Microblog

Almost summer: bacon sausages, focaccia, and cabbage (cooling off) on the Weber for the first time this year.

Tin snips became a financial instrument for destroying metal credit cards.

Spotted taro in an Asian market, but I’ll not be adding it to my repertoire. Traditionally, it’s boiled then mashed to form poi, a purple, viscous liquid. I’ve tried poi a couple times in Hawaii, and found it bland with the texture of wallpaper paste.

On my walk, a thirteen-foot rooster competed with an oversized spoon and cherry.

On a Minneapolis North Loop walk, gave this apartment/retail building a second look. Recently learned 100 years ago this was an instant coffee factory that was claimed to be the largest in the world.

Cycled rail trails. At one point a trench was being cut to house a tunnel for the Green Line LRT extension. Once the trench is covered, this area will revert to parkland and trails.

Much chopping ensued.

Cycled right up to the counter of Sunshine Harvest Farm at the local farmers market to pick up a guilty pleasure: bacon sausages.

It’s still March, but dry and warm enough for this fair-weather cyclist to hit the trails with a friend. I love the variety of textures at this viewpoint.

Taunted my wanderlust: watched JAL and ANA safety videos on YouTube. I’m not planning on being allowed to freely travel within Japan before November. The last time I stepped off a plane was exactly one year ago today (ITO–HNL–ATL–MSP).

The grass was greening up in the rain when I paused at Prophecy of the Ancients in Gold Medal Park.

While running errands Downtown: a sign of impending normalcy.

I’m in high gear planning travel. Made the first reservation for a summer 2022 backpacking trip to Japan with our nephews (they’ll be 12 and 13) and their dad. We’ll explore less popular, more remote areas. On the way home, we’ll spend time in Hawaii where their mom will join us.

Without the benefit of long trips to remind me to deal with ingredients lurking in the freezer, declared this week to be Tip-the-Freezer week. Tonight: pot pie with fresh pea pods, next in line for the wok. I previously prepared the pie filling in the wok

Picked up my unnaturally clean bike, resplendent with new parts, from Freewheel Bike. Took it for a spin.

It was almost like normal times in our family bubble, together, indoors for the first time in over a year, feasting on turkey and ribs, slow-cooked in a smoker.