A Procrastinating Grad Student Does It Again

Since I just figured out which microbes produce enzymes that let them metabolize uric acid in poultry manure -- these guys are probably the culprit in producing the toxic ammonia gas around which my research centers -- it's obviously time to take a break and write about life. Then it's back to the grind.


Life in Blacksburg has been great so far. Devin and I both got into grad school at sister departments here and even get paid to go to school. It turns out that we are still poor, but at least we have enough to go camping and treat each other to dinner out at least once a week. Hey, it's better than temping in DC. My commute here is about 15 minutes to anywhere - and somehow I manage to complain - but it's so much better than 1 hour each way on the metro.

I love living in the mountains, too -- it's just prettier here. Our professors and advisors have some pretty amazing digs - 100 acre plots by a national forest complete w/a stocked pond, to name one. Country activities are much more encouraged, which is fun - and funny. I learned to fish and we go out fairly often to see what we can catch; but people on campus also walk around w/their hunting gear like they're heading off just after class lets out. Pig roasts are common and corn hole (like bean bag toss) is the highlight of many a weekend, aside from the obvious -- drinking.

Work/school also keeps us super busy. Every Monday I have a meeting with my advisor where I suddenly realize I'm behind on the goals I set for myself the week before. The next three days are taken up by homework, researching and struggling through journal articles, dragging my self and up to two computers all over campus in hot pursuit of answers, and some lab experiments too. Then Friday comes and we are usually shopping online or planning a weekend camping trip. It's the simple joys -- I discovered down jackets and sleeping bags around the same time as I got some amazing $130 shoes, so our modest salaries aren't going too terribly far yet. Then there's laundry and grocery shopping - and Sunday night arrives and it's time to do it all again.

The other 12 hours a week (where do I find the time??) I'm a Teaching Assistant for an experimental lab class that involves lots of electric circuits and misbehaving MATLAB programs. It's truly a black hole -- there's no limit to the energy I could put into it; in fact the more I do, the more I get frustrated and feel obligated to put MORE time in so the experiments will go more smoothly. But that's a pointless viscious cycle. I'm not solely responsible for the class, so when things go poorly, it really isn't my fault -- so why should I get frustrated like it is? The other fun part of my TA-ship is grading lab reports on a borrowed dinosaur-ific tablet computer. Somehow some students manage to write 20 pages of C minus-worthy blather. I am investigating the staircase distribution method of grading, however. I love being a hard-ass when grading, but if the undergrads continue to ignore my sagely advice, then f--- it.



Hobbies: I got super excited and dug my knitting needles and a pretty purple ball of manos de uruguay yarn out of my craft bag when a friend introduced me to ravelry.com and their bonanza of knitting patterns and projects. The purple yarn is on its way to becoming a cabled cap - for me - and after that, Devin wants a hat so I'm going to do a fancy one with fleece lining so his ears will be warm and itch-free. I will probably work my way up to a sweater at some point, but I'm not quite ready to invest in a giant pile of $$$ yarn. We also came into a bunch of reading and fishing equipment recently, so there are plenty of activities to take up our extremely rare free time.

Thanksgiving is coming up and we're going to go spend a week in sunny CA. Neither town there will be particularly warm -- San Luis Obispo, where Devin is from, nor Chico, where the fam holds the holiday meal and celebration. But it'll be pretty and a happy visit back to the loving and politically active folks that raised Devin, as well as a return to solar power, Jack in the Box, year round farmers markets, and agricultural fields as far as the eye can see.

The other excitement on my horizon is chickens - helping with a friend's experiment by counting/weighing them; as well as designing my own experiments on chicken manure. That brings me back to the microbes and ammonia I mentioned up top - so maybe it's time to get back to work.

Catch you all next time!

Prizeys: Share and Share Alike

Legally, America has defined sharing alike as splitting benefits from a gift (or dead relative's estate) equally. As in, 18 fedora hats divided by 3 grandchildren equals 6 hats apiece. But here we don't often discuss socially the time and context for using shared items. I find that I have a new take on that now, thanks to living in Africa, so I want to explore reconciling my view with American standards.

Shared items: I'll call them prizeys from here on, because things that someone gives are often nice but unexpected surprises. Sure sharing CAN be unpleasant, like when someone 'shares' your razor in the shower, but we'll eschew those sneaky interactions and talk about social occasions involving prizeys.

