Dwight was engrossed in the den, immersed in the world of architectural LEGO. His current challenge: constructing an A-frame for the Christmas village beneath the tree. Achieving an acute roof angle, while avoiding any “illegal techniques,” demands ingenuity.
Category: Living
Neither Snow Nor Rain…*
The first real snowstorm of the winter, as I waited for the bus. It was a busy morning, with a little help from technology. Some students had chosen to take a job qualification test in Spanish, so I found myself pointing Google Translate at their screens so I could offer hints. In another class, I used Gemini to generate random numbers to select writing topics submitted by the students.
The Future of Work
On my walk home from a medical appointment, I passed food delivery robots idly waiting for their next gig. I opted to dine in and enjoy a lunch I’d ordered through an app, as in-person ordering wasn’t an option. Meanwhile, back at our building, a drone was conducting an exterior inspection, scanning for any maintenance issues.
Simplifying Travel
Here, I’m waiting for a TTP (Trusted Traveler Program) interview via Zoom to renew Global Entry. With a simple selfie using an app as the plane arrives, I can skip immigration lines and I don’t even show my passport. Last time at O’Hare, I walked past a two-hour line and easily made my connection.
Sunday in the Park
On our Sunday morning walk, the mist veiled our surroundings. Patches of slippery ice, remnants of yesterday’s snow, distracted us from the calm scenes. Here in Boom Island Park, Downtown was obscured, allowing me to frame a simple composition.
12 Months of Microposts: 2024
Since 2013 I’ve been posting something positive (usually) about each day. In recent years, each December, I’ve selected one Micropost from each month of the past year to include in an omnibus Post. Here’s my 2024 roundup: All Microblog Posts | All Blog Posts | All Journeys
12 Months of Microposts: 2024
Posted 12 Months of Microposts: 2024. One Micropost from each month.
Frozen Expanse
On my walk, the view upriver from the Franklin Avenue Bridge. At this point, the Mississippi is slow-moving, so it’s frozen from edge to edge. Beyond the Interstate 94 bridge, downtown Minneapolis stretches out to the left, and the University of Minnesota Medical Center is on the right. As I walked, the temperature was slowly rising, bringing snow once I was safely home.
Where We Were at Sunset
Straddling today’s 4:32 pm sunset, in a former industrial building: Plantulary. A “word-list-dance-song-architecture made from observations, conversations, and relationships with each other and the plants that continue to teach us about what it means to be in relationship with the cycles of time, the processes of living and dying, and with this place that sustains us.”
Monthly Routine
Every four weeks, I undergo testing for a clinical trial. Today’s lineup: lab tests and two full-body scans. The scans show my tumors aren’t growing or spreading, thanks to a promising new therapy. While there’s no cure, we’ve successfully managed this for eight years. I’m grateful.