spontaneous fun...

Johnson would hate to know I am writing about him, but what a joy! He let me know he got off work tonight ans was up for anything...me, too! Though yesterday was cold and sunny, this morning was snowy in the morning and rainy in the afternoon. Nothing like raining on my parade - what was to be my first day biking to work on my new bicycle! I didn't chance it, and Jennifer graciously offered me a ride in the morning. As I was catching the #15 from downtown, I called Johnson to let him know I was interested in meeting up. Happy hour at the 'cho's was exactly that: a happy hour (and a half) of talking about work, home, family, relationships, life pleasures, and socio-political stuff. I don't think it is my fault, but whenever we are in the throes of a great dialogue about something, someone close by butts in to challenge Johnson. Poor guy would really prefer not to argue with strangers; he has enough fun when we argue a point. Anyway, our discussion around literature, modern writing styles, and the dumbing down of the general public was a hot topic for someone on a bar stool not too far from us. Needless to say, we split. We carried on out way to Steubens for some dinner and further discussion about the education system and the changing times. We walked part-way home together and then wandered off in our own direction - a cold clear night. And to my surprise, I saw a shooting star - on Colfax even! Since my return from traveling, I feel myself disinterested in television. I love movies and am not interested in swearing it off. But there is a part that wonders what purpose most programing serves. Is it really relaxing? Does it sedate our body from the stress of work? Or is it the subliminal messaging that keeps the American dream, the American mainstream culture, alive and thriving? Consumerism runs rampant; styles go out of fashion faster than the weather patterns; and our disposable culture finds newer, faster, and better products to replace the old before they even wear out, which isn't as long as it used to be. In the mail I got another book to read from Amy, decorated with love by her girls. While it may be a diversion from flipping through channels of reality tv and dreary news, I hope that somehow I am making the right decision! If only I could have a beer and a philosophical discussion every night! loveyoumeanit

una nueva bicicleta

I bought a new bike today! It is geared for riding around town and getting to work. I want to add a rack and my lights and things, but maybe tomorrow. It is a nice bike, and I liked the shop I bought it from, Denver Bicycles. They know their stuff. I still haven't purchased a car, but this is more affordable than a car. The latest on my case with the state over my bicycle accident from a long, long time ago is that it won't settle soon. Though I had hoped to recoup some of my out-of-pocket expenses sooner than later, which would help with purchasing a car, things are on hold. The doctors really seem to think surgery is the way to go to fix my hip. It hurts still, and nobody suspects it will get any better on its own, thus the knife. I am going to see a new doctor to evaluate it under my new insurance, and we'll see where that goes. I would love to avoid the operating room, but I can't say how this saga will end. So for now, I can afford a bike, while still saving my paychecks. Hooray!! I will bike all over. I haven't determined my route to work, but I have a few options. Of course I took my helmet with me, so I could ride home. Still a safe biker!! The twinges of fear are there, but I am sure they will help me to stay safe. Watch out for me....I'm hitting the road!

