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At the furthest point on my walk, the heavens opened. Kept my head down as I headed back home. A hot shower made it all good.

Connected a friend’s VCR to her new TV using a video-to-HDMI converter so she can play one tape: an exercise routine she enjoys. The aspect ratio is wrong (stretched) but it’s not distracting: Richard Simmons has had many girths over the years.

I love my Zoji, Japan’s leading rice cooker brand. Fuzzy logic and induction heating produce great rice. However, the fuzzy logic doesn’t detect the type of rice and I forgot to change the setting from (short-grain) brown to sushi. It was edible, but rather aggressively cooked.

Posted Settling in One Place for a Month.

It always seems like a special occasion when we have paella. Made veggie paella for no particular reason. I’m still working on getting a good socarrat (deep fond), but this one tasted pretty good and delaminated from the pan nicely. Recipe.

Felt the need to be looked after, so we walked two blocks to Maxwell’s for Reubens and beer for dinner. We hope this lovely, well-maintained, old-time bar won’t fall to redevelopment. Our home was built on a former railroad yard, but there are buildings nearby worth preserving.

Picked up cookies from Rustica (the best) en route to a medical appointment. Back home they mysteriously disappeared from the kitchen counter. Eventually found them in Dwight’s secret hiding place on a high shelf. I expect one cookie will be metered out with a cuppa this evening.

Capped off the day with a short concert by the Minnesota Orchestra. Here, they’re warming up, and the “shut off your cell phone announcement” has yet to be made.

Registration for summer activities: a hopeful sign. On my chilly walk to get labs drawn, thoughts of summer sent my mind to a happy place.

Spent many happy hours putting together a multi-day hike we’ll complete in April. Much of the hike is countryside, but on the last day we cross the Golden Gate Bridge towards San Francisco. The challenge was aligning cheapest days to fly with availability in two isolated inns.

At the Guthrie tonight, a violent storm was followed by a lesson for our times. In The Tempest desire for revenge became compassion for adversaries.

It was another warm, sunny day for microgreens in our apartment garden. Outside, it was a different story.

The things I wish I’d known when I was young; e.g., there’s so much good stuff in Asian supermarkets. On my walk, popped into my favorite Asian supermarket for chicken parts westerners generally eschew, Chinese broccoli, and (an impulse purchase) frozen pork steamed buns.

The things I wish I’d known when I was young; e.g. bike-riding is wonderful. Got my first bike when I was 27 and living in the USA. Today, went down to the basement to get the wheels ready for a quick getaway. Did a joyful loop through the garage to check things out.

The things I wish I’d known when I was young; e.g., Spam musubi is good. Fry Spam slices, coat with shoyu/mirin/brown sugar glaze.Stack in a musubi mold (or Spam can lined with plastic wrap): —Spam slice—Sushi rice mixed with a few drops of vinegar —Optional furikakeWrap with nori.

The things I wish I’d known when I was young; e.g. sauté mushrooms in a mono-layer, don’t be afraid of heat, and deglaze the pan with wine. And so much still to learn: I’ve yet to master the pan flip; Dwight can do it, but I’m afraid of sending the meal across the kitchen.