Annethologie

Hocoblogs, community of action!

2011-07-28T11:21:00.000-04:00

Hi readers! I want to make you famous.

OK, not famous, really. Well, probably not at all. In fact, we're talking total anonymity.

Here's the deal. I'm working on a project as part of my master's program in human-centered computing. The topic is online communities and social action. I can't think of a better community for studying a topic like this than the one right here - Hocoblogs! We've already been lauded as being a model of civic engagement. I'm just looking a little deeper into the how and the why of our awesomeness.

I'd really like to interview several people as part of my research project. I'd like to talk to bloggers, blog readers, people who twitter - basically, anyone who might read this post, or consider themselves in any way connected to Hocoblogs. If you're online, you're in Howard County, and you read or write any of the blogs on this site, I might just be talking about you.

Sometime between tomorrow and next Friday if you can pry half an hour out of your busy schedule, I would like to ask you some questions over coffee, a beer, or any other drink of your choice, my treat. You'll be anonymously included in my study which will very likely only be read by a few professors and students. Unless the movie industry gets wind of it and wants to make it into a feature film on HoCo social networks, and then we'll talk about getting you some dark sunglasses and a press agent as part of the deal.

But more than likely this will just be an obscure little academic paper with no higher aspirations than becoming a dissertation someday. Still, it would be very valuable to me personally to be able to meet and talk to you. Name your coffee house, bar, playground, or park bench, and give me a shout.

Comment here, message me on twitter, or email.

hocoblogs@@@

In the Third Place

2011-06-14T15:16:00.000-04:00

The Columbia Festival of the Arts happened this weekend, with festivities all weekend long down at the Lakefront. I missed most of it because I was home hiding from the heat, but on Sunday evening I couldn't stand the feeling of missing out on anything worthy and went down to see the final performance of the March Fourth Marching Band. Here a video taken by David Hobby that might give you a little insight on how happy I was that I made the choice to go down.

The band was perfect for the Art Fest and I urge the organizers to get them back next year! Their energy and interactivity and the level of performance they delivered was breathtaking. And, the rest of the story of my evening is even more cool. Without specifically planning to, I met up with JessieX, who is the reason I wanted to go to begin with, after she shared her pleasure in the band and posted a clip of their music. Mary Kate and fellow blogger Wendy were there too, with their families. After the performance, we stayed, and hung out. It's been a long time since I've just hung out. Today's events are usually so planned, so orchestrated. They require coordination and iteration and everyone's just so busy that we aren't all that relaxed when the time comes to get together. This was just spontaneous and lovely. I met other people while we sat there, like hula hooper Monica. My kid ran around with other kids. The air cooled down and I kicked back and enjoyed the breeze from the lake. We chatted over picnic dinners and snacks. We blew bubbles and played with Jessie's hula hoops.

I'm taking a class right now on communities. There are many definitions of community, but according to some, two of the essential elements of a community are a shared sense of space, and a shared sense of identity. By shared sense of identity, I mean the idea of who "we" are, as a group. You, my dear reader, are probably a resident of the virtual community of Howard County - whatever you may call it. We are the Hoco!

A major focus of my class is what happens when the concept of shared space turns virtual. For example, hocoblogs is a shared space for we residents of the Hoco, and you probably already know all about that and what makes it interesting. What I find even more interesting is the intersection between virtual and physical spaces. It's how I ended up at the concert at the same time as Jessie, who saw my check-in on foursquare, then after arriving gave me a call to locate me in the crowd. We inhabit the virtual and the real worlds simultaneously. In either world, there is a concept called the Third Place, which is not home and not work, but a shared, easily accessible public place, that in a well-functioning community provides neutral ground for vital, informal, social interaction to take place. It's a coffee shop, or a general store: a hangout. It's a lakefront. This summer, the Lakefront is going to be the third place to be.

Next week Monday begins the summer long series of free movies shown at the Lakefront starting at dusk. Dusk - I just love that. Pay attention to the movement of the sun, or better yet, just get there a little early and set up your blanket for a picnic dinner and wait until the movie starts. Oh and while you're there, hang out with your neighbors. Maybe right now they are your virtual neighbors, but you can bridge the worlds and know them in person while you set up your blanket, watch Megamind or sneak out before it is over to put your toddler to bed. It's easy, it's informal, and it's awesome. Hey, we made it a tweetup, too, so you can let people know you are coming and see who else will be there.

See you at the Lakefront!

hocoblogs@@@

I'm an Introvert

2011-05-25T10:59:00.001-04:00

I attended a presentation yesterday given by Dr. Jennifer Kahnweiler, author of The Introverted Leader, who gave advice to leaders who happen to be introverts on how to manage effectively. The tips were not bad. But she failed to adequately define what an introvert is, in my opinion, and tended to fall back on typical misconceptions like shyness and anti-social tendencies. This may have just been due to having only an hour to cover a topic she covers in an entire book, but I felt as I sat there, as I often do, that an extrovert had neatly categorized all of an introvert's qualities into a list of things that needed to be improved, and was giving me tips on how to change.

So I'm throwing this definition out there because I think it's important to recognize that introversion is just a psychological orientation, like extroversion, not a weakness or disorder or lack of social skills.

The way to distinguish between introverts and extroverts is by what gives them energy. Extroverts are energized by being around people, and find being alone tiring. Introverts, naturally, are the opposite: they find being around people draining (even when they are having fun), and need to spend some time alone to recharge. That's it.

Being introverted does not equate to being shy, or having poor social skills. Shyness implies anxiety or apprehension and can afflict introverts and extroverts alike. Being quiet or reserved, typical traits of introverts, can be mistaken for shyness, particularly by extroverts. Fear of public speaking, which is an extremely common problem, is hardly confined to the introverted population. Introverts may have excellent social skills. Being introverted does not mean that a person doesn't like people or can't relate to people or doesn't want to be around people. It merely means that they expend more energy being around people. As a result, introverts may prefer being alone because of how well they function or how energized they feel. They think better when they are alone and have some quiet. This is how they get the negative label of anti-social. The Cambridge dictionary definition "someone who is shy, quiet and unable to make friends easily" was clearly written by an extrovert. The Myers-Briggs definition is closer to the truth: "an introvert derives energy from his or her internal world of emotions and ideas, while an extrovert draws from the outside world of people and activities for spiritual sustenance."

As with any two opposite personality traits, there is also a scale, and there are extreme cases on either end, whereas most of us are somewhere in the middle. For me, the best test of whether or not you are an introvert, though, is whether or not you need some alone time to recuperate from a very fun social occasion, and whether or not you feel you need to prepare yourself mentally, going into one. Since I'm not an extrovert, I can't say for sure what the test for that would be, but I would hazard a guess that an true extrovert finds it difficult to handle long periods of solitude and will go out of their way to seek out company if left on their own very long.

