Busy weekend. Woke up early yesterday and took Lisa to a knitting class in Northampton. Ran by Home Depot and got the last of the 1x3 and 1x4s to finish the barn trim. Stopped by the bookstore and browsed for a few minutes. Drove back home and painted half of the trim. Very dark green; I thought it'd go well with the roof. Drove back to Northampton and picked up Lisa, then went back home and worked on day-job related things until midnight.
Up again somewhat early Sunday. Went straight outside and painted the rest of the trim. Started on a batch of bread while waiting for the paint to dry. Worked like a banshee cutting and nailing trim while the baby chicks jumped up and down to get a look at the goings-on. But I do believe it's just about there. Wrapped things up just as it got dark, made dinner for the kids, and now it's back to work on day-job related things, almost certainly beyond midnight.
Sigh.
Leaves are turning, geese (the flying kind) are leaving, and geese (the driving kind) are coming into the state. Must be fall again. Believe our first freeze will be tonight.
Reading material: The Long Emergency, James Kunstler.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Friday, September 28, 2007
Worth Reading
From today's WSJ:
Historic Surge
In Grain Prices
Roils Markets
By SCOTT KILMAN
September 28, 2007; Page A1
Rising prices and surging demand for the crops that supply half of the world's calories are producing the biggest changes in global food markets in 30 years, altering the economic landscape for everyone from consumers and farmers to corporate giants and the world's poor.
"The days of cheap grain are gone," says Dan Basse, president of AgResource Co., a Chicago commodity forecasting concern.
This year the prices of Illinois corn and soybeans are up 40% and 75%, respectively, from a year ago. Kansas wheat is up 70% or more. And a growing number of economists and agribusiness executives think the run-ups could last as long as a decade, raising the cost of all kinds of food.
In the past, such increases have been caused by temporary supply disruptions. Following a poor harvest, farmers would rush to capitalize on higher crop prices by planting more of that crop the next season, sending prices back down. But the current rally, which started a year ago in the corn-futures trading pit at the Chicago Board of Trade, is different.
Not only have prices remained high, but the rally has swept up other commodities such as barley, sorghum, eggs, cheese, oats, rice, peas, sunflower and lentils. In Georgia, the nation's No. 1 poultry-producing state, slaughterhouses are charging a record wholesale price for three-pound chickens, up 15% from a year ago.
What's changed is that powerful new sources of demand are emerging. In addition to U.S. government incentives that encourage businesses to turn corn and soybeans into motor fuel, the growing economies of Asia and Latin America are enabling hundreds of millions of people to spend more on food. A growing middle class in these regions is eating more meat and milk, which in turn is increasing demand for grain to feed livestock. In the U.S., a beef cow has to eat roughly six pounds of grain to put on a pound of weight, and a hog about four pounds.
The reversal of a long-term trend toward lower grain prices could have profound effects on the world's ability to feed its poor. Global grain stockpiles are being drawn down to their tightest levels in three decades, leaving the world vulnerable to shocks brought on by bad harvests. And it's far from clear how much more land could be brought into production or to what extent advances in biotechnology might increase crop yields in the future.
American families, which spend 9.9% of their disposable income on food, are facing the fastest-rising food prices in 17 years. The consumer's cost for everything from yogurt and popcorn to breakfast cereal and fast-food french fries is climbing. In U.S. cities last month, the average retail price of a pound loaf of whole-wheat bread was up 24% from a year ago, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Whole milk hit $3.807 a gallon, up 26%.
Historic Surge
In Grain Prices
Roils Markets
By SCOTT KILMAN
September 28, 2007; Page A1
Rising prices and surging demand for the crops that supply half of the world's calories are producing the biggest changes in global food markets in 30 years, altering the economic landscape for everyone from consumers and farmers to corporate giants and the world's poor.
"The days of cheap grain are gone," says Dan Basse, president of AgResource Co., a Chicago commodity forecasting concern.
This year the prices of Illinois corn and soybeans are up 40% and 75%, respectively, from a year ago. Kansas wheat is up 70% or more. And a growing number of economists and agribusiness executives think the run-ups could last as long as a decade, raising the cost of all kinds of food.
In the past, such increases have been caused by temporary supply disruptions. Following a poor harvest, farmers would rush to capitalize on higher crop prices by planting more of that crop the next season, sending prices back down. But the current rally, which started a year ago in the corn-futures trading pit at the Chicago Board of Trade, is different.
Not only have prices remained high, but the rally has swept up other commodities such as barley, sorghum, eggs, cheese, oats, rice, peas, sunflower and lentils. In Georgia, the nation's No. 1 poultry-producing state, slaughterhouses are charging a record wholesale price for three-pound chickens, up 15% from a year ago.
What's changed is that powerful new sources of demand are emerging. In addition to U.S. government incentives that encourage businesses to turn corn and soybeans into motor fuel, the growing economies of Asia and Latin America are enabling hundreds of millions of people to spend more on food. A growing middle class in these regions is eating more meat and milk, which in turn is increasing demand for grain to feed livestock. In the U.S., a beef cow has to eat roughly six pounds of grain to put on a pound of weight, and a hog about four pounds.
The reversal of a long-term trend toward lower grain prices could have profound effects on the world's ability to feed its poor. Global grain stockpiles are being drawn down to their tightest levels in three decades, leaving the world vulnerable to shocks brought on by bad harvests. And it's far from clear how much more land could be brought into production or to what extent advances in biotechnology might increase crop yields in the future.
American families, which spend 9.9% of their disposable income on food, are facing the fastest-rising food prices in 17 years. The consumer's cost for everything from yogurt and popcorn to breakfast cereal and fast-food french fries is climbing. In U.S. cities last month, the average retail price of a pound loaf of whole-wheat bread was up 24% from a year ago, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Whole milk hit $3.807 a gallon, up 26%.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Whew.
Taking a brief break before diving back into the day job until ... oh, midnight, if this past week's history has been any indicator. But I'm making progress. Swear.
Miscellaneous tidbits:
*** I've moved the baby chicks out of the brooder and into the new barn. All I have to do now is add the trim and build the chicken run, and I can put everyone (except the ducks) in the new addition.
*** In another chicken-related vein, we put a light in the current coop. Hopefully, the chicks will decide it's back to summer and start laying. Chickens generally lay at 22 weeks, and the older chickens are ... 22 weeks. Lisa made me an egg basket in an uncontrollable burst of optimism.
*** Biofuels, The Good. A Charlie Rose interview with Luiz Lula da Silva of Brazil:
*** Biofuels, The Bad: A Reuters story about Jane Goodall's take:
Jane Goodall says biofuel crops hurt rain forests
Wed Sep 26, 6:08 PM ET
Primate scientist Jane Goodall said on Wednesday the race to grow crops for vehicle fuels is damaging rain forests in Asia, Africa and South America and adding to the emissions blamed for global warming.
"We're cutting down forests now to grow sugarcane and palm oil for biofuels and our forests are being hacked into by so many interests that it makes them more and more important to save now," Goodall said on the sidelines of the Clinton Global Initiative, former U.S. President Bill Clinton's annual philanthropic meeting.
As new oil supplies become harder to find, many countries such as Brazil and Indonesia are racing to grow domestic sources of vehicle fuels, such as ethanol from sugarcane and biodiesel from palm nuts.
The United Nations' climate program considers the fuels to be low in carbon because growing the crops takes in heat-trapping gas carbon dioxide.
