Journeys 3.1

Life is a bit more complicated now that I have to be driven everywhere and get dropped off at front doors where I’d normally walk. Lovely lunch with friends at a Hilton (0.6 miles), a beautifully repurposed farm machinery factory, for extreme comfort food: Swedish meatballs, mushroom gravy, lingonberries (mandatory) and horseradish mash. Tonight, Kunene and the King at the Guthrie (0.3 miles), a confrontation between a white and a Black South African.

Probably the best almond croissants in the city, plus steamed pork buns ready for the freezer, all from Trung Nam French Bakery. We met friends at Trung Nam over coffee and croissants. The almond ones are usually gone by mid-morning, so I called in an order yesterday. I love how Vietnamese culture so seamlessly absorbs other traditions, including French and Chinese.

Today I had a SPECT/CT scan. Friday’s Pluvicto infusion attached directly to the tumor, providing enough radiation for today’s imaging. As the drug decays, it emits gamma rays detected by two rotating cameras in the foreground. The scan finishes with a CT from the rear ring, which is merged with the SPECT data to form a 3D image. Pretty neat.

Checked a load of rutabaga, carrots, and parsnips undergoing the Maillard reaction; next up, potatoes. These days, I save cleanup time by only sautéing the onions and meat right in the main cooking pot before the braise.

Forced myself through a gabapentin haze to learn a bit about transmissions. I got hung up on the shift gate, the plate outlining the gear path. The book I was following used a complex, specialized LEGO part that felt contrary to the spirit of building. I decided to assemble it from more basic components instead, pulling from Dwight’s Architecture collection on the left cart. Ultimately, I was defeated by half-stud offsets, so I tore it all back down to try again another day.

For some reason, potato chips with my coffee before an 8:30 a.m. Pluvicto infusion felt mildly rebellious. No lingering guilt.

No walking today, but I did do about 150 steps and an elevator ride to the workout room. For some reason, a lean-forward posture on an exercise bike is fine for a short while. ​I was the only taker; everyone else was either at work or enjoying the beautiful weather outside.