Some links:

Myers-Briggs
A nice definition and comparison
Caring for your Introvert

Hometown Run

2011-04-26T12:07:00.000-04:00

This weekend the Blossoms of Hope Festival in Ellicott City has several worthy events to attend. I hope to participate in two ways. On Friday night, I'm planning on taking my daughter to the luminary parade
at the Patapsco Female Institute. She'll have an incredible time: it's outside, at night, there will be lots of other kids around, and she'll get to carry a tissue paper lantern. Oh, the fun!

Then on Saturday I'm going to run the Milltown 5K which passes practically right in front of my house. How can I NOT do this? Plus, the hills will be so hard, with bragging rights right around the corner. And in my recovering state, a 5K is just the ticket.

If you live in Ellicott City and consider Main Street to be part of your neighborhood, I strongly suggest taking part in this party. It's bound to be fun.

Greg's doing it too, I hear. Anyone else?

hocoblogs@@@

20 Minute Cleanup - it's the little things

2011-04-19T13:05:00.002-04:00

One of the things I remember about my grandmother is the way she used to stoop down and pick up tiny bits of lint and crumbs from the carpet whenever she moved from room to room. I never saw her vacuum, but she didn't need to. Her carpets were immaculate. This small thing impressed upon me the lesson of a stitch in time. By cleaning up along the way, one never has to be faced with the giant task of cleaning up all at once. (If you visit my house, you might realize that I have yet to learn how to actually apply that lesson.) Expanding the lesson, my grandmother also demonstrated that small efforts add up. She didn't spend a lot of time or expend a lot of energy to retrieve dropped things from the carpet, but still enjoyed a very tidy apartment without breaking out the heavy cleaning equipment very often.

Last Thursday, a very small band of bloggers took that lesson to heart and spent a mere 20 minutes cleaning up trash near Dobbin Road. Three whopping bags of trash, misplaced by wind and careless consumers, are no longer cluttering the view. Pictured here are Sarah of SarahSaysBlog and @macsmom, along with yours truly and my very helpful husband and daughter. From the tweets, I could see that plenty of other HoCo residents were doing the same thing. What was the overall participation level in Howard County? Very small, I'm sure, but as I've learned, small efforts still count for a lot.

So what if we did this every month instead of once a year? Or every week? What if on every trip to and from the car we each picked up on little piece of misplaced trash and put it where it belongs? My grandmother could tell you.

hocoblogs@@@

20 minutes!

2011-04-10T08:30:00.002-04:00

Howard County's 20 minute cleanup is a day where everyone is urged to go outside and spend 20 minutes picking up trash in their neighborhood, near their business, or pretty much anywhere in the county. It's good timing, because who doesn't want to be outside for at least 20 minutes this time of year? And, while you're out there, wouldn't you rather gaze out over a beautiful scenic view, rather than a trash covered one?

I clean up around my place all the time, and you probably do too. So why not take the challenge a little more public and clean up a spot that is very visible, but perhaps doesn't get as much attention? Plus, if we do it as a group, it'll be more fun! Right? In the time it takes to drink a cup of coffee, you can use more than just your sparkling wit to make the county shine.

I'll be at the Dobbin Starbucks at 6:30 this coming Thursday the 14th with a big box of trash bags. Come spend 20 minutes picking up trash and beautifying what some would call Columbia's Main Street. Invite your readers. Bring friends or the family and join me for dinner afterward at Fuddruckers. After we wash our hands, of course.

Spread the word!

hocoblogs@@@

Once a Runner

2011-03-03T10:44:00.000-05:00

Once a runner, always a runner, I used to think. Now I'm struggling not only with injury, but also identity. My sense of self is heavily influenced by what I do and who I do it with. I run, therefore I am. It may sound melodramatic or hokey, but it's true. It's like being tall - I've always been tall, and when I describe myself to someone I haven't met, I'll say something like "Look for the tall woman with long hair and a black jacket." Tall is who I am.

The same goes for running. I'm a runner. I run marathons. I belong to a running group. I run. It is who I am.

I suffered an ankle injury in December and really haven't run since then. Boy is it getting to me. I'm gaining weight, I feel less and less healthy, and my self of self is suffering. Am I runner? I was once a runner. Now who am I?

Beyond being removed from the act of running, I've been disconnected from my tribe. I belong to several tribes - my family, my local friends and my mom's group, for example. And my running group. They are my friends, my support group, my company on long runs, my therapist, and my sense of belonging. It isn't just the specific group of people I ~~run~~ ran with regularly either - it's the whole running world. I find myself talking to someone at a party about running, and I now feel a little removed from the conversation. A little left out. Where once this was a strong source of instant connection and the ability to relate to someone else, it is now something that makes me feel a little sad, like a wallflower just watching the dance.

I want to be back on the road, counting the miles, sharing race stories with the runner next to me. I want to be able to tell someone what race I'm running next and ask about theirs. I want my tribe back. I want my self back.

Winter is Over

2011-02-02T11:55:00.000-05:00

Today is Groundhog's Day and everyone probably knows by now that Phil predicts an early spring. Marshmallow Man doesn't get the tradition, and I agree that it's a silly one. Technically, spring comes at the same time every year with the Vernal Equinox. Groundhog's Day is actually a significant day in the astronomical calendar, a day that is midway between the Winter Solstice and the Vernal Equinox: a cross-quarter day. There have been other celebrations on this day, such as the feast-day of St. Brigid, or Imbolc.

To me, it doesn't matter what you celebrate. What's important is acknowledging the passage of time and respecting the seasons. A lot of people are cursing one particular season right now and wishing they lived someplace tropical, but I love living in a place with clearly defined and sometimes extreme seasons. (OK, I hate summer, but it makes autumn that much sweeter to live through the unbearable heat.) How boring would it be to live in the same weather all of the time? Maybe this modern world we live in has made it easy not to appreciate the different times of year for what they bring us. If you can buy lettuce and tomatoes in the local grocery any day of the year, you may not crave the fresh vegetables that come with spring. If you can walk into an air-conditioned home whenever you feel hot, you may not long for the crisp autumn air. If you are disconnected from the growing seasons, then a Thanksgiving meal may not be a poignant. Fattening up for winter isn't really applicable anymore, nor is a harvest festival. We are annoyed by the snowfall because we all still have to go to work and school and the grocery, instead of hunkering down for the long winter nap because we worked our butts off in the long summer hours already. The incredible wonder of those first falling snowflakes that make our children squeal with delight is lost on too many of us as we think about scraping our windshields. But I still delight in those snowflakes, and take every opportunity I can to sled, or throw snowballs, or just gaze into the beautiful white all around me. I love the winter, and but still long for spring and seeing the buds appear. I stay up late in the summer and use the long daylight hours to be outside and eat real tomatoes that only ripen in the July heat. I tromp through leaves in the autumn and marvel at the colors and the need for a sweater. The seasons are life, and nothing tugs at my emotions like experiencing them as they come.

