Chicken Wire, a Shovel and a Hoe

How I Spent my Christmas Vacation: Music

2012-01-01T09:47:00.000-08:00

The Southgate House, a local music venue, closed for the last time on New Year's Eve. The historic building housed a large two-level ballroom for regional/national acts, a mid-sized Parlor complete with a full bar, and a small barroom for duos and small bands. The venue offered free live music every night in the barroom, and provided a large venue for artists who prefer not to sign their lives over to TicketMaster or Live Nation.

The ballroom has hosted NOFX, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, The Queers, They Might Be Giants, The Black Keys and many other popular indie bands. The venue is closing due to a dispute among the family that owns the historic building that houses the venue. I take comfort in this over alternative reasons for the business to end, such as a lack of support from the community.

The family plans on opening the venue in another location soon. Although no confirmed announcements have been made, the rumors abound. There is talk that the new venue will remain in Newport and open in another historic building as early as February of 2012. I am hopeful that this gaping hole in the local music scene will be filled so quickly.

I've seen too many acts there to list. Not only will my memory fail me, but typing the list would exhaust my fingers. I will focus on the highlights. My favorite shows there were put on by DeVotchka, The Seedy Seeds, The Heartless Bastards, Mates of States, Jupiter One, the now defunct Young Republic, She Wants Revenge and Bad Veins. The DeVotchka show I count among my favorite shows of all time. I was transported to a musical bliss state for which I have no words to adequately describe it.

The Seedy Seeds gave me my last great show at the venue. The show was packed. We managed to get in front of the stage. They played a couple of originals about The Southgate House, one was an ode to their signature shot the Tommy Gun, Jameson with a pickle juice chaser. The mood at the show was that of a joyful celebration of all the great memories housed in that building. They wrapped up the show with a cover of "I'm Sailing Away". They invited the audience on stage to contribute to the song. The stage was overwhelmed with lusty singers, their faces bright and shining with joy. It was a beautiful last moment in a place that had so many beautiful moments over the years.

Thanks to The Seedy Seeds. Thanks to the people who worked hard to make The Southgate House what it was. Thank you for your commitment to music. I look forward to your next work.

How I Spent my Christmas Vacation: The Travels

2011-12-29T08:47:00.001-08:00

Of my Christmas vacation goals I have been most successful at reading books. But that’s not to say that I won’t accomplish all that I have set out to do. I have already done lots of cooking, as planned. I have also played my guitar enough to have new callouses. I am pretty sure that I will have Carol of the Bells knocked out by the time I start back to work.

Thus far I have read, Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut, The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How The War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals by Jane Mayer and 11/22/63 by Stephen King. I just started Thinking Fast and SlowDaniel Kahneman. I have to admit that as compared to the others, I practically flew through 11/22/63; I was driven to late night reading due to King’s writing style and the suspense of the story.

Slaughterhouse 5 and The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals were a little more tricky to get through. Both are about mentally and emotionally fatiguing aspects of war. So the very subject matter makes them a little more difficult to read for hours on end. Plus, Mayer’s book is packed with quotes and winds through the bureaucratic labyrinth that is Washington DC.

Both books foisted difficult thoughts about war on my mind. They both hold in the light that which we would rather ignore: human cruelty. I found Mayer’s book slightly more challenging in this regard due to my being of voting age when our country engaged in the actions described. Most of Mayer’s book is about the legal wrangling that took place to enable the CIA and military to torture suspected terrorists. While she describes what some of what the detainees claimed to have suffered, the language of torture is often spoken through clinical, antiseptic legal jargon. There’s something so chilling about this.

I like all of these books for different reasons. It’s time to start on Thinking Fast and Slow.

So Many Girls with Guitars

2011-09-22T07:26:00.001-07:00

Yesterday my play list happened to have Vanity Theft, Sick of Sarah and Hunter Valentine right in a row. It was a cluster of hipster lesbian music. After reviewing the MPMF schedule for Thursday I realized that these three bands are scheduled to play back to back at Main Event on Thursday night. I expect nothing less than a swarm of lesbians. I wonder how many lesbians listed to indie rock.

Today I listed to Suckers, Eric Tepe Band and Santah. The Suckers reminded me of a slightly more discordant Modest Mouse. I liked them but not enough to abandon seeing Pokey LaFarge & The South City Three or The Kentucky Struts. I liked Eric Tepe Band too. I thought of Dave Matthews minus the pachoulie-soaked things I hate about Dave Matthews. (Sorry hippies, but you stink and I find you obnoxious, especially in large groups.) And then there's Santah. I can't put my finger on why I don't connect with their music. I just don't. I suspect that I would enjoy them more if I gave myself several days to listen. There's something crispy about the singer, and there's a dreamy jazz feel to their stuff. This is the sort of thing that I typically have to grow into.

Best MPMF 2010: The Sundresses

2011-09-19T18:55:00.000-07:00

I'm still trying to digest the end of The Hunger Games. If you haven't read the trilogy and plan on it, you should refrain from reading the end of this blog. I will give warning that you should stop reading.

On to music, I listened to Everest, Those Darlins, The Sundresses, Skeetones, Tara Priya, Vanity Theft and Sick of Sarah. They are all playing on Thursday night at MPMF. Before I launch into how I felt about the bands, I need to disclose something that puts my objectivity into question.

I saw the Sundresses at Below Zero last year at MPMF. There was something about their attitude that just blew me away. So in my listen today, I was thinking more about that show than just listening to the recording. I'm sure that my thoughts would be different had I not been at that show. But, since I have seen the Sundresses, I can say that they will rock your socks off live. If you haven't seen them, you really should.

On to the other bands, Those Darlins are super fun. They are going to make it into my permanent listening rotation after I'm done with my MPMF indie music overdose. I'm curious about their live show.

Really, I liked everything I listened to. I think I would dig the Skeetones on record, but I am not moved to see a live performance. I'm pretty sure it's just my personal limitation that causes me to have no desire to see electro pop bands without singers. I just can't get excited about seeing a dude lean over a computer and some turn tables. I'm sure that sounds crappy all the djs in the world, but it's just how I feel.

Here's the warning about The Hunger Games. Stop reading this blog if you want to read the books.

I feel really annoyed with the ending of The Hunger Games trilogy. Book one and two were so great. Book three fell apart at the end like many of my college papers that were written at 3am. I feel really aggravated. There were so many great things about the books. There is a female that had skills of her own that didn't revolve around her love interests. There are moral and ethical questions that are challenging for adults, let alone teenagers.

The main characters acted in ways at the end of the third book that are inconsistent with the rest of the books. The information in the epilogue doesn't fit with how the books concluded. There's no explanation. The ending didn't even feel satisfying because the characters were acting so crazy.

So Much Listening So Few Words

2011-09-18T17:33:00.000-07:00

I was fully consumed with reading The Hunger Games Trilogy for the last three days. I just finished and am feeling a little dazed and empty. It's making summarizing my thought on all the music that I've listened to while reading difficult.

The most obvious place to start is listing all the bands that I've heard. I made it through 500 Miles to Memphis, U. S. Royalty, July for Kings, Aunt Martha, Pokey LaFarge, Jessica Lea Mayfield, Tristen, The Watson Twins, Everest, and Those Darlins. I will stick to the stand outs, since I've done quite a bit of listening.

The bands that I will go back to for a second listen are Pokey LaFarge, The Watson Twins and Those Darlins. I think 500 Miles to Memphis and U. S. Royalty sound like fun. But my Thursday night is already packed, and I can only make time for my most favorite acts.

The only bad in this group I really didn't connect with is July for Kings. When I listen to them all I can think about is Matchbox 20. I feel the exact amount of repulsion as I do when I hear Matchbox on the radio. I'm sure this band is for someone, just not me.

Beat Connection = Ear Candy

2011-09-11T13:34:00.000-07:00

This round of listening I got aquainted with Beat Connection, In Tall Buildings, The Worsties, We Are Hex and The Joy Formidable. They will all play Thursday night at MPMF.

Basically, I have learned that I love Beat Connection. I like The Worsties. The Joy Formidable will probably blow me away live, but I'm not so fond of their recordings. I'm afraid In Tall Buildings didn't really make an impression.

I'm not the biggest fan of electronic music. But I do have some love for the likes of MGMT and Passion Pit. I enjoy their catchy melodies and dense layered production. This sums up why I like Beat Connection. I'm curious to see them live. Often, I find electronic bands less than thrilling on stage, but I like their recordings enough to give them a listen.

I enjoyed The Worsties. I'm a sucker for punkish music with a chick singer and bouncy melodies. I suspect that these guys will be really energetic on stage, so the live show should be pretty great. And she's hot. Don't take my word for it, have a look. If I can carve out a few minutes to see them, I will.

The Joy Formidable. I don't have words to describe why I think their live show will sear your face off with rock and roll. My gut is just saying it will be so. After a little searching on youtube, my rock and roll gut was validated. This is pretty great.