But critics say demand for the fuels has led companies to cut down and burn forests in order to grow the crops, adding to heat-trapping emissions and leading to erosion and stress on ecosystems.
"Biofuel isn't the answer to everything; it depends where it comes from," she said. "All of this means better education on where fuels are coming from are needed."
Goodall said the problem is especially bad in the Indonesian rain forest where large amounts of palm nut oil is being made. Growers in Uganda -- where her nonprofit group works to conserve Great Apes -- are also looking to buy large parcels of rain forest and cut them down to grow sugar cane, while in Brazil, forest is cleared to grow sugar cane.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/27/health/nutrition/27Best.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1190931264-nnDw5BOmGlWt5jXcOXvfmA
Here's the money graf:
The rules of physics say that distance cycling and distance running are for small people. Rowing and swimming are for people who are big. The physics is so exact that when Dr. Secher tried to predict how fast competitive rowers could go, based only on their sizes and the weights of their boats, he was accurate to within 1 percent.
Explains a lot. Although I'd still like to have seen a graf that explains lazy people who have so much going on at the day job that they haven't been able to get their act together and get back into some serious training.
I'm just sayin'.
Miscellaneous tidbits:
*** I've moved the baby chicks out of the brooder and into the new barn. All I have to do now is add the trim and build the chicken run, and I can put everyone (except the ducks) in the new addition.
*** In another chicken-related vein, we put a light in the current coop. Hopefully, the chicks will decide it's back to summer and start laying. Chickens generally lay at 22 weeks, and the older chickens are ... 22 weeks. Lisa made me an egg basket in an uncontrollable burst of optimism.
*** Biofuels, The Good. A Charlie Rose interview with Luiz Lula da Silva of Brazil:
*** Biofuels, The Bad: A Reuters story about Jane Goodall's take:
Jane Goodall says biofuel crops hurt rain forests
Wed Sep 26, 6:08 PM ET
Primate scientist Jane Goodall said on Wednesday the race to grow crops for vehicle fuels is damaging rain forests in Asia, Africa and South America and adding to the emissions blamed for global warming.
"We're cutting down forests now to grow sugarcane and palm oil for biofuels and our forests are being hacked into by so many interests that it makes them more and more important to save now," Goodall said on the sidelines of the Clinton Global Initiative, former U.S. President Bill Clinton's annual philanthropic meeting.
As new oil supplies become harder to find, many countries such as Brazil and Indonesia are racing to grow domestic sources of vehicle fuels, such as ethanol from sugarcane and biodiesel from palm nuts.
The United Nations' climate program considers the fuels to be low in carbon because growing the crops takes in heat-trapping gas carbon dioxide.
But critics say demand for the fuels has led companies to cut down and burn forests in order to grow the crops, adding to heat-trapping emissions and leading to erosion and stress on ecosystems.
"Biofuel isn't the answer to everything; it depends where it comes from," she said. "All of this means better education on where fuels are coming from are needed."
Goodall said the problem is especially bad in the Indonesian rain forest where large amounts of palm nut oil is being made. Growers in Uganda -- where her nonprofit group works to conserve Great Apes -- are also looking to buy large parcels of rain forest and cut them down to grow sugar cane, while in Brazil, forest is cleared to grow sugar cane.
*** I'm amazed at this one. I mean, what are the Chinese doing here? Don't they know better? How can they say they made a mistake? Without spin? Or bullshit?
Clearly, they have a lot to learn from, ahem, the other side of the Pacific.
CHINESE officials who previously defended the giant Three Gorges Dam as an engineering and economic miracle have admitted that the world's biggest hydropower project is at risk of environmental disaster if accumulating threats are not dealt with promptly.
A forum organised by State Council, China's cabinet, on Tuesday to discuss the dam's accelerating environmental problems concluded that "if no preventive measures are taken, the project could lead to catastrophe", the official Xinhua news agency reported, quoting senior officials at the meeting in Wuhan.
Wang Xiaofeng, the director of the Government's Three Gorges construction body, said that while China had largely overcome many challenges - including funding, technology and the huge displacement of people - it now had to face up to the increasing ecological threats.
These included erosion and landslides around the dam, pollution and "ecological deterioration" caused by "irrational development" along the river, he said.
"We absolutely cannot relax our guard against ecological and environmental security problems created by the Three Gorges project," Mr Wang told the meeting. "We cannot sacrifice our environment for short-term economic prosperity."
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/27/health/nutrition/27Best.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1190931264-nnDw5BOmGlWt5jXcOXvfmA
Here's the money graf:
The rules of physics say that distance cycling and distance running are for small people. Rowing and swimming are for people who are big. The physics is so exact that when Dr. Secher tried to predict how fast competitive rowers could go, based only on their sizes and the weights of their boats, he was accurate to within 1 percent.
Explains a lot. Although I'd still like to have seen a graf that explains lazy people who have so much going on at the day job that they haven't been able to get their act together and get back into some serious training.
I'm just sayin'.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Going South for the Winter
Lots of geese heading south these days. Honking around the clock.
Exhausted. More tomorrow.
Exhausted. More tomorrow.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Things Always Take Longer Than You'd Think
Worked my ass off this weekend on the chicken barn.
And all I've got to show for it are the walls. Still need to trim and roof. And since my walls are actually 8'6" apart, and the roofing panels are only 8' long, I'm going to have to get another panel and tin snips. Ack.
Aggravation.
Bottom line is, looks like it'll be another week before the chicks can be sprung from their brooder in the bathroom. I'm not too charmed by it, either.
Busy week ahead. Have to wrap up one project on Monday and start doing the heavy lifting on another. Major pending issues with job opportunity. Have to finish a book chapter this week. Must put together a PowerPoint presentation, also known as one of my least favorite things to do. Ummmm .. a few other things.
Run, bike, swim.
On a slightly different front, couldn't help noticing oil hitting $80/bbl. So here's a trivia question: What do my father, a former Rolling Stone writer, the former chief geologist for Shell, and a bestselling investment banker/writer have in common?
Try peak oil.
Jim Kunstler, who used to write for Rolling Stone, can be pretty damn mean-spirited -- it's like he's looking forward to some sort of apocalyptic scenario involving Cheetos-deprived NASCAR fans in the southern suburbs -- but makes some pretty salient points in his blog.
Colin Campbell's Association for the Study of Peak Oil has a no-frills web page. He's the former chief geologist for Shell. Strikes me as strange that someone who climbed the corporate ladder that far would be willing to do anything besides paint lipstick on this particular pig.
Matt Simmons, a Houston investment banker, has been banging the drum about peak oil for more than a few years. If you want hard facts and figures on where we're going with oil, you've got to check out his page.
And, of course, there's my dad, a petroleum geologist who's been agitating for oil to hit about $200/barrel since 1973. Dad's got three reasons for wanting oil prices to go insane. In reverse order of importance, (a) he would make a lot of money because domestic exploration would be encouraged, (b) he wouldn't have to fight so much Houston traffic, and (c) there might be enough left for his grandchildren to get two miles down the road by the time they're driving.
On a slightly weirder note:
Saying 'I'm hungry,' man rips head off St. Paul hotel's duck
Denver man, 26, arrested after domesticated bird is cornered and killed early Saturday
BY DAVE ORRICK Pioneer Press
Article Last Updated: 09/22/2007 11:45:40 PM CDT
He ripped the head off a live duck inside a hotel lobby.
That's the accusation St. Paul police made early Saturday against a 26-year-old Denver man staying at the Embassy Suites Hotel in downtown St. Paul.
