All the Best Ideas

Can't wait to write - this weekend: Athens

2008-11-16T14:06:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow I go home. I've had a great time this week in Athens, Greece. I was here for a conference and learned all kinds of useful things. Anyway, I'm looking forward to telling you about this adventure and posting pictures and some video (maybe) of Obama-mania in a little Greek restaurant.

We can work it out/We can work it out

2008-10-15T20:26:00.000-07:00

My friend Jennifer and I are having a great discussion about reproductive health policy and abortion on facebook (of all places). You should weigh in on if we're on the right track.

Jennifer and I met at mile 6 of the run of a half Ironman triathlon we did last year. We pledged to get through the last part together and we did. Thanks in part to Jen, I have half of an Ironman tattoo - just kidding. For the last 7 miles of the race, we challenged one another and respected what the other could do. It's no wonder we're bringing the challenging and respecting to an idealistic policy discussion on facebook. So far, so good.

Here is our discussion so far - we started the discussion while watching this last presidential debate. I'll look forward to your comments.

_____

C: I'd rather have my rights as a human being than your courage and compassion, McCain.

J: We disagree on this one. can we still be friends?

C: Definitely - I think so. I bet we both agree that an abortion is a painful medical procedure that women would probably rather not have, right? That's a start!

J: I agree too. obama definitely answered this question well.

C: They can answer the questions well or not well. Bottom line - neither of them will ever birth a child or have an abortion. What we're talking about as women I think is more important. I think the next thing we have to talk about is education about reproduction and birth control options. What is your position on sex ed and birth control? Or, do you know of a better solution?

J: Agree that we need better, more complete education. abstinence needs to be part of a larger program that includes condoms and birth control. i also don't think a women enters into the choice to have an abortion lightly.
However, if i found out i was pregnant, it would be a child from that moment ... i can't reconcile that thinking and say it doesn't apply to someone else. to me, it's a child from conception.

C: (wouldn't it be awesome if we hashed this out and got to a real and defined common ground on facebook?! I think we only have about 4.5 miles (of 13.1) to go...)

J: LOL. agree!!! frankly, i think we have more sense than either candidate or most politicians.

maybe that's the answer ... political decisions have to be discussed while competing in a half ironman.

C: Exactly - if we had known at mile 6, we could have solved the world's problems!

J: I think it's a critical program in poor socioeconomic communities. but like mccain said, i don't think spending more money is the answer. i think we have funds but we've so mismanaged them that we're not focused on the right things. (to me, addressing abortion, racial and educational discrepancies, etc. starts with socioeconomic - that's the root cause.) so while i agree, in combination with any social program we can't diminish the importance of insisting on personal accountability.

C: Also, I think any answer needs to respect your and my right to believe what we believe to be the truth about life and conception.

J: Totally think that's right. we have to be able to talk about things candidly and respectfully.

C: One thing about a program such as that one is that the cost can be paid for by the savings we'd see from having programs like Medicaid cover the OBGYN costs from unintended pregnancies of uninsured and underinsured women.
___________

T-19

2008-09-29T09:45:00.001-07:00

Yikes - wrong blog. This is the blog I use to track workouts.
T-19
W=W-5
A=All over the map! I posted 11 days ago and so much has happened since then.

I went to Taipei for a long weekend (well, I was there for the day, but it took a long weekend to get there). I returned last Monday, and got back to rowing on Tuesday. Tuesday morning was an eventful for me and my 1x - I almost hit a buoy and fell out of my boat into the Mississippi river. Though it wasn't cold (temp that day = 69.7F), it was dark - nearly pitch black - and I was pretty scared and surprised. I had been working pretty hard, so to go from working hard/heart rate up to not working hard/treading water was a serious shock to the system. Getting into my boat was kind of hard, but I was very lucky to have my coach there to help fish me out of the river. As a week has passed, strange bruises keep surfacing everywhere - or maybe I didn't notice them at first. I rowed on Wednesday and Thursday last week, as well.

As for the erg challenge, I'm 15.6k in. Erging at home has proven to be a great excuse for watching tv and I admit that is not the power combination that I'd like it to be. I've been doing my erging in 1k increments while the show is on. The remainder of the show's segment (prior to commercial) is the time I've used to fold laundry. At commercial, there are other things that can be done around the house (loading dishwasher, cleaning something...) This worked last week while Rob was gone, but I don't think having the television sound up and erging mixed with maniacally rushing around for 2 minute spurts will be anything he'd like to get used to.

I'm very excited - the Head of the Mississippi is this weekend, and I am planning to race my 1x. I'll probably be in other races, too, but am not sure yet which
ones. I'm planning to practice every day this week - this morning I did two long-ish pieces in a double. The first was at around a 22 spm rating at 2/3 pressure.
Heading downriver, we did a 2/3, 3/4, full pressure piece at a 24/26/28 spm rating. All in all a great row.

Fun game: Me right now

2008-09-28T20:04:00.000-07:00

The Rules:
1. Take a picture of yourself right now.
2. Don't change your clothes, don't fix your hair...just take a picture.
3. Post that picture with NO editing.
4. Post these instructions with your picture.

RNC day one photos

2008-09-04T20:41:00.001-07:00

I love the NYTImes (except for today)

2008-09-01T21:42:00.001-07:00

Here's the thing. I LOVE the New York Times. I am an ardent champion of their coverage on anything/everything. It goes beyond news coverage and laps over to culture. I have grown up believing that the best way to spend a Sunday involves lazing around in bed with delectable baked goods and coffee reading the Sunday Times. What could be better?

It's disturbing to me (and maybe to you), but I actually have found something that could be improved: The NYTimes blog coverage of the RNC. I know - this isn't a big thing. It's more like a subcategory of the actual news. Nevertheless, hear me out. The Caucus has irked me twice today - twice in one day!

First, they report that the RNC protesters are all about the pepper spray and broken windows (evidenced by this headline). This wasn't really what the protesters were about, but the Times grabbed onto this idea early and just couldn't let it go. The next story about protests in Saint Paul took a slightly more complete view of the situation, and though I don't know why the reporter couldn't have just flagged down one of the thousands of protesters to have a conversation, I'm wondering why the blogger credited the Republicans with getting the protesters access to a space near the Xcel Center when it was actually the City of Saint Paul that did the work. How hard is it to get these simple facts right? I don't care if it is a blog - it's a New York Times blog. If NYT is frought with egregious errors, I can't imagine what is going on with other kind of inferior news sources.

RNC day one: Marching in the streets

2008-09-01T15:24:00.000-07:00

Rob and I sauntered downstairs and out of the elevator this morning and were greeted by two police in light riot gear looking for a bathroom. The street outside was lined with rented SUVs and minivans, and we chatted with the waiting police standing next to the row of vehicles as we sipped our coffee. In a jovial mood, some of the cops showed us their gear while others listened in on our conversation and sipped Monster energy drinks from coolers nestled in between the rows of seats. From as near as Burnsville, Minnesota and from as far away as Arlington, Texas, none seemed to be able to anticipate what the day had in store for us.

We headed a few blocks away for brunch and people watching near the Xcel Center (ground zero for the RNC), observed a few people moving toward the capitol with protest signs, and watched as a small crowd gathered around a small dog spray painted red, white and blue. Walking around the Xcel to meet a friend, we thought we saw a smattering of protesters and a swarm of riot police. We met up with our friend, compared notes, and were just about to write off the protests as not a factor when we turned a corner and saw a steady stream of people protesting the Iraq war.

The "steady stream" as been estimated at 30,000-50,000 protesters, and while some sources are focusing disporportionally on the broken windows and pepper spray, I want you to know that (save for a hundred or so protesters) this march was positive, purposeful, and non-violent. And the media folks are really great at their jobs - thanks for sensationalizing the CRAP out of everything, media folks. Now go have another beer and a burger and go shopping in my downtown so we can reap the economic benefits. Ya hosers.

This is what the protest looked like:

More photos soon.

The Republicans are coming! The Republicans are coming!

2008-08-26T10:22:00.000-07:00

Saint Paul is winding up to host the RNC, and seeing everything come together is pretty exciting. Right behind the advance teams of republicans is the great showing of art and music that articulates opposition to the platform that will be touted on the Xcel Center floor.

Take Back Labor Day SEIU concert
Artist that caught my eye: Billy Bragg
When: noon - ?, 9/1
Where: Harriet Island

Ripple Effect concert
Artist that caught my eye: Michael Franti
When: 12:30-7pm, 9/2
Where: Capitol Lawn

Impact Film Festival
Caught my eye: 14 Women
When: during the day, 9/2-3 (boo)
Where: Landmark Center and MN History Center

They could be on to something

2008-08-18T12:00:00.001-07:00

I understand the whole 'Thou shalt test the Lord Thy God' declaration, but I think the Pray at the Pump organization should at least continue to observe the implications of the Lord Thy God by agreeing to pray for a certain period of time that gas prices go up. Then (since they can), Pray at the Pump should pray for gas prices to go back down. If that works, then I think they have something...

From the reader mailbag: Hot dogs - what's a girl to do?

2008-08-04T17:22:00.000-07:00

A devoted reader wrote to me today with a question. So, it isn't technically a 'mail bag' query, but it seems like it could be, you know, if I had a mass of people reading this blog and I talked more about a 'mail bag' from which I answered questions. So, I'm going with it. Thanks, devoted reader, for your question!

Which is:

"Do you ever eat hot dogs? I have developed a new passion for them this summer. However, now I am freaked out about nitrites - a preservative/additive found in processed means, especially hot dogs. what's a girl to do? have you ever given this matter any thought?"

I'll admit, I had never given this matter much thought despite the fact that nitrites (and nitrates for that matter) probably make a regular appearance in my lunch in the form of lunch meat in my turkey wraps.

I agree - hot dogs are great. While I usually stick to chicken sausages in meals I make at home (chx sausage pasta is a staple and a great way to use a ton of vegetables, too), I do like grabbing a hot dog at a baseball game and at Costco after a hard couple hours of large cart maneuvering and bulk buying mania.

What about buying Kosher hot dogs?

On second thought, I'm not seeing any difference between the amount of sodium nitrite in Kosher hot dogs vs. the Oscar Mayer kind.

I guess if sodium nitrite <2%, then at absolute most, you are consuming ~1.5 grams of sodium nitrite for an Oscar Mayer jumbo dog or ~1 gram of sodium nitrite in a Hebrew National Kosher regular size dog. So, the question is how much sodium nitrite is too much? The Cancer Prevention Coalition suggests that children and expectant mothers not consume more than 12 nitrite hot dogs per month. Assuming they are referring to regular-sized hot dogs, this means that 12 grams of sodium nitrite per month would be the limit. There may be other sources that say something different...

The idea of nitrate and nitrite-free hot dogs came up in my 30 seconds of Google research, but some parents commenting on a post on Serious Eats had some suggestions. The comments suggest an expensive alternative, Niman Farms Fearless Franks, which when priced out are basically $1.50 each (which to me, would decrease the deliciousness of the dog).

