The Case of the Crooked Glasses

Cycled to an optical store to get my glasses straightened. Bent them recently when I had chest pain, staggered towards Dwight, then face-planted. It was like a scene from an Agatha Christie murder mystery. A trip to the ER pointed to a culprit: an ongoing potassium issue.

Categorized as Health

Minimalist Website Design

Deployed a new version of tomwilson.com. It may not looks so different, but under the hood it’s a modern approach to WordPress. I was motivated by “Less is More.” “Less” turned out to be more work. Next up: fix loose ends, Search, and improve Mobile Responsiveness.

Categorized as Design

Swedish Treat

Went on the longest cycle ride, so far, this year, with a mandatory DQ towards the end. My friend had a two-for-one coupon to use before it expired. The DQ was closed, so instead we continued to Fletcher’s for first-rate lingonberry ice cream, a nod to the area’s Swedish roots.

Categorized as Cycle

Top-Up

We both walked over to Walgreens for second COVID boosters.

Gold Plating

Last week a friend emailed: “Release 2 [of my pneumatic machine] should have some AI to know when there’s something to load and when it’s done.” He was teasing, but I liked the challenge. Today I got the AI working. Next, I’ll add code to operate the air valve with a servo motor.

Categorized as LEGO

Wet Walk, Lucky Brides

On my drippy walk, “spose bagnate, spose fortunate”—wet brides, lucky brides. On Stone Arch Bridge a wedding party assembled under umbrellas. Later, a different bride leapt out of a car, dashed past me, and disappeared into the Guthrie, presumably abandoning outdoor photography.

Freedom

As I sometimes do, stocked up for our weekly “Sausage Saturday” with smoky Ukrainian sausage from Nordeast Minneapolis institution, Kramarczuk’s. It was founded by a couple who immigrated in the 1940’s from Ukraine, a country which had suffered terribly under Stalin and Hitler.

It Hisses

Completed a proof-of-concept LEGO machine entirely powered by compressed air. Click through to watch the video. https://youtu.be/9D_PtmjexMU

Categorized as LEGO

911

Out walking with friends, came upon a man lying on the ground, unable to get up. A passer-by told us she’d seen him fall twice. While I called for an ambulance, Dwight talked with the man. He thought Dwight was a cop and commented on the kindness of Minneapolis police.