True Colors

Springing to Life

2009-06-14T10:18:00.000-07:00

It has been so long since my last garden update. There have been many changes since I last wrote. The garden beds have been completed and amended. Plans are underway for next years greenhouse. The glass sashes have already been secured, now it is time to begin the framing plans. The compost pile has finally been "mastered(?)." Well, it is hot most of the time, thanks to a regular supply of grass clippings from our neighbors healthy lawn, as well as chicken manure from our newest yard inhabitants.

The compost pile gets turns a couple of times a week with new kitchen scraps, clippings, and used chicken bedding being added. Add a little water every 6 inches of layer or so and presto, hot, steamy, rich organic fertilizer for the garden every couple of weeks. I simply spread it around the plants on the surface and let the watering filter it down into the soil. So far the plants seem to like it.

All of the plants in the garden were started from seed except for two eggplants that I purchased at the local farmers market. I could not resist them. The farmer was very friendly and he was doing this from his back yard as am I. The plants looked healthy and strong so I took them home and planted them next to the single eggplant I was able to get going by seed. I even managed to get onions going from seed which is supposed to very difficult to do. Most books I read said to save the frustration and buy starts from the nursery. I tried anyhow and about half of my seed succeeded.

I have had a few volunteers pop up. Most have been removed but a few were allowed to continue to grow just to see what would produce. Last year we planted Greek Amaranth. The leaves were not as tasty as Amy had hoped but the flower is attractive and the plant is impressive. From that experience we learned that Greek Amaranth is also a very prolific seed producer. The seed also becomes a plant very easily with just a little bit of moisture. I have had hundreds of plants sprout. Most have been pulled early on. I allowed a few to grow as I learned that the chickens simply love eating those leaves. The plant grow very quickly. Each morning and evening a handful of leaves get picked and thrown to the chickens who devour them as quickly as they can.

The rest of the plants growing are: heirloom tomatoes, yellow bush beans, green bush beans, onions, radishes, carrots, spinach, mustard, chard, zucchini squash, winter squash, muskmelon, pumpkin, leeks, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, eggplants, Armenian cucumber and sunflowers. I think that covers everything. Here are a few snap snots of the garden taken this morning.

Hot Soon

2009-05-17T22:10:00.001-07:00

Today was record hot. I think it may have officially been 99 degrees but things felt so much hotter. The garden is coming along, not as well as I would like but learning a little more each year. One of these years we will have the ultimate garden that you see pictured in the gardening books and magazines, just not this year. I seem to easily get sidetracked by other activities that zap my energies around the garden. I lack focus and follow through with planning. Crossfit is making me tired. Arthritis is showing its ugly head to remind me I am not in remission. I am feeling almost 40 now. I can't rebound from intense workouts the way I used to. No riding to work this year yet as I can't get up early enough to do the 18 mile ride. It may also account for some of my gardening shortcomings. Soon I will force in a ride to work. Soon I will make my plans for the greenhouse I will build for next year. Soon we will take our Father's Day camping trip. Soon I will have some extra days off from work. Soon I will see some friends and family who have been missing from my life. Soon.

Garden Week 5

2009-01-30T16:21:00.000-08:00

No pictures this week, just a garden update. I have been awaiting all of my supplies before starting my seeds. Finally, I have all that I need. So today I began by dealing with the perpetual problem of our compost pile. The compost pile continues to not get warm. I believe the problem is a lack of organic matter and nitrogen. It also did not help that it was rained on for a couple of days while uncovered when we were out of town. At the start of the day it was a soggy cold pile of half composted matter.

Today I turned the pile while adding in layers of chicken manure. Once this was done I covered the pile with black plastic. I am hoping the manure will help with the nitrogen and organic matter needs and that the plastic will help to kick start the heating process since the material is still quite wet. Only time will tell. I should see a difference in a couple of days if it works.

The second gardening task was to begin the seeds. I only accomplished the very beginning steps of this. We are using a seed blocker to start the seeds this year and to use it we have to make a soil mix. Part of the mix is coir, a renewable resource alternative to using peat. Unfortunately, it arrives in a block the size of a brick and nearly as hard as one. So the coir sits soaking in a bucket of water to soften up before adding to the mix. The rest of the mix consists of lime, brown phosphate, greensand, blood meal, sand, garden soil and compost. This task is to be continued later in the weekend.

Garden Week 2

2009-01-11T19:01:00.000-08:00

It seems like not much has changed since last week in the garden, and in fact at first glance that is so. However, there has been much going on that I realize upon reflection. This was the week that we received our first package in the mail. It contained the tools of life for our garden. It the aerated box we had greensand, kelp meal, brown phosphates, coir blocks, a mini seed blocker, trays and clear domes, and sadly for some... caterpillar killer. From here there is no turning back. We have the technology, we are gaining the knowledge. Now it is simply, ha simply, remaining on track, maintaining the time lines and planning the proper sequences from seeding to harvest.

In the yard we continued to revamp our planter boxes. The second smaller box was constructed in the rear left corner of the garden. We are very happy that all of the material we have used for the garden so far has been reused/recycled. In the larger box the soil was raked through and all the rocks removed, clumps of soil broken apart, and last years plant roots removed. I am very excited about how much the soil has improved from what we started with.

We also remodeled the compost bin. Over a year ago I constructed a compost bin that we have been using. It seemed to serve its purpose well enough, although the pile has never been hot or even maintained an inner warmth regardless of what I have tried. I think I may have discovered the problem. The bin was built with a solid floor and also has not been covered during the rain. These two factors have created a soggy pile during the winter months. So now our bin has been rebuilt to allow the pile to sit on the ground with air exposure on all sides. I must say that it is not the prettiest compost bin nor what I want as the final structure, but it was done at no cost. We blew up our garden budget already this month on seed and supplies so the bin had to be made without funds. I had chicken wire in the garage and pallet stickers from work which will surely rot away. So for now this is it, when the budget allows a new compost bin will follow.

Garden Week 1

2009-01-04T16:56:00.000-08:00

So this week begins the 2009 Garden Project. The project is to begin a year round garden in our yard. Our plot is not large. I think in all we will be using about 100 sq. ft. of raised beds. However, I think we will work in some other areas of the yard as well. Fruit trees, berries, and grapes will planted around the yard perimeter and we will probably intermingle some herbs and other edible crops in the yard planting areas.

When we moved into the house about 7 years ago it looked like a typical 50 year old ranch home in the suburbs. Green lawn out from with hedges. Patio cover in the rear with lots of concrete and 1 peach tree. The patio cover was rotting away, the lawn was old and needed to be stripped and re-sodded, and the concrete in the rear was cracked and overwhelming in area. So little by little replaced. The house is small and when company was over there is not a real nice gathering space. So instead of new lawn we allowed it to die. We stripped all the landscape from the front yard, regraded it and built a front courtyard along with a short fence to divide the front yard nearly in half. I remember neighbors walking past and talking to each other about our dead yard. "What are they going to do with this?" The back yard had a similar overhaul, at least in removal. All concrete was broken out and hauled away. Patio cover gone. Now 5 years later we are actually beginning to do something with it. Nothing flashy here. This is about creating a sustainable landscape. Garden, fruit trees, berries, compost bin, worm bins, drip irrigation, the works. It is not about beauty, it is about function. We have thrown in a sandbox for Benen too.

So this week was about getting started. Seeds and supplies were ordered, research has continued, and the raised beds have been started. This week the largest of the beds was laid out and built. All material for the beds is recycled lumber, I repeat function, not beauty. Over the past year the soil has been amended repeatedly with compost from our worm bins and compost pile. The soil we began with was solid clay. In the summer the backyard could have doubled as a parking lot the soil would get so hard. This rise and fall around here like the tides. Winter, ground swell. Summer, ground shrinks and fissures appear. Now the soil in the garden actually looks rich and fertile. Earthworms now inhabit our garden due to the fine soil we are creating. Each shovel scoop produces multiple worms of all sizes. No more asphalt in summer for us, at least in the garden.