So what is the solution here? Not sure. In looking into this, I've learned that nitrites are used in all kinds of meats - lunch meats caught my eye. I think our options are:

1. I did find out that the chicken sausages I've been mixing in with pasta or having in place of a brat are 100% nitrite and nitrate free. So, maybe these are a substitute.
2. Eat less than 12 hot dogs per month (or in my lunch meat-concentrated case, eat less than 12 number of servings of lunch meat per month).
3. Eat a mix of the two.
4. Realize that we made it out of childhood just fine having consumed our fair share of hot dogs and not worry about it.

I think I'll go for 3 with a pinch of 4. Thoughts?

A quick thing you can do to make downtown Saint Paul even better

2008-07-22T08:24:00.000-07:00

Letter I sent today to downtown Saint Paul-ites. If you live in downtown Saint Paul or know someone who does, pass on this information and try your hand at encouraging a business or two to set up shop here. I'll post the results of the experiment in a couple weeks.
___

You've probably heard recently that the Saint Paul Chamber of Commerce and partnering downtown organizations are working to temporarily fill downtown retail spaces during the RNC with merchants from other parts of the Twin Cities (MPR article). In a meeting last week, one fellow CapitolRiver Council board member mentioned that several of her favorite shops were seriously considering moving downtown temporarily after she contacted them to suggest it. Other board members shared this experience. Another board member and representative from the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) brought up the fact that several temporary lessees have now signed on to have a permanent presence in downtown Saint Paul.

As downtown residents and home owners, this temporary-to-permanent retail trend is great for us. If small retail considers temporarily setting up in downtown for the RNC, and if even a fraction sign on to establish a permanent presence in downtown, then we residents have a more livable community and possibly higher property values. Even better, this process seems to be shaped by a grassroots/word of mouth approach and shored up by a safe trial of market demand.

Here is what I'm going to do, and I hope you'll consider doing something similar.

1. I'm thinking of three retail places I visit fairly frequently that I think might do well in downtown.

The stores I’ll contact this week are United Noodle, Surdyk's, and Bibelot.

2. I'm contacting each of them by the end of next week to say something like the following (feel free to use some of my wording - I know you're busy):

Hi,

I enjoy shopping at your store and would love to see you open up a shop in downtown Saint Paul. You've probably heard that short-term leases for retail space are available in the downtown area, and this might be a great way for your shop to get a feel for the market for groceries/fancy wine and cheese/gifts in downtown. I'm sure RNC-goers would flock to your temporary shop during the convention, so a short-term opportunity like this may make sense for you. I'm sure I speak for my neighbors when I say that we'd love to have your business as a permanent fixture in downtown Saint Paul. Here is a link to the Saint Paul Chamber of Commerce's 'Red Carpet Initiative' promote new business in downtown Saint Paul during the RNC: http://www.saintpaulchamber.com/Retail%20Initiative.pdf.

Thanks for considering.

Sincerely…

3. I'll follow up with the three shops I contact in a week or two, either by phone or by stopping by.

4. I'll tell my neighbors what I'm up to.

Feel free to forward this letter to your neighbors and people you know who work downtown. After you get a response from shop owners, neighbors and friends, please let me know how it went and what feedback you received!

Thanks!

Three great things to tell you about (Part of the 10 things... series)

2008-07-17T06:12:00.000-07:00

9, 8, and 7 are here. One useful, one amusing, and one important.

1. socialmedian.com. A great way to get news you might not have seen or read otherwise.

2. The Libertarian Purity Test I am a soft Libertarian, apparently. They think that with some work, I could become pure. Hmmm... Thanks, Anittah. This was a solid three minutes of fun.

3. The Girl Effect. I'm sure some of you are going to tell me it isn't that simple, but I'm definitely checking this out.

Oh well... Guess I'll set up the lemonade and brick stand instead.

2008-07-07T19:18:00.000-07:00

From the 2008 Republican National Convention Special Credentials Office:

July 7, 2008

Dear Media Credential Applicant:

Thank you for applying for credentials to cover the 2008 Republican National Convention. We appreciate your interest in covering this historic event.

Unfortunately, due to the overwhelming interest in covering our convention, we are unable to accommodate your request for Special Press Credentials.

We hope you choose to follow our proceedings through other means, including our live-stream at www.GOPConvention2008.com.

Sincerely,

Special Press Credentials Office

2008 Republican National Convention

Please...

2008-07-07T10:04:00.000-07:00

No drinking and rowing.

My airline (thanks, Elizabeth!)

This weekend: Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island

2008-07-02T13:38:00.000-07:00

We're headed out to Halifax, the city located in Nova Scotia which is the subject of my favorite sea shanty titled 'Farewell to Nova Scotia'.

From there, we're heading up and over to Prince Edward Island to elbow our way through some young Japanese tourists to see Avonlea, made famous by the Anne of Green Gables series. Just kidding - we're not going there just to see Avonlea, and I will keep my elbows out of and away from the zealotry that is Japanese love for Anne.

Americans love demolition.

2008-06-28T07:57:00.000-07:00

Our flotilla of boats arrived at the High Bridge minutes before the demolition of the Xcel Energy smokestack, which up until this morning had been kind of an iconic landmark coming into downtown Saint Paul from the airport. Now Saint Paul looks slightly less like Minneapolis' hard-working blue collar brother.

Week in review

2008-06-28T03:50:00.000-07:00

MONDAY: Returned bleary-eyed to work after a weekend celebrating Rob's dad's 60th birthday party in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Learned that my work team would be heading to Atlanta later in the week. Bid my co-worker Harold a fond adieu as he heads for Los Angeles in search of a better, warmer life working for a company that isn't merging with another company.

TUESDAY: Reconnected with my friends Kim and Michael from Cork Tree Consulting to plan our next moves. Kim has been busy setting up our vehicle for consulting outside of main work, and we've got plenty of ideas about what to do next. In other news, Kim's brother Guy Harrington has a self-titled album on itunes. Go buy it! It rocks! My favorite track so far - Oh Jane. Wait, no - Raygun. Wait...

WEDNESDAY: Morning started with a top-secret meeting that I can't tell you about. We'll call it Operation Big Bird. Moved on to work, thought about preparing to meet with the Delta Overlords (just kidding guys, it was nice to meet you all). Moved on from work and to CapitolRiver Council's annual meeting. I was up for re-election, and thankfully got voted back in. If I hadn't gotten re-elected, I was thinking that maybe I'd feign hurt and renounce all volunteer efforts thus realizing more time to slack off and be uninvolved. Ah, the best laid plans...

THURSDAY: Took the 5:30am flight to Atlanta. Saw Nader on the news attacking Obama for not being liberal enough. I thought he was simultaneously launching his 2008 presidential campaign and attacking Obama, but it turns out that Nader must have launched his campaign awhile ago. I don't have the specifics - I'm sure Nader is out there pounding the pavement talking about issues. The only thing I caught on tv, though, was the vague attack that is not based on issues. This serves as my 2008 reminder that the issue of campaign conduct falls on the shoulders of many, not just the candidates themselves, the outside party attack ad-makers, or the media alone.

The Delta Overlords (just kidding, guys!) were gracious hosts and kind taskmasters. They took us to Hambones, a fabulous rib joint near the airport for lunch. The sweet tea made the whole thing feel a little less like an assessment or interview.

FRIDAY: Back to work. So happy to see my friend Elizabeth at work. Elizabeth is the style editor at Minnesota Monthly. She thinks her work can be unglamorous at times, but I would welcome a job that had so many different things going on at once. Here is Elizabeth at work:

SATURDAY: And now it is Saturday and I am missing the Indiana Fiddlers Gathering in Battle Ground, Indiana. My mom, sister, nephew, and all of their respective friends who are also my friends are probably having a great time listening to music, eating the Lion's Club of Battle Ground donuts, and enjoying the great weather and fine company. If you are reading this and you are withing 6 hours of Battle Ground, Indiana, you should get over there RIGHT NOW.

I need quiet time so much, I'm missing THIS (see above).

Quiet time will be not so quiet, because I'm going out to the river, getting in my boat, and floating around for awhile so I can get a good look at a smoke stack demolition! KA-BAM!!!

Beehive of great ideas

2008-06-19T14:50:00.000-07:00

A friend just let me know that Obama has asked a question using LinkedIn's question/answer feature. The question he poses is this: What ideas do you have to keep America competitive in the years ahead? This is a broad question posed to the right audience in an innovative forum for discussion, and people are responding. There are some very thoughtful answers out there, and I'm enjoying reading the answers (which seem to run the gamut of sincerity). I feel as though I've stumbled upon a street festival. If you take a few minutes to read these, let me know your favorite.

Jesse Ventura. Educate me.

2008-06-18T06:42:00.000-07:00

I was ironing away this morning and found myself listening to a radio interview that must have been at least two minutes long about how Jesse Ventura might jump into the U.S. Senate race. The friend of Jesse's being interviewed said that he is 'on the fence' about running, but really doesn't like the idea of Al Franken or Norm Coleman being Minnesota's choice for the job, hates the war in Iraq, and also isn't a fan of our country's deficit. Jesse's friend being interviewed said that Jesse is really torn about throwing his hat in the ring because Jesse is really enjoying his lifestyle now, which includes going south to Baja in the winter to read and surf (while the rest of us stay here at the ice rink and hope our cars start in the morning).

I couldn't believe that I was actually hearing this interview. The whole tone reminded me of a pro-wrestling match theatre where the 'wrestler' feigns disinterest but ultimately returns thanks to the pleas of fans in the stands. Please, Jesse, come back! Please, Jesse, we need you to finish this match/get us out of Iraq/fix the deficit/save us from Al Franken and Norm Coleman! What?

So before I continue to launch here - educate me, Minnesota. I was gawking far away in another state while you lived the time when Jesse was your gov. If you lived here while Ventura was governor, then please take a few minutes to recount a story about this guy, a general recollection of the work he did as governor, anything. Also, would you vote for Jesse Ventura for U.S. Senate?

The other nine things I want you to know...

2008-06-17T09:48:00.001-07:00

I'll be interspersing the other nine things I want you to know later on. Stay tuned for those.

Saint Paul is blooming, it's finally warm (though it felt a bit chilly on the river this morning), and it is time for Saint Paul-ites to be outside. I'll be posting some of my favorite summer Saint Paul events and ideas here soon.

Also, we'll have an influx of visitors for the RNC in late August and September. Surely some of them are rowers, cyclists, and otherwise outdoor enthusiasts. We ought to be telling them about the myriad outdoor activities that are just steps from their hotel room doors. Any ideas? (I have my own, and I'll share them with you soon). The boat club could offer two-week temporary memberships, but I think our access during the Convention will be cut off due to security during that time.

10 things I want you to know. #1

2008-06-10T20:13:00.000-07:00

#1: Do you like peanut butter? Sure, we all do. A local peanut butter maker, P.B. Loco, makes peanut butter mixed with all kinds of great stuff like chocolhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifate, cinnamon, banana, and all kinds of other great stuff. If you are on Twitter, sign up to follow pbloco so that you can enter their daily contests to win FREE PEANUT BUTTER. Yes, that's what I said. PEANUT BUTTER. FREE.

