Ireland 2024 Log - Day 1
Weather: Warm and Sunny in Minneapolis.
- Packing, packing, repacking, confused, not sure bringing the right things, packing. 🧳
- Prepare camera, computer, and related equipment. 📷
- Visit Edina Art Fair.
- Lyft to airport.
- Suitcase statistics in pounds: Tammy 48, Jamie 42, Mazie 35, Tyler 31.
- Met couple from Seattle waiting for Dublin flight who were rerouted through Minneapolis after their Boston flight was late. They had eight kids from 18 to 4 years old who were at home on their own. Their final destination was Madrid, Spain.
- Take off DL114 MSP → DUB. 🛫
Jump to day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 or see Ireland 2024 Collection.
DL114 ready to take us to Dublin!
Edina Art Fair
We made a quick visit to the Edina Art Fair after we finished packing for our trip to Ireland and heading to the airport. It was fun to get to see the art even if it was a bit hurried. Artists that caught our eye included:
- Tiny People Big Laughs
- Chuck U Art
- Brian Schmidt of Lower Woodland Studios
- Shantina Hatfield of Cedar Lane Designs
- Raelyn Larson and Tim Pahs
- Todd Voss (no website)
Tammy liked this sculpture “Willie Fly” and decided it should find a home with us. Very cool.
Soon we start our trip to Ireland and I thought it would be fun to make a POAP for it. DALL-E got me started and I finalized it. I think it would be fun to share this with people we meet on our trip. We’ll see if I actually do it but I’m ready when the opportunity arises!
See list of POAPs.
I’m giving micro.blog’s new audio narration feature a try. I used the new Zoom H1 Essential to record and added narration to my First Coffee in 54 Days post, and Tiny Theme added support just in time.
A dozen bikes parked in the garage today. 🚲
Max and I enjoying a Grain Belt Premium at Pleasant Grove Pizza Farm.
Tammy and I have a highly optimized team approach to making smash burgers. It is a complex choreography that ends with delicious burgers. This years Blackstone upgrade added air fryer so tater tots and french fries now included! It was five years ago we made these for the first time. Our technique is much better!
Photos courtesy of Tammy’s sister Angie Lundeen.
First Coffee in 54 Days
This morning I had my first cup of coffee since April 1st — 54 days without the Black Gold in my cup. I was curious to see what the experience would be like. I’ve not had any coffee during this period. I have had tea three or four times that did have caffeine in it and I noted that I felt the caffeine in that tea much more than I ever did before. But coffee? The real deal? Hadn’t had any.
I had some great beans from Fika Coffee. The smell of the beans tickled my memories. My first reaction was that the feel of the warm cup, the smell of the brew all was very familiar but not as revelatory as I thought it might have been. The sky did not open, the clouds did not part. There were no trumpets. It was a delightful sip of coffee but that was about it. Good, but not an out-of-body experience.
I finished the cup outside on the deck and it was nice. I was a bit confused because I didn’t seem to be feeling the caffeine. That didn’t make any sense to me, but we continued with our morning and headed into Faribault to visit Crack of Dawn. When I started to drive off I felt like I was on a rocket blasting into the stratosphere. The caffeine had arrived and it was serious! Nothing like I would have felt before, this was actually a bit disconcerting. I can’t say I enjoyed it. Imagine a squirrel in a wheel running very fast and going nowhere.
Eventually that blast off ebbed. I was shocked at how profound that felt. As I thought when I stopped drinking my 12 oz of coffee a day and the withdrawal was significant — this caffeine stuff is serious. And this less than 12 oz that I had this morning was serious too!
All that in that little mug of Black Gold.
Tough losses for the Timberwolves against the Mavericks. Tonight was heartbreaking with a bad call at the end and Naz Reid just barely missing the final three attempt. Hard fought games. 🏀
Awesome to see my Weekly Thing Seven Year Anniversary POAP highlighted in the most recent Week in POAP today. 🤩
Two decades ago when I started publishing on the web I would have never guessed that linking to websites, with no URL redirection or tracking tags, would feel almost subversive now. I now find myself delighting in adding even more links to blog posts. Creating the web I want!
I’ve gotten into the NBA playoffs a bit this year. I’m was very happy (and a little surprised?) to see the Timberwolves beat the Nuggets in game seven of their series! Let’s go Wolves! 🏀
Tammy and I saw The Decemberists at the Palace Theatre tonight. They were great as always. What wasn’t great were our seats — balcony row W.
This Blackened Swordfish with Spanish Rice special at 6Smith was so good I came back to have it a second time.
Great night for Minnesota United FC v Portland Timbers! ⚽️
Micro.blog just added a new feature to comment directly on a blog post on a hosted blog, instead of having to do it in the timeline on micro.blog. This also allows you to authenticate a comment using Mastadon or Blue Sky, in addition to micro.blog itself. Easier commenting now available!
While we were at Theodore Wirth we also stopped by the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary and walked through the loop. It was really pretty. We’ll be back for sure.
We visited the Quaking Bog at Theodore Wirth today. We’d never been there and I was lucky enough to have wore my Chaco sandals. If you go, be prepared for your feet to get wet. It is a cool spot.y
With just one final left next week Mazie is wrapping up her Freshman year at St. Olaf. She did an amazing job in her classes and made a ton of new friends. We packed up her dorm room and moved her stuff home today. It is great to have her back home for the summer.
