Loose Tea

My first 12 second video

2008-08-14T21:25:00.002-04:00

I am trying out 12seconds.tv, iMovie and Flip video. The neighbor cat is the actor.

Snag Films

2008-08-04T20:55:00.006-04:00

If you haven't seen it already, I invite you to check out Snag Films, a great place to find a wide range of documentaries like the one above on Pugs.

Tattle Away

2008-07-18T21:56:00.003-04:00

I love finding new places, whether they be actually new or just new to me. I loved the first visit to the new EMU Student Union; the new Mallet's Creek branch of the A2 library; IKEA; even Cabela's.

The same is true with blogs. I have occasionally been lurking at Ypsi City Desk for a while without taking the minute or so to add them to my link list. Johnny Action Space Punk can be quite entertaining.

Tonight, I found Johnny's link to The Ypsi Tattler. Now, here is some fine local writing. Take a look.

[Back to preparations to work another consecutive weekend. Yee haw!|

Murdock and Sweeney: Long time activists back with a vision

2008-07-02T12:39:00.007-04:00

In the summer of 2006, during the run up to the last City Council election, Pete Murdock and Grace Sweeney were far away. They took a 4-month summer road trip up through the U.P., across Canada, through the Canadian Rockies and into Alaska. While Ward 3 positioned itself to vote in Brian Robb, a relative newcomer on the political scene, Pete and Grace were roughing it in pristine country with their truck and a two-person LL Bean tent. In a recent interview, their memories of the Alaskan journey remain vivid. They recall the roads on the Alaskan Highway and particularly the Dempster Highway and the portion made of hard slate and a night spent after two flat tires on the rugged roads with a small town's one mechanic patching their tire. They draw out a wilderness journey where they lived side by side with black bears, bald eagles and fauna. A place where celery is sold by the stalk and milk by the glass, where water is supplied not from the ground but in huge cisterns on stilts outside the buildings and where rugged individualism is still the norm rather than the exception.

Not all retirees would embark on this kind of adventure sans a super RV or the comforts of modern times. True, Grace insists they planned out every step of the journey and stayed in a variety of lodgings from motels and hotels, to B & Bs to their tent. But, again, who would decide to leave warmth, cats and comforts of home behind to strike out and meet Alaska head on?

Apparently the same kind of people who would after a long and distinguished career as public servants—where Pete was elected 3 times mayor of Ypsilanti and 4 times Councilmember of the East side before serving as the manager of the Washtenaw County recycling drop-off station—decide to re-engage in the City's political scene to bolster the common good. What is most refreshing is that Pete and Grace's approach is totally lacking in the "been there, done that" attitude. It is as if Ypsilanti is the new Alaska, the new frontier, where Pete and Grace will continue tilting at windmills. In their case, the windmills are sure to be built by working stiffs to generate wind energy and reduce our carbon footprint.

What makes this most surprising is that for all intents and purposes, they seem to truly have been there and done that. Pete came to Michigan in '66 and moved to Ypsilanti a year later to be closer to his job at an auto plant. He and Grace were already activists and in their spare time did the work that led to today's Food Co-Op. After work on Fridays they drank coffee and pulled all nighters to drive with other volunteers in a station wagon, a van and a truck to Detroit's Eastern Market. Arriving between 3:30 and 4 am they would divide up the list of food items for purchase and each proceed to buy what the young, co-op needed from the farmers. Then, they'd have breakfast, drive back and crash, sometimes with blankets in the back of their vehicles. The food would then be sold out of the back of the old AME church on Adams. (It was many years later that the Co-Op had a store front.) When asked why they volunteered for this assignment, Pete talks about how they were all trying to help out the students and city folks who were looking for fresh produce at low cost. Grace says, "Because it was fun and exciting."

It was during these days that Pete and Grace first became involved in the nascent recycling movement, recycling glass in barrels on location. As their interest deepened, Pete and Grace became more and more involved in the recycling movement, trying and succeeding in establishing the first curbside recycling program in Washtenaw County. Again their tactics were drawn out of grass roots activism. Volunteers used their own vehicles to drive through neighborhoods and pick up recyclables.

Of course, Grace and Pete's work with the affordable food movement and recycling barely scratches the surface of their activities through the years. In addition to his work as an elected official for many years, Pete served as union steward, Pete and Grace helped start the East Side Neighborhood Association. They assisted with the establishment of the historic district and worked with the Tenant's Union on affordable housing. In 2005, Pete retired.

Then the City Council proposed to effectively cut bus service for the City of Ypsilanti through withdrawing from its purchase agreement with the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA). Pete and Grace leapt out of retirement to join with the Keep Ypsi Rollin group. This activism led to further activism with the Stop the City Income Tax campaign, which, in turn has led to Pete putting his hat in the ring again for a potential fifth term as Council Member for the East side of Ypsilanti.

Pete has a vision for the future of Ypsilanti. He talks of extending a "regional system" developed out of a "bottom up structure." He looks to a day where residents can pitch in and help craft this vision, but stepping into the current leadership vacuum says people "can't get activated until they have something to get activated around." The best bet for putting such a focal point in the hands of the people is likely to be through the "what's old is new" grassroots activist route of Pete and Grace.

With any luck, tomorrow plants go in the ground

2008-06-14T22:48:00.002-04:00

Spent today preparing the flower/vegetable beds for planting. To my pleasant surprise, the gazillion varieties of mint seemed to come back. I knew some mint was there but the weeds covered most of it.

Tomorrow, hopefully, I can find some tomato and tomatillo plants. It seems that this might be my best hope for eating tomatoes again after all the salmonella scares.

Thanks to those who have asked about Maverick. He is almost back to his old tricks, trying to bite off his bandage and insisting to me that I have not idea how bad it itches.

Back to the Cone

2008-06-10T22:47:00.003-04:00

I have a neighbor who lets my dogs out at lunch.

Around lunch today, I received a call from another neighbor saying that my dogs were loose. I left work immediately.

When I arrived home, he was waiting for me with my dogs in my yard. What a kind soul.

Unfortunately, Maverick was hurt with 3 cuts on his back legs. Two seemed to be ok but one is about an inch and deeper than I'd like. I called the Vet right away. They didn't have any appointments until tomorrow and not even a Vet tech available to talk to. My neighbor with "dog skills" suggested that since he wasn't bleeding badly to wait and see before going to the Emergency Vet.

Tonight, I called the Emergency Vet who said that basically it will be a rough night whether we come in there or not, and suggested it would be ok to wait until tomorrow while keeping him quiet tonight.

This morning before work, Maverick was lying quietly against my leg as I sat pondering great thoughts. Chester laid against the other leg. My thoughts came around to how wonderful it is to have two precious beings whose greatest desire is to be near me. They are really some of the best team players I've ever seen. We travel around the house together; when I'm in the yard they come out with me; when I am in an area without them they worry.

If you would have asked even three years ago, I would have told you with great certainty that I would not lose sleep over a dog with a cut. Funny how you can feel so differently when you are actually placed in a situation.

Instead of sleeping I will sit here next to this noisy, talkative, neurotic rescue dog with separation anxiety, trying to bury myself in work so as not to make myself an emotional wreck.

Wrong Number in Seattle

2008-06-08T16:16:00.003-04:00

At one point during last week's crazy crunch week, I had to make one of those dreaded phone calls to try to "set things right." The whole prospect of the call put me in a bit of an angry funk. I really would have just rather left town than try to deal.

Finally, I could procrastinate no longer and dialed the number.

The voice on the other end was not what I expected. It was clearly an older person, but not clear whether they were taking the calls of my intended recipient or not.

A moment later, it became clear that I had dialed the wrong number.

Instead of a business or even a person working from home, I had dialed a 93-year-old woman in a retirement home in Seattle.

For her part, she was not at all upset and assumed I had meant to call the party store that people frequently were trying to call when dialing her number. What followed gave me better perspective.

She said that she loved getting calls to the wrong number because these were the only calls she received. It seems that life in the retirement home is not all it's cracked up to be. She still chases men she said but can't keep up with the ones she wants and doesn't want the ones who are her age, they can hardly move at all.

She told me, "I worked at a bank most of my career, I bet you can't guess my last name."

It is "Banker."

I told her that the name must have helped her get the job. She said, no, she didn't have the name when she started. She married her husband because of his last name.

Then she mentioned that after a happy life together, he had already passed on, thirty years ago.

After a bit more banter, I told her to have a good afternoon. She told me, "I always do."

I rang off and made the call I'd originally intended with all of the negatives gone. If a 93-year old woman in a retirement home in Seattle can be this positive about her afternoons, surely I have no cause to complain.

Learning to Triage

2008-06-01T20:04:00.002-04:00

Lately, I've found myself gathering about me the favorite items of past supervisors and co-workers that I've admired or respected. There is the special pen, the footrest, the ruler, the backpack, the warm up suits, etc . . .

I think the hope at some level is that if I surround myself with their accoutrements, some of their wisdom, skill and experience will magically rub off, too.

I am and have been for a while disturbingly over busy. The kind of over busy where I know everything I need to do even for work will not get done. In the midst of this, I am surrounded by what feels like legions of well meaning family and friends who want a piece of me, who many times feel that their call or visit will lighten my load. This is sweet, but not really the kind of help I need.

Of late the tenor has changed. Friends, especially, tired of hearing that I am still busy have in the last week taken to advice of this sort: "How hard can it really be?" And, "Everyone is busy, why do you think you are different?"

And in my mind, I have the time management video from the Franklin Covey training running on auto. In it, an extremely harried and overworked worker gets dumped on by everyone, ends up not able to do anything well, eats horribly, does not exercise and then I think the video fades to black. Afterwards, we are lectured on "Big Rocks" and invited to really trash this poor overworked individual. (It is after all, in true Franklin Covey fashion, the idiot's own fault.)

But, in my mind, a second video is playing from my best supervisor to date. In it, she is sitting in her office with piles of incoming requests and talking about the "need to triage." At the time, I love her colorful language and wonder if she is being a tad overdramatic.

Of course, this is my need, too, the need to triage and as with my former boss (she considered "boss" to be a four-letter word) many people will be unhappy around me. I cannot do it all. I am only willing to stretch so far. I deserve some time for me, some limited sanity time.

I will take up my arms from the annals of former colleagues and head into the fray . . .

Murdock runs for vacated Ward 3 Council seat

2008-05-27T20:07:00.004-04:00

Former Ypsilanti Mayor and City Councilman Pete Murdock has announced his candidacy for the Ward Three City Council position currently held by Brian Filipiak. Filipiak has announced he will not seek re-election.

Murdock says, “I am running for City Council because I believe I can bring the kind of experience, knowledge and common sense approach that will be of great value in guiding our community through these most difficult times.”

Murdock said that during the Stop City Income Tax Campaign, “it became clear that a large majority of city residents feel alienated from City Government and that City Government is out of touch with them and their daily lives.” Murdock was a leader in building the coalition that saw the proposed city income tax defeated last November.

“We need to restore trust and confidence in our elected officials and government by listening to more voices and to be open to new ideas.”

Murdock served four terms on City Council and three terms as mayor in the 1970s and 1980s. He has also served on a number of local governmental boards and commissions during his 40-year residency in the city. Prior to his retirement, Murdock spent 16 years working with nonprofit recycling organizations. He is married to longtime activist Grace Sweeney.

Editor's Note: This blog will run an announcement for any candidate running for Ypsilanti City Council that sends his/her release to LooseTeaInfoATgmail.com.

Birkenstocks musings

2008-05-18T17:43:00.004-04:00

Yes, it is true that I have a love - hate relationship with my Birkenstocks.

I am flat footed and used to have to wear orthopedic shoes with arch supports that paid no attention to style. It is safe to say I had the clunkiest shoes in the third grade. Birkenstocks provide the support without the clunk.
Birkenstocks slip right on.
Birkenstocks allow my feet to breathe.
Birkenstocks are good quality and last a LONG time, well until they need to be re-soled and then another LONG time.
Birkenstocks make the statement that I put my health first.

I could have sworn that I'd never wear Birkenstocks to work when I switched jobs. But daagumit, they are more comfortable and when everyone else is in heels how can I not make my own personal statement?
Birkenstocks are expensive
Many people think the wearing of Birkenstocks says much more than it actually does. I know. I used to be one of these people. Here is my message to these folks: Take the time to make sure before you assume.
Some people sell used Birkenstocks on eBay. This is just gross.

Bodary to run for Council Ward 2

2008-05-16T21:55:00.007-04:00

Michael Bodary announced today that he is running for Ypsilanti City Council as a Democrat from Ward 2.

Bodary says, "I am running for Council because the city needs new leadership, new ideas, and a new voice with honesty and integrity. The City has wasted millions on Water Street. The Council spent two years on a City Income Tax that was defeated by the voters 2 to 1. Days after the election, the city announced they had a $1.3 million budget surplus. Residents have rightful questioned the council's ability to make proper use of the city's money. Ypsilantians deserve better than that."

"I will focus on rebuilding trust in the community through open government. We must preserve vital services like police and fire", said Bodary. "We have to work to keep the Pool and Senior Center open, and we have to work with our neighboring communities and universities to make sure we keep our public buses rolling."

Bodary, a 12 year employee of the U of M Department of Parking and Transportation, believes he can bring a unique perspective and new thinking for regional transportation. Bodary, 57, was born and raised in Ypsilanti. He has a BBA degree in management from Cleary University.

Bodary is a member of the U of M Parking and Transportation Department's Safety Committee, S.O.S. Community Crisis Center, Stop the City Income Tax Initiative, and Measure for Measure, a men's chorus based in Ypsilanti. He is past president and current treasure of the Michigan Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association and a retired State Director of Referee Assessment, United State Soccer Federation.

Editor's Note: This blog will run an announcement for any candidate running for Ypsilanti City Council that sends their release to LooseTeaInfoATgmail.com.

