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Daily Microblog

Sinister Reflections

Oct 7, 2021

Played with mirrored surfaces at the Guthrie on my walk to meet a friend to go for a walk. The repetition of the George Bernard Shaw panel took me to a sinister place where a pacifist playwright was transformed into a Dear Leader.

An Unfamiliar Task

Oct 6, 2021

On the way to a medical appointment the gas light came on. On the way home, decided to fill up, something I haven’t done in maybe two years. The little symbol on the gauge pointed me to the fuel door, but it took me the longest time to figure out how to unlatch the fuel… Continue reading An Unfamiliar Task

Suburban Surprises

Oct 5, 2021

Cycled with a friend in search of decent cycle trails in suburbs like Roseville, Shoreview, and Arden Hills. We assumed we would have to ride cycle lanes on busy roads; instead, we sometimes found lovely trails with views like this.

Corkscrew Failure

Oct 4, 2021

Our corkscrew fell apart. The solution was obvious: screw caps.

Electrifying A Pallet

Oct 3, 2021

Turned our indoor garden pallet on wheels upside-down and started installing electrics and electronics. I’ll install 14 feet of lighting track inside the pallet. It’s highly adjustable and maintainable: lights and electronics snap in place.

Fall Color Tableau

Oct 2, 2021

On my cycle ride: Fall color tableau on a grey, rainy day.

An Actual Store

Oct 1, 2021

Included a bricks-and-mortar hardware store in today’s bicycle route where I bought a $1.78 pack of cable clamps. Amazon often only offers bulk quantities of low-cost items, enough for two lifetimes. Other online vendors inflate the price.

Masks and Vaccines Deliver Freedom

Sep 30, 2021

Thanks to masks and vaccines it was good to be part of a live audience, the first at the Guthrie in over 18 months. “What the Constitution Means to Me” brought into sharp relief what the constitution leaves out.

It’s all in the Sofrito

Sep 29, 2021

Marriage tip #23: Fill the home with the aroma of freshly made sofrito just before the husband returns from a long drive from Fargo where he stayed with his mom. Tonight: cauliflower and bean paella. Recipe.

Ralph Rapson

Sep 28, 2021

The theme of today’s cycle ride was star architect, Ralph Rapson. Met a friend at the 1971 Rarig Center at the University of Minnesota then went on to mainly single family homes. We have several pieces of furniture based on Rapson’s designs.

Phlebotomy as a Third Language

Sep 27, 2021

Ready to deliver my twice-weekly “Phlebotomy as a Third Language” tutorial over Google Meet. English is the second language, Somali the first. I use slides from a phlebotomy certification course, but focus on the language rather than the practice of drawi

Preserving Broccoli

Sep 26, 2021

Dwight bought way too much broccoli at the farmers market, then drove up to Fargo to see his mom for a few days, leaving me with the broccoli. I roasted it, which halved the volume, set aside enough for two or three meals and froze the rest. I’ll use the chopped stalks in soup.

Five Watt Earworm

Sep 25, 2021

Stopped at Five Watt Coffee for a cuppa. “California Dreamin” was playing in the background and inevitably became an earworm. On the way out, a red elevator lobby demanded my attention.

Indoor Mist

Sep 24, 2021

There were frequent “rain showers” inside our home as I finished up expanding our homegrown automated plant misting system into three separate zones. An ultraviolet water purifier minimizes the possibility of Legionnaires’ Disease from inhaled, contaminated droplets.

Almost Normal Times

Sep 23, 2021

Sipped champagne outside Orchestra Hall before donning masks and heading inside to a full house of vaccinated people. The season opener of the Minnesota Orchestra, with Joshua Bell on the Strad., had interesting juxtapositions I may never figure out.

Chairs in a Park

Sep 22, 2021

On our walk: the Fairfield Chair Company had set up a pop-up showroom in Gold Medal Park for some interior decorators.