home. In 2015 I had done a cook very shortly after some very heavy sap collecting days. This yielded the lightest syrup I had ever made, so Jessi encouraged me to enter it in the Minnesota State Fair competition.

Maple Syrups
Light Amber Maple, far right

It was fun and I’d like to improve on my process a little, but doing these things by no means should preclude you from enjoying real maple syrup.

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I’m excited about the prospects of a safer Osborne Rd. For the record I am for the 3 lane conversion the most of the proposed options. If the county were to mill and overlay tomorrow, this is a great low/no cost way to drastically increase safety and accessibility.

However, I feel this particular study does not draw from other cities past experience well enough. At the study meeting it was mentioned that the city of Crystal lamented that they did not do the 3 lane option for the full length of the roadway. I see the same sort of trepidation here.

Road Speed

Why not lower the speed limit to 30MPH? Residents in attendance at the meeting were obviously concerned about the speed as they’re asking for more enforcement. The real answer to enforcement is self-enforcement and the road diet would provide that. But why not lower the speed limit to 30? The odds of a pedestrian fatality at 40MPH is two times of that at 30MPH – and lets face it, travelers on a 35MPH road are going to be driving 40MPH.

36th Ave in New Hope
36th Ave in New Hope

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I like to tell the joke on bike to work day, “I’d ride my bike to work, but my wife doesn’t like it when I ride in the house.” I have worked remotely (at home) for several companies for the better part of 7 years. I consider myself an adept remote worker. When a friend of mine offered me to work with him, you’d think I’d think twice about the set-up.

Go into the office? Why?!? Well, first of all, going into the office is optional, I can still work from home. But I can also get away from any home distractions, which are surprisingly few as I’ve managed them over the years. However, I like the in-person conversations I’ve missed over the last 7 years.

Working from Home via The Oatmeal

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After buying a 2nd hand TC5 chassis for VTA racing, I had a leftover HPI RS4. Rather than letting it collect dust, I asked Jules if he’d like to invite his cousin Reese to go racing with us, of course the answer was yes. We had an extra unpainted Mini Cooper body and I was able to load it up the unused chassis with super-cheap electronics like a silver-can motor for $4 and brushed ESC for $10.

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Before I moved to Salt Lake City to cement my relationship with Jessi, we courted. It was fun because every other month or so I’d fly to Salt Lake or Jessi would fly to Minneapolis. We would give each other the tourist treatment. I’d take Jessi to worthwhile hotspots in Minneapolis, and she’d give me glimpse into her world in trade.

Possibly as a useful introduction to her grandfather, Jessi invited me to go with her and her grandpa to the Genealogy Library in Salt Lake City. Jessi’s grandpa Robert is actually a freelance family researcher.

Robert “Bob” Vandegrift is a consummate professional. He provided custom documentation record worksheets to record our findings, as we worked our way through the census records and other documentation. He’s helped settle several cases to correctly determine family heirs. It was a great way to meet a potential family member and learn what their passion is.

The genealogy library is one of the most unique amenities available in Salt Lake City, I encourage anyone who has the opportunity to visit. You take several hours and dig into just one branch of your family tree. Continue reading