I stopped at the bike shop and engaged in some idle chit-chat. Marty was wearing a "Hors Categorie" shirt. He also revealed that he has won every Tour de France he has entered. I tried to conceal my admiration.
He told a good story though. They have a regular customer who is a mailman. He quite reasonably was excited when the Postal Service began to sponsor a bicycle team. He visited the shop, which as a Trek dealer was an outlet for USPS gear. He bought the jersey and a cap. Eventually when Trek came out with the USPS replica bike he bought one of those too, a very nice carbon fiber frame. Well, before too very long he was in the shop with a broken frame. He had been riding along admiring his ride when he ran into something . . . a big blue mail box.
For Father's Day my gift from Emily was the American Institute of Architects Guide to the Twin Cities. The book was put together by a former Pioneer Press writer named Larry Millett, a good writer. Emily got me an autographed copy, thanks sweetie. The book is also notable in that Millett dedicated the book to his "friend and patron", John Camp. Camp is, of course, also a former writer at the Pioneer Press.
So this is a picture of one of the architectural highlights of the Twin Cities.
Quoting here: "This superb late art deco building was constructed in 1947 as headquarters of the Farmers Union Grain Terminal Association (GTA). Clad in Indiana limestone, the building mixes the Zigzag and Moderne phases of art deco. Notable features include curving corner windows, decorative aluminum spandrels, and relief sculptures atop the entry pavilion."
3 comments:
Had to smile twice. Won every TdF he's been in, eh? Minnesota humor. Even a flatland rider would love the tee shirt -- beyond category. And the mail box story. Classic. The building? I can appreciate the Indiana limestone. Since you pointed them out, the curved windows and the stuff over the door are kinda interesting. If I was just walking past it, though... Maybe you need to know something about architecture to appreciate that building. Nice gift, Wireless. I assume other buildings from that book will show up now and then. SS
The Postal Service is famous for Cliff Claven, "going postal", and the biking team. Your mailman gets two out of three and may be going postal at a post office near you soon.
Good gift, EMEM. That building looks vaguely familiar. I looked at the expanded view and could almost read the address - some number on Snelling. It has apparently changed ownership since its first days.
I don't see the state flag displayed on many buildings either... except state Gov't buildings.
The building is on Snelling and Larpenteur across from Ciatti's. Hamline almost rented it for faculty offices. I presented a workshop once in a large room on the top floor left-hand side. It did not seem like any kind of exceptional building. If only I had known . . . TIES is a technology-support consortium that many school districts join.
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