P.B. Loco is having a 'name that peanut butter' contest that ends this Friday. Enter your suggestions on facebook or on twitter after you're done thinking up a great idea.

Thoughts about sustainability and ideas about the future part 4

2008-06-04T19:40:00.000-07:00

Coal (with a pretty mandolin in the background) from Kim

Obama in Saint Paul this evening

2008-06-03T16:23:00.000-07:00

Last time Obama came to Minnesota, he filled the Target Center in Minneapolis. Tonight, he is down the street from my house at the Xcel Energy Center. This is the place where Mondale conceded, and this will be the place where the republicans will hold their national convention this September. But in between all of that, Obama is staking his claim on this venue on what may turn out to be a very important night in the democratic primaries.

Helicopters swarm overhead and cars honk their horns. I'm pretty sure the Xcel is swarming. I think I will head down and try to meet up with my friend in all-things-political (even Minn. Fantasy Legislature) Bjorn and work on getting into this rally. Maybe I'll expand the Twitter feed for the purpose of live blogging (yee!)

IN OTHER NEWS...
a band from my (and your) childhood that I'd like to forget also plans on staking its claim on this historic venue:

WTF, mate?

Thoughts about sustainability and ideas about the future part 3

2008-06-02T20:13:00.000-07:00

Will any of our individual actions make a difference? Fareed Zakaria, editor of Newsweek International, was speaking on Midday and I happened to catch part of his speech. He was saying a lot of the same things he is saying here in this exerpt of his book, The Post-American World (this excerpt here is a quick and good lunch read). In his speech (and probably in his book - I will pick it up soon, read it, and let you know), Zakaria noted that China and India are building 650 coal-fired power plants within the next few years, and said that we can drive all the Prius' we want, but that China and India are essentially going to have our flourescent light bulbs for breakfast and our Prius driving ways for lunch.

But what about our innovative ideas? Won't they save us? Maybe, or maybe not, but they sure are fun! And they keep us occupied.... Here is one I like quite a bit. I'm thinking that if Rob and I move to Atlanta, we'll make an effort to fit right in by building our house out of these stackable plastic bottles from the United Bottle Project. Oh come on, Rob - at least a garage or a shed or something, right? Okay.

P.S. - I love these Heineken bottles. Something beautiful, shiny and green must be made with them.

Thoughts about sustainability and ideas about the future part 2

2008-05-31T05:29:00.000-07:00

Food miles. I'm headed to the farmers' market this morning looking for anything that is finally in season. Speaking of in season, epicurious.com has this great new seasonal foods map. Most people probably have a good handle on what is in season in their area where they live, but the great thing about the epicurious map is that I can go to my state, set the map to a certain month (how about June?), see what is in season and find recipes that use the stuff that is in season. Handy!

Epicurious informs me that asparagus, rhubarb, and raspberries are in season. I'm in the game for a big bunch of basil and spinach, as well.

But back to food miles. This graph from Terrapass, a company that helps consumers measure their carbon footprint and sells carbon offsets, asserts that the actual miles driven (freight, delivery) to deliver a product is not the huge impact that locavores and others have claimed. Really, it is the production of the product that makes one's carbon ass-print huge. (That's right, I said it: CARBON ASS-PRINT). If it is the production that grows my carbon ass-print exponentially, then I am going back to my roots and rereading Francis Moore Lappe's Diet for a Small Planet. New editions have been published since I last read it, one ominously named Hope's Edge: The Next Diet for a Small Planet.

Okay. Time to drive to the farmers' market. JUST KIDDING!!!!!

Thoughts about sustainability and ideas about the future: Part 1

2008-05-29T19:58:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law, Lauren Marlotte, was part of producing this video on environmental racism.

Nice work, Lauren!

About a zillion different data points on environment and sustainability have come my way in another zillion different forms, so my plan is to share them over the next few days. Stay tuned...

Postcard from my staycation

2008-05-26T07:42:00.001-07:00

Hi!
Having a fabulous time on my staycation. Wish you were here. You should see the sun pouring out of the sky here. Will write more later - have to go play mini-golf and participate in more grilling-centered activities.

All the best, Caitlin

P.S. - I'll have to show you my photos when we get back! (Or when you get back... whatever)

Staycation all I ever wanted

2008-05-24T13:14:00.000-07:00

Though Rob has classes in Chicago today, I still spent this week's idle time imagining where we might try to go if flights weren't full. Seattle? What about Montreal or Vancouver? How about Anchorage? What does that 9pm flight to Amsterdam look like? I peppered Rob with these ideas all week. In the car on the way to work. Over the phone when he was in Atlanta. Over email at work. While he was studying. As we drifted off to sleep.

As the work week neared its end, I simultaneously became hyper-aware of other people's travel plans, unarmed with plans of my own, and maudlin about my ability to get anywhere. Seattle was the first to close. Then Anchorage. Vancouver became undoable around Thursday evening - I checked after bidding my co-worker farewell and wishing him a great trip to Japan. I obsessively checked flights to Montreal after reading that a friend has departed for Dublin for the weekend. I paged through the departures list as I imagined another friend heading to Chicago for a weekend full of Chicago-based fun.

Tonight's flights to Amsterdam are the only option left. Getting back looks grim. It has been a long-time dream of mine to fly to Amsterdam for the weekend for the express purpose of playing boerengolf. Sadly, boerengolf doesn't look like it is in the cards for me.

I know. Waa. Woe is me (woe is I). At this recognition of unattractive, self-involved whining, a thought occurs to me. Maybe, just maybe there is enough stuff going on here in the Twin Cities to make me reconsider another non-rev boondoggle this weekend. I mull over the idea, do a bit of googling, and find that there just might be enough to do and see.

That's it! Rob and I are going on a STAYCATION!

I know the definition in your mind of the word 'staycation' is a lame excuse for a vacation that people take when the economy sucks. Let me tell you, staycations are memories waiting to be made. I'm serious. And they can be planned with a few simple phone calls and google queries (unlike boerengolf in the rural reaches of The Netherlands).

Bob, tell them what they've won!

These two lovebirds will be spending two days and three nights at the lovely, frill-intensive Home, featuring two (of four) walls with windows that open to create Screened-In-Porch-On-Third-Floor-Home. Amenities include farmers' market, brew pub, library, and some friends all nearby. Activities include watching planes take off and land at the airport picnic site with a fabulous dinner of ribs from Big Daddy's, going to a traditional midwestern cookout with friends (complete with friends, frisbee, and a fun game called 'no drinking allowed in this park'), biking, rowing, running, breaking into the neighbor's pool, miniature golf at the sculpture garden (not your uncle's mini-golf), and far-out crazy people music at Sur Seine music festival. And sleep. This staycation also features sleep. Which we both could use.

Minnesota Fantasy Legislature 2008 wrap-up

2008-05-20T11:47:00.000-07:00

Minnesota Public Radio hosts Minnesota Fantasy Legislature, which is soooo much better than fantasy football or baseball. Not only is it serious fun, I've kept abreast of state politics more than I might otherwise have. For background, MFL works like this - I submit draft picks, legislators score points by filing bills and moving through the process of being reviewed and voted on. Then, you all read this and realize that I'm an even bigger dork than you thought I was.

Overall results: The Lunchroom Pundits score 3rd from the bottom of the green league. This session, there was plenty going on to distract me (see blog entries between February and mid-May of this year, especially the entries about international routes and airline mergers). Not that that's an excuse. It's just a reason.

If I'm going to manage a team, I should probably give out some awards, right? Well, okay.

MVP: Yvonne Prettner Solon gets the Lunchroom Pundits Green League award.

The most prolific point-scorer on my team, Prettner Solon consistently remained in the top overall point scorers throughout the entire session. She was busy and had a lot of good ideas (thus I hold her in high esteem). Most of those points were scored by moving bills through the process and getting them passed (instead of just introducing a bunch of bills), which I think says a lot about Prettner Solon's effectiveness.

Good legislation award: Finishing in first place in an MFL league means that a team manager has successfully selected the most prolific legislators. You all know I couldn't do that (as is evidenced by my 3rd-from-the-bottom Green League finish). Sheldon Johnson wins the Lunchroom Pundits Green League Good Legislation award.

Johnson was on my team last year, and I made sure he was at the top of my draft pick list this year because I look forward to seeing what kind of bills he will introduce. They are usually a good reflection of what is going on in my community. This year, Sheldon pushed for support of bike trails, parks, and historic areas that surround downtown Saint Paul, requested an inventory of broadband available around the state, and introduced forward-thinking policy solutions for working with at-risk youth.

Infrastructure award: Many thanks to this year's MFL Commissioner Michael Marchio. His live-blogging of sessions must have been tough to do at times, at least until all the legislators were giddy after having been in session for too many consecutive hours.

BUDGET HERO!

2008-05-16T14:37:00.000-07:00

Here's a little Friday afternoon action for you… Have at it!

Your Web browser software doesn't support frames, but you can visit The Budget Hero at http://budgethero.publicradio.org/widget/widget.php?refid=apm.

That Girl!

2008-05-10T16:29:00.000-07:00

My new haircut.

Just kidding! I had a fabulous haircut today with my new friend Scott Miller who just opened a studio in my building. He likened me to a young Marlo Thomas in 'That Girl'. I didn't know who that was, so I filed it away and Wikipedia'd her as soon as I got back to my place. I learned that she is a co-author of 'Free to Be You and Me', my favorite musical/songbook. I also learned that she is married to Phil Donahue (eh).

Look, Ma! New routes!

2008-05-08T17:20:00.000-07:00

Okay. Time to toot my own horn. I have been working very hard on these routes for the past year, and it is immensely gratifying to see this announcement on nwa.com. It's not that the idea started with me or that I'm the only one who has done analysis on these routes. And it's not that my analysis alone triggered the revolution of growth routes in our Pacific network. It is, however, something to share with you all. Everyone, this is (more or less) what I've been doing this past year:

Northwest Airlines Announces New Nonstop Service Between Seattle and Beijing

Beijing will be Northwest’s fourth nonstop international destination from Seattle

EAGAN, Minn. – (May 8, 2008) – Northwest Airlines (NYSE: NWA) today announced an expansion of its trans-Pacific route network with new daily nonstop service from Seattle to Beijing.

Scheduled to begin March 1, 2009, Northwest’s new nonstop service will conveniently connect Beijing to Seattle and destinations throughout the United States via flights operated by Northwest and our codeshare partners Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air.

“Northwest Airlines is proud to be Seattle’s largest air service provider across both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans,” said Neal Cohen, Northwest Airlines’ executive vice president of strategy and international and CEO-regional airlines.

Northwest also serves Seattle with nonstop international service to Amsterdam, London Heathrow and Tokyo. Cohen added, “With the new service, Northwest is the only U.S. carrier to provide nonstop service to two of the major economic capitals of Asia – both Beijing and Tokyo.”

Nonstop Link between Pacific Northwest and China Important for Trade and Tourism

China is an economic powerhouse and key player in today’s global economy. This is particularly important to the State of Washington, according to its Governor, Christine Gregoire.