Recently, I found myself in an awkward position when I had brought along some prizeys to share and they were received less like something fun and more like a contribution to the 'Cool stuff' cache. Weird. I totally thought farm-fresh fruit would enhance the holiday celebration by adding some sweetness to the hors d'eouvres tray! I also thought everyone could enjoy reading/ripping on trashy magazines for the road trip! But Americans are such damn good planners, there's no room for contributions from their well-intending friends - except as a token "thanks" gesture. So then, I wonder if I am supposed to take back my gift and distribute it myself so it can be used properly - used in *that* setting, and shared among people who are THERE! People who LOVE fresh fruit! And magazines! Is it possible a group of people could learn to divide things up in America, or do I have to pre-package for all the individuals present?

I too have fallen into the planning trap during the past 9 months of re-civilizing. Around dinner when I get hungry, I tend to plan lots of shared labor when making dinner for Devin and I. The big idea is obviously "let's eat, and fast! all hands on deck!" .. But then I get really offended when everything is ready except the salad I have assigned to Devin, even after I set out a ready cutting board and knife! I am planning that it is dinner time and we are going to eat. I am even planning that I know Devin likes salads. But he is probably thinking that he's having fun playing video games, so when the fun subsides, he will plan to eat.

Really, I know these awkward situations come up because of expectations. Weirdly, I loved learning the sharing practice in Malawi, where I was never sure if someone was going to take a sip out of my juice tumbler, or strip my papaya tree completely bare of fruits -- rather than ask for some or share an equal portion of what I had. From that, I came to expect that sharing was going to happen - and was socially normal. Especially for super awesome tasty things. How could you enjoy it enough by yourself?? But also for tedious tasks. Why not divide the corn shucking up so it will go faster? I also expect now that I will not feel ashamed or indebted if I really want just a bite of someone else's burger - and I'm forward enough to ask for it. I also expect that they'll feel comfortable sharing some of what I have - or letting other friends try. If there's enough to go around.

That 'if' can be a big issue when something AMAZING comes in a single-portion that others would really enjoy trying. One time some friends and I treated ourselves to a fancy tourist restaurant while on a break from village life, and I ordered the *most* delicious sandwich. Somehow, I was the only one. Well, after it came and wafted its smell everywhere, my friends all decided they wanted to try it too -- so they traded me for some of their *less* delicious sandwiches. What a pickle - I was quickly running out of the sandwich I'd hungrily chosen, but I also had a chance to be egalitarian and generous with other Americans starving for luxuries like cheese and ice cream. So what did I do? Luckily, someone pointed out my dwindling sandwich and thankfully, trade requests stopped. I got full on the less-savory options and even had enough left to savor the flavor of my heavenly sandwich. I was full. I had shared. We were all happy. All single portions can be subdivided, and with good results.

I also expect that contextually-appropriate gifts be appreciated and used for more awesome enjoyment. Yes, at the moment that I give them. Yes, with everyone present (as long as they're not allergic). But I guess that my struggle with receiving as an act of "packing away" means that I'll just have to start explaining more so my expectations are understood.

Let's practice:

• "Here is some cake. I know it's your birthday and there are a lot of people around, so why don't we cut it and put it on the counter with some plates and forks."
• "Here are some magazines; I thought we could read them now because we have 5 hours in the car, and enough magazines for everyone to start with one of their own." Or,

Sure, I could be acting completely ridiculous. But I happen to think Americans might actually like opening their minds to further enjoyment, even if it's unexpected and unplanned. That does NOT extend to anything like prizey pregnancies. Don't worry, Mom. But I do think a few extra strawberries aren't going to ruin the day.

(pics from SonataCrew and viralbus on flickr!)

So Many Ways to Enjoy

A lot of good things have sprouted up this spring.

Still A Nature Girl

- I got an ipod app called "LeafSnap" from UMD/Columbia University tha

t has been teaching me a LOT about leaf and flower identification. Everytime I go for a walk or drive around, the greenery around me is popping with life because I know the names of what I see. We have also gone morel mushroom hunting - less successfully than GROWING them, mind you! -- but learning to hunt helps necessitates easy spotting of may apples and tulip poplar trees. Found some beautiful, leaflike yet showy flowers while hiking in Patapsco State Park up in the McKeldin area -- introducing the cobra lily:

Best part of our hike? My bum knee wasn't hurting after 5 miles. Physical therapy is paying off!

