Ralph Kimball died. I didn’t know him. Not many people did, I’ll guess. But if you talk to anyone who drives Fortysecondavenuerockfordroadcountynine the multinamed street that is directly on the other side of the cemetery from me, and mention the homeless guy with the long beard and the fedora, they’d know who you were talking about. He’s been patrolling that road since before we came to the nieghborhood, sometimes pushing a shopping cart, wearing a heavy coat on steamy summer days. I guess he lived in a lean-to over by the Crystal Shopping Center. His sister said in the paper that he had enough money to find a place to live, but he just didn’t want to spend it. He had a few misdemeanors for public intoxication and disorderly conduct, but was known to be harmless. He died of liver disease.

I have a theory about Minnesota winters. People talk about the strong work ethic here and in the Dakotas. I think it’s kind of a Darwinian thing. That sleeping on a park bench thing just doesn’t cut it in January around here. In order to survive you have to make a certain amount of effort, shelter is not optional. And sadly every year people freeze to death in the Twin Cities. But Ralph had been living behind the Golden Wash for at least twenty years. How did he survive? He must have been a resourceful guy. Here’s to ya’, Ralph. Our community is diminished.

Lucia comes home from school today, we’re going to the Gopher Women’s game tonight. I talked to her yesterday, she seems kind of burned out. First semester Freshman year and still making adjustments. Also, one of ther best freind’s Father suddenly is having by-pass surgery. She’s pretty empathetic, so that’s troubling her, I’ll guess. This is probably a good time for some R and R.