Well, that’s something new for me, and a nice nod to our local Nordic roots. Today, for the first time, I tried our building’s sauna to see if it might help with pain management. I was immediately struck by the warm cedar aroma as I laid down my towel. The heat felt great, and my perception of pain noticeably eased. As a temporary shut-in, I’m glad to have one more local destination to shuffle to.
Category: Home Living
Maillard reactions
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.
Smart stick
My hiking pole gives me extra stability on walks, but I have a bad habit of leaving it behind, including at home. Today I attached a tracker, so now my watch vibrates if I walk away without it. I posted on social media to see if anyone has a better way to mount it.
Deep hollow river
Dropped Dwight off at the Sawbill Trail trailhead for the Superior Hiking Trail. Went for a short ride on the Gitchi-Gami Trail, which goes right past where we’re staying. Here, I’m looking down at the Temperance River, so named because there is no sandbar (“no bar”) where it flows into Lake Superior. I’ll go with the Ojibwe name: Kawimbash, meaning “deep hollow river.”
Our first failed LED bulb
It’s Sunday, but this was delivered today. Our home was a new build when we moved in nearly eight years ago, and now things are starting to fail. Still, this light bulb replaces the only LED light to give out; I special-ordered it to exactly match the light output and quality of nearby light bulbs.
Don’t throw another log on
Outside, it was grey and chilly. Sure, 50°F isn’t freezing, but it feels cold after our recent stretch of sunny days. Spyhouse Coffee at the downtown Emory Hotel provided a cozy refuge as I sipped my morning cuppa. Located in a repurposed 1906 bank building, the hotel has lovely spaces to kick back and relax.
Time to get dunking
Arrived home to the smell of baking biscotti.
Lying low
It was a day to lie on the couch and read. The study drug made staying close to home the wiser choice.
Debugging the light switches
Perhaps this is why most people do not automate their homes! Today, I fixed a few glitches in our “smart home.” For example, when a particular scene (a group of lights) was selected, it turned on, shut back off, and then turned back on again. Generally, the smarts are hidden; light switches, for example, look and operate just like regular switches. We do like the extra layers of control, such as turning off all the lights by voice command as we leave our home.
Rest and good aromas
Lazy day following another energy-sapping round of shots this week. While Dwight cooked, I read, napped, and looked forward to dinner. Everything smells wonderful, including fresh-baked focaccia and lentil soup. He made enough for tomorrow, too, when he sees his mom for lunch.