On Monday we’ll meet our nephews, now 13 and 14, along with their mom and dad, at the Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport. We’ll take off on a backpacking adventure in Southern Spain and Portugal. The areas we’re visiting are familiar to me; dare I say they’re curated for this family trip. We’re traveling much as we’ve… Continue reading Backpacking in Southern Spain and Portugal
Category: Practices
Pills and Hot Flashes
As I do at the start of every day, took a small handful of Abiraterone and Dexamethasone. Later, at Methodist Hospital, got my quarterly Lupron shot and chatted with my oncologist. As the tumor marker graph (below) shows, it’s working, at least for now: it’s pointing towards zero, which is a good thing. I don’t… Continue reading Pills and Hot Flashes
Continuously Variable LEGO Pneumatic Control
In previous LEGO robotic arm builds I’ve used servo motors to move each joint in the arm. However, the weight of the motor and related mechanism meant each arm needed to be reinforced to the point it became too bulky and exhibited excessive inertia. By contrast, pneumatic cylinders are light, and can apply significant force… Continue reading Continuously Variable LEGO Pneumatic Control
No Adult Literacy Services Here
Wrote to each Hennepin County Commissioner asking them to right a wrong. The $67 million (annual budget) county public library system no longer provides GED and ESL adult literacy services. Recent immigrants have lost an important step-up in life, and I now need to go elsewhere for expert assistance with tutoring. Franklin Learning Center (Minneapolis)… Continue reading No Adult Literacy Services Here
Joy of Timetables
Looked up bus and train times for a family trip this summer. I’m not traveling anywhere today, but I can still plan travel.
The Game Of Travel Planning
Spent many happy hours putting together a multi-day hike we’ll complete in April. Much of the hike is countryside, but on the last day we cross the Golden Gate Bridge towards San Francisco. The challenge was aligning cheapest days to fly with availability in two isolated inns.
Asian Supermarket
The things I wish I’d known when I was young; e.g., there’s so much good stuff in Asian supermarkets. On my walk, popped into my favorite Asian supermarket for chicken parts westerners generally eschew, Chinese broccoli, and (an impulse purchase) frozen pork steamed buns.
PET/CT Imaging
Without leaving home, went on a visual journey through my body, guided by a Mayo oncologist. Like traffic lights, stopped at two bright red lymph nodes, signifying prostate cancer cells. Two additional drugs should help for a while. I’m grateful.
Trip Stacking: Managing Uncertainty
This summer we’ll be traveling somewhere overseas with our nephews and their parents. Exactly where we go will depend on the trajectory of the Covid virus and how different jurisdictions choose to manage transmission risk. To minimize uncertainty, I’ve resorted to stacking three trips for around the same time this summer. We’ll make one of… Continue reading Trip Stacking: Managing Uncertainty
Enhanced Gravy
Last Christmas, a bottle of red wine was corked, so I reduced the wine to an excellent syrup. Over the year, it’s added a fruity note to dressings and sauces. Today, a couple tablespoons added a pleasant dimension to the gravy.