Garden Update

 A little while back, Eliz and I planted a Square Foot Garden.  This method of gardening utilizes the space best for small areas by eliminating rows and putting everything in neat little 1' x 1' sections.  It's been extremely rewarding to grow these vegetables and we know what chemicals (none) have been used and what process we are going for. We got carried away and starting planting things all over the side and back yard.  We have food everywhere. I wouldn't say it has saved us lots of money, though, as we have had to fork out a nice chunk to get things built, buying seeds and plants, and organic fertilizer and insecticide is more expensive.  But, we do know that nothing harmful is going into our food, and that's the really important factor.

Yesterday we made our first gleaning of some leafy vegetables: Kale, Swiss Chard, and Spinach.  Eliz for a great curry recipe with chickpeas and all of the roughage.  It was very good and we beamed with a sense of pride as we ate food from our own garden.  I'm excited about the possibilities of what is to come.  We have been planting things in different shifts and waves to prolong our growing and harvesting season...and I'm already planning the fall and winter gardens!  Pretty soon it'll be broccoli and brussel sprouts.  MMMMM!  going to be great.  We have some blueberries showing up and I'm hoping the strawberries will produce something this year.  Hopefully we'll have done well enough to share, but with the square foot garden, sometimes it's just enough for us, and I'm ok with that.  I have some pictures to share all the green awesomeness.  Enjoy...I know I will!

An overview of the Square Foot Garden

Our First Blueberry, I'll be fighting the birds for it

Grown from seed Kale

Out of Control Cabbage

Beans, that came up almost over night

Strawberries and Gerber Daises

Okra

Blue Berries

Top Left...Curry Plant, makes the yard smell yummy

Side garden, Sweet Corn and Cabbage

New blog Site Ideas and Contest

Ok, so Google blogger kinda sucks!  I have been trying for days to upload photos to the blog.  Today was going to be a fun update on our garden, complete with a picture of our first blueberry and a curry plant...which makes the back yard smell like an indian restaurant.  But, alas, thanks to google's cloud picker being unavailable, yet again, I am stuck with no pictures.  This brings back something I've been thinking of recently, paying to host a website.

Or more along the lines of paying to have a site, like godaddy.com or another web hosting site to have my own webpage.  This is something I think I'm going to do.  I think I'm going to merge my blog with this new page.  But, here is the problem,  what domain name should I use?  I've been told to look at it as an investment, meaning something that could be used by someone else...with deep pockets who could eventually purchase the domain name (if only I could have gotten www.mccormick.com, I could have sold it for mucho dinero).  A future investment.  I pondered some ideas, www.mccormickfamilyblog.com, www.davidmac.com, www.mccormickfamily.com, etc.  But, I have yet to decide on anything.

My plan is to have this done sometime by the end of the summer months, that way I can have a little more control and understanding of the medium in which I spew my thoughts.  This is where the fun challenge comes in.  I am running a contest for the best domain name.  I'll leave the running open until May 31st.  Best domain name, as voted on by Eliz and me, wins a prize!  This prize could be either a $30 gift certificate to your favorite restaurant, with or without me in attendance, or I'll make you a re-purposed bird feeder or flower pot.  Either way, this is a good deal.

The way to enter is easy.  Come up with the best domain name you can, and put it in the comments section.  You can enter as many ideas that you have and if you win, I'll contact you and find out which prize you want.  Just think, in as little as four months, you could be the proud idea behind my new domain...no royalties will apply.  Happy Thinking!

Pavement Therapy

Pavement Therapy is what I call solo running.  No partners, no headphones, just me and the road.  It gives me a chance to take in the surroundings and spend time "upstairs" in my mind.  I first started this when my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer.  It proved to be a great way to work out frustration and sadness. I don't need a reason to run, I could be having a perfectly normal day or the weather could be especially nice, and I will hit the pavement for some therapy.  It's just a free way to increase my mood, attitude, and body. 

Today was an especially good pavement therapy day.  Spring is starting to break through, with winter still fighting to hang out as long as possible.  This morning the warm sun was dancing with rain clouds and a light breeze, providing almost perfect weather conditions for a run.  One moment the sun would shine on me brightening my path only to be pushed aside by a breeze cooling me down.  The air was thick with smell of rain complementing the smells of spring.  As I ran the smell of honeysuckle, dogwoods, and roses would fill me and seemingly encourage my run.  I came across blue jays, brown thrashers, and an odd assortment of people walking there dogs.  

I love getting out there to run.  Not running for the sake of time, but time for running!  It's a great way to just relax.

David's Don'ts...Segement One

Something new I plan to do periodically.  David's Don'ts,  a little bit of wisdom gleaned from a lot of stupid experiences.  Today's focus will be on drive through car washes.

