At Wedge Co-op’s bulk section collected small quantities of ingredients for GORP for our upcoming hikes along the Superior Hiking Trail. So far: cashews, yogurt-coated raisins, pistachios, Brazil nuts, granola, dried papaya, rice crackers, and garlic sesame sticks. GORP stands for Good Old Raisins and Peanuts, so I guess I’m taking a few liberties. We like to make different mixes, some savory, some sweeter.
Category: Practices
Power-pole messages of hope
On 38th Street, my attention was caught by origami butterflies decorating power poles. Each pole also included an upbeat message like “In every setback there’s an opportunity for joy,” “Let gratitude be your compass in times of uncertainty,” and “Keep your face always toward the sunshine, and shadows will fall behind you.” Truisms, maybe, but joy, gratitude, and hope are often choices.
Kicking the can down the road
Cycled over to the university for Pluvicto infusion #2. I’m grateful I can keep buying time with new treatments that weren’t available when I was first diagnosed. For the next few days, I’ll try to maintain a safe distance from everyone, including Dwight—a distance about the wheelbase of a bicycle. I’ll show the card I’m holding if I set off a radiation detector.
Ghost trains cross here
Out cycling, I spotted this railroad crossing sign—despite no tracks on either side of the road. I turned to Reddit for reasons. The sign should stay until the track is removed and the road repaved, helping prevent mishaps (e.g., bikes or snow plows) and limiting liability. Additionally, this preserves the right of way and increases adjacent land values. Click through for more discussion.
What native speakers miss about learning English
Today I was reminded of how much native English speakers take for granted. Take the simple past tense: with words like “seemed,” “stressed,” and “added,” the “-ed” ending is pronounced differently in each case (/d/, /t/, and /ed/ respectively). Adult English Language Learners have to explicitly learn these distinctions, all while juggling their jobs and family responsibilities.
Three-eagle fly-by: a call to presence
Some moments are best experienced without a camera or preconceptions. Sitting here, I looked up from my reading just as three bald eagles from the nest across the river flew by in an arrowhead formation. I stood up and followed them with my eyes as they turned towards our building and out of sight. Earlier, while out on his run, Dwight looked up at the nest and saw two fledglings sitting together on a tree limb.
Hiking the Rob Roy Way
Next year, we’re joining two friends in the UK to hike the Rob Roy Way in Scotland. We’re thankful we can still manage a long-distance trail, even if it means more hotels (I booked nine today) due to shorter daily sections as we get older.
At least they didn’t forget the baby
I had to go check there wasn’t a baby in this stroller left in our building’s basement. It seems a parent moved the baby to a car seat and drove off, forgetting the stroller. Once, while in line at Honolulu HNL, the people ahead of us checked their bags then walked off into the crowds, leaving their baby. The check-in agent quickly noticed, climbed over the scales, and ran after them.
Unexpected snow, hike abandoned
I was met with icy blasts as I got off the bus at the trailhead bus stop, and after only a few hundred yards, I abandoned the ascent. Though a comfortable climb I’ve done three times before, today was not the day. There was no snow atop Mt. Yufu this morning, but this afternoon was a different story, as seen in this photo from Yufuin’s main drag.
Desert plants: a puncturing hazard
A thorn, presumably from a desert plant clipping lying on the road, punctured my inner tube. I found the tiny hole in the tire, but I’d forgotten to include tire levers in the kit I’d brought from home. So, I walked the bike over to a bike shop. I left with a new tube (installed) and these very red tire levers.