The Marie Antoinette of Ypsilanti

2008-05-14T20:18:00.003-04:00

This past weekend my family had a celebration of multiple Spring graduations. As part of this I decided to order celebratory cakes from locally owned bakeries. I ordered a cake from Dom Bakery, one from Terry Bakery and one from the Queen of Hearts.

Dom Bakery

I have an old roommate who worked for a short period of time for Dom Bakery when it was on Main Street in Ann Arbor. I believe she said that Dom is a shortened combo version of the original owners' names: Tom and Don. The best features of Dom Bakery today are the ultra-cool 24 hour donut drive thru and the way you can sit inside and eat a donut in the morning while watching the staff ice sheet cakes. The most annoying part is when someone arrives at the drive thru and a piercing beep shoots through the inside of the bakery, putting the holes in all the donuts.

From Dom's I ordered half a chocolate sheet cake with chocolate icing for $22.90. The cake was good and the favorite of those who said, "I just love chocolate."

Dom's is located in Ward 2 at 1305 Washtenaw Rd. Their phone number is (734) 485-3175.

Queen of Hearts

The Queen of Hearts used to be next door to the Drowsy Parrot coffee shop in Saline before their relatively recent move to the old Quizno's spot in Depot Town. They make elaborate cakes and pastries and of the three are the only to have their own website. All this suggests whatever they do is a cut above ordinary hometown bakery goodies. My friend's mother gave me a $30 gift certificate for them last July for my birthday and I just knew this was the perfect opportunity to dust it off and put it to use.

I ordered a round 9" Mother's Day cake with buttercream frosting and real raspberries inside for $45 minus the $30 gift certificate, so $15 total.

My friend whose mother gave me the gift certificate loved the frosting and was most enamored by this layer cake. The cake was quite delicious.

Queen of Hearts is located in Ward 3 at 32 E Cross St in Depot Town. Thier phone number is 734.487.9223 and the website is located at http://www.queenofheartspastries.com/index2.html.

Terry Bakery

For some, Terry Bakery is best known for its old style neon sign on Michigan Ave. with two bakers carrying an enormous rolling pin. Terry no longer owns the bakery. This site [link] says that the building is the oldest bakery in continuous operation in Washtenaw County. If you aren't lucky enough to chance upon the bakery when it is open (Thursday, Friday and Saturday mornings) the means to place an order is proprietary information. Well, ok. You have to call and leave the order on their answering machine. Best to ask them to call back to confirm.

I left a message and they called back later that same afternoon. I ordered half a sheet cake in a pan for $30. Half of this cake was cherry and half was white with white icing. When I arrived Saturday morning a real young fellow of about 4 years helped me pick up my cake and take it out the door, supervised by Grandma.

This cake was super moist and my favorite by far. It is about all I've been eating for the past week.

Terry Bakery is located at 119 W. Michigan Ave. Their phone number is 734.482.9511. I think they are also Ward 3.

Beagle audience with First Lady

2008-05-06T12:10:00.002-04:00

I wonder what my beagles would have to say in their audience with the First Lady. Would they be as laid back about it as Uno. Definitely not. It is not in their nature.

I do believe they'd express sympathy . . .

but then they'd most certainly outline their concerns. Baying would be involved and maybe marking.

After a pause, an Emerson quote

2008-05-02T09:55:00.000-04:00

"The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to trust him with his friendship."
—Ralph Waldo Emerson

Loose Tea no boon for Tigers

2008-04-22T21:53:00.003-04:00

It might not have escaped your attention that ever since I announced on this blog that I'd begin following the Tigers again, they have pretty much hit rock bottom. They have gone from a pre-season where debate was in the air about whether they could be the best Tiger team ever to a place where they have their first pitcher with 2 wins this season.

This past weekend I saw the Dalai Lama (no there is no transition, don't worry, there isn't one in my mind that was missed somehow, either). The Dalai Lama pretty much blew my mind. He is inspiring and challenging and at the same time, non-threatening. He made me realize the degree to which I spend my day doing and working on pointless tasks. He pointed directly to the need to be more altruistic. He linked friendship clearly with happiness. He talked about "good selfish" . .. . and a million other things that will cause my head to storm with ideas for a long time to come.

He also made me consider that Twitter and this Blog and the Internet and my computer might be just a whole lot of wastefulness, a means to shunt off the really important things in life.

There is a lot more to this. For a long time, I have been considering what the "quest for truth" is all about, especially if the "truth" hurts other people. In my mind, the Dalai Lama reinforced the idea that this is all a "striving after wind," that what is important is caring, not truth.

I discussed this with my sister last night. It all seems very La Petite Prince, "It is only with the heart that one sees rightly. That which is essential is invisible to the eye."

You can't measure anything worthwhile. OK, so the implications for this in my life could be huge. I'll just have to go down the road a ways and see.

The Dalai Lama emphasized how advancement in spiritual matters comes only after a long, long time with study and prayer.

Still an amazing presence, still a hopeful being. I'm really glad I went.

A note from Emily . . .

2008-04-18T13:30:00.001-04:00

A LITTLE madness in the Spring
Is wholesome even for the King,
But God be with the Clown,
Who ponders this tremendous scene—
This whole experiment of green,
As if it were his own!
—Emily Dickinson (1924)

Incognito in Texas, tired and rambling

2008-04-04T15:39:00.003-04:00

At this moment, I sit in a Starbucks sipping Chai in Texas. I am in disguise, wearing a suit and heels and makeup. The weather outside is beautiful but the locals seem to feel it is cool—it is in the 70s.

I am also at the point of exhaustion from a breakneck schedule that will continue for at least 9 more days. Hopefully the disguise hides the dark circles under my eyes.

I also power walked in these heels today; am so glad I picked up a more comfortable Dansko pair available from Mast Shoes vs. the torture objects at the mall. Also am thankful for my day of practice earlier this week.

Where I am, in this pre-fab town square less than 8 years old, it is as if I am still in the Mall. The "Back to the Future" courthouse is catty corner to me and everything is clean crisp brick with on street parking for the Apple Stores and Eddie Bauers and Victoria's Secrets of this world.

I rented a grey SUV with a GPS. The GPS died and my MapQuest printout failed me. I couldn't find my destination this morning and was very late. Very stressed. Finally parked and walked in circles until I arrived. Then during a break, I decided to try to locate my car. There are loads of grey SUVs in this area of Texas. It was worse than finding a needle in a haystack, it was more like finding a blade of hay in a haystack.

Might have to go back, must sit incognito a bit longer. If feet stop aching, will walk around and take pictures for Flickr. Then I have running shoes and a running suit to change into before the airport.

BFN.

5 days until opening day

2008-03-25T22:29:00.002-04:00

Growing up in Battle Creek we used to listen outside in the warm weather to Tiger baseball on the radio with Ernie Harwell. It is one of the ways we knew summer had arrived. We slowed down to the Harwell cadence and rooted for a team we never went to see in far off Detroit.

At a certain age, the summer pace changed with hectic summer jobs replacing the frenzied school daze. Then the Tigers fell apart; then baseball fell apart; then the Tigers moved; then Ernie Harwell stopped announcing at all.

This year, I am willing to give it a try again. Yesterday, I bought a radio for my desk at work and I have been idly trying to tune in likely AM stations for the day games. I keep reading great things about a team packed with All Stars, and unlike the break your heart every year Lions, I am ready to give the Tigers another go.

My Jr. High English teacher who went to the '84 world series and likely still has the patch of dirt from the infield after victory, would say this makes me the very definition of a fair weather fan. Maybe, maybe worse. We'll see.

A letter to Alexander McCall Smith

2008-03-24T23:46:00.004-04:00

Dear AMS,

Hello. I hope you don't mind if I call you AMS. My family and I have been researching and reading and discussing your works for months now and keep hearing interviewers asking you if they can call you "Sandy" as your friends do. We would not presume to be on such familiar terms, but I do hope it is ok to call you AMS.

I am thrilled that you are visiting Ypsilanti, Michigan, towards the end of April but realize that you are there for but an instant and then away to the next stop on your US tour. There likely will not be the opportunity to ask you anything near the questions I would love to ask or to share my thoughts on your works. And so I write this letter. This, too, is like the act of being on an island and placing a message in a bottle and sending it out to the wide sea. Maybe you will one day find it in the world of the Internet, maybe it will be lost to you but another traveller may pick it up and find it of use.

I just finished watching your Baylor lecture from 2005 [link] where you focus in on the intensely local. You talk at length about the importance of local associations to reach universal truths.

I am certain that you know all about San Francisco and the worlds of today's great authors like Amy Tan and your neighbor JK Rowling. I would be surprised if you knew too much, however, about the small town you will visit in April.

Its name is Ypsilanti and it is named after a Greek general, Demetrius Ypsilanti, a figure in the Greek war for independence. A bust of the General can be found near Ypsilanti's best known landmark the Water Tower.

Coming from Scotland, you may look at a map and naturally link Ypsilanti with its larger neighbor Detroit. While the influence of Detroit is felt, the closeness to Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan weighs heavier for most residents. In fact, many residents live in Ypsilanti but work a short distance away in wealthier Ann Arbor.

Wealth, though, is not always measured in money. Certainly, this is not the case in Ypsilanti. Here, the wealth is in being a place centered on community. If you have the time to spend a few hours here, I recommend stopping by Bombadill's on Michigan Avenue. This is a coffee shop of somewhat less stature than your Elephant House, but no less essential to the life of the community. And yes, Bombadill's has two ls, not one as it does in Tolkien's work. In this way, no copyright violations occur.

At Bombadill's you will be able to experience a place akin to Hemingway's "clean, well lighted place"—you've read Hemingway extensively, no doubt. The baristas are sure to be friendly and create artwork out of any latte you order, but this is not where the real magic will happen. If you sit at a table and read the newspaper or simply sit dreamily for any time at all, one of the locals will approach you and begin to share a piece of their story. With not much luck at all, they also will begin to tell you the history of the community. Ypsilanti prides itself in its heritage. Or they might expound upon the living wage ordinance passed first in the state, here, or the human rights ordinance.

Alternately, you might stop by Cafe Luwak, a cafe where you can also buy ice cream or a fresh deli sandwich. At Luwak, you may well find an astrologer to offer you a view into your future or find a person who will launch with little preamble into the role Ypsilanti played in the American Civil War.

In any case, you will be able to develop a sense of the unique flavor, one that you can savor as something new, vibrant and different, with undertones from the past. I hope your visit is a fine one.

Sincerely, Teaspout

A Cereal Recommendation for Easter: Ezekial 4:9

2008-03-23T22:36:00.004-04:00

Originating from the Cereal City, I have always felt I have a special authority in the way of cereal recommendations. It is out of that authority, here on Easter Sunday that I would like to suggest a different kind of cereal, one that caught me offguard. The cereal is called: Ezekial 4:9. It can be found locally at Hiller's or Kroger's amongst other places.

This is a cereal I never would have tried on my own. A co-worker who I respect suggested trying it. Even then I felt doubly cautious. Why? A. It was $4.99 a box at Hiller's; B. It looked like too much organic goodness; C. Its name is that of a Bible verse.

But, I knew that the referrer is not a right wing Bible thumper. I knew she would be unlikely to follow up this suggestion with a directive to memorize verses throughout the Old Testament. So I gave it a go.

The flavor and texture is very similar to Grape Nuts. It is chewy and has almost no natural sweetness. Why am I carrying this discussion further?

It is super filling and it makes you feel good. I don't mean it makes you feel all giddy or ethereal or anything. I mean it makes you feel solid and whole and ready to face the day.

After trying it and circling back to my co-worker, she mentioned that she does eat it with honey.

The box says that the Food for Life Baking Co creators found that when you mix the 6 grains and legumes mentioned in Ezekial 4:9, you form a complete protein.

Today, after eating chocolate and Rugalach and pie, I feel lousy. Tomorrow, I may get right back to my $5 cereal. It is better to feel whole.

Nevada Barr comes to Ann Arbor April 5

2008-03-21T22:31:00.002-04:00

Author Nevada Barr will offer a book signing beginning at 4 pm Saturday, April 5 at Nicola's Books in Ann Arbor. Interested visitors are advised to call ahead, 734-662-0600.

For the uninitiated, Barr is the author of the wonderful Anna Pigeon series with each book set in a new National Park. Readers have the pleasure, not only of exploring the independent and spunky Anna, but also of being the poor man's traveler, learning about many of our nation's treasures on her book journeys.

I had no idea that Anna existed until I began working the circulation desk at the library. Then, I would have had to have been blind not to notice the number of patrons with Barr's books on the hold shelf. When I finally got a clue, I put myself on the reserve list and tried one of her books. In a fit of focus not seen since reading the Boxcar Children, Hardy Boy Mysteries and Agatha Christie books in my youth, I went through Barr's Books on CD until I had exhausted the library's collection. Still not satisfied, I went to the ReUse Center and purchased a $2 tape recorder to listen to the remaining books on tape.

As an actress turned park ranger turned author, Barr is unafraid to experiment with many different genres as she writes. You never know ahead of time if you will be reading historical romance, a who dunnit or a thriller.

I can't wait to hear the voice of Anna channeled through Book on CD narrator Barbara Rosenblatt with Barr's new book "Winter Study" set in Michigan's own Isle Royale National Park.

Local Junk Removal and Brush Clearing

2008-03-20T21:38:00.002-04:00

Here in the City of Ypsilanti the rules have changed for what gardening brush can be left at the curb. For yard waste, the City site now offers the following instructions:

"Yard waste consists of grass clippings, leaves, garden material and bundled or contained branches that are two (2) inches or smaller in diameter and cut in four (4) foot lengths or smaller. Place in brown compost bags or in a trash can thirty-two gallons or smaller with handles. Place approximately six (6) feet from trash. Think green – no plastic bags please."