This morning I was sad when I awoke, because to me, winter is officially over, and yet it is still too early to look forward to spring. And it had nothing to do with Phil. Today there was no liberal leave at work. I felt in my gut, with no groundhog to guide me, that there would be no more snow days this year.

Being Neighborly

2011-01-31T17:49:00.005-05:00

All of the snow last week, and a situation that has come up regarding a land developer and some adjoining property has me thinking about what it means to be a good neighbor. So I thought I'd try to make a list of things that to me, capture the essence of being neighborly. I'm sure your list will be different from mine. Mine, in fact, has evolved over the years as my priorities have changed.

A Good Neighbor...

- doesn't play their music loud enough to disrupt your thinking. Really, they don't do anything loud enough on a regular basis to make you twitchy. A corollary to this is that a good neighbor only has a loud, raucous party once or twice a year. Hey, people should be allowed some good loud fun, just not all the time, right next door.

- respects your boundaries. These are both physical and emotional boundaries. For example, she doesn't run across the middle of your back yard to get somewhere, unless she has previously established that right of way with you. She also recognizes you work the night shift and doesn't start up the leafblower at 7am during the week. Being aware and mindful is the key here.

- doesn't have nine dogs that go berzerk every time you walk outside. I have nothing against dogs! But I once had a situation where I couldn't go out in my own backyard without setting off loud, non-stop canine alarms that didn't cease until I went back inside.

- doesn't have more cars than can fit in their own drive or in front of their own yard. It's irritating to always have someone parked where it is inconvenient for you. This rule changes a lot depending on what kind of physical space you live in. If you have designated parking spaces in a townhome complex you'll have different gripes than on a block with one-acre lots. But I think the gist is the same - share the road. Or don't take up more space than you have. Something like that.

- doesn't leave trash lying around. This includes non-trash stuff like construction material or sports equipment. And I don't mean the occasional project that makes a mess, or the bike left outside where it is convenient - I mean the big pile of bricks leftover from the chimney work six years ago that is still heaped up next to the garage.

- keeps her property maintained. This is subject to interpretation. Many people, I suspect, would like to see their neighbors lawn mowed regularly, whereas I prefer not to see mown lawns at all. It does mean fixing up the falling down porch, painting the trim now and again, and putting your mailbox back up after the snow plow knocks it down. Keep the property values up for your neighbors.

- is respectful with the political signs and opinions. Civil. Voice your view, but be nice about it, and take the signs down eventually, please. The same goes for the confederate flag and the Ravens banners. Maybe I'm too touchy here. Ten years ago I was very irritated by the 600 incredibly tacky yard ornaments across the street, but I've relaxed a bit since then and now I just think it is quaint. It is possible my neighbors were bothered by the griffin statue by my front porch. I know at least one person mistook it for something satanic.

- minds their own business. I enjoy a friendly wave, and the occasional chat, but I don't need unsolicited parenting advice or a never-ending conversation about the weather when I'm trying to get in the door after work. This requirement has changed for me over the years, though. There was a time when all I wanted from a neighbor was the ability to forget they were there. I kept to myself and wanted the same in return. These days I prefer a much more interactive, friendly relationship. The key though is a respectful distance, so that no drama occurs.

- clears the snow from around the fireplug in his front yard. He also doesn't shovel out his whole driveway into the freshly plowed street.

Now, a GREAT neighbor....

- remembers your daughter's birthday and buys her a thoughtful little gift.

- comes by with a snowblower and clears your driveway too.

(with these last two items alone, I can count myself lucky to have two GREAT neighbors.)

- clears the snow from around the fireplug three doors down. She also offers to get items from the store for her elderly neighbor who doesn't want to walk out on the ice.

- picks up trash along the street.

- brings your trash can back from the end of the drive when he does to get his.

Now according to my own rules, I've been a good neighbor most of the time. But I've broken some of these rules and been a bad neighbor before. (That was my pile of bricks sitting by the garage for six years.) And sometimes I'm a great neighbor - like the time I helped the couple next door pump a foot of water out of their basement after a power outage by lending them our generator. Most of the time, I'm more of a keep-to-myself kind of gal, but my husband is often a superhero neighbor. He helps shovel for the older people on the block. He picks up trash far and wide (recently, he spent half a day picking up track on ANOTHER street, on a whim.) He helped rebuild the mailbox a plow had broken for someone down the block. He helped someone else patch up holes in their eaves to keep the squirrels out. If I weren't married to him, I'd certainly like to live near him.

In his case, it is possible I'm biased.

I'm sure I've forgotten some really important rules that'll come to me as soon as I hit the publish button. What makes your list?

hocoblogs@@@

CSA!

2011-01-25T16:43:00.000-05:00

I love winter, especially when there is a good layer of snow on the ground. I embrace the season, right down to my diet. I eat a lot of carbs and fat, like a good animal. Sometime around February though, I start really craving the fresh vegetables of summer. Right on time, my CSA sent out an announcement about signing up for the 2011 season. This will be the third year that I've gotten my vegetable share from One Straw Farm. A friend splits the share with me, since I also have a good vegetable garden and there is only so much I can do in a week. We have a very convenient pickup location where I work in Baltimore, which is awesome, because one of my goals in life is to never go to a grocery store again. Someday...

Sarah of Sarah Says (whom I met in person at the HocoBlogs party last week) also gets veggies from One Straw Farm I see and she posted some nice pics of her weekly hauls. When I first starting looking for a CSA a few years ago, I didn't see a lot of options, but lately I've noticed a lot of choices for HoCo residents. For example, the recently founded Buckland Farm has a drop point in Columbia, I believe. Talk to JessieX about that one. One Straw Farm has a pickup point at My Organic Market in Jessup. Then there is Martin Herb Farm's CSA with a pickup at Burleigh Manor MS. It has eggs, bread and a meat option, as does Breezy Willow Farm which I hear has several HoCo drop points. Calvert Farms and Gorman farms might have local drop points this year, but I haven't confirmed that.

If you too, never want to go to a grocery store again, the next step is to find a way to get your milk and eggs too, and luckily, there is a place that will deliver. South Mountain Creamery has eggs, milk, yogurt, ice cream, cheese, butter, local honey, and even coffee. I had a scheduled delivery several years ago, but put it on hold for a vacation and haven't gotten around to picking back up again. It's on my to do list.

