TrivialBob

[email protected]

[trivialbob]

Pleasant evening in Wisconsin.

The dogs are inside, staring through the sliding glass door, because they dont care for fires.

Besides the crackling of the burning logs, we hear a huge chorus of bullfrogs and the faint sound of a band playing outside on a bar's patio.

Jack and Ali are on their way here. They've never seen this place before.

[trivialbob]

Sulley and me at the cabin.

Matt and Heather at home in NM, with matching outfits.

[trivialbob]

This evening I went to a grad party at my next-door neighbors' home. The youngest of their two sons is heading off to college next fall. From what I gather, he'll be successful in college and has a nice scholarship to help him along. I'm happy for him and his parents.

We've been neighbors for about 15 years. They host a fair number of family gatherings. Sometimes when I see a bunch of cars in the driveway, and one of them belongs to the mother of the wife, I mix myself a cocktail and walk over there.

About 10 years ago, K—the boys' grandmother and mom of my neighbor—gave me a standing invitation to come over to her daughter's house for drinks whenever K was visiting.

It all started when the family went on vacation. Sheila and I were taking care of their dog, April. They asked that we stop by several times a day to feed and let April outside in their fenced-in yard.

Well, that got old—walking back and forth several times a day. So Sheila and I brought April over to stay in our house all week. Our dogs got along with April, and she liked our self-serve doggy door.

Midweek, K texted me. "I am at the house. Where is the April??"

April was sleeping on my living room floor, her head resting on my foot, when I replied to K: "Sheila and I figured April would be happier staying with us and our dogs instead of being home alone. (I didn't add that my laziness was also a factor.)

And that is why K treats us like family.

[trivialbob]

It's National Donut Day.

The dogs and I went to our favorite bakery in Minneapolis after visiting the airport dog park (where we didn't see any interesting planes). The dogs waited outside while I got donuts. When I came back, I could literally see drool on the ground.

The plain donuts I bought felt like they went from the fryer into the bag. The wax coating on the bag was melting. I broke one into pieces, but had to let them cool before the dogs could eat any. The blue frosting on a donut I got for Sheila melted too.

As I was paying for my donuts, two awful, feral, vulgar, filthy, obnoxious people—who, other than all that had nothing in common with each other— got into an argument inside the tiny store. He disparaged her for some transgression outside the bakery, while she screamed at him (I suspect 10 is the only volume she has for anything).

I think I speak for the rest of the customers and employees when I say it would have been delightful if those two had beaten each other senseless.

[trivialbob]

It's Wednesday. But being retired, it often feels like Friday afternoon. This is a very good thing.

Tonight, Sheila and I and went to the brewery for pizza and, of course, beer. We saw a bunch of people we know and talked and talked and talked.

Now we're back home, sitting on the patio. Here you can see my bald head, little Sulley, and, if you squint, there's Ella sticking here nose out the doggy door. She wants to see what we're doing while also keeping her butt cool inside the house.

[trivialbob]

Sheila and I took the dogs, including the one dog-share dog, to the brewery tonight. One of our friends there has a full-size Aussie, so it's fun for me to see a patio full of Australian Shepherds.

This is what our dogs look like when Sheila goes inside for something and I stay on the bench. From left to right is Sulley, Ella, Oliver, and Stella, all laser focused on where Sheila went.

This is what it looks like when I go inside, and Sheila remains sitting on a patio bench:

There's a discrepancy in adoration.

[trivialbob]

The dogs and I spent a four-day weekend in Wisconsin. I relaxed much more this time.

First, the golf cart is working wonderfully. The single lithium battery (which replaced four very heavy lead acid ones) holds a charge really well.

Second, we'd had a problem with the air conditioner from last fall, after someone (not Sheila or me) installed a new wi-fi digital thermostat. An ambulance co-worker of Sheila's also owns an HVAC company, and he has an RV parked a few miles from us every summer.

It took him a couple of hours to figure out the wiring, but he got it fixed. The first night there, I sweated, the dogs panted, and fans pushed air around. The rest of the time we chilled in comfort. Oh, and he absolutely would not let me pay him for his time, no matter how much I insisted. Sheila and I will find a way to make it up to him. He expressed interest in inner tubing with us on the nearby river. There are also plenty of bars and restaurants we can try too.

A neighbor up there wanted the lumber from our old deck, from when Sheila and I had a travel trailer parked somewhere else. We had to remove the deck when we sold that trailer. He and another neighbor assembled a deck at his trailer over the weekend using that lumber. I was late and didn't help, but they still invited the dogs and me to come over for dinner.

I was equally excited by all the nice, cordless tool and the tantalizing assortment of grilled meats.

After dinner, we sat around and enjoyed some gin and tonics. A few of us have the Merlin Bird ID app on our phones. It's pretty fun. We heard owls in the distance, and the app identified them as Barred Owls.

One of the guys played the app's owl call over a Bluetooth speaker. It sounded like owls were hooting on the deck right next to us.

Within a few minutes, the real owls we'd heard in the distance flew in and hung out in the pine trees above, check us out. Beautiful birds, especially when they spread their wings and flew around.