Corn Almighty

So this movie King Corn has shown for the second time to a sold out crowd in Denver. Wow - what a movie! Even better, the panel discussion afterwards. Not knowing what the movie was really going to delve into, I was hesitant to sit on a panel. At the last minute, my co-worker said I could handle it and should reconsider. Gratefully, it was too late. I say gratefully because I got so fired up by some of the things being said that I wouldn't have been able to keep my seat or watch my mouth. The movie King Corn, www.kingcorn.net, is about a couple guys who move from Boston to Iowa to grow an acre of corn. They want to see where it goes and learn about the process. Corn has gotten a lot of hype in the US - food, feed, and fuel. They are informed that "typical" humans are made up of corn: from feed for the meat eaten and corn starch, high fructose syrup, etc. Gratefully, I am not typical! As Curt and Ian learn, there are thousands of acres of corn grown that cannot be eaten. The farmers don't make money growing it, so the government subsidizes them. The corn goes to feed, fuel, and lots of by-products/food additives. The faces they make when trying to eat it demonstrate that this corn does not make it to our table in its whole food state, in its most nutritious state. Farmers have to grow more and more to make it worthwhile. This means they buy modified seed that are resilient to the pesticides sprayed heavily. The fields, too, are heavily fertilized since crop after crop is grown in the same field year after year, not putting anything back into the soil, only robbing it further of nutrients. I know this sounds like me on a soap-box, but truly there are some things wrong with our system. The panel was balanced: Colorado Corn and political ag player vs dietitian, local rancher, and local grower/hunger fellow. The moderator really set them up to battle back and forth, though I think it could have been a really productive conversation if they wanted to have one. I would have liked to hear more about changes in the farm bill, how industry is trying to contribute to the health of the people, and what people can do to help facilitate change. Instead, it was very "us against them." I was sitting on the edge of my seat wanting to be at the pretend kitchen table they were encouraged to view themselves around. Arguments: - there is a market for the corn, and if it wasn't corn syrup in our food, it would be sugar, a more expensive commodity. - farmers aren't making any money growing corn, so we have to subsidize them - we are big exporters and play an important role in the global market - factory farms, corn-fed beef, and antibiotic-fed beef is necessary to meet the demands of the people, particularly for the marble cut beef everyone wants - people make their own choices - (and my favorite) high fructose corn syrup is in healthy foods too, like juice and milk!!! My problems: - we say there is a market for corn, but we flood it so badly with commodity corn, that growers can't make money growing it without subsidies. If we used a more expensive commodity, such as sugar, maybe fatty corn by-product foods like twinkies wouldn't be cheaper than carrots or healthy food. Maybe low income people who have to make choices about how to spend their meager food stamp allotment would be able to make healthy choices without fearing hunger. They aren't getting the marble cut pieces; instead, they are getting the fattiest portions for sale in their grocery stores. (There is a huge inequity among products in stores in different socio-economic neighborhoods!) Maybe this means we are using all our animal and not being wasteful, but really, with the technology and intellectual progression of the past decades, food industry should be able to produce 100% quality for everyone - the small family ranchers do. And maybe the soda pop industry should tell the corn industry they need to reduce their production because they aren't selling all their soda, instead of dumping that glut on food bank and developing countries. AND JUICE WITH CORN SYRUP ISN'T HEALTHY!!! I put back the apple juice that wasn't 100% juice. And I certainly don't think anyone should worry that their milk is grown on a stalk instead of a cow. Though those cows probably had more than their fare share of corn for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. - Cindy made a great point from the panel that we are exporting a lot of commodities and importing a lot of produce for human consumption. So why can't we subsidize the vegetable growers who are actually directly feeding people? There is some new stuff that might make it through the Farm Bill if it is ever passed in my lifetime...seems to get stuck an awful lot. If farmers cannot grow corn without subsidy, but onion growers can - as was mentioned by the ag politico. So why would we need to subsidize a single crop? Would nobody really grow it without the government check? The same man talked about how great it is that the food portion of our budgets has dropped from a third to a tenth of the average budget - and this is for the basic nutrition outlined by USDA, not beer and wine and fancy foods, just the basics. That food can be so cheap is great if you have the other 90% for your rent, utilities, transportation, health, etc. Unfortunately, the poverty line is still based on the food budget, still based on it being a third of a budget. Housing is also affordable at one third of your budget. So say this new cheap food costs $100 a month for a person, then they are below the poverty level if they make less than $300. But rent isn't $100 a month. And that person's budget really should be $1000 a month if food is only 10% for him, too. It's a jumble of numbers and percentages, but the bold print is really, that cheap food costs a lot of people a lot more in the way of government benefits, in the way of health care costs, in the way of dead earth that has to be poisoned with chemicals to grow anything, in the way of contaminated water supplies, and in so many more ways that we really cannot afford. I could go on and on, but really nobody is probably still reading. Educate yourself. Do it to make better decisions for you and for the legacy of a food system we leave behind...peace

