Microblog

Jog, walk, cycle, beer + fish + chips, nap. Sunday.

Achieved new culinary heights: assembled Spam Musubi, a fusion food popular in Hawaii. Minnesota: Spam (fried). The can makes an excellent musubi mold. Japan: soy sauce and nori. California: sushi rice. Next time we’ll add mirin to the rice to make it stickier.

Walked along a tributary of the Mississippi where my friends temporarily joined a group of birders. I learned this is the best time of the year to hear bird songs.

“Discovered” Tori 44 in a St. Paul neighborhood. They make their own noodles, which pushed the dish up a notch. I’m slowly collecting places around the Twin Cities serving decent versions of my favorite comfort food.

Posted Blue Tarps in a Park.

Tonkotsu ramen revived me after a morning cycle ride.

It was time for my quarterly top-up at the Frauenshuh Cancer Center. Together with another drug, it continues to suppress tumor.

This afternoon I was a couch potato devouring a new novel, in translation: “Tokyo Ueno Station.” It depicts poverty and homelessness in Japan and deepened my understanding of scenes I’ve glimpsed in Japan. As I expected, the ending was not happy.

It was perfect weather for a New Orleans-style crawfish boil at the home of my in-laws. The food was tipped onto the table, and we picked food up with our fingers. The table was covered in plastic, rather than (traditional) newspapers. These days, our newspapers are digital.

Posted A Hike Across the Yorkshire Dales.

Cycled across South Minneapolis in a former railroad trench.

Quickly made my way to London Heathrow ahead of the impending happy event.

Attended an intimate Evensong in the Quire (Choir) of St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. The actual choir consisted of boy trebles and professionals (countertenor, tenor, and bass). Her Majesty was not in attendance.

Took a train from London Waterloo to Fleet to see friends. More than a quarter million people pass through these ticket barriers every day in the busiest train station in the UK.

Trans-Dale Hike Day 3 (of 3). Hiked from Pateley Bridge to Ripon via some ancient trails.

Trans-Dales Hike Day 2. Bluebells evoked Matisse as we hiked to Pateley Bridge, our home for tonight.