I'm sorry We Are Hex and In Tall Buildings, but I am just not that into you. In Tall Buildings made me think of The Shins plus some Iron and Wine mellow. We Are Hex has a perfect name. There were elements to their songs that seemed straight out of a coven. They are both great bands, but like Banderas, they just aren't my bag. If they weren't in competition with so many other bands I love, I would check out their shows.

The Moaners Win

2011-09-09T13:14:00.000-07:00

I did some more MPMF listening. This session I listened to Adam Arcuragi, The Moaners and Banderas. I heard Adam's self titled and I Am Become Joy. Adam wavers between shoe gazing and a kinder gentler Gavin Rossdale. He sings like Rossdale, but the music is more like jangle pop meets Mazzy Star. His second release seems a little more rooted in alt country. This was a pleasant listen.

The Moaners reminded me why I enjoyed Belly and The Breeders. Their slightly discordant sound coupled with the singers laconic vocals remind me why I liked 1990's alternative girl bands. Of today's listen, The Moaners are the ones I will try and catch on Thursday night.

I listened to Banderas last year. I'm afraid my feelings haven't improved since then. Their music just isn't my scene. They sound like a 90's alternative band crossed with Dokken or Ratt. I'm sure some people would love this big rock sound; I am just not one of them.

Josh Eagle and The Harvest City are perfect rainy day friends

2011-09-07T18:27:00.000-07:00

Today was rainy and cold in Cincinnati. I listened to Josh Eagle and The Harvest City on my wet walk home. They will be playing on Thursday night of Midpoint Music Festival. As I said before, I already have my Thursday night set, but I like to listed to as many artists as possible leading up to the weekend. Josh Eagle and The Harvest City was perfect company for a rainy walk.

The lead singer, most likely Josh Eagle, reminds me of Edwin McCain. The strange thing is that I don't like Edwin McCain, but I did like Josh Eagle. I don't have some sort of hatred of Edwin McCain. I'm just not a huge fan. He's just ok. Josh Eagle and The Harvest City was a perfect companion for a rainy day. I think they would also be great to enjoy at Arnold's at 11 on Thursday night at MPMF.

MPMF is Coming

2011-09-01T13:07:00.000-07:00

Midpoint Music Festival is nearly here. It's time for me to start my yearly indie rock listening binge. I have my play list sorted for the bands playing on Thursday night. Really this is a little unfair because I already have three bands that are must-sees. Mates of State, The Seedy Seeds and The Dodos will probably book my Thursday. But I would like to review what else is out there.

I've kicked off my listening with The Two Man Gentleman Band. It seems these guys are aptly named. These guys are labeled country, but I would call them old country. They are more like Johnny Cash than Trace Atkins. Both gentlemen sing, and one plays guitar an the other bass (upright by the sounds of it). I think I noted some kazoos.

26.2 In Retrospect

2011-06-01T12:37:00.001-07:00

I've been trying to distill my thoughts and feelings in to a blog for weeks now. I thought time to digest them would bring clarity to them, but I have given up on that happening. The marathon was a month ago, and a clear summary isn't in sight.
I hate running. I thought I could train for this marathon, and I would beat my nemesis, running, once and for all. I finished the marathon. I finished in 4.75 hours. The average finish time for women is 5 hours. I am pleased that I finished, and yet I don't feel the amount of satisfaction I was expecting. I naively thought this process would enlighten me. The truth is that I get more enjoyment and insight from reading a good book without extreme physical discomfort.
I had to quit the training plan 6 weeks prior to the marathon due to extreme hip pain. While I hate running, I love skiing, tennis, softball, swimming, biking, hiking, and volleyball. I deciding risking an injury for a sport that I hate wasn't worth risking my future participation in the sports I love. I took a week off, and then ran 6 miles three days a week until the marathon. I had no problem doing the marathon. I didn't hit the "runner's wall". I guess I felt frustrated that I suffered through all those weeks of training, when it seems that they were unnecessary. That was 120 hours of my life that I could have been reading good books. That's so many Sundays spent running 15 plus miles instead of having brunch with my friends.
I suppose that's really my conclusion. I did learn perseverance. I did learn that I can compel my body forward on just the strength of my mind. But I had to sacrifice a lot for those lessons. I had to sacrifice 8 hours a week to it. I had to sacrifice my well being since I experienced muscle soreness every day while training. In hind sight, I am glad I did the marathon, but I don't think I will be doing anymore.

Breaking Personal Records

2011-01-30T12:24:00.000-08:00

I ran outside again today. I wore the running shoes I bought a couple of weeks ago. My feet are adjusting to those shoes nicely. I did 11 miles. I ran up Gilbert and on to Norwood. I stopped at the UDF on the corner of Dana and Montgomery to get a Gatoraid.GI can't lie Gilbert was rough, but I made it to the top at around 5mph the whole way.

I started feeling pretty rough in the last two miles. I managed to keep running, but only by sheer will and determination. My longest run prior to this one was 9 miles; I started feeling rough at the 7th mile of that run. So, I can tell that I'm gaining endurance. Further, today's run is the longest distance I have ever run. I did a 15K last spring, and now I have finally out done my own distance record. That feels good. It also feels good that I wasn't nearly as beat at the end of this run as I was at the end of that 15k.

Total Miles logged: 91.82
Days until the pig: 90

Miles run today: 11
Average pace: 5.3 mph

Glorious Sunshine

2011-01-29T10:28:00.000-08:00

I got outside for my six mile run today. It's a high of 39 degrees and sunny. This some of the best weather I have had since I started my training. It's difficult to run more than 4 miles downtown, and I don't know how well I will perform on nasty hills. So, I ran from downtown to the University of Cincinnati. I giant hill separates Clifton from downtown. I figured that I could see how West Clifton Avenue goes. I know I can barely bike up that nasty hill from my experiences biking to class. I also know that West Clifton is steeper than Gilbert from biking home from the office when I lived in Norwood.

I did way better on that hill than I expected. I managed to keep up a 5mph pace the whole way to the top. It felt really great to be able to run to Clifton and back with ease. I couldn't even run a mile in high school, and here I am at 34 running my ass up enormous hills. The run back down was unexpectedly difficult. I didn't realize how much I pound my heels running down steep hills until I was doing so in the FiveFingers. It's really uncomfortable to strike with my heels in the FiveFingers, so I found myself fighting against gravity the whole way down the hill. I can't believe I'm about to write this, but I was relieved when I was done going down that hill.

One other minor discovery, salt and broken glass look remarkably similar. If I was in my running shoes I wouldn't have even thought about it. But broken glass on the sidewalk is sort of a hallmark of Over the Rhine and Clifton.

I had a revelation yesterday. I have been persistently sore since I started the training four weeks ago. It's not joint soreness; it's muscle soreness. It dawned on me yesterday that I'm probably not getting enough protein. I eat meat, but Jenn my partner doesn't so all my home cooking is meat free. I only eat meat when we go out. According to varying sources, I should be eating 110 to 150 grams of protein per day. I know for a fact that I'm not getting any were near that much. I don't think I'm even getting half that amount. Sorry about that body. I'm looking in to protein powders so I can make smoothies for breakfast. More on that to come.

Total Miles logged: 86.8

Days until the pig: 91

Miles run today: 6

Average pace: 5.3 mph

Thirsty

2011-01-26T09:52:00.000-08:00

Today's six mile run felt pretty good. I felt really strong until mile four, and then I started to run out of steam. I took a couple short breaks in the last two miles, but still finished with a pretty good pace. I feel sore today, but I can't tell if it's from my weight training yesterday or my running. It looks like the weather will cooperate with me running outside on Saturday this weekend. I don't know about Sunday.

My next area of research will be to investigate how best to rehydrate on ten+ mile runs. I would guess that some sort of sports drink might be necessary after more than sixty minutes of running. I was thinking about that this morning when I ran out of steam after mile four. It felt like my body ran out of fuel or something. More to come on this topic.

Total Miles logged: 77.8
Days until the pig: 94
Miles run today: 6

Average pace: 5.5 mph

Mental Focus Brings Better Runs

2011-01-25T14:23:00.000-08:00

Although I neglected my blog, I did run on Sunday. That six miles was a struggle to finish. I'm starting to notice that my bad runs have less to do with how my body feels and more to do with how well I can focus my mind.

I ran three miles today, outside. It was really nice. All the sub-zero temperatures this winter have made forty degrees feel like spring. It's all relative. My three mile run felt pretty great. I used my FiveFingers. I think I run a little faster in those. I'm not sure why. It might have something to do with my shorter but quicker strides? The data I have kept thus far all suggests that I am faster in them. I'll continue to track this.

Oh, I got some winter running gear. I have some Nike Under Armor tights and a few Nike Pro Dry Fit shirts. They performed nicely on my outdoor run today. They are a little too warm for treadmill runs. I sweat like a beast in them on the treadmill on Sunday. The only thing I'm not terribly fond of is the fact that the tights tend to ride down over my first mile. After I pull them back up at a mile they seem to stay put. I'm going to keep this problem in mind when I have to get some warm weather gear.