Facebook

2008-12-31T20:26:00.000-08:00

Somehow during this past year Facebook entered my life. It is something that I let in with trepidation and at present am not sure exactly what I am doing with it, using it for, or what it is using me for. Initially the idea of reconnecting with people from my past and remaining connected with those in my present sounded interesting, not exciting, but worth checking out. It actually had a voyeuristic appeal. Maybe I could see how everyone I have lost touch with is doing covertly. Why the introverted approach, I am not sure. So I checked it out and in doing so was able to say hello to a few old and current friends.

Facebook posts comments between friends on a "wall" for all to read. Seeing these comments between friends, some from my past, some current, some who have known each other for 20+ years enabled me to notice something about myself. I noticed very distinctive chapters in my life. My chapters are not like a book you might read which flows seemlessly and is difficult to put down. My chapters are more like sequels. They have edges, borders, endings. When new chapters begin they sometimes have the same characters but something is not the same. Something has changed. There may even be new characters which float in and out of the scenes without adding anything to the story. It is as if the whole story keeps starting over.

I just finished reading an old friends blog about resolutions. I have never made them, not one ever. I never understood the point. Why make a resolution? I never really got it until now. I do not know if I can do it now. However, I think I really would like to try one this year. So, here is to building and maintaining family, friendships and relationships.

Garden 2009

2008-12-20T17:23:00.000-08:00

Last year we started to dedicate a portion of our yard to growing some of our own food. We really did not know a lot about what we were doing but wanted to begin learning. In the past we had made minor attempts with the greatest success coming the first year we tried. Since then, about 5 years worth of time, we had had very poor results. So last year we cordoned off a portion of the back yard with a small fence to keep out the dogs and our then two year old son. We hastily made a raised bed and planted a few seeds. Our results again were poor. Most of our plants either were stunted, diseased or did not bear much food. The only success we had was with our cucumbers and squash but sometimes I think these two are just about fool proof. Last year even our tomato plants had to be pulled.

I learned you get out of it what you put into it. We have a very heavy clay soil that we must really cultivate and amend. I have researched composting and drainage to understand that most of the failure we had last year was probably due to poor nutrients and wet roots. So this year I have a new plan. Heavy composting and working of the soil to improve its composition. Hopefully the plants will thrive in a more fertile soil that does not become water logged, drowning the plant roots.

In the plans are new raised beds. To maximize the use of space and have a longer growing season I am making four planting beds. The goal is to create a year round garden with crop rotations and also elongated harvest times so all the food does not come at once. I have had some time to create a planting schedule and gardening calendar to help organize what needs to happen to try to pull this off. I also decided to take pictures along the way to help capture the results. Hopefully this year will be more bountiful than those of the past.

The garden area, December 2008.

What's under the white plastic? Just some lettuce and parsnips, protected from the frosty nights we have had recently.

An Amazing Three Year Old

2008-11-07T21:28:00.000-08:00

Well, he is not exactly three years old yet. He is still about three weeks shy of his third birthday but I will just call it three years old. Tonight, after a little snack of home made pizza for dinner our three year old and I took our dog Lila for a walk. At least that is what I intended to do. We put on our shoes and socks, zipped up our jackets and got out the dog leash. It was already dark and starting to get a little chilly.

Benen had other ideas however. Once his feet hit the sidewalk in front of the house, he dropped the leash and he started running. I picked up the leash and gave it a tug so Lila and I could catch up to the jogging three year old. This time he just kept running. He ran until he reached the corner, stopped for my hand, and crossed the street and started running again. At first I just walked very briskly to keep up since the start of the run was slightly uphill we kept up with Benen like this just fine. Once we made a left and started the slight descent I decided to just start to likely jog along side of him and see how far he would take it. He just kept going. I let him lead the way and he jogged, seriously he was jogging, all the way downtown and he stopped at the ice cream parlor where they serve $1 scoops all day, every day. Since he ran the whole way, and I had a dog with me, I decided he was big enough to get his own ice cream. I took out a dollar, handed it to him and he walked inside and got in line. Of course, nobody could see him in line and the adults and older kids just kept walking in front of him. He stood patiently in place holding the dollar between two fingers on his right hand. Finally I walked in and asked the server to give him a scoop after his customer since otherwise we would have been there a long time. He received his ice cream and handed over the dollar bill.

Now we were off to the playground where he ran around and played after finishing half of the ice cream. We started back to the house. On the way back we detoured to a second playground and played some more. Finally, we made our way to the home stretch towards home. Once we finally reached home I looked at the clock to realize we were gone for about 2-1/2 hours. I was surprised that the entire time he walked or jogged on his own and asked me to pick him up. I had to know how far traveled, not including the running around at the playgrounds so I got online and mapped out our trip on www.mapmyrun.com. Here are the stats: He ran the first 1.25 miles to the ice cream shop and our total trip was 2.75 miles and he never slowed down. In fact most of the way he was setting a cadence that went something like da... da... dadada.

World Commute

2008-11-03T22:08:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the editors and writer from "Bicycling" magazine I learned of a new website, http://www.worldcommute.com/. On this website you can enter all of your exercise activities such as riding, walking and running and it will track your "health points." The really cool thing of the website is that you can classify the type of exercise you are doing. So, if you are running or walking to work it tracks your savings in gasoline, money and reduction of CO2 you are creating. When you set up the account, which is free, you answer questions such as the type of car you normally would be driving and the gas mileage you get and it uses that information to track your progress. It also gives you up to the minute aggregate results of everyone who has signed up with accounts and tracks results by country and state.

I just learned of the site and therefore only have 3 weeks of data entered. In the three weeks I have saved $20.65 in fuel costs, used 8 gallons less gasoline, traveled 222 miles, and reduced my CO2 emissions by 152 lbs by cycling to work 2 days a week. The nice feature of the website is that it produces tangible results. Seeing results really inspires me to keep it up. It helps answer the question of how much one person can do. By the way, as of right now, the world results for those who are signed up are 1,536.82 less gallons of fuel and 29,752 lbs. of CO2 removed from the environment, and that is from only 708 people. Just imagine if everyone was able to participate just one day a week!

When God Made Me

2008-10-26T09:30:00.000-07:00

This is another beautiful song by Neil Young that I would like to share with anyone who has not heard it before. I have included the lyrics as well. I first heard this song the year Benen was born and it really meant a lot to me. The song sums up my thoughts about God and religion. These are many of the questions I have thought of at one time or another in my life concerning religion and God and why I have difficulty accepting any religions.

When God Made Me

Was he thinking about my country, or the color of my skin?

Was he thinking about my religion,and the way I worshipped him?

Did he create just me in his image,or every living thing?

When God made me. When God made me.

Was he planning only for believers,or for those who just had faith?

Did he envision all wars that were fought in his name?

Did he say there was only one way to be close to him?

When God made me. When God made me.

Did he give me the gift of love to say who I could choose?

When God made me. When God made me. When God made me.

Did he give me the gift of voice so some could silence me?

Did he give me the gift of vision not knowing what I might see?

Did he give me the gift of compassion to help my fellow man?

When God made me. When God made me. When God made me.

A Painter is Born

2008-10-23T20:19:00.000-07:00

This song or video has little to do with what I am describing other than the title, however, I love the song and the artist. "The Painter," by Neil Young. He is one of my favorites. This week started off with having to lay off three employees at work. This is one of the toughest things to do. It is stressful to everyone involved. If you don't think it is tough try it some time.

What this means for me is that I get to wear a few more hats at work. I am not even sure if you can see my face anymore. Today, and yesterday, and again this Saturday I get to play painter. We paint mantels that we build as well as mouldings and other architectural ornaments. So today I spent the day painting about 2000' of mouldings. It is a lot of painting, a whole damn lot of painting. So today, I got to spend the day in painter's whites and latex gloves, walking around in my little booth by myself for the most part. In some ways it is a nice break from my normal routine of gods knows what. It has allowed me to hand off some tasks to others for the moment and also gives me time to think of everything else I need to work on, prioritize and organize.

