Microblog

The latest, but not the final, iteration of my LEGO gantry crane. I periodically work and rework mechanisms, frame structure (thank you Pythagoras), or Python program, but it often sits waiting for a fresh idea.

Dwight’s in Fargo visiting his mom, so I decided to watch some anime. Chose “Paprika” where dreams and reality lose boundaries. Magical realism pervades anime, as well as much of the Japanese literature I’ve read in translation, and (for me) Japan itself. I keep going back for more.

As I ate my lunch at the worker-owned Hard Times Cafe, I overheard nearby diners discussing labor history and class struggle. Later, I walked past double barriers outside Northrop Auditorium that symbolized the gulf between protesters and Justice Amy Coney Barrett.

At the end of our Sunday morning walk, stopped by Open Book for expertly prepared coffees. The space houses various book-related nonprofits, as evidenced by this gumball machine selling poetry at 50 cents a pop.

Made cookies and cream froyo with lactose-free yogurt and gluten-free Oreos. It came out creamy, thanks to the yogurt, which I had strained through cheesecloth for a couple of hours. Sugar, salt (a pinch), vanilla essence, and a tablespoon of rum all lowered the freezing point.

Helped Dwight set up his gardening notes in a blog format. He volunteers at a university greenhouse and has been documenting his experiences in a long word processing document. A blog format opens up possibilities.

I’m temporarily on a restricted diet, but thankfully most fermented foods are allowed.

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.