Total Miles logged: 71.8

Days until the pig: 95

Miles run today: 3
Average pace: 5.3 mph

Faster and Further

2011-01-22T13:03:00.000-08:00

I ran two consecutive miles in less than ten minutes each. This is a personal victory for me. I'm not a fast runner. I never have been fast. I like savoring the small victories. My run felt great aside from the emergency bathroom break that I had to take at 2.5 miles of the 5 that I did today.

I am getting actual running gear at the store today, so tomorrow, I should have updates on how those are working out for me. Oh, and although I forgot to blog, I did run on Thursday. I did three miles at a 5.5 mph pace.

Total Miles logged: 68.8
Days until the pig: 100
Miles run today: 5

Average pace: 5.8 mph

Cheese Brick Bacon Sandwiches, Anyone?

2011-01-20T13:17:00.000-08:00

I worked on building speed on my run today. I did intervals of 6.2 mph and 4.7 mph for a minute and a half each. It felt pretty great. On my next interval run, I will go for 6.3 and 4.8. I can't tell if my endurance is building or my perception of suffering is getting pushed to further and further extremes. It's probably a blend of both. But I feel like running 3 miles is a warm up now.

I feel hungry all the time, but I'm too lazy to prepare more food for myself. This combination has resulted in me taking off my five pounds of water retention from last week and three more pounds for good measure. If I lose another five pounds, I will have to start eating bricks of cheese wrapped in bacon. The saddest part about that is some people would consider that a treat, but I find it totally unappealing. So, no cheese brick bacon sandwiches for me. I will try and stock up on fruits and veggies that I can just grab and eat on my next grocery trip.

Total Miles logged: 60.8

Days until the pig: 102

Miles run today: 3
Average pace: 5.5 mph

Slip-N-Slide Boobs

2011-01-19T11:50:00.000-08:00

I tried out my new running Saucony shoes and the body glide. The shoes performed pretty great. They feel really plush in comparison to my old shoes; I'm sure I waited way to long to buy new shoes. The body glide was effective, but I would caution any other people using it to use restraint when applying it. It doesn't like to come off in the shower. Of course, it makes sense that it's not water soluble; otherwise I would just sweat it off. I just didn't think this much about it when I was generously applying it. Maybe I can take my bra off without taking off my shirt for the next few days.

I also ran outside today. I discovered that it is difficult to run five miles in downtown without heading into Clifton or Mt Adams. I did a lot of doubling back on myself to make my distance. The run felt a little rough; I don't know if that's due to my asthma or all the stopping and starting for traffic lights. I'll have to try that run again without the asthma and see if it's still difficult.

Total Miles logged: 57.8
Days until the pig: 103
Miles run today: 5.1

Average pace: 5 mph

Body Glide?

2011-01-18T12:05:00.000-08:00

I was hoping to get back outside for my run today, but I had to abort the mission. It's forty degrees, but rainy. I don't have proper gym clothes yet, so my cotton shirt and pants would have gotten really water-logged. I opted for the treadmill and no chafing.

The run felt just a little rough. I'm pretty sure it was due to my dinner of duck fat fries and beer last night. That was not one of my better life choices. I blame it on the half-off drafts. Oh, and I have discovered a product called Body Glide. Go ahead and laugh like I did upon hearing the name. Apparently, distance runners have various chafing issues. This product is supposed to resolve them. I only have problems with this on my long runs, so I will test it out this weekend. I just want to know who invented this and if it's just glorified Vaseline as I imagine it is.

Total Miles logged: 52.7

Days until the pig: 104

Miles run today: 3

Average pace: 5.3 mph

Running Nine Miles is like a Fight to Manila

2011-01-16T11:39:00.000-08:00

I neglected the blog yesterday, but I did run. It was above freezing, so I ran outside for the first time in my training. It was also the first time I took my FiveFingers outside. I ran three miles along the Ohio river. It was beautiful. Here's a little snap shot.

The run outside felt great. My FiveFingers performed well, but I did notice that the balls of my feet were a little tender after the run. I think I will have to build-up toughness. I'm hoping for more days above freezing, so I can get outside more often.

Today I did 9 miles. It reminded me of my flights to Manila. I would eat a little, nap a little, watch a movie, eat more, read a book, only to realize that the flight isn't even half over. I watched Jersey Shore. I watched Teen Mom. I watched the Soprano's marathon; I would have been watching the Soprano's marathon the whole time, had I only known. Through it all, I was still running. I felt pretty good until the last two miles. I had to repeat my mantra,this too shall pass, over and over again for the last mile. But, I made it. It wasn't pretty, but I did it. This generally sums up what I hope for the Pig. It won't be pretty, but I just want to finish.

Total Miles logged: 49.7
Days until the pig: 106

Miles run today: 9
Average pace: 5.2 mph

Shoes!

2011-01-13T11:59:00.000-08:00

My three miles felt great. I ran at lunch again. I might need to suffer through hauling all my shower stuff to the office just to continue this. I had my fastest pace yet of 5.4 MPH.

In the next week or two, I'm going to The Running Spot to get fitted for new shoes, get socks, and some running clothes. I hate spending money on clothing that I only wear to sweat in. I have avoided doing this for years. I think it's time to bite the bullet. I don't have the proper attire to go on long winter runs. My cotton t shirts aren't going to cut it. I'm just hoping to get out of there with spending less than 300 dollars.

Total Miles logged: 37.7

Days until the pig: 108

Miles run today: 3

Average pace: 5.4 mph

Losing Two Pounds in Four Hours

2011-01-12T12:39:00.000-08:00

Whew. My run today felt good. I ran during my lunch hour. While those lunch run are annoying to coordinate, clothing, shoes, make-up, hair products all wedged into my work bag; they feel great. I have never really enjoyed morning exercise. I like it because it frees up my evenings, not because my body is pleased to run right out of bed. Too bad The Pig starts at 630am.

I lost two pounds between 8am this morning and 1pm. I guess that five pounds of water I've been retaining for the past two days is on the retreat. Good riddance!

Total Miles logged: 34.7
Days until the pig: 109
Miles run today: 5
Average pace: 5.1 mph

Retain Water like the Titanic

2011-01-11T10:37:00.000-08:00

My three mile run today felt like death. I tried to do hills while retaining five extra pounds of water weight; it was a horrible idea. My god. And I thought my 8 miles was bad. I felt like spent the night making out with a salt lick, but I'm pretty sure my misery is due to hormones. On the bright side, I felt pretty whipped on Sunday after my eight mile run, but I wasn't sore at all on Monday. So, my body complains while doing the run, but doesn't seem to be any worse for the wear the following day. Good to know.

Total Miles logged: 29.7

Days until the pig: 110

Miles run today: 3

Average pace: 5.1 mph

The Pain Starts

2011-01-10T06:29:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I ran eight miles. I had previously been maxing out at six to seven miles. It hurt. I felt pretty good until mile five. The last three miles were pretty miserable, but I endured. I watched "Teen Mom" on MTV; it was nearly as awful as the last three miles of my run. While watching Teen Mom, all I could think about is this is why so many children are growing up to me less than successful adults. It engaged too much of my mind to be mindless TV. While the people on Jersey Shore were generally behaving far worse than the moms, they are at least only making a mess of their own lives. Net, no Teen Mom while running.
My lungs are particularly vulnerable to breathing cold air. I had pleurisy a couple years ago from biking in sub-freezing temperatures. As a result, I can't take my runs outside until temperatures get above 32 degrees. I hope this starts to happen in February. I really need to get the feeling of running on uneven pavement, and downhill.
Lastly, I made the poor choice of looking at the marathon map. Ack! That's a long way. I mean that's 26 miles; the same number of miles I ran all last week! That makes me a little sick just thinking about it. I need to not look at the map again for a while.
Total Miles logged: 26.7
Days until the pig: 111
Miles run today: 8
Average pace: 5.4 mph

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

2011-01-08T15:43:00.000-08:00

I watched the Jersey Shore while doing my 5 miles today. I just feel dirty thinking about it. This run felt better than all the others before it. I am curious about what my 8 miles tomorrow will feel like. I ran in my FiveFingers and my calves feel a little sore today. I'll see how it goes tomorrow.

Total Miles logged: 18.7

Days until the pig: 113
Miles run today: 5
Average pace: 5.4 mph

The Price of Skis and Blisters

2011-01-07T11:53:00.000-08:00

I think the treadmill at my apartment is set differently than the treadmill at the office. My office runs felt more challenging. It might also have something to do with how I entertained myself while on the treadmill. At the office, I was listening to to podcasts or reading my Kindle. On the treadmill at my apartment, I was watching mindless TV. I think the mindless TV allowed me to focus my mind a little more on carrying on my run. I will keep track of this from this point forward.

I've had a couple of blisters, but they are minor. I just need to keep an eye on them. I'm not worried about them in their present state, but I worry about what they can turn into.

