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Daily Microblog

Good Writing Wins

Apr 29, 2023

Sausage, ice cream, and a movie are key ingredients for Sausage Saturday. Dwight usually researches movies, then sends me links to reviews of three movies. Tonight’s winner: Living. The screenplay is by British author, Kazuo Ishiguro; the writing will be good.

No Batteries Required

Apr 28, 2023

It was time to adjust leveling screws to fix a wobble with the help of a spirit level my dad gave me when I was a kid.

Good Karma

Apr 27, 2023

Fair weather prompts cycling, not walking, and allows me to rediscover faraway cafes. Carma Cafe is across the road from Good Carma Auto Repair.

Piece of a 747

Apr 26, 2023

Walked over to Zen Box Izakaya to pick up the charge card I’d left behind last Saturday, so of course we had to have ramen. I’d canceled the card, but wanted to hold onto it. It includes a layer of aluminum from a Northwest Airlines/Delta 747. I like to think I flew on it to… Continue reading Piece of a 747

Payday

Apr 25, 2023

Today I received my monthly stipend for participating in the clinical trial. I feel uncomfortable being paid for receiving great healthcare, so the payments will go to a University of Minnesota Medical School scholarship fund.

No Big Deal

Apr 24, 2023

Today, I realized I’d probably left my Amex card in a restaurant that’s closed today. A couple taps in the Amex app delivered an immediate digital replacement to Google Wallet. A physical card will arrive tomorrow morning. Pretty neat, I thought.

I Never Knew That…

Apr 23, 2023

We’d been doing this wrong for 35 years! While making coffee this morning, used a tip we recently learned: add one drop of water before grinding. This reduces static which causes coffee grounds to clump and stick to the grinder. The grinder only needs a quick wipe with a sponge.

Plumbing Plan

Apr 22, 2023

Met with two members of our building’s garden club to plan improvements we’d like to the irrigation on a roof deck. Updated a document that will be part of a request for quote. We were treated to delicious home-made scones, and I left with three more for later.

Paperwork

Apr 21, 2023

Today was chilly, windy, and damp, a good day to go through a heap of papers, scanning what I want to retain, then shredding every last sheet.

On Second Thought…

Apr 20, 2023

Towards the end of a walk in the rain, decided to pop into Trader’s to treat myself to a bunch of daffodils. Bought two pots of yogurt instead.

Happy Places

Apr 19, 2023

Chatted with nurse Danielle about her upcoming trip to Portugal while she set up an infusion line. I’ve now had two (of four) Lutetium-177 PSMA I&T (!) infusions and early results are promising. Danielle is excited about her first trip to Europe on Friday.

TOEFL

Apr 18, 2023

Worked throught TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) exercises with an adult learner. It’s always a joy to work with people who want to learn.

Watching the River Flow

Apr 17, 2023

On my walk, Old Man River was frisky. It crests this week, but flooding won’t be an issue in our immediate neighborhood because it flows through a gorge.

Family-Style Sushi

Apr 16, 2023

After reviewing an upcoming trip to Japan with a nephew and his dad, the rest of the family joined us for a trip to a Japanese restaurant. With two teenagers in tow, this photo represents a fraction of what was eaten.

Show-and-Tell

Apr 15, 2023

Started assembling materials for a show-and-tell tomorrow with our 15-year-old nephew and his dad. We’ll be backpacking in Japan for three weeks, traveling by train using national rail passes, and staying in mostly budget hotels.

Rehabilitating Spam

Apr 14, 2023

Lined up the ingredients for Spam musubi, a Hawaiian take on Japanese onigiri. I’ll pretend it’s healthy: the Spam has 25% less sodium, and the brown sugar is organic. The nonstick musubi mold is convenient, but a Spam can lined with plastic wrap also does the job.