i dun fell off... my bike

riding my bike in the fresh powder we got last night wouldn't have been a big deal had I decided to ride my knobby-tired mountain bike. instead, i went with my skinny and smooth-tired Surly. All was well on the bike path until after crossing a street, I ramped up to the bike path and proceeded to slide into the wooden bollard like I was stealing third base. It was actually a pretty graceful slide into the horizontal position, cushioned by a pillow of unadulterated snow. I ended up fish-tailing for the continuation of the ride. I've never been so glad to finally be at work.

Anyway, I'm not super pumped about the ride home this evening. Other than that, I was really warm on my ride in which is always a positive thing.

i dun fell off

computer crashed over a week ago at home. lots of holiday traveling has kept me away from the office, so no computer access for me. it's helped curb my ebay habit at the very least. it's also helped me realize i don't need to check email and blogs so frequently--let's see if i can get any work done today and tomorrow...

i had a great vacation, hanging out with family, eating lots of food, especially sweets and beer... movies: The Hangover (classic), Role Models (super great), 500 Days of Summer (meh), and soon, PaperHeart (?).

2010 is rollin up fast--no resolutions, just hopes for a healthy wife and baby. Maybe less computer. Finish the basement before Baby Girl arrives.... awesome garden that produces all summer long. Less sleep. A tattoo. And no Ebay. Did I just say that? No Ebay. Wowie. Less Ebay, meaning not checking it everyday.  Hey, it's not 2010 yet. I still have some time to amend my resolutions...  Oh, and at least 800 miles on my bike.

at work

i am useless today
--
in other news, the newest converge album, axe to fall, is "more than awe-some. She's awe-quite-a-bit; she's awe-a-whole-lot..." That's from How I Met Your Mother.

"Goood ENOUGHFFFFFF!"
--
Oh yeah, watching Cleveland Cavaliers play is great.
And so is Columbus Brewing Company's 90 Shilling Ale.
--
Added a Surly rear rack to the Cross Check yesterday. It's more heavy duty than I imagined.
--
Oh yeah, Christmas is coming up. Where did 2009 go?

happy winter solstice

even though this weekend kicked off winter with a bunch of snow, today is the shortest day of the year. a great excuse for celebration. i guess i wont be partying tonight, but i will be content in knowing that days will be getting longer from here on out.

i rode my mountain bike to work. not as fun, but a nice change (except for not putting on the rear fender and having a wet butt this morning)

bike... cold... food...

i wish i took more photos. I've been upgrading the bike a little bit since the last photo(s)... Cadence double straps... MKS Sylvan track pedals... soon, I'll have a rack up on the back, and hopefully some panniers for getting a boat-load of groceries.

i've been really enjoying the weather lately. last night i got suited up in lots of layers and biked down the road to pick up a week's worth of bagels from Panera and a couple hot chocolates for C and myself. big ups to Starbuck's "signature hot chocolate"--soooo flipping good. C believes it is the black coffee of the hot chocolate world. it's cause her taste buds aren't as mature or refined as mine...

by tomorrow i should receive a package in the mail that includes a Smartwool balaclava to help keep my head/face/neck warm on the brisk mornings/evenings! can't wait...

C has been baking like crazy, and making really good meals, including my new all-time favorite: meatballs with kale over pasta. i DID take a photo of that and will post it up later too.

Quote: Bike/ city planning

In Copenhagen they make cycling easier for people through city planning, but here we prefer to make cycling easier by quite literally trying to take the effort out of cycling. However, it doesn't take an Einstein to figure out that crappy streets are still crappy streets regardless of how much electrical assistance you have, and even someone who can't spell "nonplussed" surely realizes that getting hit by an SUV will suck... Bike Snob NYC

Drums, Break Up

After hearing White Rabbit's crappy song, cryptically named "Percussion Gun," I was going nuts trying to think of where they bit that drum part... after some super-sleuthing, a clever gent posted this comment for the song on Lastfm.com: "C30, C60, C90, Go!"

C30, C60, C90 Go - Bow Wow Wow

Hell yeah! The Bow Wow Wow song. So good. When I was in high school I had this on my "Best Punk Album in the World... Ever!" compilation, alongside X-Ray Spex, Iggy Pop, The Buzzcocks, XTC... Devo? This is also the group that sings "I Want Candy."

Similarly, C was trying to figure out what was sampled for Mario's "Break Up"--which I contend might very well be the best song of 2009.

She claims it was from Beyonce's "Diva"... tawlk amongst yuhselves

Commute

Weather this morning: 20 degrees "eff" - with wind chill? "feels like" 7 degrees "eff"

Made for a chilly ride to work, but I was well prepared with 1 pair of gloves under one pair of wind-proof mittens, 1 gore-tex shell over a puffy coat, synthetic thermals under work pants, a fleece beanie and fleece neck gaiter... booyah

Dirge: the merge

It looks like Myspace bought out imeem--which was my internet source for accessing music on command as of late. Effin' balls. Wonder if this will be any good, compared with the imeem I had grown to love and appreciate--the way real love should be.

get connected

SNOW!

yep

secrets, secrets

did i tell you yet?

due date: April 11

wooooord'em up

effffin friiiiidaaaaaaay Cotton

had lunch with C, gyro with onion rings
way too full, need to vom
soo good
wish i could've washed it down with some GL Christmas Ale

ridin my bike all over

good stuff

from http://theselvedgeyard.files.wordpress.com

Thanksgiving 09

Thanksgiving break was great. Lots of family--actually entire families coming together and eating a lot of food. What was most special was coming home with a couple inherited items: a couple of wool Pendleton shirts from my dad that were given as gifts to him by my paternal grandmother and a Bible that has all of my maternal grandfather's notes and highlighted passages in it. The story behind the Bible is my grandpa had one Bible and wrote in it and used different colored highlighters to mark passages. Since there was only one original, my aunt bought Bibles of the same version and replicated all of the highlights in the same colors and all of the notes in the margins so the children and grandchildren could each have a copy. Also, my aunt scanned a bunch of pages that had extensive writing and at least one loose page that is a list of blessings for Thanksgiving from years ago. One line reads "My Home and Family that keeps me loving and looking for the Truth, the Good, and the Beautiful".

where the wild things skate

OMG, Adam Lambert: Get out of my life

While his eyeliner and over-tussled coiffure became recognizable a few months ago, it wasn't until this week that I've learned Adam Lambert's name. Everyone is up in arms about him kissing another guy, in addition to some boring self-inflicted, groin-bashing moves he made using a dancer's head, during a performance for some stupid music awards--the same event at which Taylor Swift made off scot-free with the title, Artist of the Year, without Kanye West stepping in to object on behalf of America--when they should be more concerned about how shitty his voice is or how terrible that particular song was. It was awful. Like, absolutely, gut-wrenching-ly bad. It wasn't music. Dude sounded like a pubescent banshee. Maybe his lewd motion and melodrama were meant to turn everyone's attention away from how poor his live singing actually is. Adam LAME-bert, get out of my life.

finders, losers

i'm developing a theory about how if you find something on the ground, and take it, you'll lose something else. and i've got reason to believe the thing you lose is approximately the same value as the thing you find.

it's happened a few times now: a while back i found an ipod shuffle that had been out in the rain. i took it. maybe as quickly as a week later i lost my cell phone.

more recently i found a beanie on the ground when walking our dog. it was muddy and wet and stretched-out. so i took it. this morning i realized i lost my cycling sunglasses on my ride home last night.

i don't think it happens with finding a dollar, and i can't be sure if you lose something, you'll find something else. but that's my theory anyway. it's karma, i guess. beware.

Don't forget

oh, Black Friday

David: WTF

This headline caught my attention this afternoon: "Mom: Son in coma heard everything for 23 years"

BRUSSELS – A man who emerged from what doctors thought was a vegetative state says he was fully conscious for 23 years but could not respond because he was paralyzed, his mother said Monday...

Rom [Houben, 46] used the device to tell a reporter for the German magazine Der Spiegel that: "I screamed but there was nothing to hear."...

