Journeys 3.1

Picked up a bunch of local Swiss chard to stir-fry with dinner. Normally this veggie is not on my radar, but Dwight suggested I should look out for some.

It felt brisk this morning as I set off for my walk. Passing the university’s steam plant, I could hear its gentle roar as it warmed much of the Minneapolis campus and generated 20% of its electricity. Changing leaves were another sure sign that fall had arrived.

Nursing a cold, I didn’t stray far from a box of Kleenex.

Downsides of long-haul travel are jet-lag, possibly layered on a cold or worse. Today I failed a COVID test, which is some consolation.

Looked straight ahead as I walked past Kramarczuk’s extensive display of cakes to pick up garlicky house-made Ukrainian sausage at the meat counter. Next, I braved the chilly walk-in beer cooler at Surdyk’s, just down the road, for a local brew. Earlier I’d picked up crusty bread, a massive cabbage, and ice cream at Seward Co-op. We’ve already selected the movie: “Travels with My Aunt” celebrating Maggie Smith.

Working for a few hours in this classroom made jet lag disappear, at least temporarily. Bright light, mental focus, and social interaction all helped.