The hotel's spacious lobby atrium features an ornamental pond that at one point contained eight domesticated ducks.
Shortly before 2:35 a.m., Scott D. Clark, who had told hotel employees he was in town on business, chased a duck across the area and cornered it, according to St. Paul police Sgt. John Wuorinen.
I'll admit to having similar fantasies about ripping the heads off a few of my ducks -- they do tend to be a bit obstreperous -- but I doubt I'd do it out of hunger. Duck meat, eh. And at an Embassy Suites? Maybe a slightly lower-end chain ...
And all I've got to show for it are the walls. Still need to trim and roof. And since my walls are actually 8'6" apart, and the roofing panels are only 8' long, I'm going to have to get another panel and tin snips. Ack.
Aggravation.
Bottom line is, looks like it'll be another week before the chicks can be sprung from their brooder in the bathroom. I'm not too charmed by it, either.
Busy week ahead. Have to wrap up one project on Monday and start doing the heavy lifting on another. Major pending issues with job opportunity. Have to finish a book chapter this week. Must put together a PowerPoint presentation, also known as one of my least favorite things to do. Ummmm .. a few other things.
Run, bike, swim.
On a slightly different front, couldn't help noticing oil hitting $80/bbl. So here's a trivia question: What do my father, a former Rolling Stone writer, the former chief geologist for Shell, and a bestselling investment banker/writer have in common?
Try peak oil.
Jim Kunstler, who used to write for Rolling Stone, can be pretty damn mean-spirited -- it's like he's looking forward to some sort of apocalyptic scenario involving Cheetos-deprived NASCAR fans in the southern suburbs -- but makes some pretty salient points in his blog.
Colin Campbell's Association for the Study of Peak Oil has a no-frills web page. He's the former chief geologist for Shell. Strikes me as strange that someone who climbed the corporate ladder that far would be willing to do anything besides paint lipstick on this particular pig.
Matt Simmons, a Houston investment banker, has been banging the drum about peak oil for more than a few years. If you want hard facts and figures on where we're going with oil, you've got to check out his page.
And, of course, there's my dad, a petroleum geologist who's been agitating for oil to hit about $200/barrel since 1973. Dad's got three reasons for wanting oil prices to go insane. In reverse order of importance, (a) he would make a lot of money because domestic exploration would be encouraged, (b) he wouldn't have to fight so much Houston traffic, and (c) there might be enough left for his grandchildren to get two miles down the road by the time they're driving.
On a slightly weirder note:
Saying 'I'm hungry,' man rips head off St. Paul hotel's duck
Denver man, 26, arrested after domesticated bird is cornered and killed early Saturday
BY DAVE ORRICK Pioneer Press
Article Last Updated: 09/22/2007 11:45:40 PM CDT
He ripped the head off a live duck inside a hotel lobby.
That's the accusation St. Paul police made early Saturday against a 26-year-old Denver man staying at the Embassy Suites Hotel in downtown St. Paul.
The hotel's spacious lobby atrium features an ornamental pond that at one point contained eight domesticated ducks.
Shortly before 2:35 a.m., Scott D. Clark, who had told hotel employees he was in town on business, chased a duck across the area and cornered it, according to St. Paul police Sgt. John Wuorinen.
I'll admit to having similar fantasies about ripping the heads off a few of my ducks -- they do tend to be a bit obstreperous -- but I doubt I'd do it out of hunger. Duck meat, eh. And at an Embassy Suites? Maybe a slightly lower-end chain ...
Friday, September 21, 2007
Holy Crap!
A quick break to relay something I'd never thought about, courtesy of John Zogby blogging for the Huffington Post:
...
And perhaps most significantly, a 2008 voter will have to be at least 46 years of age to have cast a ballot in a presidential election where a Bush or a Clinton wasn't an option.
...
I'll be 45 in 2008 (assuming I make it to the election). Not sure how I feel about this one, other than just vaguely nauseated to be so middle-aged.
And for those of you doing the math, it is correct.
1980, Reagan/Bush
1984, Reagan/Bush
1988, Bush/Quayle
1992, Clinton/Gore
1996, Clinton/Gore
2000, Bush/Cheney
2004, Bush/Cheney
Caramba.
...
And perhaps most significantly, a 2008 voter will have to be at least 46 years of age to have cast a ballot in a presidential election where a Bush or a Clinton wasn't an option.
...
I'll be 45 in 2008 (assuming I make it to the election). Not sure how I feel about this one, other than just vaguely nauseated to be so middle-aged.
And for those of you doing the math, it is correct.
1980, Reagan/Bush
1984, Reagan/Bush
1988, Bush/Quayle
1992, Clinton/Gore
1996, Clinton/Gore
2000, Bush/Cheney
2004, Bush/Cheney
Caramba.
Sigh.
So I didn't work until 1a again. Wrapped up work around 930p. Big improvement, right?
To make matters worse, I started at 7a today.
Sigh.
At least in another month, I'll really have something to see from my window.
Here's the link to the fall leaf report, and here's what things are looking like so far:
Thursday, September 20, 2007
The Whole Work-Life Balance Thing
It just sucks right now. Another night, another wrapping-up around 130a. This just cannot be good for me. I need to blow through this project and get things a little better organized. I've got kazillions of things that I need to get back to people about, a few dozen projects on the burner. In no particular order:
*** Finishing the damn chicken barn
*** Getting my butt whipped back into shape
*** Another job opportunity
*** Book chapter for speech
*** Book outline to publisher
And a few other odds and ends, for sure.
Wah. Poor me.
But I'm having a better day than this person:
Panel: Landis guilty of doping
By EDDIE PELLS,
AP National Writer
12 minutes ago
The verdict said "guilty."
Like so much else in the confusing, contentious Floyd Landis doping case, though, none of the answers are really that simple.
Landis lost his expensive and explosive case Thursday when two of three arbitrators upheld the results of a test that showed the 2006 Tour de France champion used synthetic testosterone to fuel his spectacular comeback victory.
The decision means Landis, who repeatedly has denied using performance-enhancing drugs, must forfeit his Tour title and is subject to a two-year ban, retroactive to Jan. 30, 2007.
Not that it changes his opinion of who the rightful winner was.
"I am innocent," he said, "and we proved I am innocent."
The majority of the panel disagreed.
According to documents obtained by The Associated Press, lead arbitrator Patrice Brunet and Richard McLaren voted to uphold the positive test with Christopher Campbell dissenting.
In its 84-page decision, the majority found the initial screening test to measure Landis' testosterone levels — the testosterone-to-epitestosterone test — was not done according to World Anti-Doping Agency rules.
But the more precise and expensive carbon-isotope ratio analysis (IRMS), performed after a positive T-E test is recorded, was accurate, the arbitrators said, meaning "an anti-doping rule violation is established."
What a circus. I'm thinking the Tour people should make the riders suit up as clowns and give them fish to smack each other. Maybe someone can figure out a way to charge $39.95 for pay-per-view rights to this WWF-like fiasco. Asshats.
Truly, this whole Tour mess is up there with "Kid Nation," as far as outrages du jour. I'm not as careful as I should be about what my kids watch, but at least I'm not pushing them into this (description from the NY Times):
The show takes 40 children, ages 8 to 15, and places them in a “ghost town” in New Mexico to see if they can build a working society without the help of adults.
But after the production ended in mid-May, the parent of a child in the production complained about her child being injured and about working conditions on the set.
...