"China is Washington State's number one export market with nearly limitless opportunities for growth,” said Governor Christine Gregoire. “Northwest Airlines' new flight will greatly expand our ability to increase trade, tourism, education and cultural exchange with China, bringing new jobs and economic development to our state. It also reinforces Seattle as the gateway to Asia and the Pacific. I'm very pleased that we continue to lengthen our list of direct international flights from Seattle on Northwest Airlines."

“We are seeing the addition of the Seattle-Beijing service as very positive,” said Mark Evans, Microsoft senior director, global procurement group. “This will give our travelers the additional flexibility that they’ve been wanting and is very good news for the Seattle market.”

Daily Service Seattle to Beijing

Destination: Flight Number: Departs: Arrives: Effective:
Beijing 87 4:55 p.m. 8:35 p.m. +1 Mar. 1, 2009

Destination: Flight Number: Departs: Arrives: Effective:
Seattle 88 10:55 p.m. 6:35 p.m. Mar. 2, 2009

In addition to nonstop Seattle-Beijing service, Northwest is launching nonstop Detroit-Shanghai service next March. This daily service will be operated with Northwest’s 747-400 featuring 65 World Business Class near-flat seats and 338 coach seats.

In addition to the direct Seattle-Beijing and Detroit-Shanghai service, Northwest will also continue to operate daily round-trip flights from its Tokyo-Narita hub to Beijing and Shanghai, providing customers great options to reach China from North America.

“These new direct China routes are great for customers, both business and leisure travelers, who now have nonstop access from North America to mainland China’s two largest cities,” said Cohen. “In addition, we will continue to provide service to Beijing and Shanghai from our Tokyo hub, allowing our customers to access China, the rest of Asia and the world through our North American hubs of Minneapolis-St. Paul and Detroit as well as our West Coast gateway cities of Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles.”

Business Travelers Will Fly in Style with World Business ClassSM Service

Northwest is launching the new Beijing service with the business traveler in mind. The new service will use the modern and fuel efficient Airbus 330-200, featuring our popular comfort and amenities of NWA’s World Business ClassSM service, a prominent feature of the A330 aircraft that NWA will be using to operate the new route.

The A330-200s are equipped with 32 World Business Class seats and 211 economy class seats, which feature more personal space than any other aircraft in the fleet.

World Business ClassSM travelers also enjoy an array of features including 60 inches of space between seats, 110-volt personal laptop power port, cycling lumbar support, a six-way adjustable headrest and four seat-back storage pockets.

An on demand in-flight entertainment (IFE) system is available in both cabins. The interactive IFE system offers travelers a choice of 40 movies, four short-subject video programs, 56 different audio selections, six games, shopping and in-flight information, allowing customers the freedom and flexibility to start, pause or stop their selection at any time.

In World Business ClassSM, customers are able to view any of these features on a 10.4 inch/26.4 centimeter video screen. Customers traveling in economy class are able to view these features on a personal video screen in the seatback in front of them.

Northwest’s new nonstop flights are now available for sale through the airline’s Web site at www.nwa.com, Northwest Reservations Centers at 1-800-225-2525, or through travel agents.

Northwest Airlines is one of the world’s largest airlines with hubs at Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Tokyo and Amsterdam, and approximately 1,400 daily departures. Northwest is a member of SkyTeam, an airline alliance that offers customers one of the world’s most extensive global networks. Northwest and its travel partners serve more than 1,000 cities in excess of 160 countries on six continents.

Poser.

2008-05-04T22:11:00.000-07:00

I sat at a café table outside the Fair Trade Coffee House in Madison, Wisconsin on Friday afternoon, perched above my laptop keys. The sun was bright, which made it difficult to read the screen. I felt like writing for the first time in awhile. A welcome change. Bikes and busses buzzed by as I squinted and plucked away at the keyboard.

Looking down on the scene, I was reminded of an awful picture of me that had been taken in what would appear to be the same circumstances (really much different). The photo went with a profile of me, which was part of a series in the local newspaper featuring young women in business. At that point, I was posing as a fund development consultant who did most of her best work in coffee shops. The photo was really terrible, but the profile helped me score new business later on as I submitted the article (without photo) along with my resume and proposals. My answer to the question about women I admired helped me get a brief stint with one of the women I listed as having admired. All in all, it worked out well though the photo was bad.

I think back to that time of my life, and I realize that though the circumstances are very different now, the framework is the same. Though different from then to now, there are still tensions, fears, and hopes I have about the future. There is still ego and great potential for crushing ego (and great potential for learning something from that). There are great possibilities ahead, though each set of possibilities (then and now) seems very different when remembered and examined.

The support is still the same. Huge support. I had huge support for whatever I was doing at the time that photo was taken, and I have the same support now. I have great friends, a husband who loves me, family who cheer me on at every bend. I want for basically nothing, and maybe that is what makes next steps seem so complex.

So if things are so good, what good is clarity? What good is sitting in a chair I’ve sat in before? That was the chair where all things were possible. Do you remember when you thought all things were possible? From where you are now, how far have you strayed from that? Go back to the place where you thought all things were possible and remember what you wanted and how it felt to be sure that you had a shot at getting all the things you wanted. You may want different things now, but remember how that felt. If you have a good sense of how that felt, go after the feeling again. If you keep that feeling close, next steps become clearer.

Ghana (3 of 3)

2008-04-29T15:36:00.000-07:00

Friday morning after a brief excursion to the airport in our first (and failed) standby attempt on the ACC-JFK flight on Delta, we headed back to Cyril's home and planned another day of sight-seeing in Accra. With another day to do what we wanted to do, we caught up with Kobe again who drove us over to James Town and the Ussher Fort. The Ussher Town museum is definitely worth seeing. After going through the museum, we stood at the seaside wall of the fort and looked out onto the ocean and the fishing boats that bobbed in the sun.

We headed back to Cyril's house, rested during the hot afternoon, and woke up to another delicious tilapia meal made by Cyril's mom.

Our flight home was convoluted - even by non-revenue standby standards. We got on the KLM flight from Accra to Amsterdam, strategically chose the 8am Amsterdam to Boston flight after learning that a 10am flight to the US had been cancelled, and then got back to Minneapolis after a quick stop in Indianapolis. I don't really mind this kind of flying at all. I read a chick lit novel (for research), reread Camus' The Stranger, and watched several movies I had been meaning to watch that were conveniently available. And I wrote. And I slept. Some of those are things I don't do enough of on the ground, and it was nice to have some time to do them.

Back to 'normal'

2008-04-17T05:43:00.000-07:00

Other than Minnesota media outlets continuing their quest to interview every single person in Minnesota about how they feel about the Delta-Northwest merger, things are back to normal. We all have jobs to do, and they still take as much time and effort as they did before the announcement on Monday evening.

What will the repercussions be, though?

You who work at Northwest and may or may not be reading this on work time (see, things are still normal, right?), this is a question for you. What will this summer be like? What repercussions will we see? And, those reading who don't work at Northwest, what do you think we'll see?

Here is my photo for today - it is the first sight in Accra that sent me diving into my bag to grab the camera...

36 hours in Accra (part 2 of 3)

2008-04-15T14:00:00.000-07:00

We got back to Cyril's house in the late afternoon, rested awhile during the highest heat of the day, and reconvened with Cyril and his mom in the early evening for dinner.
Dorothy made us a traditional Ghanaian dinner of banku tomato-based tilapia soup with okra. Banku is a starch that is made with a mix of cassava flour and fermented corn meal. It has the sour taste of injera, but it has the consistency of something between mashed potatoes and dough. Steam and a rich tomato and pepper aroma rose from the bowl of soup as Cyril filled us in on how we were going to share the fabulous meal on the table. Following Cyril's instruction, we took turns washing our hands in water that Dorothy provided and used our right hands to take a piece of banku from our respective dough balls, dipped it into the big bowl of soup, and ate it. The sourness of the banku mixed with the savory tomato was a delicious mix of flavor - "The banku tried to sop up the tomato, but it really only glazed it. This resulted in eating a lot of the starch. The banku had a great texture," Rob recounted just now.

Later, we caught up with Cyril's brother-in-law, Kofi, and headed to La Palm. La Palm has a bar on the beach and is a great place to relax and have a Star and/or Guinness brewed in Ghana.

Another beautiful night in Ghana - probably our last for this trip, depending on flights - and here we sat, digging our toes into the sand, drinking beer and eating Guineafowl. It was definitely an enjoyable night.

2008-04-15T08:49:00.001-07:00

"I, for one, welcome our new Delta overlords."
- Kent Brockman, The Simpsons, "Deep Space Homer"

Another new day at NWA

2008-04-15T07:10:00.000-07:00

Work was already interesting, but now...

Last night at 7pm, Delta and Northwest announced that they are merging. After the announcement, Rob and I talked over dinner about what today might be like.

So, what is today like when your employer announces that it is merging to create the world's largest airline?

Here is the answer so far:

1. I don't know much yet, but there are several meetings I am encouraged to attend throughout the day.
2. I still have a lot of work to do, and am thinking about which things still need to happen (but probably all of them do).
3. Things appear well orchestrated, but generally lack new information. There was a pre-recorded message from the CEO on my voicemail when I got in this morning, and there is a whole website, newglobalairline.com, dedicated to answering questions about the merger.

Other than that, it is business as usual. The craziness will die down, and we'll all settle in as the DOJ reviews our case. Maybe they won't approve it or maybe they will. Their work will take several months to complete.

I'll go into my thoughts about if this is a good thing for the industry and for the two airlines later. In the mean time, check out this post from Consumerist.com - great take on the industry.

More updates soon...

Ghana or bust - we mean it this time (part 1 of 3)

2008-04-13T21:42:00.000-07:00

Unlike last time Cyril, Rob, and I attempted to make the trip, this time we succeeded at getting to and from Ghana. We departed Minneapolis on Tuesday evening and arrived in Accra on Wednesday late evening. Cyril kindly put us up in the house he is building in Medina, a suburb of Accra (Ghana's capital city). We met his mother, Dorothy, there (Cyril's parents live on the land where the house is being built, and will move in when it is finished). After dropping off our backpacks and being tempted by Dorothy's offer of a home-cooked meal, we headed to the Osu night market.

It was late and the Osu night market itself had kind of wound down, but people were still out enjoying what I thought was a nice night in Accra. On our walk up and down Osu road, we passed by a fancy restaurant about which we had read, Monsoon, that serves wild game. As we passed by, several well-dressed patrons emerged and waited for their car to be pulled around. A few blocks down the road, we found a Lebanese fast food restaurant about which we had also read, Papaye. Music thumped from the outside speakers, and through the windows we could see that the McDonald's style laminate tables were packed with people enjoying the food. We kept walking, ran into part of the market that was still open, and finally enjoyed some Osu night market food of our own - kebabs cooked on a grill. After this bit of street food sustenance, we grabbed a taxi and called it a night.