Vegetables from my CSA share were rolling in until mid-November, and we made a meal with some of the winter squash as recently as two weeks ago. It was delicious:

Ingredients:
2 acorn squash, split in half, seeds removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 green pepper, finely chopped
1/2 white onion, finely chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 bunch greens (we used collards), ribs removed and diced, leaves chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups cooked rice
1 cup tuna

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Method:
Place the squash, cut side down, onto a microwave safe dish. Microwave on high for 12 minutes or until then flesh is soft. Set aside. (Alternatively, you can roast the squash in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes.) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a large sauté pan over medium high heat, add the olive oil. After a minute, add the pepper and onion and season with salt and pepper. Once the vegetables begin to soften, add the collards. Continue to cook another 2 minutes or so, and add the garlic. Stir to combine and cook only until the garlic becomes fragrant. Turn off the heat and stir in the rice and tuna.

Scrape the squash out of the shells, mash it, and stir it in with the tuna/rice mixture. Place the acorn squash shells in a baking dish and fill each with the mixture. Sprinkle each stuffed squash with about 1/4 cup of the cheese and place in the oven for 15 minutes or until the cheese begins to melt

hocoblogs@@@

Not a Mommy Blogger (Yet)

2011-01-19T14:13:00.000-05:00

To say I'm not a prolific blogger is an understatement. I believe my post count for 2010 was 2. There are many reasons for this; you may refer to them as excuses if you like. One is that I don't really know what to write about. For the past year and a half, since the birth of my daughter, I've been suffering from mommy brain. This means that I'm usually too sleep-deprived to string together a whole, coherent sentence. It also means that I've only got one thing on my mind - the girl. So rather than become another mommy blogger, I just don't say anything at all. Not that there is anything wrong with mommy bloggers; I follow a few of them myself. They are witty, humorous, insightful, and always entertaining. My blog wouldn't be that kind. It would just be short, gushy posts that said things like "My daughter did X, and she's so wonderful!" and "Today she did Y! Isn't she adorable???" That's the kind of stuff I send to my parents and sister because they actually want to hear this stuff, but nobody else does. I know it. Here let me show you.

This weekend my clever daughter used the potty for the first time! We're so very excited over here!!

See?

Anyhoo, I try to post something every now and then just so I can lay tenuous claim to being a blogger. And that's mainly so that I can go rub elbows with the cool people in my area who really are bloggers, at the HocoBlog parties. They let blog readers come too, so I'm good either way, but it's nice to be able to say "I posted something this year! Really, I did, you could read it!"

The next party is tomorrow, at the Second Chance Saloon in Oakland Mills. I'll be there, hanging out with people who have things to say. I'm a good listener, so it works out. If you live in Howard County and somehow you've stumbled onto this post (I have no idea how you would do that, given my record) then maybe you should go check out a few other blogs, like 53 Beers on Tap and Computer Blues. The authors are the hosts for tomorrow's party, so brush up and impress them with how well read you are. Or, if you have a toddler, come talk to me because I understand.

Why Halloween is So Special

2010-10-28T12:15:00.001-04:00

I LOVE Halloween. It is my very favorite celebration/holiday/event. When I was a kid I loved it for the candy and the costumes, of course. But there's more to it than that.

Halloween, at least the way I celebrated it in my youth, is the original community building event. It's like an annual block party. Everyone in your local neighborhood, unless they are a big old meanie, participates. Either you turn your lights on and hand out treats to the visiting neighbor kids, or you are a kid or parent walking around visiting those neighbors asking for treats. It really isn't about the treats. It's about seeing your neighbors and sharing a little excitement with them. For at least one night a year, you pay attention to all the other people you're living with in a neighborhood, providing a safe place to walk around in the evening, and exchanging friendly greetings and a few "boo!s". Kids get to dress up and have fun running around, and they learn that there is a polite way to ask for favors.

Think about it - what other nationally recognized and sanctioned holiday has something to do your with local community? Many of them are religious holdidays - Christmas, for example, while mostly co-opted by retailers these days, is a Christian holiday and is usually celebrated with family. Thanksgiving is also usually a family event. Labor day and Memorial Day might inspire picnics with friends and family. Independence Day might mean a local community celebration if you live in a very small town, but more than likely any community parade or Fireworks offering involves traveling past your own street to participate at a larger level.

Halloween is about your own block, and maybe the one next door. At least, it used to be.

Now you take your kids to the mall or the offices at work or your church or library to trick-or-treat. Older kids go to townhome communities nearby or not-so-nearby that are known for having lots of candy with very little walking. Fire stations offer to x-ray the candy for your kids to make sure someone you don't trust hasn't tampered with it. You have adult-only costume parties at the clubs or a friend's house. You go to a hay ride or Halloween parade at a park. All fun, all safe, all worthy activities. But, they are no longer centered in your home neighborhood. They no longer allow you some contact with the people across the street or around the corner that you otherwise don't run into all that often. It's no longer about forming some neighborly bonds, building considerate relationships with the ones you share a street with. It's a damn shame, too.

I miss the Halloween of my youth and I think the fact that it is disappearing represents a terrible loss of community.

Dream Come True: Part 1

2010-08-25T13:16:00.000-04:00

If one could engineer a really practical social network by forming personal relationships based on skills and experience rather than say, affection and mutual interest, I would make sure to have a doctor, lawyer, accountant, financial advisor, computer geek, photographer, and mechanic at all of my holiday parties. I married for love, but as it happens, I also struck gold.

My husband will tell you he is a carpenter, but in fact, he's a miracle worker. (He'd probably object to that term, which is funny because he isn't at all modest.) He prefers working with wood, but can in fact do just about anything related to houses, and then some. He can tile, finish drywall, replace a roof, fix a plumbing problem, add new electrical circuits, install floors, cabinets and light fixtures, patch brick, pour concrete, build decks - in short, he's the ultimate jack of all trades when it comes to building and remodeling. He's even an inspired space designer, and has good, if traditional taste.

You can just imagine how useful he is to have around. He is the reason we were able to afford our first house, because we could look at the fixer-upper we found in our price range as a creative project, rather than a leaky, outdated dump. Together we worked long hours and went on a lot of dates to Home Depot. But while I'm pretty good with my hands (if I don't say so myself) my husband was the one who really made it happen, with his know-how, experience, skill, and blinding speed. Sometimes it was best for me to just step back and let him work his magic.

That house is a labor of love for us and contains a lot of our personal history. We were married in the back yard under the big maple tree. We invested countless hours of our lives together in its transformation. We planned and got dirty and were creative. We nested.

Last year, we welcomed a baby girl into our little world. And our cozy little home was ready for her, thanks to her father.

While we were preparing to be parents, my own parents decided (under heavy pressure from yours truly) to move to the area in order to be close to their granddaughter. We went house shopping for them, realizing as we did so just how lucky we were to live where we do, in the house that we had re-shaped to be exactly what we wanted. The market was full of unaffordable houses, and the few that met our criteria of price and function needed work. It was a familiar story to us, though we weren't as eager this time around to acquire a house that needed that much effort.