Who knows what tomorrow will bring. Luckily, tomorrow is a day I get to wear multiple hats at home. Dad, husband, laborer, house keeper, and baker. Maybe, just maybe, I can sneak in a bike ride too.

I Was In The Dark

2008-10-21T18:40:00.000-07:00

Yes, I was in the dark, completely in the dark. Then the light came on and illuminated my way. This morning my internal alarm went off at 3 a.m. and that meant it was time to stop sleeping. So I rolled out of the bed, did the dishes, made some coffee, ate a little breakfast and read about building bread ovens on the Internet. Finally I decided I should just ride to work.

It was still dark at 6 a.m. but my light was strong. I have decided, riding in the dark is FUN. It is like being in a tunnel and everything feels like it is moving fast. Joggers, walkers and other riders merge from the shadows as I approach. The best part is reaching my destination as the sun is rising over the hills to the east. Gazing at the pink sky, black hills and purple clouds is a beautiful way to begin a workday.

Half Way Through Fall Season

2008-10-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

Today is Sunday and for the sake of tracking my progress I am calling this my half way point through Fall Season. In baseball preseason is full of excitement. Every team is in first place, there is the promise of renewed expectations on the veteran players and inspiring hope from the younger players. Ultimately each spring season is full of surprises. Veterans who are slow getting out the gate and youngsters who surprise everyone and tear it up.

After one week and reviewing my list I would say that this I am a veteran player, with renewed expectations, and realizing that I have a long season ahead. When I first typed these thoughts into words I felt they were realistic and not too challenging. Now I find that my days are jam packed with trying to fit everything in; I have placed some big expectations on myself. Not to say that they can not be realized or that I am giving up. Actually, I am enjoying the challenge.

So here are my stats so far this fall season:
Dad - I can not read books as Benen constantly flips the pages before two words may be read. But at least I have tried. Still working on keeping my expectations consistent and with talking to Benen more. We worked on learning "I'll Be There" as our song for the week and we did manage to take two walks together.

Husband - Tried on all goals. I think I did better in all areas but still could do better.

Employee - Definitely making progress in this area especially considering the especially stressful times we are in throughout this financial/housing recession.

Food - Avoiding the fast food and brought my lunches to work. I think I only had two beers and a couple glasses of red wine during the week. I definitely increased my water consumption.

Exercise - I got in my two rides to work this week. Eliminated my running but substituted that with pulling Benen home from work in the trailer (18 miles). The core training was not even attempted.

Overall, I would say that I am doing well so far. Hopefully, I can keep it up throughout the fall and winter months. Wish me luck.

Fall Season Opens Today

2008-10-14T20:59:00.000-07:00

After one day of living with my list I have come to realize something new. I need give myself a certain amount of time to get in shape up for this list. See, all athletes need a training period, a preseason, a spring training, to get back into shape even though they have been playing their respective sports most of their lives. It is not just the physical act of getting in shape, but it also includes the mental aspect of playing the sport everyday or every week. The have to readjust from their off-season and adjust to traveling, working while tired, and facing people who question their every choice. There is an adjustment period to return to the routines centered around achieving optimal performance even while faced with difficult situations. The mental toughness is what separates the excellent from the good, the good from the bad. Many of the players are so close in physical abilities that the mental fortitude, desire and commitment towards reaching their goals is what sets them apart.

Well, if it works them, it should work for me. So I am giving myself a spring training. It just so happens that my spring training is occurring during the fall. What do you call that? Does any sport have a fall training? I can not think of one. Well, I think two weeks of rounding my routine into shape should be sufficient. The best thing about pre-season is that none of it counts, the good or the bad. But, I have to be ready for when the season starts. I know it actually started a long time ago, but I am not going to judge my accomplishments regarding the list until I give myself some time to adjust to having these goals.

Today was day one and I was able to follow through on some of my goals. Well, off to bed I go. I have to get up at 5:30 to ride the bike to work tomorrow, one of the goals, even if it 40 degrees outside.

Hard Work

2008-10-13T21:01:00.001-07:00

Darn it, being a Dad is really hard work. Actually, let me rephrase that statement. Being a Dad, a husband, employed, against fast food, and staying physically in shape is damn hard. Every day I find myself faced with sacrificing my ideals when it comes to one of the previously mentions duties. The skill that I feel to be lacking in is time management. Or maybe that is what I have mastered and the skill I really lack is remaining present in my daily activities and appreciating what I am doing well, maintaining, improving and not thinking about what I am not doing well, or missing out on.

So I have decided to make a list of what I want to do each week to feel better about my efforts and to keep it in perspective.

Dad
1. Relax and read one book with Benen each day.
2. Be consistent in my expectations.
3. Talk with Benen and explain something new each day.
4. Learn one new song a week to sing together.
5. Take a walk together each evening.

Husband
1. Be consistent with my expectations.
2. Listen to Amy without thinking about how it relates to me.
3. Show more affection and appreciation.

Employee
1. Be consistent with my expectations.
2. Be fair with those I work with.
3. Remain a positive influence to those I come in contact with.

Food
1. Take healthy lunches to work.
2. No Fast Food
3. Reduce beer consumption (that was hard to write)
4. Drink lots of water.

Exercise
1. Ride my bike to work at least twice a week.(even when it is darn cold or windy)
2. Do core training at least twice a week.
3. Take Benen for at least a 3 mile jog twice a week. I will allow a 20 mile ride with Benen as a substitute for jogging if necessary.

It has been nearly 20 years since I can remember making a list like this for myself. I think it will be result in improved self discipline and self appreciation for the efforts I make everyday. Wish me luck.

Delicious Banana Pancakes

2008-10-05T10:13:00.000-07:00

This morning Benen and I made some banana pancakes. I measured he poured. I stirred he stirred and licked spoons. He spilled, he licked some more. We enjoyed this experience together. Once he saw me flip the golden pancakes over in the pan he pointed to the cabinet with the plates. He stood patiently by the stove holding the plate out with both hands. He loved them without syrup and did Mama and I. We morphed another recipe into our own and it was great.

Wet Ingredients

2-1/2 cups soy milk
2 eggs
2 Tbs. melted coconut oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients

1-1/3 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/3 cup organic sugar (maybe 1/4 cup next time)

Optional Fruit

2 Bananas, well ripened

Mix wet ingredients together in a bowl. Mix dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Gradually mix wet ingredients into dry. Once you have a smooth consistency fold in the sliced banana. Heat skillet to medium heat, brush oil on pan and add batter.

Back From Camping

2008-09-26T08:02:00.000-07:00

So Benen and I have returned, still happy and loving each other. The camping trip was very relaxing and extremely easy. Benen had a great time from the time we unloaded the car to packing everything up. While I set up camp he unloaded all of his trucks and toys and organized them for play.

He also helped unpack all of our clothes and "helped" to put up the tent. Help as in, run and bounce of the sides of the tent as Dad tried to pitch it up. Once we were established in our site Benen made his way to visit a favorite memorial near the site. We have been to this campsite before and he remembers his favorite things about it.

The plaque may be hard to read but to paraphrase it is a memorial to a seven year old boy who was killed in Italy by thieves. His family donated his organs to save the lives of seven Italians. The villages donated these brass bells to the family as thanks and the memorial was erected back in the states. The large bell in the center of the memorial has been blessed by the Pope.

This is called the children's bell tower. At the memorial people place toys. Benen always has to visit this place and appreciate what has been left behind. He actually comes and takes me by the hand and walks to this place on his own on each visit. He sits and examines each toy left and when he is ready, gets up and walks back to camp. It is almost as if he is in touch with the spirit of this spot.

