I haven’t added any books to my library hold list in a month and a half but that has not kept the holds I had already placed from arriving. And, of course, as these things happen, they arrive in bunches. So now I am frantically reading On Immunity by Eula Biss. It is very good. And then I have to try and read Geek Sublime by Vikrma Chandra. I do not get to renew either of these because there are others waiting their turn for them. Well, only two books with hard deadlines but it seems like a lot for some reason. Probably because I have Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie that I am desperate to start reading. And that book at work that went AWOL — This Changes Everything by Naomi Klein — it finally found me! So I have that to read. Thankfully since it is from the university library I have it for a couple months instead of a couple weeks so I don’t have to rush through it which is good because damn, is it depressing and I can only take in small bites.
Also in the pile from the library are several chicken books. Yup, I am slowly wearing Bookman down when it comes to us having chickens. The urban farm supply store is offering another backyard chicken class on February 28th and I have signed up for it. I know I was going to wait until next year to take the class, but I decided sooner is better than later. The class will explain how to get the required city permits, the coop requirements, chicken care, the whole nine yards. After the class I will know for sure whether or not we will do the chicken thing. And if the answer is yes then over the summer I will enlist Bookman into preparing for chickens this time next year. This will be a bigger project than just chickens that will involve tearing down our crumbling detached garage so it will definitely be interesting.
Goodness, no wonder I’m feeling pressed for time books and chickens and garden planning. But also biking, indoors at the moment, taking up time. I think I’ve mentioned a couple of years now in September about Bookman and I doing a thirty-mile ride in the St Paul Bike Classic. Well, I decided I liked it so much that I want to go for longer rides. I’m ultimately aiming for a century — 100 miles. This year the goal is a half-century ride in Mankato in October. One of the rest stops has pie which makes it all worth it right there. So five nights a week I ride for an hour and Saturday afternoons I started doing a fast as I can 90 minutes. I managed 34.7 miles during my 90 minutes yesterday on a programmed course with hills. I think that’s good but I’m not sure since I have no one else to compare to. One thing I do know, thirty miles is now really easy and I look forward to getting outdoors and trying a long ride on the road on a new bike which I have not bought yet but will very likely go hunting for next weekend.
I’ve always enjoyed biking but I never expected to catch the biking bug. I think what did it was my first ever group ride this last October. It was a really short ride and at times unbearably slow, but I had a blast riding with other people. I’ll be joining a local bike club this spring, I have several to choose from so will be going on some test rides to see which group I like best.
So busy, busy around here. But it’s all good stuff. Now, if only it would warm up. It’s been below zero (-18C) the last several mornings and I am ready to be done with winter.
You’re really into centi stuff, the big centiride now. Good for you. And gardening, chicken raising, library, reading, reviewing, blog writing… it’s going to be one full and busy year. Looks like the chicken coop is going to be a bigger project than the pond. I look forward to your chicken posts (blog post that is). 😉
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Arti, heh, except if I get chickens there definitely won’t be 100 of them! Yes, the coop will be a much bigger project that the pond but we are prepared to pay someone else to do the hardest work for us 🙂
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Chickens & biking take up time. Hoping you get to still read as much as you like!!!!!
Lookimg forward to the stories….
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Helen, I can never read as much as I want to but I’m reading as much as I can and enjoying all of it. 🙂
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Oooh, I’m hoping you get chickens too! In an entirely selfish, wanting-to-read-what-you-make-of-it sort of way.
I haven’t read the Klein but I think her basic thesis is that we have to change our economic model? Certainly, if she’s saying that economies based on endless consumption are disastrous for the environment – and also, ultimately, unsustainable – that’s something I’d agree with – but so hard to change. I’m sorry it’s depressing though, and I hope you get through it and can write about it (because I find the whole subject too depressing to read much about, I’d rather read your thoughts on it) (that sort of apathetic approach is what keeps us in this mess I suppose).
As for 34.7 miles, blimey, have you got steel for legs?
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Helen, you’ve got chickens, right? And you said you like having them. How many and what breed(s) do you have?
You are correct about Klein’s basic thesis. The kind of capitalism being practiced is dooming the entire planet. And shockingly some of the largest, most well-known environmental groups are in cahoots with the oil companies. Change wold mean both a cultural and economic shift on a grand scale. Not impossible but not likely either.
No legs of steel yet but I’m working on it! 🙂
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I am SO ready for winter to be over–I am tired of the cold weather and having to wear a sweatshirt over my PJs to bed and having bleedy nuckles because my hands are so dry and painful. I know others have had it worse than me and I hate to complain but I think we are all tired of winter….. You sound like you are one busy woman! But I like having lots of interesting cool things to do and to have to look forward to–they all sound like fun and I look forward to hearing all about them all! The cycling sounds like fun–and I like these sorts of challenges–all the better if there is pie along the way! 😉
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Danielle, on the bright side, we aren’t in Boston. It is fun to have so many good things to look forward to. And while there are a number of 50-miles rides I could go to, I want the Mankato one just because of the pie. Food is a great motivator 🙂
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its always the way with the reservations I make in the library – they have a habit of not materialising for months and then the minute I am out of the country for work, the phone call comes. Dear husband goes immediately to collect it not realising that the 3 week period starts ticking down, putting me under pressure to read by the deadline…
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BookerTalk, library holds catch us all up it seems. It’s nice your husband is trying to be helpful, but yeah, the clock starts ticking as soon as you check the books out. I sometimes wait until the very last day of the hold to go pick up the books. Even then I end up pressed for time.
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It all sounds very exciting, I like cycling but the roads are too busy and there aren’t many cycle lanes around so that puts me off, so I’ll just stick to walking. I can’t wait for winter to be completely gone although it sounds like our winters are a breeze compared with Danielle above anyway!
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piningforthewest, what a shame you don’t have many cycling lanes in your area. I’m really lucky to live in one of the most bike friendly cities in the US. There are even people who bike all winter. I used to be one of them when my job was closer to my house. It’s fun in a crazy kind of way but I’m rather glad to wait for dry roads and warm weather these days.
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You have indeed caught the riding bug! My husband is a fanatic. He’s got five bikes, rides to work every day, group rides, etc. Loves it. I enjoy it but because I go without riding for long periods then I always feel like I’m starting over! I did put up my bike on a trainer so I can at least use it indoors 🙂 Oh and I can’t wait to see the outcome of the chicken class!
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Iliana, five bikes! I’ll soon have two but I can imagine if the bug continues to grow I might feel the urge to upgrade. I use to ride to work every day and then I got a job downtown and riding on narrow downtown streets with lots of traffic even when there are bike lanes makes me very nervous. I know too many people who have been hit by cars while riding. I’m excited about the chicken class. We’ll see if it heightens or dampens my enthusiasm!
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I always did want to have a few backyard chickens myself.
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Jeane, I hope you get the chance to have them one day!
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