A Punching Bag Passes

Another Kennedy is gone.  I heard the news on Democracy Now! the other day, and it makes me sad.  Don't get me wrong.  I don't think the man was a saint or anything, I'm just sorry to hear that a good guy is gone.  Sure, there are things for which any politician could be criticized, but, for the most part, he did good things with his time, even if only dissenting from the majority.  More importantly, he intended good things, regardless of how many of these things the rest of his cohorts permitted be done.

This relates to what I recently realized about how one side of the political spectrum so frequently paints the other side as having intentions akin to the worst of those that ever ruled (Hitler, Stalin, etc.).  It is critical that compassionate elements of our populace be cast as hateful and mean.  If they are not, it becomes obvious that those for whom the dollar is savior are the truly hateful and mean.  For example, it's laughable to think that those that support universal health care only do so because they wish ill-will upon others in our country, but insurance companies wish exactly that, since that is what makes their shareholders more money.  It is surreal that those that wish a reasonable standard of living for all are not thought of within a pertinent context.  It is as if the hyperbolists assume history has taught us nothing and that we are doomed to go down the same roads already traveled by those from other countries, during other decades, within different economies, and subject to any number of other confounding influences.  In other words, communism can never become something better, socialism will always be a bad thing, and anarchy can never be improved upon.  Capitalism, however, is considered flawless, and is not held to the same standard, regardless of the horrible things people have done to one another in the interest of earning more money.  If anything, those that whine the loudest about how great dollar-worship is seem bent on going backwards to those "glory days" before the few, meager checks and balances we now have existed. 

Continue to learn and grow.  That is all I wish for my parents, and my brothers and sisters in this world.  I don't care if your goal is to earn millions of dollars, just realize that there are sustainable and humane ways to do that.  As Seth Tobocman's book proclaimed, "You Don't Have to Fuck Over People to Survive."  The extension of this is to define the word survive, which should include not only good food, clean water, solid shelter, and clean air, but theater, literature, stimulating conversation, paint, dance, and one thousand other free and necessary things.  I don't mean to imply that we all need "merely" survive, I mean to imply that there are different degrees of survival, and most of us are reasonable people...until we stop learning and stop trying to see things from new perspectives (don't worry, you can always crawl back into your shell if it gets too uncomfortable).

It is this I harbor after having watched "The Garden" online, yesterday.  Man, what an important movie.  Go watch it and see if it changes your view on property rights.  If nothing else, it will make you think long and hard about setting up a community garden in your own area (if one does not already exist).  Around here, I'm hoping we can get something going on the edges of the West Ashley Greenway, since it is wide enough to accommodate a road, and I'd like to think that getting neighborhood gardens in place would help prevent any future stupidity from making this local treasure into just that...another ribbon of asphalt. 

Also, I watched some of the town hall meeting S. Hoyer did in Maryland on CSPAN last night.  All I can say is that it was like watching a trainwreck...so disgusting was the behavior of our fellow "Americans" that I couldn't look away.  Example of the lunacy:  after explaining how her son and daughter are provided health insurance through the state after losing their jobs, one idiot-in-attendance went on to say the "government" needs to get "out of our business, now!"  Go ahead...watch the downfall of western civilization.  In particular, watch the question from her majesty of the miniscule mind at around 46 minutes:  http://www.c-span.org/Watch/Media/2009/09/01/HP/A/22720/House+Maj+Leader+Rep+Steny+Hoyer+DMD+Health+Care+Town+Hall.aspx

As a result of watching this kind of painful pinhead-ery, I'm considering political appointments, again.  I'm trying to get into the Bicycle/Pedestrian Committee, currently.  I filled out applications for the Forestry Board and one of the Park and Playground Commissions, but I think I'd rather dedicate my time to something about which I'm, currently, more passionate and knowledgeable.  Besides, there are just too many stupid things happening, lately.  They just put in solar-powered flashers for two greenway crossings up the road.  Yes, they are nice when I'm carting the girls, but I'm responsible.  I always come to a stop, anyway, to check for traffic.  Nobody else will have to develop that habit, thanks to these new eyesores that were a waste of money (how about resurfacing the severely eroded and buckled section of the greenway that winds through the black neighborhoods in our area, for example?).  As well, and I'll follow up on this one for sure, they just added bumps (rumble-shoulder type garbage) to the white lines on some of the roads we use for our shop rides on Tuesday and Thursday nights.  Again, this will prevent drivers from developing the quite safe habits of staying awake while at the wheel and paying close attention to traffic on more shaded, winding roads.  For riders, it presents an obstacle to quickly getting out of the way of the now-lazier drivers when they stray too close (which they will).  At worst, it is something riders do not see in the dark and/or rain that causes them to lose control of their bicycle and crash on roads that regularly have car traffic traveling at speeds of up to 50-60mph.  Somebody needs to be more involved in helping these road "designers," as they are clearly only considering those in cars when they pull this kind of jackass move.  

As for the media candy section of this entry, see below:

Trials riding isn't really my scene, but I am in awe of this guy's ability (good musical choice, too):  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z19zFlPah-o

This was mildly funny, so I thought I'd throw it in, too (my favorite part is the foggy glasses when he's inside):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vn29DvMITu4

Also, check out the latest on the insane happening in Asheville that Garrett clued me to:

http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009908180328

Hoping to make another trip to FATS before too long, here, and teaching a Road I course the first week of November.  Off to the doctor with the girls in the morning, and watched about 30 minutes of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 with Andree before wandering in here to finish this, finally.  Have a great night and don't forget to ride tomorrow.  You'll feel better.  Smoking status:  down to 1/2 a day, but only 2 or 3 left in pack.  I'll try to make it a week before buying another...if I do.  The tea tree oil toothpicks are really helping out this situation, by the way.