It maybe known out there how I like to mountain bike, camp, hike, run, generally anything that can be done outside, I enjoy.  This usually equates to a pretty dirty car.  Something I can totally handle.  A mud-caked vehicle is a badge of achievement, a banner exclaiming to the world, "This is what I like and I do it!"  I've been known to leave dirt and muck on my car for months at a time.  Apparently, according to the lovely Mrs. McCormick, a dirty car is not the image of a sound mind.  I guess she really does know me.  Because of her, uh, encouragements, I get my car washed.  However, my company car leasing office only pays for those cheap, drive through washing places, not one of the fancy ones that runs the car through, vacuums the insides, and makes you wait in the heat as a man attacks your car with a dirty rag and what I can only hope is not Gatorade in a spray bottle.  No, I am relegated to the washing cave, up to the mercies of the machine with no human operator.  Yeah, it's like Irobot every time the machine dings for me to stop my car.

Recently, I arrived at the one wash area in Shreveport (I forgot, the drive through car washes are become obsolete, so I have to drive a great distance to find one, eh). A manager of the convenience store was out there running a report.  As I pulled up, she said "Make sure you pull you mirrors in, I don't want it to tear off another car's mirror off today.  Hmmmm!   This I did, only to have the great big brushes push the driver side one back out.  In my fear of losing my mirror, I decided it would behoove me to open my window and push it back out.  No, no, not a good idea.  Even trying to time it so the big brush was behind me, I still manage a deluge of water in my car.  But hey at least with the driver side window open for approx 10 secs, I still managed to get a half shower...which was great, I guess, cause my first one was just not good enough, hrrrmpphh.  But I did not loose my mirror.  So, David Don't number 1, Don't open you window in a drive through car wash.  Mark this as a Bad Idea!

Number 2

As some of you may be aware, I have a Saris Bones 3 bike rack on the back of my car.  As far as a bike rack goes, I give it a 6 to 7 out of 10.  If you look at the back of my car, with no bike on it, the rack looks like the dual pronged fangs of an odd looking bug.  I took my car through the car wash, with no bike on the back, but with the rack pointing towards the rear.  I paid my money, I drove through till it said stop and I turned off my engine and settled in to wait for the beating and soaping to be done.  As the large brushes that surround the car begin to float from front to back a thought enters my mind.  On it's return trip, will it get hung up on the rack?  I do a good job at making sure the rack is secured tightly to my car, so I was a bit concerned  In a last bit of precautions, I start my car, put it in gear and stomp on the brake.  Waiting to see what will happen.  I have running through my mind the news article that states "Two die in a drive through car wash as the Nomination for the Darwin Awards comes to an close, with these two as winners."  Didn't know how I could face the afterlife, I think St Peter would re-die laughing as we hit the pearly gates. 

Sure enough as the brushes loudly clang indicating the front to back path is complete and gear up for the back to front wiping of the car we hit a snag.  Or I should said the top brush snags on the bike rack.  Then the car  begins to lift, my eyes get big, Eliz's eyes are wide and an image of the car stuck vertically in the car wash floats in my mind.  I ease of the break and the car lurches forward freeing itself from the hook of the top brush.  Here's the best part.  I don't leave there, I can't I have soap still on my car.  I simple back up and let it try again.  Same result, I back up again, same result.  Einstein said "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."  Color me insane.

Not only did I have to eventually leave the car wash, with my car covered with soap and a new dent in my rear hatch, I took the lady's, who was in line behind me, car wash too.  Needless to say she flew around in her Jeep Wrangler with a look of disgust and accusatory idiocy and proceeded to lay into me.  I apologized and reimbursed her for her measly $5 car wash, at which point she drove away.  But not before telling me I almost ripped the brush off it's track.  We drove home, soap caked to the doors and windows, pitied glances from passer-bys, and thankful we weren't hurt...well no more than our pride.

Lesson #2 at the car wash, no bike racks...I know what you're thinking, "well, duh."  Now I can confirm it for all.  I've since been back, but I play it safe and smart, and I always keep my hand near the gear shift, cause I just can't trust that fully motorized beast that traps me in it's belly under the guise of making things better for me.  Learn from my mistakes.

Shreveport, Yay!

Yesterday was a big "civic" day for me.  I spoke in front of the City Council and attended a Shreveport Park fundraiser.  Each of these was in an attempt to make Shreveport a better place. 

Speaking to the City Council, mayor included, was to show support for a bike and pedestrian plan for the future of the city.  I got connected with an urban planner who moved here from New Orleans.  She and her organization has big plans for a bike path and Greenways which would make it easier to navigate Shreveport by foot and bike.  And speaking as someone who tries to commute as much as possible by bike, this is needed.  I have been yelled at, honked at, passed by way too close, and almost scared off the road by vehicles as I commute/travel.  It's scary and I take the needed precautions, wear bright colors and follow the laws, but both the majority of vehicle operators and bikers don't know the laws and regulations.  This lack of knowledge leads to increased accidents and angry folks.

