Category: Simplify

Imperfect Gifts for Long-Haul Travelers

The other day I came across an article at wired.com with the click-bait title: 10 Perfect Gifts for your Favorite Long-Haul Traveler. I was skeptical right out of the starting gate: I travel light, a declaration I repeat ad nauseam. Recently I renewed my passport, and opted for the version with more pages as I was running… Continue reading Imperfect Gifts for Long-Haul Travelers

Seeking Order in a Chaotic World

A few books linger on my office bookshelves. I’ve tossed many of my business books into the recycling bin, including unread 1980’s editions of In Search of Excellence. Managers passed out copies, and it would have been impolite to decline. In the absence of competent leadership, it seemed futile to spend time reading a book… Continue reading Seeking Order in a Chaotic World

Immersion Blender

We have a simple rule in our kitchen: if we buy a new piece of equipment, something has to go. We go a long way with good knives and a couple decent pots, and we don’t use many gadgets. But I do like my immersion blender, and have been using it for over ten years.… Continue reading Immersion Blender

Mirepoix

I like to cook from scratch, but some days I simply want to assemble previously cooked ingredients. The solution is to have a selection of “subassembly” ingredients in the freezer. I’ve written about one of these ingredients: stock. Another is mirepoix. Mirepoix is the “holy trinity” of two parts onion and one part each of… Continue reading Mirepoix

Hita Station

I can add Hita train station, northern Kyushu, Japan, to my “delighted” list. By any standards, it’s a small station. A single train track enters town, and a single track leaves town. At Hita station, the track fans out into multiple tracks, more than enough to handle the three platforms and the boarding of an… Continue reading Hita Station

Minimizing Packaging

Filled up with dish and hand soap at Linden Hills Coop. Wish I could do the same with wine at the liquor store.

Categorized as Simplify

Glass Houses and Buried Museums

The Farnsworth House A Glass House in Illinois Completed in 1951, the Farnsworth House, near Plano, Illinois, is widely regarded as one of the major architectural achievements of the twentieth century. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe took his belief that “less is more” almost to the limit by designing a steel-framed, glass-walled box. The box floats… Continue reading Glass Houses and Buried Museums