Watch the babies...watch the cute, cute babies.  The trailer is the summer-modified Tiger from Burley (I'm pretty happy with it, aside from the lack of carrying space for the jogging kit or a leash for towing them around when once we get to the store).  Oh, and the maypop, Passiflora lutea, is growing on the lamppost in front of the house.  I just saw a gulf fritillary laying eggs on it, today, so I'll try to photograph the life cycle.

Return of the King

Daddy comes home to the castle, as of tomorrow.  Andree goes back to school, so I get to resume full-time parent status.  Things have changed significantly (solid foods, longer times awake, etc.), but I can deal with it, and I think my health needs it.  The stress of the girls pales in comparison to the stress at work, lately.  It's just been a weird month or two since the departure of Joe, Jay, and Carl.  I really respect the guys that replaced them, but it'll suffice to say that it's different, and different is the name of the game with kids.  So, work changes of all sorts (a manager becoming an owner, a second shop opening, and the expected turnover of employees in such a field) are not as easy to cope with anymore, and my health has, predictably, not improved much.

The doctors claim it to be a mono group virus, which means that the exhaustion I've felt for weeks now will, likely, continue for a few more weeks, at least.  Cutting back on the cigarettes and booze isn't cutting it.  I'm going to have to go cold turkey, here, as I'm at my wit's end on this one.  One ride a week is not enough, and my workouts have completely fallen off.  It's killing me.  The worst part is waiting to see if the girls picked it up in the few weeks that I was contagious.  They've been on mom's milk from the beginning, however, so I'm hoping that their immunity is all the experts say it is.

The bicycle status has me motivated.  I just got a Manitou R7 for very little money (they were great about their crash replacement, and it turned out nobody does much, if anything, in forks in the U.S., anymore), an XT crankset, and some XTR pedals on the MTB.  The money is now officially paid back on the Raleigh, and it was worth it.  The beast looks ready for engagement, and Mike, Greg, and I are supposed to go to FATS trails, near Augusta, this coming weekend for an overnight (my first since the girls were born).  The road rig got absolutely swamped last Thursday night in the wettest ride we've done in a long, long time (downpour almost the entire hour and a half).  So, the bottom bracket got removed and the shell faced on this one, too.  Everything looked great inside (Boeshield and a gun-cleaning kit does the trick on the steel stuff), with only a little water.  

FATS is one of the best trails I've ever ridden.  We spent around 6 hours out there, and we still didn't get to all of it (we skipped on the Brown Wave trail).  Only one flat for one of us, and no spills, even though it's hard not to bomb through these insanely well-maintained and rolling trails.  We pulled out our stupid caps and rented a hotel for the evening, Saturday, for $100.  We could've camped at a nearby state park for $15, but I bit my tongue since we'd been trying to get this ride (or something very similar) together for nearly 5 years.  It makes one wonder about the depth of this friendship, no?  No matter, I'll go back with Dave or Garrett next time, and I'm sure it'll be tent city.  Besides, there ain't no cell phone or fire alarm mishaps at 6 and 7am in the woods...just the Carolina wrens and pine warblers screaming for sex.

I left the camera at home, as I can't lug the big guy around in the water pack, but I don't think I would've gotten many photographs of interest.  As well, there are videos of the trail system on YouTube, if you're interested.  They were good enough to motivate me to go.  Here's one with tolerable music and that doesn't disorient with shake or bore with footage you don't need to see.  You can check out the others for more of the trails.  There's even one from the same day we were there (about 95 degrees out and not a cloud in the sky...I probably drank around 150 oz. of water, in addition to the post-ride ginger ale and Fat Tire). 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoWyd_tUnBE

The garden looks good, with the cayennes in the bed with the bells.  The blackeye peas flushed with new foliage and keep putting out new flowers and fruits.  We have a few oxheart tomatoes, now, and the potatoes are still chugging along, regardless of the summer beat down they're getting.  I also planted a little chunk of ginger root, and it put up leaves in about 4-5 days.  I'm not sure what species I've got, but check out this flower!

 http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Zing_off.html  

Who wants to have to make a trip to the store just for this infrequently-needed, but essential, ingredient?  Turns out, it does just fine here.  Next up are the fruit/nut trees.  I thought I found a good place in GA, but there are some seriously bad reviews online that made me think twice.  Plus, their prices and selection were too good to be true.  We're hoping on walnut, plum, and apple, though we may have to go with citrus instead of pomes.   

There was an editorial in yesterday's paper that reminded me of something that keeps occurring to me.  A local politician was praising our state's investment in hydrogen power and other alternatives to fossil fuels.  Fair enough, but it was unfortunate that he was also pushing the job creation angle.  I don't doubt that alternative energies could result in more jobs, but what is the point if we retain the profit motive?  What kind of jobs should we expect?  The jobs will not matter if the same old share holders demand the same old unrealistic growth levels in their investment.  There is a new jet part production facility coming to the area, too, and the local press had nothing but glorious things to say.  Nevermind that this industry hinges on oil availability and is most likely doomed.  I wouldn't be surprised if this facility is gone by the time the girls start high school.  It's time to expand the concept of sustainability to include not just the products an industry is offering, but the lives of those that make the product possible.  It's kind of easy to get hung up on whether something is organic or produced without mercury or with water conservation practices and forget about the people behind the product.  They may or may not be able to purchase the very things they are making to the increasingly demanding standards of an informed consumer base.  This is not an argument that we should go backwards on sustainable product standards, only one that we should identify more with those on the other end of our dollars.  

