Microblog

Hiked in the Santa Catalina Mountains above Tucson to a height where fewer cacti roam. Sabino Canyon Recreation Area.

Hiked the Sonoran Desert trails of nearby Saguaro National Park (named after the tall cacti), followed by mid-afternoon lunch at a decent “crafthouse and eatery” on our way back to our rented apartment.

Explored Tucson on foot, bike, and streetcar.

Hiked an in-and-out trail for much the day through the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area, turning around at the Instagram-worthy Seven (water) Falls. I took way too many cactus pictures.

Flew to Tucson, AZ; went for a walk before checking in to a rental apartment. The area is new to us: we’ll be exploring it on foot and bicycle over the next two weeks.

Walked with a friend through the University of Minnesota East Bank campus. Warmed up with coffees in a cafe with an actual wood-burning fire.

Posted Trip Stacking: Managing COVID Uncertainty.

It’s Cruciferous Sunday: warm, shredded Brussels sprout salad for lunch, braised cabbage with dinner. We’re running the fridge down, and have a surfeit of leafy greens

Prepared gear for an upcoming trip; washed the summer off our cycle helmets.

I knew when I woke up this morning we’d be driving between heated underground garages this evening.

Wallked the Minneapolis Skyways to avoid frostbite. At a small tailoring business, Dwight dropped off a much-loved, 25-year-old shirt for a $6 repair: the antithesis of fast fashion.

12th Night, time to put away our Christmas decorations.

Worked on my latest “science project.” I’m trying to move an arm smoothly to any angle using a pneumatic piston. This brings together LEGO Mindstorms and Pneumatics, as well as 3rd-party digital sensors to measure air pressure and angles. This is proving surprisingly challenging.

It warmed up sufficiently to comfortably walk outside. The reflection in the icy Mississippi reminded me of a moody Turner painting.

The chill continues: walked for about an hour through corridors and stairways in the two towers of our building. My daily workout goal is “move” but I’ve yet to figure out how to explain that to the software.

Our New Year’s Day tradition is a long walk and a bar lunch. With subzero weather all day we achieved one out of two. Maxwell’s is our local, a chilly two-block walk.