The following day we went to the beach and played in the sand, did some site-seeing and went out to dinner for fish and chips. Yeah, we were really "roughing it." We had a great time, had some father and son bonding time and learned that we could enjoy extended time alone together just wonderfully. I think we are both looking forward to doing this more often through the years.

Camping for Two

2008-09-20T22:15:00.000-07:00

One more day and we will be heading off for a two night camping trip on the shores of Northern California. This time, however, there will only be two of us. One will be left behind on their own for the first time in nearly three years. This time, Benen and Dad are leaving Mom to her own resources.

A few weeks ago I began to think it is about time Benen and I begin forming some rituals that go beyond working on chores together in the house, reading books at bedtime, snuggling up to go to sleep, etc. It was time for us to begin creating more bonds and memories together, and also time to give Mom some time to herself. I am sure we are all looking forward to these three days.

The days ahead are probably going to be a combination of camping, hiking, playing, eating, drinking, playing, driving, eating, playing, sleeping, drinking... you get the idea. Of course, the trip had to be organized around a trip to Wild Flour Bread. Since they are closed Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday each week the trip had to start on a Monday to avoid the crowds. The trip also was limited to location due to the same bread maker, so to the coast we go.

It will be interesting to find out how these three days go. Hopefully Benen will do OK without Mom around. Hopefully Mom will do OK without Benen around. And hopefully I will do OK with Benen around without Mom for three days. It should be fun, an adventure, and memorable. I am looking forward to it!

Bread Baking and the Garage

2008-09-01T19:23:00.000-07:00

Well, you may be thinking, that is a strange title, where is he going with this? Actually, it is a strange title but an apt description to the events of my day. While the following events are not the only ones from my Labor Day they were the couple that I could capture with the camera to share visually.

I woke up this morning and after a delicious french toast breakfast from my beautiful wife decided to get my butt back in the kitchen to keep trying to perfect my sticky bun (loaf) recipe. This is a quest that I think I will be hard pressed to actually achieve without dumping ungodly amounts of butter and sugar into. But the day before I made a loaf of cinnamon raisin, hence the french toast, that actually was decent but lacked the gooey stickiness that I was looking for. So today I tried something new with more sugar and butter and honey, mmmm. When getting the loaf ready for proofing I remembered that I forgot to put in the butter during the first knead. I tried to work it in before proofing the loaves, which seemed to go well. I worked up a nice sweet gooey glaze and decided to do one loaf and one batch of rolls. So far so good.

That is well it all went downhill. I became sidetracked during the baking and having not set a timer, overcooked the rolls. The glaze burnt creating a crisp charred bottom to the rolls. The loaf still had a chance. I think forgetting the butter came back to haunt me as the loaf lacked the usual softly firm chew. Oh well, every day is a learning experience.

The burnt roll bottoms

The Loaf

That done I moved on to trying to tackle the garage. This has been an ongoing battle for about five years I believe. I clean I mess it up, I throw things out I accumulate more junk. I wanted to fit a car in the garage again. So I collected items for goodwill, the hazardous waste disposal, and garbage made piles and plans for disposal. I cut out existing shelves and re-arranged. Benen even got into the act, he loves cleaning but ends up playing with most of what I am trying to throw out. By the end I accepted that the car still was not going to fit, not tonight. However, I am not giving up. I am just going to think it over, like a slow moving game of Tetris and try to figure out how to make it all fit.

First phase in the garage.

Gardening and Pictures

2008-08-31T20:15:00.000-07:00

This year we made some progress with our back yard. Two of the three fences that were falling over have been replaced. We erected a smaller fence to separate the garden from the rest of the yard, mainly to keep a two year old and the dog out of the garden when they can not be watched. We pulled out a peach tree and rather quickly prepared a raised bed area to plant our garden. Since this was the beginning of our year round garden we are learning as we go. Here are a few things we learned so far:

Plan the use of the space. Tall plants need to be in the back of the garden, farthest from the sun so they do not provide shade to sun loving crops. Plant in rows when you can and use all available space.
Cover area with mulch to reduce watering and drying out of the soil during hot periods.
Plant seed or seedlings along the path of a trellis for better climbing and denser plant growth.
Take the time to cultivate and condition the soil for less disease and better plant growth and yield.
Plant varieties that allow for canning or preserving so food does not go to waste.
Integrate more flowering plants to invite pollenators and reduce pests.

I have finally tried to get to know the camera we have had for nearly a year. Amy is so much better with it than I but hopefully my skills will improve. Today I decided to try a few things and took a few shapshots from the garden to share.

I just like this picture, from a stack of bricks in the back yard.

We trellised the melons to save space, but had to make them special hammocks.

A sunflower far enough from the fences that the squirrels have not ravaged it.

Rosa Bianca Eggplant, so far our only growth from the only surviving plant.

Another melon in a hammock.

Another picture that I just like. Our dog, Lila, was supposed to be in the picture but she did not wait for me while I messed with the camera settings.

2008-08-10T21:38:00.000-07:00

Recently I have been experiencing a recurring thought concerning this blog. I keep thinking that I need to try to blog more regularly but at the same time feel like I have nothing of interest to write about. How is it that I go through each day and at the end of the day feel like I nothing of interest to share with the outside world? So today I have decided that I must begin to do something different. I need to make more of an effort to make my life and experiences more interesting.

Today I was about to leave for a short bike ride, maybe a couple of hours, by myself. I woke up late today so meeting up with anyone that I regularly ride with, namely Collen, was not likely to happen. I began getting ready when my son noticed I was getting ready and the garage door was open. He immediately ran to the bike with excitement. Ok, so I wasn't going alone after all. We both finished getting ready and I could feel the heat of summer pounding on my back as I check the inflation of our tires, the bike and the bike trailer.

So where were we going to go? This is always hard to decide. Pulling the bike trailer also affects that decision. I want to go where there are other riders so that the drivers of cars are accustomed to seeing cyclists but I also want enough shoulder room to be safe. I decided to just start riding and see what inspiration I had. About 4 miles into the ride, still warming up, I had many thoughts. First, I read on my wife's blog, a quote from General Patton that stuck in my mind. It was the fist time I had read the quote and to me it made a lot of sense. Many times while riding and also during other aspects of life I could push through pain or adverse times while focusing on reaching a specific point or goal and as soon as it was reached completely crashing. So, maybe if I let my mind control my being and my pursuits I could accomplish more than if I let my physical being do it alone. At nearly the same moment I thought to myself how since Benen was born I wanted to take him up Mt. Diablo on the trailer so he could enjoy the scenery, quietness, and beauty of this wonderful mountain. He was not 2 years and 8 months old and I had not even attempted the voyage. How much longer did I have before he would not be able to do this with me? Today was the day and nothing was going to stop me, I had the mental focus and the desire to accomplish this feat!

We took a mild warm-up route to Peet's coffee before ascending the mountain. We stopped here to load up on marble bread and coffee cake. This is a popular stop for cyclists for mid-ride and post-ride snacks and caffeine loading. We sat at a table in the shade outside and listened to a group of riders wearing matching jerseys talk about their ride, commuting to work, recent races they competed in and driving their car into their garage with the bike still on the roof rack of the car. I just kept thinking to myself, "Yeah, but have you pulled 40 lbs of child and trailer up Mt. Diablo?"

Another woman asked me how it was pulling him up Mt Diablo in the trailer. "I don't know," I said, "but we are going to find out today." She looked surprised by the answer. I think she was trying to make a joke with me and didn't think I was going to answer her like that. "Isn't the mountain enough by itself?" she asked. Yes it is, but I had a goal that needed to be checked off. So Benen and I finished our snack, strapped on our helmets and headed off to meet the mountain together.

We were now about 20 miles into the ride when we reached the base of the mountain. I announced to Benen, "here we are, we are going to give it our best shot!" And we were off.