New Mexico had passed a law limiting the number of hours each day that children could be used on a film project before production on “Kid Nation” was started.
But by the time the state began its first investigation into the show, the production had ended and state officials decided the issue was moot.
Most states have even tougher laws than New Mexico’s regarding children and labor. And the attention that has swirled around “Kid Nation” could render it too hot for any state to handle, one CBS executive said.
That executive, who asked not to be identified because he was not speaking for the network or the show, said it was conceivable CBS could look to some location outside the United States.
Asked if the show could be relocated to Mexico or elsewhere, Mr. Forman said, “Nothing is off the table.” But he insisted that he expected to be able to produce a second edition somewhere in the United States.
And how did the show do?
The premiere of the new CBS reality show placed first in two of Nielsen’s hard-to-measure demographics (children ages 2 to 11 and children ages 6 to 11), the network announced today, citing preliminary data.
Some grown-ups were tuning in, too. The show also placed first among adults ages 18 to 49, but it came in second to NBC in households and total viewers (9.07 million). Marc Berman, a columnist for MediaWeek, called it a “slow start” for the show, given all the talk surrounding the no-parents-permitted premise.
CBS said that “Kid Nation” won more viewers in the 11- to 22-year-old category than any other CBS show in the same time slot since the 2006 Grammy Awards, which aired in February, 2006.
I'm with this person:
Yes, it is an interesting concept. Exploit children by putting them in a dangerous and unsupervised situation so that the grownups can make money. What a country we have become.
As long as I'm in a dyspeptic (a fine word) mood, a selection from another late great, H.L. Mencken. Who shouldn't be confused with my late cat of the same name:
Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance.
Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage.
Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods.
It is even harder for the average ape to believe that he has descended from man.
Nature abhors a moron.Say what you will about the Ten Commandments, you must always come back to the pleasant fact that there are only ten of them.
When you're quoting Mencken, you know it's time to get a freakin' life.
*** Finishing the damn chicken barn
*** Getting my butt whipped back into shape
*** Another job opportunity
*** Book chapter for speech
*** Book outline to publisher
And a few other odds and ends, for sure.
Wah. Poor me.
But I'm having a better day than this person:
Panel: Landis guilty of doping
By EDDIE PELLS,
AP National Writer
12 minutes ago
The verdict said "guilty."
Like so much else in the confusing, contentious Floyd Landis doping case, though, none of the answers are really that simple.
Landis lost his expensive and explosive case Thursday when two of three arbitrators upheld the results of a test that showed the 2006 Tour de France champion used synthetic testosterone to fuel his spectacular comeback victory.
The decision means Landis, who repeatedly has denied using performance-enhancing drugs, must forfeit his Tour title and is subject to a two-year ban, retroactive to Jan. 30, 2007.
Not that it changes his opinion of who the rightful winner was.
"I am innocent," he said, "and we proved I am innocent."
The majority of the panel disagreed.
According to documents obtained by The Associated Press, lead arbitrator Patrice Brunet and Richard McLaren voted to uphold the positive test with Christopher Campbell dissenting.
In its 84-page decision, the majority found the initial screening test to measure Landis' testosterone levels — the testosterone-to-epitestosterone test — was not done according to World Anti-Doping Agency rules.
But the more precise and expensive carbon-isotope ratio analysis (IRMS), performed after a positive T-E test is recorded, was accurate, the arbitrators said, meaning "an anti-doping rule violation is established."
What a circus. I'm thinking the Tour people should make the riders suit up as clowns and give them fish to smack each other. Maybe someone can figure out a way to charge $39.95 for pay-per-view rights to this WWF-like fiasco. Asshats.
Truly, this whole Tour mess is up there with "Kid Nation," as far as outrages du jour. I'm not as careful as I should be about what my kids watch, but at least I'm not pushing them into this (description from the NY Times):
The show takes 40 children, ages 8 to 15, and places them in a “ghost town” in New Mexico to see if they can build a working society without the help of adults.
But after the production ended in mid-May, the parent of a child in the production complained about her child being injured and about working conditions on the set.
...
New Mexico had passed a law limiting the number of hours each day that children could be used on a film project before production on “Kid Nation” was started.
But by the time the state began its first investigation into the show, the production had ended and state officials decided the issue was moot.
Most states have even tougher laws than New Mexico’s regarding children and labor. And the attention that has swirled around “Kid Nation” could render it too hot for any state to handle, one CBS executive said.
That executive, who asked not to be identified because he was not speaking for the network or the show, said it was conceivable CBS could look to some location outside the United States.
Asked if the show could be relocated to Mexico or elsewhere, Mr. Forman said, “Nothing is off the table.” But he insisted that he expected to be able to produce a second edition somewhere in the United States.
And how did the show do?
The premiere of the new CBS reality show placed first in two of Nielsen’s hard-to-measure demographics (children ages 2 to 11 and children ages 6 to 11), the network announced today, citing preliminary data.
Some grown-ups were tuning in, too. The show also placed first among adults ages 18 to 49, but it came in second to NBC in households and total viewers (9.07 million). Marc Berman, a columnist for MediaWeek, called it a “slow start” for the show, given all the talk surrounding the no-parents-permitted premise.
CBS said that “Kid Nation” won more viewers in the 11- to 22-year-old category than any other CBS show in the same time slot since the 2006 Grammy Awards, which aired in February, 2006.
I'm with this person:
Yes, it is an interesting concept. Exploit children by putting them in a dangerous and unsupervised situation so that the grownups can make money. What a country we have become.
As long as I'm in a dyspeptic (a fine word) mood, a selection from another late great, H.L. Mencken. Who shouldn't be confused with my late cat of the same name:
Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance.
Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage.
Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods.
It is even harder for the average ape to believe that he has descended from man.
Nature abhors a moron.Say what you will about the Ten Commandments, you must always come back to the pleasant fact that there are only ten of them.
When you're quoting Mencken, you know it's time to get a freakin' life.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Check Out the Big Brain on Al!
No wonder my son loves Einstein. Smart and wise. A few of his best quotes:
A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.
As far as I'm concerned, I prefer silent vice to ostentatious virtue.
Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted.
God may be subtle, but he isn't plain mean.
I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.
Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions.
It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.
It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education.
It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer.
My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind.
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.
The important thing is not to stop questioning.
The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.
Back on the day job treadmill. Not much else to report.
A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.
As far as I'm concerned, I prefer silent vice to ostentatious virtue.
Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted.
God may be subtle, but he isn't plain mean.
I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.
Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions.
It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.
It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education.
It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer.
My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind.
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.
The important thing is not to stop questioning.
The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.
Back on the day job treadmill. Not much else to report.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Plugging Away
Been a busy couple of days.
Coming closer to having the new chicken barn finished. Trenches have been dug around the yard, chicken run panels (6 x 6 frames with chicken wire) finished, support beams for the rafters nailed down, and wire skirting down to a foot around the exposed parts of the barn. Stained T-111 plywood panels for the walls and framed a couple of windows.
The stepdaughter has left the house, again. Sigh. Almost 21 and no clue about civilized behavior. Locked her younger brother in the rabbit shed for a couple of hours. Sibling shit. I could deal. But the smirking, deciding she didn't want to help with the barn, and refusing to apologize was a bit much. Lisa told her, my way or the highway. So she took the highway. We'll see if and when she decides to apologize, but my suspicion is that she'll hang out with friends until they get tired of the act.
