Dr Antin - Vet for Hire

For some reason, I am really late to the game on this one. Handsome Dr. Evan Antin; DVM just came on my radar recently via my work at the Animal Humane Society. But apparently he has been turning heads and healing animals around the globe for the last 10 years now. From his humble roots in Kansas City, he went on to become a world traveler, exploring exotic animal medicine in Australia and Tanzania. What really drew him to fame though is his dashing great looks with his chiseled jaw and impeccable pecs with what he calls "pelfies" on his Instagram page. Albums of photos with him and every type of animal imaginable.

It started with posts of him beside Turtles, Rhinos and exotic Cats. And somewhere along the way, it became evident that people were looking more at him rather than the animals he was featuring. It quickly fueled its way into People Magazine's Sexiest man roster - rightfully so. The guy is rugged and charming at the same time. And seeing him smile alongside every kind of animal from cats to cockatiels makes him only more desirable as the guy next door with that something extra.

Somehow he manages to do it all. Product endorsements now for pet products. Photoshoots for men's health magazines. Radio and podcast interviews. All why still managing to practice vet care at the Conejo Valley Vet Hospital in CA. From what I can see, he remains very single - no gender relationships noted anywhere. Bringing good to all things animals and fantasies to men and women via the internet.

You can certainly take a dive into the rabbit hole of his Insta page:

Dr. Evan Antin

Lifeguards Living in Style

 As we finish up our fabulous summer of 2022, I am asking how much time did you spend at the beach, in the water, or just lying in the sunshine? I know I was grateful to splash in the splendor of Presque Isle watching an open-sky sunset. I was calmed by some serene kayaking on our Twin Cities Lakes. And also able indulge on floating in the lovely Chippewa River on a raft with a sweet summer cocktail. Nothing beats any stretch where sand meets the shore.

I was recently made aware of the exotic lifeguard huts of Miami Beach - as predictable as one would expect. Bright, splashy and unique as one would assume them to be - and then more. I had visited the upscale esplanade a few years back. At that point I was taken more with the fetching art deco designs of the buildings along the boardwalk & the neon lights. For some reason I didn't notice a one of these special huts.

History: Credit and kudos needs to go to William Lane Architects. The whole project started back in 1995 after Hurricane Andrew decimated the shores of South Beach. At that point they designed 5 towers to replace damaged ones. But it was in 2015, that the firm came up with the concept of 36 glorious lifeguard huts all based on 6 blueprints and really made a statement. They are the perfect symbiosis of Art Deco, Latin influence and whimsical Florida colors.

They remind me of the mythical treehouse or clubhouse I was always trying to create as a child with leftover lumber and abandoned gallons of pastel paints. In addition to the photos posted, there is a link to their firm's design page which shows the layout of each of the 6 prototypes. Worth the visit to the beach themselves. The hunks of Baywatch never had anything like this!

William Lane Architects; beach houses

In a Galaxy, Far Far Away

With all the recent images from the James Webb Telescope, there is a new sense of wonder and excitement about what lies beyond... Surprisingly, it is not generating a lot of conversation to the undeniable aspect of Climate Change here on our home planet. Days of interplanetary travel like on Star Trek or Guardians of the Galaxy are literal years away. But no longer is it beyond our comprehension.

I tagged this post from SciTech Daily over 2 years ago. It notes a study from Washington State University. It sparked my interest for sharing again because of the collision of the above two topics; Solar Systems and Global Warming. The article is above my pay grade with terms like habitable zone. It points out a Top 24 listing of planets out there that might sustain life. It does get a bit vague on if that means human life as we know it, or just some sort of "life" other than ours. It seeks to find what other factors both different and alike might exist that could also support living organisms.

Apparently the Sun in our Solar System has a relatively low life expectancy of only 10 billion years, of which 4 billion have already passed. So our capacity for existing is already entering our elder lifespan! Yikes. Not that we can even comprehend what the next 6 billion years might hold - good or bad. Climate change may cut those billions in half?

The article throws around other terms like dwarf stars (which would be cooler systems than our hot sun), geothermal heat and geomagnetic fields. Somehow scientists have put all these elements together to come up with this so-called habitable zone. Apparently we are shopping for something with more land mass, more actually density which would reinforce its gravity and certainly a key element - water in some form of clouds, moisture or humidity.