I'm excited about the key rack and keychain labels I put together. We have keys for so many different doors, cabinets, bike locks, padlocks and the golf cart that I had to do something to keep them organized.

The funny thing is, up there hardly anyone locks anything unless they're going to be gone for a long time.

[trivialbob]

A UPS Boeing 747 arrived at MSP very early this morning (around 5:30 AM, which is also sunrise today). I almost drove over there to watch because planes were landing over the dog park, and I haven't seen a 747 up close in a long time.

But I was still sleepy. So were the dogs. When I finally got up, I did laundry and hung everything outside to dry, including the bedding. It all dried fairly quickly, even jeans, bath towels, and a comforter.

At the dog park later in the morning, I captured a Southwest 737 landing. It wasn't a busy day, in the air or on the ground. The largest plane I saw in the air was this Airbus A350-900. Sadly, I wasn't up close for this one.

On the way home, I stopped at an Indian restaurant. The place had just opened for the day, so it was very quiet. I asked an employee for help deciding. I explained I love butter chicken (it's one of Sheila's best dishes) but wanted to try something different, and I'd like something spicy.

There was something with coconut that sounded good, but then he mentioned vindaloo, which sounded really good. I ordered it with medium spice (which turned out to be perfect for me).

The guy threw in an order of coconut naan on the house. I got the food to go. (It was all wonderful tasting.)

The dogs waited for me in my truck, which I could see from inside the restaurant, as I ordered and paid. An older man and woman stopped their car next to my truck and gave it some stink-eye. They sure looked crabby. They talked and stared at Ella and Sulley, who were sitting in the front seats. Oliver was in the back seat behind tinted glass. I'm certain that the couple was not admiring my pretty dogs but were thinking it was 200° inside the truck.

It is very warm today. I left the engine running (it can do that without the key) and the A/C blowing. I often leave the doors unlocked, in case some crazy person thinks the animals are suffering and decides to free them by breaking a window.

When I came outside with my food, the couple glared at me and then drove off quickly. Once I was inside my truck, I turned down the A/C because it was a bit cold in there.

[trivialbob]

Yesterday, I stopped at the McDonald's drive-thru on my way to the dog park. I use the app on my phone to order. It works well, and sometimes I get free stuff.

When you get to the speaker, you give a four-character code (two letters followed by two numbers) assigned by the app. Then an employee thanks you for using the app and instructs you to pull up to the window.

My code this time was YY12.

When I gave the employee my code he replied, "I don't know, I don't know why it's twelve!"

For about a fifth of a second, I thought to myself, "What's his ******* problem?"

Then I realized what he was doing. And we both laughed out loud.

[trivialbob]

This is the parking lot at the bar and grill where we have our tiny cabin.

When we bought our place last fall, the seller included his golf cart as part of the transaction. It broke shortly after the sale. A number of people (neighbors) tried to fix it without success.

Finally this spring, Sheila found a golf cart dealership a half hour away. I trailered the cart there earlier this month. The guy there got it up and running for a price less than I expected.

Sheila and I rode it to the bar last night for dinner and bingo. Later, we got the dogs and went to a neighboring cabin here. Ella is just fine riding on the front seat. Oliver and Sulley aren't sure yet. At one point Oliver leaped off the floorboard, and I ended up walking him home.

[trivialbob]

Trash or treasure?

I have a morbid fascination with Buy Nothing pages on Facebook.

One local woman often seeks (begs for) miscellaneous household items, plants, and toys. In fairness, she sometimes offers free things too. She lives in a half-million dollar house.

This week, someone offered half a container of sherbet. It was the "rainbow" flavor. The giver decided, after eating half of it, that although correctly labeled as having lemon, lime, and orange flavors, it lacked strawberry.

One person replied that she was interested in it. A second person posted that he'd like to have it, but since he doesn't have a car, it would melt before he could walk home with the frozen treat.

Then someone offered a rotisserie chicken that was two days past it's sell-by date. She hadn't smelled it, but assumed it was still good. Two people wanted it!

You might think this would be a time-sensitive offer, but the giver apologized for not checking for replies right away. Of course, there was someone else who wanted it but let us know she didn't have a way to pick it up.

Comments like that last one further my argument that every social media post should incur a small cost to the person who posted it. Would it be worth 5¢ to you to tell people you can't pick up something you want?

[trivialbob]

I found myself on Google Street View!

Last month, when I was in Manhattan, I saw a Google camera/GPS car driving while I was walking around the East Village. Sheila was inside The Strand bookstore nearby.

That's my red and black LL Bean jacket and a wool ball cap I got in Ireland last year. I tried to move the Street View to see my blurred out face, but once I click past that Mercedes G wagon, the picture changes from April 2026 to September 2024.

[trivialbob]

"Let's get our picture together by the tree, Jack."

[trivialbob]

Yesterday evening, Sheila took me out to dinner at a restaurant in the warehouse district. Look at this cool, old brick building. (Older picture from Google Street View because I forgot to snap my own picture.) She had asked some of her foodie friends for recommendations, and this Argentinian steakhouse was at the top of one's list.