More searching finally got her in touch with Laureys, who put Houben through a PET scan that indicated he was conscious. The family and doctors then began trying to establish communication.

A breakthrough came when he was able to indicate yes or no by slightly moving his foot to push a computer device placed there by Laureys' team...

Houben has started writing a book on his experiences.


The book is called "Yes yes no." Just kidding. The full article explains he can communicate fully now through a special computer .
Holy crap. That is nuts. I can't even wrap my head around that.
--
And, by the way, the movie Up is stupid sad. Good. But stupid sad. At the very least it had me energized about having C in my life, along for the adventure.

And how.

I'm sure I've said something similar before, but I just realized:

I feel about bikes now as I felt about skateboarding in junior high.

I riffle through bike blogs, virtual page after page, from my office, like I did with skateboard magazines at school--trying to wring out every drop of information about the style, the culture, the best tips, the top gear.

I admire pictures of bikes like I had ogled over skateboard deck graphics from the latest CCS catalog.

I envy the commuters, tourers, messengers, and freestylers artfully photographed alone in a crowded city street; in a pack climbing a curvy mountain road drenched in the light of the rising sun...

I live vicariously through the stories and articles and epic photographic essays from behind my desk, both then and now, waiting, impatiently, to get back on the wheels that allow me to connect to my surroundings, but also brake free from the alternatives that are so pedestrian...

right now

i want to ride my bike while eating the cookies that C made yesterday

weekend

Not much to report: family came down this weekend--always good to hang with family... my brother had his last collegiate football game--unfortunately his team lost, but they out-performed the other guys, no doubt. exciting game for sure.

i've got poison ivy on my face in a couple spots, namely in the area of my beard scruff. sucks a lot.

got some good rest, completed a couple errands, saw J&M's beautiful new house (they close on Tuesday) and it's only 10 minutes away!, C is cooking cookies, experienced a chorizo/egg/bean/potato burrito this morning--not bad, but not great, especially not with coffee...

also, i just successfuly wrapped handlebar tape on the cross check. i'm really pumped about it. i'm hoping it doesn't unravel right away... wooha wooha gotcha all in check

words to learn to live by

To get thine ends, lay bashfulness aside; Who fears to ask, doth teach to be deny'd.

Robert Herrick English lyric poet (1591 - 1674)

Holy F balls: Happy Friday

Escape From Tomorrow (A Day In the Life With Nigel Sylvester) from 13thWitness™ on Vimeo.

surly sets sail

the surly cross check made its maiden voyage this week, in the condition shown here, without handlebar tape and with poorly adjusted brakes.

Today the tires are significantly dirtier and the brakes (after a lot of agonizing) are perhaps a little better adjusted. On the first trip the handlebars weren't tight enough, and today I found out the right brake lever wasn't tight enough. But I haven't crashed, so that's positive. The bike is rad for sure. With a bunch of upgrades (including Ritchey handlebars, Vittoria tires, Thomson seatpost, Cinelli cork handlebar tape, and FSA crank arms) I've still managed to build up the Cross Check for about $300 less than the MSRP for one that's all stock...

Live Now

project seen at booooooom!

Amor

"amor" by Brandi Lee (Get Buck)

destroyer will kill

Can't remember why I thought of this, but I revisited this link to a bunch of photos I uploaded about 6 years ago to a graffiti website called "Robots Will Kill": DESTRO

Good memories about my shitty skills and some fun times spent alone trying to get good and dreams about getting down with big writers

enjoy!

dont worry about critiquing this art, positively or negatively, it was a hot minute ago

fride

I forgot my coffee at home this morning which really made me grumpy. C had a break in her morning so brought it to me at my office just now. Awesome.

Efffing Friday, Cotton.

I got some tires last night, Vittoria Randonneurs, all white, and hooked 'em on my wheels. My hands are all cramped up today. Also, this week my new handlebars were delivered. This morning, I loaded the frameset, wheels and bars into my car and plan on swinging by the bike shop on my way home to get the steer tube cut down and the star nut installed... I hope it goes well. After that I'll be set to build...

The religion of environmentalism

On an NPR-broadcast BBC news program yesterday I learned about a British guy who is suing his former employer for philosophical discrimination, based on the legal precedent of religious discrimination. The philosophy in question was centered around Climate Change and his relatively radical environmentalist ethics. Now, I don't know his whole ordeal, and I can't say I support his legal actions, but I was intrigued to think of environmentalist philosophy as a spiritual/religious ethic. The plaintiff said "my belief is underpinned by moral and ethical values comparable to many of the world's religions...it is crucially underpinned by ...overwhelming scientific evidence..."

One listener ("J.R." of Boston) responded to the story to criticize this guy's actions saying environmentalism was in no way similar to any of the world's faith-based "religions" which rely on faith in the unknown, whereas Climate Change has a scientific basis. [This is the best I could do to transcribe what was said:] "Religion is based on blind belief that notions established by others are purported to be the word of a higher being and that your own well-being will be enhanced by following and making offerings to those bringing you the Word. Climate Change is based on scientific evidence. How we are causing damage, how to avoid doing so, and the consequences of not making changes are not a matter of faith..." That is a terrible comparison. I can agree that religion is faith-based, but to deny a spirituality grounded by science is sad. And having to follow and make offerings to the ones bringing (i.e. interpreting) the Word? That statement really narrows it down to the blind leading the blind. [I'm not attacking religion here, but the choices of words used to describe Religion in such a myopic way.]

My thoughts? How cool it is that the ethics of environmentalism have a proof-driven, scientific basis! And it could be argued that there is plenty of unscientific faith and sublime wonderment in nature and environmentalism. For example, compassion toward animals is purely an ethical thing. A stance against pollution is comparable to a stance against murder or, more generally, a stance against Evil.  I love the thought of environmentalism as a spiritual, religious movement. It makes perfect sense. Everything one does to benefit the environment is a religious act; going on a hike (or a bike ride) is a pilgrimage...

A BBC article on the story can be found here

The radio "programme" that includes the quotes above can be heard

here (at ~14 minutes)

photo update

Dumpstering pumpkins, trick or treating

Today we set off on a walk to go buy some last minute pumpkins from the Boy Scout sale that's been going on for the past month a few blocks away. Turns out that some genius decided that selling pumpkins on the (beautiful, sunny Saturday) morning of Halloween was a bad idea so we turned the corner to find an empty parking lot. We did, however, notice a bunch of cardboard boxes stacked next to an unsuspecting dumpster in that same parking lot. On further investigation we found a shit ton of perfectly good pumpkins packed away and destined for the trash. Seconds later an SUV pulls up as we are peering into one of the boxes full of squash. A woman and her daughter got out. Quickly I asked "Are you all in charge here?" I can't remember the woman's response but it was basically like "No, we're here to save these trashed pumpkins too." It was marvelous. Dumpster diving for perfect pumpkins. We ended up taking 3: a large, medium, and small pumpkin--as much as we could fit into our backpack.
It was awesome.
C carved a rad "spooky tree" in the medium size pumpkin, and I broke a knife trying to carve into the thickest, gray-colored pumpkin. I saved some seeds to bake later

Passing out candy is always a mixed bag of feelings. There are cute kids and I feel bad about giving them teeth-rotting sweets. Then there are the kids that show up not dressed up in any way, not even pretending, with their parents following in their SUV, and I just wish I had some shit to give them. Then there is the group of teenagers with skateboards and I make fun of them by guessing what they are dressed up as: "Ryan Sheckler?" is my most common guess. I overheard one kid of one group of teens say "I wish I had a blunt." I said loudly "Who's talking about blunts?" Half of that group decided not to come over for candy. A year or two ago, one stupid girl held out a pillow case with a lit cigarette balanced between her fingers. I wanted to throttle her. Go home you stupid teenager that is wasting my time and candy.

Anyway, I'm not such a grump. One group of teens was really funny and actually had funny costumes and I made fun of their costumes and they were cool about it and were just out to have fun and get some candy without being douchebags. Thanks.

