the snow

Music: Coil: The Snow EP (1991)

I miss Minneapolis. I lived six, very important years of my life in this city. And just in time for my return, it snowed. I'm staying with Karlyn for a couple of days, then RLS (for those not in the know, these are my mentors from grad school daze, "mom" and "dad" respectively . . . though I'm mindful of the problems of the paternal metaphor). Karlyn and I went to dine at a mutual favorite Thai place on South Washington Street. It was flurrying on the way. When we came back, snowing was in full force. I cannot describe how cheered I was to walk back in the snow, it hitting my face, the stinging, the crunch sound when I walked. I miss the snow. I know you who live in the stuff tire of it; for some reason I never did for six years (ok, but for a couple of very memorable evenings, about which some other time--remember the blizzard, David and Kate?). But I miss the snow. So I said so. "Spoken like a true northerner," said Karlyn. "If you can say that in this" she followed, because the snow was hitting our faces pretty ferociously. We laughed. It's good to be "home."

After dinner we played with the cats (two adorable Burmese). I snapped a photo from her balcony (click on it for a larger version). It's a comforting scene; I remember when Karlyn and Paul moved here and this balcony. Since that time, downtown has experienced a revitalizing. Things are fixed up. The train station was restored ("Old Milwaukee"—you can see the clock tower; now it houses a hotel, some shops, and a ice rink). The flour mills lining the Mississippi were restored and/or built into condos. The red neon sign flashes "Gold Medal Flour."

"There's something comforting about that Gold Medal sign," I said.

"I've grown to adore it," she said. "I'm so glad they keep it up. When a bulb goes out, they've got it replaced within a few days."

Something about the sign reminded me of the sound of trains, which I used to hear in the middle of the night while living in Baton Rouge. At first, the trains woke me up. But after a few months, they became comforting. After a couple of years, I couldn't sleep without them.

I'm glad to be here visiting. I have my snow. Now, I need my trains too.