The spider is an unidentified orb weaver that lives in our metal wind chime on the back porch.  She snagged this blue dasher dragonfly a few days ago.  I wonder how sensitive she is to the noise of the chime pipes when they collide and how this affects her catch success.  She seems to do just fine, as her abdomen is about the size of my thumb tip.  The dragonfly is a Needham's skimmer, I think.  It was having some trouble with the malformed wing, and I'm kind of surprised we didn't see this guy in the web.  It probably wound up in the stomach of one of the many Mississippi kites that we've seen around the house this summer.  They're notorious dragonfly diners.  The old Raleigh is Ohio John's.  What a testament that this thing from the mid-60's that has been all over the world is still rolling fine on original equipment.  A couple of hub adjustments and other touches, and it was ready to roll again.

Mayhem at Marrington

For starters, I was so anxious to be back on the mountain bicycle that, while waiting for our third to catch up after the first section, I mashed on my pedal to pull a small wheelie, without realizing I had inadvertently shifted into my smallest chainring.  Well, I don't mean to overstate my strength, but I mashed with so much force that I reached the 12 o'clock position, at which point the 70 ounces of water on my back turned me into a time traveler; rocketing me to 3 o'clock.  My left ass cheek and shoulder did the most to slow down my trip into the future, leaving me looking like I was peppered by a shotgun blast with my pants down.  Luckily, Mike and Jay were both on the scene to at least hear the thud of my deadfall and the pained groans elicited.  I gave them the go ahead shortly after the incident so that the laughter could ensue, 

with a strained, "I'm o.k."

Secondly, I noticed a small clacking noise about 1/3 of the way into the ride.  I just assumed I had a worn or broken bushing in my fork or something and kept riding.  Over the teeter-totter, through the sharp ditch dives, and so forth, I kept hearing the noise.  The brake arch on the fork had split in two, and I was riding with only my axle and brake keeping everything together.  We didn't realize this until I took the wheel off to mount it atop Mike's car, but it forced a great laugh and sigh of relief.  I'll try to get it warrantied through Manitou on Monday, but, in the meantime, I'll be ordering a SID Race or Team to replace it, since I've still got due reimbursement for the $5o0 worth of paint I put into the Raleigh.  That was the only thing weighing the same as the one I had that was available in a rim brake version (to hell with disc brakes...I'll be the last convert to that wretched waste of money).  Update:  Manitou will upgrade me for very little money, but I just realized that nearly all forks are now made in either Taiwan or China (even DT Swiss, at their insane prices!).  I think Fox is still made here, so I may bust my ass to set up an account with them.  Besides, their reputation is impeccable.  I may even go with a rigid fork, if I can find a good carbon that is US made (which would mean a weight savings of nearly a pound or more...the only good reason to do this, since I've really grown to love the wrist-saving ability of suspension). 

So, little to report on the road scene, of late, since I'm still kind of side-lined by the illness that has had me for the last month, but I am considering selling the Eclipse online.  I realized, again, the other day, that I've let myself get swayed into the realm of competitive stupidity.  I don't need a road race bike!  I need a great custom-made, steel Seven for commuting and camping.  The race bike has been great fun, but what a waste of money.  For the retail price of this little scamp, I could get just the bike I want...I think I might still try.  I'll dedicate any extra money to the MTB.

As for the illness, it had turned into something that was just making me really, really tired.  A shot of B12 seemed to help out, and I probably wasn't getting enough with my dietary choices.  We'll start working a little more seafood and maybe even bird into our meals, but that'll come when the girls are just a little more self-sufficient.  The doc prescribed an anti-depressant (sp?), but I've yet to take it.  I know I'm stressed, but the side effects of these drugs are enough to stress me out even more, and I really hate the idea of having to scale back from a drug rather than just quitting if it doesn't seem to help.  I think I'm just nervous about returning to the house.  Andree has been the queen of the castle and has asked me for very little.  I've helped out where I can, but when you work and have babies, it's easy to feel like you're neglecting your family, even if you spend most of your free time with them.  Once I come home, I think the stress will be within my sphere of influence.  There's nothing I can do about it, right now.  Anyway, I still have a slight sore throat, my ears still feel a mite clogged, I've been through one course of reflux med., and I submitted a hemoccult card to the doc's office (always a blast to collect your own poops, eh?), at their request.  Here's hoping they come back with some kind of diagnosis this time.  It's getting annoying and kind of scary.

Lately, I've been thinking about spitting venom, here, regarding the bitterness of friendship, but it'll suffice to say that I truly miss my buddy Rob in L.A., Rob from Baton Rouge, Bob in Steven's Point, and Adam in Costa Rica.  As for the "friends" I've got in this town...I'd trade nearly all of 'em for just one of those that I've mentioned.  I've recently realized that I've compromised myself in Charleston to the point that I am occasionally ashamed.  I still listen to good music, ride my ass off, love my wife and girls, and would rather view the woods, work in the garden, or create some kind of art on a boring day than watch television or sit behind a monitor on a good day, but I've let myself get dragged down by the interests of others (cars, consumerism, and comparing cocks), rather than holding on to the things that have defined and interested me in the past.  It's a tough thing to maintain one's identity, and "friends" (real or not) should promote the growth and refinement of that identity and not stifle it.  More on this as it develops. 

The robber fly, Diogmites sp., was in the garage.  Unfortunately, he had no other life in his hands at the time, but I've seen these guys take down prey twice their size.  This may be my favorite group of flies, and this particular genus is listed as the "hanging thieves" by one online reference.  Apparently, they're prone to hanging from things while they consume their captors. 

The question mark, Polygonia interrigationis (great specific epithet, eh?), was on the front window sill.  You can see the namesake mark on the underside of the wing in this photo.  We've seen many more of these since moving to the new house (return migration?), and we even had a giant swallowtail, Papilio cresphontes, buzz us on the back porch, yesterday.  The former has no problem finding elms and hackberry trees in the vicinity, but I'm sort of surprised to see the swallowtail, since the native food plant for it is really confined to barrier islands, here, for the most part.  I guess a few more people than I thought have cultivated limes or other citrus in their back yards in our area.