That's all I got. Happy Halloween!

Effing A, Cotton. Effing Aaaaaaaaaaa

So, the internets have been pretty boring recently. And as I am getting amped on my morning brew, I am compelled to lay out my strategy for piecing together this new bike sooner than later... Here goes

So far I have the frame and fork, the insides sprayed with J.P. Weigle's Framesaver, and a bunch of parts that have been cluttering up my drafting table for a month

First thing's first: I need handlebars (Ritchey Logic Pro Biomax II - bam!).
Secondly, and maybe more pressing than handlebars, I need the steering column on my fork cut down. Problem? Yeah, I can't do it, and I don't understand how to figure out the right size... I kinda do, but it's like ordering a custom suit online in a way that you pray you got the size right the first time.
Ok, so I get the fork cut (and star nut pressed into the fork), then I can officially set up the frameset, including headset (Cane Creek S1) and stem. It's practically an intact bike at this point.
Am I on "four" yet? I want different tires (looking at white 28c Vittoria Randonneurs to replace the chunky treaded 32c's I have). I might need these tires before I get the fork cut cause the bike shop owner suggested having me "get on the bike" to see how it fits before cutting it down. "What bike?" It's a frame right now. So maybe I need to make it look like a bike (wheels, tires, crankset, pedals, seatpost, saddle...) before it is one? Nah.
Five: Now I get to put all the small parts on: derailleurs, cables, crankset, etc. I get to spend an obnoxious amount of time painting grease on all the tiny screws to repel water. I'm pretty sure I need a few replacement parts like a bit of cable housing that I messed up, maybe a new crankarm bolt that I think is stripped...
Six: I'm still up in the air about pedals. Clips (toe cages & straps) or clipless?  The price isn't too different between the two choices. I'm leaning towards getting some clipless pedals but I'm not convinced my regular 1.5mile commute will accommodate the hassle. On the other hand, soft-soled skate shoes get chewed up by the pedals pretty easily... Eff. Thoughts?
Seventh place goes to hooking up my brakes and shifters. That's probably gonna be a pain in the ass
Eight, wrap handlebars (the tan Cinelli cork tape I bought should look pretty dope)
Niner: figure out how to install my Nitto Mark's Rack on the front without tripping up the cable of the cantilever brakes. Don't worry if that doesn't make any sense to you. I've got a couple ideas and will probably post pictures if it ends up working out. I hope it does, cause it's a dope front rack that I got dirt cheap.
Ten? There has to be a ten. Ride it? Ok
Ch-ch-check it out: (by Mike Giant)

Marketing, Part II: Bikes

From Bikesnob:

The bicycle is a simple machine, and the significance of incremental improvements that are made to them every year is both debatable and relative. Sure, infinitesimal improvements in aerodynamics may, in theory, gain one seconds or fractions of seconds in competitive events, but in the end what matters is how much this supposed gain is worth to you. If you're a professional athlete this gain might be worth millions; if you're everybody else, it's probably worth nothing.

However, some people are willing to pay for the perception that their bike is the best, and since they can't actually prove this is true themselves because they're not capable of riding fast enough to make those incremental improvements count, they instead rely on the bike's manufacturer to create marketing campaigns that prove it for them.

sleep, coffee

My body still hurts from skateboarding on Sunday, but not as much today...

Woke up to a great cup of coffee this morning, thanks to the "delayed brew" function on our coffee pot, which might explain how easy it was for me to get out of bed. Haven't felt this rested in a hot minute

Thinking a lot about bikes... and a new mattress to help out our backs which are apparently aging faster than we are...

Skateboarding

Yesterday I saw a kid--"kid" but probably not much younger than I--skating in the street directly in front of our house. After maybe 20 minutes, realizing the kid was planning on staying there, I put on a long sleeve shirt, my skate shoes, and grabbed my board. Mind you, it's been well over a year since I actually skated beyond cruising down the street to pick up pizza. Maybe even two years. Damn.

Anyway, I went out and introduced myself to this kid, Joey, who just moved in to the apartments across the street. He was really pretty good. It took me a while to warm up and my goal was to finally land an ollie over the traffic cone that was out there. I finally landed it a few times, after a lot of frustration. I was trying all kinds of 180s and just reclaiming some comfort on my board. We didn't talk a lot, just talked a little about ourselves and talked about how we were old and skateboarding wasn't as easy as it used to be... ha

I was out there hardly 30 minutes before I was exhausted and had to call it quits. Joey was real cool and I'm sure I'll be skating with him soon. But seriously, my entire body hurts today. It hurts to walk, it hurts to sit, it hurts to turn, it hurts to think...But there's something wholly satisfying about these aches that makes me excited about feeling better soon and getting back out on my board, even if it is only in front of my house. Maybe I'll try to build a fun-box from some scrap wood I have for the next time I want to mess around...
--
Currently listening to a playlist of Jackie Mitto music on Imeem.com...

Putting the garden to bed

We've had a few frosts in the past few weeks and everything left (tomatoes, peppers, basil...) was looking really pathetic. The tomato cages were all crumpled over--I'll never get those shitty thin-metal cages again, what a waste. The basil was brown after the first frost.

Anyway, it's a beautiful, sunny Sunday, and with few things to do, I spent some time ripping those plants out of the garden and throwing them in a new compost pile...

I've still got some lettuce that is hanging on under a make-shift cold frame consisting of some 2-by-4's and an old glass picture frame.

Maybe next year I'll build some super tight, wooden tomato cages... More to come...

Album hunting

C and I biked to get some lunch this afternoon and ended up at Half Price Books today (for you not yet in-the-know, it's a used book/record store) were I was delighted, and a little sad, to see that some kid sold her whole collection of punk cds. There were 3 Bane albums, The Casualties, Dead Kennedy's, The Exploited, With Honor, Comeback Kid, Norma Jean, Bad Religion, The Damned, 7 Seconds, Evergreen Terrace... and every Punk-O-Rama compilation ever released... and a bunch more. I went home with the Minor Threat discography and "I Love You, Man" on dvd. Freakin 'ay. I think I'm gonna go back and get the Shai Hulud album with their demo, some live tracks, and a bunch of unreleased stuff that was priced at $4. Seriously.

I'm chuggin some dark roast coffee right now; the sun is shining. Bouts to transfer a lot of our downloaded music to our external drive for safekeeping.

Last night C and I drove to Cincy for a big, homemade rib dinner at my dad's house with all my siblings. Fun times...

My head is spinning right now. Everything is all good. Much love

Marketing

This is not necessarily related to the last post but it is about money. I am very critical of the stupid commercials I see on TV, and this one took the cake. An Aldi grocery store advertisement said this as it's "gotcha" tag line: "If you [shop here] and didn't save money, you must not have bought anything."

WTF?

You don't need to read that twice to realize how outstandingly dumb that statement is. Do people "buy" into that marketing? I'm sure the food and groceries are cheap at Aldi, but that marketing is a slap in the face to common sense.

I'll say that I have been impressed with Walmart's recent campaign--describing recipes for meals for entire families that cost, for example, $2 per serving. Brilliant. I mean, it's "effing" crazy that food can be that cheap. They're probably not particularly good and/or healthy meals, but it's brilliant marketing while the economy is so shitty.

Interesting: 9 years without spending money

Daniel Suelo wasn't poor, a victim of bad luck, mentally ill, or even uneducated. He just decided that he wanted to have nothing to do with money. So he gave up consumer culture altogether, and for the last 9 years, he's survived by living in a cave in Utah, and dumpster diving, foraging, fishing, and occasionally hunting for food. He spends his time in the great outdoors--and in the public library, where he blogs about it all.
Suelo must have the lowest carbon footprint of any blogger in the United States. And he's never taken food stamps or other government assistance, and despite what his lifestyle may lead you to believe, he's certainly not crazy. He's just got an aversion to money.