The next day, Cyril sent us out on a tour of Accra while he tended to home building decisions. First, we saw Osu market during the day which worked well as a bartering primer for us. Our driver, Kobe, patiently escorted us through the market. When we got into the car, he gave me a few bartering lessons (which was nice, because our first market visit had made it apparent that my skills needed some work). Next, we went to the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, the place where prominent Ghanaian leader Kwame Nkrumah is buried. Nkrumah was Ghana's first Prime Minister after the British left, and was instrumental in developing a government there. Nkrumah had a big vision for Ghana, and it was clear that his presence is still felt today.

Kobe took us to two other markets - my favorite was Makola market, which seemed to be where local people might go to get groceries and just about anything else.

The outside-most ring of the market offered up fruit, cosmetics, clothing, fabric, beads, and a random assortment of other stuff. Rob and I followed Kobe, who led us through a maze of vendor stalls to the center of the market where vendors sold ingredients. This was the most fascinating part of any of the markets. This part of the market had a well-purposed din to it - the chatter of bartering over a backdrop of flour and pepper mills. We heard the 'obroni' (foreigner) chorus follow us, as if the vendors we had just passed were calling out to the vendors we were about to encounter. Kobe moved quickly, and Rob and I looked back and forth from table to table, marveling at the commonplace ingredients that fascinated us. Occasionally, we would stop Kobe so that he could explain to us what exactly we were looking at and how it might be used in a Ghanaian dish. The vendors looked on and laughed. Piles of dried grasscutters and gigantic snails were familiar, while my Minnesota pale legs sticking out of the bottom of my skirt were worth a chuckle or two. (Hey, glow in the dark white/translucent is a skin color, too).

Wanderlust and our trip to Ghana

2008-04-01T21:28:00.000-07:00

We're back. We had a great time. Stay tuned for photos (and explanations). For now, check out this great video, Bjork's 'Wanderlust'

Getting ready for a trip - What's a girl to do?

2008-03-24T10:45:00.000-07:00

Rob and I are headed to Ghana this week. Since I started working for an airline, we've prepared for several trips. Here is what I usually do, though sometimes limited time for research means doing less:

1. Check out a travel book at the library. I like Lonely Planet guides. For Ghana, we found the Lonely Planet Guide to West Africa, which has been a great place to start. LP also has a good information in their Thorn Tree travel forum, though some of the threads haven't seen an update in years.

2. Go to NYTimes.com's travel section. In most cases, they have a few write-ups of wherever I'm going. For Accra, though, they have nothing.

3. For the 'what to wear' question, I usually get some idea from journeywoman.com.

4. For great local suggestions, the BUST travel guide is useful - especially for travel within North America.

5. artforum.com gives an introductory look at the art world in the place I'm going. By no means does it provide an insider's guide. It's a good start.

6. Some places have great local media - weekly newspapers and magazines have good information on what is going on when I'm there. A minute of Googling usually yields great results. Looking for information on Accra, I found No Worries! Ghana, which has been (as it claims) indispensable.

Other links for good travel information:
Vagablogging.net
Gridskipper.com had some great info on Accra
Bootsnall.com

I also collect travel stories from friends and other sources. When a friend tells a great travel story or has good recommendations, I ask them to email me the details and save it. Chicago Tribune has a great weekly travel newsletter called Travel Unraveled.

What do you do when you are going to a place you've never been before? Where do you go to get ideas for a trip?

Bruce Springsteen ROCKS!

2008-03-16T21:32:00.000-07:00

But other than that, I have nothing to say. It's been awhile since I've had nothing to share. I just don't have anything.

Ninjas

2008-03-07T20:37:00.000-08:00

Thanks to ANP for posting this link to the Gorilla Suit Construction Workshop, which helped me find my way to these ninjas doing the algorithm march:

Now, to hit the town in Madison and get me one a them Bob's Bad Breath burgers...

Consider this

2008-03-06T07:05:00.000-08:00

Submitted for your consideration:

An answer to my dirty laundry and your dirty laundry thanks to nanotechnology.

Bjorn, this link is for you (How to get a Ph.D. and save the world) and is good reading for the rest of us.

To read and discuss with anyone interested (are you interested in discussing? If so, leave a comment or let me know): Oil and women's rights

I am printing this out and placing it prominently somewhere. To do: get rid of stuff (no storage unit yet, but definite overcrowding)

Stuff white people like. Blogs should be the next entry, I think.

My Minnesota Fantasy Legislature team is not in last place anymore. Check out the McCain-style comeback of the Lunchroom Pundits.

Caucusing: an experiment (part 3)

2008-03-02T15:04:00.001-08:00

2pm: We are getting ready to subcaucus. To get the most out of this experiment, I am going to stay uncommitted for as long as possible. Ideally, I want to attract runners from each group trying to explain why their candidate is the guy for me. People line up behind two microphones on either side of the stage. They each have handmade signs that indicate their choice of U.S. senate candidate (Ciresi, Franken, Nelson Pallmeyer, Uncommitted) and one or both of the following: presidential candidate choice, and issue). There are 31 subcaucuses in all, and they each sound something like this:

Obama/Franken/Change is here
Pallmeyer/End the Occupation/Restore our Hope
Impeach Bush, Cheney/Nelson Pallmeyer
Uncommitted/Peace/Education
Obama/Ciresi/Immigration reform
Uncommitted/Clinton/Women's leadership

Earlier in the day, someone had explained to me that the people who were uncommitted with an issue were always the people with some sort of ax to grind. As these uncommitteds declare their I eyed the uncommitted people with a sense of intrigue. Did they really have an ax to grind? If so, which ax? What would I be signing up for if I joined up with the Veterans/Uncommitted/Correct withdrawal from Iraq? What is a correct withdrawal, anyway?

After hearing all 31 subcaucuses, I decide to go with uncommitted/health care reform because of its uncommittedness and vague, broad appeal. The chair (party boss, hee hee hee...) who sounds vaguely like the micro machine man
explains the rules. We have 15 minutes to go to the subcaucus we support (which he has scattered throughout the auditorium). During that time period, we can appeal to other subcaucuses and persuade them to join up with out subcaucus. At the end of the time period, we must freeze. The leader of the subcaucus will count its supporters, and will announce whether or not it is viable. Then, we will enter into a second 15 minute time period where more consolidation will occur. At the end of these two periods, each remaining subcaucus will announce the final count of supporters.

With that, he starts the clock for the first 15 minute period. Everyone scurries around trying to locate their desired subcaucus by looking up at the signs waving in the air and listening for the shouts from the subcaucus organizers. I find my subcaucus, confirm that I'm in the right group, and then there is this uncomfortable silence. We stand there and look at each other.

"What do we do now?" Someone asks.
"I don't know, it doesn't look like we'll be viable, though," the organizer says. I had expected him to hold out for more people, but he seems to waste no time. Just then, a cheer erupts from the center of the auditorium. The uncommitted/Clinton/Women's leadership group has just picked up a smaller uncommitted subcaucus. A very confident college-age woman strides over and introduces herself.

"We're a viable group, we are just looking for more people," she says. "Hillary is all about universal health care, so it's a great group for you."

"I'm staying uncommitted and heading up to the green jobs/environmental solutions group," our subcaucus leader announces and splits.

"There's always the uncommitted/strong middle class group over there," one of the members of the dwindling subcaucus suggests half-heartedly.

"I don't know if I can do that," another says, and heads over to the Clinton group.

While this is going on, the Nelson Pallmeyer runners are working steadily to convince the other uncommitted/health care reform group that their candidate is the one who will serve our interests best. We end up merging with the Nelson Pallmeyer/Single Payer Health Care subcaucus and a cheer goes up. In the remaining 30 seconds, our organizer counts delegates. At 17 of us, we are five short of being viable.

The chair tells us to freeze. We announce that there are 17 of us - not a viable group. The rest of the groups are counted, and the chair announces the beginning the second 15 minute round. The shouting starts up again.

We eye the Nelson Pallmeyer/Impeach Bush, Cheney group of four that could get us close to the number we need. Someone from our group (our runner) goes to talk to this other group, which militantly stands in a tight group, arms crossed. She returns.

"They say they'll join us, but they want us to change our sign," she reports. While our subcaucus organizer and group runner discuss what we would need to add and where we'll find a marker, either of which could have made or broken the deal, others call up to the uncommitted/green jobs/green solutions group to see if they'll give us one person. Their group is comfortably set with more than enough people to get a delegate but far from enough to get two delegates. The negotiations quickly deteriorate into antagonism being slung up and down the auditorium steps.

Since when were green jobs and green solutions not complimentary to single payer health care? I could see where a person may hold up one issue over the other as a priority (or being uncommitted versus being for Nelson Pallmeyer), but I doubt that either of these groups is so steadfast. This is clearly an ego thing.

While sparring continues between the green solutions and health care subcaucuses, the four impeach Bush, Cheney/Nelson Pallmeyer delegates decide to merge with the larger Nelson Pallmeyer/End the Occupation/Restore our Hope subcaucus.

Our subcaucus has gained a few, but we are still not sure whether we'll be viable, and with two minutes to go we realize we are playing a dangerous game that could cost Nelson Pallmeyer a delegate at the state convention. Our subcaucus leaders are trying to get people to sit down, counting heads, and counting them again.

"Hey guys," I yell. "Let's merge so we don't screw it up for Jack, okay? Let's merge!" And so we do. (If only it were that easy at work, I think to myself.)

And so with one minute left, we merge with the larger subcaucus. In a group, we're over 80 delegates. We end up getting four delegates.

I sit down and fill out my resolutions ballot, marking no for the egregious ones that just aren't logical. Then, I go home. By this time, it is 3:30pm. I am tired, and frankly, I'm tired of caring about anything. I think five hours may have been my caring limit. At this point, I just want to go do something else for awhile - maybe watch some Law and Order reruns or American Idol. But I'm glad to have found out what this caucus experience is about. And I am glad to have participated, and to have seen others participating, too. That part (not to get too sappy) warms my heart. Over 300 people in my district along care enough to drop over six hours of their Saturday gathering, discussing issues, and getting behind candidates and issues.

And now that I know more about this process, I'm sure that when the next caucus rolls around I'll feel comfortable sending other volunteers to spend their Saturdays as delegates. It's an experience anyone who lives in a caucusing state should have, and I certainly wouldn't want to stand in anyone's way.

Caucusing: an experiment (part 2)

2008-03-02T10:53:00.000-08:00

I arrived at Humboldt High School at 9 am, opening the heavy gymnasium doors to chaos. Campaign volunteers proferring stickers and information about the U.S. senate candidates provided a cushion between the doors and the melee of delegates waiting to register. I made my way through, dodging all stickers, and found what seemed to be the end of the line.

Since the democratic presidential candidate had already been chosen by straw poll on Super Tuesday, the focus of the day rested on the U.S. senate campaigns - Mike Ciresi, Al Franken, and Jack Nelson Pallmeyer.

