Working at home

Hi I am at home editing some papers this morning, and this afternoon I will go to the World Energy Solutions conference in Copenhagen. The University has asked me to be at their booth to demonstrate the air purifier invention. They are setting up an interview for the TV news - I feel ambivalent, it takes time and is hard to get right. It helps my research only very indirectly. Also I will sit on a panel to discuss Energy Efficiency. I got a letter today from a doctor in San Francisco wondering if we would be able to remove anaesthetics from the air in operating rooms - and I think the answer is yes, we can. Anders was home yesterday with a sore throat but is back in school today. Fredrik is also back in school, but his voice is still scratchy and recovering from the laryngitis. Best wishes! /mj

Pappa Likes Food

Anders gave me this picture tonight, it's called, 'Pappa Likes Food'. That's a bottle of hot sauce above the plate.

Goodby cruel words

I am writing a lecture on Scientific Writing. Here are some of my notes:

Let's eat, Grandma!
Let's eat Grandma!

Man eating shark
Man-eating shark

Brevity is the soul of wit
Omit needless words
Less is more

Camp Food

Top Ten Foods for Camping and Hunting Trips.

1 and 2, tied, Fried fish (any species) and blueberries (fresh)
3. Corned beef hash with eggs
4. Pancakes with canned corn and fruit cocktail
5. Bisquick dumpling stew
6. Peanut butter and jelly
7. Scrambled French toast
8. Popcorn
9. Toasted marshmallow
10. Trail mix

Weekend

The weekend is here which means its time to prepare for next week: Write lecture for Scientific Writing; make lessons for Environmental Chemistry; Write a talk for high school students in Gladsaxe; Make presentation for World Climate Solutions meeting; Review a paper on laughing gas. But I did have a chance to bring in the year's harvest of cayenne peppers and tomatoes.

Wednesday

Anders was really excited because they printed his birthday in this month's Bamse comic. He showed me - Pappa! Its my name! And there it was, October 31, Anders Johnson. Karin sent his name in.

I've noticed that its getting harder to focus on things that are nearby - like books and computers, and so the optrician recommended that I get progressive lenses. They arrived today. I am still getting used to them, they say it takes a couple of weeks. Everything is swimming.

Still no result in the Swedish election - they are counting and recounting some of the votes. Maybe tomorrow we will know.

Things continue to be busy at work. I have some quizzes to finish correcting tonight, and then assignments to write for next week.

/m

Photos with Anders

Anders at swim school - that's him on the left kicking his way across the pool. The two young men teaching the class do such a great job!

Lunch with Grandma on the Long Pier.

Dear Mom

Dear Mom,
Karin has been up in Vallentuna for the last 4 days, helping her Mom to o through some of her father's things. My goal was to have fun with the kids. Its been busy and things went well. The kitchen is clean and I made loads of nutritious food. Fredrik still has laryngitis (three weeks now!) but is starting to be able to talk more. I kept him home from a scout hike and overnight - wind and rain and a sore throat don't mix. He played guitar, and played with his brother, and read Science Illustrated. Anders and I finished the birdhouse and got it put up in the pear tree, outside the dining room window.
You remember Allison gave the kids a book on making movies and I got them started on that. They put my digital camera on a tripod in front of a stage with lego characters. They would take a shot and then move the characters a little, and then take another shot. They were at it for hours and it turned out pretty well.
I have been doing a lot of work on the book lately - especially because we are teaching the class based on the book right now. I am writing problems for the students to go with each chapter. Takes a lot of time but I like the result and how it brings the text alive. The students seem to like it too but I have a tendency to write too many problems. Need to cut back, or only assign some of them.
I should go pick up Anders from school now - and then Karin from the train station.
Have you read about the Swedish election?
Love, Matt

Check the bearings

We'd always pull over in Faribault to check the bearings on the trailer when we were driving up north for vacation. Five kids, fewer as they moved away, and Mom and Dad in a station wagon and the tent trailer or the boat trailer loaded with gear, sometimes a canoe on top of the car. The idea was that Faribault was far enough from Owatonna that if something was wrong with the bearings it would have a chance to show itself. I quizzed Dad. Maybe water had gotten into the hub, maybe it wasn't packed correctly and would overheat and then we'd have to replace the axle and that would be really bad. We'd stop the car, Dad would get out and feel the bearings, and they were always cold, which meant they were alright. Then we'd get back in the car and drive to International Falls.