Ran out to Brattleboro this morning and picked up some hardware miscellany and chicken feed, then out to the CSA for veggies. Spent the afternoon hammering and sawing. I'm thinking (and hoping) I'll be done with it by the weekend.
Coming closer to having the new chicken barn finished. Trenches have been dug around the yard, chicken run panels (6 x 6 frames with chicken wire) finished, support beams for the rafters nailed down, and wire skirting down to a foot around the exposed parts of the barn. Stained T-111 plywood panels for the walls and framed a couple of windows.
The stepdaughter has left the house, again. Sigh. Almost 21 and no clue about civilized behavior. Locked her younger brother in the rabbit shed for a couple of hours. Sibling shit. I could deal. But the smirking, deciding she didn't want to help with the barn, and refusing to apologize was a bit much. Lisa told her, my way or the highway. So she took the highway. We'll see if and when she decides to apologize, but my suspicion is that she'll hang out with friends until they get tired of the act.
Ran out to Brattleboro this morning and picked up some hardware miscellany and chicken feed, then out to the CSA for veggies. Spent the afternoon hammering and sawing. I'm thinking (and hoping) I'll be done with it by the weekend.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Now, I'm Sacrificing.
So I'd entered to run the Bar Harbor marathon, but I think I'm going to give my entry to charity. You've got to respect the distance, and I just don't feel like I've put in the miles. I could theoretically finish, maybe even do respectably. But dammit, I want to do better.
I've also got a work-related conflict that would put me in Vermont one day, New York the next, and then Bar Harbor. Not exactly a good idea to run a marathon after driving overnight (and that's what I'd have to do) from New York to get to the starting line in time.
I could rationalize that. But dammit! there's now a meeting not too far from the house that weekend (http://www.postoilsolutions.org/) that I really wanted to make on using cold frames to extend the growing season, and I have to be in New York. And since I've been able to haul a couple of old windows from driveways, I was really looking forward to it.
Sigh.
On the plus side, an embarassment of farmer's market riches -- Brattleboro will be open through the winter!
http://www.postoilsolutions.org/2007wfm
Speaking of food, this I like:
¶
Sneaky Mac
¶
2 cups cauliflower
2 medium zucchini
1 tsp lemon juice
4 tbsp water
1 cup grated Swiss cheese
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 pound finely chopped Andouille sausage
2 boxes macaroni and cheese
1 tbsp white pepper
¶
Steam the cauliflower. Mix raw peeled zucchini with the lemon juice. Add the cooked cauliflower and mix with zucchini, adding water as needed until mixture is pureed. Do not allow children in the kitchen.
¶
Use two boxes of standard, macaroni and cheese noodles. Boil, drain and rinse noodles. Finely chop, then sautee Andouille sausage while noodles are boiling. Grate 1 cup Swiss cheese and 1/2 cup cheddar. Make children leave kitchen if necessary. Throw away the cheese packets that came with the macaroni and cheese, taking care to ensure they are at the very bottom of the trash and will not be discovered. You can also hide them in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator, where they are not likely to be discovered.
¶
Mix macaroni noodles, cheese, pepper, skim milk and sausage in pot over low heat until cheese is melted. Check again to make sure children have left the kitchen. Add cauliflower and zucchini puree. Stir very thoroughly. Clean bowls and/or blender, and hide copy of Missy Chase Lapine's "The Sneaky Chef."
¶
Leave macaroni and cheese boxes on kitchen island for suspicious children. Serves four.
***
Where was I?
Oh, yeah. Spent yesterday cleaning like a banshee. We got the first floor pretty well mucked out, which was no small accomplishment. Ran out in the afternoon and bought a dozen sheets of 4 x 8 plywood for the barn walls, and a dozen 1 x 3s for the barn rafters, plus more chicken food. Rolled the plywood out to the car, which raised an interesting dilemma:
How do you put a dozen 4 x 8 plywood sheets into a Subaru?
You don't. I took the kayak rack off the top and used the Thule straps to tie down the plywood. This being Vermont, I had a good dozen helpers and assorted onlookers, including one of the hardware store clerks who must've spent 30 minutes lashing the plywood down. We spent a good 15 minutes discussing route possibilities and the likelihood of the plywood peeling off and decapitating someone. Yeesh. I could've driven 80mph into a wind tunnel, and I don't think it would've moved an inch. Anyway, got home, unloaded, did some more cleaning and threw some hay into the chicken run since it's been wet and was getting disgusting.
Got up early this morning and hauled all the trash to the dumpster, went to the hardware store and got some stain (Penofin -- it's wonderful stuff, as long as you're not interested in having any more children) for the coop panels. Came back and couldn't find my work gloves. So I puttered out to the store to get work gloves and some new jeans for Will; he was very appreciative, as always. I swung by the hardware store again and grabbed a half-dozen roof panels, plus some more 1 x 2s for the chicken run.
I didn't get home until 5p, which meant I could only spend a couple of hours working on the new barn. I got the area around the building trenched with a pickax, then cut wire and staple-gunned it to the two short sides. If I lose a chicken, it'll be one determined weasel that digs through a foot of rock and wire to get its meal.
Will be taking the next two days off from the day job to get most of the barn done. I'm hoping we can spend tomorrow staining, trenching the chicken run and assembling the chicken run panels (it'll be a 12 x 16 space with chicken wire stapled to 1 x 2 frames, and a foot of chicken wire running into the ground). I'll spend a chunk of Tuesday, hopefully, putting the walls up. It's going to be kind of tricky, since I've got to cut for two doors and two windows. If I get well and truly lucky, I might even be able to put up rafters and the roof by Tuesday, but that's really pushing it.
Bottom line, I'm hoping to have the chickens in their new home by next weekend. But there's a lot to do between now and then. Hoping for a few stray moments to run. And bike. And swim.
I've also got a work-related conflict that would put me in Vermont one day, New York the next, and then Bar Harbor. Not exactly a good idea to run a marathon after driving overnight (and that's what I'd have to do) from New York to get to the starting line in time.
I could rationalize that. But dammit! there's now a meeting not too far from the house that weekend (http://www.postoilsolutions.org/) that I really wanted to make on using cold frames to extend the growing season, and I have to be in New York. And since I've been able to haul a couple of old windows from driveways, I was really looking forward to it.
Sigh.
On the plus side, an embarassment of farmer's market riches -- Brattleboro will be open through the winter!
http://www.postoilsolutions.org/2007wfm
Speaking of food, this I like:
¶
Sneaky Mac
¶
2 cups cauliflower
2 medium zucchini
1 tsp lemon juice
4 tbsp water
1 cup grated Swiss cheese
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 pound finely chopped Andouille sausage
2 boxes macaroni and cheese
1 tbsp white pepper
¶
Steam the cauliflower. Mix raw peeled zucchini with the lemon juice. Add the cooked cauliflower and mix with zucchini, adding water as needed until mixture is pureed. Do not allow children in the kitchen.
¶
Use two boxes of standard, macaroni and cheese noodles. Boil, drain and rinse noodles. Finely chop, then sautee Andouille sausage while noodles are boiling. Grate 1 cup Swiss cheese and 1/2 cup cheddar. Make children leave kitchen if necessary. Throw away the cheese packets that came with the macaroni and cheese, taking care to ensure they are at the very bottom of the trash and will not be discovered. You can also hide them in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator, where they are not likely to be discovered.