(source: treehugger.com article)

Seulo's blog Living Without Money
-- 
Response to FAQ #14: "You say you don't use money, yet aren't you using products of the money system & relying on the hard-earned money of others? [Revised October 10, 2009]"

C made a pumpkin pie this morning that I'm about to anihilate

What else?

I've been selling a bunch of uneeded bike stuff and made back beaucoup dolla dolla bills, y'all

Getting antsy to build up this Surly Cross Check. It's killing me

Beautiful sunny days is brightening up my life and warming my soul right now

Breakfast burrito; bike building

I was thinking about writing out lyrics for a song about the breakfast burrito I ate this morning made with eggs, cheese, and salsa in a wheat flour tortilla. I'm very full now and super happy about it. (Thanks, C)

Also, I'm downing some good, bold coffee, while waiting to make room for one of the muffins I brought in for "National Bosses' Day."

Friday! High of 43-degree "efffffff." Wish I made time to ride my bike to work today. Hopefully I'll get to cruise around this weekend.
--
I should mention I'm getting revved up to start piecing together a project bike to be completed before snow falls. Basically I've gathered a lot of stock parts for a Surly Cross Check and I'm trying to figure where I can splurge on upgrades while selling off stuff I don't need. If I don't splurge much I will be able to build this for about $300 less than it would cost at a bike shop. Baam! (P.S. I sold my IRO and plan on selling the Fuji to break even on this project towards my dream bike). Right now I'm struggling with crankset compatibility and it's driving me nuts
--

OH YEAH! I forgot to mention, on our way out of Columbus toward Yellow Springs for that camping trip, we stopped by the bus-weighing scale outside of COSI (science/industry museum) to weigh ourselves. All 8 of us, plus our loaded bikes, weighed 1700 lbs. Daaaaag.

Quote, zombies

Ask not what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive... then go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive. - Howard Thurman
--
This makes me think of zombies.

But seriously, it's a nice quote.
--
Speaking of zombies, it's that time of year when halloween costume shops appear in the perennially-empty storefronts that plague the dying strip malls of, at least, the Midwest. Haunted houses spring up everywhere and advertisements for them (on TV and the radio) attempt to conjure up the scariest images and market them as entertainment.

I hate haunted houses. I also hate horror movies which have transcended their seasonal complements and are released all year long. I really detest seeing previews for those movies on TV and in movie theaters. I think what really irks me is the violent nature of many of the movies that center around very graphic and explicit torture.

It's ironic because metal/punk/hardcore have roots penetrating into stuff like horror movies and monsters (think: Rocky Horror Picture Show or the Misfits...). Without doing any research into this thought, I am assuming this connection is historically an allegorical one based on stuff like kids being called "freaks" by their popular/mainstream counterparts and the general tension with Christianity such that kids jokingly adopt "Hell" (the music scene?) and "Satan" (music? etc...) as their focus of worship... Does that make sense?

Ghosts? Okay. Monsters? Ehh. But immersing oneself in a scene filled with murder and torture is deplorable.

I sound like such a geezer. I guess I can see some sort of value in the fantasy that is composed of monsters and demons, and that this sensational fear and irrationality is a break from the mundane fears that cast a shadow over our daily reality (economy, health, war, etc.)

Bike camping result

So, the bike camping trip worked out - mostly. 8 of us set out from downtown Columbus and, after about 70+ miles, 4 pizzas, and some beer, made a fire and (after losing one rider) crammed ourselves into a tent for a crappy night's sleep. Unfortunately I woke up with allergic conjunctivitis--the result of campfire, sleeping in my contacts, dirt, etc.--and convinced C to drive 70 miles to pick my sorry ass up.

So I made it half way - which is more than 3 times longer than the longest distance I had ever ridden. The best part was I met some really cool people.

Random notes from the trip: Bloody Mary's at Jimmy V's to start the trip; 3 of the guys were wearing jeans and boxer shorts (it can be done!); at least 2 water bottles were filled with liquor; Evan and Matt rode a racing tandem that, among many other things, carried a football; one accident sent the two ladies down on the bike path, resulting in one knee scrape and stopped us long enough to discover an abandoned kitten that we hauled half of a mile to a gas station where we fed it tuna and milk and left it with the attendant; big hills on the last 5 miles; head-wind for most of the entire ride; Ha-Ha Pizza and BYOB; outstanding beer selection at BP; front light burnt out on the 2-mile ride back to camp =  terrifying... High of about 58-degrees; low of about 40. Stayed warm with long-sleeve wool shirt under short-sleeve wool cycling jersey, padded bike shorts under synthetic thermal underwear, and thin wool cycling socks...

more later?

NPP

I was pretty surprised to hear Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize this morning. While I'm often really pumped on our new President,  I was in agreement with a lot of others who felt like he hadn't yet done anything to earn it. After a day of letting the news ruminate, and reading his humble acceptance of the award, I've decided maybe this will force Obama to earn the Peace Prize. Perhaps it will be an instigator or motivator...

Heavy thoughts

friday is not working out

Holy f balls. I'm getting too excited and nervous for my trip tomorrow. i wish i wasn't at work. i can't concentrate to save my life...

What's good

Sorry if this blog is getting boring. I've been super busy at work (which means decrease time on the internet - ha) and kinda busy at home.

What's good is I'm preparing myself for a bike camping trip this weekend. 130 miles round trip, between Columbus and Yellow Springs. Not sure why I think I can make it, but should be a blast with 5 or 6 people I don't know but hope are cool. Forecast is dry, but Saturday night should be down to 35-degrees "F" (think four-letter word). Fortunately my sleeping bag is rated to 25-degrees "F". Saturday is also the Yellow Springs Street Fair which we'll hopefully get to enjoy--my father-in-law will be there selling wood things, alongside C and my sister- & bro-in-law.
--
This is my packing list:

Rear Rack: sleeping bag, sleeping pad (borrowed from brother), a bundle of extra clothes (long-sleeve wool shirt, wool socks, long underwear, jeans?) rolled into a waterproof coat

Saddle Bag (hanging from bike seat): toothbrush/paste, glasses, "energy beans" (2 packs), cliff bars (2), spare tire tube, tire tube patch kit... wallet?

Front Rack: ??? (Maybe this is where I'll stash my bundle of clothes)

Plus: water bottle, gloves, arm warmers?
--
We plan on getting food along the way, and someone is bringing a huge tent for everyone to sleep in.

Not sure I'll have a camera, but hopefully someone will be taking photos...

Musnacks

Three albums you listen to:

Saves the Day - Can't Slow Down

Weezer - Pinkerton

Passion Pit - Manners

I was rockin these out on Saturday morning--around the time I installed a garage door opener by myself. BAM!

Early frost

Yesterday, central Ohio got its first frost. I woke up to 31-degrees F. "F" stands for the expletive that escaped my mouth when I got out of bed. Fortunately I rigged up a pretty ghetto system of towels, wood scraps, and an old glass picture frame to protect my lettuce and spinach seedlings. The butternut squash was killed. The basil started to turn purplish by the end of the day. Not sure if or how the tomatoes will respond, or if the young swiss chard will be affected.

I ripped out one tomato plant that was bent over and nearly horizontal. I think the other three will come out this weekend.

My hope is to build an appropriate cold frame around the area where I plan to keep lettuces growing to see how far into the year I can be producing food... More to come...

What needs to happen before too long is I need to mix up the compost pile and increase the aeration in the bottom of it by laying down sticks and twigs.

Also, I need to consider putting down a "winter crop"--perhaps a legume like hairy vetch to add nitrogen into the soil--before winter is officially here.

Bike payoff?

Miles Biked (year to date) ~550 miles
Car's gas mileage: ~27 mpg
Gas price per gallon (average for Regular grade in the Midwest, Jan-Sept 2009): ~$2.76 (source)

Saved: $56.20

Damn. I really thought that number would be like $200. Hahaha.