Trees (in America) I can more or less identify in nature now, thanks to LeafSnap:

Sycamore, Elm, Cherry, Mulberry, Maple, Japanese Maple, Oak, Beech, Dogwood, Pear, Magnolia, Tulip Poplar, Ginkgo, Sassafras ... but I'm still working on learning the variations better!

PS. Did you know Ginkgo trees are also called Maidenhair? Go figure. My hair doesn't look anything like a fan!

Still Crafting One Knit Wonders

- I've been mixing craft mediums for variety: I made a friend a yarn jellyfish for her Birthday, then crafted a gift bag to give it in!

- My loud, printed Malawian fabrics have finally inspired me to sew them into something useful. Thanks to $1 pattern sales at my local sewing store! Here's a shirt I made recently.

3rd Goal? Check! You Have Fostered World Peace.

- I went to my high school to speak with 3rd graders about Peace Corps. Come again? McDonogh has pre-K through grade 12, though I was there for upper school only, I have some connections in the lower school. Those little 3rd graders were pretty excited to hear more about what 'helping people' in action is, as well as contributing to a toothpaste/toothbrush drive for Dental Hygiene Month (October) my friend Mary is conducting in Malawi. Those who want to contribute should do so before July 15th!

One thing that stood out: kids in America are SUPER sharp. I was absolutely overwhelmed by the degree of engagement these kids showed. When I asked, "What language do you think they speak in Malawi?" one girl gave an answer that was a great guess - Swahili. Great because that's what they speak in Tanzania next door, and because it's what a huge majority of people DO speak in Africa. What a difference for these 3rd graders to learn in their native language -- and private school education doesn't hurt, either! Walking in, their hallways were absolutely crowded in achievements, inspirations, and arty creations coming from every classroom, not just Joan's art class.

Cultural Outings Etc.

I love going out to dance, and I like to get silly too (but you wouldn't know it - I drink much less than most people I'm social with), but I suffer existentially past the hour of 9pm when it's impossible to have a real conversation at a bar or a club. Thank goodness for events with actual content:

- The AVAM's Kinetic Sculpture Race! Gotta love Baltimore for wacky, fun exhibitions. This one took the form of an overland/overwater parade. Check out some of the moving sculptures that made it through water and mud:

- Nerd Nite at DC 9. Nerdy but fun! 200 other young geeks and I learned about microscopes and dinosaurs, competed to win fake mustahces, and laughed nervously about the legend of a paraguayan god with a 10 foot penis. We lucked out and got some live music out of it - an indie pop band from Brooklyn. Thanks to Jen for the tip!

- Passport DC Embassy Tour. Last Saturday, we traipsed around the Dupont Circle area in rain and shine seeking to gain entrance into some of the elite and well-guarded 1900s-era mansions now occupied by foreign consulates and embassies. Botswana was definitely the coolest, keeping it low-key yet inviting and informative. Leather mini-skirt wearing ladies stomped a familiar dance while older, rounder women ululated and I couldn't help but join in. We went up to the fourth floor to get some food and tried the staple - mealie pap with cream and oil, which was quite nice - with some pulled pork relish and doughnut morsels. Sound like a more sophisticated version of Malawi? Precisely. Cool fact: Their word for rain is 'Pula' (sim. Mvula), which also doubles for the name of their currency.

Other embassies we went into were high tech, including their security setups (the Japanese physical therapy robots were totally worth it!), tasty (Haiti had some passion fruit punch that was out of this world), and laden with tourist eye candy (beach after beach in the Croatian vacation pamphlets).

Next weekend: Asian street festival!

More Productive Things

- I've got a temp opportunity brewing for the summer. I won't jinx it by naming names, but it's a chance to come back to one of the places I've temped at and do some necessary office caretaking for them for a perfect 2-5 days a week. I'll help fill in for people taking vacation, and staff the front desk and phones Friday evenings (most people leave early.. but I'm happy to work it!). Huzzah! Sounds like I'll be doing more around town - it's high season for free stuff! Movies on the lawn, jazz in the sculpture garden.. give me my summer fun.

- Volunteer (Wodzipereka: one who gives themselves): I'm going to get involved at ECO City Farms, an urban farm I heard about from one of the girls in the soil lab Devin works in. They do a lot of things we do at home, but on a bigger scale: vermicomposting, mushroom cultivation, etc. Should be fun!