The pick up begins March 31.

Alternately, it is possible to pick up a permit (4 per year for residents) from the Department of Public Works, weekdays, to take a load to the Recycling Center.

As it happens, I have been clearing small trees and other unfashionable debris from my yard.

For the small trees, I decided to rent a chainsaw and because of liability was only able to find Home Depot willing to rent one out. They charged $48 for 4 hours for a nice gas chainsaw.

To remove the car engine the previous owners thoughtfully left in the back yard for me, I first called 1-800-Got Junk but their starting rate was $149. I next called 1-877-LUV-JUNK and worked with the very friendly co-owner Kevin who quoted me a minimum rate of $89. No great decision of who to go with. Kevin also worked around my schedule, meeting me after 6 pm and generously picking up other rusted and plastic junk with his load.

I also had a colossal roof sized tarp that had been covered with mud, car paint, oil and debris—another precious gift from the former residents. It was surprisingly heavy, so I used my truck to pull it around to the front of the house and the excellent weekly garbage crew hauled it away.

Covering the world with leather

2008-03-05T21:36:00.002-05:00

"Wanting to reform the world without discovering one's true self is like trying to cover the world with leather to avoid the pain of walking on stones and thorns. It is much simpler to wear shoes." —Ramana Maharshi

Sad to say, I found this quote from my "T'ai Chi for Dummies" book website.

Ramana Maharshi lived 1879–1950. According to Realization.org, "Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi was probably the most famous Indian sage of the twentieth century. He was renowned for his saintly life, for the fullness of his self-realization, and for the feelings of deep peace that visitors experienced in his presence."

Tomorrow is T'ai Chi class with Sifu Greg at the Riverside Arts Center. No matter how exhausted and achy I enter the class I leave feeling refreshed and revitalized. On a side note, I will need it tomorrow as tonight I must finish another project for clients in the UK who need it by morning London time (5 or 6 hours ahead of EST.)

Detroit Kennel Club Dog Show

2008-03-04T22:37:00.003-05:00

This past weekend I attended the Dog Show with a local Girl Scout troop at Cobo Arena, downtown Detroit. I had many inchoate impressions that only now I feel ready to share, though still in their randomized format.

It would be great to have a St. Bernard. These dogs look so huge and cuddly and lovable. The handler pictured above also had a great joie de vivre.
My oh my there are a ton of dog classifications.
There are social groups for all kinds. In all, the dog show crowd seemed friendly, welcoming and focused on doing right by their animals.
How depressing, oh not the dog show, but all the way there and all the way back I listened to "A Thousand Splendid Suns." My cousin recommended this book. It is well written but I don't recommend it unless you are in the mood for Sylvia Plath style darkness and maybe getting in touch with your inner rage. I have had to turn to "Mr. Paradiso" by Elmore Leonard to try to obliterate this dark book from my mind. The sad thing is that I think that the author feels by throwing a little small light at the end, it is ok to punish the reader for the first 10 CDs.
The dog crowd seemed to have their own tailgate style event going on at the sides where the grooming was. There were crock pots and all kinds of good eatings for friends at each of the booths.
My dogs, if pure bred and not rescue dogs who have lost their non-existent papers, would have put these pampered, hair sprayed pups to shame.

Water Street Countdown

2008-03-03T12:43:00.002-05:00

Early to Bed . . .

2008-02-29T07:32:00.004-05:00

. . . Early to Rise, Makes a Man Healthy, Wealthy and Wise.

At the Franklin Covey seminar a few years ago, this and other adages of Poor Richard were trucked out as a lesson for our group to "manage our time more effectively."

The indoctrinated presenter, of course, carried these sayings further to a historically inaccurate version of Benjamin Franklin. Sad to say, in almost every case she cited about old Ben, she was wrong.

I remember that in effect she said that Benjamin Franklin practiced what he preached when trying to make a buck with his printing press. At the time, I'd also read Walter Isaacson's wonderful biography on Franklin, "Benjamin Franklin: An American Life." In it Isaacson outlines how Ben tried to keep to his preachings for a time but then went back to his more merry routine, one where early to bed and early rising did not come into the equation, at all.

Such is the value of historians like Isaacson or our local historian, Mr. Mann. These are people interested in preserving human lives and places in an authentic manner. This is one of the things I love so about Mr. Mann's Ann Arbor News columns or the stories he shares in all kinds of other places. He does not add a coat of nostalgic, good old days varnish. Instead, he tries to present the truth with all of its odd shades of nuance.

This is, of course, exactly what Ypsilanti needs. Not a return to the good ole days of prosperity; but a steady look at where we've been as we set our eyes on the future.

Brief Diet Update

2008-02-27T21:54:00.002-05:00

Some people have been asking me in the past few days how my diet is going. Ironically, no one has said, "Hey, you look like you've lost a few pounds."

The diet overall is going fairly well. I just finished the 3-week mark yesterday and am still on track. My work day meals are typically made up of a packet of oatmeal for breakfast and a quick bowl of cereal for lunch.

Work is going fairly well, knock on wood, at the moment which also helps.

The challenge I've yet to master is how to fit in exercise. I still think this most likely will happen in the beginning stages by incorporating T'ai Chi into my morning routine. Then, when it is less bitterly cold outside and definitely when it is less icy, I will walk more outside. My dogs will love that. Alternately, I will purchase another membership to the EMU Rec Center and again try to master timing and parking there.

I have a good friend who told me she has run 4 miles twice in the last week. This is impressive. If I really get it together I will try to pull out my old cross country self and get running, too. I can see it in my mind's eye, just not in my actual eyes.

On the day of birth

2008-02-26T21:32:00.004-05:00

One of the benefits of being an older sister is being able to remember back to when younger siblings were born.

None was more special than that of my first sister. Prior to her arrival there were two brothers, a neighborhood full of boys with no girls, lots of uncles and few aunts.

I greatly anticipated her arrival and looked forward to days that would be less lonely. How insightful I was at the age of 4 1/2 years. How did I know that throughout life, here would be a companion to share life's joys and sorrows, to gripe to and rejoice with, to boss around . . . well, I digress.

I remember the need to keep my room clean so we could share a room. I remember then her betrayals in actually being the feminine sister who loved pink and dresses and even sweeping the floor with her little toy broom and dustpan.

I remember that there were positives to this, as well, I could pawn off my unwanted Barbie's and jewelry and dresses to a more than happy recipient. In return, I received countless glasses of lemonade and later ginger tea.

I remember a companion who was always ready to play elevator with our improvised closet elevator and later to play elevator with the functional one we built for our dollhouse. A compatriot who let me keep the light on late reading and provided solidarity for countless crazy school projects.

Today, we no longer share a room, but even when the world turns upside down, my sister still provides a receptive ear that never finds my ideas too zany or boring to listen to. My sister takes it all on with travels all over the planet and then reports back about what it is like to live in Manhatten, to Salsa dance in Buenos Aires, to go to China town in San Francisco, to eat Bread in Paris and to meet the Pope in Vatican City.

I hope there are many more happy celebrations of her day.

Upcoming event: Share your vision for Downtown Ypsi this Tuesday

2008-02-24T16:02:00.002-05:00

The Ypsilanti Downtown Development Authority invites your input at the Downtown Ypsilanti Community Vision Session 7-8:30 pm Tuesday, Feb. 26 at the First United Methodist Church, 209 Washtenaw Rd (close to Huron St).

After visiting with Jerry of Ben and Jerry's head east to share your thoughts.

For more information, call 482-1410.

Events this week worth considering: Visit by Jerry of Ben & Jerry's

2008-02-24T14:57:00.005-05:00

Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben and Jerry's, will visit 6-7 pm Tuesday, Feb. 26 at the Ann Arbor Scoop Shop at 304 S. State St right by the U-M campus.

Ben and Jerry are perhaps best known for their amazing ice cream and peripherally for their environmental activities.

Consider the following anecdotes from their website to get a better flavor of their commitment to the environment.

The scoop shops opened in Burlington, VT in 1978 in an old gas station. Most of the building's rehabilitation was done with reused materials, such as aluminum sheets from the newspaper used to patch the roof.

In 1985, Ben and Jerry's found a better way to handle its excess ice cream than dumping it. They began "supplying a pig farm in Stowe, Vermont, with ice cream waste." Apparently, pigs are a big fan of ice cream, too.

In 1997 "Phish Food® ice cream is introduced nationally; it’s named after Vermont-based musical group, Phish, who donate royalties from sales of the flavor to environmental efforts in Vermont’s Lake Champlain region."

In 2003, Ben and Jerry's launched "a project with the University of Michigan’s Center for Sustainable Systems that focuses on developing On-Farm Assessment Tools for dairy farmers."

For more on their environmental activity timeline, visit this link.

Thoughts on the campaign for the Presidency

2008-02-22T22:08:00.002-05:00

I have tried to remain quiet and listen while the campaign has rumbled along. Long before the campaign became the only topic on many news stations, I sat and tried to research issues and listen to debates and decide who I thought would do the best job trying to clean up Bush's mess as the next President.

On January 15, I voted in the Michigan primary, with the full knowledge that the Democratic National Committee said my vote mattered not a bit to them. At the time I made a decision between John McCain, a true American hero, and Hillary Clinton, a person who I have admired since she became First Lady.

I voted for Hillary Clinton.

I was upset then that Barack Obama who claimed to be the candidate of change did not even have the audacity to add his name to the Michigan ballot. Instead he was hampered by "party rules" and how "Michigan broke the rules."

Whichever way the wind blows now, it seems my vote continues to not matter one bit to the Democratic party. Even if there is a Caucus, my vote will be tossed out.

How do I not bear this in mind when I go again to vote next November?

Rhetoric can ring hollow in my ear and I have a great sensitivity to being preached at when I'm not in church. I am tired of hearing "Yes, I can" chants with no substance as to what it is that can be done behind them. I see that "Yes, I can" does not mean, "Yes, I can have my name added to the ballot if the DNC doesn't want it there."

Does "Yes, I can" signify experience in foreign policy, certainly not.

Does "Yes, I can" mean cooperation across the aisle while in the Senate, certainly not.

Does "Yes, I can" mean a pathway to a better America? If so, where is this yellow, brick road, I haven't seen it in plans laid out.

Does "Yes, I can" mean anything good for the State of Michigan. Barack, in Des Moines was happy to share, "I went to Detroit in front of the automakers and said they had to change their ways. I have to say the room was quiet and nobody clapped, but that's okay." [link]

Barack, there is no doubt that Detroit is already changing out of necessity. What in your plan provides for any salve for a retooling of the auto industry. Or is it enough to throw stones while chanting, "Yes, I can; Yes, I can; Yes I can; . . . "

Protect Net Neutrality

2008-02-20T22:04:00.002-05:00

Representative Edward J. Markey (D-MA), chair of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunication and the Internet, introduced H.R. 5353, the Internet Freedom Preservation Act, Feb. 12. He was joined by Rep. Chip Pickering (R-MS) as a co-sponsor of the bill.

The Bill [link] is made up of three sections: Broadband Policy, Internet Freedom Assessment and Broadband Summits.

The Broadband Policy update would involve adding a new section to the Communications Act of 1934.

The bill states:

“It is the policy of the United States—

“(1) to maintain the freedom to use for lawful purposes broadband telecommunications networks, including the Internet, without unreasonable interference from or discrimination by network operators, as has been the policy and history of the Internet and the basis of user expectations since its inception;

“(2) to ensure that the Internet remains a vital force in the United States economy, thereby enabling the Nation to preserve its global leadership in online commerce and technological innovation;

“(3) to preserve and promote the open and interconnected nature of broadband networks that enable consumers to reach, and service providers to offer, lawful content, applications, and services of their choosing, using their selection of devices, as long as such devices do not harm the network; and

“(4) to safeguard the open marketplace of ideas on the Internet by adopting and enforcing baseline protections to guard against unreasonable discriminatory favoritism for, or degradation of, content by network operators based upon its source, ownership, or destination on the Internet.”

The second part of the bill charges the FCC with assessing broadband services and consumer rights.

Finally, broadband summits would require the FCC to hold 8 summits around the country in the next year "about Internet freedom and U.S. broadband policies affecting consumer protection, competition, and consumer choice."

Comcast is already exercising discrimination with its broadband service, admittedly slowing down some traffic on its network, including music and movie downloads.

The time to act is now. Please take a moment to pen a letter (or type one on email over your Comcast home service) to your member of Congress asking him/her to support this legislation.

How to contact your representative: Contact Information

More info: Common Cause Fact Sheet

Fire!

2008-02-19T19:52:00.005-05:00

I was sitting quietly, watching over my friends' house while they were at Disneyland. They left their usual note which included the line "Have as many fires as you want to."

After putting in a load of wash and finishing my duties for the evening, I made a small fire to burn off the wood in the fireplace, gave 5 dogs their pig's ears as a treat and put on my Alexander McCall Smith Book on CD.

I looked over at a small empty box on the counter and thought, "Why not add this to the fire, as well?"

I put it on top of the small pyre and 30 seconds later was in awe of how well it was burning. There was what sounded like an enormous wind coming from the fireplace. I thought, I must burn small (12 inches by 8 inches) boxes more often to help the fire along. I stood transfixed, looking and listening to the roar for such a seemingly small fire.

Then it was as if the world went nuts. Someone jumped over the railing and knocked on the fake door at the same time as someone banged on the front door.

They were loudly saying, "Your chimney's burning!"

Fortunately, one of those voices was Councilmember Robb. My initial response was "Oh? What should I do? Watch it burn?"

Councilmember Robb already had the situation in hand and said, "I called the Fire Department. They're on the way. Get the dogs and get out of the house."