More music! fifteen: "lucky"

Pretty different, not what comes to mind when you think of punk music, but probably the most radical music I've ever heard. When I was in high school I decided my future life would be like what these songs were about. This album was super influential and helped form a lot of my ideas about family, jobs, land/small farms/gardening, cars, the environment, pollution... Crazy revolutionary. One song ("My Congressmen") even describes, step-by-step, how to sterilize a needle so an addict can avoid contracting/spreading disease in areas without needle exchange programs. Say what? Holy crap. This band is what's up.
If you've ever heard this band, write a comment about them (did you experience such an influence? did you hate it?). If this is the first time you are listening to it, what do you think? Leave a comment.
(P.S. To listen to each full song, click on the link "Lucky" at the top left corner--this will open up a new window where you can listen to the full songs for the whole album)

Lucky

Anniversary

Hopefully you don't mind all the music I've been posting. Not too many new thoughts, just enjoying the sounds. Here's a blast from the past: The Anniversary. Saw them a bunch when I was in high school. Really struck my heart strings back then. And now too, I guess. Hopefully you have access to this, if not I recommend signing up for an Imeem account. Damn. "D in Detroit" is my jam. All of these tracks are good. And what about that breakdown in "Perfectly"?

Designing A Nervous Breakdown
Lately I've been listening to the radio, especially the local "alternative" music station. I've been hearing stuff like old Pearl Jam and Nirvana. Stuff like that brings me back to when I was around 13 years old and starting to carve an identity for myself. Finding music, experimenting with what I was wearing (as lame as that sounds it was part of my evolving identity and a way to press my limits, etc). Skateboarding. Trying new things. I feel like that was the purest time in my life. It was hard, no doubt; confusing. But damn if I didn't learn so much about myself and the world, open new doors and all that. At the same time, I didn't have much of a care in the world. It's always fun to re-live good times.

wild things

i haven't checked this out much yet, but i suspect it will be pretty good. all done by karen o of the yeahyeahyeahs...

Where the Wild Things Are Soundtrack

Funny song I remembered

Bitchin Camero - The Dead Milkmen

Work, waiting

At work, wishing I wasn't.

The day started off pretty stupid. I probably made record time biking the 1.5 miles to the office - it had to be well under 7 minutes. I pulled into the parking lot and was pumped to realize I was the first of the 3 of our staff to arrive and that it was before 8:30 am. I immediately realized I didn't have my keys (which occasionally happens when I don't drive). I decided to wait it out because my co-worker is usually there by 8:30, if not 8:00, if not 7:00. Seriously. Overachiever. Every minute I waited I felt like I had waited too long and my co-worker would arrive and that rushing home would just be a waste of time.

Long story short, I sat outside our office for 30, maybe 40 minutes, before my co-worker arrived just as I was opening my phone to call my boss on his cell. I could've biked home (and back) at least twice. What was more frustrating was my boss showed up exactly 2 minutes after she did.

In that time I was waiting I was just paralyzed. I was furious. Not sure how I'll handle it next time. I don't do well with uncertainty. But maybe I'll just bike home anyway, get the extra workout, the extra miles, and be late for work. F it.
--
A guy (Jon) who I met in Columbus invited me on a group (bike) ride/camping trip to Yellow Springs from Columbus. Apparently a 65-mile trip (one way). I really want to go but woke up this morning freaking out that I probably can't make it. Like, can't physically do it. It's in 3 weeks and if I could possibly do a 20-mile ride this weekend and a 40-mile ride the following weekend... then maybe. But the chances of making time to even do those training rides is low to zero. Jon suggested I come out for one of the weekly Monday Night Rides and that we could do 20-40 miles in a group, but they get together so late... Technically we have all day to do it... Grrrrrr. I've put myself down to go, along with 4 other confirmed riders according to the event's Facebook page...
More later...

Quote

A waist is a terrible thing to mind. -Jane Caminos

End of summer

 Vacation was great. Myrtle Beach. Lots of rest and relaxation. Lots of Yuengling. Too much maybe. Also, lots of coffee. It was a great time hanging out with my mom and her fiance and my sister and her husband. Highlights (in no particular order): getting in the ocean, horseback riding, Ripley's Aquarium (touching stingrays), fish tacos at Gordon Biersch, seeing a shark and sea turtle off the pier, Margaritaville, Le Grande Cirque and an old guy with a fart machine (no joke), lots of sleeping, and Yuengling and a Fat Tire.
--
Unfortunately, the one kale seedling I had growing in our house perished in the sun without water. I need to search for some transplants. And our mint plant suffered some drought but looks like it will pull through.
 --
Oh yeah, and today is the end of summer. I guess. The autumnal equinox. Today, day and night are of equal length, supposedly, meaning from here on until the winter solstice, the length of daylight will be shorter and shorter. Temperatures will be getting colder. What a bummer. But I guess the seasons are a good thing and I still like Ohio. And pumpkin beer. Might need to have another Pumpkin Party.

One goal for the new season is to go apple picking. Maybe. Not sure why. I've just never done it.

Vacation: Part II

Vacation

Getting ready to drive to an undisclosed location near a large body of water for an unspecified amount of time. I could be back at any moment, so don't brake into my house. You can, however, go pick tomatoes or water the lettuce that is trying to grow in the back yard.

A few things before we depart:

- Chances are good I'll post at least once before we return to the sanctuary that is our home. We'll have our computer and I plan on periodically checking my Ebay account--though not obsessively.

- It's unlikely that my respite will result in a void in your life. But if it does, check out this entry in the Kanye West blog: Jay - Z feat. Aziz Ansari and Kanye West - Hate (DJ Aziz Ansari EXCLUSIVE).. Hi-larious. Aziz is the Indian actor currently starring in the NBC comedy, Parks & Rec. Apparently he also makes a good hype man. (If you can't figure it out, I am asking you to play the song posted up at the bottom of the entry.) Enjoy.

- I'll miss two things this week: our dog and riding my bike.

- Shit. I thought there was something else to share. I guess not.

Bike racks

So recently I've decided to up the utility of my road bike and bought a cargo rack for the rear to hold some stuff, especially some bags that might carry extra groceries in the near future. I was pretty pumped after installing it.

I had been researching racks all over the internet to see what was available and what people were recommending. I wasn't super impressed with selections and it seems like no one really cares to talk about the racks they prefer. So I just bought what the local shop owner suggested--an economical rack without any fluff. $29.

While at the shop I noticed a tiny chrome rack that was apparently for the front of a bike made by Nitto--who makes some notable racks. $49 was written on the bag. The next day I was curious to research the particular rack only to realize that not only was this rack--the Nitto Mark's (mini) rack--out of stock at the few places where it is normally sold, but in one place it was going for $139. Bam! Anyway, I went back to check if it was the same thing and it was, so I bought it. Bam! It's on my bike now.

So, in one week I installed two racks on my bike. Let's haul some stuff.

Wild Things, Gonz

"The Gonz never ceases to amaze. His entire existence is an ode to human beings’ limitless potential to create their own fun."

That quote, and the video preceeding it, was nabbed from this website: we love you so - where the wild things are

this is the info about the site:
In October 2009 Spike Jonze’s feature film rendition of Maurice Sendak’s classic story Where The Wild Things Are will hit movie theaters worldwide. The film represents years of work from hundreds of different artists, writers, photographers, musicians, actors, and creators of all degrees. This place has been established to help shed some light on many of the small influences that have converged to make this massive project a reality.

Simply put, this a place to learn about things we think are great and to share with you the things those things helped make. Wild Things indeed… And also probably a lot of other randoms things that catch our eye along the way.

We hope you like it.

We love you so.

maybe you will be as surprised as me to see how many posts are about skateboarding

campbell, surf, film, art

Speaking of Thomas Campbell, I inspired myself to check up on his website and found a link to his other website: the official website for the surf films of thomas campbell (a.k.a. "trim your life away").

I'll mention that his film "Sprout" is probably one of the coolest films i've ever watched.