Working It: Recent Temping Tales

I work as a temp, and I probably will for 3 or 4 more months. Sure, I could have hoped for more in terms of my post-Peace Corps job - and I had fun going to interviews, even received a few offers - but life gets in the way. We will be going to Grad School out of state, so getting a long-term job here in Maryland isn't in the cards for me right now. I like my temp agency - good location, wonderful ladies, even when some of the clients I work for aren't guaranteed to be the best. I like the on/off schedule because it gives me frequent breaks. Just how I used to study in college! And it's exactly what I need right now. In Malawi, it was culturally uncomely to work like a slave, so I got used to a relaxed, social, friendly work atmosphere. Here, it's almost a polar opposite. People are social to a point, but the main goal is to Be Productive. For Eight Hours Straight. That's hard to maintain! So, breaks are great. The main downside of temping is that health insurance is up to me, and even finding the time to go see the doctor (all 5 types of specialists that were recommended by my physician - ugh!) is difficult to arrange.

What have I done so far as a temp?

- Receptionist at The Textile Museum - 1 day. Beautiful little museum a short walk from Dupont Circle. Answering the phone and greeting visitors was a relatively straight-forward job. I got tripped up when the exterminator came by - I definitely didn't have the authority or desire to consent to spraying chemicals everywhere.

- Receptionist at an International Aid Org - 1 day. It was isolated up in that office - few outside visitors came in. Mostly answering the phone and forwarding calls, plus unlocking the door, over and over. Lots of cool international staff. But at least I got to chill on the internet and read the news. Easy, nice folks.

- Events Help with an International Relations / Political Interest Group - 2 weeks and 2 days. Great people - I loved how they kept calling me to come back, until the night of the event. I called tons of congresspeople / senators' offices schedulers trying to shore up attendance for the event, subbed in as the receptionist, did some data entry, etc. It didn't even matter that the interest group was Republican-leaning!

- Data Entry at a Food Bank - 3 days. I learned a lot about data entry, but I also learned that I am not a happy worker with a supervisor looking over my shoulder and stressing about time. Apparently I was so efficient that I did a 5-day job in 3 days: I got a call after my 3rd day to let me know I was no longer needed. It wasn't a great feeling. But I guess some people haven't had a lot of experience hosting temps - note to self, for future endeavors requiring extra helping hands: do not abuse power over someone else's hourly wage!

- Accounts at a Large Newspaper - 3 days + ? This is my current job. I'm sorting through invoice papers to find specific rogue retailers who don't keep good records of how much they owe the paper company. It's fun because I get to listen to podcasts while working, they fed me cake, and I have another intern around to chat with. There is also potential for extending!

Sprouting for Spring

We're getting leafier and leafier around the apartment in anticipation of spring! Here's what's sprouting - and what we can't wait to start cooking with:

Bell pepper sprouts: The two sprouts remaining (from a group of 11 that we grabbed out of the compost bin) are getting to be robust! We started them on a diet of boiled water because it looked like they were having some salt issues.

Lime tree: lots of new leaf growth! And a new 'sunbathing collar' that we can thank UMD trash for. The older, larger leaves are ready to go into a Tom Ka soup - they smell amazingly lime-y!

Baby worms hatched! Hoping our vermicomposting rate will go way up with those voracious little guys helping out.

Mushroom kit arrived - It currently lives in the fridge to simulate "winter" and will come out soon. The shrooms will use up more of the boiled water, apparently due to salt sensitivity. Right now I'm just saving water in a paint bucket until the shrooms are ready to come out of hibernation. I'll take pictures as it gets more interesting.

We planted some sweet potato leaves "kolowa" to see if we can get the vines going. Check out the leaf-mulched container too - that's the ginger, which is shooting like crazy. Should start leafing soon?
Lastly, the blueberry tree (seen as a stick-like thing to the right of the sweet potato vine): it's budding like crazy under the CFL lights we put on it all day. But I learned that we need a *pair* of blueberries to get any fruit! So we will have to go get him a ladyfriend pretty soon.

Recipe: A Poor Person's Hodgepodge Pesto

This one goes out to all my friends out there who have to put a bit of thought into buying the $5 or the $10 bottle of olive oil.

All quantities estimated, based on a. Taste and b. What we had. I used a food processor. You could also use a blender, but you're going to need something that chops and spins.

