2/11/2020
(Above: An elegantly simple solution to the plight of a garden that has outgrown its original sprinkler.)
Active Summary: This morning I awoke, performed calisthenics, and salted the chuck steak for lunch later on in the day. Afterward, I rode around with Padre through the beef pasture and collected some lambsquarter with him (also for lunch) before returning to Jacobhouse to write and calculate some trip-costs. This was ensued by hotspot testing with my Uncle Wag’s phone. The possibility of having cellular internet still exists, but I must find a way to boost cell-signal / reception before I can consider switching away from Centurylink.
I spent about 35 minutes in the garden after the hotspot tests. During my time with the plants, I installed a sprinkler post and harvested peas, spinach, kale, and arugula. This was followed by my showering* and then heading up to Oldhouse to cook a delectable lunch.
(6:20 PM Update:) It was a fairly average afternoon on the farm today, but now it is about to be finished off with something truly special: Padre, Madre, my brother, and I eating out at Mesa De Notte. No doubt, it is going to be a fantastic meal.
(9:30 PM Update:) Our meal at Mesa de Notte was tremendous. We started off with an appetizer of crusty fried mozzarella & prosciutto similar to that which my brother and I experienced in Catania, and from there ate a delicious caesar salad and mushroom soup. The main course was salmon cooked perfectly (heated all the way through with a delicious crust on the outside and tender & juicy flesh on the inside) and served atop a bed of angel hair pasta dressed in garlic and olive oil. Dessert consisted of cannolis which were impressively comparable to those which my brother and I feasted upon in Sicily.
Though I did not capture pictures of the meal, I did capture a few decent dusk pictures just before heading out to eat:
TIL: Nothing significant changed in regard to the cellular-internet idea today other than a reaffirmation of its possibility**. So, instead of using today’s TIL section to relate mundane facts in regard to the hotspot tests, I will instead showcase a composer that I learned about on our trip through Europe and that I have been vastly enjoying ever since. His name is Joe Hisaishi, and he has composed many film scores for foreign animated films as well as standalone songs. What I find interesting about Hisaishi, is that where western composers often rely on minor / solemn undertones to create beautiful music, Joe Hisaishi does so while utilizing almost solely major undertones. Thus, despite his music relaying an incredible sense of story-telling, the tone remains positive and energizing.
Commentary: I would say that my primary highlights for the day thus far were the sprinkler fix in the garden and lunch. The former was simple yet effective, and the latter was truly delicious. I am looking forward to later, though, when us four – Padre, Madre, my brother, and I – all venture out to eat. It has always been a special experience, and it is now made even more significantly so on account of my brother’s soon departing for his job out west.
Final Note: Tomorrow, I plan on tending to the garden some more, performing a little bit of internet-plan related research, and completing a school assignment or two…or three. Master Blend freezer room shenanigans will begin soon as well, but I may end up helping with a couple other tasks of time-sensitive nature (in regard to our selling Oldhouse) before I return to that.
*I am still appreciating each shower I take in Jacobhouse. The reliable warmth, pressure, and cleanliness are all simply excellent when compared the showers I experienced in Europe.
** I ran some speed tests with my Uncle’s phone in Jacobhouse. The best speed I got was 6.8 mbps down and .09 mbps up. Less than 50 feet away from Jacobhouse, though, we got speeds of more than 9 mbps and an upload of a nigh identical number.