Agonyzer’s Neighborhood

This week has been insane. The month is pretty insane, really, but this week involved two major deadlines, work travel, and another project where multitasking was not possible, but which took up a dozen hours. In addition to the regular stuff-- work and home and nanowrimo and stuff. I had my last letterpress class today, and it's a class I've really enjoyed.

Lettre Presse

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Drinks

Sorry that I just want to ramble on today. I'm feeling seriously rebellious. I think I want to completely overhaul my lifestyle. Mostly my diet. Okay, so I've got: a wheat allergy and chronic fatigue syndrome. The last thing I want is pity - I don't need it. I got through a graduate biology program. But I'm annoyed at our society for its silliness with edibles.

Should I stop drinking? It's so dumb how I google cider recipes and they all have booze in them. That alone makes me want to boycott the industry. I'm definetly cutting back on coffee because I'm having palpitations again when I have too many cups or alcohol.

I wonder if I should just go whole hog and live a crazy vegan lifestyle. I also google vegan recipes and they all have wheat. I can't eat those. Can you see why I want to start diet groups on Vox? People keep saying to me, "Oh, I don't know how you can stand to go without cake / coffee / booze / steak". Yeah, thanks for the words of wisdom.

On a happier note, we have heroes like Alton Brown to educate us on cooking techniques. And I still love Ace of Cakes, I bet they would make a cake just for me. My favorite episode was when they made a cake for the author of a kid's book called Ghost Girl, a child who was teased in school. Then she died and she learned what real friendship is.

Appropriate for my dilemma, I guess. Maybe I'll change my attitude along with what I consume.

ghostgirl

Green_tea

So I've sent out my resume, I'm waiting patiently to hear back from potential employers. I can't wait for school to send my diploma so I can take that stupid word "Candidate" off my title for "Master's of Science".

My mom thinks I should apply for a college teaching job. You know, so I won't get eaten by some beast in the forest. I can't imagine anything I'd want to do less. I'm in biology so I won't have to work with humans, remember?

The one advantage to teaching is that I'd  teach those brainwashed students about evolution. In the vet tech program, our cell biology teacher was a devout Christian. A student asked about Intelligent Design, and she replied, "This is a science class, so we're not going to discuss religion". Score!

Although it may be brutally cold I'd rather be watching bobcats anyday than stuck in a monkey suit at a desk. Being an ecologist means I can dress casual and be a socially awkward geek if I like. Not that I can help it.

I'm at least tempted to volunteer for science groups that stand up for Evolution in schools. And a new arrival at my favorite bookstore showed Origin of the Species in illustration form. Yay!

Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species: A Graphic Adaptation

Paper: done. Yeay! Nanowrimo: about a third done... could be worse. House: messy. Need to get on that. Work project: not started. Really need to get on that. Stuff for craft show tonight & tomorrow: as done as it's gonna be. Car packed for craft show: right. Gotta get on that now....

Almond blossoms

I have a really amazing friend in California, she's an artist and also a practicioner of Ayurvedic medicine. When she lived here she gave me some shards of wisdom. Like drinking hot water with lemon in the morning.

Now I've become intrigued by the practice on a deeper level. I know that the practice is from India or South Asia. And they emphasize yoga.

I was reminded by Aubrey about my seasonal habits. I change my environment as the seasons change. I put away my beach photos and put out photos of old snow-covered barns in Vermont. I bust out my maroon fleece pajamas. Blankets get draped over chairs. It is very much like the moon cycles, it's quite a feminine aspect.It's quite a mystery, thought.

It's a mystery to me, though, why I have these cravings. It's not as though it's always warmer in March than it is in November. I have to wonder if humans evolved with the agrarian cycles. Or if it's even more primitive.

So I was pleased to hear that part of Ayurvedic medicine is to encourage people to tune into these seasonal cycles. They also encourage a gluten-free diet. Yay!

Java

Here is my Greenwashing report for the week, I'm using someone else's blog because it's so brilliant. Triple Pundit has a Greenwashing Archive. There's some really funny stories in there. Like the new food labelling project called "Smart Choices".

Their goal is to point to products that are healthy for us. Among their certified cereals? Fruit Loops and Cocoa Crispies. Yeah, take that before your marathon!

And the new Republican stance on CO2: more of it will actually benefit life on Earth! Yes, you can buy back those SUVs now.

On a more practical note, here are 5 ways to green your coffee!  :)

Brew Your Own: Eliminate your need for disposable cups and save money in the process by making your own coffee at home- hot or iced.  Even better, take the Good Earth Coffee “Brew at Home” Pledge and Good Earth will donate $1 to The Trust for Public Land, a non-profit that works to conserve parks, gardens, and natural places.

Buy Organic, Shade Grown, and/or Fair Trade: Organic coffee is grown without the use of pesticides; shade grown coffee is grown without unnecessary clearing of rainforest, which disrupts bird habitats (shade grown is also sometimes referred to as “Bird-Friendly”); and Fair Trade refers to the practice of providing fair wages and conditions for workers.  Ideally, choose a coffee that meets all three standards.