I found my ward and precinct rows and took a seat. I had planned to blog during the caucus experiment, but my bout as secretary on super tuesday made me gunshy about bringing my laptop along. And so, here are the highlights:

10am: By this time, most delegates are seated and we are into the agenda. Elected officials McCollum, Clark, and Pappas speak. I feel bad that I just dumped Sandy Pappas from my Minnesota Fantasy Legislature team, because she seems like such a dedicated lawmaker. A dedicated lawmaker does not necessarily make a good MFL team member, as she is active but not a prolific in the point scoring area. Pappas just notes that she is fighting her second round of bronchitis. Maybe that is why she is not scoring very many points. Mike Ciresi, one of the candidates for the U.S. senate position, takes a turn speaking - kind of reminds me of Joe Pesci. We move on with the rules and the agenda and nominating people to go to the state convention.

11am: Jack Nelson Pallmeyer speaks, and in the same vain kind of reminds me of a white haired Mel Gibson.

Photo from jackforsenate.org

At the end of his speech, he mentions that his supporters are gathering outside the auditorium in the cafeteria for a strategy session. This peaks my interest - what is the strategy for caucusing and when will we get to it? We are solidly two hours into this, and I have yet to actively caucus for a candidate or issue.

I head out to the strategy session. Now this is fascinating stuff. The group is going to caucus in several different groups and merge if needed. They would start with one vague group called 'Jack Nelson Pallmeyer/End the Occupation/Restore our Hope.' Another would subcaucus as 'Obama/Nelson Pallmeyer/Education.' A third would subcaucus as 'Nelson Pallmeyer/Single Payer Health Care.' We were to gravitate to one of these at subcaucus time, and try to recruit our neighbors in the time between now and the subcaucus period. The goal would be to get about 22 delegates so that each group would be viable. The leaders of the group urge us to appoint runners - people who go talk to the uncommitted groups and try to persuade them to merge with one of the three Nelson Pallmeyer groups.

noon: Am back in my auditorium seat, and take meager satisfaction in having found the stow-away desk that are ubiquitous to student chairs in auditoriums. And, the left side is available. I take a look at the resolutions - there are 110 - and decide which ones I am going to support or not support. Some of the resolutions are well-reasoned attempts at immigration reform. Others are vague, such as: "Supports the the six strategies to end poverty in Minnesota." What the hell does that mean? This type of resolution is irksome in its vagueness. Still others are just dumb - things that I do not want my elected officials dealing with, such as "make sure that cities have a single contact person appointed to receive calls about removing shoes from power lines." Really?

1pm: More agenda, more rules, more appointing people for the state convention, punctuated by rally speeches by elected officials. Am sad that I didn't start the day with a tally of how many times Paul Wellstone's name was invoked. I head outside the auditorium to grab lunch. Shortly after I return, Al Franken takes the stage to get us fired up. Al Franken reminds me of, well, Al Franken.

Photo from Alfranken.com

He's serious here, though, and he makes the case for why we should caucus for him. It is clear that the crowd loves him. Al Franken is good at being inspiring. When Franken is finished, he lays the microphone on the podium and leaps off the stage to the floor - a six foot drop that he manages well for someone who is not a 20 year old campaign volunteer.

Caucusing: an experiment

2008-03-02T04:29:00.000-08:00

On Super Tuesday, Feb 5, I headed over to my caucus to cast a vote in the democratic straw poll. I stuck around to see what caucusing at my ward level was all about. Originally, I had planned to write about it (since I've never met a political process that didn't interest me, at least). 'Because what the hell is a caucus and what goes on at one?' I thought.

But within minutes of opening my laptop in at the greasy pizzeria table where I was seated, an open call for a secretary for the evening went out, and 'you, with the laptop' was chosen. Fine - this will give me a chance to learn more about the process, I thought.

And so, we went forward with the caucusing - whatever that was. In one part of the room, people kept streaming in to fill out their presidential straw poll ballots. A large number of people who chose to stay around for the caucus part were much like me - new to the process and curious about it. We new people hung out in the food court while our ward leaders, the veterans of the process, busied the group with rules and nominations (calls for volunteers, really) to go to the district caucuses as delegates. I volunteered, curious to see what the district caucusing would be like. After gathering volunteers, we moved on to the most interesting part of the process at the ward level - the proposing of resolutions.

Our ward heard three resolutions - two on eradicating homelessness and one on immigration reform. The person proposing the resolution read it aloud, and then the group discussed it. What a great thing, I thought. Here we are - a group of my neighbors and I - discussing these issues. We talked about the resolutions, decided on a couple changes to them, approved them, and left.

Having volunteered to be a delegate, my next step was to show up on March 1 at Humboldt High School for the district caucus.

good news//bad news//no news

2008-02-28T20:08:00.000-08:00

GOOD NEWS: Rob and I are going to try our Ghana trip again this March!

BAD NEWS: Missed my bookbinding class due to bad roads (from the Alberta Clipper) and a large amount of work to do.

NO NEWS ... on any airlines merging with any other airlines.

The Naked Violin

2008-02-26T18:21:00.000-08:00

Driving to work this morning, I was so excited to hear an NPR story about Tasmin Little's latest album and project, The Naked Violin. Little takes classical music a step further by providing commentary on the music you are hearing (which you have the option of downloading for free.)

Photo from www.tasminlittle.org.uk

In addition to making her music and commentary available for free online, she is taking her show on the road to unlikely places like malls, festivals, oil rigs, and banks. Little proposes a three part challenge to listeners: 1) Download her latest album for free, 2) get to know the music, and 3) go to a concert or buy a classical music CD. If you still don't feel compelled to go to a concert or buy a CD, then write her and tell her why.

Here is my challenge to Tasmin Little: Come to the Indiana Fiddlers' Gathering in Battle Ground, Indiana on the weekend of June 27th and 28th, 2008. I bet my mom would even let you stay at her house. Draw comparisons between bluegrass and classical. People would love it and I think you would, too.

Fashion week at my house

2008-02-25T09:06:00.000-08:00

"It was nice to have a place and time to talk about fashion and what looks good. I'd feel shallow if we were talking about the stuff we normally talk about and all of a sudden I broke in with, 'how does this shirt look on me?'"

I'm paraphrasing here, but what my friend Kristyn said was true. I am not alone in my reticence to spend time thinking about fashion or talking about fashion with my friends. It doesn't appear to matter at work, where khakis and a sweater have been my uniform since it first got cold (switching to turtleneck sweaters for Alberta clippers). One day my male coworkers noticed I was wearing earrings. That was a topic of conversation.

So, when an opportunity to hold a fashion party came my way, I ducked. Other themes were available - a wine tasting? Sure! A chef coming to my house to demonstrate chef-ly things? Fine, if he or she is okay with my electric range. Of course, I asked you all (via the poll) and you said 'fashion!' (all three of you unanimously shouted it into cyberspace). So I did it. Among wine, food, and fashion, fashion is the thing I know least about and secretly admire. (I'll cop to reading the NYTimes Sunday Style section first). I got in touch with a few people in town who wanted to learn about fashion and wanted free face soap (more on that later), and there was (magically) a theme AND partygoers.

And so, we had fashion week at my house.

Enter Sara Rogers.

-*Cue 'Chelsea Rogers' from Prince's Planet Earth album. A model/used to be a role model...*-

Sara is Mall of America's Trend Specialist. She arrived at my building Saturday afternoon with a suitcase on rollers and a large black tote bag full of shoes. As Sara set up, my friends continued to arrive. Some came dressed for the [fashion] event - or maybe they were just stylish to begin with. I don't know.

The people who showed up stylishly dressed all got nods from Sara - clearly, Sara's suggestions were helpful and they gathered useful information about trends in the upcoming seasons. Then, there were the fashion hungry. One friend thought the fashion party invitation I sent her was a joke. Another friend of mine is a high school teacher who deliberately buys her pants two sizes bigger to avoid stares from teenage students. Several people I invited work in government or with all men - environments where fashion seems to be discouraged.

Sara presented the fashion trends for spring. Yellow, bold colors, navy, frilly stuff, and gauzy fabrics flew off the standing rack next to Sara as she described each trend. All watched silently - the most fashionable among us took notes. Then, we began with the second half of the presentation. Sara consulted with each of us as we took turns presenting one piece of clothing we loved and wore often and another we loved but didn't know how to wear. This part was the most helpful part to the most people.

I won't tell you what Sara told me about the pair of jeans I had bought in France out of desperation. She was right. Also, I brought out my favorite travel skirt. Sara vetoed it - understandably so. But it is my favorite. Can I part with this? I could turn it into a couch pillow, but I think I'll just keep wearing it (don't tell Sara).

Sara patiently fields my desperate questions:

How to make a squirt gun alarm clock

2008-02-24T20:59:00.000-08:00

PUSH conference

2008-02-18T17:03:00.000-08:00

I had coffee with my friend and fellow CRC board member Chamath this weekend, and he told me about this conference I should definitely attend, the PUSH conference.

I like their description:

Discover
the "unconference,"
a must-attend event
for business leaders
around the globe.

Discover
Why polarization never looked so good;

Why - as happens at the beginning
of all new life - it's a necessary process
for a world in transition;

and why
the “space between”
an old world and one just emerging is

a fertile delta

for smart business models
and partnerships
that serve this new reality.

Discover
your future
at PUSH

6.15 thru 6.17
3 days
20 extraordinary experts and innovators
350 people ∞ possibilities

___

See? Kind of like poetry. Only a description.

Of course he says 'Delta' and I think 'merger', which wasn't where the conversation needed to go at all. But when it came to the cost to go to the conference, I wasn't sure I could hack it. At all. And I don't think my employer would pay for it. What a list of presenters, though.

Isn't it a little soon for this?

2008-02-13T07:04:00.000-08:00

It's an *interesting* feeling checking your email at work and seeing that a local radio show has chosen the demise of your company as its latest topic. The light and airy show has asked participants to write a eulogy for Northwest.

They write:

Ready for Delt-West?

It's not a done deal, but it seems possible that a merger with Delta could mean the end of the Northwest brand (and its headquarters here in the Twin Cities). Whether you're a frequent or infrequent traveler, whether you love the Red Tail or despise "Northworst," we'd love to collect some reactions. Most of all, we'd love for you to try your hand at a eulogy for our hometown carrier.

Alberta clipper

2008-02-12T08:06:00.000-08:00

Alberta clipper

Best ideas

2008-02-11T11:52:00.000-08:00

"The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas."

--Linus Pauling,
Nobel Prize-winning scientist

__________
Okay, maybe that weekend of just taking it easy and getting stuff done was all worth it. This morning I came up with the BEST IDEA. It's so brilliant, I just can't stand it. It's rare that I come up with an idea this good. Okay, I'll get over myself. But I think a part of coming up with this idea was taking it easy this weekend.

Temperature Affective Disorder

2008-02-11T08:05:00.000-08:00

Whew. I'd like to take a moment to apologize for the previous depressing post. It was -5 (and I've stopped paying attention to the wind chill factor) yesterday. The days are getting longer and while there is such a thing as seasonal affective disorder, I think I have identified a different problem - temperature affective disorder.