¶
Mix macaroni noodles, cheese, pepper, skim milk and sausage in pot over low heat until cheese is melted. Check again to make sure children have left the kitchen. Add cauliflower and zucchini puree. Stir very thoroughly. Clean bowls and/or blender, and hide copy of Missy Chase Lapine's "The Sneaky Chef."
¶
Leave macaroni and cheese boxes on kitchen island for suspicious children. Serves four.
***
Where was I?
Oh, yeah. Spent yesterday cleaning like a banshee. We got the first floor pretty well mucked out, which was no small accomplishment. Ran out in the afternoon and bought a dozen sheets of 4 x 8 plywood for the barn walls, and a dozen 1 x 3s for the barn rafters, plus more chicken food. Rolled the plywood out to the car, which raised an interesting dilemma:
How do you put a dozen 4 x 8 plywood sheets into a Subaru?
You don't. I took the kayak rack off the top and used the Thule straps to tie down the plywood. This being Vermont, I had a good dozen helpers and assorted onlookers, including one of the hardware store clerks who must've spent 30 minutes lashing the plywood down. We spent a good 15 minutes discussing route possibilities and the likelihood of the plywood peeling off and decapitating someone. Yeesh. I could've driven 80mph into a wind tunnel, and I don't think it would've moved an inch. Anyway, got home, unloaded, did some more cleaning and threw some hay into the chicken run since it's been wet and was getting disgusting.
Got up early this morning and hauled all the trash to the dumpster, went to the hardware store and got some stain (Penofin -- it's wonderful stuff, as long as you're not interested in having any more children) for the coop panels. Came back and couldn't find my work gloves. So I puttered out to the store to get work gloves and some new jeans for Will; he was very appreciative, as always. I swung by the hardware store again and grabbed a half-dozen roof panels, plus some more 1 x 2s for the chicken run.
I didn't get home until 5p, which meant I could only spend a couple of hours working on the new barn. I got the area around the building trenched with a pickax, then cut wire and staple-gunned it to the two short sides. If I lose a chicken, it'll be one determined weasel that digs through a foot of rock and wire to get its meal.
Will be taking the next two days off from the day job to get most of the barn done. I'm hoping we can spend tomorrow staining, trenching the chicken run and assembling the chicken run panels (it'll be a 12 x 16 space with chicken wire stapled to 1 x 2 frames, and a foot of chicken wire running into the ground). I'll spend a chunk of Tuesday, hopefully, putting the walls up. It's going to be kind of tricky, since I've got to cut for two doors and two windows. If I get well and truly lucky, I might even be able to put up rafters and the roof by Tuesday, but that's really pushing it.
Bottom line, I'm hoping to have the chickens in their new home by next weekend. But there's a lot to do between now and then. Hoping for a few stray moments to run. And bike. And swim.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Green Eggs and Ham?
Finally, a day that doesn't involve working until 1a.
Got out to the doctor's office this afternoon; the swollen lymph gland is no big deal, and is more likely stress and a minor infection. I can get back on the road, no problem.
(Unless it's swollen for more than three months).
Going to try working on the barn tomorrow. Will stain rafters and walls, hopefully put them up on Sunday, and finish off a roof on Monday. If I can get that done, I'll be in good shape to build out the chicken run on Tuesday. Pictures when done.
And great excitement! A new farmers' market is coming to our valley! It'll only be (I'm guessing) opening on Columbus Day, which means it'll be a two-week season, but next year should go from May through October:
http://www.dvalnews.com/news.php?news/news2.html
I don't think I'll have green eggs by then -- or any time this year -- but it'll beat the drive into Brattleboro (and the expensive rates).
Of course, that assumes I have chickens by then. They've figured out the formula. Man + Sun Starting To Set = Corn. They're crowding by the chicken run door like some sort of horrible concert gone bad, so I've got to walk around to the other side of the run, throw corn over the top, then run back to grab their water and feed while they're still fighting over a handful of corn. Savage little beasts. I'm tempted to fry a few as an example.
Got out to the doctor's office this afternoon; the swollen lymph gland is no big deal, and is more likely stress and a minor infection. I can get back on the road, no problem.
(Unless it's swollen for more than three months).
Going to try working on the barn tomorrow. Will stain rafters and walls, hopefully put them up on Sunday, and finish off a roof on Monday. If I can get that done, I'll be in good shape to build out the chicken run on Tuesday. Pictures when done.
And great excitement! A new farmers' market is coming to our valley! It'll only be (I'm guessing) opening on Columbus Day, which means it'll be a two-week season, but next year should go from May through October:
http://www.dvalnews.com/news.php?news/news2.html
I don't think I'll have green eggs by then -- or any time this year -- but it'll beat the drive into Brattleboro (and the expensive rates).
Of course, that assumes I have chickens by then. They've figured out the formula. Man + Sun Starting To Set = Corn. They're crowding by the chicken run door like some sort of horrible concert gone bad, so I've got to walk around to the other side of the run, throw corn over the top, then run back to grab their water and feed while they're still fighting over a handful of corn. Savage little beasts. I'm tempted to fry a few as an example.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Another One of Those Days
At least I get to see the doctor tomorrow about this lump.
Worked like a banshee all day. I'm concerned my life is turning into a metaphor: The day job project started out great, and now I'm bogged down taking huge casualties (well, maybe Advil) with no exit strategy in sight.
Sigh. Maybe I'll ride the bike to the doctor's office.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
I Usually Don't Read This Magazine, But ...
This is just about one of the worst corporate trends I've seen in a long time.
Wilmington, Del.
If you're a loyal employee like me, you occasionally check your company's Vision Statement to make sure all the T's in "empowerment" have been crossed, and the I's in "mission" have been dotted. But if you come across buzzwords like "excellence" and "leadership," you should know that your corporate culture is sadly behind the curve--those terms are as '90s as Reebok Pumps, Zima, and Total Quality Management. There's a new core value on the loose, and it goes by the name of "Fun."
Here's the link to the full article:
http://weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/014/081tidkp.asp
and here's an antidote:
In the interests of full disclosure, the above poster comes from a hilarious web site. I was scolded mildly by a since-departed, fellow middle-manager a few years ago when I worked in New York for not providing a "sufficiently motivating atmosphere," whatever that means. So I bought about a half-dozen posters from the above folks, put them in our little slice of cubicle heaven, and was commended for my attention to employee motivation.
In other news, I still have a nasty swollen lymph gland. Very much the Ted Kennedy look. Last time I had a badly swollen gland, it was in an extremely uncomfortable place, and I was having very bad dreams about a Lance Armstrong-type scenario ... except, of course, without multiple Tour victories. Turned out to be a minor, stress-related infection. But still. I'm getting it checked out Friday.
And Will is sick. Stayed home from school today and has been asleep all day. Worrisome. He likes school. And so does John, these days. He came up to my loft office last night and wanted to know what I could teach him about Spanish numbers. Caramba!
Going great guns on another day job project. The problem with it is, it's very complex, so I can't just blow the proverbial whistle and stop at 6p. Last night/this morning, I plugged away until I got to a stopping point ... which was at 2a. Sigh.
What else, what else? Oil, $80/barrel. Dad's in the geology business in Texas, and this is what he's been saying for a long time: It's gonna get ugly, people. No one paid attention until Matt Simmons -- who's a complete effin' genius -- came out with his book on dwindling supply, but I think we'll see a lot more attention paid to peak oil. And not just because I went through the Lehman's summer catalog and found, oh, about $18,000 worth of stuff that I really, really, really need. People just do not freaking realize what happens when oil gets tight. The gas lines are the least of it, people.
