Microblog

Rebooked a Delta itinerary online because the fare had dropped by about 25%. Received a full refund of the fare difference, almost 29K Delta SkyMiles (about $400) and there was no service fee. It costs nothing to check if fares have gone down, so you can claw back some or all of the fare difference.

Our (almost) secret fast exit from the Guthrie Theater, several floors up, after The Importance of Being Earnest. It beats the crush for the escalator and elevators.

Realized that a few of the bills for the clinical study I’ve been on had been sent to and paid by my insurance company, rather than the study sponsor. Reviewed EOBs (Explanations of Benefits) online and found $16,000 in erroneous billings to be reversed and sent to the sponsor.

Emptied out our bulging travel tech box, Marie Kondo-style. Discarded half the contents, including earphones dating back to Continental Airlines and a GPS from 2001. Thanked the GPS for its service, but it was time to let it go. Retained the phone as a backup for solo travel.

Dinner, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Bill Charlap at the Dakota.

Sunset is generally the best time of day to reunite with small LEGO parts I’d dropped.

At my age, who could ask for more? On my cycle ride, this biffy convention caught my attention. For the rest of the ride, I tried to think up a collective noun for such a group. A relief of biffies? A widdle? A pod (“pees in a pod”)? Nah.

From a conference room in a beautifully designed Minneapolis school that provides basic adult education, a view of the 1853 Minneapolis Pioneers and Soldiers Cemetery. The school is in high demand, with a waitlist of people eager to learn. Below, Lake Street was the scene of protests that turned into riots in 2020.

I’ve now replaced all of our smoke detectors, including this one in the kitchen that also detects carbon monoxide. They’re connected to the Internet and Google Home, but I can’t silence false alarms with a voice command like “Hey Google, STFU” because UL standards disallow that.

I was surprised to see that the Midtown Bike Center had reopened after closing in 2020 due to COVID. It’s located in a former railroad trench that’s now a bikeway. Inside, I ordered an Americano (in a real cup) and explored the remodeled space, which will soon include bike sales and repair services.

Our wheeled garden is on the move. This rolling rack now keeps the afternoon sun off the kitchen island at dinnertime, reducing the need to lower the blinds.

As I walked by, Fraternity Row at the University of Minnesota was buzzing at 10am. Each frat house was hosting its own party with blaring music. I could hear the cheerful cacophony from many blocks away. Later, they might attend a Golden Gophers game. Maybe.

With children’s paracetamol in short supply in Canada, my friends in Newcastle, England, gave me some for their baby grandson in Toronto. Today, I mailed the medication from our art deco post office.

A loudly beeping smoke detector greeted us when we arrived home. We had replaced the batteries in all our detectors in the past year, and they’re hardwired. We disconnected the offending detector and will replace all the detectors with ones that have ten-year rechargeable batteries.

There was a 100% chance of rain as we waited for the train to a Newcastle Airport hotel for the night. Tomorrow morning we fly home, NCL–AMS–MSP.

At Warkworth, we reached the end of our five-day trail, which had passed all too quickly. We waved off our Guildford friend at Newcastle Central and headed to our Newcastle friends’ home for the night. There, Dwight made sure the soles of our hiking boots will pass muster with Customs at MSP.