happy healthy clean

I took the coolest class tonight at Moondance Botanicals - an herby, essential oil, natural products type shop: natural cleaners! Boy, who ever used critical thinking under the sink before...not me! So commercial cleaners are too toxic to dump down the sink, have to be picked up by haz mat from the city waste department even, but we still use them all over our house. I never thought about these things before, though I have been steadily shifting over to natural products. And the companies don't have strict labeling laws, so who really knows what ill-effects can come from the comet or the bleach or the pinesol. So I learned some really easy, basic recipes. We made an all purpose cleaner and a powdered abrasive cleaner. Both smell great with essential oils - no chemical or synthetic fragrance. Ask me about the recipes, and I will be happy to share. Vinegar and baking soda are common ingredients, things we often have in the house for other reasons. It isn't easy to come up with some good smells, either, with lavender or sweet orange, lemon or thyme. Relaxing, balancing, energizing - not usually words I associated with cleaning, but I am a fan now! Think I might go clean the tub and take a soak...or maybe tomorrow. Cleaning is still cleaning.

A shaky Monday

Despite my best efforts to get to bed early, I never do. And last night was no exception. So this morning when my alarm went off, I snoozed away. This is spring break in our house - Jennifer just declared it and took off for DC, while Mary and Hafner legitimately can claim it from school. I am still working. Nobody else to fight for the bathroom, so I took my time rolling out of bed. I did move quickly once out of bed and was out of the house in less than thirty minutes (I still shower at night). Despite my lightning speed, I did not eat breakfast. I packed two hard boiled eggs, the dairy-less mashed potatoes, and a little piece of cheddar cheese. On second thought I grabbed a small container of mate (Argentine tea) and my bombilla. I caught my bus and transfer and made it to work without too much delay. I have often said, to anyone who will listen, that I want a hot water tap in my kitchen, when I have my own kitchen. The next best thing is the electric tea kettle we have at work. I filled it up and started brewing mate after mate after mate. Though not caffeinated, it is mateinated - a stimulant of another sort. And I had more than usual since I wasn't sharing it with anyone. Sakes alive was my brain jittery!!! It felt like a whole other drunkenness. My brain was rapid-firing too quickly. Gratefully, lunch time came, and I ate, hoping it would help. Even now I think there is some residual jumping around of synapses in my head. Lesson learned: tomorrow I will cut back after three glasses! My gratitudes of the day: dinner with Rudy, Nancy, and Betty - such a delightful time! And getting to see my first boss in Denver, Beth Taylor, who was in town for the weekend with her husband and two kids. Reunions of friends all night long!

A green Easter after all

So there was snow this morning, but it didn't stay since the sun was out all day. A deceptive sunshine...it was still cold. By the temperature of my room, I can tell it's back down to freezing tonight. Easter was really this early, most all agree. There are shoots in the garden beds for what will be irises and tulips and daffodils...later. No flowers perking up in our yard to signify it is Easter, like usual. My big snafu for the day was being off half an hour for the church service time. Walking in at ten o'clock, I was surprised to see an empty church. There were so many people milling around, but nobody sitting down. Betty filled me in. How silly! This also meant we wouldn't be home to pull things out of the oven, brunch would be a lot later, and Ahna would be right on time coming from Castle Rock. Good grief! Brunch was delicious. Mary made an egg-bake, I made mashed potato casserole. Hafner's sister and mom made dessert pizza. Gabe and Char brought sweet bread and fruit salad. Erik brought Easter eggs we colored at his house on Wednesday. Belinda brought bread. And Ahna made green bean casserole. What a fancy brunch...though I realized in talking with my family that we always did dinner growing up, not brunch. So I borrowed our Christmas brunch tradition of orange juiliuses and hit the store on my way home from mass to make them for our guests. What fun! I was surprised there were leftover mashed potatoes, but I think in general we all did a great job portioning. There were leftovers of nearly everything, until I went down to the kitchen for dinner. Everyone else got to it first. Today was pretty low-key: paper reading, picking up my room, watering plants, a game with Mary, and a phone call with my little brother. I am ready to retire for the evening. Peace and grace!