So on our listing of 24 possible planet choices, none of them meet ALL of our criteria. But one checks 4 specific characteristics. So there are remote chances that we could move humankind to a distant planet in a far far galaxy. It boggles the mind and is certainly not going to happen in this lifetime. To Infinity and Beyond!

SciTech; 24 Planets

Summer in the City

The idea of a StayCation has never really grabbed me. I feel like I have lived here for so many years, that when I need to escape - I need to really getaway. Sitting in a hotel looking at a familiar skyline does not grant me that. I would rather take short day trips out of town to both new and old destinations for a quick cleanse.

But this idea of a diversion in a city that I know so well has been tempting me now for two years. I first became of aware of Preserve Minneapolis two years ago in the early days of the pandemic. I believe they are a summer/ seasonal offering only. But their idea is to experience small walking tours that are not big & showy, but seeking out the smaller, intimate stories we likely walk past many times. They are just a short $14 fee and booked online. Not for the tourist coming in to town (or possibly?), but more-so for the residents with a sense of curiosity. Or maybe the true History buffs.

Looking at the current page, there seem to be 2-3 tours a week. Yes there are the typical Minnehaha Falls or Nicollet Mall walks. But even the familiar are looked at with a twist. Lakewood Cemetery is a beautiful retreat just blocks away from me. But how about a tour through the grounds "creating a landscape of memory?" Sounds introspective and inviting to me. The small houses of Milwaukee Ave are familiar to me, but why have a I never heard of a beautiful short boulevard blocks away called Red Cedar Lane? How about a shout out to the North Side and forgotten Synagogues? I'm not aware of the writings of Maud Hart's children's books, but I am guessing the Lowry Hill tour puts a very different slant on those giant homes in the roaring 1920's. I'd be interested in the less-grand but ornate homes just blocks away walking through the Middle Wedge - I had no idea it was a classified destination in itself. So many options! I am putting the site on my to-do list so that I can take in at least 2 before the end of the season. Check them out. Or hit me up and we can venture out together.

 Preserve Minneapolis

 

 

All Aboard for Summer Travel

This link is a few years old now. A great glimpse into the early days of the pandemic. When we were all restless and needed a change of view. We were firing up our laptops to experience any change of scenery, virtually. These are all real-time travel clips filmed in Hi Def from the perspective in the driver's seat up front!

It grabbed my attention for posting now after our recent trip to Boston. We took a vintage trolley car train to the suburban area of Mattapan outside of Boston. For those who prefer to take things a bit slower and travel by rail. 

 

I grew up by train tracks in Erie during some of the hey-days of Amtrak travel. I do love it on those rare occasions where I have the luxury of time to travel there by train. It seems so much more comfortable to recline in big seats, stroll to the domed viewing car or even eat in the dining car. I also love timing the trains for the short lay over in Chicago - where I can check my bags in a locker and step out into the city for a detour of an hour or two, before hopping back on for leg 2 of the journey.

But the real draw on any train trip is the open vistas seen through big glass windows. Even on local trips in Stillwater along the St Croix or the shores of Superior in Duluth. They are fantastic moments to just breathe and take it all in.

This list from Travel+Leisure takes in 13 Train Trips across the globe from the drivers' seat perspective. A few are short edited clips from 12-15 minutes. But many of them are the entire 2-3 hour journeys of the trip. On a small screen I got a bit of the nausea that I sometimes get at an Omni Theater experience. It is like you are moving but your body is not reacting to the shifts of direction.

They might be interesting background noise by streaming on your television while working a jigsaw puzzle or something small project. Here are the destinations.

1) Norway - the Flam Railway

2) Japan - Hiroshima to Fuchu

3) Switzerland - St Moritz to Tirano, Italy

4) Colorado - Pikes Peak Cog Railway

5) Montenegro - Belgrade Railway - tunnels & bridges

6) North Wales Coast

7) Norway - Nordland Line - fjords

8) Peru - Central Andino Line - in 4 long parts

9) New York City - #7 Express Subway

10) Balkans - Bosnia & Croatia

11) England - Southwestern Railway

12) Colorado - Durango & Silverton - mountain towns

13) Switzerland - Wengernalp Railway

Travel+Leisure - 13 Fabulous Virtual Train Trips

How Much is that Doggie...

We were just discussing on the Help Line at work - the outbreak of stolen dogs in stolen cars around the Twin Cities. Is this a local trend here in MN? It seems our crime comes in bizarre waves. 