So, in my Birkenstock sandals and socks [I once swore I'd never go out in public this way] I grabbed my coat and 5 dogs and we went out into the cold yard to watch the light show spewing forth from the chimney. It was something to see, sort of like a volcano about to erupt, after the smoke, when the volcano starts spitting fire.

The firefighters arrived quickly and took care of the situation with their new fire engine that has a very long extension ladder, and the homeowner's metal trash can.

Out of this experience, however, I have a new appreciation for why gawkers are so reviled. This was not meant to be the entertainment for Monday night. I hope those TV writers are writing fast, because in an atmosphere of dropping temperatures, wind, ice and gusting snow, a crowd chose to spend their time standing on the sidewalk. This brought greater concern to me. In addition, to contending with Police and Firefighters, I had to also worry about the effect of strangers on the dogs and the very real possibility of someone taking a bad tumble on the ice.

Not to mention the phone: In addition to the etiquette rule of not gawking at a fire, I can add a new one: "Don't call!"

My phone immediately started to ring. Everytime I had to go back in to the house to help the firefighters ("Do you have a big metal bucket?" "Can we move this?") my phone was ringing off the hook. Two of the calls were from the homeowners because their friends had helpfully called them to tell them their house was burning down. Still, not a good time to call.

But, they say, All's well that ends well. I'm really glad Councilmember Robb is keeping an eye on the City.

Tickets now available for Alexander McCall Smith Visit

2008-02-15T21:50:00.002-05:00

Tickets are now available for the 1 pm April 19 Ypsilanti visit of Alexander McCall Smith at the EMU Pease Auditorium.

Link to Purchase tickets

Thanks to a friend for forwarding the link!

Le cœur a ses raisons que la raison ne connaît pas

2008-02-14T22:07:00.003-05:00

"The heart has its reasons, of which reason knows nothing"
—Blaise Pascal, Pensées

A thought for Valentine's Day, perhaps on the relationship between love and logic.

A second thought: I had no idea Blaise Pascal was more than a mathematician and scientist. It appears he had a whole final act before death where he attempted to use decision theory for a systematic defense of Christianity. He lived June 19, 1623–August 19, 1662.

April Showers bring compassion?

2008-02-13T20:12:00.006-05:00

Stardate: April 21, 1994. I am finished with my final exams, am free and clear to receive my English degree and have decided not to attend the graduation ceremony but to instead hold my own personal graduation at Crisler Arena where I hear Tenzin Gyatzo speak.

He says,

“While you are gaining an education, be a nice person, be a compassionate person, be yourself…. The brain and the heart must go together. Sometimes in universities not enough attention is paid to the heart. I have the impression that the moral sense is underdeveloped. Knowledge is an instrument, whether used constructively or destructively depends on spirituality, human feeling and affection.” source

Forward to Stardate April 19, 2008: I will have the privilege to listen again to H.H. the Dalai Lama who is offering a two-day workshop on “Engaging Wisdom and Compassion."

A good friend asked why I would be interested in attending the workshop. If need be, I could develop a well thought out, logical explanation. Instead, I recall what I learned in religion class back in junior high. "When you are in the presence of holiness, you know it. You can just feel it." He is a figure of whom it is enough to be in his presence.

I think that is why I eagerly anticipate again sitting in attendance for this exiled world leader, Nobel Peace prize recipient, depression researcher, environmental activist, teacher and friend to us all.

Starbucks offers free wi-fi, Ypsi network expanding

2008-02-13T00:37:00.003-05:00

Starbucks announced yesterday [link] that it will begin offering free wi-fi through AT&T at its coffee shops.

"Beginning this spring, Starbucks Card holders can enjoy up to two hours of free Wi-Fi service per day at Starbucks locations offering Wi-Fi access, while more than 12 million qualifying AT&T broadband and AT&T U-verseSM Internet customers will have unlimited free access to the Wi-Fi service."

Fortunately, Ypsilanti both does not have a big Starbucks—independent coffee shops still rule—and it has an ever expanding city wide wireless initiative through Wireless Ypsi.

MacWorld reports there is still no word for iPhone users as to whether the Starbucks/AT&T partnership will bring iPhone users along for free wireless even without a Starbucks Card.

The wisdom of Niecy Nash

2008-02-11T21:38:00.001-05:00

"I think I help these people, but I don’t know about saving their relationships. I do help people get on the right path. Will they stay there or not? I don’t know. But I definitely lay the foundation and give them a wonderful place to start."
—Niecy Nash, Instinct Magazine link

While researching the Dalai Lama and Alexander McCall Smith, I found myself thinking about another guru of our time: Niecy Nash of the Style Network's Clean House.

Niecy counsels countless individuals on how to "Stop all this mayhem and foolishness!" Whole episodes are spent with Niecy and co-stars Mark Brunetz, Matt Iseman and Trish Suhr trying hard to wrassle away all the nonsensical clutter that keeps the residents in a constant state of chaos.

The kicker, clearly viewable by the TV audience each show, is that the people who live in the house know that they will get all kinds of new furnishings and a new, improved interior design if they just let go. Invariably there is still a tug-of-war over small, seemingly insignificant items of "sentimental value" that end up junking up the whole house.

Well, sorry to say, but I need Niecy to come to me and say, "Girl, take me to your foolishness."

If she did, we wouldn't go straight to my house. There's plenty of mayhem there, too, but this pales in comparison to the nonsense I stubbornly cling to in my head.

If I could somehow just let go of my pre-conceived notions of who I am and what I need to be and where I need to head I, too, could clean house, take a break and go to a nice hotel for a while, and then come back to a whole new life. A new start on the right path.

Travelers to SE Michigan in February

2008-02-10T20:10:00.000-05:00

Dear Traveler,

Dress warmly if you plan to visit Michigan during the months of January or February. You may think that due to Global Warming, Winter in Michigan is a thing of the past. Don't jump to conclusions. While the globe may be warmer on average, it is still freezing cold in Michigan at least sometimes during winter. The effect thus far has been more temperature extremes and warmer average months.

Michiganders will tell you that one area most of us deal with is moving from the cold outdoors to the inside of a car or other vehicle that takes time to warm up to another cold blast stepping out of the vehicle to warmth at your destination. You may feel like a confused snowman through all of this, dropping a glove with a slight increase in temperature only to desperately miss it the next instant when the cold North wind brings a new blast of frigid air.

Now is not the time to be macho and claim no need for hats or gloves. Now is not the time to allow your children to go about unbundled, even if they don't like gloves and headgear. Tie them on if need be.

If it is at all possible in fact, find a warm spot and stay there. It is far better to sit sipping hot tea and listening to a tale by Alexander McCall Smith, than needlessly running around looking at faux spectacles like Harry Potter Ice Sculptures.

Why do you need to come to Michigan to do this? I don't know, maybe you have family whose hearts a visit would warm.

Notes on Etiquette

2008-02-09T23:14:00.000-05:00

Amy Vanderbilt offers this helpful example of a clear note one might write for a servant:

"Emma--

When you do the silver today, will you use a little brush on the raised design so that no polish remains? It helps, too, as you know, if you wash it afterwards in hot water and suds before shining it. I am anxious to have it look especially nice tonight as I am having guests.

Also, while you are working with the polish, will you be sure to go over the light switches and bathroom faucets and soap recesses."

--Amy Vanderbilt's Complete Book of Etiquette, 1952.

Amy is so wondrously informative for me on how to comport myself and be sure I am practicing proper etiquette in my daily life. If not for this sample note, I do not know how I would address the cleaning of silver with my maid.

Slim Jim Dog Treats

2008-02-08T19:31:00.000-05:00

Each day at lunch my dogs receive a certain chewable stick, less chewy than rawhide, but chewy enough to last about 30 seconds.

Lately, I have been concerned about Chinese chemical additives to dog food. Ever since all the stories about dog food production in China.

So I have been searching unsuccessfully for US made rawhide and chew sticks. I thought for sure that by going to PetCo and PetSmart I'd be in the clear. No luck. Finally, at Meijer I found American Dog brand products and thought "problem solved." I bought two packages, got home and saw that the Made in China label was just smaller on this packaging, but still there.

This week, I am doing an experiment with using both biscuits from the 3 Dog Bakery and Slim Jims.

I thought the Slim Jim, approved by the US FDA, would have to be safer than the Chinese products. The experiment has not been too successful, however, because Slim Jim's are not chewy enough and Maverick just inhales them. Also, tonight I read the side of the package and found out that of the 170 calories in a Slim Jim, 140 are from fat.

The search is still on. I will soon try Mantis again on Michigan Avenue and hope for the best.

Tea, Dieting and Appetite

2008-02-07T20:42:00.000-05:00

When in college, I worked one summer with someone who was thin as a rail. Too thin in fact. I remember her telling me that oftentimes she would go home and have a cup of tea for dinner. She was originally from Great Britain.

Then she confessed that her husband tried to get her to eat and that she would try but couldn't always force herself to eat. At the time I actually admired her. I found myself ravenous all the time.

Working at the same place years later, I heard two extremely thin female board members talking about what they had eaten that day. They were clearly trying to outdo each other. One had eaten some carrots and the other had eaten even less. It seemed to me at the time that this was how you can tell a woman in power. They attributed what they felt as their own power to their great feats of discipline and denial.

Recently, a family member has repeatedly expressed to me that she feels unattractive simply because she has put on weight. She feels she will not be able to find a boyfriend.

I have gone back on a diet this week.

Still, I feel like some learning has to take place somewhere. I can look back and throw the stone at my old self for admiring the eating disordered co-worker. I can laugh at the twisted view of what power was/is by female board members only recently included at the table. I can sense the wrongness of my family member who feels that thin is beautiful.

I must focus on losing weight for the right reasons. Those would be improved health and longevity; being able to do T'ai Chi better; fitting easier into my clothes; and believe it or not, enjoying food more. I also must lose some weight so that I can retain my ravenous appetite for life.

Investing the Air

2008-02-06T20:10:00.001-05:00

This week I subscribed to the Wall Street Journal for 6 months. I have a sneaky suspicion that if I can only learn the secrets of investing, I will be able to comfortably retire in no time and vacation in the Bahamas, just like they do in the old Palm classic Dope Wars.

I received my first print edition today in my mailbox. I have no idea how they can deliver the daily paper so fast through the mail, but mine is not to question why.

Quickly my eyes lit upon an article called, "He Invests, She Invests: Who Gets Better Returns." The article is about the differences between men and women as investors based on a study dated February 2001 from the Journal of Economics. I don't know if it really is true that they are citing data from a 7 year old study, but that is not my point.

The article suggests three books for reading up on investing, along with enrolling in an investment course at the local college [Which one?], reading personal finance magazines and the newspaper business section.

Of course, this leaves me with one question: If I wanted to do all that why would I have taken the time to subscribe to the "magic bullet" Wall Street Journal."

Here are the recommended books anyways. I will have to see if they are available as Books on CD.

"The Four Pillars of Investing" by William J Bernstein and Donald G M Coxe
"The Wall Street Self-Defense Manual: A Consumer's Guide to Intelligent Investing," by Henry Blodget
"Smart and Simple Financial Strategies for Busy People," by Jane Bryant Quinn

Election Map for Super Tuesday

2008-02-05T20:31:00.000-05:00

Door Knobs and Broomsticks

2008-02-03T19:48:00.000-05:00

I went to Recycle Ann Arbor this past week and found a brand new (for all practical purposes) Bodum Iced Tea pitcher and two sets of old glass door knobs.

My intention this past weekend was to change out two sets of door knobs with these new ones.

The fun of any home project when you don't know what you're doing is learning on the job. Thus far, changing the knobs has been no exception to this heavy dose of learning. Of course, I started by removing the door knob on my door. It was old and a little rusty. I couldn't get the durn thing off. I pulled out my DIY books, I perused the Internet. All seemed to suggest that all I needed to do was to remove the front plates, unscrew two screws and pull.

It turns out that in some older knobs, there also is a spring inside that must be released. After a few tools—screwdriver, narrower screwdriver, metal nail file—I got it off.

Then I found out that I need more hardware: door latches and door knob plates. I purchased a few of the proper inserts from VanDyke's hardware and have a lead on knob plates at Material's Unlimited.

The Internet estimates the time to replace a knob as being 15 minutes. Maybe on a good day.

2008 Ypsilanti Chili Challenge Official Winners

2008-01-28T08:57:00.000-05:00

As reported by celebrity judge Pat Grimes:

1st place: “Aunt Barb’s White Bean Turkey Chili," Cady's

2nd place: “Cheeseburger Chili,” Sidetrack

3rd place: “King of Heartburn Chili,” the Queen of Hearts

Chili Challenge a Big Success

2008-01-27T19:14:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, my two five-year old friends and I went down to Depot Town for Ypsilanti's second annual Chili Challenge to benefit SOS Services. It was spectacular.

The first 5-year old is a frequent Depot Town visitor all summer long but until the advent of Webkinz at Gordon's Five and Dime came less often during the cold wintry months. The other 5-year old lives in the Township but had never been to Depot Town.

Yesterday, they both loved the chance to sit up at the bar at Sidetrack; get a table at Aubree's; sit up high at Cafe Luwak and in the window at the Queen of Hearts. They shared differing taste preferences at a table at Cady's, at a booth of the Corner Brewery and in the corner on the floor at the Ypsi Food Co-op.

Chili discussions were rarely interrupted. One key topic by the Township resident was whether or not each place sold candy. The visit first to Gordon's made a huge impression and proved a hard act to follow. They also discussed serious friend issues that mirror larger City/Township issues.

Township resident: "Will you still be my friend tomorrow?"

Depot Town resident: "Uh huh."

Township: "What about after that, when we get older?"

Depot Town: "Yes, I'll still be your friend. I'll be your friend forever."

Township: "What about when we die?"

Depot Town: "I'll still be your friend."

Township: "But you can't think when you die."

Depot Town: "I'll still love you though."

