(no subject)

[vicarz]

Minneapolis was really nice. First, the hotel was insanely nice. I was so in love with the bathroom, with the giant clear-glass bowl for a sink - before I saw the 5 nozzle jets in the glass-encased shower - I already wanted to redo my house or move into one that was as nice. The lobbies were gorgeous and high-ceilinged. The bar was packed every night.

Our offices were incredible. They're in the Butler building, which I hear was a coal (or cold?) storage building in the industrial history of the city. The brick outside is classic - inside there are giant wooden beams holding the place together with a large cavernous inside which someone hung a glider in for some reason. Offices generally face either an outside window or an inside window, and throughout the building are wooden beams, giant metal bolts, and exposed brick. It's like living in a loft, only at work. The cost of living is lower there, notably the price of drinks.

Bars? There were bars everywhere we went - for some reason even the frat bars had Ikea's wet dream for furniture, including glass liquor shelves that had slowly changing lighting (so the liquor was constantly changing color).

Minneapolis had bike lanes like in DC, only people were really using them. Lots of people - it was NORMAL to use your bike in Minneapolis. There were a surprising number of very fit people everywhere I looked - granted I was in the downtown area, but it seemed like besides the many runners and bikers that there was a far more fit population % as a whole than around here. There were solar panels and a good ratio of trees/grass to buildings. My current theory is that with a city that experiences an ice age 6 months out of the year they are more attuned to the environment than many other parts of the country.

I think I could live with their politics - Jesse was a decent official, Al Franken is running out there? There is a huge out gay scene and weirdos are not stared at.

I met some DC friends there, and we toured the cite of the former flour mills and some original hydroelectric power plants. They've made the old cites historic, and the industrial buildings remaining were turned into lofts and theatre / galleries. We also hit a LOVELY little coffee bar that made murky look like starbucks - it was the Oscar Wilde place. The place was high-ceilinged and classic, with gorgeous well-worn antiques throughout.

I uh...missed hanging out with my work fellows the last night I was there - wish I had gone. I wish this even though two married fathers "left their rings in the hotel." I've seen these two dudes, both large and athletic, really work crowds and it's kind of amazing to me. I am really feeling my lack of social skills, and am fascinated by the fact the guys just walk up to strangers and engage them in conversation. I understand when they hit salsa night at prince's club they really worked the dancing crowd. One guy rejected a girl that was hot but not as good a dancer as he, the other guy simply counted how many breasts and asses he "palmed." I've seen him work - and it's true, he really does casually drop hands in intimate places in a natural way (I guess - he does not get smacked). While gross, it's really bizarre how normal that seems to large pieces of the population. The woman playing dudes are both married parents and church-goers...On the other hand, the bar around the corner that was open to the air on the 4th floor or so, with the lit glass tables, was full of white haired men with hot women in their 20s (do the math - you know they were). But while I don't like or respect that scene, it would be nice to be able to engage strangers and have a fun time (or at least interesting) in strange cities since I travel so much.

Me, I went to the Dave & Buster's equivalent, alone, and found out that I really don't like new video games one bit. I had all-you-could-play for only $10, but left after an hour or two - despite drinks - because the games were so dull to me. Didn't help that it looked like date night - I don't mind being alone at all, but when virtually everyone else is in couples it kinda starts to feel weird.

Work is funny - it kind of sucks, but by comparison I'm feeling much better about it. Many friends are going through work hell right now, and I'm happy to be employed and doing ok. I'm still learning my job, and trying to appreciate the benefits I have (WAH for instance). We had an incident in town - part of the reason for being there was training in the new labor-mgt contract, but we also, DUE TO MORALE BEING IN THE TOILET, had "team-building." Oddly, after our team-building day, my former boss publicly berated one of my coworkers in front of his peers. She's the reason I was looking for a job about a year.5 ago. He was a marine for 6 years, and said this shit was just unacceptable. Mgt appears ready to do something about it, but they've failed to address her for so many years I have no faith in that prospect. My bitch problem has made some improvement, but now she's in charge of trying to "groom" the bitch who just publicly berated the marine - talk about the blind leading the blind. So I appreciate what I have and am treating it as a possible home, but with a constant eye on the door and my back to the wall.

Comments

[doc-quixote.livejournal.com]

My current theory is that with a city that experiences an ice age 6 months out of the year they are more attuned to the environment than many other parts of the country.

My memory of Minneapolis is that there were an awful lot of very Scandinavian people there. So they've been genetically selected for dealing with 6 months of ice every year for thousands of years now. :)

[empressmiaka.livejournal.com]

I have heard really good things about both the sheer amount of liquor in minnesota AND that people are insanely active (I read this out of the Lifetime Fitness magazine when I was a member, lol).

[unapologetic.wordpress.com (from livejournal.com)]

Minneapolis was really nice.

Hell, I coulda told you that before you left!

[cweaselle.livejournal.com]

Do you have any pictures of the butler building? I'm glad work is getting better for you. It's funny that you say eye to the door & back to the wall. Are you sure you're not the marine?

[vicar.livejournal.com]

I hadn't looked, but http://www.butlersquare.com/

[guillotine-lure.livejournal.com]

Screw the video games. If we ever go to D&B together, I challenge you to a game of air hockey. That is about the only thing I play in the arcade. I'm such a spaz playing it too. I assume you'll be entertained.

[vicar.livejournal.com]

Sounds entertaining...