Temperature Affective Disorder (TAD) originated in International Falls, MN (renowned as often the coldest place in the United States - even colder than Alaska). Natives of International Falls put a name to it when they noticed that as temperatures fell below 0 degrees Fahrenheit, depression and listlessness among the International Falls locals increased. In essence, there is a direct, linear relationship between temperatures falling from a base of 0 degrees Fahrenheit and cases of TAD. Cases of TAD have been found throughout the northern parts of these northern states where there is not much to do, and cases have been found in the lower parts of these northern states often at the onset of an Alberta Clipper.

Natives of International Falls and other northern places where TAD is common usually self-medicate by retreating to ice houses with a case of Huber or Grainbelt Premium (depending on the state). Outside of the safe ice house and in metropolitan areas, brandy old-fashioneds are frequently consumed to ward off TAD. TAD in the work place is successfully fought with large quantities of green tea and hot cocoa. Those affected by TAD are encouraged to move closer to windows in order to seek sunlight as often as possible.

Radio silence

2008-02-10T19:38:00.000-08:00

The weekend of crossing things off the list and preparing for the week has ended. In a few hours, the vacuum will be turned off and another vacuum will turn on. Is this any way to live? I don't think so. And it is cold. Really cold. My head froze off and rolled down the street as I made my way back from coffee and board talk with my friend John this morning. This is no way to live.

We've got to get out of here...

(On the upside, I did make some great food to eat during the busy week, and we did get to see our friends Sasha and Alexandra. So it wasn't a complete waste of a weekend).

2008-02-08T08:38:00.000-08:00

I could use a book writing machine. I'm in luck - one has been invented. Actually, I could use a first-draft-novel-editing machine. I wonder if that is an option.

Five unrelated things

2008-02-07T21:02:00.000-08:00

1. Basecamp. My new favorite useful thing on the web.

2. Spa brawl - calling it like she sees it.

3. Manifestos. Maybe I need one of my own. Maybe I already have one of my own and I don't know it. Here is my favorite from this site so far.

4. Political brawl. Again, calling it like she sees it.

5. Movies. I have not seen any movies recently. I'd like to see Juno and Four Months, Three Weeks and Two Days. Other suggestions?

Minnesota Fantasy Legislature is back!

2008-02-04T21:53:00.000-08:00

That's right! The MFL is back again just in time for the 2008 MN state legislative session. MN Public Radio (the sponsors of MFL) has doubled the field this year, increasing the number of leagues from two to four. I am in the green league, and the name of my team this year will be the Lunchroom Pundits. I've briefed my lunchroom friends about the excitement of MFL, and I am hoping they'll weigh in from time to time. Who knows - if we get into it, maybe we can have weekly strategy sessions over Thursday chili or buffalo chicken salad. Having input from others will be fun - last year I went it alone as Wonk Cubed.

Late last year I was headed to Chicago one Saturday to meet up with Rob after classes. On the flight over I sat next to a work acquaintance, Renee. We talked about work and life outside of work for awhile, and at some point I put it all together - where did she say her parents lived? What did her dad do again? "Holy cow!" I exclaimed. "Your dad is Sheldon Johnson!" She looked at me quizzically and affirmed. "Your dad was an all-star on my Minnesota Fantasy Legislature team last year!"

Oh, the embarrassment. For some fun-loving embarrassment of your own, sign up here for your very own team (if Minnesota politics are interesting to you).

Minnesota likes Obama

2008-02-03T21:29:00.000-08:00

PHOTO BY BJORN MARKESON

This was the view after Bjorn and I rounded the first corner of a long journey to the Target Center for Saturday's Obama rally. Do you see those buildings in the distance? That's where we were headed. Once we got to the end of the line it took us a couple hours to get inside. The line we were in (which was one of a few) stretched nearly two miles, and for awhile the line of people headed to the end of the line closed off a lane of traffic. When we finally got into the Target Center (capacity ~20k), it filled up quickly with less than 100 seats vacant when the rally began.
The rally was fantastic. I was glad to be there, glad to hear what he was saying, and inspired by how many other people had made it out to the event to hear what I was hearing.
And now that Garrison Keillor (of 'A Prairie Home Companion' fame) has endorsed Obama, it is hard to imagine Minnesota itself not going his way. Super Tuesday is nearly here, so I guess we'll find out soon enough.

But not so fast! Hillary Clinton made her way to Minnesota today. Romney fell into the welcoming arms of an Edina realty office yesterday. Stops in other states have found Romney at weird places like car dealerships - does anyone else find that weird?

This is beginning to seem like the days leading up to Christmas, only it's much more serious. For now, I'll listen to some Super Tuesday music while counting down the hours until Super Tuesday.

Caucusing - it's not just for townies anymore

2008-01-31T19:53:00.000-08:00

Do you live in Minnesota? If so, are you caucusing on super duper Tuesday? Very excited to do this myself, as have only participated in primaries. But this can't be that much different - same importance, but different process, right?

Here is what I understand about the process so far:

1. I go to my caucus site (which is conveniently located in the atrium next to a neighborhood bar) on Tuesday night.

2. I find the corner of the room that corresponds with the candidate I want to support.

3. I might be able to do all this with a pint of Flat Earth brew in my hand - I can't imagine the political process getting better than that, really.

So, if you live in my neighborhood in Minnesota, then come hang out with me in the atrium next to Loto on Tuesday night. If you don't live in my neighborhood, go to the Secretary of State website to find your caucus location.

P.S. - Stay tuned for the allthebestideas 2008 presidential election straw poll.

Ice shanty art 2008

2008-01-29T21:22:00.000-08:00

Ice shanty art 2006 was a blast, so I was very excited to be reminded of the event this year. Bjorn, Rob and I made a trip out to Medicine Lake on Sunday to walk around on a frozen lake and check out the ice shanties.

It was warm here on Sunday - in the 20s. Now, it is -12 outside.

Time for school.

2008-01-28T20:08:00.000-08:00

Rob is back in school now. Saturdays are a whirlwind of commuting, classmates, and coursework for him. For me, Saturdays are mostly filled with projects and chores with the occasional trip to somewhere else. These photos remind me of when we traveled as much as possible this summer. It's going to be negative degrees here again soon. I went to San Francisco this weekend to meet up with my sisters. That was fun. I've got to get out of here.

Resolution #4: Don't stop/ Believin' ...

2008-01-24T07:40:00.000-08:00

... believin' in the best ideas, that is.

All the BEST IDEAS of 2007

January 2007 - Not getting chosen to run a marathon at the north pole.
February 2007 - Minnesota Fantasy Legislature, yo!
March 2007 - How can jello wrestling be anything but a great idea? It is fabulous, and so is connecting with friends from awhile ago.
April 2007 - Getting a new job that is fascinating and has taught me so much.
May 2007 - having seen the beginning and end of bankruptcy at nwa.
June 2007 - Gettin' ma' paws on a new fiddle.
July 2007 - Having family and friends over to celebrate holy matrimony at an appropriate altitude. Also, celebrating a whole year of being married to a great guy.
August 2007 - The half-ironman triathlon (even if it did result in nearly four months of blissful sloth).
September 2007 - Going to France.
October 2007 - The two person potluck (co-developed with friend and colleague Shalaka)
November 2007 - Writing 50,000 words that kind of flowed together into a story with actual subplots.
December 2007 - getting my thoughts out about giving.

Resolution #3: Avoid dumb ideas.

2008-01-22T21:29:00.000-08:00

Resolution #3: Be judicious when choosing among 'really great ideas'

The title of this blog is not 'all the bad ideas'. With that out of the way, let's do a recap of the bad ideas that have been floating around in the pool, so to speak.

January 2007 - Running a marathon at the North Pole: Clearly, a panel of judges thought better of sending me to the North Pole to run a marathon. Thank you, judges. I barely made it back to the car after my 1/2 mile swim tonight. Did I mention it is -80F here?!

February 2007 - Vegetarian hot dish. This dish is simply not meant to NOT include sausage, venison, beef, lamb, turkey, pheasant, pork, or some
combination of these. This concoction tasted like, well, a bad idea.

March 2007 - Stuck in the Indy airport with three children. I love these young cousins of mine, and so I still wonder why I would have thought to have subjected them to the fine experience of standby airline employee travel. That terminal still gives me the chills.

April 2007 - hot dish redux. Why? When in Rome? Come on.

May 2007 - Thinking that there is only one new day at nwa. Let's not underestimate: It is always a new day at nwa.

June 2007 - This is the month of only good ideas. I traveled all over the place (Madison, Fairbanks, Detroit, Battleground, and all the way over to Minneapolis. There is nothing wrong with getting the hell out of Dodge.

July 2007 - July is full of good ideas, but is host to shadowing of bad ideas to come. When do you know if you've taken on too much (for instance, hosting all of your friends and family all while trying to train for a half-ironman triathlon?

August 2007 - Sloth. It started with the antithesis of sloth - a half-ironman. The race itself was a good idea. Not training correctly was the bad idea. Sloth ensued, and it is going to take awhile to completely chase sloth away.

September 2007 - sometimes bad ideas come to others. Unfortunately, the idea that came to a visitor to my city was to rip a head off a live duck. WTF, mate?

October 2007 - doing jack for blog action day, even though I had the pretentious banner on my blog.

November 2007 - There is nothing wrong with spending a month concentrating on writing a novel. I did it. I still have to edit it, but I am proud to have finished.

December 2007 - December is just full of good things. I wish I had sent out holiday cards, but what would you have done with that piece of cardstock anyway?

Oranges and chocolate (and an airplane)

2008-01-21T19:54:00.000-08:00

Oranges on a window sill
Alexandra's blog about art

The Chocolate Note
Yummy chocolate blog I just found

Orangette another food blog

And an A380 I saw landing in Toulouse

Poll results - if one of these fabulous things...

2008-01-21T19:31:00.000-08:00

Results

If one of these things fell in your lap, which one would you choose?

2 votes: Organic wine tasting and cheese party
3 votes: Personal chef demonstration/lesson of healthy and easy appetizers
5 votes: Personal fashion stylist to demonstrate how to build a fabulous wardrobe and wear the latest trends

Why ask a question like this? Because one of these things has fallen into my lap. Actually, I have to choose one of these and invite people to my house so they can do one of these things and get free stuff. There a few rules. First, no boys allowed (sorry boys). Second, you have to be willing to accept free facial cleanser products that will soon be available in stores. Who will be in Saint Paul in February? Let me know.

Resolution #2: Be nice to the republicans.

2008-01-18T21:28:00.000-08:00

Resolution #2: Be nice to the republicans.

I will go caucus on Feb 5. I will go phone bank and canvas my neighborhood when it isn't -80F outside. I will be involved, and I'll donate actual money to the campaign of my choice. None of that support will be for a republican candidate. HOWEVER. These folks are coming to my town in early September, and the little burg of Saint Paul will be on display for all to see. I spend most of my volunteer hours trying to make my town a better place. So, if RNC = money/influence, and money/influence = good press for my town, then that is something toward which I'm willing to work.

