Heading home last night after the Twins game, I started to realize there are a number of things I'll miss about the Twin Cities once I've moved on. I figured that for each of my final days here I'd countdown from 15 to 1 the things I'll miss most. Yes, I'm well aware of the fact that I actually have 16 days left (including today), but as I'll probably have to pack up my computer so I can move, I don't know what my computer access will be like on the 31st, so I'll countdown from today until August 30th.

Selection #15 is Nicollet Mall. Okay, it's not something I'll miss that much, which is why it got 15th on the list. I came up with a list of 14 legit things, sat around for an hour watching Conan, and then finally threw this on. It was either Nicollet Mall or the Polish bars, but really, the best Polish bar was the Polish Palace (even though I still love Nye's and Mayslack's and the others), and since the Polish Palace is no more, I went back to the Mall. Although Nicollet Mall has recently been invaded by big corporate skyscrapers and has pushed some of the beloved small businesses elsewhere, I still love this pedestrian thoroughfare. I never frequent any of them, but I still love the ambiance of all the sidewalk cafes and restaurants. I don't care much for all the panhandlers, but what can you do?