Speaking of butterflies, the dill and parsley are coming along, and they may be ready for the black swallowtails this year.  If not, maybe they'll come up again for a good spring flush, and the girls will get to watch the life cycle on their back porch.  We'll also be sourcing some local milkweeds for next year to attract some monarchs.  Come to think of it, I think we'll just make the void where the giant pine used to stand a little butterfly garden.  That way, I don't have to maintain it very much.  I can just wall it in with some bamboo timbers and let it go.  Now, to source some cheap/free local bamboo...the eternal quest.

The sunflowers are the "teddy bear" variety we got from Clemson this year.  They flowered well, but I think they will do better next year in the ground versus the pots.

Not much else to say, right now, other than these little things I put together on the back porch with the girls not so many weeks ago.  

Ripples of bow and branch,

darkness and shine;

planet breath through photosynthetic fur.

Ringing rasps of metal birds;

the wind seeks a voice

in tree

in time

in you.

Screen can a window or a fence mean.  I abhor both.

Customer Service...fo' real

So I purchased the cheap cistern pump that Lehman's sells.  It's cast iron, and it was made in China.  When it arrived, and I opened it, my nose cringed in horror at the smell that wafted from the box.  I was instantly reminded of the lead paint in toys that was such a media circus not so long ago, so I e-mailed the company and asked for confirmation that the item was safe for water that was going to be used on our food plants.  I let them know that if the only confirmation available was from the vendor of the pump, then I'd just as soon return it for the US-made, plastic model.  Instead of trying to sell me up on the plastic model, which was $70 more, my contact told me to wait and they would get it tested.  Yes, Lehman's sent a pump (or a sample of the pump) to be tested for lead.  I don't know where they sent it, and I don't know for sure that the pump is entirely non-toxic, but just knowing that they could've made a bigger sale but decided to do the right thing has me convinced that I made the right choice.  I've yet to mount it, but I'm going to bolt it to a base that can be moved from one rain barrel to the next as needed (although the $7 manual siphon I got at the car parts store has served me well enough, so far).  With the cistern, however, I'll be able to tap all the water in the barrels and not just the top foot or so.  I've also decided to try to find some cheap lattice or fencing that will surround the barrels and serve as climbing space for some of the beans, tomatoes, and other plants growing in the back yard, now.  The intention is to shade the barrels with an edible screen.

I checked in on C-SPAN the other night and caught some Republicans discussing the proposed cap and trade implications of the new climate change bill (for those that don't know, by the way, you can review every comment your congress members make through this terrific site, http://www.c-spanarchives.org/congress/).  A representative from my former home state of Louisiana was beating that old drum about how the planet has warmed and cooled many times throughout its existence (even before fossil fuels were being used).  This is a significant statement, since he related that this is an "empirical fact."  I don't want to get hung up on the semantics of what is fact and what is probable, even though he is a medical doctor and should know the difference.  I do want to highlight that this "proof positive that the Earth can warm under its own circumstances" is based on scientific models that ESTIMATE former planetary temperatures based on attributes of fossilized pollen and seeds, ice cores, and other components of the planet's surface.  In other words, there is never proof positive of anything, but if you're willing to believe the science on temperatures that existed before human presence (or, at least, before humans were measuring temperatures accurately), than you should be willing to give estimates of future temperatures the same consideration.  Are more Republicans finally seeing the light of science?

On the other hand, it is not as simple as a one party problem.  Too many of all stripes ignorantly grab whatever science suits their goals and pay no heed to the limitations of probability.  Science does not prove things, it merely suggests things.  Too many out there are quick to grab at the absolute choices in any given argument.  This makes sense, because if we really took the time to weigh each choice "we" make as a political organism, we would have to substantially slow everything down.  Think about that the next time you're waiting in a line at the bank, or the DMV, or a restaurant.  Think about it the next time you click the mouse for a website link, and it takes longer than one second for your system to locate it.  Think about it, also, the next time you hear somebody say they didn't vote, call/write their elected representative, or attend a county/city council meeting because they didn't have time.  We suffer in a million ways from this addiction to quickness, and the entire economic and social structure reinforces it.  We all need a really long vacation.  

At least with the girls in our lives, now, we're more likely to do just that on occasion (prior to their birth, aside from every other x-mas with Andree's family, our last real vacation was when we drove to Oregon for my first class at UBI...that was 2003).

This Sunday marks my return to the world of full-time employment, and I couldn't be happier.  I truly love my girls, but I need this summer break.  I'm so anxious for them to be communicating, crawling, and crooning, but it's hard to see much progress when one is around them every day (the watched-pot conundrum).  I've built a few wheels and fixed a bike or two in the garage over the past few months, but I miss the shop environment, and I've been smoking and drinking more than I'd prefer.  Thanks to a recently acquired virus (according to my doctor) that has my lymph glands swollen, I'm down to 1 cigarette per day (from what was up to 3, at most), and I shouldn't have any problem maintaining that if I'm working (update...I've since gone a week without any).  The plan is to have quit by the end of the summer (yes, please ask me how this is going closer to that time...the interaction will help motivate me, I'm sure).  As for the drinking, I've been taking a week off to let the prescribed antibiotic (what else?...amoxicillin!) do the most.  It hasn't bothered me, so far, and I'm hopeful that the new schedule will provide more opportunities for rides and other diversions to keep this habit subdued, as well.  

