Blowing & Drifting

It’s been a while since I posted some good kid quotes, and since I’m going to miss the girls a lot while I’m attending my grandfather’s funeral in the U.P., I thought I’d post a few from the last couple weeks: Genevieve, disagreeing with me: “You don’t know the truth, big man.” Julia: “Tomorrow for [...]

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So I called him when I was a little boy, to distinguish him from my dad’s dad, “Cow Grampa.” I’ll write more about “Hub” Jauquet later, but here’s his obituary. He was a tough guy, one of a kind. Herbert “Hub” Francis Jauquet, 89 of Channing, Michigan passed away on August 24, 2010 at ManorCare Health [...]

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This is a video camera: This is a video camera in the hands of a four-year-old. Genevieve calls this “My Laughter Box is Full.” My Laughter Box is Full from Christopher Tassava on Vimeo.

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On Friday night, the girls played some more “monkey in the middle,” which they call “Ball Thief.” Here are 23 seconds of them are in action: Ball Thief from Christopher Tassava on Vimeo.

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There really are twin ruts in this road, but this is a funny sign anyhow.

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A classic sign at the wonderfully-named “Middle Spunk Lake” rest area on I-94 north of the Cities.

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Today was beyond hot – for southern Minnesota. The air temperature was up over 90°F for a good part of the day and the heat index was up over a 100°F for even more of it, while the relative humidity was in the upper 70% range and the dew point was well over 80°F for [...]

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Five musical things that have made me happy lately: 1. Listening to the Argentine jazz pianist Guillermo Klein’s new album, Domador de Huellas. The album can be streamed for free on NPR until the official release on the 10th, and it’s worth the time. Klein is a great player. 2. Rediscovering Sleater-Kinney. Such a freaking great [...]

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The Betsy-Tacy road trip was a huge hit.* We spent the better part of four hours touring the beautiful (tiny!) houses, walking the neighborhood, and picnicking in the same park where Betsy, Tacy, and Tib picnicked. The girls were great – curious about the oddities in the houses (a sewing machine! old-fashioned telephones!), patient on [...]

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I went to my first game at the Twins’ new Target Field on Wednesday – a noon game against Cleveland. The Twins won, 6-0, on some good pitching (especially by the closer, Anthony Slama, who made his major-league debut in the ninth) and good hitting. That was good, but the stadium was great: excellent views [...]

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The hardest stage of each Tour de France is called the “Queen Stage.” Tomorrow’s Stage 17 – a 174km (108 mile) run from Pau to the Col du Tourmalet in the French Pyrénées – is suitably regal and brutal – more Bloody Mary than Good Queen Bess. I can’t wait to see the action.

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The girls love to do mad-lib style stories that I start by writing a few incomplete sentences and they finish by filling in my blank spots. Julia’s tend to be almost reportorially matter of fact, but Vivi’s are often pretty Dada. A case in point: Translation (with her additions in quotes): One ‘morning,’ I went [...]

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10:30 p.m. Vivi moans in her bed. “Woofy! I need Woofy!” She’s dropped the tiny plastic toy dog that she keeps clenched in her left hand (almost) all night. This happened just a few minutes ago, so I run upstairs and go into the nursery, hoping to get to her before the moaning wakes up [...]

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After a long gravely ride today, I’m even more certain that I must do this race: the Almanzo 100, a hundred-mile event held on gravel roads just about fifty miles south of Northfield. The 2011 edition will be held on Saturday, May 14. From the Ground Up from Chris Skogen on Vimeo.

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A few hours of tornado warnings are a small price to pay for clouds like these. I stood and watched for twenty minutes as this mass altered its shape, discharged lightning from one layer to another, changed its color, and looked generally amazing.

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