One day, when I was quite pregnant, my husband came home and announced that he had found a very intriguing house, and I should come look at it with him. We hopped in the car, drove a few minutes away, and that is when I first beheld our dream home.

Remember that my husband Roger is a miracle worker, and you might be able to see the rainbows shooting out of those broken windows and the unicorns cavorting on the lawn. You see them don't you?

10 Essential iPhone Apps for the New Mother

2009-08-21T18:07:00.019-04:00

I'm a geek and a new mom. My baby has her own domain name that hosts her picture gallery. Her picture was on Facebook before she met one of her Grandmothers. I'm writing this post on my laptop from bed where I'm cradling my sleeping child. And I've found that my iPhone has been indispensable to me as I navigate this new world of motherhood.

Here are 10 apps that I can't live without:

WhiteNoise Lite

If you've read "The Happiest Baby on the Block" or have talked to just about any mom, you'll know that making shushing noises it an important technique for calming your new baby. However, if your baby is particularly fussy, you might get tired of the constant shushing. White noise generators are standard fare on cribs and swings, and come with sounds like waves and rain. But these are limited to those locations.

Enter the WhiteNoise iPhone app. Sometimes simpler is better. All this does is play sounds.. The free version has enough for me - I prefer either the straight up static sound or the rain. The pay version has many more options. I put this in the car seat where I can't easily shush her myself, or I tuck it on my person somewhere while I'm walking and rocking her. I place it on the bed if she's sleeping with me, or in the bouncy seat, or pretty much anywhere that I need some extra calming effects. I can play it all night long and still have battery left in the morning, since it will play sound even when the screen is shut off. This is the most important app I have.

Pandora Radio

This was probably my favorite app before I was even pregnant, and it still is today. Pandora lets me stream music over the mobile network wherever I am. When I'm in the car I plug the iphone into the car stereo with a cassette adapter. At home, I have a small speaker system I plug it into. Anywhere else, I can get by with headphones or even the iPhone speaker which isn't half bad. This lets me listen to pretty much any music I want. I can play soothing music when the baby is sleeping, or peppy music when I need to wake up. Dance music gives me a rhythm to bounce her to. With no hands free, I can still be entertained day and night with decent music. If you don't have this app yet, what are you waiting for?

Camera

Some of the best pictures I've taken of the new addition have been with the iPhone. Not because it is the best camera I have, but because it is always with me. With just one hand free, I can take shots like this:

And the best part is that I can instantly email it to Grandma or post it to Facebook. The first pictures from the hospital were taken and mailed directly from my phone. Later I can download them to my computer and print them or post them to my baby blog. I currently have 627 pictures of my little girl on the phone, and there is plenty of room for more.

QuickVoice Recorder

At first the only sounds my daughter really made were loud cries, medium fussing noises, and those soft, sweet sucking noises that just melted my heart. But now she's starting to make other sounds. There's the funny oooh sound that she makes when she's talking, the coughing sound that she makes when laughing, and the little squeals that suddenly happen for no reason at all. I know they won't last long as she continues to develop her repertoire, so I want to capture them and share them with Grandma and Grandpa who aren't here to hear them in person.

There are a number of voice recorders for the phone. I'm giving QuickVoice a shot because it is free and has the option of emailing the recording to get it off the phone. The pro version is $.99 and allows longer messages to be emailed. I can't recommend this app yet since I'm just trying it now, but one of these voice recorders is going to become essential.

Email

Duh. Email! How could I live without this? Email lets me send pictures and sounds of my little girl, yes, but it also keeps me in touch with the world. AND, I can do it one-handed. Can't live without this.

TwitterFon/Facebook

More apps for keeping up with the world. I can update my Twitter and Facebook status and check in on everyone else. This has been more than a little important on some long days at home with no adult contact.

Kindle/Stanza

I quickly learned that anything I can do one-handed is probably the only thing I'm likely to get done on some days. And while I cherish the quiet time I'm spending with my girl while she nurses or gets comfort or simply sleeps in my arms, I do get a little restless. I tried reading books, but unless it is a small paperback, it just gets too tiring holding the book open with one hand for an extended period of time.

The iPhone saves the day again. Two apps have come in very handy. Stanza is a simple, free ereader that gives me access to piles of public domain books. What better time to catch up on the classics like 1984? And of course the Amazon Kindle iPhone app lets me read all sorts of other books. All one-handed.

iPod

The other way I'm consuming books is with no hands. I have a subscription to audible.com and download audio books to my iPhone which I then play using the iPod functionality. I used to do this almost exclusively in the car on the way to and from work, but now I can listen while changing diapers.

Calendar

While on maternity leave, the days run into the nights run into the days run into the nights and pretty soon I have no idea what day it is. For the most part, I really don't need to know. But then there are pediatrician appointments, bills to be paid, and birthdays to remember. The calendar keeps track of my other life while I'm busy getting no sleep.

iNeedMilk

I haven't actually used this yet, but I might give it a shot now and I'm including it as the only app on my list specifically designed for new moms. All it does is let you keep track of which side she last fed from, and how long it has been since she last nursed. Simple, but potentially powerful. New moms that are breastfeeding are sleep deprived. I can attest to the fact that my brain can't always manage simple tasks like remembering which side she nursed on 2 hours ago. In fact, I'll be honest, I can rarely keep this straight. So maybe this app will do the trick.

Week 2 of the CSA experiment

2009-06-22T11:22:00.005-04:00

Garlic scapes were part of my share for the first two weeks. I've never used them before, but knew I would like them. They are garlic, after all! I wanted to pick something special to make since there were only a few; I felt I had garlic gold and couldn't waste it on a failed experiment. So I turned to pesto.

Pesto is one of my favorite foods, usually ranking just after chocolate, and just ahead of more chocolate. I make it in pint batches all summer, but I've never tried it with garlic scape. The flavor is fantastic - just like garlic but not as sharp. Perfect for pesto.

For the pesto itself, I used 6 scapes, about a cup each of parmesan and basil (it should have had more basil, but my plants aren't that big yet), a quarter cup of pine nuts, and enough olive oil to make a good pasty consistency. Then I tossed it with pasta, chicken, tomatoes, and roasted red peppers, inspired by Joanne's blog post.

yum.

Eating Locally and Creatively

2009-06-19T11:22:00.014-04:00

This year, I had the wonderful opportunity to join a CSA and have fresh picked vegetables delivered to me at work every week for 6 months. They come from One Straw Farm, an organic farm in Northern Maryland. I love the idea of supporting local agriculture, eating food that hasn't traveled a thousand miles or more to get to me, organic food at that, and working with the seasons to eat what is growing right now.