Ghoom Darjeeling

2008-01-21T19:51:00.001-05:00

One of my fabulous Christmas gifts was a packet of Ghoom Darjeeling loose leaf tea from alltea.com. I am just now getting a chance to sample it properly with my Bodum Pavina double walled glass. I followed the instructions closely and let it steep for 4 minutes in my very reasonably priced tea filters from Ann Arbor's new Tea Haus.

As I hope you can tell, the tea has a lovely amber color and a bit of a froth on top. The flavor is very delicate and unobtrusive.

It is just the perfect tea for Hot Tea Month.

Note: I also received the lamp light oil lamp with an abundance of lamp light oil for Christmas.

Will the writer's strike be the nail in the coffin for TV networks?

2008-01-19T22:04:00.000-05:00

The TV writer's strike which began Nov. 4 is fading to black after minor blips announcing the cancellation of the Golden Globes and the possibility of the Oscars going away, as well.

As it stands, Comcast cable should consider its responsibilities to pony up a payback for the dearth of new programming on TV.

Even before the strike, unscripted TV was cluttering the airwaves at an alarming rate. Whole evenings went by with nary a new drama or new sitcom to even try on the major networks. Each evening, the need to turn to the computer and Internet has come sooner and sooner.

Tonight is one of those cold nights, where it would be great to just watch mind candy on the tube. Instead I'm again faced with the work of seeking out shows on YouTube and iTunes.

Maybe you're in my same boat. Here are some iTunes video podcasts worth considering.

Scottish Study on Tea Steeping Time and Milk

2008-01-17T22:57:00.000-05:00

The study mentioned in the post prior to this one references a Scottish study that suggests it is better to allow your tea to steep longer. I've found the study and excitingly, not only does it suggest that it is fine to leave your tea bag steeping, it finds that it is fine to add milk to your tea, too.

A German study from January 2007 found that adding milk cancelled the positive health effects of tea. The Scottish study appears to have been first testing the milk and tea study and secondly testing length of infusion time.

Here is the link: "Effects of Infusion Time and Addition of Milk on Content and Absorption of Polyphenols from Black Tea".

Leave the Bag In

2008-01-17T22:38:00.000-05:00

In the post prior to this one, I point to a study on Oolong tea, infusion time and temperature. One note should be made. Tea would not normally infuse for 10 minutes at 100 degrees, i.e. in boiing water. The temperature in a cup would cool in the 10 minutes.

I mentioned contradictory studies. Here is an article from The Journal of Chinese Medicine on Tea Health Research, http://www.jcm.co.uk/catalogue.php?catID=270&opener=0-197-270. It suggests more health benefits from leaving a tea bag in for seven minutes at least.

"The traditional method of making tea in Britain has always been to let the tea brew for at least five minutes. A recent study has now found that tea which is brewed for longer has higher concentrations of flavonoids and shows more antioxidant activity than tea that is only briefly brewed. Scottish researchers brewed three grams (equivalent to one UK tea bag) of each of six different brands of tea in 300 ml of freshly boiled water. The tea was infused for three, five, seven and ten minutes. The flavonoid content and antioxidant capacity of the resulting liquid was then measured. Both were found to increase with infusion time, with a plateau after seven minutes."

Can I leave the bag in my tea?

2008-01-17T22:02:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday, my sisters and I went to an invigorating presentation on the Health Benefits of Tea put on by the Ann Arbor District Library. Nutritionist Karen Koeppe led the presentation and shared a wealth of information.

One point she brought up, however, has led to a good deal of debate. She stated that the longer you leave the tea steeping, the more you lose its health benefits. In short, as a general rule of thumb, do not oversteep your tea.

This week during many spare moments, I have scoured the Internet trying to hunt down the particulars on whether or not this is true.

The Internet is contradictory and I have tried to zero in only on articles with scientific merit. To further complicate matters, many of studies have not recorded specifics on how long subjects let their tea infuse.

I found one recent study I believe her information may be related to: "Polyphenolic Profile and Antioxidant Activities of Oolong Tea Infusion under Various Steeping Conditions", Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2007, 8, 1196-1205, http://www.mdpi.net/ijms/papers/i8121196.pdf

Its abstract states: "The phenolic profile and antioxidant activities of oolong tea extract were investigated after tea was steeped in 90 or 100 oC water for 3 or 10 min. The extraction yield increased with increasing temperature and extended steeping time. However, higher temperature and longer time (100 oC water for 10 min) led to loss of phenolics. The aqueous extract of oolong tea (AEOT) at 100 oC for 3 min exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity. The major polyphenolic components of the AEOT were identified as (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC), (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and (-)-epicatechin-3-gallate (ECG). The two major catechins (EGC and EGCG) in the tea infusion contributed significantly to the investigated antioxidant activities [i.e., the 2,2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl hydrate (DPPH) radical scavenging and superoxide radical scavenging activities] with high correlation values in r = 0.9486 and 0.9327 for the EGC and r = 0.9592 and 0.8718 for the EGCG, respectively."

I am going to try to unpack this abstact over time in this blog, since in a nutshell it contains quite a bit of the science as we know it now about the health benefits of tea.

It does, however, seem to suggest it is better not to let your tea steep for more than 10 minutes.

Bentley's Gingerbread Spice Tea

2008-01-15T23:26:00.000-05:00

For Christmas, I received a tin of Bentley's Gingerbread Spice Tea. This Ceylon tea comes with 8 bags, just enough to give it a try.

I have tried it 4 times so far, trying to control for as much mood and appetite variance as I could.

It is a very good, warm winter tea with just a hint of spice, best taken with a sweet, such as biscotti. The tea is not bitter or overpowering, in fact its flavor is not too distinguishable. Still, it does have a very good rich color and the tin presentation is quite nice.

Tea Strength

2008-01-08T22:45:00.000-05:00

As I continue along my tea journey, I realize that it is not enough to provide you with my personal rating scale for tea; I must also give you an idea of the strength of the tea. The image at left represents my visual attempt to do so through my drawing. With each tea reviewed, I will provide an icon to represent corresponding strength. In most cases green tea would be a milder tea, while black tea will be strong, especially in such cases as Tazo's lovely Awake blend.

Please remember that the tea ratings encompass four areas, as pictured below. Please also remember that my ratings are based on my personal taste buds. They are meant to give you a sense of how I feel about each cup. There is no substitute for your own cup of tea.

The Icicles, the icicles

2008-01-07T22:59:00.000-05:00

The title should be pronounced the "iiii sick les" and it should be noted that icicles can make a person maudlin and be dangerous.

Yes, only one reader will understand that reference. I hope you visit.

The photo is from just the other day. Tonight, there is a tornado watch out and it is 61 degrees and raining. Yes, it is still January. An odd thaw.

Right Clicking with Boot Camp

2008-01-07T22:00:00.001-05:00

I have been quite pleased with Boot Camp on my MacBook Pro thus far. Its versatility does make me feel I get the best of both worlds.

But recently I've had issues with not being able to use the Delete key or the Right Click Window option.

Tonight, I found out that I can use the Delete Key by clicking the Function key (bottom left of keyboard "fn") and the delete key on the MacBook keyboard. I also can retrieve right clicking function by clicking "FN & Shift & F10". It is supposed to also work with the right Apple key next to the space bar. It is not working there.

Sticky Snow rings in 2008 & Resolutions

2008-01-01T22:54:00.000-05:00

Last night we received the first "sticky" snow of the year—the kind that is much damper and sticks to everything, making for the "Winter Wonderland." The tree branches are extra articulated as is everything with a surface. This type of snow covers a multitude of unsightly sins on what might otherwise appear as a gray, bleak winter landscape.

We threw a few snowballs, they're so easy to form with this snow and the neighbors made snow persons all over the lawn. The weather is not too cold either, which helps make winter, snow adventures more fun. Walking the dogs, we felt the urge and ran part way, with my fears of slipping and falling alleviated by a new, sandlike ground beneath.

This type of snow also makes shoveling more than twice as hard, it is super heavy, but other neighbors came through before I woke up with their snowblower and did my sidewalk pseudo-anonymously. Thanks Mitch!

Which brings me to resolutions. Before that though, Michigan won! Their final game of the season, Lloyd Carr's final game as coach. The offense seemed rested and healthier than they did all season. They really turned it on.

As for resolutions, I am still working them out in part. I believe that my personal resolution is to finish projects I've started without starting new ones. My dad would say, "Start a job, finish a job."

My blog resolutions are to post more often and more about tea. I received many flavors and varieties for Christmas, so this is just a matter of doing.

Hope you all are well and enjoying the new year!

2007 Year in Review: 10 Highs

2007-12-29T12:50:00.000-05:00

Isn't it odd that when one looks back at the ten low points for 2007, it feels impossible to disentangle them from the high points? They are inextricably intertwined. Here is my list of 10.

Ten High Points

I found a new job that challenges my mind. As difficult as it was to leave one job and find another—not in that order thank goodness—it has been a welcome change. I feel that I can add more and better value in my new position. It is closer to my home and it is a fresh start.
The Ypsilanti Income Tax was defeated. My friends and family at least do not have one more financial burden placed on their shoulders. Instead, they are resiliently toughing it out with existing challenges. My shoulders also feel like they have pushed off a possible oncoming obstacle.
Visiting Cancun was a life altering experience that has stayed with me. My trip was sponsored in part by one of my clients from my old job. I never would have had the chutzpah to leave gloomy Michigan in February for a warmer, brighter climate. But, when I disembarked the plane it was as if the scales fell off of my eyes and I immediately felt that I was a new person. I wanted to rip off my bulky and somber navy blues and replace them with the bright colors of rejoicing. I MUST try to retain this lesson: If you feel downtrodden and gloomy in one place, do what is necessary to move to a sunnier, happier atmosphere, even temporarily.
Visiting Florida and the Everglades in August with my family also altered my consciousness. I think maybe it is not enough to read about the National Parks from Nevada Barr, one must visit them. And while visiting, why not take a side tour to Key West and Miami Beach and Hemingway's house and a Swap Shop with family.
The Chili Cookoff and a million other small visits with my nieces down the road. I still vividly remember last year's cookoff with my intrepid four year old companion. After all, it is not every day you see a four year old sitting in a bar stool at a smokey place like Aubrees reaching up to the bar for a bite of hot chili.
My dogs have consistently greeted me day after day at the door when I come home. They also seem genuinely concerned when I leave and propel me daily into taking walks with them outside. They also are true companion dogs with Maverick chatting on and on through the better part of most days we spend together.
My house has not fallen in on itself and I have escaped being a victim of the subprime lending crisis. At my cousin's recent wedding, my great Uncle, who rehabs foreclosed houses in one region of Michigan, brought the news home for me. Make no mistake, times are hard in Michigan. The sheer numbers of foreclosures for one week in Saginaw alone demonstrate the reality of the situation.
T'ai Chi, T'ai Chi, T'ai Chi. A few months ago I started to take T'ai Chi with Sufi Greg at the Riverside Arts Center. At times during class I have worried that I am revisiting those nightmarish days taking ballet so as my Dad would explain I wouldn't move around like an elephant. I could never remember the moves then and lived in fear of whether I was correctly executing fifth position. With T'ai Chi I have the same problems with remembering the steps. But the experience is entirely different. The instructor goes slow and is very understanding. One of his main emphasis points in on relaxation.
I am taking a mystery writing course through Washtenaw Community College's Live Work Learn program starting in January. After I make my first million from publishing the first couple books in my series, it will be farewell cubicle, hello living.
My sister did not die in the ER and emerged relatively unscathed. This is the best outcome to a visit to the emergency room and though she may not feel it totally in her life, at least I can know that I have dodged a huge mental bullet.

Year in Review: Low points

2007-12-28T22:07:00.000-05:00

The aim of this post is to slowly take stock of the year just about gone, specifically from the point of view of the valleys with the idea that then I can turn to the mountainous highs tomorrow.

Bottom Ten List

Michigan lost 4 games, might lose a fifth. My fall highlight is usually the stability of an awesome Michigan team. I do think this team was grand, but losing games takes away from the overall faith I put into gravity and nature's laws. Those who do not follow sports will not understand this. Those who do will have no problem getting the notion.
My sewer backed up twice. I don't feel I need to say more.
My dogs got out and were gone for a bit. OK, so it was less than a few hours each time, but my heart just about stopped anyways until they were found.
I left my job of four years. This sort of change is very difficult for me to face. It seems my mind and body like their routines.
I have fallen into bad eating habits. Cheeseburgers and soda pop are winning the battle right now.
I found an old friend while searching the Internet. The old friend is in prison—for life.
Cash flow has prevented me from helping those in need in ways I would like to in order to make a difference. From friends to family members there have been moments of serious need I have had to stare down this year, hoping that a quick prayer thrown into the dark abyss might do some good.
My basement is not done and progress on my house is slow. I ran into a neighbor while Christmas shopping at Ann Arbor's Downtown Home and Garden. She wanted to know if I still live in the house (she lives practically across the steet) and with a good deal of concern asked if everything was ok. She did not invite me to her yearly New Year's party.
My friend's dad died He was sick for a long time. He had Crohn's disease. Still, he is very sorely missed and his relatives had a difficult Christmas without him—even though he was Jewish.
My sister went into the ER and almost died. She came back out but it has taken some time for me to deal with the notion that my family members might not be around forever and that death could come knocking at any time.

Christmas shopping

2007-12-17T22:51:00.000-05:00

Each year around this time, I make attempts to purchase items that I think those on my gift wish would want.

I go from store to store and try to get into the mind of my recipient. I try to shop local where appropriate; I try to "be the gift."

This year, as I do the mind meld with my gift buying side, I realize that this is not really me. That I cannot shop at the mall, sorry to all those reading this who wanted that Coach bag from the store or the JC Penney frilly gloves or the whatever else is at the mall. I still don't believe in gift cards, so no, these will not be plan B.

