Six Maui Hikes

In the past week we've stayed in three different parts of Maui and sampled a variety of hikes.

The most dramatic hike so far on this trip has to be Keonehe'ehe'e (Sliding Sands) Trail. It starts above the clouds, about 10,000 feet up Haleakala. The photo at the top of this post shows the view near the start of the hike.

Around the World in 53 Days

I started my journey around the Northern Hemisphere this morning: I walked to a number 2 bus which took me to a light rail station where I caught a train to the airport.

Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood: Architectural Sculptures and Actual Buildings

Each week, I enjoy a walk or a cycle ride with a friend.

This week we started at a street lined with twenty-four architectural sculptures on plinths. We had passed the end of this street many times, but had no idea these sculptures existed.

Then we went on a hunt for some of the buildings depicted by the bronze sculptures. My friend's blog post nicely describes our walk this week.

Long-Haul Journeys

The Zen of Empty Shelves

My material needs for a month or two fit into a small backpack, end-on in an aircraft's overhead bin.

I find it satisfying to carefully select what I'm going to pack in my 35-liter backpack before heading out of town for a few weeks. I now want that same compact, lightweight, self-sufficient feeling with our stuff in our home.

An Indoor 9-Mile Urban Hike

 

A fierce rainstorm had hit California. People had died, a reservoir was bursting at the seams, evacuations had been ordered in several counties.

The storm weakened as it crossed the Rockies on its way to Minneapolis and points east. On Monday, Presidents' Day, the storm finally hit Minneapolis, dropping 0.6 inches of rain. This may sound wimpy, but the average precipitation for Minneapolis for the whole of February is just shy of 0.9 inches.

I decided this was a good day to walk nine miles of the Minneapolis skyway system.

A Constant Supply of Fresh Spices

Time, light, oxygen, and heat are enemies of spices.

Enemy	The Problem	Mitigations
Time	I suspect the typical spice rack harbors spices from the last millennium.	Buy tiny quantities, use within one year. For spices you use rarely, buy enough for one meal.
Light	Spice jars are usually transparent and sit on a rack on the counter or wall.	Store in a dark place.
Oxygen	Eventually a spice jar contains more oxygen than spice.	Store in small plastic bags, squeeze out any air. Buy whole rather than ground spices. This greatly reduces the exposed surface area.
Heat	A warm place (e.g., next to an oven or above a range) might be seen as a convenient spot for storing spices.	Store spices away from heat sources.

When Fear Rules

January 1990: I flew back home to Minneapolis after attending my father's funeral in England. As the plane descended over Minneapolis my anxiety level rose, as it always did at this point in my journey back to the USA.

Flying doesn't bother me in the least. It was the thought of being questioned by an immigration official and being denied entry to the USA. I'd be forced onto the next flight back to the UK, separated from my partner, my home, my job, my life.

As I walked towards Immigration Control, my pulse would race, I would try not to shake. I rehearsed the upcoming encounter in my head:

Immigration Official: Are you a homosexual?
Me: I have nothing to say.

Inauguration Day 2017

Today, Inauguration Day 2017, I did my bit to support artistic expression and local beer.

Artistic expression is constitutionally protected speech. Art can express compassion, empathy, inclusiveness, but it can be annoying, uncomfortable, nihilistic. A crucifix immersed in the artist's urine is not my go-to artistic experience, but neither is mind-numbing kitsch.