A good kind of tired...

I hope I can stay awake to watch a movie...so tired. After a late night with Nikki and friends, we were up early for skiing. I can't say it was my best day, but it wasn't my worst. We were both yawning on the chair lift. At least there wasn't anyone mean enough to pop my binding while getting on the chairlift! Tomorrow we are having brunch at the house with a few friends. I have already made the mashed potato casserole and can't wait to smell it in the oven tomorrow. Looking outside I wonder if we can change the lyrics to one of my dad's favorite songs: I'm dreaming of a white Easter? Hopefully everyone dyed their eggs, or it could be a little tricky trying to find them in the yard tomorrow.

On the seventh day...

...she rested? Well, rested a couple worries from my pockets of things to think about... In the last seven days, my car-hopes were dashed. Trying to negotiate my budget and what I want and what is on the market was giving me a headache. I am putting it to rest for a couple weeks. Maybe in that space something will grab me, but I am looking at a bicycle instead. It is in my budget and in line with my values of not being a driver (though I know I will be a driver again soon). Today I stopped at a shop on my way to the grocery store and checked out their bikes, and grocery shopping via the #15 bus was ridiculously easy. This other worry is such an old worry that I hate even bringing it up, as so many people, including myself, would love to see it just go away. My tender little hip, injured a few years ago in my bike accident, still hurts. I was ready to surrender to the pain, but made one more trip to the orthopedist before my medical coverage shifts with my new job. The recommendation to operate was not what I wanted to hear, and my hopes for an easy, pain-free way out were dahsed. Rather than close my case expediently, it will just drag out a bit longer. The peace I felt from saying I didn't want to risk surgery three years ago doesn't come when I think about turning down surgery again. Bummer! So I put these worries aside, enjoyed baking bread this morning, got some exercise grocery shopping, and might go see a movie in a while...

Fabulous Saturday

Though chilly, today has been sunny, sunny, sunny! Once again I missed my chance to drink beer and Jameson at 7 am in anticipation of the St. Patrick's Day parade. I had to get up extra early four out of five days this week, so I opted to rest my tired eyes. I hopped a bus, once up, to meet Anna Belle for brunch. We have been to so many different brunches that it doesn't surprise me anymore that we order the same thing off the menu. Today, at Gaia Cafe on South Pearl, we both ordered a chai with our eggs in a basket (in brioche-bread...so tasty! plus a little bowl of fruit) with a side of potatoes (kind of a scalloped potato dish than fried). It was tasty goodness and filled me up. We talked and talked...always good to catch up. After breakfast we strolled down the street and popped into a little jewelry shop - local artists. She found some amethysts that looked great on her, and I found a late gift for Mary. As we checked out, I snuck a ring she had her eye on into my purchase, to which she scolded me for wasting my hard-earned money on something she didn't need. But really, I told her, that wasn't why we were looking at all the pretty stones. Unbeknowst to me, she had already picked out something for me. So then shegifted me with a pair of amber earrings that match an amber ring my sister gave me a couple years ago. We walked back onto the street with our new little treasures and enjoyed some more sunshine. I love gifitng people with little pleasures, and yet it can sometimes be difficult to receive. What a fun little exchange we ended up with! My afternoon was pretty laidback until walking to church, meeting my friend Jenny there and catching up afterwards. As always, I left with some kernels of contemporary wisdom to ponder. The evening cooled down quickly, and would you believe it rained and snowed before the day was done!

pooped again!

