My Giant Head

How is it that I need a large helmet (costing me an extra $7!), but I fit a small frame bike? I wonder if people are just afraid to tell me that I must have a head that fits like an orange on a toothpick?

This is my subtle way of telling you that I got a bike! After several calls, 7 bike shops, and some frustration, I bought a hybrid from a retired man who refurbishes them to supplement his income. I didn't buy a super high-end bike (it was only $300 new, if anything can be only $300- that is two months of food for me!), but it is really nice and makes me happy. Plus it was under $100, which turned out to be handy when my giant head caused unexpected expenditures down the line. It is a hybrid, weighs about 27 lbs, and moves pretty dang nice for me. I did a six mile jaunt on Sunday, and I'm planning on making the 15 mi round trip to school on Wed when the weather clears up a little (or at least half the journey, I could always bus back if I'm tuckered out). I'm really happy with the purchase, and I'm excited to exercise more.

I've even decided to do a mini-triathlon this fall. In September they do a "super sprint" triathlon, which is just a .25 mile swim, a 9 mile bike ride, and a 1.6 mile run. Given my body and recovering from my injuries, this sounds like an attainable goal. I imagine a lot of people do it full out in a sprint, but I think it would be fun to do with friends as a mini self-challenge. I'm sure I'll be pretty dang slow. It would mark three years from my accident, when I was worried I might never walk correctly again. I wouldn't need to invest in a lot of fancy gear either, since I wouldn't be doing it as a serious competitor. We'll see if this happens, but I feel like this is something I should do for me, and my health.

I leave you with a couple pics:

My bike! I just need some fenders, and maybe a cute basket, and I'm gold.

I'm just going to say it is because I have a huge brain.

May Project

So I was thinking about what sustainable area I'm weakest in, and by far it is reusing bags. I just forget to use my cloth bags. I decided to take advantage of May and make it my personal sustainability month. I'm going to put reusable bags and grocery bags in my car, in the pouch on the bike, and make a point of using them.

Why is plastic so bad? Well, it doesn't biodegrade, it pollutes the environment, and it leeches cancer-causing toxicants into our food. The best argument for me involves charismatic megafauna (big cute animals). Plastic bags end up in the ocean, and sea turtles eat them, thinking they are delicious jellyfish. More and more they are finding dead sea turtles with stomachs full of plastic. They aren't the only animal either. The US is the leading consumer of plastic in the world, so I'm hoping my readers will join me in reusing their bags, whether choosing to use cloth grocery bags, or just using last week's bags again and again. Cloth is a better choice, but feel free to ease into it. Whatever it takes to make the change. Otherwise, you are no better than those seagulls that snatch up the cute baby turtles in every nature documentary (you know, the part where you shut your eyes). At least the seagulls do it to survive.

My project for the month is going to be making reusable produce bags. As a vegetarian, I end up shopping the produce isle twice a week, which means I either use a ton of individual bags, or I let my produce roll loose around. I tend to do the latter, but it really isn't practical or convenient for the long haul.

What I have is this one reusable produce bag made out of mesh with a draw string. I'm going to use it as a template and make myself 5 or 6 of these so I can stop killing the sea turtles. I'll post results when I make the bags (probably wait until I have access to my mother's sewing machine). I'm excited for this change, and I hope it inspires a few others to start reusing bags. It really will make a difference.

Loss

We lost our 15 year old pretty girl this week. Our Nellie had a number of internal problems that flared suddenly, and we had to let her go.

There really isn't anything I can say that is a fitting tribute to the love a dog gives you. There is no other creature on this Earth that gives such tireless, unwavering devotion. I think they have such short times on Earth because God can't bear to part with them so long in Heaven. I miss you baby girl, but I know I'll see you and all my other loves one day.

Gardening update 4.29.11

My garden is starting to look more green, check it out!

Starting to look like there is hope for crops.

Baby beets!

Rainbow carrot seedlings.

Salad mix.

Tiny swiss chards, finally growing. Hopefully I can harvest next month.

Cucumber plants with tiny basil seedling on the right.

Hot peppers still don't go out for month.

Blurry tomatoes, they are about 4inches tall.

The little greens are the tops of potato plants peaking out of the ground.

I'm starting to get really excited for when all of these mature. Yum!

Some photos from my garden today!

Yoga

I went to Kula Movement in Ballard this week, to start my 20 classes for $20 deal (normally a $350 cost, so a good deal). It was amazing. I did the hour and fifteen minute Forrest Yoga basics class, where the room is heated to 75 degrees and the focus is on stretching and breathing. I have never enjoyed or gotten more out of a yoga class before. The instructors gave alternatives for each pose, there wasn't a huge emphasis on sanskrit (I can't say I really connect with the language), and it just felt really good.

At the end, during savasana I actually meditated well for the first time too! Normally I can't clear my head enough for this, but the last hour and the heat made things easier. I really loved my experience, and I'm glad I get 19 more classes (because I can't afford it at the normal $15 a class, lol). I felt fantastic for a full 24 hrs afterwards, and it really felt like taking some time for just me. I also think it is going to help with my focus when I ride, which will make Starla and I work together even better.

All in all, I'm glad I sprung for that deal, and I'm looking forward to the next class I go to on Sunday. I'm doing the regular class, not the basics, so it is an hour and a half at 85 degrees, so I think it will be a fair workout! I'm looking forward to it though :)

Eating local

I know I mentioned a couple weeks ago the importance of eating sustainably and conscientiously. I said I would look into doing even more to make certain as much of what I eat is local and organic, and would report back on the ability to do so on a grad student's budget.

So here is what I found:

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is the answer. These are local farms that grow food and sell directly to the community. You can have a box of produce delivered to your front door, or a pick up within a mile of your house, for $20-35 (feeds 1-2 people for a week), or $35-50 (feeds a family of 4-5 for a week).

There are vast varieties within this category too. There are CSAs that are truly local, and typically only run a 20 week season. There are CSAs that run year round and use a mix of local and partners in warmer states such as California. Some programs will let you buy a single box of food, some require a three month commitment. Most will allow you to request items to be placed in your box, and allow you to make lists of vegetables you never want to see in your house (like mushrooms in my case), so they can exclude them from all your boxes. Many will let you order dairy or bread products in your box as well. Most combine fruits and veggies, but some allow you just to get fruit, just to get veggies, etc.

To find these awesome programs- google. Put in your city and CSA, and shop around a little. Here is the 2011 Farmer's Market guide, which also includes CSA advertisements and u-pick farms- http://pugetsoundfresh.org/farm-guide-news.asp. Yum. I can't wait for the weather to get better so I can start partaking of some really excellent food. The Lake City Farmer's Market starts up next month.

Anyways, there is my solution to local, affordable, organic produce (delivered to you, who can beat that?). There are many other ways to do this, including growing your own veggies and shopping farmer's markets. I just think this is a nice way to support the local economy, sustainability, and it's a little like getting a weekly or biweekly present. Happy cooking to everyone, I hope this information helped a little.

Tiptoe through the tulips

Tulips in Mt. Vernon!

Perfect day for it too, I might have a sunburn :)

Roadside market with giant ice cream.

Miles of tulips.

Amazing colors.

Postcard-worthy.

A rogue yellow.

The family with the doggies.

Enjoying my Easter weekend.