One of the best commuting articles I've read came from this months Outside Magazine .  The article, entitled Rage Against Your Machine, talks of a Manhattan Psychotherapist who commutes from his upper New York Suburb to his office, a 3 hour tour.  He does this only twice a week and has a place in the city he sleeps between rides, but still, that's some biking!  The author of the story had a great statistic, "65% of trips in a car are less than 1 mile."  Less than a Mile!  For lots of people, car is the only way to travel, but for many of us...a bike or our own two feet would suffice.  More than that, it would affect our mood, our pocketbook, our fitness, our earth...I'm trying to find the negative aspect of this, but I can't.  So my challenge to you all is a small, simple one.  Twice a week, for a trip you would make by car that would fall into this category, don't drive.  Walk, Ride a Bike, take the bus, do it for two months and see for yourself the benefits of your new "green" travel.  I'm betting the extra time you take for yourself to do this, will be worth it alone.  Also, check out this site for reference WalkScore.org

The Fund Raiser I attended was for the Shreveport Dog Park Alliance. This ongoing project to bring/build Shreveport's first ever off-leash, dog park has been in some sort of phase, conceptual or theoretic, for 4 years now.  I believe there was some miscommunication and some confusion on some of the ideas at the beginning, which accounts for the dragging of the feet.  But, now we are in the "FUNd raising" portion!

The park is currently planned to be built and established at Hamels Memorial Park, at the most southern end of Clyde Fant Park Way...HERE. The park will be 8.7 acress with both a small dog and a large dog area.  There will be a 1.7 acre pond (on the current plan) for dogs to swim and play.  It's being touted as the "Central Park" of Dog Parks.  Personally, I'll take a "Highland Park" of Dog parks, over no park at all.  But, you do what you can.

The cost of constructing this park is...take a breath....$250,000.00.  Yeah, that's a big doggy butt load.  I'm not too sure why it will cost that amount, but I know I'm going to try and raise as much as possible so we can at least get some of this going.  This would be a great addition to Shreveport both for current residents and as an allure to bring in new people.  Louisiana has dog parks in cities not as large and not as capable as Shreveport, what they have that we don't is more support from citizens and government...for now. 

Sometimes  I'll be walking around at the trails next to downtown, or sitting outside and listening to some live music at the riverfront, or even enjoying a movie at the Robinson and I think to myself, "Shreveport really has some good things going for it."  This is a change from where I use to be, and I'm happy with my attitude towards my place of residence, but it could always be better.  If you wanna donate to the park, let me know.  It you wanna get involved with the bike plan, let me know.  I can get you connected. As Gandhi says "you must be the change you wish to see in the world."  This is my way of trying.

A Rose by ALMOST Any Other Name

I was a bit of a handful as a child.  I guess you could say I had the tendency find myself in situations that would usually have my parents staring at me wondering from which section of hell did I hatch.  I'm not saying I wasn't awesome, but what 2 to 5 year old doesn't have you wishing you could run for the hills at least a few times.

Your identity is important as you grow and find yourself.  You find out what you like, what you love, what you hate, and what vegetables you are willing to spend all night staring at and even risk seeing the next morning for breakfast as you dig-in to your obstinacy of Not Eating them. Nicknames are also instrumental in conditioning who your are.  Given to you early, they can both describe and shape hobbies, looks, attitudes, and the general foundations of your childhood. I always thought I had a nickname, or more accurately, I thought I had an added exclamation to my name. 

Until I was 4 I thought my first name was Damnit David! Making my full name Damnit David Patrick McCormick.  Imagine my shock, neigh, my consternation when I found out that not only was Damnit not written on my birth certificate, but it was word not used in "pleasant conversations."  It was not until much later, around 7th grade, when I really understood the name and the impact on my life. 

I mean yeah, I may have eaten some dog's heart worm medicine when I was young.  And yeah, I may have covertly given my brussel sprouts to the dog under the dinner table (which he sold me out when he merely chewed them up and the spit them out on the floor).  And, ok yes, I did call some of our older car pool mates "Super Assholes" when I was three, but I was cute, so I could get away with.  There are many more supporting examples of how I achieved my nickname. But do you know how embarrasing it is to stand up on your first day of school, 1st grade, and announce this.  You have your new shirt, your new shoes, and your shiney new backpack and penicls, all sharped to a fine point, only to stand up and say "Hello, my name is Damnit David McCormick." The looks, the gasp of the teacher, the spit balls I had to endure the first few weeks.  I think it's a miricle I haven't served time in jail!

Now some of what I've said is a bit of a stretch on the truth, actually, only the last three sentences...and sometimes with the stupid things I've done, I actually am surprised I have never been fingerprinted and booked.  But, I know it has been the love and support of my parents which has kept me out of trouble and really allowed me to find my own identity.  So thanks guys...I won't hold the Damnit David thing against you!