1/2 C almonds and peanuts (cashew work too)
- Throw the nuts into the food processor, blend to flour-like consistency. Pour out into a small pan and toast them, stirring constantly w/a spatula. They will go quickly, so pay attention! Remove from heat when they are golden brown and pour into a cold bowl so they stop cooking. Set aside.
4-5 cloves of peeled garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 cup mixed olive and other cooking oil
- In a food processor, pour about half the oil in with the garlic chunks and puree until it's creamy and whitish.
6 cups of loosely packed basil and cilantro (2 bunches)
- Add the leaves to the garlic/oil mix, about 2 cups at a time, and puree. Stop and wipe down the sides with a spatula as needed.
1/4 C parmesan cheese, ground
- Put some of the nuts and cheese together in the mix with a little oil. Puree. Continue until the flavor is just right.
- Enjoy with pasta!

Should keep in the fridge for a few days with a lid on. Don't contaminate by dipping in dirty spoons and it lasts longer.

Projects: Herb drying and Worm composting

Here's what my latest two projects are looking like so far!
Drying herbs Malawi style: put 'em in a basket, let heat/sun do its work.

I decided to flex my village food preservation muscles and make my own dried basil and cilantro using a decorative basket (from Zambia - way smaller than the functional baskets we used in Malawi, but easier to carry on the plane!). What better time to dry herbs indoors than after lunch, when the oven's still hot? Better still, these herbs would have gone to waste -- they were past their prime, but can still make some good spices to add to pho, lasagna, or a burrito.

Still fresh, soaking up that oven heat

Final product - crumbly, fragrant herbs! We're keeping those for yummy food in the future


Update: Second batch! This one with American technology: drying herbs in the closet. To be continued...

Composting with Red Wigglers: Air, water, food, and darkness. It's easy to do! And surprisingly NOT stinky.

We used an old rubbermaid and prepared it by punching some airholes with a hot screwdriver. We used an extra top to make a tray to catch water drippings and encourage good drainage -- that's insurance against bad smells. The worms live in a bedding of dry leaves -- foraged from a pile outside our apartment -- and eat nitrogenous (leafy/vegetable) wastes from the kitchen. So far the worms aren't very populous so they eat slowly. It's hard to wait for them to start having hungry baby worms! So that means we have extra food around for them, which stays outside in the near-freezing weather. That has its own benefit -- fruit fly eggs don't survive, so the compost stays clean!

The rubbermaid that doubles as a worm house is beneath my desk.

Peeking inside - lots of moisture on the lid! Leaves cover the top - no worms here. The worms live beneath, where it's dark.

I found one! Actually, this looks like two or three shiny, healthy, red wigglers. Hard to tell what they're eating, but soon it will be fluffy, nutrient-rich humus. Digging in their with your hands, there's not really much of a smell. Lots of slimy things, though.

More worm food

Ma-prizey! Ginger that was on its way out has sprouted inside the worm house. Now it's transformed into something we can plant in the spring.

Awesome/Awful Happenings

I love lists. So why not make a list of the awesome and awful things going on right now?

AWESOME
1. Moving into our new apartment! It's right next to my Mom's old high school, and a liquor store called 'The Golden Bull' which has a huge gold bull on the roof. Got some good wine there - Ravens Petite Syrah. Then drank it for dinner &breakfast (with the addition of juice and apple chunks).














2. Signing up for Salsa at Stamp. We're going to learn to dance! Just in time for Valentine's Day. Credit goes to Devin on this one. Hubba hubba

3. Worms eat our trash! Vermiculture is the urban homesteader's answer to the stinky trash can. We got our worms within a few days and now they are happily chewing up our slimy collards, lemon rind, breadcrumbs, etc.

4. Free / Cheap furniture! Tammy had a kitchen table for us, Value Village had four chairs for us for $32 -- not too bad, but we're refinishing them so they look super spiffy, and Ellicott City neighbors (who used to babysit me when I was a wee lass) may have a couch/loveseat for us. All we have to figure out is how to move these freebies.

5. Watching our first State of the Union Address in 3 years at Busboys & Poets. I. Love. That. Place. Good pecan pie, too. What I'm most excited about is his bold statement about ending subsidies for dinosaur oil companies. Urging investment in education and technology sounds right on to me, too.

6. Hyattsville Library. Finally got a copy of Cormac McCarthy's The Road; Fun DVDs like Robin Hood Men In Tights and permaculture book 'Food Not Lawns!' I love walking away with an armful of treasures. Free!










7. Swap Meet and International Food Stores. There is so much good produce in this ethnically diverse part of town! In the past week we made Miso soup w/rice noodles, Goat stew w/ginger mashed potatoes, Spaghetti with Squash, and smoked a lot of hookah.