I began the ride up the mountain with the only expectation of making it to the junction without having to stop. The junction is about 6 miles up at about 2500' elevation. So I paced myself, trying to just keep in my mind the cadence and breathing I needed to do and not any of the feelings that may have been in my legs. I was amazed at how relatively easy it seemed. We held a tempo of between 6.5 and 8 mph most of the way except for a couple of really steep and flat moments. What I was more surprised by was the number of people on bike coming down the mountain who waved or smiled at me and the people in cars on the way up who were rubbernecking to see if there really was someone in the trailer.

Hundreds of people do this ride everyday, but obviously we were doing something special. This made it even "easier" to make the goal a reality. "That must be hard," one rider said as he passed by. Another just said, "That's beautiful." So much good vibes on one ride. If I was doing this by myself would I feel the same thing. When I am on my own do I get too caught up with my pain, the "finish line", or my time to notice these good vibes?

One thing is for sure. The mind is in control. Thanks to Amy for bringing this to my attention. Hopefully, I can take each day and let my mind lead the way. Today, I wonder, why did I wait 2+ years to even attempt what I wanted to accomplish?

The Invisible Man

2008-07-28T18:56:00.001-07:00

I really don't know how do keep up with this blog. There are times that I feel I have no time to write and other times that I have nothing to write about. How is it that my day can feel completely busy and hectic yet at the same time nothing to write about?

Our first baseball game. Ironic how our first baseball game was a Giants game. I have nothing against the Giants however, I have always been an A's fan. This was only my second Giants game ever and first at the newer ball park. It is quite a park if you like to socialize. There was definitely more mingling than game watching from what I saw. We had to leave after the first batter as Benen wanted to explore. As we walked the entire perimeter of the ballpark I noticed that there were thousands of other people doing the same thing. I was the only one being lead by a toddler. It felt like I was walking around a mall at Christmas time. Baseball anyone? I wonder if they knew who was playing?

Still working on my bread baking. This will be a project in the works for a while, I can tell. So tricky to get that crust just right and the texture just chewy enough. It is coming along and the way to the satisfying end is still tasty. I think a starter is next to add just the flavor I might be looking for. Sweet breads are on the horizon too. Breads and garden have me dreaming of leading a more self sustainable life and even business possibility. Lots of learning to do but finding the time is so challenging.

Blood, Sweat and Tears

2008-07-01T07:14:00.000-07:00

So much has happened since the last blog I posted. Every time that I sit down to write I feel like I don't have the time or ability to concentrate on it. So here I am at 7 in the morning while the rest of the family sleeps, blogging.

My bike count has been on vacation. I have not ridden to work for over a week due to the fires here in California. The smoke was so bad that we could not even see the hills a couple of miles away. I would walk outside in the morning and it smelled of campsite fire pit. However the last trip to work did yield a record 38 bicyclists. Speaking of cycling, for anyone else who rides out there, I have one tip. When going on a group ride, unless you are 100% sure of the route, stay with the group. Last weekend I went out with the group I always ride with and we were riding a usually route. Along these rides there are "finish lines" which become informal races to win along the way. To make a long story short, I attacked very early towards one of these finish lines on Sunday to try to force the pace and opened up a quarter mile or so gap on the group. After riding hard over a couple of small rolling hills I looked back and still could not see anyone. That is when I realized they turned right at the last turn while I turned left. They hardly ever turn right at that spot. Oh well, I ended up riding a little extra on my own while I worked a route to intercept the group again. I did manage to find them 10 miles or so later and all was good again but the satisfaction of being the first across the finish line evaporated when I realized I was in a one man race.

Since the last post our family went on our annual "Father's Day Weekend Camping Trip". This tradition began the first year of Benen's life with us. It has become a way of us welcoming summer and something I think we all look forward to each year. We have found the perfect location for us with all of the amenities we need to stay happy and relaxed and in touch with nature without totally roughing it. The campsite is along the coast nestled in sand dunes but within a short stroll to a tiny little coffee shop called "The Road House". Inside is an older thinner man with a white beard done to his collar. He looks like he retired from his fishing boat and started selling coffee. There is a mural painted on one wall, guitars, drums, poetry, books, music and toys spread around the 500 sq. ft. oasis. If you stay long enough you can overhear the locals discussing the happenings of the town of less than 1,000.

This year on our trip we discovered a monument to a fallen child of seven, killed by thieves while in Italy. His family donated his organs to save the lives of seven Italians and the village people donated bronze bells to the family. One large bell in the center was made by a foundry that has been in Italy for over 1,000 years and the bell was blessed by the Pope. Benen was attracted to the monument as other children have left their toys behind in a neat pile. Benen took his time examining all of the toys, petting the stuffed animals and walking the path between the bells and our campsite. He wanted to visit this each day of our trip and did. Looking over the whole scene it was both extremely sad and also calming. The art work created by the bells and the quietness of the long grasses, wind and birds made for a place to reflect and appreciate the goodness in people, the people who honored the child and the family. While also feeling saddened by the pain that the family must have gone through to lose a child. Watching Benen as he sat looking over the pile of offerings enable me to get back to the present and appreciate what I have today, not worry so much about tomorrow and live in the moment.

Our family then endured our own tragedy. One night after dinner while Amy was at work Benen and our dog Claude had an encounter which left us in the emergency room with the top of Benen's head split down to the skull. Four hours and two layers of stitches later we were back home. Luckily Benen would be fine after some follow up visits to the hospital and pediatrician to look over the wound however the next day was very difficult for the family as we had to say goodbye to Claude. Fortunately we have friends who helped us through it in our environment so that the process could remain as private and personal as possible. The house keeps getting less crowded and less hairy yet more crowded by memories. It is a difficult thing figuring out where to put them sometimes. I find that every time I think I have them neatly stacked somewhere I trip over one that I did not know was there. They are like Benen's toys, tripping over them or stepping on them in the dark. First there is pain and sometimes anger followed by a chuckle or satisfying feeling that they are there.

Where Did Everyone Go?

2008-06-09T23:59:00.001-07:00

Today was day two of the count. Unfortunately I forgot to take note of the gas prices as I pedaled my way towards work and later on towards home. However, I know that the prices did not go down since last week. So today I only counted 15 of us on the way to work via bicycle. I left at the same time as usual and took the same route. I suppose Mondays may be more difficult to get yourself up earlier in order to ride or perhaps people were taking long weekends. I do wish that I had somehow managed to bring a camera along. I want to get a picture someday of the high school that I ride past. I am not exaggerating when I say there is a line of cars (mainly SUV's or minivans) a quarter of a mile long bumper-to-bumper lined up to drop kids off at school.

The cars sit there idling patiently clogging the intersection and waiting for their opportunity to make the right hand turn into the parking lot so they can drop the kids off as close as possible to the front door of the school. I am trying not to be pessimistic about the whole situation but I keep thinking to myself how ridiculous it all seems. I am looking at 13-15 year old teenagers being driven probably less than 5 miles to school and no doubt also picked up in the afternoon. Can't they just ride a bike? At the very least can't they get dropped off a block away? Do they really need to be shuttled to the closest possible point? It just appears to be such a waste of resources, especially since I mostly see one child in each car. I have had a couple of ideas after seeing this today. Perhaps a private shuttle service for schools. Pick the kids up in the neighborhood and drop them off after school. Door to door service, just like mom or dad can do but in a car pool type of way. The other, how about "bike pooling". Mom or Dad could even ride along with them if they needed to watch out for their safety. Like I mentioned, most of the trips would be well under 5 miles each way. I bet that kids who walked or biked to school may even be more alert early on in the day. I notice a difference when I do this. Days I ride in I am completely ready, alert and energized while I see others walking in from their cars with the energy of someone just rolling out of bed.

This school is very affluent so I guess that gas prices have not made an impact here yet. What does this mean for the future? No doubt the days of below $4/gallon are gone for good. Once prices go up, it is far less likely they ever return to the way they were. I bet we see $5/gallon by Labor day. Is the day coming that the roads via car will only be for the rich or well off? Classes in our society are already segregated by communities we live in. Will they be segregated by the forms of travel we choose too?