As for the antibiotic issue, I'd rather not be taking them, but this thing wasn't really improving.  I have a feeling it was more stress related than anything else, so the medicine was probably necessary.  However, this is the first time I've taken anything in years, since most of the infrequent illness that hits me is gone pretty quickly.  For others, this is, apparently, not the case.  To the point that the grocery store, Publix, gave me the prescription for FREE.  This kind of alarmed me, since I've seen indications that we abuse antibiotics in this country, and there are all sorts of places such things wind up once they're flushed into our water supply. 

Garrett sent this link along the other day, http://www.pbs.org/wnet/blueprintamerica/reports/road-to-the-future/video-full-documentary/648/

It is a fairly good assessment of what needs to happen to transportation in this country if we are to be able to survive outside our dwellings in the next 100 years.

As well, I've just contacted a guy, Nelson, at Carolina Commuter to see if they will add bicycle ride sharing to their site.  Right now, it is set up to get people to share car rides, but there are plenty of people that I've met through the shop that I know would ride to work if they simply had one or two other people riding the same route on the same schedule every day. 

The garden is coming along.  The squash has completely taken over the planter I made, though the bell pepper is still holding its own in there and has produced a few respectable fruits, so far.  We're harvesting about 3 squashes every few days, right now.  I'm hopeful that we'll have blackeye peas within a few weeks, since they're all growing well.  The tomatoes and other peppers are slowly making their ways, and we've probably already got potatoes, but I'll wait until we see the plants flower and wilt to harvest those.  The bee balm was about the only wash this time, though I just planted a new batch of seeds.  The parsley and dill are still small, but they'll make it.  Besides, I got those more for the black swallowtails than anything, so that the girls will get to watch the life cycle next year.  The sunflowers are chugging along, too, but no celebratory bouquet for Andree's school year end, unfortunately.

Currently watching the film "Battle of Algiers," and it couldn't be more timely, relative to world politics.  Very good movie, so far (hour into it).  Also rode in a pouring rain to see a film benefit for the local advocacy group, Charleston Moves, the other night.  It was called Veer, and, though good, it only briefly touched on anything other than those that use bicycles as toys, props, or fashion statements.  There is a place for that stuff, and it can be fun and refreshing, but there is so much more of the education/enforcement/infrastructure stuff they could've given exposure (I know, I know...who would go see such a movie?).  On the other hand, nearly 100 or so people showed up (1 of which made the decision I made to ride, by the way), and they were there to support the group as much as see the movie.  That was the coolest part.

Photos:  

The helmet pad is a chunk of old wool sock.  Simply discard the old pads when they start falling apart from a season of sweat and washing and replace with a custom cut wool pad.  They won't stink half as much, and you can just throw them in the compost when they're shot.  Long socks that have gotten too tight to put on are the ones I'm robbing, for now.  I've since washed them and they are not falling apart without the stitched top portion.

Delia digesting a little of the local paper.  This was right before she had me fetch her the slippers and bubble pipe.

Tillie's new crib-prison tattoo.

 

   

First Night Out

We had our first babysitters the other night.  It was me Ma and Pa, which is somewhat ironic, since they've not been very much of a presence in the girls' lives, so far (except for Mom being around for the hospital stay...thank goodness for that, with all the complications).  It went off without a hitch, but we were truly exhausted by the time we returned from our short engagement.  They stayed asleep the entire time we were gone.  Perfect.

As for Jody's question about cloth versus paper diapers, I'm still unsure on this point.  There are good reasons to go with cloth, but with twins that were "releasing" nearly 8-10 times a day, each, there was no chance in hell.  If one looks at the life cycle cost of the two options, it is probably a little softer on the planet to go with cloth.  Although a British environment agency study suggested that there is no significant difference in the footprint of the different options.  Importantly, there is controversy about the methodology from that study.  

We're going to try switching to cloth, now that the girls are "disposing" of much less (at least on easy days...we'll probably still resort to paper on busy/errand days).  In a CBC article, I came across one of the best arguments I've seen for or against cloth.  It mentioned the transmission of vaccine organisms and other things that might turn up in the babies' waste.  Of course, if our wastewater treatment was cutting-edge, this stuff would get eliminated when the diapers were laundered, but just what makes it through to our tap?  The answer is, of course, all kinds of things of unknown toxicity.  On the other hand, if the diapers get put in a landfill, bad things can still leach into aquifers, assuming landfill liners are less than perfect (they are).  

We've got efficient appliances, but one also has to have the time to get the laundry done (I just put back up our dryer line in the yard, which adds more stress to that time budget, but makes me much happier than drying everything in the machine).  Saving the rain in barrels is only one way of making up for the strain we create by consuming paper (or cloth) diapers.  Having a baby or two is, inherently, consumptive, but there is such a thing as mitigating for that consumption (luckily, we live in a less-consumptive way than most parents we know, and we will only get better at this with time). 

Speaking of consumption, I was struck by a comment I noticed in the documentary film "The Future of Food."  It was from the Director of Corporate Communications at Monsanto.  He was quoted in the NY Times as having said, ''Monsanto should not have to vouchsafe the safety of biotech food.  Our interest is in selling as much of it as possible. Assuring its safety is the F.D.A.'s job.''  What a refreshing moment of honesty, eh?  Watch the movie and see what you think.  It is available on Netflix online.  Also check out the Frontline "Poisoned Waters" online, if you need some motivation for filtering your city water and saving the rain that falls upon your roof for watering your plants.  

