Training Log Archive: barb

I dreamed about Sarah Palin. We were sharing an order of french fries, also with a third person. Sarah was sleepy at the end of the meal and I encouraged her to go upstairs in the hotel and take a nap.

Lisa D (who was the director of the kids' preschool) came to our seed sharing party last weekend. She has 3 kids: a son who is an engineer designing ("evil") drone planes used in the middle east, a daughter who is an artist, and her son Luke who is a writer and produces pieces for periodicals. I always enjoy hearing about his latest writing assignment. His most recently published article is about a crazy expedition to follow the route of a bull elephant on a mysterious super-long journey the elephant makes from time to time. Lisa told us details about the adventure that could not make it into the story, such as the somewhat inadequate planning. A bad sign was when Luke got a call a couple hours before he had to leave for the airport "reminding" him that he should bring his own food. They had a lot of trouble with the camels, like when they ran away, into a lake, and wouldn't come out. Another time, the ornery camels bucked off the water containers and broke them, which is the reason they ended up with used (not well cleaned) fuel and chemical containers.

Anyway, the story he's just been working on is about Todd Palin! Now I have this ambulance-chasing kind of reaction to any Palin story - I totally sucked up all the details during the election. I have a pretty major imposter's syndrome feeling often in my professional life, and it was therefore interesting to me to learn about this person who somehow through a number of twists of fate, ended up in her position, VP candidate. Which she wasn't imho qualified for, at all. And her perfect aplomb! Fascinating.

Well, Luke was not too keen on doing a Palin story at first, but took it on. I had recently read the Sports Illustrated story about Todd & his partner doing the big snowmobile race. Todd took Luke out on snowmobiles, and Luke spent a bunch of time with Todd and Todd's partner. Well, I guess we'll read all about it soon. It was interesting to hear Lisa's reports of Luke's time with the Palins. Todd sounds like a great dad/husband - he has been doing a lot of the managing-the-family work, obviously. As to a few other tidbits, you can ask me offline for details. :-)

Anyway, I think that's why I dreamed about Sarah.

Picture of Luke - click on the picture with the fire.

to school in the morning to get the bike I left last night

A couple photos of the fine Concord chickens that inspired us to order some ourselves. Ours won't be quite so beautiful. But they'll be solid layers, of gentle disposition, and hardy.

In the evening David and I went to Mass College of Art to check out a showcase of student work in the mixed media program. David seemed into it; he wasn't agitating to leave, even through some very out-there performances. Like the Vibration Sensation, where the lights were turned out and there was deep sound pulsing so strong that I felt it in my chest and wondered if my heartbeat was aligning to it. He took time to experience each piece in the walk-around part.

On the way home he was giving me a hard time, saying I didn't really want him to go to Mass Art; I wanted him to go to a hard core college, didn't I? didn't I? Like MIT. I was offended. Of course I want you to go where you want to go, I protested. How can you think that?

C • RE: Mass Art 5

I got this off the web but I can't find where I got it, so I'm doing a bad thing and not referencing it. Anyway, as I read it, I thought it might be inspiring for parents dealing with teenage sons.

Many roosters will go through a period at about five or six months old where they suddenly become more aggressive. This is because they are reaching sexual maturity, and they suddenly have new hormones racing through their bodies. They settle down to normal after a few months, though. One thing that has worked for me in the past when dealing with a cranky rooster is to carefully pick him up and carry him around with me while I do some "chicken chores." For example, I will hold him while I refill the feeder or check for eggs and so forth. Carry him around, holding him firmly but without hurting him at all. He may struggle a bit at first, but then he realizes he is in no danger and that you are in control.

The idea is to place yourself at the top of the pecking order without engaging in "chicken" behaviors like fighting or stamping at him or kicking. If you kick him or stamp at him, not only is it mean, but he will interpret that as a challenge: you are suddenly "fightable." If you behave in a way his instincts can tell him to react to like kicking or stamping, you might always have some problems with aggression from him. On the other hand, a rooster is not geared to react aggressively to being carried around comfortably but firmly in a non-threatening way. He will realize that you are a creature at the top of the pecking order, but one that it does no good to challenge.

C • So I have this image of you... 4

Work. To school for the monologue night. Each student learned about an immigrant and wrote, memorized and performed a monologue from that person's point of view.

Went jogging just before 6, to drop off a neighborhood newsletter to our most distant subscriber, and then to the Y. At the end, ran into Andy who lives on our block and used to be my boss' boss at Mlnm. He said he was sorry they didn't make it to the seed exchange and said he didn't have much sunny space to grow vegetables but that maybe there was a 4 by 4 foot area where he could put pots. I encouraged him to go for it. Maybe I can foist a few seedlings on him at some point. I also told him we are getting chickens.

6 laps.
Neighbor Brad was there; I shared his lap.
In the locker room after, I encountered Marsha (Max & Emma's mom).
Rather a social morning!
Weighed myself. Need to start paying attention so I don't get above the G.

To Home Depot and back, to check out fencing for the chickens.

Gardening report, beginning of year #2.
Yesterday I hosted a seed exchange. I invited everyone on the block, but none of them showed up. Fortunately I'd also invited some community-minded people in the neighborhood, and several of them appeared. Also one school parent (I'd invited the whole school). And an old friend from MIT. And the woman who directed the day care David & Isabel used to go to.
I showed the video of how to make a seedling pot out of newspaper, and Aviva made several.
I put out seeds for sale and free

Also displayed some library books about gardening. I like the science one.

Earlier in the day, Jamie came by to talk to us about the idea of putting some plants up on the garage roof.

Our Solanaceae (tomatoes, peppers) are doing OK, although the hot peppers haven't sprouted yet:

Our brassicas (cabbage, kale, cauliflower, pac choi) are doing well:

I repotted the jade plant Harvey gave us several Christmases ago; you can see beet seedlings on the windowsill behind:

I planted peas outside yesterday, and radishes today. The instructions say you can plant them as soon as the soil is workable. I put a shovelful of compost on top of each pot as I planted.

I counted about 90 containers ready for the garden this year.
We scored a bunch of free 6" pots. When I mentioned this in front of my friend she thought I said something different and I didn't realize in time to correct her misunderstanding.
Aragorn is hanging out to see if the impatiens grow.

Bailed on swimming. But I sent off my tax info to my tax guy! Most years I file for an extension, so this is really exciting.