Microblog

Built my latest manifold for watering house plants. It’s smaller, with 5 zones controlled by solenoid valves; each zone can have 8 adjustable drippers. We can adjust the duration and frequency of watering for each zone via the Web.

Looked out at a world that was so icy, bus service was suspended for the first time in 8 years. I could see a dog walker barely staying upright, and emergency vehicles going to accidents. A good day to use the workout room, fix stuff, book travel to warm places.

Air brakes hissed at me, but the brakeman gave me a friendly wave as I walked along an unofficial path across the river from our home.

It cost $2.75 at Wedge Co-op to replace baking soda, baking powder, and every spice I’d bought more than one year ago. I do this every year at this time, and only buy tiny quantities of spices during the rest of the year.

Asked The Google to play Cher’s Christmas album. Shocked to learn there isn’t one, so I signed a petition at change.org.

At lunchtime, walked over to a nearby brewpub to check out the holiday decorations.

Deadfall Minnesota cherrywood (our Christmas tree) never looked finer. The angel is a little the worse for wear.

Yesterday Dwight made mince pies. Today we decorated.

Created a Dyson shrine and installed Elfa shelving in the laundry. This space is close to the front door, hence the shoes.

Most people were at work, a good opportunity to try out our building’s fitness room for the first time. Worked up quite a sweat cycling snowy trails in the Swiss Alps while reading a novel.

Installed LED tape lighting in our coat closet around the interior door frame. I can change the color but Dwight prefers I keep it at 2700° Kelvin.

On my chilly walk, warmed up in the former Milwaukee Road Depot, now the Minneapolis Renaissance Hotel. The head house is now an event space: chimneys which vented smoke from locomotives evoke an earlier time.

Completed a three-morning walk along University Avenue (connecting Minneapolis and St. Paul) with a friend, pausing at architecturally interesting buildings. Today, our walk along “Asian Main Street” included wonderful Vietnamese pastries.

Posted Hiking above Palm Springs.

Winnowed down our worldly goods, enough for two carloads for Goodwill and Habitat for Humanity. Dwight inadvertently put this scarf on the Goodwill pile, but I rescued it. My dad wore it while serving in the Home Guard during World War II.

The painting in the men’s room at the restaurant where we were having dinner was upside down. We accused our 12-year-old nephew and his friend of the nefarious deed. (It was screwed to the wall because people kept turning it.)