I went skiing last night for the first time this winter. I decided to sign up for a four week pass alone. I don't know many other skiers who were available at the last minute during which I signed up for the sessions. I have discovered that I like being by myself while flying down the side of a mountain. I have also discovered that season matters when attempting to purchase skis and boots. I could have purchased used boots and skis last July for about eighty dollars. After several phone calls, I determined that I could buy some used boots and skis for about three hundred dollars. Note to self, shop for skis and boots this June and July.

Total Miles logged: 13.7

Days until the pig: 114

Miles run today: 3

Average pace: 5.2 mph

5 Mile High

2011-01-05T12:20:00.000-08:00

My run today felt better than Monday and Tuesday runs. I don't know if that's because I ran at lunch vs first thing in the morning, or my body is whipping itself back into shape. It might have helped that I was listening to This American Life. I find that reading makes me feel restless on the treadmill.

Total Miles logged: 10.7

Days until the pig: 115

Miles run today: 5

Average pace: 5.1 mph

Schedules Are Nice

2011-01-04T06:47:00.000-08:00

My run today felt better than the run yesterday. My calves were just a little sore from wearing the FiveFingers. I think my body is just relieved to be back on a workout schedule. Vacation was nice, but I was starting to feel sluggish for lack of physical activity. I did yoga yesterday afternoon and realized that I need to work that into my regular routine. Not only has my balance deteriorated, but my ham strings were really tight. I’m thinking I will cross train with yoga as part of my Monday work outs.
I realized something this morning. My running shoes are old. I should probably get new ones since, I will be logging lots of miles on them. Further, I own very little technical clothing. I think I will need to strategic items for my outdoor runs. While I will shoot for days with milder weather, those days will be few and far between from now until March. While this will most certainly be a physical challenge, I think the mental challenge has a higher probability of causing me to fail.
Total Miles logged: 5.7
Days until the pig: 116
Miles run today: 3
Average pace: 5.2 mph

26 Miles? Bring It!

2011-01-03T05:42:00.001-08:00

My blogs for the next month will be focused on the horrible project I am working on and my progress in training for the Flying Pig Marathon.
Total Miles logged: 2.7

Days until the pig: 117

Miles run today: 2.7

Average pace: 5.35 mph
My marathon training officially starts tomorrow. I ran a shot 2.7 miles today, because I haven't completed a workout since the beginning of Christmas vacation. Three weeks of no gym visits, and the body can go a bit stale. The 2.7 I did intervals at 4.7 mph and 6 mph.
I can't say that this short run felt good. Well, I can't say that any run really feels good. But, I felt particularly winded due to my three weeks off. I wonder how long it will take my body to get back into shape.

Income Gap Widens: Census Finds Record Gap Between Rich And Poor

2010-09-28T04:32:00.001-07:00

There is no mystery as to why this gap has gotten larger. This is a direct result of tax policy and the financial markets taking over our economy. The upper 1% of income earners in this country have enjoyed the lowest tax rates in recent decades ever. The top tax bracket saw a 91 percent tax rate a mere 50 years ago under Ike. The top tax bracket under Reagan in 1981 was 70 percent. As some point in our past, the most effective way to get a good return on investments was to start a company here which would in turn create jobs and wealth for other Americans. Now, the most effective way to get a good return on investments is to buy derivatives and other financial instruments, that don't create jobs or contribute to the real economy. The combination of enabling the very rich to hold to more of their cash while simultaneously enabling them to make money without contributing to job growth has put us right here. Because neither of these things will change in the for seeable future, the gap can only get worse.
About Third World America
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

More MPMF!!

2010-09-23T13:38:00.001-07:00

MPMF - Artist Review

For the next few weeks I will be using this blog to review the MPMF artists I have listened too. Part of this is to benefit others who will be attending the festival, and part of this is to benefit me. There are a lot of artists and writing my thoughts about them will help me remember which acts I want to see.
Allison Tartalia - So, this singer/song writer reminds me of Ani DiFranco without all the really rough edges. If you dig Ani you might dig Allison. I don't really dig Ani. I don't really dig Allison. She makes perfectly fine music. It's just not my thing.
Annie and the Beekeepers - Loves it! The ladies providing vocals on this recording have rich, warm voices. The songs are bluesy and fun. There are lots of acoustic guitars and the production quality on the recording is great. These guys go on my want to see list.
Babe the Blue Ox - Pearl Jam, Alice and Chains, and Sound Garden get put in a blender. The result is Babe the Blue Ox. There is a 90's rock sound to this band. There is a lot of stop and stutter drumming and lots of grungy fuzzy guitars punctuated by clean harmonics and quiet verses. I think this band probably puts on one hell of a live show. These guys don't really produce music that I typically like. I just think their live performance would be worth seeing. These guys go on my want to see list. One other thing, they have a song called "spatula"; I enjoy this song title.
Banderas - These guys are a little bit Tool and a little bit The Strokes. They have a little less pop appeal than The Strokes. Their sound is dark and atmospheric. There seems to be a lot of talk-singing. There are some guitar riffs that rival 80's hair band solos. These guys go on my want to see list.
Barnaby Bright – This acoustic group has polished vocals and soothing arrangements with violins and guitars. The female lead forms great harmonies with a male backing vocalist. These guys go on my want to see list.

MPMF - Artist Review

2010-09-23T11:50:00.000-07:00

MPMF - Artist Review

For the next few weeks I will be using this blog to review the MPMF artists I have listened too. Part of this is to benefit others who will be attending the festival, and part of this is to benefit me. There are a lot of artists and writing my thoughts about them will help me remember which acts I want to see.
The artists I choose to cover are limited to those that have music available on Rhapsody. I am starting at the beginning of the alphabet and working my way to the end. I hope you enjoy it. I know I will because checking loads of new music is always a blast for me.
46 Long - Time's Right - There is a growly blues harmonica on this album, and I love it. This music is great acoustic blues. This would be great to see if you are looking for something down tempo and sparse. There is a cover of "Midnight Special" on this album that is outstanding.
Fairmount Girls - These girls are fun, but I will probably miss them at Mid Point. The primary reason is that I have opportunities to see them at other times of the year.
A Place to Bury Strangers - THis band is noise rock or art rock. They remind me just a little bit of Bauhaus, but less dark. They are also less chrisp and less sparse. I don't think I will be seeing this band. I suspect that their live show would present a better experience than what is captured in recording sessions.
A Shoreline Dream - This band produces great dreamy pop rock. This is what Mazzy Star would sound like with a dude singer. This band had a much better producer for their recordings than A Place to Bury Strangers. While this band sounds good, dream pop has never been my thing. If I don't have more tempting shows to attend while they are playing I will turn up.
Adrien and the Fine Print - Rhapsody describes these guys as Tennessee Swing. There are lots of fiddles and electric acoustic guitars here. The song writing is interesting and fun. These guys go on my want to see list. This band's melodies remind me of Rilo Kiley. I can't elaborate further on why that is.

Aficionado - These guys remind me just a little of Muse. They have a grandiose sound. They also seem to do themed albums from the one I have listened to. The recording has lots going on. There are piccolos, horns and a chorus. While the actual horns might have been used on the recording, I doubt these will turn up at their live show. But that makes me curious; what exactly will their live show be like. These guys go on my want to see list.

Making Caramel is Fraught with Danger

2010-05-01T16:04:00.000-07:00

I made caramel flan for the first time this week. Making the flan portion went off without a hitch. Making the caramel did not. My first attempt at the caramel ended with a half inch of hardened sugar crusted to the bottom of my sauce pan, and a newly sanded bottom edge to my wooden spoon.

I added water to the sugar on attempt number two. I thought the recipe might have been missing that step. After boiling for over an hour I was left with a crust of sugar about a half inch thick in the bottom of the sauce pan. i did spare my wooden spoon another sanding though.

On attempt number three, I learned that the sugar should be placed in a skillet rather than a sauce pan. The sugar needed to be spread thinly in the pan for even heating. This would have been a nice addition to the recipe instructions. I got out my largest skillet, which happened to be coated in teflon. The attempt resulted in semi-caramelized sugar mixed with the melting remains of my not-so-heat-resistant spatula. I'm afraid the spatula remains were very tricky to remove from the teflon without significant marring.

On attempt number four, I learned that the sugar should be placed in a steel skillet. This time the caramel turned out perfect. Apparently, teflon retards heat transfer and the dark color makes identifying burning caramel difficult. This, also, would have been useful in the recipe instructions.

Once the caramel monster was vanquished, the rest of the flan recipe was a breeze to complete. After an hour in the oven, an hour cooling on the counter, and several hours in the fridge, I ran a knife around the edge of the pan holding the flan. I put a plate on the top of the plan and prayed to the god of mangled pastries to grant my flan a pardon. The pastry god must have been pleased, because my flan turned out beautifully. It was delicious. It was more than delicious.

Sad Pet Story

2010-04-11T21:58:00.000-07:00

This has been such a stressful experience that I am not sure where to begin. I have an appointment to get my cat put to sleep on Monday. I have such mixed feelings about it, and I don't really know how to go about explaining them in a succinct fashion.