8. Tagging along on Environmental Science and Tech trips! I got to go w/Devin to hear an engineer from Oklahoma State talk about Precision Agriculture (fertilizer delivery using real-time sensing of how much nitrogen the crops need). That was also my first time on the 4H grounds - good stuff. Devin was digging the shooting range next door to the lecture hall.

9. Neighbor's Internet + How I Met Your Mother Episodes = Giggle Time

AWFUL
1. Paying my credit card bill. Not only did the apartment complex take a month's rent out of my savings account, now I have to pay $500 to Capital One out of my checking account, or suffer inexplicable interest charges. How did I manage to spend that much.. AND split everything with Devin at the same time? We are clearly living a life beyond our means. Meaning I don't have a paycheck, why should I eat? Back to lentils and rice, kids.

2. Job searching. My noncompetitive eligibility doesn't seem to be doing shit for me. I'm just hopeful that an RPCV friend's referral will be enough to get me a gig out in Gaithersburg doing lab auditing with the National Institute of Science and Technology. Then again, what about that Youth Leadership Conference I interviewed for? Guess I could go back to the Insurance company that tried to recruit me.. or check myself into a temp agency. Total case of the anxious blahs. See #Awful 1 about anxiety.

3. My family thinking that I am not job searching just because I have had a 8% interview rate. I'm trying I swear! But these times are so different than previous times, it's just hard to relate to people's expectations.

4. Ice on Metzerott Road. Why did we choose to live on the hilliest road in 4 zip codes? How do we get home from Value Village with a trunk full of STUFF when it starts snizzling at 3:30 but threatens to freeze after 6? Who will salt the roads? Who will plow? How do I know I won't slide into the ditch? I'll just let Devin drive.. remembering that he comes from the land of eternal sunshine! His experience with dirt roads might translate alright, but that doesn't prevent me from giving myself little panic attacks.

The Smell Of The Idiocracy

In a way, it is a blessing to be poor now, in this land of extravagance. All of the wonderful shopping opportunities - shining Christmas windows, endless aisles of similar yet different products at the supermarket -- are not really available to me. In the smaller sphere of my existence, I am surprised by the mundane, new sensations. Everything in a house has a smell - objects and substances used to clean them. Those supposedly subtle smells are constantly overpowering my nose. It seems that the people who test for scent subtlety are obvious scent overloaders themselves. Now, I have to be careful not to breathe too deeply or I will feel a little sting, like the way chlorine products burn away your smell sensors.

Wasn't Malawi full of smells? And unpleasant senses? Sure we all used latrines. But if you have pretty good aim, and a nice deep pit below you, no problem. No lingering pee smells or what have you. Nobody wore deodorant so there was definitely some bo B.O. But that's what wind is for. Rain smells great. Burning/clearing of fields is unsightly and makes a lot of ash, but the smell isn't so bad. Kinda like a cookfire. Sickness is stinky - but no Malawian would ever let an azungu see him in a visibly sick state. I wasn't too sick myself, but I do have some pungent memories of when my cat yakked tuna all over my yoga mat. That was only a one-time occasion; what I experience now is a constant barrage.

It hasn't been easy on my eyes either. Grad school applications? Hours on the computer. Some days many hours. Early morning hours, afternoon hours, night hours. Job apps, same deal. Everyone wants you to register for THEIR career postings website. Just another flavor of vanilla. (My apologies to vanilla ice cream lovers) More hours trying to decide how to fit yourself into some nice, neat webpage drop down menu. Have I had secretarial experience? Sure, that was under 'leadership' in my college activities on my resume. But it was also a winter fill-in position at a teeny company my Dad worked at 10 years ago. So.. sure, why not! I'll say yes until I get a bite and have to prove it.

We love our modern conveniences in America. New, improved versions keep coming out all the time. But why can't they coexist with my senses? Or perhaps I am the one who is an antagonist to the system, not the other way around. I need to buck up and get used to the onslaught.

Thank goodness for misadventures like accidentally walking 10 miles with Miss E. next to the Patapsco river in winter. The only threat of overstimulation there was the idea that we might have to ford the icy river on foot, since the only bridges available were railroad bridges (quite active at that -- 2 trains passed during those hours). Could have been cold and uncomfortable. But we just walked on, and eventually there was a way out. But as for my nose, there's no way I'll sacrifice dignity and wear a nose plug.. so the way out is: through.