Maybe the pocket of communities I am witnessing are too unique compared to the rest of the country. Million dollar homes almost exclusively for a stretch of 15 miles or so (you better have at least $750,000 if it is a fixer upper). Once outside this community you have places like where I live. This is where the people who work for the people in this community live. We mostly are the services sector, be it retail, housekeepers, contractors, maids, landscapers, food workers, etc. Only 1 or 2 miles removed we live in modest older homes, crammed together in a strange mix of apartments, townhouses, condos and the randomly placed tent cities that move around the area. Living here is not bad, there are actually many wonderful people but most live here because this is what we can afford. Those who could not afford this moved even further away. So, now it seems that those who are most affected by the cost of travelling live in the areas that require they travel the farthest. So I wonder how this is going to play out?

I definitely do not want this post to take a negative tone or lump people into only 2 or 3 groups. I only find it interesting these thoughts that run through my head. Are we poised ready to take strides as a group, as a society to improve not only our own lives but through many small steps improve things throughout the world or are we only going to make changes if they only affect us personally?

The Count is On

2008-06-05T07:38:00.001-07:00

Today I decided that I would take a survey on the way to work. You see, I commute by bike once in a while and thought to myself that there seemed to be more riders this year. So today I counted how many cyclists I saw on my way to work. Today there were 25. I passed the gas stations on the way which posted $4.39 a gallon for 87 octane. There was no doubt in my mind that the count I had would have been higher had I traveled the entire distance via bike path. However, I traveled 9 of the 18 miles on the boulevard that travels through town. Perhaps the count would have been different if I had not started the ride at 6:30 in the morning.

One thought I had while riding was how nice people on bikes generally are with each other. We wave to each other and say, "good morning" as we pass by. I could not remember the last time someone in a car did either of those actions towards me when I rode by or drove by. Maybe exercise and fresh air changes peoples attitudes towards each other. Hmmm. Maybe I am on to something. I think I will continue to update the count and see if there is any correlation between the number and gas prices. Has anyone else noticed a difference?

Happiness Is

2008-05-28T21:09:00.000-07:00

I saw that my wife left a list on her blog about what she was thinking about. I liked that idea and the list. This is what makes me happy:

Amy
Benen
Our garden
Our clothesline
Electricity
Our Bikes
The Bike Trailer
Bed
Morning coffee
Sunrises
Mount Diablo
Camping
My Friends
Music
The Farmers Market
Kettle Korn
Beer
Perquacky
A Clean Couch
Chess
Warm Days
Summer Nights
Skipolini's Pizza
Singing
Laughing
Coming Home after Work
Being Different

To Russia, With Love

2008-05-26T10:31:00.000-07:00

So I was on my way to the drop off point when I decided I would call to ensure the other party was actually going to be there. Five phone calls and no answer. That is when I decided that I needed to file a police report. Goodness sakes, I have their phone number, certainly the police could reference their address and identification. While sitting at the police station waiting for someone to file the report with, they called me back and said they would be at the Safeway store in a few minutes. I described what I was wearing so they could know who I was. I was waiting for them to tell me to look for the man in a hat with a carnation on his lapel. This was getting so strangely funny. I told the police I was going to meet them and they actually sent two officers to the store to help retrieve the phone. The police were very helpful but must not have received a good explanation of the situation because both police cars parked in front of the store in plain view. As you probably guessed, no drop was made.

I called them about 30 minutes later to see if I could still get my phone. The woman called back and said she saw the police cars and was afraid but she would meet me back at the store in 5 minutes. She obviously lived close by. I called the police and told them the situation. Now there was nobody immediately available to come to the store but they asked for me to try to wait it out. When I met the woman, a 25 year old Russian girl who would be applying for citizenship the following week, I tried to stall. I even got her to follow me into the store. I talked with her for at least 5 minutes or more while she stood with her back facing the entrance. How perfect was this, the police would show up, walk in and she would have no clue they were coming. The only problem is no police.

I now had the phone in my possession as I told her I wanted to make sure that it was still working before I gave her any money. I had her inside a busy store in front of a bunch of people. I was sure she was not with anyone else. So I told her I wasn't giving her any money. Her facial expression became blank. Eventually I gave her $40 since I was really willing to do that from the beginning but not before giving her a piece of my mind and telling her what I really thought of her actions. I called the police to tell them the situation was over with and I had my phone.

A few minutes later...her husband calls. He told me he was going to call the police and tell them I was harassing his wife, called me a liar, told me he knew my address and demanded the additional $60. I think he was surprised when I called him by his first name, Bill. I guess he didn't realize that I had found his phone number online thanks to Google. He advertised on Craigslist to teach Russian-English courses. What a wonderful man. I also told him the police would be contacting him shortly since I already filed a report and they had his address thanks to the phone number they had so often provided to me.

To summarize, the police went to their home that night and explained the variety of charges that could be levied against them, including felony terrorist threats when they threatened me with knowing my address. They explained how citizens of this country do not demand rewards when they find others property and that if they so much as called us again that charges would be filed. Hopefully, this puts an end to the phone drama.

So many emotions flow inside me when I think of how to tell that story. The woman even told me God would punish me when I refused to give her $100. Geez, what a lunatic. Was God looking down on her with satisfaction? America, the great melting pot. I would like to think that most people would return the phone because it was the right thing to do, not demand a $100 reward because, "it is better than paying $500 for a new phone," and she explained to me.

I just had a thought. I remember hearing stories on the news about people like janitors who find a bunch of money in a bag in the garbage and they turn it in or find who it belongs to and returns it. These stories make the headlines and even the evening news. Is it because we are shocked? Is it because people think to themselves how foolish that person was to give it back? Or is it because we are celebrating the good deed or kindness of that person, knowing someone else was probably somehow hurting over their loss, doing the right thing?

Hello...Is Anyone There?

2008-05-25T14:47:00.000-07:00

Wow, so much to say. I was riding to the grocery store a couple of days ago and pulling Benen in the trailer. Before we left I placed our belongings in the back of the trailer, including my cell phone. For some reason as we were riding I suddenly had a thought of, "I wonder if the phone can fall out of the trailer." This was soon followed up with, "nah, it can't fall out." I think if I wasn't riding into probably a 20 mph headwind I would have stopped to check, but I didn't. So, you can probably guess what was not in the trailer when I got to the grocery store.... the phone. This was a brand new phone that I was issued from work, unfortunately, it is not a cheapo.

My heart sank as I pulled the entire trailer apart on the front sidewalk of the store saying, "shit, shit, shit" to myself the entire time. It was definitely not there. Well, next I thought maybe I actually never put it in the trailer, I just thought I did. After the grocery store we skipped the stop at the bike shop so I could scan the ground for the next 9 miles as we retraced our path home. No phone. Damn, not in the garage or house either. It was definitely gone. My only hope was that someone kind would find the phone, realize the right thing to do and try to return it to me.

Actually, this kind of did happen. Amy returned from work and reported that a woman called her and said she had found my phone, would be out of town until Sunday but wanted to return it to me. Cool! There really are good people out there! What a relief to me. I would not have to pay for another phone only 4 days after getting a new one.

So I called the woman on Sunday afternoon. Her husband answered, rudely told me she was not there, to call back and hung up on me. What an retard I muttered but then thought to myself, "Jeff, they were nice enough to call you give them a break." So I called back and asked what time I should call back to speak to the woman. Suddenly the woman appeared on the other end of the phone. She told me she had my phone but wanted a reward. SCREEEEECH! Now I was pissed.

All afternoon I had been thinking to myself, should I offer a reward to her. What kind of offer could I present to show my appreciation. Maybe just a warm hearted thank you was all she wanted. Hm. I even thought maybe a gift certificate to REI, she found it on the trail, she was probably exercising. Well, well, well.... was I wrong!