Instead I am going around to the places I usually shop through the year. The places where refunds are non-existent and you are much more likely to get a one of a kind.

Happy Holidays to you and if you don't like your gift know that you've supported a worthy cause. You've helped those out there "Doing the Most Good."

Michigan Museum Adventure Pass

2007-12-09T18:09:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, my sister and I visited the Detroit Institute of Arts for free. We used the Macy's Museum Adventure Pass I checked out from the public library.

I have to say, I am a huge fan of this program. It is so easy and is a great incentive to go out and visit area museums.

Here is a link to their website: link

The program runs through October 2008, as follows:

You go to your local library and find the brightly colored Adventure Pass box, usually near the circulation desk. You find a plastic card for the museum you're interested in visiting and you take it to check out. Then, you have 7 days to visit that museum.

Here is a list of participants: List

Have you been waiting for just the right moment to visit the Ypsilanti Historical Museum (link)? There may never be a better time. Free passes are also great to use when out of town family members come trucking in for festive holiday fun.

The winds of change

2007-12-03T20:44:00.000-05:00

Sometimes when it is as windy as it is outside right now and has been for a couple of days, I get the sense that I am due for some major life change.

And usually, the world does turn, the wind blows and suddenly my life is re-configured. I wish I could say this is always for the better but sometimes it just means a brand new challenge is brewing and then finally unleashed.

This past weekend, I had my friend from 2nd grade over to my house. I hadn't talked to her in 4 years and she has a 5-year old daughter.

While she and her husband seemed much the same as ever, their daughter had a brand new, sparkling personality. I expected she would be shy—her mom always was when she was young. My friend's daughter was not.

She was quite talkative and engaging with a surprising vocabulary for a 5-year old.

But that wasn't all. When we sat down to have a mock tea, she actually drank tea with the adults, along with hot cocoa and Sprite. She was very excited that she could have THREE drinks at one time. She also had a contagious excitement about such things as my egg salad sandwiches, and the honey and peanut butter ones.

Her mom says that at school she arrives early and drinks tea with her teacher. I can only hope that her tea is not my coffee, that she will learn to appreciate being five and not rush into being an adult straight away.

My 5-year old niece also came over with her 10-year old sister to help me prepare for the visit and to keep the new little girl company.

Right away, my friend's daughter connected with my niece. About 5 sentences in, she asked, "Can we be friends for life?"

The thing is that this is the way it happens after all for many people. I know there are people in my life that 5 minutes in I hope they will be "friends for life."

And that even after a 4 year absence I will still want to spend time with them and ask after their family and their health, and hope for their well being.

Network TV stretches for ratings

2007-12-02T21:12:00.000-05:00

I am sitting watching my Sunday night trash TV. "Desperate Housewives" is the perfect multi-task show. You really don't need to follow anything but 10 minutes a show to catch what's going on.

In tonight's episode there is much ado about a tornado coming. Outside my house the wind is blowing so hard the curtain on my front door is flowing. (Not the best insulation.)

If this trick really works, I hope we will soon see some shows about balmy, unseasonably warm December weather until Christmas and then ONE day of light snow.

Mango Ivy

2007-11-25T20:04:00.000-05:00

I have spent the past week dealing with an allergic reaction. At first my lips were chapped and it felt like my chin and cheeks were badly chapped, too. Then it spread to my eyelids that became quite red and puffy. The next day the redness had spread to my neck area.

At first I thought my reaction was due to something I ate at Madras Masala or something from the chili cookoff at work. I even thought it might have been from not washing my mug at work carefully enough.

Then I spoke with my sister whose roommate in Newark had a strange rash on her face and similar symptoms. My sister said that it was from a mango her roommate had recently eaten.

I remembered that I, too, recently ate a mango. A little Internet searching shed more light on the subject.

Mango skin contains oleoresins, a mix of plant oil and resins. The oleo resins cause crossreactivity for those who have prior bad experience with Toxicodendron plants, including poison ivy and poison oak.

My sister's roommate and I have experienced bad exposure to poison ivy.

At first, I feared that this meant I could no longer eat mango. But, it looks like I will be able to continue enjoying mango as long as I avoid contact with its peel. In the meantime, my face and eyes are not a pretty site.

No fear of drowning in cold rainLifeboat is on the way

2007-11-21T22:27:00.000-05:00

It is the night before Thanksgiving and I can feel the temperature dropping outside with waves of chill indoors. The rain is heartless and feels endless.

I took my beloved truck in yesterday, as well as my 1985 "little limo", both to separate places. The little limo had its brakes fixed at Midas but my truck will be in the Gene Butman shop until Monday with leaky ball and pinion steering.

So, I will not be going out tonight. I will stay in and try to warm up.

What better time is there for Lifeboat Tea?

Lifeboat Tea is this amazing tea I most likely would have never thought to try on my own. My sister bestowed me with a gift of 100 square bags a few years ago and I have enjoyed them bit by bit until now when there are a precious few left. Not to be stymied I ran out and purchased a new box from Cost Plus World Market for my new and empty desk drawer at work.

What makes Lifeboat Tea so stupendous?

Lifeboat tea is grown, totally without pesticides, at the Tea Farms of Williamson Fine Teas in Kenya, which now have Fairtrade accreditation. It is then packed in England at a company of 55 individuals. Source What's more, 4 pence from every sale goes to help the Royal National Lifeboat Institution RNLI. The RNLI provides a 24/7 rescue service around the waters of Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

Really though, what I have found lately, is that Lifeboat Tea is worthwhile for its taste. It is a good, strong, English black tea that can help with waking up and providing stamina to get through the day.

Taste for Coffee = Gone

2007-11-19T20:50:00.000-05:00

"When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things."

I read this at my brother's wedding this May. Afterwards, my niece asked why I said I became a man.

When I was a child, I thought that being a grownup was drinking coffee. I wanted to be an adult so badly that I convinced myself I liked coffee.

I drank coffee on an ever increasing basis until I got the stomach flu two years ago. At the time, if I didn't have coffee in the morning I knew I would have a bad headache and difficulty concentrating.

I liked everything about coffee, its taste, its smells, its many forms: mocha, chocolate covered beans, latte, plain.

But after I had the flu particularly badly, I gave it up. Cold Turkey (or cold coffee). Since then I've had only one cup of decaf which I couldn't drink. Well, until recently, I have put lattes in a separate category, treating them as an allowable different drink entirely.

A few weeks ago, I had my last latte.

It was after a long span of not going to a coffee shop. I missed the atmosphere and the feeling that one latte would take me a little farther out time wise from getting to a job I didn't want to go to.

Nostalgically, I went to one of my favorite coffee shops, used my coffee card and greeted the familiar barista.

Then I left for my truck and waited. Several traffic lights down the road I took a sip. I almost spit it out.

Not always particularly smart I waited a few more lights and took another taste. It tasted lousy. I tried to ask myself if it had just been made poorly but realized, that no, this was how a latte was supposed to taste.

Remarkably, even though I'd paid $3.37, I could not drink it.

I have lost the taste! No more coffee taste buds left. The smell is distasteful. Seeing beans I don't think of roasting, but of planting.

In its place, I have renewed and reinvigorated my taste for tea.

When I became a woman, I put aside the childish need to drink coffee and pretend to be a man.

Weekend Wedding

2007-11-12T23:46:00.000-05:00

This weekend, I went to my cousin's wedding in Battle Creek. The wedding was fairly brief with a cake reception. Afterwards we went to a local pizza place with our branch of the family.

At the beginning of the ceremony I gave my nephew my camera asking him to take a few pictures. He took 171. I was happy to see he has a fantastic eye for what is interesting. His favorites of course were those he took of shoes under the table, of the church bathroom, the parking lot and the big kiss.

Those who know me even a little know I am not crazy about weddings. Can't stand the honor and obey bit. So I don't go to many.

In fact, I find I am able to avoid many extended family gatherings. The benefit of this comes with events like this wedding when I see relatives after a long absence with one ah ha moment after another.

So much interesting news.

Postal Workers exonerated

2007-11-11T21:08:00.000-05:00

Almost a year ago, I posted an item about Battle Creek, Michigan postal carriers being suspended without pay right before the Christmas holiday season.

At the time, I felt the unfairness of it all and worried that the Postal Workers Union would not be able to stand up to the Office of Inspector General at the Post Office. My brother was one of the carriers suspended and also Vice President of the postal union.

Shortly after the carriers were suspended the Union president stepped down and my brother became president.

16 of 73 total carriers were all off until right before Dec. 25. Then most were reinstated, but a few carriers were off work for nine months.

In today's Battle Creek Enquirer, my brother finally is able to tell his and the Union's side of the story. link

Today all of the carriers have their job and all were completely exonerated with back pay for the time they lost.

In other news, a former co-worker at a small private business was just fired without cause. There is no union she can go to. She also has two young children.

Maybe this is why the Ann Arbor News doesn't like delivering my paper

2007-11-11T16:35:00.000-05:00

Today's Ann Arbor news contains yet another parental editorial for the residents of the City of Ypsilanti. It is as if they have heard my contention that they do not understand the situation and should not be proffering advice to Ypsilanti. Their response: more advice.

They begin their editorial by stating, Bright red "Vote No" signs still dot the front lawns of downtown Ypsilanti." Of course, if they did even a fraction of their homework they would know that these signs were almost all removed by the "Vote No" campaign the day after the election.

The editorial goes on to lambast the "Vote No" group for not offering an alternative budget. They continue the divisive politics of suggesting that Swanson, Robb and Richardson need to lead the effort to find a solution. Divisive, since, no solution has a chance unless Council works together.

Then, as I look through my paper, I see an almost verbatim reprint of the Wednesday article on the result of the vote on p. 3 of the paper. To make matters worse the exact same article is reprinted in its entirety in the Community News section.

Their editorial ends by saying, "No matter where you live in Washtenaw County, you can play a part in Ypsilanti's future. And you should."

Ann Arbor News, I challenge you to step up to the plate and start providing a more balanced view of what is going on in Ypsilanti. Do not just rely on your old stand bys to tell your stories. Try to keep your editorializing on the editorial page and make sure these editorials are accurate before they get into print.

Gawlas stands (sits) behind his words

2007-11-07T22:51:00.001-05:00

After a contentious election, I have worried that the Ypsilanti City Council will continue to be at odds and refuse to work together to come up with new budgetary options for the City.

From another Mark Maynard blog comment. This time from Ypsilanti City Council Member John Gawlas:

"The solvency plan is a contingency -- for when we no longer have sufficient revenues to sustain our current operation. Public safety, including EMS, and adequate funding for AATA service, building code enforcement, direct contributions toward utilities and administrative staff support for volunteer recreation facilities organizations (such as those that support the Senior Center, Parkridge Community Center, and Rutherford Pool), and parks maintenance continue to be the priorities I promise to champion. If the tax passes, there will be no new endeavors supported that take money away from these core services.

The Mayor and my fellow council members all have a responsibility to address the longer term sustainability of our community.

. . .

I am not going to be breathing a sigh of relief should the proposal pass. Quite frankly, we will have only reset the clock...which will continue to tick as we come up with sustainable solutions for Ypsilanti's future."

Tonight I attended the Ypsilanti City Council meeting. I wanted to see if there were efforts towards finding common solutions or just more of the same.

I saw John Gawlas on several occasions reaching out to other board members, seeking new alternatives, asking for productive new goal setting meetings (beginning with the one Dec. 8) and generally walking (sitting) the talk.

Thank you to Mr. Gawlas. I hope the rest of Council will follow this example.

(Though I certainly am not opposed to Mr. Maynard's strategically placed rose bushes. Maybe this could be the new city mascot: the Ypsilanti Roses)

Election Returns link

2007-11-06T10:41:00.000-05:00

http://electionresults.ewashtenaw.org/nov2007/indexreport.html

Please Vote!

2007-11-05T21:48:00.000-05:00

A commenter on Mark Maynard's blog left a link earlier for the Stop the City Income Tax campaign expenditures. Thanks! From the link it is also possible to find the PDF document for the Ypsilanti's Future campaign.

Here are the links:

The tales these documents tell are fascinating in their own right. Please take a look. Follow the money.

The only real editorializing I will do is to declare the true winner of the Ypsilanti City Income Tax campaign:

Drumroll please . . .

Sawicki and Sons, 1521 W. Lafayette, Detroit, MI 48216
They printed the yard signs.
Ypsilanti's Future: $1,257.26
SCIT: $6,252.83

Grand Total:$7,510.09

Correction:

I read the filings incorrectly (as pointed out by a helpful commenter.) SCIT paid Sawicki 2,564.08 and Ypsilanti's Future paid Sawicki 426.65 for a new Grand Total of $2,990.73. (If they had gone together could they have gotten a group discount?)

The Campaign total reported expenditures were: SCIT: $9,802.40 and Ypsilanti's Future: $3,991.23.

Of course this does not take into account free unreported services, such as the TV program on Ypsilanti Happenings supporting the Vote Yes campaign.

50 ways I could otherwise spend the $400.+ asked of me by the Ypsilanti Income Tax

2007-10-29T19:49:00.001-04:00

Chump change is the way I've heard the proposed Ypsilanti Income Tax described.

Maybe it is for its supporters.

For me it would be more than $400 extra in taxes each year.

Here are 50 other ways I could instead spend that $400+.

