Training Log Archive: barb

To a container gardening workshop.
Found out about a seed swap 5/2.
Did some gardening this morning: prepared some pots, planted some more cabbage, bok choi and kale outside.

Last night Isabel and David were in dance performances. Here is Izzy's. She's wearing a yellow shirt, and starts off in the back. The theme the kids were choreographing was "Big Ben".

I am loving the chicken thing. The eglu is great. Cleaning it is a snap (tray; poop slides right off into compost; easy to reinsert it). Reaching in for eggs or to pet the birds goodnight before they're willing to let you touch them any other way works great through the side access door. The run works, and the "grub" and "glug" containers work too. Little tarp works.

The chickens are lovely, gentle, coo-y.

Eggs expected in a couple of weeks.

Baby chicks can do math. Plus they're so cute. Next time I'm getting chicks. I love reading scientific papers describing experiments you could do at home.

Ah, and bees can count too.

Work commute. !

Bill is coming to town today so he can see the kids' dance performance this weekend.
I have gotten in touch with Amy, the person behind www.urbangardenshare.org in Seattle, thanks to a tip from John Lee. Maybe we can expand it to Cambridge. Amy sounds enthusiastic at first blush.

A good morning so far. Got up at 5 am, checked out Dave's China photos on Facebook, particularly those of the "cute guide" he had on the Great Wall hike, read other mail, read the news, turned on the grow lights. Photocopied the tax forms I'm sending in to correct the 2007 return. Jogged to the convenience store to buy margarine; mixed up a batch of cookies for David because yesterday he said his friends liked them and he'd like to bring them in as fortification for the standardized testing they're undergoing today - and flattery will get you everywhere with me. Baked them. Did laundry. Removed the protective containers I'd placed over the newly transplanted seedlings in the garden. Woke up the kids. Showered. Made breakfast. Made David's lunch. Packed the cookies in a big tupperware. The neighbors came over with a fresh pan of brownies and candles for me to blow out. Read some of "The Horse and his Boy" to Isabel. Sent the kids off to the bus. Sent a rejection letter to an author. Now it's 8 am and time to go to work!

C • Today 7

A couple weeks ago we assembled the eglu. Becky and Arthor came by and sang a few chicken-related songs to celebrate the new domicile.



Last week the neighbors got together and learned about chickens and checked out the eglu. Keegan was able to fit entirely inside.





Today the girls arrived! I went to the post office to pick them up. They were the morning's big excitement for the postal workers.



The hens were coo/clucking quietly. They had a mild smell.

After I put them in the trunk, I saw an older gentleman trying to flag a cab. I waved at the cab too but the driver just waved back at me and passed on by. So I offered to give the man a lift to wherever he was going. Which was WBZ radio station. The place, not the airwave. He was a nice man and we chatted a little about our families - and orienteering, natch. His name is Lovell Dyett and he was the subject of some recent controversy when WBZ axed his show but then brought it back but at an inconvenient time. Apparently he was restored to a better time because he was late for his 10:00 show this morning.

Now, I must tell you that he was indeed a very nice and personable gentleman. And yet, if you think of what is to you the most memorable PG tax client story, it may be the one that comes most readily to my mind, and you will get an idea of an aspect of this gentleman that you would not pick up on over the radio. I think if it were a contest with PG on that score, I would have won.

C • Lovell Dyatt 2

First meteorite observed before impact. They accurately predicted its landing time and place.

C • meteorite 1

I traded in my exercise time this morning to do some gardening. I transplanted cool-weather-loving seedlings into the container garden: lettuce, cabbage, bok choi, cauliflower and kale. The radishes I planted a couple weeks ago are coming up but the peas are not. So I started some peas indoors.

According to my bathroom scale I am sub-G today. I avoided a snack at work yesterday thanks to PG's log, but today I succumbed to temptation.

Watched Mark of Zorro with the kids last night, and The Princess Bride the night before. Saw the North Cambridge Family Opera with Isabel yesterday. Kids went to the Museum of Fine Arts with Geoff yesterday to check out the Venetian painter exhibit.

5 things I'm so behind on:
ISMB reviewing
David's Camp Sargent medical forms
Dad's 80th birthday reminiscences book
rogaine committee
exercising

5 things I've caught up on:
taxes
PLoS editing
growing seedlings
drafting a neighborhood survey
returning library books

I heard from Dave, off on his family cruise to China. He and his brother Mark hiked the Great Wall in a snowfall the other day.

I need help: Wikipedia says that imaginary numbers have applications in cartography. What application would that be? (For a little seminar I'm teaching.)

C • A completely useless response 6