She has always been a difficult cat. My older cat is attentive and responds to positive and negative reinforcement. But this cat has resisted training from day one. She has never managed her claws very well. She has always required a lot of affection, but she regularly draws blood when enjoying affection.

Aside from these things, she is a very sweet and affectionate cat. In the ten years that I have had her, I have alternately felt frustrated with her and guilty for not responding to her in the same way I do to my other cat. I don't feel that I have been a particularly good owner to the cat. She doesn't get on well with other animals, but I have repeatedly put her in households with more animals than she can handle. Some of these choices where solely mine. Some of the choices where outside my realm of control.

She has had diabetes for the last 2 years. During that time, I have spend more on my cat's health care in the two years than I have on my own. The correct dose of insulin for her seemed to take several vet visits over a few months. She lost most of her muscle mass and excess fat in the first six months of the disease. She started to limp and lose her ability to jump.

Now she is resistant to the type of insulin she is taking and requires a more expensive insulin. This would in turn require many blood glucose curves to establish the correct dose. She hates the vets. The little joy that is still left in her life is when she gets affection. After a return from the vets, she hides from me for days stealing what's left of her joy.

I'm realizing that I have been continuing treatment to assuage my own guilt for not creating the best environment for her and not doting on her as much as my other cat. While I have not been the most responsible pet owner in the past, I cannot make up for that by extending her life now through vet visits that clearly distress her. I know I am making the right decision to put her to sleep. It doesn't change the fact that this is in the top 10 of difficult things I have done as an adult.

They Live!

2010-04-10T09:33:00.000-07:00

The seedlings have made lots of progress since I last blogged. Here's a picture of the sweetie tomato, zucchini and broccoli seedlings. These were taken prior to my week of vacation, on March 31st. As of this point, only one of the jalapeno peppers had come up; none of the bell peppers had germinated.

I was concerned that the plants wouldn't survive the vacation. It's

not that I didn't have faith in the folks looking after them. It's that I do a fine job of killing plants and assume that others have that same talent.

My plant munching cat gets a little angry when I leave town. I got out the bags and started packing. Devil cat noticed. Ten minutes later I went upstairs and saw that the cat had managed to get one of the corn seedlings through the chicken-wire and snarf it down. All that was left was the roots.

The devil cat is a spiteful little creature. She was content to leave

the seedlings alone until she noticed the luggage out. I am certain she felt compelled to send me a message about the vacation.

Upon my return from vacation, the seedlings look a little wilted. I gave them a good watering. There were a couple of sunflowers and a couple of peas that might not return for the wilt. If that's the worst fallout from seven days away, I will consider that success. I will have newer pictures with my next post. This week I will attempt to build my beds. This will involve me using power tools, so I'm excited.

Will the Washington Crew Ever Notice the Housing Bubble?

2010-03-29T13:33:00.001-07:00

The reason the government hasn't engaged in the appropriate solution is because the economic insiders like Timothy Geithner believe that the downturn was caused by a credit crunch. I heard Geithner say in an interview that he believed that houses were worth the prices that people were paying for them prior to the crisis. He simply thinks thought people don't have access to the credit to purchase the homes after the crisis.

I 100% disagree with him. But my opinion is not relevant as I don't decide economic policy for our country. When I consider average rent payments and average income for families, I just can't see how home prices prior to the downturn were sustainable. Clearly, they weren't.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Women Don't Need Pockets and a Continuation of the Seedling Story

2010-03-27T18:09:00.000-07:00

I will attempt to run a 15K tomorrow. This will end one of two ways. I will either be dry heaving on the side of Columbia Parkway, or I will barely be able to crawl out of bed on Monday morning. I went to Target today to get something appropriate to wear. The weather will make appropriate clothing tricky. The race starts at 8 at which point it will be 46 degrees and rainy. While running my guts out a light shirt and running pants will be acceptable. I sweat like a beast when active. The trouble will start after I get to the finish line. I won't be running anymore and it will still be chilly and rainy.

I was hoping Target would have some women's running pants with pockets. No dice. All the men's pants have pockets. They don't cost any more than the women's pants. What gives? Do just men have things like car keys and cell phones that need to be stowed while working out? This isn't the first time I've noticed this. I have resorted to buying men's track pants for quite some time for this reason. What sane woman totes around her purse while at the gym or while out for a jog?? What do clothing manufacture's think we do with necessary items like driver licenses? If no athletic clothing company has addressed this by the time I'm ready to move on to a new career, I'm making women's athletic clothing with places to stow their junk.

It's time for Seedling update. My first seedlings appeared on the 26th. The lamps seem to be doing a great job. Due to my plant munching cats, I have limited options in where to place my seedlings for the to get maximum light. Last year I had to keep them in a window that only got sunlight in the morning. The seedlings seemed to get really leggy on their quest to reach for the sun. I'm curious to see if the grow lamps yield a different result. My first seedlings were the sunflowers and marigolds.

Many more seedlings appeared on the 27th. The new seedlings included most of the romaine lettuce, more than half of the cauliflower, most of the broccoli, and most of the marigolds. The tomatoes are teeny tiny. Their first seedling leaves aren't out of the ground yet. I can see the teeny stems on their way out though.

Thus far I have had a pretty good rate of germination. Last year I had good germination for all the plants except the bell peppers. Those didn't do so hot. I don't know if the environment wasn't warm enough for them or what. I have the grow lamps set-up in the attic. It's the warmest part of the house in the spring with all the sunlight that is absorbed by the black roof.

The asparagus plant is back from the grave. I was supposed to bring the plant in last winter. I planned poorly because the pot the asparagus is in was too large to drag in the house. I just noticed today that there are brand new asparagus stalks in the pot this spring. I'm really happy. I thought I killed it. It is apparently more hardy than I realized. I'll have pictures of that soon.

The Motorcycle Diaries and Planting Stuff

2010-03-24T17:32:00.000-07:00

Spring has nudged its way to the Nati in the last couple of weeks. I manage to get to the driving range with my new golf clubs. I also managed to wind my motorcycle mechanic odyssey to an end. I kicked off my attempts at growing things.

I'll start off with the motorcycle. My motorcycle clutch started slipping last fall. The bike had to sit though most of the winter without attention. I ordered the friction discs and clutch plates over the winter and waited for the spring thaw. After facing several set backs, I stripped the screws holding in the bike's oil pump. After several failed methods of getting the screws out, I finally found a solution. The Black and Decker tools to removed stripped screws are utter crap. Do not buy those. While attempting to use one of them the bit broke off in the drilled out s

tripped screw. There was a lot of cursing after that. The Alden Prograbit was awesome! They took those screws out in about 5 minutes.

Once that problem was solved, I set about tearing the clutch apart to replace the friction discs. After taking several parts off, I get to the lock nut. Note that the Honda Clymer manual says something deceptively easy like, remove the lock nut. After pawing at the nut for a while, I decided to consult the internet gods. The gods tell me that the lock nut is "staked" and will require a dremel tool to grind it out. The lock nut will also require a special lock nut tool from Honda for removal.

That's it. I give up. I called the Honda Motor Sports. They are going to come get the bike this week. There a moments where you just have to raise the white flag of defeat and call a professional.

My quest to grow things has been more successful. I built a grow light stand to get my seedlings started early. That project went very smoothly. I planted all my seeds. I'll post again when the first seedlings turn up.

Markos Moulitsas To Kucinich: You'll Be Primaried If You Kill Reform

2010-03-10T03:03:00.001-08:00

I second your support of Kucinich. Since this bill utterly lacks cost constraints, I can't see how the effects will be beneficial to most Americans. There is nothing in this bill that prevents your premiums from doubling or tripling in the next decade. If anything the mandate makes those sort of price hikes even more attractive to insurance companies.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Reform Déjà Vu: Democrats Follow Failed Health Care Strategy and Preemptively Surrender on Consumer Financial Protection Agency

2010-03-02T02:44:00.001-08:00

Right. So, are you going to suggest that all those unsustainable mortgages were financed from 2006 on? And that derivatives, collateralized debt obligations, and rating agencies just suddenly jumped the shark from 2006 on? The ingredients necessary to make the financial meltdown were all swirling around Washington for years prior to Nancy's tenure as speaker.
About Financial Crisis
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Democrat Youth Support Dwindling

2010-02-24T08:53:00.001-08:00

Yes. I'm afraid that Obama has created a new generation of disillusioned voters. If I wanted to keep spending too much in Iraq and Afghanistan I would have voted for McCain. If I wanted to continue throwing money at the feet of Saudi Arabia and OPEC and allow China to surpass us in developing sustainable energy sources, I would have voted for McCain. If I wanted to continue pouring my money into health insurance companies that boast 4 billion in profits while denying me coverage, I would have voted for McCain. I hated hearing George W. Bush's speeches, because I knew he would bring every terrible word to fruition. Now, I hate hearing Obama speak because I know those lofty words are just that, words.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Weekend Stuff and Junk

2010-02-21T20:30:00.000-08:00

This weekend brought a bevy of things to blog about. My weekend started with skiing on Friday night. I went with Jon and his friend Breezy B. They snowboard. I cannot remain upright on a snowboard for more than 10 seconds at a time. As you could image this is a painful way to make one’s way down a hill.

