Microblog

It may look like a fast food restaurant and it’s not in the prettiest part of St. Paul but Trung Nam French Bakery, operated by immigrants from Vietnam, bakes the best almond croissants. So that’s where I got with a friend for coffee and flakey perfection this morning.

Three blocks from our home, on a snowy walk, paused at Sherwin Williams’ Applied Science and Technology building. Built in 1905 as the headquarters of the Minnesota Linseed Oil Paint Company, the company later merged with Valspar. The combined company remained headquartered in Minneapolis. Finally, it was acquired by Sherwin Williams.

Realized storing empty electronics boxes was no longer serving us. We’ve been storing the elaborate boxes in our “basement”—a storage cage two floors down. Since we hold onto electronics long past their prime resale value, keeping the boxes serves little practical purpose.

Over the years, our stash of dental freebies from hygienist appointments has grown. Today, Dwight announced he’s found a new use for them: cleaning between the spines of cacti at the greenhouse where he volunteers. I couldn’t resist speculating if he’d be talking to the cacti during his prickly procedures.

Packed our Christmas decorations into a storage tote. We’ll move the tree (in its mailing tube) and the tote to our storage cage two floors down in a couple days, once we’ve rounded up any stray decorations.

Exhausted from our busy day, and uninspired by the fridge, we walked out for a revitalizing dinner at Maxwell’s.

Walked over to the Guthrie for a performance of ‘Art’ where friendships are inflamed by a piece of minimalist art. “If you’re not who I think you are, then who am I?”

We’ve only just learned that health insurance covers $50 each per quarter for over-the-counter medications, toothpaste, floss, etc. I thought we couldn’t possibly spend that much, then I checked our medicine drawer. Everything in this photo has expired with dates going back to 2013. Some things get better with age, not medicine drawers.

Our January 1st ritual: a walk followed by a pub lunch. (The empty bottle is from last night, a particularly fine Champagne, gifted by friends some time ago for my 70th birthday.)

Walked on fresh snow to Coastal Seafoods to pick up shrimp for paella for dinner, but when I saw this line, frozen shrimp from Trader’s suddenly became acceptable. As is our custom, I’ve cued up RTVE Madrid to stream to our TV to celebrate 2024 at midnight Madrid time, 5:00 pm Central.

Took two online classes as part of a continuing education requirement. Previously I’d completed some English Language teaching classes, but today I took required general classes on teaching adults.

Replaced spices older than (arbitrarily) 15 months for a total of about $8. Freshness is optimized by buying whole spices in small quantities.

Included the Canopy by Hilton Hotel on a downtown walk with a friend. This lovely building was originally a factory for steam-powered wheat threshers and farming implements. An art-filled atrium has been carved out to bring light and drama to interior spaces.

Posted Japan 2024: Plan for a Plan. Travel is iterative: each journey is a prototype for the next time I visit an area; there’s no pressure to tick off all the boxes.

Posted Boxing Day: A Day for Selling Vacations. When I was growing up in England, the day after Christmas was a day for relaxing and eating leftovers. Television advertising, finally freed from promoting the excesses of Christmas consumption, switched to hawking packaged vacations.

Grateful for friends and their decadent homemade treats from here in Minnesota and England (that wonderful Christmas cake). Not shown: the best homemade lefse (all gone).