Almost finished the Greenpeace book (very movie-like...no surprise Watson went on to do the "Whale Wars" show), and I'm thinking of reading "Nickel and Dimed," next. On the other hand, I've been digesting so much negative news through Mother Jones and other media, lately, that I may have to go with another Terkel tome (And They All Sang was good stuff...good, but not great).  It's got me thinking about another media hiatus, since common sense is enough to keep me living as sustainably as possible.  I really don't need any more guilt about that sort of stuff, and it really does start sounding a little dogmatic and authoritarian, sometimes.  As well, I'm not in a position to do much for others, right now, aside from continuing to live reasonably as an example to those that do not (though, I do not do so for them...still debating whether there is such a thing as pure altruism). 

I picked up a Clifford Brown/Max Roach disc that is one of the best jazz albums I've ever heard (and I've heard many).  It's called "Study in Brown."  The same applies to the Charlie Parker 2-disc set from Rhino.  Check them out.  I also picked up some Pteradactyl, Bamboos, Big Sleep, Hoodoo Gurus, and the first Replacements (it's amazing how far the last two strayed from the really cool stuff they did, initially).  The Pteradactyl is a reference from Dirt Rag, and it reminds me of Arab on Radar mixed with Three Mile Pilot (very good stuff).

The plants are all doing great.  I added three blueberry shrubs to our mish-mash of trees and veggies that we're accumulating.  I'm hoping to find some plums or apples that will do well on the coast, but I'm not too hopeful.  I'm "building" out from the corner of the backyard and, so far, have a red buckeye, american elm, redbud, fig, some sweetgrass, and blueberries in place.  The idea is to, eventually, transition the yard into a "working" forest (or useful, if you please).  While I probably won't be crushing up the buckeye to stupefy fish (a historical use), it will provide nectar for hummingbirds and a few other organisms (useful in all ways, not just ways that benefit us).  Germination continues, so lots of work in the near future.

Finally, I ordered the Jamis Eclipse.  The owner of the shop has offered to cover the paint job I bought for the Raleigh, since it belonged to his brother, and he'd like to keep it.  I'm converting bike money into bike money.  This got me over the remaining worry about pulling money out of our family funds.  As well, after last nights ride, I ate it hard in the grocery down the street from the shop.  I was coming around the corner with 2 6-packs in my hands, and the super slick heel of my old Adidas shoe provided exactly zero traction to steer me through the challenge of 90 degrees.  It sounded like an explosion, my knee feels like crap, and many shoppers were treated to quite the entertaining site, I am sure.  I think I'm gonna' have to get rid of those shoes, finally (they're probably 20 years old, by now, and the soles are getting glued back to the shoes in the garage, as I write).  

I watched the Frontline called "Sick Around the World."  It was a brief treatment of health coverage in some other countries (who knew Taiwan had universal coverage?).  It was upsetting, of course, since we've had nothing but bad experiences since the girls were born (Andree's been on the phone for what must be hours, over the past 6 months).  I just don't understand how people can be satisfied with a service that delivers so little for what is paid.  On that note, however, it occurred to me the other day how odd it is that our discussion is so narrow.  What about home and car insurance?  We hear so little about these things, but they are just as much of a pain in the ass.  As an example, the company that insured our former home would not insure our new one.  We live less than a mile from where we used to live, and we are no closer to salt marsh than we were.  If anything, we're now a few more feet above sea level.  Of course, we got our former policy before Katrina and, weirdly, the guy on the phone representing our former company mentioned that we should try again 5 months from when we were calling (as Andree pointed out, AFTER hurricane season!).  

I don't know if the problem is the profit motive behind insurance companies or that we are so practiced at deflecting personal responsibility.  We seem convinced that, even though we know profit is the purpose, somebody else will take care of things if we build our house in a hazardous place, or crash our car because we were texting something banal, or get cancer because we smoked a pack of cigarettes every day for years.  One thing is for sure.  It will be a rough transition to a better system, since it requires a sort of forced altruism that I'm afraid many in this country will vehemently resist (you can't make people love others).  Down the road, perhaps everybody will realize the personal benefits of a healthy population (one can support this for purely selfish reasons...maybe that is what is missing from the arguments for a universal coverage system).  

This reminds me of the "Authority of the Resource" argument, however, which encourages an appreciation of the inherent value in the natural world.  We shouldn't have to convince people that a plant is valuable to them as food or medicine, for example.  It should be enough that the plant is part of a larger system that makes up the regional (indeed, the planetary) organism; humans or no.  That is a subject for another time, though. 

Thanks to all for the comments.  Keep those coming and I'll provide more entries.  It really helps to know that you all are reading this stuff.  I hope at least some of it makes you think or laugh a little.  Oh, and check out the Charleston Bicycle Company website for my completed animation.  It will rotate into the video bar if you just wait, or you can click on it to see it on demand. 

http://charlestonbicyclecompany.com/

Photos:  Cannibal baby, Spiranthes sp. orchid from the back yard, and the three most beautiful females in the world.

 

Double Trouble?

I swore to my wife that I was going to punch the next person that said, "Oh, oh.  Double trouble."  It is the most popular, laziest, and most offensive comment we hear when people see us with the girls.  Our most frequent response to it is, "Double blessing."  This occurs even though we are not religious people.  However, we are considering a service or two at the Unitarian Church.  We were both thinking about it, but neither of us had made a big case for it.  I checked their website the other day, and I kind of dig the whole social justice and compassionate edge they espouse, assuming it is not sandwiched within too much of the boring and insulting ritual and ceremony  that has kept us out of other such places.  I also remember going to some shows at a Unitarian Church in New Orleans, while I was in school at Baton Rouge.  In fact, I specifically remember seeing Policy of Three, there, which was one of the best shows I ever attended, though, I know there was at least one other (was it Men's Recovery Project, too, Bob?...ah, the scary, scary masks).  If a church would host such events, it may be the church for me.