What's cooler is the DVD was given to me by good friend Nolan (college roommate, co-founder of The Wealth Underground Farm), who received the thing from T. Campbell himself while out in S.F. Nolan knew I like Campbell's art and probably realized he wasn't sure if he'd ever be facing a DVD player in his (at the time) near and uncertain future


The film preceeding Sprout was "The Seedling" and most recently he directed "The Present"

Recipe: pesto!

Today I made some kickin pesto. It was only kickin, not bangin, I admit. Something about it was bitter. Not sure what was up with that. This is what was in it:

1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. pine nuts
3 cloves garlic
2 c. basil, packed
1/4 c. parmesan cheese, grated
1 tsp. lemon juice
(makes 1 cup)

All blended together in that order, basically.

art by Micheal Sieben

A new site I've been lurking through is BOOOOOOOM!--a collection of artists that is continuously growing, faster and faster, in blog format. I was pleased when, two days ago, the site featured artist Michael Sieben. Another guy who is a great influence, who has close ties to the skateboard scene, like Thomas Campbell or Jeremy Fish, to name a few.

Ch-ch-check it out

"Out Your Backdoor"

Just stumbled upon this website: OYB (or "Out Your Backdoor"). It's a DIY outdoor adventurer site, a collection of resources and philosophies to promote independent action culture and social creativity. Here's what OYB says about itself:

What is OYB? -- An HQ for Indie Outdoor Action
Hi, I'm Jeff Potter and I herd the cats here. OYB has been celebrating thrifty independent action culture since 1991, offering 1000+ hard-to-find stories, links, books and goodies (luggage, too!) that offer the Vision Thing that anyone can afford.

Hard times aren't new. They're the base condition for folk culture and social creativity. They can even be voluntary or not noticed. Doing without some consumer "necessities" can be freeing. What's hard for one is just right for another. Simplicity encourages hands-on culture, integration and versatility. Which makes us want to share and celebrate what we've found. But where? Here!

These efforts can sometimes be lonely. Also, it's easy to lose our bearings. So, again, OYB is a place to share what it's like for you and show how we can make it all work together.

Then, too, indie culture is a great good source of sustainable creative reality for anyone, no matter what their situation. Flush times, lean times, it works.

For now, I'll be posting OYB in the "Good Stuff" link list... Enjoy.

Late summer planting, transplanting

Yesterday I planted two rows of lettuce and a row of spinach. Honestly, I haven't put any thought into harvest times and frost threats but figure there might be some edibles out of it. To be even more honest, I planted the seeds mostly because I had an empty spot in the garden and wanted to fill it in.

My sole surviving kale seedling is pulling through and struggling to live. I'm giving it extra special attention and hope to let it get pretty big before planting it outside. Maybe a few more weeks.

I also severely pruned back one of our 3 thyme plants as they have all been getting super lankey. It was apparent that the low and thick woody stuff had some green leaves poking out, so I figured those would just become new branches. 

In my front yard I bit the bullet and moved my small (~3 ft) redbud treelet this morning. Last night I dumped about 4 gallons of water on it to get the roots saturated. Plus we got some rain after sunrise. A lot of the roots were pretty exposed but I gave it about 4 more gallons of water and tamped the dirt down pretty well. I also added some composted cow manure for extra "umph", and mulch on the top to keep the soil moist. We'll see how it lives. I had to move it because I planted it too close to our walkway.

Girls Just Wanna Fix Up

OMG. Brandi Lee posted up the best mash up ever: Dizzie Rascal's "Fix Up Look Sharp" over Cindy Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun." I reblogged it over at the Pete Swain tumblr (dstr.tumblr.com).

Freaking love long holiday weekends. Like a snow day with warm weather.

Got some stuff done today including planting more lettuce, spinach, and cilantro. c made pizza with homemade pizza sauce, fresh tomatoes, and homegrown basil. earlier i made salsa with fresh tomatoes, homegrown hot peppers, and fresh cilantro.

Bought a rack for the back of my bike (Fuji) yesterday morning. Hoping to buy some panniers for each side to aid in aspirational grocery runs.

That's all for now. Much love, good life

2 years

C and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary last night. It was pretty low key and simple, but it turned out so much nicer than I expected. We dropped Aldy the Pup off at J's house and went to a favorite Greek restaurant downtown. Dinner was really good, if not great, and peaceful as the place was surprisingly not busy. After that we walked over to visit our brother-in-law, M, who was working at a nearby restaurant, so he could get a piece of our celebration. We hung out with J and the dogs for a while longer then made it home to finish the evening watching some of our "stories" and eating ice cream. Bam. Easy does it. Two years down.

I guess I can't really say that it seems like our wedding was yesterday, but the time has gone quickly, and my love and attraction to C is as fresh as it was the first day I met her. I regret not doing more, because I really think C deserves the world, but life has been busy for us both and we were both ready to enjoy the evening despite anything.

In case you were wondering, if I were to have gotten a gift, it should have been something of cotton.

kids will be kids (and make crappy music)

Ugggh. I just spent an inordinate amount of time trying to figure out what "crunkcore" was, flipping through a couple blogs, and have returned with only a handful of observations:
-it might be best described as "post-emo-core"
-it apparently evolved from Hot Topic
-i can't tell if most of the kids involved are straight-edge or candy-rolling ravers
-it's a hyper-ironic blend of emo-core (a la the band "The Devil Wears Prada" or perhaps "Underoath" as I remember them), techno music, "crunk" rap, talking about sex, tight pants, tattoos, and neon colors

Anyways, it was sort of amusing and disheartening to realize that lots of the kids I find loitering around the nearby high school probably listen to this ish.

I feel like such a self-righteous curmudgeon but I guess the kids have got to be kids and make their own mistakes.

Sewing machine

Yesterday I pulled out the sewing machine my mother-in-law gave us and attempted to sew up the blown-out crotch of my favorite work pants. Like all the other things I do so infrequently, I had to reteach myself how to do what I wanted to do: thread a bobbin (?); re-thread the machine; then figure out how to use it. After maybe an hour, I had completely sewn up the 1-inch hole. Bam!

Pumped on my success, I trimmed a couple hedges around the house, and weeded some garden beds. Bam!

I went on a quick bike ride to pick up some lunch--bam!--and even went on a short run--bambam! We even walked our dog, twice! SUPER BAM!

I don't think any of that really happened in the order I just described, but needless to say we got some stuff done.
--
The weather is getting breezy around here and it seems like Summer is getting ready to pack up and head south. A new season is always a little bit exciting, but I'm not thrilled for Summer to end.

Weekend updater

Good morning internet!

This weekend I did a whole lot of over-due weeding, especially in my lawn and in the garden beds in the front of our house. I picked my first bright red "mariachi hybrid" pepper, though, I admit, I haven't tasted it yet. It promises to be a mildly hot pepper. What's strange is all the mature peppers seem to be splitting all over. I'll try to take a photo to show what I mean. I believe it's probably due to over-watering and expect that it shouldn't really compromise the taste.

Basil is going MF-ing wild and I realize I need to harvest a bunch and make some pesto.

I have 4 heads of Romaine lettuce that are 'bout ready to eat--they have been growing so well thanks to the afternoon shade provided by the tomato and pepper plants. I'm thinking about direct-sowing a few rows in an empty spot in the garden.

Out of the 8, only one kale plant is growing in those peat pots I started a couple weeks ago. Very disappointing. I'm going to try to start a few more because I know they can survive through overnight frosts.

The grocery store-bought mint I transplanted is doing AWESOME. It freaking exploded and is probably 3x larger than it was when I bought it. I pruned a branching stem of it and crushed some leaves in ice water.

Speaking  of transplanting, the oregano and lamb's ear cuttings I buried both seem to be surviving. Hopefully they'll establish some roots before winter hits.
--
Meanwhile, mornings are getting really chilly and it feels like summer is starting to fade. I wore a winter jacket to walk our dog before work today.

Hopefully I'll get our compost pile turned soon, adding sticks to the bottom and perhaps even a couple sections of PVC pipe with drilled holes to increase aeration. That's a big goal to complete before winter...