It feels like Sunday. I took the day off to play with Erin while she was still in town, so my sense of calendar is off. It has been a full weekend, and I am still tired. I promise, I am headed to bed as soon as I post this. Yesterday I walked around City Park, walked a lot downtown to meet the girls for brunch, walked home from downtown, and even biked to a friend's for dinner. Whoosh! It was a pretty low-key day, but I felt it in my feet and heavy eyes. I went to bed excited that I was meeting a car today with the hope of buying it. Today, I bussed downtown and walked up to Budget to rent a car. Erin and I drove up to A-Basin to Oren for a day of skiing. We had a terrific day - lots of runs, a bit of sun, and tons of fun. I will mention that there was one snafu -when Oren saw fit to relieve me of a ski as we loaded onto the chairlift. I tried furiously to snap my boot back in to the binding, but he kicked it out from under me. Nice, huh? He admitted that he wanted to give someone else the opportunity to do something nice, and actually a couple people had the opportunity: the man who carried my ski up and the lady who slowed down the chair for my one ski manuever off the chair. Good work, Oren! The skiing was great, and even better, we got to hang out back at the house with everyone a bit longer over Chinese take-out and miso soup. Sadly, the car was sold before I had a chance to look at it, but there will be others to see. I don't mind walking and bussing as much as I can, but there are those times it would make life a wee bit easier, like for work. I got to talk with friends, make plans for the week: dinner with Jake on Tuesday and Nikki on Thursday, family dinner on Wednesday...Friday, anyone? I also talked with family, and if you're the praying type, please keep mine in your prayers. There are those in my big "family" - relatives of blood and heart - that could use some divine work in their lives. Peace out...G'night!

a long fun day

oooph...I've only enough energy to put Almost Famous in the VCR and unwind. From sun-up to sunset - okay maybe more like 8:30 - 8:30 - it was shower mode. Baby shower mode! This morning we put together favors and appe-teasers for the shower. We headed down to Oren's parents' house in Castle Rock, and everybody had lots of fun. There was so much good food, fun conversation, and adorable baby gifts unwrapped. When we peeled out of the car and washed up dishes and everything, I felt pooped. The couch is comforting... It is pretty exciting to have a new baby joining our family. I know the baby really is Ahna and Oren's, but I think we are all excited to support and help Ahna and Oren raise Baby B-B. I don't know when or how it will feel that their shoes are mine, so it is fun to think how this new life will affect us all. Only two and a half more months...

Happy reunion!!

I was delighted to put this week of work to a rest. Not because of work, but because I missed over half a dozen buses - sometimes missing one meant missing the next. What craziness! And to take the cake, the car I was pursuing online turned out to be a scam. Yuck! But after forty-five minutes of walking, I made it home. I had time for a quick rinse in the shower, and we had fixin's for quesadillas. Mary and Jennifer were on their way to the airport to pick-up Erin, and Ahna and her mom were on their way up from Castlerock. Sarah got home while I was cleaning up. THE ORIGINAL FIVE BACK IN COLUMBINE!! Ahna, Erin, Mary, Jennifer, Sarah, and I pranced from one room to the next with our wine or cranberry juice, apples and cheddar, and a few cameras. Ahna's mom and Sarah's sister shot photo after photo as we posed in the kitchen, the living room, the nook by the pool table, and all over. It was a lot of fun. The energy and laughter was high. Reunions are so much fun...

Publicly shaming myself

I am really embarrassed about what I did last night, but because I can still type, I am grateful. Once a month those of us in the house have a business dinner...in our business socks. With slim pickin's in the cupboard and fridge, Mary and I came up with a nice salad of greens and and grapes and raisins and pistachios. To compliment it, we opened a box of butternut squash soup. Though I intended to do some car-shopping, I realized we had no bread products to soak in our soup, so I made buttermilk biscuits. A couple ingredients were substitutes, but the dough still tasted great. After cutting the dough into 21 little circles, I pulled the stoneware out of the oven and another cookie sheet from the cupboard. The biscuits looked so delicious in the stoneware. I stuck the cookie sheet in the oven and reached for the stoneware with my bare hands!!! The HOT stoneware with my naked fingers!! Quickly to the sink I rushed, and my hands soaked a long time in cold, cold water until the water wasn't cold anymore. I couldn't tell where the blisters were, but was willing to wait until my fingers were numb. Oh haste! Down the last two digits of my left pointer finger, I have swollen white blisters. There are a couple other tender spots on my left hand, but no more blisters. My right pointer finger is blistered across the pad, but I can still hold a pencil (since I didn't hold it properly in the first place). The pad of the bone in the palm of my hand is also pretty tender. Oh silliness!!! No flossing for a while. Trying to be careful washing dishes with hot water. Showering is delicate. And I am forever rubbing aloe on to soothe my nerves that cringe now and again. No moral of the story that I know of; I am sure I'll burn myself again one day.