22 Pilar Beeswax candles from Michigan bees at the Ypsilanti Food Co-op
114 Chai Teas at Bombadill's
A glamorous outfit at the newly opened Studio Glamour Fashions, 214 W. Michigan Ave
A decent bike from Bicycles In Town to replace the one recently stolen that was chained to the railing outside my house
More than 250 good donuts from Terry Bakery
800 postcards from Bowerbird Mongo
16 complete meals for myself and a friend at Sidetrack
178 single scoop cones from Cafe Luwak
A beautiful piece of furniture from Apple Annie’s & Jim MacDonald Antiques
10 Chocolate Espresso Mousse Tortes from the Queen of Hearts bakery
4,000 Mary Janes from Gordon's Five and Dime (or 26 WebKinz to give as gifts)
100 Devil Duckies from The Rocket
25 tickets to "The Butler Did It" by PTD Productions
80 tickets with a $5 donation for each to Crackerjack & The White Chocolates at the Dreamland Theater
13 Quartz Crystal balls from World of Rocks
2 Lifetime memberships to the Historical Society
A donation to Growing Hope
A donation to SOS Community Services
a donation to the Yankee Air Museum
A donation to Friends of Chickens
10 meals with friends at Haab's
40 Steak and Eggs breakfasts at The Bomber
80 greasy hamburger meals sitting in my car at Chick Inn
80 2 AM gyros at Abe's Coney Island
80 meals at Panda Express in Eastern's new student union
10 full tanks of gas from Bogg's
400 Progresso cans of soup on sale at Von's
16 full week's grocery shoppings at Dos Hermanos
40 full outfits from Value World
80 full outfits from Ypsi Thrift Shop
3 months of winter heat for my house from DTE
10 months of water from YCUA
High speed Internet from Comcast for 10 months
Phone service for a year
10 months of electricity
400 raffle tickets for the Senior Center at the Farmer's Market
400 raffle tickets at Depot Town Cruise nights
1 heck of a donation to the Estabrook Elementary Civil War club
1 book a week for a year at Cross Street Books
Vegetables for a year at the Farmer's Market
4 mowings per year from the lawn ordinance enforcers at the city
10 mowings per year from the kid down the street
2 lawn mowers from Congdon's Ace Hardware to replace the ones I ruin trying to mow my lawn myself
16 snow shovelings by the guys who come around at that time
One word: Gutters
A couple trips to the dump with truckloads of basement drywall
10 5-gallon tubs of Behr paint for the walls
Two visits from Michigan Power Rodding to clear the sewer line of roots
Almost 1/2 a mortgage payment on my first mortgage
4 mortgage payments on my second mortgage

200 weeks

2007-10-26T20:27:00.000-04:00

It came to be nighttime last night and my almost-5 year old companion decided we would change roles and she would read the book to me.

I always like to tease her and read through the front page with its ISBN, copyright, publisher and other extraneous data.

She tried to skip this page, but I insisted.

She read it in her own words as follows:

"It took me 200 weeks to write this book so you better take care of it."

The Ann Arbor News sold my phone number

2007-10-26T09:48:00.000-04:00

Two weeks ago, I signed up for a full year's subscription to the Ann Arbor News. Paper delivery has been missed more days than it has been successful, but with many phone calls that seems to have been hammered out.

This morning I found out that the Ann Arbor News SOLD MY PHONE NUMBER to a newspaper telemarketing company, The Pisa Group. This company at (314) 963-8895 has been calling me daily.

I have now registered a formal complaint with the Do Not Call Registry. My phone number is on their list.

Shame on you Ann Arbor News.

Top Google Search Result

2007-10-23T17:23:00.000-04:00

Search query: "Starting a Business in Michigan"

Home Depot's Do-It-Herself Workshops

2007-10-22T23:50:00.000-04:00

This evening I attended "The Power is Yours: Introduction to Power Tools" at Home Depot. It is part of their Do-It-Herself workshop series. I had a fabulous time and commend Home Depot for holding such a great workshop to such a key audience segment.

Donuts and cider were a nice addition to our class of seven. Between the munchies we had a Home Depot leader share her knowledge of tools from her years in a machine shop—she was the expert at getting out stripped screws.

We also were able to practice using the tools from a variety of drills—I used a tapcon screw in a concrete block—to the circular saw to a reciprocating saw. We also received folders with a coupon.

But the best part was the camaraderie. Our diverse group shared personal tips on our individual projects in a totally non-macho, supportive environment. And, of course, we were passed by many times by men who seemed jealous not to be included. We told them they could look on.

Don't let the pigeon drive the bus

2007-10-20T20:05:00.000-04:00

I read "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus" a few years back because it was a 2003 Caldecott Honor book.

When I first read it I wasn't so impressed. The whole premise of the book is that the bus driver takes a break and a pigeon begs to be able to drive the bus.

Since that first reading I have completely turned my opinion around. This book and its message have stayed with me through many of life's joys and trials since then.

In many instances with people begging to do something they really oughtn't my mind has held the refrain, "Don't let the pigeon drive the bus."

The image above is from the book's back cover. If you haven't read it, please stop what you're doing and go directly to your Public Library to read this book.

shelfari

2007-10-19T16:37:00.000-04:00

Shelfari: Book reviews on your book blog

I am testing this widget to see how the text of the titles display.

Salute to AATA

2007-10-17T20:54:00.000-04:00

Today's Ann Arbor News reports that at last night's City Council meeting AATA announced that it will subsidize Ypsilanti bus service for the second year in a row.

City Council voted last year to cut bus funding in half and the AATA responded by subsidizing bus service in lieu of a fare increase.

Thank you AATA for your generosity in light of higher fuel costs and other increased expenditures you are facing on your end.

The article also reported that 562,000 people board the bus each year in Ypsilanti. I was not able to link to the article as it was not viewable at the MLive site at the time of this posting.

Amnesty International continues to oppose tasers

2007-10-16T21:49:00.001-04:00

Tasers have been in the community news quite a bit recently.

It appears the Ypsilanti police will acquire 45 tasers.

This is in the face of opposition from no less a group than Amnesty International. (AI) "AI expressed concern that Tasers are being widely deployed in the USA before the results of rigorous, independent and comprehensive testing of potential health risks." source

AI has data on 275 US deaths since 2001 that have come about after an individual has been tasered, i.e. hit with an electric shock. While many of these deaths have certainly had contributing causes, such as drug use or poor heart health, it is not clear that a police officer could make the necessary distinctions in the line of duty to use alternate methods of restraint for vulnerable individuals. Of these 275, only 25 individuals have been IDed as carrying a weapon.

Personally, I am concerned about adding tasers to the Police arsenal. I have been concerned since watching a YouTube clip from a cell phone camera last year at the UCLA library. In it, a student is tasered multiple times after refusing to show his student ID and resisting calls to leave the library.

Even the American Library Association decried the incident in a statement issued after it happened. While I am confident the Ypsilanti Police Department will be better trained and highly skilled, I also know that even well trained individuals with weapons can have things get out of hand in the heat of an adrenaline filled moment.

Here is the link to the YouTube video, but I must warn you that it is very disturbing. It upset me deeply for quite a while after first seeing it. Video clip

Halloween Fun in Ypsilanti

2007-10-14T22:04:00.002-04:00

Looking for some seasonal Halloween fun?

Tired of going to Wiard's Haunted Hayride at $14 a pop?

This year Ypsilanti is offering an event not for the faint of heart that you won't be able to find anywhere else.

A Haunted Ghost Tour of Depot Town.

Local historian James Mann will be your conductor, unearthing the murder of Henry Minor and demystifying the mystery of the Depot Town Tunnels.

Tours are at 7 pm Fri., Oct. 26, Sat., Oct. 27 and Sun., Oct. 28, and at 2 pm Sun., Oct. 27. The walk will begin at the parking lot off River Street, across the railroad tracks from the Freighthouse. Tickets are $5 and will be available at the event.

Reverse Robin Hood

2007-10-11T21:37:00.000-04:00

Whenever I think of Robin Hood, I remember the Disney version and the strolling minstrel Rooster. Whenever I think of Reverse Robin Hood, I think of Ronald Reagan.

I have real concerns about the proposal to pass an Income Tax for the City of Ypsilanti. The tax seems aimed as much at renters as it is at workers who don't live in the City. This is unfortunate. For those living in the 67% of rental housing units in the City the tax will be greatest. These renters will not benefit from the Property Tax rollback, but will instead bear the brunt of a new tax.

To review the situation I watched a recent cable infomercial from the Ypsilanti Happenings program on Comcast Channel 17. In it the Ypsilanti's Future group provided some monthly $$ figures for how this tax would affect renters.

What struck me most were their figures for a rental household of 3 bringing in $40,000 a year: their monthly cost would be $32/month. Please consider that many households of three would be made up of at least one child.

In contrast, a DINK family bringing in $55,000 with a home worth $200,000 on the market, would pay $28/month.

"He taxed the heart and soul out of the people."

Pamela Slim's email help

2007-10-01T22:07:00.000-04:00

Pamela Slim, who publishes her work in Escape from Cubicle Nation, sent me "8 strategies for getting the most from painful or awkward life transitions" via email last week, as part of her monthly ezine.

It happens that a few of the items on her list of painful life transitions hit home very closely for me right now. In the past few months I have dealt with the death of someone close to me and came close to dealing with the death of someone VERY close to me. Even the prospect of the second one hit me with the same, "I can't breathe" force as getting the wind totally knocked out of my lungs repetitively for the whole summer long.

This week I am facing leaving my job of four years and stepping into the unknown in a new environment. Leaving the old job without high drama feels like leaving a relationship while pretending everything is ok. Underneath, it feels like, "What is going on? Don't you care about me?" even though it is me doing the leaving. Even though my logical mind knows this is what needs to be done.

Pamela describes one symptom during such a time as "Fluctuating emotions: happy and positive one day, negative and depressed the next." I have to say she is right to a degree, the degree where I differ is in the time frame. For me right now, my mood doesn't shift day to day but hour to hour. My personal emotional roller coaster is exhausting.

Pamela recommends carving out quiet, reflective time and ensuring alone time. I think this is very wise. I know that for me, when I can just have some time to myself (being with my dogs counts as time by myself) I can put myself back together mentally.

Today the plumber came again for another back up in the basement. He seems to be a nice guy. If I had the cash, I'd put him on retainer, ensure that he can come by after every long shower or after every short shower coupled with a dishwasher load. I suppose it is a blessing that I don't have a washer and dryer. If I did, I'd have to add a second floor and set up some kind of plumber, live-in arrangement.

The MacBook Pro

2007-09-30T22:34:00.001-04:00

Yes, I have to say, this is my favorite computer ever.

The Boot Camp install went very smoothly and I used Window XP for a while, installing Office 2003 and Visio and SnagIt. It felt just like using Windows.

Then I switched over to the Mac side and again installed Office along with my Mac applications. Everything is so fast in comparison to my $300 Dell Inspiron 1000.

I've also been exploring Widgets a little and found Starry Sky.

With this widget I can see a constellation view of the stars out my back door. Mucho Cool!

Also went to Fallapalooza this weekend. Chutes and Ladders life size is much better than the real thing. My team's spinner kept getting me ladder after ladder, but unfortunately, a chute killed our chances.

The corn roast afterwards was delicious. Saw so many friends and neighbors and kept hearing, "This is the best corn I've ever had." Though I can't repeat the sentiment, the corn was good. Makes me think that if the City of Ypsilanti just had a corn sale once a week, the impending economic disaster could be averted. OK, maybe not, but at least everyone could have some good corn.

Whitney Houston

2007-09-29T21:29:00.000-04:00

Growing up, I used to love listening to Whitney Houston. A big part of me confused the person she was with the songs she sang. So I couldn't help but think she believed that "Learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all."

I somehow believed that Whitney was really asking, "If somebody loves you, won't they always love you?"

And maybe, the superstar diva at the time had a life more related to the lyrics in the beautiful songs she sang.

Then came Bobby Brown. At first I didn't believe what I'd seen on the tabloid covers while at the store about the abuse and the drugs and the lowly behavior.

Then came the 2002 Diane Sawyer interview. And the coup de grace, the Bravo Being Bobby Brown reality TV show. This train wreck did for my psyche what a million tabloids and news reports could never do. Here in my face was the new "real," strung out, brain-damaged version of who Whitney has become.

Tonight, I am struck again as Style shows "Waiting to Exhale." Here is classy Whitney Houston, the person who seemed to have it all.

In the end, I have to say, "No Whitney, you've changed. You don't seem to love yourself enough to keep your life out of the gutter. I won't always love you. You're over."

(And I don't need to show any receipts to prove it.)

MacBook Pro

2007-09-28T22:23:00.000-04:00

I am writing this post from my new MacBook Pro. I took the plunge and bought a laptop instead of continuing to pour money into my house's plumbing.

It is now two weeks since that decision and life has meant that this is the first time that I've had a chance to take a look at the computer and turn it on. It's nice.

This weekend I hope to install XP on the MacBook using Boot Camp. That way it can be a full service computer able to run all my software. I will need to report back on how smoothly that goes.

Oh, and I have a new job after working for 4 years for the same company. The whole process thus far has been nerve wracking.

My sanity savers at times like these are the comfort of my dogs and books on CD.

Have a great weekend.

Is it really All About the Benjamins?

2007-09-16T20:19:00.000-04:00

Tonight, my brother explained "All About the Benjamins" to me. If you're like me and slightly not in the know: it's just a cooler way of saying "it's about the money."

My past week has been absolutely insane, so much so I don't care to go into all the details here. I would like to say it has resulted in much sleeplessness and splitting headaches.

I really want to believe that where I am at in life is much more where my sister is placing things; letting me know that big changes are in store. Of course, with the Fall winds coming in, winds I can see from the flags raised this summer in the revamp of the flagpole at my house, she is absolutely right.

Still, I fear where I feel closer to at the moment is it all being about the Benjamins. With a few more Benjamins this past week, many of the crises I faced could have been more easily averted, if not avoided altogether.

I must choose to instead focus on the new success that is Benjamin independent to me: The Lions beat the Vikings!! for the first time at Ford Field. Michigan won their football game and broke the streak that started the day after Bo died. I've been listening to "The Good Husband of Zebra Drive" by Alexander McCall Smith--good medicine if ever there was some. My room is back in order after tearing it apart for a re-do including ceiling stripping, wallpaper removal and complete painting including the floor.