The girls are currently napping, but I'm doubting I'll get another two-hour spell.  I screwed up this morning and got them up too early.  We've been consistent about helping them go back to sleep when they wake at 5:30 or 6 most mornings, but Delia's clogged nares foiled this morning's attempt.  I think the poor angel is suffering from the same pollen sensitivity her father fights every spring.  They're doing fairly well, but I'm growing less and less concerned with following the Baby Whisperer book.  As with most books, there is little to no attention to twins, which makes any routine much, much harder (they're individuals, and they can't always be on exactly the same time frame).  We're having success going 4 hours between feeding, now, but they seem to need a little more sleep than the book suggests.  They'll go from about 7 at night until 6 or so in the morning, which is awesome, but they sure get to lookin' sleepy a good bit throughout the day, and I'd rather respond to those cues of yawning, ear-pulling, face-rubbing, and thumb-sucking by putting them down, rather than trying to force them to stay up, possibly killing the chance that they'll make it through the night.

Delia sounds like a little lion compared to her sister, but Tillie is still speaking noises that are much closer to words.  Delia mostly growls, squeaks, whistles, and barks.  I can't wait 'till she's able to sing along with the Pete Seeger CD we've been listening to since they were born.  She's going to love it...until she's 13, at which point, she'll inevitably refer to it as that embarrassing CD her father, oddly enough, seems to always put on when she has friends over. 

I'm toying with the idea of buying a used Lemond Ti frame from '01.  I was going to buy a Jamis Eclipse (853 steel), but I'd save some money if the seller will meet me near my asking price.  Besides, it'd be nice not to have to worry about the degradation of the frame material, after having gotten rammed in the rear end by Surly and their unfaithful representation of paint finish warranty.

The garden is about the only thing that I seem to make any progress on, lately (other than the girls), which is just fine, since only producing some of our food is a big accomplishment in the face of twins that, again, are napping, albeit with much protest.  I salvaged some sliding shower doors of tempered glass and made a bed with them and some concrete blocks that I finally broke down and purchased (12 at around $1.50 each).  I just missed slicing this poor glass lizard in half with the pick-ax, so I released it in the compost pile for a better life.  I assume he was just coming out of wintering mode; down there grabbing an earthworm here and a few ants and beetle grubs there.  The bed seems to be holding after the first couple of rains, but it's a great reminder of how much more garden space I need if I'm to grow what I'd like.  I got seeds from Clemson Extension, again, this year, so I got Charleston blackeye peas and cayenne peppers, some sunflowers for Andree, dill, parsley, tomatoes, bell peppers, and a few others.  I'll keep updating on their progress.  The lettuce has produced like gangbusters for the second year in a row, though the spinach was less prolific.  It's hanging on, but we've only gotten a few handfuls from the 8 or so plants.

The rain barrel design is near completion.  I now need only disguise them with some of that cheap bamboo fencing and fasten the second overflow hose.  I also need to buy a cistern pump for watering purposes.  I tried a cheap manual siphon pump, but with the barrels only being at ground level or only slightly above, this is none too easy.  The overflow hose is pool hose from Lowes, attached to 1 1/2" couplings that have a rubber washer and a steel lockring on the inside.  I originally glued this into the trash can barrel I made, but the gutter sealant I used is probably one of the most toxic substances one can buy, and the water will at least only flow by that which is in the gutters (I didn't want the water sitting in the barrel, reacting with the stuff over time and with the addition of the sun's heat).  I opted for a gutter separate from the barrel, since I didn't want water backing up the gutter and spilling onto the house.  I also screened the ends of the overflow hoses.  The entrance to the barrel is simply a plant pot with some extra holes I drilled, some mesh screen, and some river stones to weigh down the pot and help catch any big stuff that might, otherwise, clog the screen. 

After just having watched the Frontline on water pollution, the film "The Unforeseen" (about contamination of the Barton Springs area in Austin by development), the film "Flow" (about water problems the world over), and the current dialogue with Garrett about stormwater mis-management, the rain barrels are seeming more and more important.  Though it'd be nice to have an entirely terra cotta or other clay or stone-based system and one that collects all that falls upon the roof, I don't have the money.  The two 55-gallon, plastic barrels will have to do, and I'm comfortable watering the plants from them, since the intended use for these is drinking water storage.  Ultimately, I'd like to get a table-top filter reservoir (like the ones Lehman's carries), so that we can provide most of our own drinking water from the barrels.  With the current home and money limitations, the grey-water recycling probably won't happen, but that can remain a goal for down the road (drainage is critical for this sort of thing, and our lot is not amenable).

I'm thinking this may be an avenue for my next job.  I could live with installing rain collection systems for a paycheck, and these will only become more important over time.  I suspect it'll be either this or electronic engineering or an electrician apprenticeship (if I can't get back into teaching Natural History somewhere).  These interest me for two reasons.  Number one, micro-solar and micro-wind systems will only become more prevalent as we continue to phase out current electricity fuels.  Second, I really, really would like to know how to make a bicycle do more, electrically.  There are at least a couple of vendors online that sell storage batteries that hook up to bicycle trainers.  Even as inefficient as they are, a two-hour spin on the trainer could power the television for a movie or the computer for a few hours each evening.  The thing is, I'd like to know how to patch this power into a home grid, rather than just to a 12-volt battery.  I'm pretty sure Ed Begley (sp?) has some such system, but I haven't done any looking to see what he uses.  Ultimately, I would at least figure out a generator that would negate the need for ever needing bicycle light batteries.  I've been riding Shimano's front generator for a long time, now, but it is only for the headlight.  I'm very happy with the performance (I've been through at least a few hard rains with it and the resistance is minimal).  I'd like a taillight, too.