Art, clotheslines

Went to "Urban Scrawl" with C and J&M. Beautiful weather for sure. Met up with a couple friends--not close friends, but people i think are cool and just about the only people who live around Columbus that aren't family that I occassionally communicate with and share some commonalities with. Ever since seeing "I Love You, Man" I'm super self-conscious about my interactions with other "dudes." I'm pretty sure I'm gonna end up calling someone Jobin, or something as ridiculous.
Anyways, I was pumped to see kids skating, hear a punk band playing, and then watch a bunch of people paint on a disjointed wall of plywood.

--
Speaking of sustainability...
I am on a list to get emails from a local sustainability group. The last email included a link to this group about clotheslines: Drying For Freedom. I think clotheslines are wonderful, and as far as I understand, many communities ban them. I haven't looked at the website yet, but I'm sure there info in there about it. I'm pretty sure my town bans them, and I've been contemplating putting one up anyway. I think some neighbors down the way have one....
--
What else?
I don't know.

Tomorrow

you see that? skateboard comp sponsored by Alien Workshop and Habitat
i feel like i always miss things like this that happen around the city
Can't wait
"I will see you there, or see you on another time"

Suits

This past weekend I went to a wedding in Cincy. I pulled out the one suit I own and wear maybe twice each year. Holy crap it fits so poorly. I remember going into Mens Warehouse... Wearhouse? Whatever. I told dude I wanted some slim, flat front pants. Not sure how I let him convince me that what I was buying looked good. That suit is huge. Baggy as shit. I was really annoyed that I had bought that suit a few years ago.

Anyway, I decided to look up the suit I once saw in a JCrew catalog a while back. Daaaaaamn. They have a nice suit up in there, slim, and lookin fresh. I don't know about suits, but when I'm ready to drop $600 on a suit, that's where I plan to go.

While I'm on the subject, and I almost hate saying it, JCrew has got some fresh clothes. Like, super nice. And a fine collection of wool sweaters, I might add. I would seriously care to buy some ish from there.

For some reason I've just been on this kick to buy a ton of shit. Like I just am on the prowl for stuff. Maybe I'm super bored. Not sure why. I guess the least I could do is ride my bike. Maybe go get some stuff done around the house that obviously needs to be done... Anyone have this recurring problem of wanting to buy stuff you don't really need?

You know what is stupid?

Miracle Whip making commercials that are edgy.

"We are Miracle Whip, and we will not tone it down"

No, you are a condiment. Shut up.

Also stupid, apparently you can watch this particular video on Facebook. I think it's called the Miracle Whip Anthem.

Fail.

Mo' problems

I had a bit of my morning off today so I spent a little time in the garden. I was super excited to find a new butternut squash (~5 inches long) growing on one of the many vines reaching out way beyond the garden bed. I decided I'd rather see the fruit growing on the mulch so I lifted it up, thinking the spindly vine it was hanging on would come too. My mistake. Instead, the fruit snapped off as easy as if it were a twig of a dead branch. The problem was the vine, with its many tendrils, had affixed itself to the grass in our yard, rendering it stuck there.

Many expletives were emitted.

[Note to self: next year plan on accommodating the large vines of the butternut squash. Also, look into trimming the vines--I wonder if that will keep the plant more compact and robust. Currently the different branches look skinny and pathetic and I don't have faith that the whole plant will live for much longer--especially since I've already killed two young fruits on this one plant so far.]

I did harvest another yellow squash, though. I think this is number three.

I spent the rest of my time trimming back lamb's ear, sage, and oregano; I'm conducting an experiment on establishing cuttings of oregano and lamb's ear...

Work, dirt

While it seems like I have more complaints about my job than one should, days like today make up for the bad ones, a hundred times over. Most of my day were spent establishing a prairie garden outside of the big wall-to-wall/floor-to-ceiling window that is the back side of our office. Alongside our intern, I turned over sod, loaded dirt from my house (stockpiled from our patio construction) in two trips, unloaded the dirt, spread it out, then planted a few preliminary plants. While we were loading dirt into the truck I was also able to let Aldy run free in the backyard and do his business. With the addition of some more flowers, we'll have a pretty impressive prairie garden blossoming below our bird feeder, to provide more food and habitat for native wildlife. It reminded me how inspiring my boss can be and how nice it has been to work for a small company that allows me to work on such cool projects.

Health, science

I haven't had much to say lately. I read all "my blogs" (kinda like watching "my stories"), which have actually become a bit boring. I even scan through the blog-rolls of those blogs. I flip through the lists of bikes on Craigslists between Cincinnati and Cleveland. Sometimes I peek at Pittsburgh and Indianapolis.

Otherwise, work has been pretty busy lately and will continue to be busy for the rest of the summer. Allergy season has begun and I already feel the start of a sinus infection. Dammit.

Meanwhile, the one thing that has been fluttering around my headspace has been health care reform. What a nightmare. Right when I think I understand what's going on, I realize I have no clue. Meanwhile, I've managed to absorb some of the noise from the far-right Republicans, and insofar as I associate with leftish Democrats, I tend to let it really bother me. I've got this tendency to take shit so personally and get bent out of shape about stupid things. And usually it's just stupid, petty, trivialities.

The big stuff? I just don't get it. Policies and economics aren't my forte. That's why I dove into science and biology. It's all about facts. Facts and laws of nature. Indisputable (I guess, theoretically, haha). For the most part, opinions are left out of it. Of course, you can use it to justify opinions about stuff like climate change and vegetarianism. Overall, I deal really well with science and it makes beautiful, harmonious sense in my head.

So, I guess until I feel like I understand political theories and economic philosophy, I'll try to avoid it and be cautious to form opinions.

As for now, I'm assuming universal, public-option health care sounds pretty respectable, reform seems essential, and people worried about government spending should focus attention on ending our wars [tip of the hat to Only One Manda for making that point]. In the meantime I'll try to follow what's going on, beneath the shouting and soundbites. If there's one thing I don't trust, it is the lot of insurance companies. I've heard enough horror stories about getting shafted or getting dropped at times when insurance should step up.

Thieves in the garden

Something ate all my swiss chard. WTF?!

I think it's rabbits, but can't be sure. I'm so bummed

Wealth Underground & backyard farming

The crew over at The Wealth Underground Farm of Portland, Oregon, have unloaded a couple more visual treasure chests of the bounty that has emerged from the fertile depths of their backyard.

The operation that Chris, Nolan, and Brooke (with the help of their friends and community) have established is a true inspiration to me.

If I could go "balls to the walls," as they say, my backyard farmstead would include the following: one or two sugar maple trees for sugaring (=maple syrup, right behind the house for summertime shade), goats for milk, cheese, and lawn mowing, chickens for eggs, and maybe even some bees for honey. I don't have a sugar maple tree and couldn't get one to grow quick enough; I probably don't have the space for a goat; and I'm sure I don't have the temerity needed to raise a colony of bees. But it's a pretty sweet visual in my mind's eye. That leaves chickens but besides C's objections there very well may be some newish local codes that prohibit such a wholesome pastime.

Surprise!

Today I realized a different variety of tomato was growing amidst one of my Roma plants. Surprise! A "Purple Cherokee" volunteer had tricked me into thinking it was a second stem of the one plant I had buried in my garden. I had been a little bummed that I had planted four tomato plants and all of them were a variety of Roma-sized paste tomatoes. The Purple Cherokee is a dark color--nearly purple throughout, with a splash of dark green at the top. It's a big round tomato, a slice of which fits perfectly on a sandwich or hamburger... I had planted this variety last year and a seed made it's way into our garden via one of a variety of ways--though I suspect it was hiding in some "compost" that I spread in the bed this Spring. My compost is hardly what it should be--I haven't put the right ingredients in the right order and I'm sure it doesn't heat up to the point that it is actively decomposing anything really. Oh well.

I guess it just sows that it's never too late in the growing season to be surprised by something.

Planting: Kale

Yesterday (8/13) I started one tray of kale (8 plants).

