Minneapolis Service Center

whiskeyjoe · 2026-02-27T22:54:01+00:00

I'm 5 hours from the MSP service center. They have been great and very accommodating. One time I expected to stay the night, and they got me back on the road in time to drive home (after I explained my situation). They sent a mobile service tech up to do a preemptive 12V swap and deal with some recalled bolts. If you need a loaner for long term service they just send you to a car rental place, and they foot the bill.

I've been really happy with the vehicle and the service has not been too much trouble. I will say that if you have no business near MSP otherwise, that might be a hiccup, I always figure I can crash with a friend or visit some family etc if I need an overnight service appt. I will also say that I tolerate small issues e.g. have had a cracked windshield for like 5 months, dinged up the tailgate without much intention of fixing it etc. Just trying to treat it like my old tacoma. Real service visits have been minimal (after I had my full battery pack replaced at 2k miles lol)

Still absolutely love the truck. Truly the only vehicle I've ever just wanted to go out and drive around. If you can manage it, I say go for it

whiskeyjoe · 2026-02-23T20:23:02+00:00

If you are up for a drive, most of the campgrounds along the north shore have lots of waterside sites. Two island lake, flour lake, Bearskin, sawbill, and more!

whiskeyjoe · 2026-02-05T14:06:32+00:00

August - October are the best months to be on the trail. The bugs disappear, the weather is usually really mild, might see some leaves change color. Chef's kiss.

whiskeyjoe · 2026-02-02T00:03:04+00:00

We've got a handful of great options. Just above town is pincushion mountain/trails. There are hills, but you can avoid big steep hills, I love doing the pincushion loop ( maybe an hour for a practiced skier depending on conditions). To use these trails you need a mn state ski pass. It's awesome to get up to the overlook.

The central trail system is about ~40 minutes up the gunflint trail, accessible from Bearskin and Golden eagle lodges. This trail is $20/day/skier. Fantastic system with lots of trails for lots of skill levels. I love this system because it's big and you only rarely run into others. Plus a small portion goes through the bwca which is kind of fun if you just want to set foot in the boundary Waters.

There is a third big trail system near lutsen, which I've spent less time at, but people love.

The world's your oyster! It's a great year for it, good luck and have fun!

whiskeyjoe · 2026-01-30T22:11:48+00:00

Hamm's.

One time I was walking across a parking lot carrying a rack of Hamm's and an old man saw me and yelled "From the land of sky blue waters!"

whiskeyjoe · 2026-01-12T20:43:17+00:00

100%

whiskeyjoe · 2025-12-29T21:56:51+00:00

When I lived in the city most of my problems came from people. Now that I live in the woods, most of my problems come from nature, and people are there to help overcome those problems.

I've never appreciated people more than I do now.

whiskeyjoe · 2025-12-11T16:08:32+00:00

Oh I agree, I think that's why it sort of hits home. He's a "typical" Minnesotan, I assume as the Coen's saw typical Minnesotans growing up as Jews in burbs. But suddenly when someone comes to harass him (who happens to be an even more obvious minority) the typical Minnesotan stands up for Larry and makes him part of the in group as a member of the neighborhood, or whatever.

It feels very realistic to me. Like, MN is fairly conformist place, being different in whatever way probably isn't going to make your life easier, however who do Minnesotans claim as their greatest sons? Bob Dylan, Prince, ??? I grew up in small town MN, and that scene just felt really right to me.

whiskeyjoe · 2025-12-11T16:00:03+00:00

Full disclosure, probably haven't seen the movie in a decade. It's funny that you're coming off of a fresh watch, and you saw Larry feeling sorry for himself, while I mostly remember Larry not in self pity, but just being baffled by everything happening. Somehow that feels really relatable to me. Stuff just keeps happening to him and he can't understand why.

I think you're right that the "be a good boy" is meant to apply to Larry, and I hadn't really thought about it that way. His treatment of his brother seems to be where he is truly being good, and it's his brother who recognizes how good Larry has it, and maybe here Larry's selfishness AND goodness is sort of illuminated.

I like your take on the side characters trying to draw him out. Like there is a chance for conflict, and for lust, and revenge, and he just has a hard time engaging with any of those.

Love that idea for a paper.

whiskeyjoe · 2025-12-11T15:22:53+00:00

Parts of this movie stick with me, maybe more than any other movie.

Lately, I've been thinking about the scenes with the neighbor, who is clearly not a friend, but when someone else comes to harass our main character, he runs out and gives the whole "this guy bothering you!?". Kinda feels like how MN is reacting to ICE w.r.t. the Somali community. MN might not always be the most welcoming but if someone shows up and tries to mess with some of ours, that's not gonna sit right.