The ride last night was a smasher.  We went to Mt. Pleasant, then joined some of the CBC team at Hampton Park, downtown, for some very fast laps.  I rode the Lemond for a second time, but I won't be buying it.  I'd be replacing the wheels and the fork, and it'd wind up costing me as much as the Jamis, in the end, without a warranty that was mine (plus, it ain't steel).  So, I now need to find a buyer for my huge, 58-60cm Raleigh and either my fixed gear Miyata and/or my repainted tour monster.  I sold the Xtracycle to a good friend for $800, and I don't really miss it.  I'm thinking I'll feel the same with the other two, if they both sell, at least until I have the time (read:  the girls are old enough) to get back on the bicycle camping horse.  The goal for now is to get down to 1 MTB, 1 road race bike, and 1 tour bike (though, I could always just tow the Burley behind the race frame, in a pinch).  In the meantime, I miss the Marrington rides with Dave.  I've got to get back off the road.  

Update:  the sunflowers are germinating (as are some other seeds, but I haven't yet identified them...they're all still in the cold frame, for now).  

Ear Be Dragons

So Mike, at work, suggested an ear wax treatment known as Debrox.  We had both used the ear candles, prior, and they didn't seem to have had much of an impact (regardless of my living room clinical trial that involved burning one in my ear and the other to the exclusion of my ear...there was a definite difference between the two).  We had both had issues with ringing and reduced hearing, so I figured, "What the hell?"  Night one...nothing.  Night two...nothing.  Night three...nothing, until...4 or 5 shots of really warm water with a bulb and a capful of alcohol later and...voila!  A chunk of wax the size of a raisin plunked into the sink in front of me.  I told Andree, "You will not believe what just came out of my flippin' ear, but I'm not sure you want to see.  It's about the most revolting thing you've ever seen."  She had to look, and her face contorted into the kind of expression one gets when biting into a chicken sandwich, only to realize they have received the "breast" composed of nearly 50% cartilage.  It's been a long time, however, since I've seen that, so perhaps another analogy is in order.  It looked as if she had eaten an unripe persimmon (if you've never done this, try it at least once in your life).  Hence, the image that banners this post.  The ear is just operating one-hundred times better than it was, and there is no longer any "squishy" sort of noise when I plunge my ear with my pinky.

I got in 4 days on the trainer this week (about an hour a shot), and the plan is to ride Marrington this weekend.  This is monumental, considering the girls weren't allowing anything near this a couple of weeks before.  We've put them on a routine recommended by the "Baby Whisperer" that seems a little harsh but is, ultimately, really beneficial for them AND for us.  It simply slates things in a logical fashion that we were sort of already doing, but with some slight variation.  The biggest change is that they no longer go to sleep after eating.  This is critical, it seems.  I think we had established a cause and effect, feed-THEN-sleep thing.  Now, they get activity time after each feeding.  It seems strange that we didn't initially put them on the same kind of routine that works for us, except that when you have two crying babies, you just want them to be placated.  A little crying is tolerable, but, trust me, there are just times when you do everything possible (rocking, calf raises, consoling, etc.) to reduce it (and for those of you with one child...shut your mouth and keep your advice to yourself...it is not the same at all).  This can lead to some bad habits, but I think we caught them just in the nick of time to correct our mistake.

I was driving to the storage unit containing the 50 or so bicycles we're servicing for Vermont Bicycle Tours the other day and noticed a peculiar billboard.  It was for the Charleston Humanist Society and it simply read, "Don't believe in God?  You're not alone."  This struck me as funny, since most atheists I know are fairly isolationist, but then I realized there are people, like me, for instance, that would love to have the companionship and moral assistance that a church provides, if it just weren't for all the formality and blind obedience.  Yes, I realize there are some lower-key churches out there that don't come off quite so dictatorial, but what I have in mind is something more along the lines of what I'd like to see happen with most groups.  Instead of a Robert's Rules of Order meeting for the local cycling group, for example, how about a group ride, after which the club could discuss things over a beer or food?  Instead of an art gallery having a "showing," how about an artist makes his/her showing interactive and encourages attendees to add to the art displayed?  Instead of sitting in a pew for an hour, how about somebody does a workshop on landscaping, making cheese or soap, or how to roof your house.  How about a gathering where people would come to learn crafts, child-rearing, and a million other things from each other?  Sounds a little better to me than having to dress in uncomfortable clothes to hear one person tell me, through somebody else's words, how unsatisfactory is my existence.  I am not making an argument for a communal situation that would only wind up eating itself, I am arguing for something that maintains the periodicity and good-natured element of church that is more constructive and realistic.

I just applied for a job with the county.  It is a Natural Resources Planning Project Manager position.  We'll see if it works out.  If it does, Andree may go down to one day a week with teaching, and I will stay at work full-time.  If nothing doing, then it's daddy Brad this Fall.  Either way, I'm anxious about the future. 

The animation is complete, but I've not seen the result, yet, since I haven't been able to download the software needed to view it.  I trust that our shop website manager has put it together well, and I'll have it up here, soon.

Check out the You Tube of Louis Bellson.  I'll try to link it in, here, but, as before, it may prove beyond my grandfatherly computer understanding.  I came across it while listening to satellite radio the other day.  They were playing "Skin Deep," by Duke Ellington (maybe not the author of the tune, but it was his performance), and this incredible drum solo erupted.  It was really fitting, since I'm nearly finished on the biography of Count Basie, and my mind is wrapped around that era, right now (to the point that I subjected my co-workers to nearly 6 hours of the forties channel on satellite the other day).  When I hear that music, I feel like I have to agree with Andree that we were born a few decades too late.  Beautiful. 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBQWaCLIK9Y

Welcome home, Garrett!  The Lowcountry has seen the return of a king among men.  Looking forward to some bicycle camping trips this season and the hunts for rare plants we discussed.  The CCL is lucky to have you.

Love to all.