• A year ago it was drag racing and reckless driving in the city streets. Sort of reverting back to the road rumbles in Grease! 
• Then last spring there was a rise in car jackings. We had a neighbor two doors down that was kicked while entering her vehicle. It was found to be mostly delinquent school kids working the alleys in packs via South Minneapolis. 
• Over the last month - it has been stealing vehicles with either children or pets in them!

Yesterday it was a pet Monkey from a Target parking lot. In the last month there have been a handful that stole the car, did not realize the pet was in the back seat (??!!), then dropped the dog off on the steps of the Humane Society as a Stray. One case was stupid enough drop them off in the stolen vehicle; which was then reported to the police for arrest.

In most cases, they were unlocked cars. It boggles my mind that anyone in the metro would leave a car unlocked. Let alone, with a living creature inside. And worse yet, the ones that leave the keys in the ignition thinking "it will only be for a sec..."

Most places in Uptown are pet friendly enough that you can take you dog directly inside. Target, bookstores, any coffee shop patio, micro breweries and even a handful of restaurants. So why even consider leaving them in the back seat of the car?

For a cheery outlook, here are a handful of collected snapshots of cute puppies in shopping carts. No Dog Left Behind. * these images are not my own

 

Ikea - your perfect problem solver

Our interminable bathroom project has/ had literally been going on as long as the COVID epidemic. What began as a slow trickle in a bath tub drain, then became a major leak in the downstairs wall and ceiling - ultimately emerged as our new & improved $18,000 bathroom. Thank God for Home Equity loans!

We are very pleased with the results. Our lovely blue star tiles in the warm, pulsing shower. Our fantastic high pedestal sink that no longer requires crouching over. A real ceiling light fixture instead of a light bulb with a globe and pull chain. But one of the many wonders are the great IKEA stackable cabinets that make great use of a very tiny space. We were able to custom order 3 shelf cabinets of a short 12" width to make good use of a crawl space. We made one a pull out for all our regular toiletries. Two with shelves for everything from medications to plungers to towels. Our contractor put them in with a matching face panel so they appear to be built in cabinets. Perfect.

Of course, we were not the only ones during a pandemic to be making home improvements. We were caught in the endless cycle of surplus back orders. We tried to secure a holding place via on-line orders, but the details would erase after a period of time. And there was no guarantee they would ever come in directly to the stores. After some 5 months we finally hit the Jackpot and were able to place a home delivery for a $50 fee, but could actually get them into our hands. Voila!

It seems the IKEA craze of home design miracles is a somewhat recent trend. But I found some catalogue images that show what their contemporary styles in furniture look like going back to their roots in 1951. Did you know that IKEA stands for founder Ingvar Kamprad from Elmtaryd in the village of Agunnaryd? I-K-E-A! He started out a young entrepreneur at age 5 peddling matches, seeds, Christmas cards and pens from his bike. He moved on to furniture in 1948. From the beginning, it was all about value and in a short span of 2 years, other major Swedish furniture companies were boycotting him at trade shows because his products were already making such an impact. At that point Ingvar set his sights bigger and expanded to outsource his products to other countries. Back in the 50s, shipping was an obstacle even then, so his major concept to the industry was the idea of flat-stack and self assembly. Even back in 1953, his showrooms began. Not originally as a walk through exhibit, but a chance for him to meet his customers and personally ask them what they were searching for so he could find new practical solutions for them.

In 1960, he brought the 1st restaurant into the store complete with a microwave for fast food service to masses. A major Norway store opened in 1963. A huge shift in its evolution was caused by a fire at the flagship store in Stockholm in 1970. Much merchandise was lost so a self service counter was made to accommodate as many customers as possible. That was the lighting bolt moment that brought about his new concept for customers of in-store pick up. At this point, the industry exploded into Europe and Japan. And in 1995 he cornered a new concept he labeled Democratic Design which includes everything from sustainable forests to energy saving LED products.

I am so thankful to have a major store here at the Mall of America where shopping is an experience each time we go. From the Swedish meatballs and lingonberry jam to the wall art and kitchen gadgets. I am not always into the stark minimalist look of much of the furniture. But they rack up major points for practicality and color which I love. Some people get irritated with the self assembly. But I look at it as a great jigsaw puzzle that does come with instructions. It takes only patience. And I am loving my new bathroom including the fabulous IKEA cabinets that were worth the wait.