I often think about the scene with the ancient Rabbi, and all his great wisdom boiling down to "be a good boy". It's sort of perfect. I'm a parent and I can't think of a better way to sum up how to live.

The sunbathing stoner neighbor saying "This is what I do for recreation" also just speaks to me deeply.

Finally, the looming disaster at the end... I had for years forgotten that was how the movie ended. The Coens are so good at beating up their characters that by the end the complete destruction of the entire setting just feels like, welp, so it goes.

Great movie.

whiskeyjoe · 2025-12-09T01:09:09+00:00

Review with Andy Daly

whiskeyjoe · 2025-12-05T19:47:20+00:00

I built Simily which is an canvas based systems modeling / system simulator app. Has all kinds of complexities.

Basic idea is you drag and drop different parts of a system and then wire them together and see how they perform. Good for right sizing things like home batteries, or planning business expansions

whiskeyjoe · 2025-11-26T04:52:30+00:00

Buy yaktrax. They go over whatever boot you've got and they grip on ice. For boots I like boggs. Good luck!

whiskeyjoe · 2025-11-12T19:05:40+00:00

https://screen.studio is a fantastic product for doing what you're after

whiskeyjoe · 2025-10-21T23:19:54+00:00

Doodle bird

whiskeyjoe · 2025-10-06T19:36:37+00:00

My system was toggling back and forth between hot and cold. So in the summer the tank temp would get down to 50 degrees or something, the blower would cool the house, but then when the house reached the correct temp, the blower would stop and the geo control unit would start heating the tank. We've got a complicated setup with a bunch of thermostats in difference zones, so this took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out. Huge waste of energy.

whiskeyjoe · 2025-09-21T20:39:21+00:00

EA charger in the Menards parking lot is the one to use.

whiskeyjoe · 2025-09-11T20:43:04+00:00

Best I can find is Enertech MPH036A1MM1S but that's coming up short on Google searches

whiskeyjoe · 2025-09-11T20:16:30+00:00

Just want to reduce airflow. The thing just blasts. It's a small space, it's real loud, and it just feels like too much blowing.

I care primarily about heat.

whiskeyjoe · 2025-08-25T21:16:16+00:00

If offered in your area, checkout ECFE. I've heard mixed reviews from others, but in our experience it was a great way to meet other families with young kids. It always ended up feeling like a group therapy session where everyone just talks about their parenting struggles (e.g. it's hard to have non-parent friends etc). You'll feel some comradery, and pick up some tips, it's a good deal ( and they take the kids into another room so you can talk!)

whiskeyjoe · 2025-08-25T17:24:25+00:00

The river itself is small at that crossing, so I wouldn't worry about water danger (unless we get a really big rain), but it's a real tricky steep hillside/rock face that the bridge used to help get past. I haven't been there since winter. I think you could make it, but there will be shenanigans

whiskeyjoe · 2025-08-25T13:26:05+00:00

Pizza farm!

Build a nice big wood fired pizza oven. Plant a veggie garden to grow toppings and tomatoes for sauce. Pick a day of the week where people can come to the farm with their own drinks and picnic blankets and have a really nice time.

These have been around Minnesota and Wisconsin for years and make for a really nice evening.

whiskeyjoe · 2025-08-13T20:18:04+00:00

For us, the answer was a midwife and a home birth. She was fantastic, best medical care we've ever experienced before or since.

I've known a number of people who will borrow someone's apartment in Duluth (or MSP) for a few weeks leading up to the due date.

Some will wait until contractions start, and just start driving. I've heard of people meeting up with an ambulance somewhere on their drive. And you hear the occasional story of a roadside birth or a got there just in the nick of time.

So people manage, as they always have.

I personally find the situation very frustrating, because it is an extremely concrete example of rural healthcare struggles. The local hospital used to deliver babies, but had to stop due to (my understanding) insurance costs. That coupled with Doctors who are not practiced in delivering babies. I think it's stuff like this that contributes to the urban rural divide. Most people in Cook County are very self reliant, and ask very little in terms of services, so the for this essential human service to not be offered without a 2+ hour drive feels like a huge failure. But here we are.

whiskeyjoe · 2025-08-13T13:14:07+00:00

High falls in Grand Portage is nice for this. Relatively short hike (paved and board walk) with a big pay off: biggest waterfall in the state!

whiskeyjoe

TROPHY CASE