I asked what she was seeking and she told me $100, "it's not that much," she said. Disgusted with her nerve I said fine and asked where I can get the phone. She wanted me to meet her in front of Safeway at 8. Now, writing this I can only chuckle under my breathe. It sounds like some bad movie now. After getting off the phone with her I began trying to concoct all kinds of schemes to get back my phone without giving her the money. I thought maybe I could tie fishing line to an envelope and yank it out of her hand, maybe I can get online and print counterfeit money and give that to her, perhaps I would just smear dog poop on it. Then one thing just entered my mind. It is from last night. "KARMA"

I decided to come tell this story when I was taking down the laundry off the clothesline and planting some okra seeds in the back yard after putting Benen down for a nap. She obviously needs the money more than I do. All the schemes are not worth endangering the things I have in my life to be happy about. I am not going to allow this woman's disgusting display of behavior affect my happiness. Hopefully the ending to this story will be she gets her money, I get my phone. We will find out at 8 tonight.

Is it hot in here or is it just me?

2008-05-17T21:51:00.000-07:00

Nothing like a 100+ degree heat wave and discovering that your AC is on the fritz to brighten your day. We actually very rarely use the AC in order to moderate our utility bill and be environmentally responsible. But the first day I tried to use it went a little something like this. It was about 4:00 in the afternoon and about 100 million degrees outside. It felt like that because two days ago it was 75 and spring-like. Suddenly the hell gates opened and it was over 100. So we headed out to the farmers market for some live music and fresh produce. Before we left I set the thermostat for 82 since it was already 85 in the house and thought it would feel a little cooler before bedtime. Well, we got home at 8 and it turns out the AC never turned on. The fan was simply blowing warm air around the house. Now the temperature was 88, another "thing" needed to be fixed and I was pissed off, discouraged, and/or irritated; some or all of those things at once if they are unique feelings, I can't tell, it was too damn hot.

Oh, the farmers market and music was excellent! Benen danced and ate kettle corn and strawberries. I sat on the grass in the shade and ate them too.

What Happened to My Commitment?

2008-05-09T20:48:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that my commitment to the bicycle has not been the greatest. This past week and a half I have repeated given way to the cold mornings, headwinds and sleeping in excuses for not riding to work. I am sure if I took more time I could think of a few more excuses that I have used. Although I wish my resolve was stronger, it is just so darn easy to give in when the car sits in the driveway.

I did manage to get a ride in today while Benen was napping. (Amy was home). When I was leaving the house I did not really know where I wanted to go. For some reason I wanted to ride where there were some hills but I also did not want to be around a bunch of cars whizzing by my left side. So I decided to go for the big climb around these parts, Mount Diablo. This was my first venture up the mountain this year so I did not go all the way to the summit. I had forgotten how serene the mountain can be and how riding it can almost be like meditation. First, there is no noise pollution, only the sound of the wind passing by your ears, the sound of your breathing, and the sound of the chain spinning through the cogs. The mountain had very few vehicles today. In fact during the 6.6 mile climb I think I can only recall 1 or 2 cars passing by. In fact there were few cyclists today also. I passed by 2 on the way up and there were only 2 others at the junction. It was like I had the mountain all to myself.

One of the great things about riding is all of the things you get to see that you miss when you are driving. The back roads of the Bay Area are amazing. Today rolling over the hills at the base of the mountain I encountered quail scurrying along the side of the road. Last week it was wild pig and turkey on the bike trail in the middle of town of all places. Last year I actually had two coyotes stop at the side of the road and watch me roll by, no more that 20 feet away, as I went up Mount Diablo. It is delightful to realize how much nature and beauty there is even in the crowded cities we live in or near. We only have to slow down our pace a little bit in order to experience it. As I sit here now I proclaim, "tomorrow, I ride to work!"

Blah Blah Monday

2008-04-28T20:04:00.000-07:00

This weekend I was visited by the in-laws. A nice visit overall. Just hanging out, chatting and mostly playing with Benen by the Grandparents. Rita took Benen to IKEA for 3 hours on Friday and bought him some toys, "stuff" and a new twin sized bed. She put the bed together on Saturday morning and Benen knew it was his. Around noon he went in his room, shut the door and took a nap, all on his own. That was the first time he slept outside of our bed in easily over a month.

George showed off his mastery of the rake, raking the entire backyard. I never realized how the rake in the hands of a master can beautify even the most barren landscape. I thought I raked the yard nicely but after seeing the result from George I realized that, "I'm not worthy."

Sunday Benen and I had the task of dropping off Grandma and Grandpa at the BART station and picking up Mama at the airport. In between we ran to the store for some groceries and while I was putting them away Benen again put himself to bed for a nap, this time in our bed. The weekend of grandparents must have taken his toll. He slept over 2 hours and we were late picking up mom. We made it up by going out for an Ethiopian lunch in Berkeley.

So the blah blah Monday is here. After a nice 36 mile ride Sunday night with my bud Collen I awoke feeling "blah." I thought it was just my legs from the ride but as the day wore on it moved all over my body. Best described as heavy feeling, head, throat, body...blah. What a perfect way to begin the week. Thankfully I have weekends like that this most recent to make up for it.

A Challenging Week

2008-04-23T20:26:00.000-07:00

This week has been a tough one for a few different reasons. I think I can begin from last Thursday. The daily or semi-daily bike commute has not occurred since Thursday. That day my legs were pretty tired and I had to pull Benen home in the trailer against a head wind for 18 miles. That is like pulling a parachute when in a headwind. Since that day the weather turned sour, very cold and extremely windy through the weekend. Then Monday came. I passed on the ride because it was cold, Amy had to work again so that means pulling Benen home in the trailer again and it was just too cold for that. It was a good thing as two people were sick at work so I pulled off the old 11 hour day. Amy started feeling sick Saturday and Tuesday I got the sore throat and runny nose. So now it is Wednesday night. Benen is now sick with an eye infection, fever, runny nose, etc. so there will be no bike ride tomorrow. Everyday that I do ride to work I spend time thinking how nice it would be to just get rid of my car and use my bike for transportation. Then weeks like this happen and I realize that with the length of my commute I am pretty trapped into needing the car. I hate that!

Interestingly this week Benen has also decided that when he is sick, Daddy is the Big Bad Virus Daddy. I am hardly allowed to look at him without him turning away and burying his head in the floor, pillow, couch or whatever is nearby. Poor Amy has had to take care of him all day and night as Benen has dictated that I am not allowed to help when he is sick.

Tomorrow Amy's mom, Rita, cames to town for five days while Amy is at a wedding in Utah. I could now go for the easy laugh and say how my week is only getting better but I actually like my mother-in-law. It will definitely be fun(?) having her here and trying to maintain the rituals we have established around the house, such as eating schedules, nap schedules, diet, bed time schedules.

I do believe that the week will end with a bang for us all. Amy gets time for herself (mostly) with her friends at the wedding. I get time with Rita and Benen over the weekend. But Benen wins big time as Grandma comes to town and man does he love her! Those two know how to have a good time together.

An Indian Dinner

2008-04-23T01:18:00.000-07:00

On Saturday night, once Amy and Benen were both sleeping I picked up a new cookbook that Amy had brought home. She had already made a meal from this which was delicious a week or so ago. I remembered how I could smell the food cooking from outside as I walked up to the front door. I wanted to make something like that and since Amy had decided to do the leg work of gathering all of the necessary spices already decided I would give it a shot. That night I picked out my recipes, gathered my spices together on the counter and made my shopping list.

Sunday morning I made the announcement that I was making an Indian feast. I was rather excited about the whole thing. I picked Lamb with Spinach, Fired Eggplant and Spicy Basmati Rice as my dishes. The work began at 3:30 as I began chopping the onion, ginger and garlic for the lamb. I was ready to serve at 6. It was 2-1/2 hours of diligent prep work, saute, simmering and frying which passed by rather quickly. I think I will have to do this again, maybe next weekend...