It's going to be challenging, of course. First of all, I won't be deciding what to eat and then buying it, but will be doing it the other way around. And, it won't always be something I like very much, or have any idea at all how to prepare. So I'll have to be creative, adventurous, and resourceful to keep up with my weekly share.

Luckily, I found a group of people doing the same thing and sharing their results, in the Cooking Away My CSA Challenge. We also have a discussion board at work for sharing recipes and ideas.

My first two shares contained a lot of chard. Red Chard, Rainbow Chard, and another kind of Chard I never identified. I've never eaten Chard before, but I needed to learn. Someone at work posted a recipe for pie, and so this week I gave it a shot.

I used this following recipe, but halved it to match the amount of chard I had. I also replaced 2/3 of the feta cheese called for with a soft farmer's cheese. It turned out great, and I ate a lot more vegetables than usual that night for dinner.

SWISS CHARD OR SPINACH PIE

2 1/4 lbs. Swiss chard or 2 1/2 lbs. spinach
6 eggs
2 1/2 or 3 dry onions, sliced, sauteed in 1/4 c. olive oil until soft
2 bunches green onions, chopped
1 1/2 lb. feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. white pepper
1/2 tsp. dill (optional)
1 lb. filo pastry sheets
3 tbs butter, melted
1/4 c. olive oil

Mix oil and melted butter together after butter has cooled.

Clean and wash Swiss chard or spinach, drain, dry completely. Chop Swiss chard or spinach, green onions, put in large mixing bowl with the sauteed onions. Add crumbled feta cheese, Parmesan, add slightly beaten eggs to mixture, white pepper and dill. Mix well.

Grease an 11 1/2 x 17 1/2 inch baking pan with butter and oil mixture. Add 6 pastry sheets on bottom of greased pan, spread each with the oil and butter mixture, sprinkle with the Swiss chard or spinach mixture alternating the pastry sheets and Swiss chard mixture. Cover with 6 individually buttered sheets. Pour the remaining butter and oil on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Cool and cut in squares.

I love my credit union

2009-02-25T15:58:00.003-05:00

Most businesses I deal with that involve regular statements and the exchange of money are just necessary evils, but the APL Federal Credit Union is a different kind of beast. There are two branches in Howard County now; the one on McGaw Rd is where I usually go.

The way it is set up was confusing to me at first, but now I love it. There is no bank of tellers hidden behind bullet proof glass, no long lines, no hassle. It's a wide open, pleasant space, and when I go in I meet one of the tellers at a free-standing desk to work out whatever exchange I need. I don't have to fill out deposit or withdrawal slips, instead, I just tell them my member number and show an ID. The people there are always nice and helpful, and nobody ever mumbles "Thankyouhaveanice day" while looking another direction. I'm sure most banks do this now, but the free online bill pay feature has changed my life. I got my last two car loans through them, and a credit card, and I've never had a problem. I originally resisted moving my accounts to APL when I moved here because of the lack of ATMs. But who uses ATMs anymore? OK, I'm sure plenty of people do, but I have found it quite easy to do without. It is easy to stop in while I'm out on other errands, and I actually like being able to walk in and talk to someone friendly for a moment instead of standing at a machine. They have coffee for members in the morning, and a small lounge with wifi should I need to stop and check anything on the computer. Remarkably civilized.

I think anyone in the county can become a member these days, but my husband has had an account there since he was a child because his father worked for APL for his entire career. Back in the day, only employees of APL could join the credit union, and in fact, it used to be in a secure area of APL that nobody else could even get to, including family members. He has a great story about how it worked when he was in high school. First he called the credit union to explain exactly what he wanted, and then arranged a time to meet in a non-secure area of the APL campus. A teller would bring a cash box and a receipt and make the transaction sitting at a table in the library. I love that bit of history.

Social Media challenge

2009-02-16T11:55:00.008-05:00

I had the pleasure of meeting with a small group of people (including local bloggers JessieX who set the whole thing up, Cherie Beck,and Chris Bachmann this Sunday to listen to a talk by Ken Fischer on social media and how it can foster transparency, participation, and collaboration in the federal government. He will be presenting to some government folks this week, and this was a dry run with like-minded geeks to get some feedback. (The nice folks at the Second Chance Saloon in Oakland Mills kindly agreed to open the doors early for us, and then we partook of the food afterward. The veggie basket was good.)

His focus was on government, but I listened to everything from my lens of small to mid-size business entity, and the message is the same. That's the wonderful thing about big picture thinking - patterns can be found that appear in multiple situations, and the only thing that changes is the scale and the details. In the case of communication, participation, and collaboration, the larger the group of people (e.g. the federal government and U.S. citizens) the harder it is to do effectively, and the more important it is to attempt to do well. What changes between a group of 5, a group of 500, and a group of 50,000 is the method.

I'm glad to hear that Obama is pushing for transparency in government. However, I'm jaded enough to realize that this won't be fast or easy, if it is even possible. People in charge often say the right things, but when it comes time for them or their reports to commit to actual, personal change in the way things are done, it often becomes clear that they have no actual desire to do this. It just sounded good.

Social Media as a means of connecting people definitely means a real change in how things are done for most organizations, especially the government. Is it change they want? It all sounds good from a citizen's point of view: trust, accountability, transparency, participation, yeah! Bring it on! I suspect that most government beaurocrats don't want to sign up for more accountability though. They may not want to have their name or their face behind any words that go out there, and we know the personal touch is important in a social media world. Do they really want to open up the gates and let citizens in to voice their opinions and let them actually participate? This is all frightening, threatening change. It's a great goal, but I suspect a very difficult one to achieve. I applaud Ken and wish him luck in selling social media's worth this week.

The lesson goes both ways. None of this is about the tools. It is about the people. Tools come and go at the drop of a hat, changing easily and rapidly. People, however, do not.

stories in the snow

2009-02-04T13:25:00.004-05:00

I went for a walk this morning with my husband at Meadowbrook Park. Everything was covered in a perfect, powdery layer of white. We followed the circuit around the park, on a path that wasn't shoveled, and saw that we were not the first people to take a walk this morning. A lone walker and a dog had been there before us, and their tracks in the snow told a story. The walker's footprints maintained a relatively straight line along the path, while the dog's zigzagged along, veering off into the weeds or down across one of the ponds and back, where they circled around a point along the walker's trajectory, and zipped away again. At several points, where the dog and the walker intersected, there was a small cluster of footprints in one place, as though dog had run up, nosed her owner, who then turned and pet her or ruffled her fur for a moment before moving on. Another story was told in the snow on a frozen pond, where the dog's prints ended in a wide swath of clear ice, followed by a messy series of paw prints and long, narrow streaks. There had been a fall and a slide and a frantic attempt to get up and regain balance there. I wondered if the walker had seen and laughed.