Going to try taking Monday and Tuesday off to get the chicken barn finished.
Gotta get back to work.
Wilmington, Del.
If you're a loyal employee like me, you occasionally check your company's Vision Statement to make sure all the T's in "empowerment" have been crossed, and the I's in "mission" have been dotted. But if you come across buzzwords like "excellence" and "leadership," you should know that your corporate culture is sadly behind the curve--those terms are as '90s as Reebok Pumps, Zima, and Total Quality Management. There's a new core value on the loose, and it goes by the name of "Fun."
Here's the link to the full article:
http://weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/014/081tidkp.asp
and here's an antidote:
In the interests of full disclosure, the above poster comes from a hilarious web site. I was scolded mildly by a since-departed, fellow middle-manager a few years ago when I worked in New York for not providing a "sufficiently motivating atmosphere," whatever that means. So I bought about a half-dozen posters from the above folks, put them in our little slice of cubicle heaven, and was commended for my attention to employee motivation.
In other news, I still have a nasty swollen lymph gland. Very much the Ted Kennedy look. Last time I had a badly swollen gland, it was in an extremely uncomfortable place, and I was having very bad dreams about a Lance Armstrong-type scenario ... except, of course, without multiple Tour victories. Turned out to be a minor, stress-related infection. But still. I'm getting it checked out Friday.And Will is sick. Stayed home from school today and has been asleep all day. Worrisome. He likes school. And so does John, these days. He came up to my loft office last night and wanted to know what I could teach him about Spanish numbers. Caramba!
Going great guns on another day job project. The problem with it is, it's very complex, so I can't just blow the proverbial whistle and stop at 6p. Last night/this morning, I plugged away until I got to a stopping point ... which was at 2a. Sigh.
What else, what else? Oil, $80/barrel. Dad's in the geology business in Texas, and this is what he's been saying for a long time: It's gonna get ugly, people. No one paid attention until Matt Simmons -- who's a complete effin' genius -- came out with his book on dwindling supply, but I think we'll see a lot more attention paid to peak oil. And not just because I went through the Lehman's summer catalog and found, oh, about $18,000 worth of stuff that I really, really, really need. People just do not freaking realize what happens when oil gets tight. The gas lines are the least of it, people.
Going to try taking Monday and Tuesday off to get the chicken barn finished.
Gotta get back to work.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
WTF
Felt fine this morning, except I seem to have developed a swollen lymph gland about the size of a walnut. Looks weird. I mean really, really weird. Doesn't hurt (except when I try to talk) and I'm not congested or anything. Going to keep an eye on it and hustle down to the doctor's office if it doesn't clear up asap. Meantime, I'm swilling Emergen-C and resting. No workouts today.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Days Are Getting Shorter
Again.
Almost dark by 730p. Good thing I work out in the morning.
Did a four-mile run Thursday, another 5-K on Friday. Taking today off to rest and relax, mostly in the kitchen. Scooped up some purple Andean potatoes last night and thought about what to do with them for most of today. Finally settled for olive oil-and-sea salt purple potato chips. Threw together a quick four loaves of bread, did some laundry.
Chatted with the kids' school on Friday. John really wants to do better, and it's being noticed. His guidance counselor is bringing him chocolate chip cookies every week, and he's been OK'ed to take Western Civilization (usually a junior- or senior-level course) next semester. Not bad for a sophomore. And Will's been approved to take ninth-grade algebra -- as an eighth-grader! None too shabby.
Chickens are getting as big as eagles. We've been feeding them a fair amount of weeds, green apples and compost-y things like watermelon rinds. Bunnies are getting big, too. Been thinking about getting a rainwater cistern at some point, but that's probably going to have to wait quite a while (as will everything I'd like to order from the Lehman's catalog).
Will try increasing my workouts a bit, get some major work done on a day job project, and do a bit of cleaning this week. Supposed to rain all week. Hoping it'll dry up enough for me to finish up the barn next weekend.
Almost dark by 730p. Good thing I work out in the morning.
Did a four-mile run Thursday, another 5-K on Friday. Taking today off to rest and relax, mostly in the kitchen. Scooped up some purple Andean potatoes last night and thought about what to do with them for most of today. Finally settled for olive oil-and-sea salt purple potato chips. Threw together a quick four loaves of bread, did some laundry.
Chatted with the kids' school on Friday. John really wants to do better, and it's being noticed. His guidance counselor is bringing him chocolate chip cookies every week, and he's been OK'ed to take Western Civilization (usually a junior- or senior-level course) next semester. Not bad for a sophomore. And Will's been approved to take ninth-grade algebra -- as an eighth-grader! None too shabby.
Chickens are getting as big as eagles. We've been feeding them a fair amount of weeds, green apples and compost-y things like watermelon rinds. Bunnies are getting big, too. Been thinking about getting a rainwater cistern at some point, but that's probably going to have to wait quite a while (as will everything I'd like to order from the Lehman's catalog).
Will try increasing my workouts a bit, get some major work done on a day job project, and do a bit of cleaning this week. Supposed to rain all week. Hoping it'll dry up enough for me to finish up the barn next weekend.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
School Again
Yesterday was a bit of a scramble.
I woke up early and got going on a few miscellaneous projects. Plugged away throughout the day and broke around 330p to get to the CSA in time for the weekly pickup. Nice day; spent far too much time in the fields picking out spoilage for the chickens. Got four bags of split grape tomatoes, tomatillos and ground cherries. Drove over to Greenfield and did a big grocery haul, making it home just in time to feed kids and get them into bed before school.
The boys were up at 5a; clearly, no one is excited about school this year. They got me up around 615a, and I drove them to the firehouse to catch the bus, then went down to one of my usual running spots. Did 3.1 miles, but really started hurting the last tenth. Made it to the car and about two miles down the road before I had to jump out and find a good place -- hell, any place -- to be sick.
They say everyone will have at least one run completely ruined by stomach problems. I'm hoping today was my one run.
Anyway, was home by 730a and slept it off, then worked on the day job. Fed the chickens some wild apples that Lisa had scrounged and stuck to bland stuff (oatmeal, wheat bread, Power Bar) for myself. Boys came home from school at 315p, both looked pretty pleased. Hope it'll be a good year for both.
I'll be working until the wee hours tonight, I suspect.
I woke up early and got going on a few miscellaneous projects. Plugged away throughout the day and broke around 330p to get to the CSA in time for the weekly pickup. Nice day; spent far too much time in the fields picking out spoilage for the chickens. Got four bags of split grape tomatoes, tomatillos and ground cherries. Drove over to Greenfield and did a big grocery haul, making it home just in time to feed kids and get them into bed before school.
The boys were up at 5a; clearly, no one is excited about school this year. They got me up around 615a, and I drove them to the firehouse to catch the bus, then went down to one of my usual running spots. Did 3.1 miles, but really started hurting the last tenth. Made it to the car and about two miles down the road before I had to jump out and find a good place -- hell, any place -- to be sick.
They say everyone will have at least one run completely ruined by stomach problems. I'm hoping today was my one run.
Anyway, was home by 730a and slept it off, then worked on the day job. Fed the chickens some wild apples that Lisa had scrounged and stuck to bland stuff (oatmeal, wheat bread, Power Bar) for myself. Boys came home from school at 315p, both looked pretty pleased. Hope it'll be a good year for both.
I'll be working until the wee hours tonight, I suspect.
Monday, September 3, 2007
On the Trail Again
I'm back again, like a bad penny.
