Category: Living

Ghostbusters?

Bonus post at the Governor’s reception room at the State Capitol. Our homemade metal detector handle sticks out of my backpack. The circuit board our nephews soldered is hidden in this handle. If a guard questioned us, I promised myself I would not say we were from Ghostbusters.

Categorized as Family

Soldering 101

Taught my nephews to solder components onto a circuit board for a metal detector.

Categorized as Family

The Remains of a Bridge

Cycled to the middle of the Mississippi on a former railroad bridge. The rest of the bridge, a swing bridge, has been removed.

Healing with Wetlands

Walked on a boardwalk between two appointments. These wetlands are within the campus of Methodist Hospital, near Minneapolis.

Categorized as Cancer

Anniversary in the ER

Today is our anniversary. Celebrated 31 years together by spending almost six hours in the ER. After an EKG and an MRI, the culprit is probably something low-tech: low potassium, no big deal.

A Challenging Installation

While it rained, we attached our bike rack. By the time we figured it out (3 person hours), the rain was gone, and the sun was shining.

Smooth Sauces Every Time

Here’s two techniques I often use to create guaranteed lump-free sauces. In both cases, the secret is to get rid of water. I wish I had known these methods in my early cooking days. Roux Butter contains water; water and flour form lumps. When creating a roux, I don’t add the flour until the butter stops…… Continue reading Smooth Sauces Every Time

Green Box on Rusty Bridge

[wp_quiz id=”1740″] I love to prop my bike against a railing on this iron bridge and stare at the rail yard below. The bridge is new, replacing another iron bridge that was starting to fail. Failing bridges are a serious concern all over the United States. The concern becomes visceral in Minneapolis with memories of…… Continue reading Green Box on Rusty Bridge

Crossing a Work Zone

For the second time this week the trail was blocked by construction. I was planning a lengthy detour, when a member of the crew came up to me and cheerfully led me through the work site. He was grateful today’s high would be in the 80’s and not the 100’s.