... for sitting down with the ones I love, developing traditions, talking and sharing ideas, thoughts and feelings makes all the effort worthwhile. Benen even tried the lamb and spinach with some gentle coaxing from his mama.

To 'C' or not to 'C', that is the question

2008-04-18T23:44:00.000-07:00

After about a week of not having the letter 'c' on our keyboard, thanks to a certain little one's tinkering, I went out and got a new keyboard. For a week I tried to correspond without using the letter whose key went missing and realized that my vocabulary lacks the depth to survive without words containing the letter 'c'. I do admit that it sure feels good to be able to type again without having to ponder over what words I can use during nearly every sentence.

Today I worked in the front yard with Benen for about 2-1/2 hours. Mostly pruning, raking, sweeping and watering. We culled the crazy surplus of poppies that have taken over the front half of the yard, trimmed the olive trees and salvia and raked and swept the paths. When all complete we filled up 3 bags of clippings and it the yard still looked abundant with plant life. I think I need to find a chipper of some kind to use these clippings in the compost pile rather than filling up yard and leaf garbage bags.

When we finished this chore I looked around the house and got the feeling that we still are living in a house full of projects. Projects in the works, half started or finished depending on one's perspective, and projects talked about for years. Maybe this blog will provide me an inspiration to complete some of them, hopefully before starting new ones.

Keeping Up a Commitment

2008-04-14T22:28:00.000-07:00

So this is the second week of riding my bike to work this year on a consistent basis. I figured that last week I logged about 170 miles. However, tomorrow will be a real test. The weather is supposed to turn cold and windy. I really hate the wind when riding. By the end of the 18 miles to work I feel just beat up. This usually is a great excuse to skip the ride. This year I going to try to stay committed. Partly because of gas prices, partly because of environmental concerns and partly because I like to ride and hate getting my butt kicked when I ride with my friends who have more time to ride than I do. So hopefully I will keep up the commitment this year and manage on days when it easier to make excuses.

Good to Bad

2008-04-11T20:41:00.000-07:00

Today I am trying to write my blog without the letter 'c' on my keyboard. Somehow Benen has managed to remove the key and hide where Amy and I are unable to find it. So I have rigged a paperclip in order to push down the key in the keyboard whenever I need that letter. Thankfully he lost the 'c' and not another move used letter.

So today was the first day of riding my bike to work and riding back with Benen in the trailer. I got home from the ride feeling so good about everything. We had a great ride. Benen was making "toot toot" train sounds from the trailer. The weather was perfect. We sat in the driveway eating a quesadilla that Amy packed for him while I talked to friend about the weekend upon us. That is when I realized that I did not have a key to the house, Amy was 20+ miles away at work and all the doors and windows were locked. So now I will be ordering a new side garage door.

A Day at the Races

2008-04-06T14:07:00.000-07:00

This Saturday Benen, Rita (Grandma) and I spent the morning and early afternoon watching the races in Martinez. The events were part of "Martinez Celebrates Cycling" and the city did an excellent job of planning the event. We arrived in the middle of the first race and sauntered around a bit looking for a good vantage point . The idea of going to the event was that Benen would like watching the riders and the races since he seems enjoy playing with the bikes in the garage. It turned out that he spent most of his time window shopping in the antique shops that are downtown, watching the ducks and fish in the river, and playing with the Hot Wheels that Grandma picked up for him in one of the antique shops.

Although the expectation of Benen enjoying the races was not really met we all had a great relaxing time. The weather was perfectly clear, sunny and warm, there were live bands playing the entire time for everyone's enjoyment and plenty of things for us all to look at and be entertained by. Lunch at the BBQ house, with the wall mounted fish tanks and flat screen TV's gave Benen viewing pleasure while we had a view of the race on the most hazardous corner (3 crashes this day). Fortunately we made it through lunch without the sound of clashing and tubling bike and riders.

During the races there were intermittent BMX stunt shows that provided additional entertainment. I don't think Benen even took his eyes off the sidewalk where his Hot Wheels were lined up in formation to be played with in their order his favorites, Dump Trucks are always first. He did look up for the backflip so now we are wondering when he will try to replicate that maneuver.

How to Spend a Sunday

2008-03-31T20:40:00.000-07:00

I suppose there are many ways one can plan to spend their Sunday. I was invited to join a group bike ride but having just recently started getting in some base miles I thought I should pass and rest my legs for a day. That decision was also made easier when my wife stayed up until after midnight visiting with one of her friends which meant she would have to sleep in and I take care of the toddler. So Sunday began with our usual jaunt we take when the two of us, my son and I, get to wake up together. Off to Peet's for a cup of coffee for me, a cup of water for him and a couple of muffins to share. He usually chats it up with strangers while we sip and nibble at our treats. Once our tummies were content it was on to get some lumber and build us a fence for the garden.

Amy, my wife, and I have decided to put our efforts into a garden this year after a year or two of half-hearted throwing together a few plants and hoping for some success. So this year the backyard has been divided into two halves, one side garden, one side dog and boy play area. A couple of weeks ago the bedding area was tilled, graded and raised beds designed and constructed. A temporary fence to keep out the dogs and their steamy surprises was constructed to divide the yard but that failed miserably. The first hour of the first day our dogs stuck their noses under the plastic chicken wire netting and crawled underneath, left their deposits evenly spaced in the raised beds, and crawled back underneath into the play side of the yard.

So now we were going to build a real fence. We discussed designs, gate location, finish and height and came up with something we both agreed on. So this Sunday, Benen and I dug holes, filled them back up (his idea), dug holes again, buried our feet and lost our shoes (his idea), poured concrete, leveled, measured, cut, screwed, and built our family's garden a fence.

Cycling Thoughts

2008-03-16T21:52:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot of discussion after the unfortunate event of last weekend which claimed the lives of two young competitive cyclists in the Bay Area. For myself, news such as this make me reflect on the activities I choose to participate in. I enjoy riding my bike and occasionally use my bike for commuting to and from work each day. I have become accustomed to cars passing by my left side by a mere couple of feet traveling 30 - 60 mph. I trust that drivers are paying attention when they are driving and see me on the road. I understand that my life is really in their hands each time I get on the bike and when I think about it, it scares me. When I am in my car I regularly have to avoid people on their cell phones, reading newspapers, believe it or not playing hand held video games, arguing with passengers and simply driving erratically. I often watch cars wander into bike lanes for hundreds of feet and wonder if they realize what they are doing or are they not paying attention due to one of the previously mentioned reasons.

I have listened to people calling in to radio shows, blogging and commenting about cyclists and the statements usually start out with, "They all..." or, "None of them..." or, "I'm can't stand them because...". As with most forms of prejudices the statements lump everyone in a group into one pot. I am saddened by all of the hostility and anger towards the group. I can only imagine this might be the same type of pain others faced with being in the minority must feel.

I have received emails from people in the cycling community, men and women who ride more frequently than I do. There is a lot of concern about the safety of those who ride. Talk of making sure we all are wearing helmets, avoiding dangerous roadways and the like. I have avoided replying to them for the fear of sounding preachy or ignorant on the topic. I must admit, I have been on group rides where etiquette is lacking, riders taking over lanes unnecessarily, blocking turning lanes at intersections, not moving to the right when those in the rear are yelling "car back", rolling through stop signs and red lights and it really annoys me. In fact one of my friends was hit by a car last year when he rolled through a stop sign and to top it off, he was not wearing a helmet. I love the guy, but that was really a combination of stupid that could have got him killed.

I have been on rides where cars, trucks, and even motorcycles have seemingly tried to get as close as they can to us without hitting us just for fun. Why does this happen? Do they just randomly decide to mess with our minds? Hopefully everyone using the roads can become more aware and respectful of each other. We are all human, we all have some kind of connection. We are not just driver, cyclists and pedestrians. When we reach our destinations we are mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, brothers and sisters. There are people out there who would rather us return home 5 minutes late than not at all.