John and I had enough of civilization by Tuesday afternoon and had Lisa drop us off, back where we left off on the Long Trail. Things went considerably better this time.
First afternoon, we made it up Stratton Mountain and down a few feet before running out of daylight. You can't camp on the summit (though it would've been sweet), so we set up the tent about 200 feet below. I listened to airplanes go over for an hour or so before realizing I was listening to ... nothing.
Nice.
The next day was a bit of a haul. We made it down Stratton Mountain just fine, tooled along past Stratton Pond (biggest body of water on the Long Trail) and sat down for a rest. An older man came puttering along, and we got to chatting. He was old, had bad knees and was section-hiking, so we had that much in common.
"My 65th birthday was a dreary affair," he said. "So, my sons bet me $5,000 that I couldn't hike the Appalachian Trail. I'd get five years -- 182 days -- to do it all."
I tried to be encouraging.
"You're only about 500 miles from Katahdin."
"Oh, no," he smiled. "I've done it in bits and pieces. I've just got to hike to New York, and I'm done."
Wish I'd gotten his name, because I want to be him when I grow up.
We scooted ahead to the Spruce Peak shelter and had lunch. I sent John out for water; he came back and reported that the piped spring was "thinner than moose piss." I filtered heavily, just in case. While we were sitting around eating, a couple of southbound AT'ers came through with ... a ferret. Had a little nylon playpen, water bottle, the whole nine yards. We said, um, let's go.
John was pretty revved to be back on the trail, so I let him go ahead most of the afternoon. Told him around 3p just to wait for me at the main road and he scooted off. I walked for an hour or so and started seeing more southbounders -- none of whom had seen him. Uh-oh. Picked up the pace and made it to the main road in short order. No John.
Shit.
I figured he'd gone down a side road to Manchester that we'd passed, so I dropped my pack in the parking lot and double-timed it to the other road. Again, no John.
Double shit.
Hustled back to the parking lot, picked up my pack and ran up the mountain to the Bromley shelter, where we'd decided to spend the night. There were about a dozen Harvard kids for orientation ... and John. He'd gone down the side road, figured out his mistake, and double-timed to the shelter, figuring I'd get there sooner or later.
Whew.
The kids were noisy until about 1030p, and a couple of park rangers showed up. Turned out John had been a bit hot and crabby when he got to the shelter (and worried about me), so the orientation leader had called her supervisor to report in, and told him that there was an overheated 15-year-old at the shelter ... the supervisor called the park ranger ... who sent two people up to check. They looked at John -- who was tired and trying to go to sleep -- rolled their eyes and left. Then, the kids disappeared, and we had something resembling a good night's sleep.
We'd done almost 20 miles on Wednesday, so we slept a bit late. Got moving around 1030a, and it felt hot. We dragged our butts up to the Bromley summit, about a half-mile, and took an hour break. Came across a northbound AT'er, who told us the Harvard kids had gotten to the summit around 1130p ... and partied until 2a. He wasn't very pleased.
Puttered down the mountain to Mad Tom Notch and had a nice, long lunch. There's a great water well there, and we hated to see it go to any kind of waste at all, so we sat around until 2p or so before scrambling up Styles Peak. It wasn't supposed to be that tough ... but for some reason, we really struggled. Then it was on to Baker Peak, which was supposed to be very tough -- a 150-yard scramble up a rocky ledge. For some reason, we didn't struggle that much.
We got to the top and enjoyed the view, but it was starting to thunder and rain a bit. John grumbled.
"As much as I've been outdoors," he said, "you'd think I'd be looking more like Flava Flav."
(I may have misspelled that name.)
So we clambered down and headed for Lost Pond shelter, which had burned down in November. Moved along in the dark to Big Branch shelter and fell asleep next to a beautiful roaring brook. Woke up around midnight to find that we hadn't hung all our food, and a mouse was finishing up the last of the cashews. I hung John's pack, and went back to sleep. Heard more mouse-like sounds. Bastard found one of my Power Bars in a pants pocket. I hung my pack, and finally got back to sleep around 2a.
Enjoyed the view from the suspension bridge over the brook the next morning, then headed off into the woods. It was one of those tough days where you feel like you're fighting the entire time-space continuum just to get a mile or two, but we walked through some beautiful fir forests. Made it the Hinchey shelter just as the lights went totally out and found (wonder of wonders!) we had a shelter to ourselves. John was starving, so I put together a big fire with every intention of eating Uncle Ben's Ready Rice for dinner, when three northbound AT'ers showed up. One was the guy we'd met at Bromley summit, and the other two were a brother and sister from South Carolina we'd run into a few times. They'd had to hustle to make it to a post office before it closed, so we figured they'd be behind us. But they'd gone into town and picked up their winter gear for the final run into Katahdin.
"You made it into town, and brought us pizza! You guys are the best!" I said.
And so they had, and so they were. They had carried pizza about five miles. And shared it. Talk about trail magic.
We chatted and enjoyed the fire ("cowboy TV") for an hour before getting to sleep. Woke up the next morning feeling pretty good and headed out over some beautiful country, including the Airport Overlook above Clarendon before getting to the gorge. It was a bit early, but we figured the Clarendon Gorge just looked like a damn fine place for a leisurely ramen lunch. We enjoyed the view and laughed at some of the tourists (think people who carry poodles in sweaters out to the Long Trail) before heading over the gorge bridge and up the road.
The scenery changed quite a bit that afternoon. Lots of apple trees and a few pastures. Looked something like this:
After a few days of Power Bars and raisins, I was ready for some wild apples. We plugged along, hoping to make Killington before night. Had to stop at one stream about midway between Clarendon and Clement shelters -- some incredibly thoughtful soul had put Dr Pepper and Mountain Dew cans in the stream. Even had a trash bag for the empties.
Talk about more trail magic. I was beginning to worry that we were using all ours up in a hurry.
We made it to the Clement shelter around 530p. It's a nice enough shelter -- stone, with a fireplace, in a clearing, but it's also off a dirt road. Given that it was a Saturday night on a holiday weekend, we decided we'd best push up the road three hours to the Cooper Lodge shelter on Killington. We double-timed it up an extremely eroding ridge, over the top of Little Killington, and made the shelter around 830p with no problems. Cold as hell. I'm guessing the wind chill was about 35. The stars made up for it, though.
Made it up at a reasonable hour the next morning and clambered to the top of Killington. John looked down at Rutland. "Rows and rows of people-boxes," he said. Scooted back down and picked up our packs. Headed down some really gentle grades, through a beautiful birch forest. Stopped for lunch and watched a hawk hunt for an hour or so. Had some good talks, and made it to the Inn at Long Trail in Killington around 2p. If you've never stayed there, you should. If you've never eaten there, you should. Hell, I think everyone should give them money just for existing. They'd held one of my boxes for nearly a month, so we were able to pig out and decided what to do next.
After an hour or so, we decided we were done for the week, but not with the trail. We'll pick it back up, hopefully sooner rather than later. For a 15-year-old, John can still come up with some pretty good observations.
"It's not the destination, it's the journey," I said.
"And the ramen," he agreed.
The hike got me into slightly better shape. I dropped three pounds, so I'm down to 149, and my body fat just plunged down to 14.5 percent. I've got to get the boys ready for school, which starts Wednesday. And finish the chicken barn. And do some cleaning. And get back into the day job groove. And get myself back on the road. And the bike. And the pool.
Which is, after all, why we're all here.
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