On any given Saturday

2007-09-10T23:32:00.000-04:00

For some, especially those who can not conceive of the joy of sport or of rooting for one's team, it is easy to forget that these are young kids playing their heart out week after week before an immediate audience larger than the population in most Michigan cities.

It seems almost impossible to some to lose 2 consecutive games at the beginning of the season.

What is more spectacular is that the team hasn't lost its first 2 games since 1959. That is the feat, the sort of unreasonable serendipity that creates legends, that creates expectations, that propels pundits and fair weather fans to cry foul at the slightest mishap.

The real magic is that on any given Saturday, a new team can rise victorious, even from the mountains of Appalachia or the Duckponds of Oregon.

This is why I attend the games, why I watch at home or listen while trying to attend to the myriad projects of a house falling apart.

College football is release, Michigan is my team.

Hail to the Victors! Those who realize that true victory is about more than the final score on the big board.

See you later . . .

2007-09-10T23:03:00.000-04:00

Alligators.

What's a trip to Florida without 'em?

Be Stunned and Fly Away

2007-08-14T10:57:00.000-04:00

During the day at work lately, several birds have been flying into the window in front of me.

Each time, I hear the thud and look up to see a stunned bird falling to the ledge, and shaking its head a bit for an instance before flying away.

For me I emit an audible sympathetic groan and am my self stunned for a moment.

Then, I wonder why all the action around me has not stopped, why it seems that only I and the bird have felt this pause.

Of course, I am reminded of the described painting of the Fall of Icarus and WH Auden's poem, the "Musee Des Beaux Arts."

I will share the painting below with the poem, but first must provide a link to another resonant art work a friend has shared from The Indigo Girl's Fly Away lyrics:

But all along your chosen path are
Window panes and sheets of glass
That you won't see
You fly too fast
One day it will be over

Thanks to The Poetry Pages for providing the painting and copyright information, as well as extended exegesis of the Auden poem.

Musee Des Beaux Arts, by WH Auden

About suffering they were never wrong,
The Old Masters; how well, they understood
Its human position; how it takes place
While someone else is eating or opening a window or just walking dully along;
How, when the aged are reverently, passionately waiting
For the miraculous birth, there always must be
Children who did not specially want it to happen, skating
On a pond at the edge of the wood:
They never forgot
That even the dreadful martyrdom must run its course
Anyhow in a corner, some untidy spot
Where the dogs go on with their doggy life and the torturer's horse
Scratches its innocent behind on a tree.
In Breughel's Icarus, for instance: how everything turns away
Quite leisurely from the disaster; the ploughman may
Have heard the splash, the forsaken cry,
But for him it was not an important failure; the sun shone
As it had to on the white legs disappearing into the green
Water; and the expensive delicate ship that must have seen
Something amazing, a boy falling out of the sky,
had somewhere to get to and sailed calmly on.

Dream London Vacation

2007-08-07T22:12:00.000-04:00

Knowing of my love for tea, my dear sister carefully excised some pages for me of Elle Magazine (pp. 189–191) on having tea in London.

Upon graduation in '94 with my English degree I took time to visit and work in Ireland for 5 months and then went to London to find a new position. I must say, I never went to the following places for tea while visiting and looking for work.

Still, I think it would be amazing to go back on a Tea Holiday. These places sound like they would quite fit the bill.

Palm Court, The Ritz, 150 Picadilly, 011-44-20-7493-8181, TheRitzLondon.com, $71
Elle says, "Don't Miss: The Royal English blend and cucumber-and-cream-cheese finger sandwich"
Frommer's Review, link
The Parlour, Sketch, 9 Conduit St., 011-44-87-0777-4488, Sketch.uk.com, $37
Elle says, "Don't Miss: The lavender Laduree-like macaroons"
London-eating Review: link
Caramel Room, The Berkeley Hotel, Wilton Place, 011-44-20-7235-6000, www.the-berkeley.co.uk, $65
Elle says, "Don't Miss: Dipping an Aquascrutum ginger biscuit 'raincoat' in a hot cuppa"
Qualiteas Review: link
The Wolseley, 160 Picadilly, 011-44-20-7499-6996, www.TheWolseley.com, $37
Elle says, "Don't Miss: The champagne tea—how fun it is being tipsy amid the Wolseley's cacophony. Straighten up with the Wolseley Afternoon blend and a celery-and-butter sandwich on tomato bread."
TimeOut London Review: link
Tea Palace, 175 Westbourne Grove, 011-44-20-7727-2600, TeaPalace.co.uk, $34
Elle says, "Don't Miss: The smoky, Lapsang souchong-like Sultan tea and the roasted crumpets with honeycomb and butter."
Telegraph Review: link
English Tea Room, Brown's Hotel, Albemarle St, 011-44-20-7493-6020, BrownsHotel.com, $64
Elle says, "Don't Miss: A slice each of Victoria cake and Dundee fruitcake from the cake trolley."
Tea Guild Member Description: link

Summer vacation: Thus far . . .

2007-08-07T20:25:00.000-04:00

The summer has been crazy busy and I've been slaving away on my house and garden. Posting has fallen somewhat to the wayside.

Now that my computer is reformatted and I have a new PCI to USB adapter for my other laptop, an old G4 Powerbook, I will offer a glimpse into what you've been missing.

In May, a Luna Moth came out in the daylight on the side of my work building. When I recently read Barbara Kingsolver's Prodigal Summer luna moths and moths in general were critical to the storyline. I enjoyed this book very much; enough that I had to finish it before beginning Book VII of Harry Potter.

While on the topic of books, JK Rowling did not disappoint with her final book. It was all I hoped for and more.

In July, my nieces and I sat in the tiny dining room at the new Cardozios Pizzeria on Cross Street in Ypsilanti. They ordered Pizza which was amply portioned; I ordered a Calzone which was decent; and we also had these nachos. The shredded chicken on the nachos delighted one and all.

The service was very friendly. The credit card machine was having some problems so the owner gave me all of our meals for $20. I really hope these former Pizza House guys make it.

On July 24, I picked the first two Early Girl tomatoes from my vegetables growing outsides. Haven't had any more red tomatoes since but many tomato varieties are weary with their loads of green tomatoes, ready to turn red any day. These tomatoes made delicious tomato sandwiches. Of course, the next day I was sick, but that could have been anything.

Still to come . . . Refrigerator and Plumbing tales, the Everglades and Florida with 5 women in a Taurus, my new love of GPS systems, the thrill of mowing the lawn after a month, my brick fortress firepit.

10 Types of People in the World

2007-07-09T22:17:00.000-04:00

Co-worker's t-shirt:

There are only 10 people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

Tonight I will reformat my hard drive. My computer has been incredibly slow lately. I have seriously dreamed of ditching it and purchasing a new MacBook; but yesterday forced myself to instead purchase a 22 cubic foot Whirlpool Gold refrigerator with gallon size doors. Yes, it is energy compliant with a water dispenser inside and an ice maker. The plumber said min of $175 to tap into the water line and connect. I think I'll shop around.

The special at Lowe's was all over the TV—10% off, no payments for a year, free delivery—but apparently the employees at Lowe's don't watch TV. First, I waited upwards of 15 minutes for someone to come to appliances, 10 minutes of shopping in the area, at least 5 minutes sitting down pushing the paging button. The first person who came, asked me what I wanted. I said I wanted to buy a refrigerator and he vanished into thin air. It was like magic how quickly the apparition of him disappeared. Just as I was about to push the button to page the whole store again, someone else appeared and asked what I wanted. I repeated my request.

He asked for the stock number (unfortunatly, I hadn't memorized this piece of information) and after we both did some research entered it into his computer. Then he told me there was only one in stock and one was on order so I couldn't buy the refrigerator. He showed me on the computer that there was no delivery date for when more would be coming into the store. He said I should come back later. Not in a week, just at some later, unspecified date.

I explained to him that it was the last day of the sale. He said the sale didn't apply to me since it was only for items in stock or for Special Orders. I asked if he could order it. He said since it was on the floor, it didn't qualify as a special order.

Then a guy in a white t-shirt walked by and he asked him if it was possible to order the refrigerator for me. The guy said yes and walked off. My "salesperson" continued to fiddle with the computer saying the t-shirt guy would be back with his vest and then (super powers like) would know what to do. A few minutes later T-Shirt Man came back but didn't take charge or even really help. He sat down.

Finally, the original guy said the order was placed and I could pay at the register. I asked if I had to sign up for a credit card to get the 12 months deal. He said to do that at the register.

I waited through the line at the register and gave my name and asked about the 12 months deal. The cashier said yes I could have it and told me my subtotal. I said, "Well don't I need to sign up for the credit card?"

She said, "You can't do that here. You have to go to "customer service." Needless to say, customer service was really backed up with ONE person ahead of me and another Lowe's employee who wasn't quite sure how to handle whatever their request was. But, she did eventually call over the head cashier who helped me finish the transaction.

When will the refrigerator arrive now that I have paid for it along with its $60 delivery charge? (Note: you pay for delivery and then are reimbursed.)

I really have no idea and neither do the good people at Lowe's. Not even an estimate. Don't call them, they'll call me.

I am reading a very good book called "Waiting for Your Cat to Bark". In it the authors discuss changing customer expectations, and the need for sales and marketing to work hand in hand more so than ever before. In their brand of Persuasian Marketing, if marketing runs a promotion but sales is on a different page and doesn't know how to sell the promoted item(s), the marketing is worthless. Most customers can and do easily become frustrated and go elsewhere.

At the end of the day for many businesses, it is all about conversions. And you can't convert prospects into customers if you don't have the people in place with the know how to close the deal.

Female Mystery Authors to try

2007-06-15T13:49:00.000-04:00

Givens

Agatha Christie
PD James
Nevada Barr

New

Elizabeth George
Dorothy Sayers
Minette Walters
Ruth Rendell
Jennifer Rowe

Recent Tries
Lisa Scottoline
Janet Evanovich
Sara Paretsky

Link to more

Edmonton Public Library

Access

2007-06-12T07:36:00.000-04:00

"In my travels all over the world, I have come to realize that what distinguishes one child from another is not ability but access, access to education, access to opportunity, access to love."
—Lauryn Hill, Dust Jacket, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

Victory Gardens

2007-06-11T19:58:00.000-04:00

OK, In my mind, this is me gathering the harvest from my Victory Garden:

Curb Appeal: Not as Seen on TV

2007-05-29T17:51:00.000-04:00

I have been burying myself in my yard for quite a while now in vain hopes to improve the curb appeal of my house. Or, rather, to make it so that repair personnel don't automatically assume this is a rental.

On HGTV, with programs like "Weekend Warriors," or with Bob Vila on PBS the process seems to be not only a snap, but inexpensive, always fun, full of helpul passersby and inexpensive.

I hate to have to turn investigative, experiential journalist on these fine folks, but the world of TV—even the world of reality TV is PRETEND.

It takes forever for me to get anything done in the yard. And the expense keeps going on and on, much deeper than any hole I can dig, even with my "World's Greatest Shovel" from Home Depot. (Of course, if I didn't wreck the mower and have to buy a new one every other time I mow or spill paint in the dirt after setting the can on uneven ground, there could be a lessening of costs incurred.)

It doesn't help that the neighbor's yards look great. OR that for all intents and purposes they seem to be speedy and efficient.

This gives me real concerns about what might happen if I start trying to cook after all the time I've invested in watching the Food Network.

Chester

2007-05-26T21:38:00.001-04:00

Chester proved that he could do it. He cleared the front railing and ran after another animal figure across the road.

I stop my gardening immediately and run after Chester in all my glory with muddy garden gloves, the seat of my ripped pants dirt stained and soggy wet from planting in the rain. My eyes are tired from an already long day so this is one occasion where I am wearing my glasses instead of the usual contacts.

When Chester runs away, it is different than Maverick. He runs just far enough that he can hear me chasing and if he gets too far ahead will circle back. Also for him there is much to stop for and see, unlike Maverick who makes a beeline for freedom.

Dusk has fallen, it is getting dark and Chester likes to run by the train track up and down the embankment. I know that if the train comes he will try to fight it, Don Quixote style. I know that if he takes a detour on a road above, he will not look out for cars.

I am not so agile. I try to climb the embankment and grab for branch after branch many of them falling off. I realize that this is too steep for me and that I could be badly hurt. But I know that Chester expects I will catch him and bring him back.

I get to the top and there is a fence. Dead end. Then I can no longer hear Chester. I pray. I carefully climb back down and walk along the tracks listening intently for the jangle of tags. I can't see a thing ahead much less a spot of white tail. My lens are fogged up, it is dark, there is fog.

I hear Chester, possibly near the busy road on top of the bridge. I cross the tracks, calling. I climb the cement embankment. My garden shoes slip. They aren't meant for climbing. I grab at the plant life, it tears off. I find a stump and its branch and grab on.

At the top, I hear Chester at the bottom of the embankment now, besides the railroad tracks. I call and this time he makes his way up the slope deftly towards me.

I half carry / half pull him home. My back aches. I am sweating profusly. I feel nauseous. I keep stopping for air. He doesn't seem to mind.

My brother comes in his minivan and gives me a leash. We arrive home.

Chester does not know the danger he puts himself in. He doesn't know how close he comes to being seriously hurt. He expects that I can be there, that he just needs to stay close enough.

He is a dog. I cannot possibly explain that I can't always be there. That he needs to be careful. That every moment he is in danger is excruciating for me.

I don't punish him. I don't even give him a bath though he is filthy. I am very glad he is safe.

For now.

DEEEEEEEEEEE-Troit Basketball

2007-05-11T09:48:00.001-04:00