We left a few stories of our own. Once, Roger suddenly lost footing on a slippery patch and was down hard and quickly, leaving a smeared body image on the ground. Later, we found another sheet of ice under the snow on the path. First Roger lost his footing, slid sideways, tried to catch himself, slid again, and regained balance just as my foot slid off to one side. I twisted my body around to keep from falling, while Roger reached out to help, and we ended up in each other arms, holding on for safety and laughing at our circus antics. I turned and looked back at the chaotic tracks we had left and wondered if the next person would be able to divine what had happened there.

Crowdsourced Coffee

2008-10-07T15:28:00.004-04:00

A sample of Joffrey's new coffee flavor arrived in the mail this weekend, and the package amused me enough that I want to share:

Joffrey's Coffee 2.0, the specially engineered, highly optimized flavorful coffee developed for hard working techies and social media lovers.

The package includes a list of categories and tags that apply to the new flavor, and the included installation instructions warn: "Do not disconnect while enjoying."

The "2.0" thing is seriously overdone, but for some reason this gave me a chuckle anyway. Thanks, Joffrey's.

Monumental Rocks

2008-10-07T09:37:00.011-04:00

The original plans for this weekend were to be far away on a camping trip; instead, busy life left me without a plan and I stayed local. Not long ago, I got tired of finding my own way in Patapsco State Park, and ordered a map, which I broke out on Saturday to begin anew the exploration of Patapsco.

I was pleased to discover that the map had been produced by Tom Rabenhorst, from the geography department at UMBC. I learned many of my own mapmaking skills from him, years back, when I took several cartography classes for fun. We actually started a trail mapping project of Patapsco with him in the last class I took, but didn't get far. Luckily, the project went on without us, because the map is extremely useful.

There really is a lot more to the park system and the trails than I had managed to discover on my own, though not through lack of trying. In fact, part of my reason for getting the map was to verify that some of the trails I had been enjoying really were part of the park and that I wasn't trespassing on someone's property. Saturday, we explored some rarely used and never maintained trails out near Sykesville, along the river. Afterwards, I took a detour and toured Soldier's Delight Environmental Area. While there I was treated with a rare (for me) sighting of two American Kestrals, showing off in the bright sunlight. The first chromium in the country was mined there, I learned, and the old choate mine is still there looking like an except from an old cartoon.

Sunday, again working from the map, we decided to visit an old granite quarry, also in Patapsco, from which many of the monuments in D.C. and Maryland were made. It is full of water now, and though there are signs declaring that swimming is prohibited, it is a tempting notion. The pool is in an idyllic, secluded setting in the woods, accessible from many lovely, peaceful trails through the park. And on the way there, I saw two more kestrals.

At the end of the day, I reflected, as I often do, how lucky I am to have such a nice variety of parks available to me all within a short drive.

The Search for Food

2008-09-23T11:02:00.003-04:00

Last night I wanted a nice, relaxed meal close to home, so we headed to Soto's Grill only to discover that it is now closed for business. I was worried about their location when they first opened, and without knowing the real reason they are closed, I am going to assume it was that. (Please correct me if I've jumped to the wrong conclusion.) It's a shame though - it was a nice, quiet place with good food.

Next, we went to the Trolley Stop, which is definitely open. I've been to the nice restaurant upstairs, eons ago, and until recently I thought that was it. Somehow, it had escaped my attention all these years that there was a bar downstairs. I am delighted to now know of another dining option right on Main Street. The servings were big, the food was great, and the woman who served us was really nice and attentive. The only thing missing is decent beer on tap.

Tonight, I may stop in to the Greene Turtle, to help benefit Cradlerock School. A sports bar is definitely not my scene, but a good local cause is a good excuse to try a new place and see for myself. I understand they do a lot of fundraisers like this for organizations and causes. Is that a sign that the business has good intentions, or is it just another way for them to get more business? I can't say. But hopefully the school will benefit today.

Another place that I need to investigate, being an Italian food lover, is Serafino's in Ellicott City. I didn't know it was there until I received notice of a Happy Hour hosted by Columbia 2.0 this Thursday. Have you heard of this group yet? If not, go get a drink and check them out - the invitation extends to all interested locals, I believe. I would love to go myself to hear news from their special guest, Keith Bowers, fromBiohabitats. Unfortunately, it coincides with my evening class schedule and I'll have to miss it. Someone please have a drink for me and tell me if the pasta is good.

Happy Hour

2008-07-23T11:50:00.011-04:00

Yesterday, during a company-sponsored training class, I learned that I am a Fire, in the humorist temperament model. (Incidentally, this apparently places me in Gryffindor.) No surprise there. Among other things, this means I like to try new things, get bored easily, and can sometimes be a little impulsive.

All of these traits came to bear one day, a few years back, when I spied a big yard sale on my way to or from somewhere, and pulled over to check it out. There, I found that the owner of the house was moving, and selling off whole collections of things, including all of his brewing equipment.

Wow. I like beer! So, I bought it all for a song and took it home.

Some time later, husband and I hopped on the bikes and rode the back paths directly to a fantastic local resource, Maryland Homebew, located just off of Oakland Mills Road near the post office. You'd never know it was there, if you didn't happen to have several empty 5 gallon carboys, an extra refrigerator, and a lust for beer. The people at the store were friendly and very helpful, and soon we were pedaling back home with a kit full of ingredients.

This is where I have to point out what a good sport husband is. You see, he doesn't like beer. (!) Seriously, I don't know how this is possible, but it is true. Nonetheless, he had no problem with me bringing home a truckload of equipment to make the stuff, and, spent the better part of a day helping me brew the first batch of nut brown ale. A few weeks later, he again helped me fill 40 bottles, and all for nothing because he drank none of it.

It was good!

Since then I've made several trips back to Maryland Homebrew. They have everything needed for beer, wine, mead, and even soda. Husband recently decided he felt left out, and brewed some mead for himself, which was also fabulous. We tried a cherry soda once, which was, well, interesting and a little volatile. For anyone who is interested in giving brewing a shot, I recommend stopping by the store, asking some questions, and just doing it. I was surprised by how easy it was, and how wonderful my house smelled for a few days.

If you are reading this, and you like beer too, why not come to Hoco BlogTale happy hour tomorrow, at Lee Lynn's restaurant. I'm cohosting with JessieX this month. Heck, come even if you don't like beer; my husband will be there to commiserate.

Rock Art on the 4th of July

2008-07-07T12:30:00.002-04:00

Either the 4th of July brings out everyone's friendly side, or I'm just projecting because it was a good day for me. Walking around downtown Ellicott City, I exchanged greetings with just about everyone I passed, and stopped to have small exchanges with a dozen people. Two different people asked me about my Prius, and that is a rare occurrence these days. We talked about picking loganberries with one couple, jointly admired the giant snapping turtle in the river with several other onlookers, and talked about the beauty of guerrilla art in the river with many others. One woman informed us that this display had already been here for a month, been reported on in The View, and had been knocked down and rebuilt in that time. I guess I haven't wandered around Main Street in over a month then, because this is the first I saw of it.