Jon took Breezy B on his virgin trip boarding years ago. In the mean years, Breezy B has surpassed Jon’s skills. Through out the night of boarding Jon endured lots of ribbing about Breezy passing him up in boarding skills. After hours of snowy adventure, Breezy speeds past Jon and I. He had his hand down on the ground behind his board throwing up a trail of snow. While he was looking back at us, he hit the orange barrier fence. He went over the fence. His hand got caught on the fence but his body kept moving into the woods. This resulted in a torn rotator cuff. Breezy was down. I went to fetch ski patrol. My night ended in the ski patrol office with other injured folks and in the emergency room with even more injured folks. Neato.

Saturday I got a free ticket to an event at the CAC in Cincinnati. They had Shepard Fairey’s work on display. I don’t know what I was expecting in this exhibit. I know that it surpassed whatever those expectations were. Shepard had years of work on display. He started graphics work on the idea that public space can be reclaimed from the corporate interests that manage it now. It was amazing. I suggest his work if you are at all interested in all the corporate messages that we are surrounded with.

On Sunday, I attempted to make yellow cake with chocolate icing. The cake required some mixing that I just wasn’t accustomed to. I had to mix all the egg yolks, vanilla and milk separately. It was weird. The cake turned out great. The chocolate icing had semi-sweet chocolate in it as well as coco. It was excellent.

Finally, I have a word or two to say about Joseph Stack. How does one get to a point where one can afford to own and house a plane and still feel that the IRS has wronged you so to fly your plane into the IRS building. Really? The IRS was so bad that you feel compelled to burn the house that keeps your child and crash your plane into the IRS building? That is completely crazy. I know there are lots of libertarians who might identify with Joseph Stack. I am calling them out for the crazy nut-bags that they are. If you have the income to support your house and a plane, you need to shut the fuck up.

Bill O'Reilly Tells CPAC: Don't Bash Obama! (VIDEO)

2010-02-19T09:04:00.001-08:00

I find it disorienting when Bill says something sensible. I am a flaming liberal. I still believe that we get better policy when both parties are providing viable solutions to the problems our nation faces. The current political climate makes substantive discussion on policy merits and pitfalls virtually impossible. The personal attacks on Obama or Bush are just as destructive as calling a national health care plan socialist. These are tools to put any real debate on the sidelines and boost media ratings.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Arianna: GOP Plays With 'Gasoline And Matches' When Courting Angry Tea Partiers

2010-02-19T05:28:00.001-08:00

I agree with several of Ron Paul's ideas. I think it's unfortunate that his movement has been hijacked by angry conservatives with much less cohesive ideas on policy. I think Ron Paul is right on in regards to his ideas on the industrial-military complex and foreign engagements. I just don't agree with him on his ideas about capitalism. Even Joseph Smith agreed that capitalism needed some regulation. Left to it's own, it will regularly destroy and build the markets like a roller coaster soaring to great heights and plunging to the depths. In its extremes capitalism loses it's social benefits.
About Tax Day Tea Parties
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

How to Tame the Budget Deficit

2010-02-18T12:50:00.001-08:00

That's such an interesting idea. I wonder if Christians bent on killing the separation of church and state are willing to put their money where their mouth is. I would guess not.
About Barack Obama
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Sandals in the Snow and Other Bad Combinations

2010-02-17T18:55:00.000-08:00

I was headed out the door to the grocery store a couple of weeks ago. Since this has been the winter of SNOW-MY-GOD in Cincinnati snowdrifts were hanging around. I noticed that I didn’t change out of my sandals a few paces from my car. My laziness dictated that I not head back to the house for more sensible shoes.

While I was attempting to avoid piles of blackened snow and grayish brown lakes of oily snow remainder, the foolishness of my choice came into sharp clarity. I also considered this. Why is snowmelt so utterly foul? When summer rain makes lakes out of parking lots the said lakes aren’t nearly as retch inducing.

Another wave of SNOW-MY-GOD made its way from the Midwest and rolled over the Northeast. I had the unfortunate experience of driving from Washington DC to Cincinnati during the festivities. I really like Jenn’s Fit. It’s a good little car. But on this particular trip it was bringing me no comfort. The trip was 11 hours of near death experiences.

The thing I found the most cringe worthy was the enormous semis speeding past us at fifty or sixty miles per hour. With no pavement visible, I simply don’t understand how those trucks would be able to stop should something unexpected occur. I had visions of being flattened into a little blue pancake while the semi driver might continue on unfazed by that large pothole that was my life being quashed.

Me managed the trip without incident. I have learned two things. First, it is best to avoid sandals when large quantities of snow are on the ground. Second, it is best to avoid cross-country trips when large winter storms are your constant companion.

Viking Doughnut Holes and Friction Discs

2010-02-06T11:47:00.000-08:00

I’m half way through changing my motorcycle’s oil, checking the screen and replacing the friction discs in the clutch. The discs need to be soaked in motor oil, so here you are.

I took a picture of the motor oil simply for my own reference. I will be looking at this blog entry again the next time I need a change.

My other activity this weekend was to attempt to make Viking doughnut holes. That’s not what they are called, but their official name requires characters that my keyboard simply doesn’t have. Umlauts are hard.

The first challenge was to separate the egg yolks and whites. The last time I attempted this I was in high school and had a nifty Tupperware tool to aid me. This morning I followed the Julie and Julia method of passing the yolk back and forth between my hands until the whites had fully dribbled into the bowl below.

This was easier and more disgusting that I was expecting it to be. The dough turned out to be similar to buttermilk pancake dough but lighter. I poured little bits of the dough into the depressions in the iron pan used to specifically cook this pastry. I put little dabs of applesauce on the dough and covered the dabs with more dough.

The tricky part about these little guys is flipping them. They are only the size of a doughnut hole. I got significantly better at it as I went along. In the first batch I put way too much dough in. The result was that the doughnuts overwhelmed their cups and I had one really big ping-pong ball pimpled pancake. By the third or fourth round I got a little better at it. Here’s the result of my last round.

It's that Time

2010-02-05T14:32:00.000-08:00

I was preparing my garden plan for this year, when I wondered why am I planting things again? I know why I took my maiden voyage with the shovel and hoe last year. I foolishly thought it would be economically advantageous.

I could not have been more wrong in that respect. For every green bean that I ate last year I spent a hundred dollars in tools and mulch. Don’t get me started on how many hours of effort that little green bean took. So, why am I so excited to do this again?

My family is Norwegian. I make jokes to friends that the hot, humid summers in Cincinnati aren’t made for Scandinavians. I sweat like a whore in church. Humidity makes me cranky. I feel like I’m on a crowded Tokyo train platform from late June to late September. I hate Cincinnati summers.

Growing things made me feel differently about summer. I still sweat like a beastie, but my aggravation was eclipsed by my delight at seeing my first teeny, tiny snow pea pods forming. I felt deep satisfaction when we got much needed rain, and my pepper plants perked up. Growing things bonded me to the earth in ways I have never before experienced. Waves of wonder and joy passed over me as I watched my seedlings sprout from the ground, reaching for the sun.

Why am I growing things again? I love it. I’m tallying up how much my raised beds and mulch and peat moss will cost me this year. I’m adding in costs for a grow lamp and a bench. This year that green bean might be a couple of hundred dollars. It will be worth every penny.

These aren’t Granite and those aren’t Stainless Steel…

2010-02-02T18:33:00.000-08:00

Upon my re-entry to the cable world, I have found that TV still sucks. I find the only channel that I can regularly find non-irritating programming on is HGTV. Show topics range from home improvement to home buying.

These seem like pretty benign topics. That was precisely my thought upon flicking on HGTV. After a few weeks of viewing, I have concluded that TV producers can make even the most benign topic obnoxious.

The first detail that put me off was the price range the first-time homebuyers show. Who spends half a million dollars on their first home? There are only two correct answers to this question. 1. Rich people. 2. Idiots. Since I have noticed the pricing, I spend the whole show trying to determine which category the buyers fall into.

The second detail that put me off was the first words out of most potential buyers mouths upon entering kitchens. They comment on the existence of granite countertops, or lack there of. Then they comment on the stainless steel appliances, or lack there of. While this will never happen because the properties on these shows are always a couple hundred thousand dollars or more, I dream of an episode in which the kitchen has granite appliances and stainless steel counters.

Ugh. Congressional hearings are on about Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. I need to wrap this up and prepare to feel enraged.

One Thousand Channels and Nothing to Watch

2010-01-24T23:32:00.000-08:00

This is night two with insomnia. Last night I managed to get through 15 percent of Julie and Julia. I was reading it on my Kindle lest you think I am obsessive enough to calculate the percentage. Due to the font options, page numbers are rendered useless. It’s a great book; I’m hoping that the context in which I am reading it won’t color my perception of it. Any experience that is gained while I would rather be asleep suffers an extra dash of malcontent.