We arrived a bit early and walked around outside. An employee coming to work asked if we needed anything. "Nope, we know we're early." He welcomed us warmly and said he'd see us inside when the doors opened. Later, he said hi to me again when we were were being seated by our server. Everyone working there was fantastic.

I ordered a very expensive steak and didn't give the price a second thought. It was indeed a tasty selection and worth it.

We ordered fancy cocktails too. Sheila thought she'd like this mango concoction, but the serrano in it was a little too spicy for her taste. I stepped up and finished it for her. I loved the spice on top of the mango sweetness (mango tequila, mango tonic, mango ferment, serrano, tamarind).

This morning, Sheila went to work, and I got going on yardwork. The Aussies hung out in the back yard as I mowed the grass. Their white feet now look like the Grinch's.

Got some steps in.

[trivialbob]

I came to Wisconsin for a long weekend. Retirement suits me nicely. Sheila stayed home to work.

A former coworker (who is still working) texted me asking for help with a subject I knew well. I don't mind her questions, as they aren't frequent. She wanted to hear about my trips to New Mexico and New York City, and I like hearing from her who else is retiring and the hot gossip on that one manager nobody cares for. Another favorite coworker called me to let me know she is retiring this week.

Since yesterday, the only other things I've done are eat, read, watch the latest season of Beef, and take the dogs to the nearby little off-leash park. After the park, I picked up Chinese food from a tiny local place I hadn't tried before. $7.99 for a takeout lunch special which seemed to weigh about three pounds. That was lunch and I have leftovers for dinner.

Beef has me hooked. The first season was in 2023. The second season isn't connected to the first. I didn't even know there was a new season except I Googled the current most popular TV series and saw it.

Another series that appeared was Margo's Got Money Troubles. I watched two episodes with limited interest before switching to Beef. The book I brought with me is keeping me very entertained, so I don't know if I'll have time to give Margo's another chance.

Last night it got down to 49°F/9°C. This afternoon we reached 83°F/28°C. Cold nights are great for sleeping. The little cabin has stayed fairly cool this afternoon without using air conditioning. Surrounding tall pines provide a lot of shade.

The dogs have been pretty lazy. I found a bar and grill in a neighboring city that will let me take them onto the patio. I stopped in today to check the menu and make sure I could bring the dogs. $7.50 (cash only) for a mushroom and Swiss burger. Be still my frugal heart. I talked briefly with the manger who was a super nice guy. This place will be our lunch tomorrow. At those low prices, I'll order a plain hamburger for the dogs to share.

I usually stop at the local grocery store for some produce for the weekend. It costs a little more, but I like and to support the local businesses. I have two produce code memorized for the self-checkout: 4011 is yellow bananas, 3283 is Honeycrisp apples.

Those apples are always relatively expensive, but they are worth it. However, I think I got some that were mislabeled. They were not crisp, bordering on mushy, and lacked the flavor I was expecting. I still ate them, but with a frown.

[trivialbob]

Yesterday, I finally visited the observation deck of the Foshay Tower in downtown Minneapolis. The deck is on the 30th floor.

Built in 1929 as an office building, today it's a hotel.

The blue glass building is the IDS tower, built in 1972. Until it was completed, the Foshay was the tallest building in Minneapolis. The other tall building is Wells Fargo Center, which I find particularly beautiful. The top floors are lit up at night, which I remember bothering environmentalists when the building first opened. Both have 57 floors though the IDS is slightly taller.

I visited a few other buildings as part of the Minneapolis Open Doors event. One thing I noted about Minneapolis City Hall and the Hennepin County Government Center is how many signs are posted. Lots of directions and rules for visitors to follow and understand. Pictures in courtrooms are prohibited, even when court isn't in session.

My picture above; Wikipedia picture below.

[trivialbob]

I'm really tired of being cold. It's 41°F/5°C outside this morning. Feels like arctic weather. The weather app also delights me with severe pollen warnings. When I hit nine empty tissue boxes, the nosebleeds start.

Sheila is on a trip with some of her cousins. They rented a house in Gulf Shores, Alabama. I'm chilling (literally and figuratively) at home with the dogs.

Yesterday I took them to Jack and Ali's house. Jack was in some sort of online weightlifting competition. He's got a nice gym set up in his heated garage. I hung out and watched. One of his friends recorded the lifts for the contest. Sulley peed on a plant inside the house! Later, Ali, Jack, and I went out for lunch. I had a really good Philly cheesesteak sandwich.

My 6th grade class picture appeared on Facebook. I'm second row, third from left. I can name about a third of these people. The girl next to me had a crush on me, I later learned; I was way too clueless to pick up on that at the time. Maybe that's why she looks angry here. I sort of had a crush on the girl in the front row, far right. Two of the students shown have since passed away.

At the dog park yesterday morning I saw a C-130 taxiing past the MD-11 which is still parked after several months. The Air Force plane has a much different sound than the jets. Later in the day, my dogs got a second trip to another park, with Jack and Ali's dogs. So much peeing.

Today I think I'll go downtown. The city of Minneapolis is hosting its annual Doors Open event. Various buildings are open for free tours. I want to visit the Foshay Tower, the first skyscraper in the city (built in 1929) and the tallest building there until the IDS Center was constructed in 1972.