We honored our 4th of July tradition by picking loganberries, which are perfectly ripe at exactly this time every year. We weren't the only ones, apparently; someone had already picked a few cups of berries and left them sitting on a rock beside the sidewalk, clearly an offering for whomever wanted them. Our own haul was good, and we were treated by more sights along the way than just stacked stones. A pileated woodpecker calmly searched for insects in a big dead tree right off the path, gifting us with a splendid closeup view. Further down the way, half a dozen black vultures congregated on the railroad tracks. When we approached, they flew up into the trees, one by one, the audible beating of their wings reminding us of their size. It's a shame so few people see how magnificent these birds are, and how lucky we are to have them around cleaning up. A sizable snapping turtle swam in the shallow water just below the bridge.

A late breakfast at Bean Hollow on Main Street ended a perfect morning. I live within walking distance of Main Street, but often forget what a nice place it is for a morning stroll.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Chesapeake Shakespeare

2008-07-02T11:25:00.005-04:00

Please turn your attention to the stage! The Chesapeake Shakespeare Company is currently performing two plays, The Tempest, and The Comedy of Errors. Both are showing at the historic ruins of the Patapsco Female Institute over the next two weeks.

Last summer, I went to their performance of As You Like It, also playing at the ruins, and it was an absolutely delightful night. The stage is perfect for a locally performed classic play. We took lawn chairs, a picnic dinner, and a bottle of wine. We ran into a few other people we knew there, and pulled our chairs over to theirs so we could exchange thoughts during intermission. It may not compare to going to Stratford, but in a way, this is even better with free parking, no dress code, and a cool historic setting.

I've also seen their performances of MacBeth and A Doll's House over the winter in their indoor venue. These were both enjoyable shows as well, but I really prefer the backdrop of the ruins and the comfort of my own lawn chairs. It's so much friendlier and relaxed.

The Tempest just happens to be one of my favorite plays, and I've never actually seen The Comedy of Errors before. So, I plan to attend both shows, on July 11th and 12th. Who wants to go along?

Friday night out? What's that!

2008-06-06T09:44:00.004-04:00

Friday night for me usually means trying to stay awake long enough to watch Battlestar, double checking the TiVo when I fail to do so, and going to bed early so that I can get up even earlier and go on a long run with my tribe. Years ago, before my obligatory Saturday morning runs, Friday night often meant date night at Home Depot with my husband, in preparation for long weekends of home renovation. The guys in the plumbing aisle recognized us and always said hello.

Tonight, I'm going to try something novel, and go to a movie. Oakland Mills' Free Family Movie Night series kicks off tonight for the summer with the movie Once. I wonder if I can actually stay up past 10pm? Caffeine will be essential.

To make up for my 'late' night, I'm going to stay local for my morning run, and hook up with the Howard County Striders for a bagel run. I've been told great things about the Striders, and I see them at all the local races of course, but so far I just haven't made time to join them. Apparently, these weekend runs draw up to 100 people! I'm really looking forward to it. Maybe I can start putting faces to the names on my Athlinks rival list.

Geocaching & Bike Maintenance

2008-03-30T20:17:00.010-04:00

Last weekend, though it was still a bit cold, I could wait no longer. I had to get outside! Sure, the running gets me outside almost every day, but that isn't what I'm talking about. Daylight hours, spring flowers, that's what I needed. A quick IM exchange with my friend Indy the day before, a trip to REI in the morning for a few new bike accessories, and we were off to the back paths for a leisurely bike ride and some geocaching. There were two caches in Thunder Hill we intended to get, and they turned out to be pretty straightforward finds.

Then my front tire went flat, suddenly and noisily. This was my first ride on this bike since I bought it new in the fall, so I'm still a bit unfamiliar with its parts. Surprise - no spare innertubes. Luckily, L had some patches in her kit, and we all took turns trying to figure out my new bike pump before heading out again. This time, I logged Indy's Alpha Centauri cache.

Meanwhile, I took a few pictures for Columbia: The beauty of truth.

Final score: 3 logged caches, 2 pictures, 1 bike repair. A beautiful afternoon on the back paths.

Free week at the Well

2008-03-28T20:36:00.001-04:00

The Well, in Historic Ellicott City, is having a free week of classes and activities April 6-12. I am a firm believer in taking advantage of offerings like this. For one thing, they are free; grab what you can! For another thing, it is an excellent, low risk way to try something you wouldn't otherwise do. You might find something you like, and if you do, you'll know where to get more of it. If you don't like it, then, well, you'll know. And knowing is half the battle! (Points for telling me where that phrase comes from.)

I love learning new things and adding to my collection of experiences. As soon as I discovered The Well's free week schedule, I signed up for stuff. I even signed up for some stuff that wasn't free, like the shiatsu class tomorrow which should be the perfect follow-up to my long run in the morning.

Go sign up quickly though - looks like things are filling up fast.

Sheep and Wool!

2008-03-21T20:48:00.004-04:00

Today, Jessie reminded me about the Sheep and Wool Festival. I love the Sheep and Wool! So does everyone else, apparently. My first visit many years ago was eye-opening; the place was mobbed! If it is a nice day, the crowds will be bigger than they are at the Howard County Fair. If it is raining, it won't be much different. Sure, I'm a fiber junkie, but I had no idea. Since then I've figured out that this is one of the biggest and most popular sheep and wool fests around. People travel from all over the country, vendors, teachers, and visitors alike. If it sounds hokey, get over it and go anyway. I recommend watching the sheep dog demonstration, petting the angora rabbits, and baaa'ing at the sheep. If you're fiber-inclined, take a class; one year I learned to felt a hat, and another year I took a 2 day tapestry weaving class. And who couldn't use more yarn? (Me, actually. If I don't finish a project or two by then, then any new acquisitions will be out of the question.)

Best of all, it is free.

Green Festival

2008-03-19T19:04:00.002-04:00

Howard County is having their first GreenFest on Saturday, April 5 from 9 to 1. It sounds like there will be a lot of vendors and demos, and fun stuff for the kids (or adults who aren't afraid to touch frogs, like me.) Unfortunately, I can't go! Now I realize that most events do not get planned around my weekend running schedule, but it is a little surprising that the hours are so limited. Sixty vendors agreed to come to a festival that ends at 1pm? After watching my husband work three weekends of home shows in a row, I can't imagine going through the effort for a 4 hour event.

Hopefully, it will be a lot of fun, and, of course, informative. I wish I could go! Someone sign me up for the free home energy audit; I'd love to know how my new windows are doing.