Last night’s dose of ceiling watching went on for three hours. After a couple hours of reading, I turned to the trusty TV. We got cable a few weeks ago after more than a year without it. I didn’t miss having cable. I don’t like TV. If I had any doubts about the dubious value of hours spend in front of the TV, Jersey Shore banished my doubts to the hinterlands of my mind.

On a Saturday night, there is absolutely nothing of value to watch on TV from three AM to 6AM. The programming consists of thirty-minute advertisements for products that no one in the light of day would consider purchasing. Who needs a belt that shocks your abdominal muscles in to contracting repetitively?

How is it possible to have one thousand channels and still have nothing to watch? I finally settled on Bill Moyers Journal on PBS, a station that we had without paying a dime. I like the show, but it’s not exactly fluff to fall asleep to. I was hoping for a rerun of the Supernanny or Family Guy.

Prior to getting cable, the only time I missed having it was when I was awake at night. I didn’t consider that cable would only broaden the pool of bad options. I decided to try this blog out, but it keeps me too engaged to get sleepy. I’m sure you will excuse me while I flip through my thousand channels several times before I settle on one of the many bad options.

2010 Gym Rant

2010-01-24T08:42:00.000-08:00

January is an aggravating month to be a gym bunny. I go to the gym five days a week all year round. My typical routine is interrupted each January by droves of people with well-intended resolutions. They peter out in February, and I can return to visiting the gym at the 6:00 crowded sweat-hour and still get access to my machines with relative ease.

In last year’s gym rant, I discussed the coughing/gagging man on the treadmill next to me. In addition to the strain of running 3 miles, I spent the time in high alert to spring away should my neighbor projectile vomit my way. This January put last January to shame.

Gyms are stinky places. People are sweating. My expectations for hygiene are slightly relaxed. There is a patron who frequents my gym that shatters my lowered expectations. This guy goes year round and seems to turn up five days a week. His existence isn’t unique to January, but in less-congested times of the year I can steer clear of his green cloud of noxious fumes.

On a good day, the fumes only extend within three feet of his wake and the stench is not pungent enough to draw tears to my eyes. On a bad day the gag-range can reach ten feet. Yesterday afternoon, after and extensive search for alternatives, I realized that the only machine available to me was submerged in stinky’s ten-foot cloud.

Aside for the obvious struggle to remain on the Stairmaster while blinking away tears, living in stinky’s cloud comes with another down side. While I am aware of stinky’s situation, the people around me might mistake me for the source of the great stench. The only upside is watching people’s faces as they approach stinky. Men tend to be unresponsive. Women look like they’ve been slapped in the face upon approaching the green cloud.

That sums up the first part of my work out. I moved to the treadmill after doing my 30 minutes in the cloud. I need to say just a bit about what I was wearing. I’m working on a study of gym clothes for work. So, all week I have been wearing performance clothing all week. I exhausted all the shirts that I like. That particular day I pulled out a shirt at the bottom of my drawer. After two minutes on the treadmill, I was reminded of why it lives in the bottom of my drawer. It likes to ride up to just below my sports bra.

I was in the movie room at the gym, so I just accepted a bare midriff for those three miles. Then I noticed my treadmill neighbor. The fifty-year-old, pudgy, balding man to my left was looking at me. I thought, ok, I’ll just give him a minute. He fell into a pattern of staring at me for thirty seconds and then looking a head for two seconds. I let this go on for eight minutes.

I mustered a wicked glare and stared him down. The lecherous old turd ‘s eyes widened and he looked forward. I stared a little longer just to make sure he got the message. He must have, because mere moments later he got of the treadmill and left.

February, I am waiting for you. Please bring back the gym that I know and love.

Eating from my Backyard

2009-07-03T14:57:00.001-07:00

My first season of trying to grow things has gone well. I had low expectations for my gardening abilities. Thus far, I've eaten my grown-from-seed green beans and sugar snap peas. I had some spinach come up, but I neglected to pick it before it started to flower. I will try that again in the fall.

This first pic is of my only surviving tomato plant from seed. The germination rate on the tomatoes was nearly 100 percent. I had about eight or nine seedlings that I put outside. The seedlings in the back were all scarfed up by some sort of critter. I put two seedlings in the front bed. One of the seedlings was also scarfed by a critter. This guy powered through and is doing well. Something has eaten off a few of the blooms on this guy. So, I'm not holding my breath on getting tomatoes.

I purchased a few strawberry plants. I was feeling too impatient to grow them from seed. I love strawberries. A couple of the plants are planted. A few of them are in a planter. I've had them for a little over a week. They seem to be happy. Both the in-ground and in-pot plants have new growth. The picture is of the plants in the pot.

The bell peppers have been a struggle. Their germination rate was a little less than 50 percent, when I had them indoors. We just started a pot from seed outside a week ago. That one seemed to germinate well. The area the pot is in gets full sun almost all day. I'm wondering if that wasn't the key for them. I put about 5 pepper seedlings outside. All but one of them got eaten in the back yard. The poor little survivor got its leaves bit off several times, but I keeps trying to sprout new ones. I think that one might make it. I put two seedlings in the front. One of the two was eaten. I included a picture of the pepper plant that is doing the best.

I killed my basil seedlings. The basil germinated at a 90 percent rate. I moved five seedlings outside. All of them died. It didn't seem that they were eaten like many of my other seedlings. I wonder if the sudden increase in sunlight was too much for them. We planted more basil in a pot directly outside. Thus far the basil seedlings look very happy. I've included a picture of the basil seedlings. We also planted some onions and catnip in planters. I've learned that basil and catnip seedlings look awfully similar.

Michael Jackson Broke my Heart

2009-06-28T18:50:00.000-07:00

I don't consider myself I a big Michael Jackson fan. As a teen, I listened to grunge, indie rock, punk and metal. Most of my forays into pop were before I turned 15. For most of my adult life I have listened to indie rock.

When I heard Michael Jackson died I was shocked. I thought it was sad, as I thought about David Carradine's and Farrah Fawcett's passing. But Michael's death has weighed heavy on my heart for days. The day he passed, half of the radio stations were playing his songs in tribute, and I found myself choking back tears without knowing why. On a nostalgic impulse, I went to see the New Kids on the Block last night. They played an instrumental portion of "Man in the Mirror" and then covered "I'll Be There". Again, I found myself choking back tears.

I think I can finally articulate why this upset me this much. Michael Jackson and Madonna were the first artists that rose on the horizon of my awareness to music. Like many people my age, the Moonwalk was the first dance move I attempted. I still smile when I hear "Thriller" and "Beat It". These songs remind me of a time when I was blissfully unaware of hanging chads, the price of gas, office politics and the outrageous cost of health care. My biggest worry was if I could find a white glittery glove.

Watching Michael do his swan dive into celebrity crazy land was painful. For Elvis, the dive came in the form of paunchy, drugged-up Elvis. For Michael it came in the form of excessive surgery and strange behavior in regard to children.

I've realized that Michael's careening decline followed the same trajectory of my declining sense of wonder and imagination as I became an adult. It's the transition that we all make between an uncomplicated sense of wonder for all the beautiful things this world has to offer to a mature cynicism with a blind eye to the simple beauty in our lives.

For years, I've quietly hoped that Michael would return to the stage. I hoped that he would redeem all these years of strange behavior. I was hoping that prior to leaving this existence he would give us a reminder of why he was the King of Pop.

Sadly, that was not to be. Perhaps Michael was simply a child at heart. If he didn't behave inappropriately to those children, I can't help but wonder if we didn't kill a mocking bird. Everyone was more than happy to cheer him on when he was successful. But just as many people were also more than happy to pile the insults on his failures.

It breaks my heart to think of what Michael must have experienced at all that negative coverage in the tabloids. In interviews, he seemed truly hurt by the negative tabloid coverage. It breaks my heart to think of what this says about our culture; are we people who love to see people succeed and love seeing their inevitable failures? Finally, it breaks my heart to think about the loss we all suffer becoming adults. We lose our sense of adventure for the ordinary. We lose our open hearts.

RIP Michael.

Warning: Technology Rant Enclosed

2009-06-04T08:55:00.000-07:00

I just need to vent for a moment. I left my iPod in my car this morning. Not only is it a must for surviving my work day, but I left it on the dash board in full view of any sticky fingered folk passing through the parking lot.

I drive a Jeep Wrangler with a soft top. After years of living in Over the Rhine, (for non-Cincinnati natives, this is a bad area of town. Its existence is the sole reason I like to call Cincinnati Little Detroit.) I am in the habit of not locking my doors. Locked doors on a soft top Jeep is an invitation to cut through the 1000 dollar soft top.

I hoofed it back to my car and rescued my iPod. On my return, I noticed the parking lot fee had gone up by 50 cents. The lot I park in has one of those lock boxes that patrons are expected to drop appropriate amounts of money in. I approached the lock box to deposit my additional change. There was a woman depositing her change. She was muttering, mostly in Spanish. She had a Blue Tooth headset in her hear.

