First day of Science Camp

Today was the first day of Science Camp for Zoe, Our Big Colorful World, at ScienceWorks in Ashland.

From Zoe:

First I made a kitty out of markers. The other kids were good at watercolors. We drawed outside, a landscape. We painted. We painted our landscape. Then we had snacks. Lots of other kids had different things. We put our snacks away.

I think that they also played with some of the exhibits. At noon, I picked her up and we went to eat.

Meanwhile:

I had planned to simply tootle around Ashland, but those plans were put on hold as Zoe had thrown up in the car on the way over (we had a discussion about how next time, Zoe could say that she wasn't feeling well and I would pull the car over to let her vomit outside). I swung by Bi-Mart and bought some clean-up supplies. I scrubbed and scrapped, then doused everything with anti-stink liquid. It worked pretty well, but I still have to scrub the seat and floor one more time.

After I felt that the best job I could do was done, I parked back at ScienceWorks and hopped on the bike and went to Cycle Sport bicycle shop to get a new pair of tires that Hutch's failed to get in in time for us to leave. I'm not bitter, really, I'm not.

I rode over to Litha Park to have a drink of Lithia water, then up to the end of the road (at least where the dirt starts).

I then found the Bear Creek Greenway and headed north. I decided to ride until my mileage reached 10. Well, I am glad that I did because I saw an otter! I had a hard time wrapping my mind around what I was seeing as it ran right across the bike path!

For lunch, we went to the Standing Stone Brewpub and sat at a table for two. Zoe had turkey dogs and I had the buffalo burger.

Goals

I just ran with the girls. We went for 34 minutes; that's a ten minute walk to warm up, then 3 x 4 minute runs and one 3 minute run for a total of 15 minutes. That is almost quadruple the time that I was running four weeks ago! Knock on wood, my foot may be healing up.

When I run well, then I start to dream. So, here are my goals, exercise-wise anyway:

1. Continue to build back my running form, slowly.

2. Lose 5lbs. by the end of June, and fifteen by the end of the summer. Target weight: 150lbs.

3. Train for the Pioneer Run 5k. Goal time: 19 minutes, a 47 second lifetime PR.

4. Following the 5k, start a marathon training plan.

5. Run the Eugene Marathon (which should be) the first weekend in May.

A Hike at the Wingwatchers Trail

This morning, Zoe, Zia and I walked (and ran a bit) downtown to hike along the Wingwatchers Trail that traverses part of the west side of Lake Euwana.

We saw many birds, including both Clark's and western grebes, a Forster's tern, yellow-headed blackbirds, among many others.

We also saw ten western pond turtles, sunning themselves on various logs in three different ponds. The girls were very excited to get to the "turtle pond" and kept asking me, "Is this the turtle pond? What about this one?"

The weather was nice, warmish with a little breeze, and a good walk was had by all.

Howl in April

If you are ever taking the Isaac Asimov's SuperQuiz on the Seattle Times website (which we do every week or so, because we are nerds), sometimes you will come across a question that involves a poet. And then you will use Google and Wikipedia to clarify the answer and your guesses. And then you will discover...

...that you can read sections from T. S. Eliot's The Wasteland interspersed with excerpts from Allen Ginsberg's Howl and it will sound as if a single, angry poet was writing.

APRIL is the cruellest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain.
Winter kept us warm, covering
Earth in forgetful snow, feeding
A little life with dried tubers. I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix, angelheaded hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly connection to the starry dynamo in the machinery of night, What are the roots that clutch, what branches grow Out of this stony rubbish? Son of man, You cannot say, or guess, for you know only A heap of broken images, where the sun beats, And the dead tree gives no shelter, the cricket no relief, And the dry stone no sound of water. ...etc. Drink a glass of wine or two and try it yourself with a loved one. They are both beautiful, long, angry poems, and have a shockingly similar meter (at least in their first sections). Really, someone should do a performance art piece with the two of them read together. Perhaps a third or a fourth poem as well? What else fits? Why did I not take more classes in college so I would know this? -A

Poor Fergus

Here is our poor stupid cat who gets into too many fights. Then the vet
has to shave his head and put in drain tubes.

He is pretty tired, but feeling better than last night.

Snowing!?

C'mon! April 29th and it is snowing all day!?

Even I am tired of snow.

Pippen

Here is our new cat Pippen. He and Fergus are starting to get along.
This morning, they ate side-by-side, and there was hardly any growling
or hissing.