Police Ride-Along

One of the coolest parts of my Leadership Twin Cities class is the requirement to do a ride-along with a police officer. I just got back from spending a snowy Friday night in a Minneapolis Police Department squad car with a female officer of the First Precinct (downtown). I had high expectations for the experience, and it actually turns out that not that much happens on an average winter weekend night. Totally New to Me, I have never been in a squad or really ever talked to a police officer so I learned a lot. Events of my ride-along:

1. Drive to Bobby & Steve's Autoworld to pick up food for officer at Precinct desk.

2. Hang out at Precinct desk and watch downtown video cameras while officers eat.

3. Investigate stolen car incident at video store.

4. Give parking ticket to woman returning to car parked illegally in Cedar Riverside area.

5. Observe intersection by Bedlam to unsuccessfully try to catch people driving through stop sign.

6. Investigate argument at Riverside tower.

7. Pick up tip on possible illegal gun sales from source at Riverside tower.

8. Give parking ticket to woman returning to car parked illegally in Cedar Riverside area.

9. Investigate possible domestic violence case at Fairview Riverside ER.

What I learned:

1.  Not a lot happens in downtown Minneapolis on an average Friday night before bar close.

2. A lot of gas is wasted by leaving squads running all of the time.

3. A lot of people do dumb things such as leaving their car running with doors unlocked at the video store.

4. A lot of motor vehicle tickets are given because nothing else is happening.

5. Cops think that security guards are not cool.

6. Cops wear a lot of heavy gear and guns.

7. Unless something is really important, response is not quick.

8. A woman who cannot speak English or even spell in Somali probably will not be able to leave an abusive husband.

9. It is easy to have a negative perspective on humanity/society when all you see is bad stuff.

Mes Amis

Over the last couple of weeks I've been reminded again and again of how many great friends I have in my life. I feel so grateful to all of you for always being there for me when I need you. Here is a brief list of recent New to Me activities avec mes amis:

1. 112 Eatery - Bookclub had an excellent meal to celebrate our 10 year anniversary (to the day)! We were all sad that Renee was too sick to make it but vowed to do it again in less than a decade. I could have had an entire meal of the sea scallop appetizer and cauliflower fritter side dish. I knew the menu was not very veggie friendly but was still disappointed at my limited options. Very good (if salty) food at reasonable prices. Felt at home in the Warehouse District exposed-brick urban atmosphere.

2. Roat Osha - Uptown's newest restaurant was disappointing. With the same owners as Tum Rup Thai, I did not like the atmosphere as much (TV's and not as intimate). Am still working on appreciating Thai food and did like my dish with pineapple but was not impressed by the prices, service, or anything besides the free and convenient parking. 

3. Health issues day at Leadership Twin Cities allowed me to tour both HCMC and Courage Center, two interesting health care facilities that I had not previously had reason to learn about. Not as thought-provoking was the post-session happy hour at suburban Doolittle's. I have such a hard time saying anything nice about the suburbs.

4. A free gift card led me to Gabe's "Roadhouse" for a decent fish fry the other night. What is a roadhouse anyway? Pretty much felt like I crossed the border to Wisconsin for a few hours. Not necessarily a bad thing.

5. I've been looking forward to the opening of Live Forever: Elizabeth Peyton at the Walker and the exhibition did not disappoint. The small size of the work was a surprise, but the quality of the paint and the themes of youth and beauty were seductive and so easy to like. Curator Laura Hoptman's lecture, 'End of the Century', was very interesting especially in her explanation of the "arriere-garde". Speaking of influential women, see also this interesting article on the women running Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art and the Walker Art Center.

6. For a quintessentially Minnesotan art experience, the Art Shanty Project on Medicine Lake cannot be beat. My favorite shanty was the paper tube structure with origami. Eating buttery baked potatoes in the Art Car Taxi stand was another highlight. And the polar bear sliding around on ice was awesome.