snowy day blues

This is not a complaint...more of a lamentation with an understanding that weather changes. Some say it is a sure sign of global warming wreaking havoc on our weather patterns. I say it is a sure sign I was supposed to sleep in and spend all day on the phone. Yesterday was a gorgeous Saturday - a beautiful reminder of what is to come. Gorgeous was reading the paper on the front porch in sunshine. Gorgeous was an afternoon in the park, upwards of mid-seventies. My hairy legs sticking out of my shorts may not have been gorgeous, but I did wear shorts and a tank top, a first since South America. Well, I didn't pack shorts down there, but you get the point. Mary and I spread a sheet and then a blanket on top to add an extra layer between us and the blanket of (canadian) goose poop all over City Park. We read and talked and just basked in the sun. (I covered myself in sunblock, not to worry.) Erik and his dog Bapu stopped by for a visit. The weather beckoned many to the park and gave me the urge to garden, though I knew what the weather had in store. When hunger came, I got a call from Johnson, who is back from Belize, and we got to have lunch - a first in two and a half months. All sorts of delightful activity! Today was supposed to be a ski day. I was looking forward to bombing down the mountain and hanging out with Nikki. The fates would not allow it. With blowing snow and a drop of over forty degrees in town, the mountains were also getting blowing snow, but the temperature was (is) in the teens and felt like FOUR DEGREES!!! Really...I am trying to limit my chances of frostbiting my toes over and over. My big toe is still peeling...hopefully not an excuse I will have to keep using. Tuesday I get another chance to make it up there, so I hope it warms up a smidge by then. All in all, I still got to listen to Prairie Home Companion and Car Talk. I talked with my dad, my grandma, Pat-Amy-Maddie & Grandbob, my sister's boyfriend, and my ski buddy. The TV room is nice a toasty now with the door closed, so I'm thinking I could maybe change back into my shorts and tank top (except my room is in the forties or fifties). Hope it is sunny where you are!

Successful first batch!!!

While in Argentina on the farm, Vida exposed me to Wild Fermentation, a book about making your own cheese and vinegars, wines and breads, beers and sprouts: all sorts of yummy foods that you can get in the store, but are so much more fun to make yourself. My parents found it for me for Christmas, and I was eager to try some recipes. My cheese was good, and I want to make more. But the real excitement exploded last night! In January I started the bug for a batch of ginger ale. I bottled a gallon of ginger ale by the end of January. It doesn't take long for it to be ready if the setting is right, but I realized after a week or so that it wasn't warm enough for the fermentation process to continue. I moved the bottles to a better spot and found the ale begin to carbonate. Thursday night I opened the mason jar of it to see how it was - flat and not the perfect flavor was what my tongue (and everyone else's) told me. A little bummed, as I planned to open them last night for our Leap Year house party, I stuck the other bottles in the fridge to chill and made a plan to compensate for the flavor: lime juice, sugar, and vodka. I emptied the contents of the mason jar into my blend and stuck it in the freezer to get cold. The first folks arrived and weren't drinking alcohol for Lent, so I dared to open a new bottle of ginger ale with the hopes it could be served solo. POP went the "cork" and PHSHSHT went the ginger ale like a bottle of champagne. The bottles have that ez-cap, like Grolsch. Evidently the mason jar didn't keep a good seal because the other four bottles of ginger ale were AWESOME!! I had a lot of fun letting folks sample them, though there wasn't a lot to go around. Now I want to get another bug going! Kombucha is on my list to start this month, too. Unfortunately, the sourdough starter went moldy before it got bubbly - again a temperature thing probably. I can't wait to try some more...