Drongo cuckoo

Invest in a Reusable Filter: At this point, I hate buying any product intended for one-time use.  Although paper filters can be composted, there is still an environmental cost associated with their production.  (Also, I just think the coffee tastes better run through a reusable filter.)

Use a Thermos: Rather than leaving the coffeemaker on “warm”, making multiple pots, or reheating in the microwave, conserve energy by making a day’s worth of coffee and pouring it into a vacuum-sealed thermos.  This will ensure that you have a constant supply of hot coffee to keep you going all day.

Compost the Coffee Grounds: Finally, make sure your grounds make it into the compost bin.  Or, during the growing season, sprinkle the grounds over flower and vegetable beds as a nitrogen-rich mulch.

Star Trek: The Original Series - Season Three (Remastered Edition)

Why, yes, I have. My love, Mr. P, does get kissed quite often, but he got extras today for his service, and because I'm very very happy that he is not in Iraq anymore. I had the day off, which meant that I was at least somewhat productive-- I did get some sewing stuff done that had to get done, and finished the second edit on the paper and worked on additional accoutrements. The project for which those pieces have been made is due tomorrow, and I think now that I will be able to get it wrapped up-- yeay!

In the meantime, I took Mr. P out for a Veterans' Day lunch, wherein we stuffed ourselves so completely that neither of us is interested in dinner. Instead, we're going for an episode or two of old skool Star Trek. We are just wild and crazy, que no?

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I'm spending the rest of the day in my pajamas, don't tell anyone I'm home! We overdid it yesterday, painting the house and raking leaves. 20 bags worth from our meager acreage.

Then I jogged at the Lake this morning. Cold but lovely anyway. I ran into 7 teenagers trying to harass an animal and I had to talk with them. I'll elaborate tomorrow. Sigh.

People never guess that I'm a huge supporter of free will. Wiccans say do whatever you like, as long as it causes no harm. Yet animals are so often used as entertainment for bored children I guess tormenting them is now seen as perfectly acceptable.

Oh well, have some snacks! (Not sure what that is in the picture but it looks yummy).

Because I think I bought the wrong size. Or it doesn't match the rest of my decor.

Sexy_back

This is me after a day spent in the attic. Yes, I'm wearing a bandanna, goggles, dust mask, and a head lamp. It's fricking dark up there. And eerily quiet. And full of moon dust-like insulation. And pixies. But I wasn't supposed to tell anybody about the pixies.

Oh, right, what was I doing up there? Installing ceiling fan braces. There are few home features I hate more than wobbly or rattly ceiling fans, so I believe in attaching them to serious braces fastened to the studs with heavy deck screws. Also, I love ceiling fans. I'm installing them in the bedroom, the office, the living room, and the kitchen. I'd install one in the dining room, but that just seems like overkill.

To prepare for this adventure, I loaded up my backpack with all the tools I thought I might possibly need for the adventure, including my newly purchased cordless drill. I don't own 200 feet of extension cord, so I figured that would come in handy. I should have taken snacks.

The kitchen was easy. I had to enlarge the hole in the ceiling a bit to accommodate a 4-inch electrical box, which is standard for ceiling fan braces, but the brace went in easily. From there, I crawled to the pantry, where I installed a new electrical box, and ran the wiring to the light switch. Then I schlepped over to the office, dragging all my supplies and my plywood platform with me. (Because squatting on joists for hours at a time is unpleasant, it's better to have somewhere to sit.) Once again, the hole in the ceiling had to be enlarged via drill and hand saw. Then I had to shim one end of the brace to make it level, but it went in easily enough.

After that I slithered over to the bathroom to repair a hole in the ceiling and install a new electrical box. Seeing a trend? Yes, most of the light fixtures in the house had been attached directly to the ceiling without the benefit of a box. While doing that, I realized I'd forgotten a box to install in the hallway. And it was getting dark. And the dining room light fixture opening was in the wrong place. I wasn't going to be able to get it all done in a day.

Still, I was dead-set on getting all the ceiling fan braces installed, so I persevered. Alas, it wasn't meant to be. I crept toward the bedroom, but as I felt about with my foot, digging through layers of blown insulation looking for the next ceiling joist, I found ... nothing. No joist. Not where it should have been anyway. In most modern houses, joists and studs are installed at 18-inch intervals, or sometimes 24-inch intervals. Things are slightly less predictable in old houses. I once lived in a house with 21-inch center studs and joists. How I discovered that, it's a long story.

This house, though, this house ... it mostly has 24-inch centers, except where it doesn't, namely in the bedroom and living room. There, the ceiling joists are 36 inches apart. Too far to install a ceiling fan brace. So I get to plan another day in the attic and this one will be a doozy. I'll have to drag a bunch of lumber up there and sister in some more joists, close enough together to support ceiling fans, and to provide a bit more stability in those ceilings.

Am I starting to regret buying this project house? Oddly enough, no. I'm kind of looking forward to the project. As sick as that is.