I thought at first that she must be talking to someone on the phone. But then she kept turning around and making eye-contact with me. I understand quite a bit of Spanish, so I knew that she was complaining about the weather. I had no idea if she was expecting a response from me. I found myself growing more and more irritated with her for putting me in a socially awkward situation.

I decided to just stare at her blankly. She finished with her change. I put in my extra 50 cents and headed back to the building. She was headed to the same building that I was. We basically repeated the same sequence. Only this time she was fumbling around with her id badge to open the office building door.

I think the worst unintended consequence of our increased mobile communication is that as a culture we have sacrificed those in our immediate presence to whomever may call or text us. I can think of four recent examples with almost no effort. The woman in line at Starbucks yammering on her cell phone, trying to slip in her order to the cashier while she maintained her conversation on the phone. At a concert last night, the guys who didn't say a word to each other for 30 minutes because they were faffing about with their phones. As a server, I've waited on countless patrons who would take calls ignoring both me and their dinner companion. At a family event, my cousin spoke nary a word to anyone there because she was too busy texting.

I am an annoyance to most of my friends because I am not timely in responding to texts and calls. There is a palpable pressure to respond to the pinging devices in our pockets. I resist that pressure. Recently, I've been thinking about making the most of every moment. I'm sure I won't be wishing that I texted more on my death bed. I'm sure I will wish for more time with the people I care about; I'm also sure I will wish for time in their presence, not more time typing in 140 character messages with my thumbs.

Why are the autoworkers getting squeezed again when Rick Wagoner is getting 20 million dollars?

2009-03-31T04:41:00.001-07:00

Seriously, I want to know the answer to this question. I also want to know why auto workers are being forced to negotiate lower pay and benefits when there has been careful protection of AIG and citibank staffers and their compensations.

Why is it ok to squeeze the auto workers, but not the people who brought us the financial inventions of mass destruction? I could stomach this much better if I thought everyone has been treated equally. I realize that GM and co has made poor business decisions. But so have all those people in leadership at Citi, Bank of America and AIG. In fact, I argue that the leadership at the banks have unleashed far more damage on our economy. But they are intitled to the millions they make?

Peas and Green Beans

2009-03-31T04:34:00.000-07:00

I've got a few pictures of my peas and green beans. I've also included pictures of the cat that attacked my green beans.

Greenish Thumb

2009-03-27T19:11:00.000-07:00

So, I’ve had more little sprouts come up. I’m still unsure of what they are. See my first gardening mistake of not labeling what seeds I planted where in earlier posts.

One of my seedlings died for reasons I don’t know. Some others are a bit wilted. First I was thinking that it was water. I dried them out, and they didn’t seem to like that either. I put them outside in partial sun. I put them outside in full sun. Now I’m starting to think that some of they liked it dry and some of them like it wet. I’m trying that next.

The peas outside are still doing great. They are super green, and their tendrils have started wrapping around the lattice that I’ve built for them. The green beans are growing so much. I’ve moved them out of their little peat pots and planted them in larger planters. They can’t go outside yet, because they don’t like frost. I’m still thinking that April will have some night frosts. I can pull the pots in on those cold nights.

Oh, I have no pictures this time because Stef has my camera in Kansas City. I will have pictures later in the week.

Solution: We Should Buy the Assets that the Banks Don't Want

2009-03-24T14:20:00.001-07:00

Lemme see if I get this straight. People got mortgages they couldn't affort. Banks put these mortgages together and sold sections of the combo to investors. Then people stopped paying their mortgages. Banks foreclosed on lots of houses. Home values started to tank. The value of these investments became questionable. The stock market tanked. Under the first TARP, the treasury gave banks tax-payer money with nearly no requirements on how the money was spent. In theory, the treasury was buying stock in the banks with a 1 to 1 ratio. Information is emerging to indicate that it was a $1 to $.75. That means the treasury simply gave away a quarter of a trillion dollars. Then the government passed the trillion dollar stimulus package. For the sake of simplicity, I am skipping all the money printing that the fed has done that is causing gas prices to spike again. Now the government will provide loans and safety nets to investors to intice them to buy the mortgage backed securities. Basically the goverment is promising that the tax payer will pay for most of the losses, but the tax payers will only get half of the profits should the investments pay out.

Citizens Loss
Their home or loss in their home value
Value in their 401Ks due to stock market dive
Millions lost their jobs
Loss of a trillion plus future tax dollars for first TARP (I haven't even calculated interest)
Loss of another trillion plus for the stimulus package (Again no interest calculated)
Potential loss of the loans to entice investors to purchase the troubled assets
Potential loss if the troubled assets loss value once purchased by investors

Banks Loss
Asset values decline
A loss of some control upon acceptance of TARP bailout money

My summary: The banks are ass raping us. There is one thing I want to see happen. I want the government to break-up every single company that is deemed too big to fail. That is the only way to ensure that this cycle of public loss private gain doesn't continue. Citibank should be thrilled with their situation. They can continue to take huge risks and rest assured that the tax payers will continue to pour money into their failures. If I were Citibank's CEO, I would consider this feat the best success of this century.

Economy and Junk

2009-03-22T13:57:00.000-07:00

After watching Meet the Press this morning, I have honed in on two ideas that have been incubating in my brain. First, Americans were spending 130% of their incomes year after year. So, when people say, economic recovery, I'm wondering if they mean all of us living 30% beyond our means. Returning to a life style in which we spend more than we earn is clearly unsustainable.

That begs another related idea. If the whole country starts living within their means, our economic activity will not return to the levels prior to the melt down. I'm just wondering what that will look like. I'm guessing GDP won't be as high. In addition, companies won't need to produce quite as many goods. There won't be quite as many jobs.

I've already read statistics that say gen X will be the first generation that will not have more than the generation before it. I'm guessing this will depress our incomes further. Things have simply gotten more expensive, and we aren't making enough money to make up for it. Maybe this is how the middle class is dying.

My second thought has to do with the AIG bonuses. I've heard quite a few politicians and reporters say rather revealing things while discussing this issue. First, when they try and minimize the quantity of money that was distributed they sound profoundly out of touch with average Americans. Our average household income is only $50,000. That's household income. So, when people on TV are saying that those poor people at AIG only make $75,000 a year, their BMWs and Mercedes are showing.

Mission Germination: Success

2009-03-20T08:17:00.000-07:00

Since I have been off of work for a few days with shingles, I have had plenty of time to obsess over my plants. I could write a whole new post on the shingles experience. I will just say that I have it on my face. It hurts. I'm on LOTS of medication. I'm taking handfuls of drugs per day. It is not pleasant in any way.

As I mentioned in past posts, I am making my first attempt at growing my own veggies. I am growing them from seeds. So, the first hurdle to get over is getting the seeds to germinate. Here's where I am.

Peas: 11 of 12 seeds planted have germinated. In fact the plants are so large, I had to transplant them out side. They were out growing their little peat pots. The peas are looking good since their transplant.

Tomatoes: 6 of 16 seeds planted have germinated. Unfortunately, my cats ate two of my seedlings. I'm crossing my fingers that more of the seeds germinate.

Peppers: 4 of 16 seeds planted have germinated. I'm not totally certain what I am seeing are peppers and not onions. So, for now these I'm calling these seedlings peppers.

Green Beans: 1 of 12 seeds planted have germinated. I can see disturbance in a few other been pots. I'm pretty sure more will come up shortly.

Unidentified: I have two seedlings that I can't identify. More on those in future posts.

So, I haven't seen any onions, cilantro, basil, lettuce, spinach or carrots yet.

You and Your Racist Friend

2009-03-18T17:55:00.000-07:00

I planted my sugar snap peas this afternoon. They are growing wonderfully. I can only hope their transplant outside goes well. While planting my peas, my classy neighbor was sitting on his back porch drinking bottle after bottle of bud from a twelve pack.

He was quiet at first. Neighbor got a call from a fellow "patriot". He was talking loudly enough that I was not able to tune him out. He started the conversation saying that he's not a racist. That phrase is like the "get out of jail free" card. Once people say that they feel completely vindicated in spouting off racial slurs.

My neighbor did not disappoint. He proceeded to blame everything negative in this country on beaners and niggers. I was shocked. I'm still shocked. I think this country can do without patriots like him.

I’ve Started Growing Things and this Blog Will Be My Diary

2009-03-15T08:34:00.000-07:00

I’m trying to grow stuff. Up to this point in my life, I have not had a green thumb. I’ve decided to document my abject failures and wild successes with growing my own food in this blog. I’m hoping this will jog my memory next year and enable me to repeat my successes and steer clear of my failures.

On March 9th, I planted green beans, sugar snap peas, asparagus, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, basil, lettuce, carrots and peppers. I got a seed-potting mix and trays of peat moss mini pots. I loaded up the little pots with seed-potting mix and seeds. I watered them. Then I waited.

I have already made my first mistake. I didn’t label the mini-pots with what seeds I placed there. I have three sprouts now, but I’m not sure what they are. They are awfully cute though.