Hopefully these grow quickly! They should be ready to eat by...late October??? I've never planted something so late. It makes me nervous

bats

The other night, C and I rode our bikes to the gym. Afterward we split off and I went to the grocery store and she rode home. Back on the path from the store it was dusk and I realized I was seeing bats flying through the "corridor" eating bugs, dive bombing as low as my head a couple times. Naturally, bats do this over streams lined with trees, eating bugs that are flying over water. The bike path is pretty similar to a stream in that it is an unvegetated, flat surface that opens up some room between the trees on either side--perfect for bats.

Anyways, I'm as fascinated with bats as I am with hawks, so I was pretty pumped.

Recipe: Fresh salsa + Supplies

There are a billion ways to make fresh salsa--the simplest way is what I whipped up late last night:
- Roma tomatoes ("Fresh salsa" variety, lots of meat, less guts, intended for salsa)
- Red onion, diced
- Cilantro, fresh, chopped
- Garlic, minced
- Salt, to taste

I wish I had some hot peppers ready to be added... but I don't. My boss was telling me about his "rainbow salsa" which uses lots of colors of tomatoes (different varieties). I ate some today at lunch and it was great. So refreshing. I would care for it to be a little more spicy next time.
--
Today I stopped by the hardware store and bought some "potting mix" and a package of 32 small peat-pots for seed starting. I plan on starting a handful of kale plants, more spinach, maybe lettuce, and possibly some swiss chard... These tiny peat-pots are perfect for transplanting. By the time you have a suitable seedling, the peat is really easy to tear apart so you don't end up losing the potting soil from the fragile roots that aren't hairy enough to hold on to it.

Recipe: Kale-Avocado-Raisin salad

Honest Fare
Can't wait to try this one...

Movie: Taken

Spoiler Alert! (kinda)

Saturday night we rented Taken. I'd say it's a cross between True Lies (father = spy, daughter = kidnapped), Dark Knight (outrageous violence), any of the "Bourne" movies (impressive fighting skills), and Slum Dog Millionaire (a window into the depressing state of the world, including corrupt officials, human trafficking, and mobs).

Overall I'd say the whole thing is like one big trick question, in light of America's role on the world's stage. There's a point in which the protagonist (name? I don't remember) is torturing a "bad guy" for information--an effort to find his daughter and get her back. I was pretty sure that at some point Dick Cheney was going to pop into the screen and be all "See? You, too, can believe torture is justified! Gotcha!"

I guess C's aversion to violent movies had me questioning every fight scene where it was obvious that every karate chop to the neck and every bullet to the heart of a "bad guy" was supposed to rouse the audience with adrenaline and a sense of victory for the good guy. The fighting scenes are numerous and relatively brief. The writers just speed through a lot of violence to resolve the plot. Granted, they need to figure out how to get our hero from Point A to B, so there's a lot to get done in an hour and a half. Whatshisname's history is also revealed early--a government "prevent-er" (?) which means he is basically a G.I. Joe (think Jason Bourne, Steven Segal, Chuck Norris).

I couldn't help but feel like perhaps it was military propaganda in many parts. I will admit, I share that awe for the "do anything to protect my family" sort of attitude that leads so many action-movie heroes to annihilate bad guys and aliens and robots and countries...

Anyway, I'm left here feeling guilty about the pleasure I found in this guy seeking (and getting) vengeance to save his daughter from the grip of straight up evil. All I could say to placate C after she was so disturbed by the violence was "I would do that for you."
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In case you've seen Taken, I suggest immediately watching "What Happens In Vegas" or checking out these Chuck Norris facts:
- Superman owns a pair of Chuck Norris pajamas.
- Chuck Norris can slam revolving doors.
- When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night he checks his closet for Chuck Norris.
- Death once had a near-Chuck-Norris experience.
- Chuck Norris once had a heart attack; his heart lost.
- The quickest way to a man's heart is with Chuck Norris's fist.

Recipe: Pizza Sauce

Today I called "Nanny"--my grandmother-in-law--to get a homemade pizza sauce recipe. When she realized I was using home grown Roma tomatoes and basil she was really hyped. She explained how her mother made pizza sauce when she was growing up.

In a nutshell, it involved boiling the tomatoes, peeling them, then cooking them down with garlic, basil, and salt.

I already wish I would've cut out the tough "white part" where the stem attaches, before boiling them down. Also, I missed the part about squeezing out most of the juice/seeds before cooking the tomatoes with garlic, basil, and salt... So it's a bit juicy.

My plan is to fill one or two freezer-safe zip-lock bags and freeze them for the next round of homemade pizza--another awesome recipe passed down from Nanny.

To be honest, the sauce is still cooking, so I have no clue how it will turn out, but I'll write an update when I do.

Imagination

This is probably one of the coolest, inspirational things I've seen recently: Halo by Aissa Logerot
(found @ GetBuck, reblogged from CarLovely)

Just like you would shake a can of paint to keep it flowing, you shake this to recharge the light. I can't hardly contain my fascination with this. Simple things that, once revealed, are so dumb-foundingly brilliant and obvious.

Inspirational.

I've been spray painting a lot in my garage lately, on found canvases and found wood. By "a lot" I mean more than "not" which has been the status over the past three years. Mostly I'm just draining half-empty cans of junk paint, experimenting with any caps I have remaining, trying to regain any can-control I might have ever had (which doesn't say much). I've never enjoyed art so much as when I've had a can of paint in my hand. It's seriously the most satisfying art I've ever made. Unlike a tiny, pencil-like brush that involves slight movement of your wrist, aerosol paint involves full body movements and larger than life painting. Just don't forget your mask...

Bike

awesomeness

(found @ trackosaurusrex)

Over the weekend I was trying to "jerk" (it's a dance, get up on it) and Terry said it looked like I was trying to ride a bicycle when I was trying to do the reverse running-man...

Maybe I was just trying to do this instead... Ha

Fabric

I wouldn't admit I'm obsessed with clothes, but I occasionally find clothing companies that really impress me enough that I care to follow them like the lurker I am. In some instances the company uses great, unconventional materials (i.e. merino wool; recycled fabrics); in other cases, the garments are hand made. In all cases, the products appear to be high quality and durable.

In no particular order, here are a few I have enjoyed, in different ways--though, to be honest, some of these I've never experienced personally... An asterisk (*) indicates something I've used well

Mountain Khakis* (Alpine Utility Pants: perfect in every way; soft twill, double knees, gusseted crotch, trade-mark double pocket, triple stitched; utility/phone pocket; superior alternative to Carhartt)

Mountain Hardwear* (among other things, the Epic [rain] jacket: large hood with visor, large pockets, waterproof chest pocket, long sleeves, armpit zips)

Swrve Cycling Apparel - for as cool as their clothing is, their website is terrible and inconsistent, and their logo is wack. That said, I would really love to have their soft shell pants, soft shell Milwaukee hoody, and any of their knickers...

Octopus Inc.* (Soft-brim cycling cap: fold up to fit it into your back pocket; hand made, local, customizable. Awesome.)

Icebreaker* (Apollo Beast merino wool t-shirt: unbelievably comfortable, considering donating all other t's to Salvation Army...) - wool clothing. Period.

Cadence - great website, one of a kind cycling-related garments and art. I hope to test something of theirs soon

Rapha - I've posted about this company before; a gentleman's cycling outfitters; maybe too much "boys club" nostalgia, but definitely quality. Leather, wool... Built to last and look classy doing it. Supposedly starting a women's line soon

Outlier - American version of Rapha; stuff for gentlemen; pricey but seemingly well crafted. Wool, soft shell...

Freeman Transport - okay, okay, it's a bike manufacturer, but they've put out some soft-goods worthy of attention and I anticipate they'll be making more...

Howies - not available in the U.S. Everything looks amazing though. Great materials (i.e. hemp, wool...), great cuts. Although recently bought out by Timberland, still managed by founders
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I'm sure there are other companies, but these are stand-outs...