The thing is that all of these people are making the trip here. Why do they do that? On a very basic level, they do it to support a candidate, and they support a candidate because they believe that candidate is the ticket to a better/at least somewhat improved world. Hey wait - I want a better/at least somewhat improved world. And so do they? And they are willing to get involved and spend their time and money going after this better/at least somewhat improved world? You don't say. As it happens, we just have completely different views on what that world looks like. (Don't believe me? Take this quiz - you may have more in common with the other gals/guys than you think).

They do deserve some credit. They're involved. They're showing up. That's more than most people in this country do. Enough about that.

Chinese New Year's resolutions

2008-01-18T19:52:00.000-08:00

Putting off making new year's resolutions sounds lame (but more or less lame than making them in the first place - you decide), but it may have been for the best. 2007 ended so fast that I hardly had time to think about resolutions. Apparently very few who read the New York Times make resolutions, because they are just too cool for that kind of thing. I, on the other hand, will always make time for this half-of-the-time fruitless ritual. That's the wrong way to look at it - here: I'll always make time for this sometimes-very-fruitful annual tradition.

Resolution #1: Always look on the bright side of life.

Got it.

Okay. The thing that is truly great about waiting to make new year's resolutions is that you get to see and hear and read about all of the resolutions your friends and colleagues made. And the time between 1/1 and 2/7 is the perfect amount to assess whether your friends and colleagues have stuck with these resolutions.

First, check out the state's contribution to new year's resolutions. Am I comfortable with them being involved in this way? Maybe it doesn't matter because these pale in comparison to the resolutions my friends and acquaintances and colleagues have made.

Adrienne's intentions are true. Note to self: check in on Feb 6 (after caucus, but before Chinese new year).

Dear Bree-whoever-you-are/friend of ANP's: I love your blog and read it all the time. I also like your new year's resolutions and hope you don't find that creepy. (But I hope you will find it less creepy than the state giving tips and pointers about new year's resolutions).

Meg relied on her more-than-one-decade-old agenda book as tea leaves for her future resolutions. Nice work, Meg! I love your visionary list, especially.

Fortune cookie

2008-01-17T19:25:00.000-08:00

"Sell your ideas -- they have exceptional merit."
(Fortune cookie from birthday lunch at favorite dim sum place today)

Lo... when I log into bigthink.com it says I have zero ideas.

I am idea poor, and this is a sad, sad thing. I am also (by some property- either transitive or associative or distributative) --meritless.

Things we saw on the plane

2008-01-17T18:43:00.000-08:00

To and from Bangkok, Rob and I enjoyed some down time on the plane. If a trip goes well, then the getting there and back parts are a relatively small part of the overall excursion. There were some things worth mentioning, though.

I love the way Ruth Reichl describes food. Comfort Me with Apples and Garlic and Sapphires are kind of a vehicle for these great descriptions. Comfort Me with Apples takes Ruth from an early 70's utopic commune to life as a real-live food critic.

Garlic and Sapphires takes Ruth from LA to the New York Times. This sequel is still full of great food descriptions, but this one chronicles her many disguises used to fool restaurant personnel.

Tender at the Bone is the great first book of this series.

And I'm probably the last person to have listened to Prince's Planet Earth, but it rocks and I love it. Glad to have discovered it. Pick it up if you haven't yet.

So many things to talk about!

2008-01-15T09:29:00.000-08:00

First, I'm thrilled about Big Think. Their tagline: We are what you think. The NY Times referred to it as YouTube for adults. (Which is good, because I was wondering when official adults would get their own version...)

Second, think I'll head to the library to check out 45 Things You Do that Drive Your Boss Crazy. Am desperately wondering if I do any of these, and would like to correct as soon as possible. Or it is just another great excuse to head down to the St. Paul Public Library.

Third, am looking forward to hearing more about what prospective developers have in store for the Mississippi River riverfront stretch that now contains a jail and a vacant building. I hope they can incorporate the art museum there.

Fourth, I am going to caucus! I have never done this before (haven't been a resident for all that long). Are you with me? I almost (almost) don't care who you caucus for as long as we're getting involved.

All the best ideas welcomes... a third column!

2008-01-13T13:47:00.000-08:00

Whew. Construction is over. Or it is just beginning. One thing is for sure - there are now three (count 'em three) columns on my blog.

There are several reasons I have been thinking about adding a third column. Mostly, it is incentive to post other things of interest when I don't have much else to say. So, there will always be something to see at allthebestideas.blogspot.com.

And I wanted to see if I could do it.

And this is my picture of Buddha toes.

IF YOU CAN READ THIS...

2008-01-11T15:11:00.000-08:00

... YOU SHOULD QUIT STRAINING YOUR EYES. WE'RE UNDER CONSTRUCTION, SO PLEASE COME BACK SOON.

Whew. small interesting disaster averted. Must play more.

update - OW pardon the dust.

Nope, still a disaster.

Good non-profit sector read

2008-01-10T13:38:00.001-08:00

Great article from the Stanford Social Innovation Review:
Preparing the Next Generation of Non-Profit Leaders

Miss Manners in the air

2008-01-08T09:40:00.000-08:00

I sent this article to myself as a reminder to check out these manners videos. I am curious - has anyone watched them (either on computer or on an inflight entertainment system? Should there be a code of conduct? Are tips like this helpful? Any funny experiences to share?
______
Flying Friendlier Skies? Delta Offers Videos On Manners – AP
By Daniel Yee

Article Last Updated: 12/15/2007 06:05:50 PM CST

Volumes have been written about how to properly behave at weddings or which fork to use at fancy dinners. But when it comes to dealing with the neighboring passenger who hogs precious airline arm space or the unruly kid who won't pipe down on crowded flights, there's precious little out there.

Until now. Delta Air Lines Inc. is trying to raise awareness of behavior in the air by creating an animated series of videos showing passengers confronted with delicate social situations.

The Atlanta-based company is rolling out "Planeguage: The Language of Traveling by Plane," a series of 25 humorous videos the airline has posted online and introduced on flights this month.

"We understand what you go through as a traveler," said Tim Mapes, Delta's vice president of marketing. "These videos can reinforce, 'Hey, you don't want to be that guy.' "

The snippets include "Middleman," about the middle-seat bully; "Kidtastrophe," depicting unruly tots on planes; "Lav Dance," about the person who bumps into everyone in the airplane aisle while returning from the lavatory; and "Shady Lady," about the passenger who raises or closes the window shade without considering other passengers.

The videos, which were created after Delta officials heard customers talk about experiences aboard planes, are meant to "help raise travelers' consciousness about what it means to be good travel companions," said spokeswoman Betsy Talton.

Airlines and customers have differed on what it means to be a good traveler. Southwest Airlines Co. was criticized for telling a young woman in July her outfit was too revealing to fly. Chief Executive Gary Kelly issued an apology to Kyla Ebbert that was read on "The Dr. Phil Show."

"We expect our employees to use good judgment, common sense and good taste, and we feel if our customers do the same, we won't have issues on board a flight," said Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz, who said his airline may consider following Delta's lead. "Good judgment serves everyone well ... usually you can find common ground."

Part of the problem is airlines haven't properly educated the public on what to expect aboard a plane, said Andrew Thomas, an assistant professor of inter-national business at the University of Akron and an author of books on air travel and security. And growth in air travel has meant thousands of new passengers who have never been in the air, he said.

"The airlines have finally caught on to the fact that the amount of people traveling, especially the amount of people who haven't traveled before is exponentially rising," Thomas said. "There has to be some kind of (process) where people can become familiar with the travel experience and hopefully not while in flight."

The move has won praise from Anna Post - the great-great-granddaughter of etiquette icon Emily Post - who said the videos could be an effective way to teach passengers how to better fly friendly skies.

"The more aware people are about how their actions affect others, the better the chances are that they'll make more of an effort to be considerate," said Post, who leads business etiquette seminars at The Emily Post Institute in Burlington, Vt.

"The times when I see rudeness happening is when I don't see people being self-aware. It's great to see an airline acknowledge they understand the crazy situations passengers go through."

What we wanted to see and what we got to see in BKK.

2008-01-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

The truth is we really were only there for two days. We had planned to stay longer, but flying standby has its pros and cons. Flights were looking bad - we turned back early.

But not before we saw everything we wanted to see in Bangkok.

Buddha: We saw Buddhas in every size and shape. Gilded, emerald, large, reclining, small, sitting upright. Buddha and the ornate structures that shelter him are both beautiful to see. Wat Pho and the Grand Palace were my favorites.

Food: From street stalls to floating markets, Rob and I were obsessed with trying new food. Fresh papaya salad was the best I've ever tasted.

Water: Bangkok relies partly on a system of canals. So, we took a boat tour while we were there so that I could get my river fix.

I love the word innovate

2008-01-03T22:07:00.000-08:00

... and I want to be captain hook. I'd also like to assume nothing and start from that point.

Welcome to this edition of ma' back yard

2008-01-03T21:58:00.000-08:00

Mayor Coleman! Jerry called me a squishy liberal again. Make him stop!

This weekend: Bangkok

2008-01-03T17:33:00.001-08:00

On December 28 2007 Rob and I cut out of work a little early to catch the Minneapolis to Tokyo flight with Bangkok as our final destination in mind. We flew Thai Airways the next day from Tokyo to Bangkok, landing around 4pm and settling into a dingy room on the Khao San - a street favored by the Lonely Planet guides as backpackers' haven/legitimate place to stay in order to access everything.

'Everything' (meaning the temples and other things we wanted to see) routinely closes at 5pm, so at 6pm after we had settled in we had little to do but roam the streets and survey the famous supply and quality of Bangkok food stalls. A great styrofoam container of pad thai could be found at every turn. If you are there, try it.

The next day at 5am, we were wide awake and trolling the guidebooks for something to do at that hour. Books that Rob and i have read don't do things by hour of day and I think it would be a great addition to include something like this. We raced through Bangkok streets in the back of a tuk-tuk to Lumphini park and exited the crazed little vehicle around 6am.

Once in the park, we walked around its expansive and beautiful grounds. Rob and I turned a corner and faced an exuberant wall of disco music. We looked left to find more than 100 people doing disco aerobics. They were all sporting butter yellow short-sleeved polo shirts (J Crew take note, dontcha kno) with the King's insignia embroidered on the right breast pocket to celebrate the King's 80th birthday.

Feeling too odd observing the mass aerobics, I jumped in and did my best while Rob walked around and took photos. If aerobicizers noticed a big farang joining in the flashdance festivities, they pretended not to - this was great. A guard passed by, appraised my performance (read: breasteses), and gave me a thumbs-up.

More about Bangkok later. I am out to go experience some fake culture now at a restaurant named 'Chino Latino'. More on this later.

Happy new year!

2008-01-02T07:46:00.001-08:00

"Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man." - Ben Franklin

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

2007-12-25T20:59:00.000-08:00

Giving

2007-12-23T08:25:00.000-08:00

In my former life as a fund development consultant, I wrote grant proposals all the time and drafted countless direct mail letters on behalf of the organizations that hired me. When I became tired of doing that, I went to school to learn more about how to measure whether these organizations were actually making a difference or not. Some day, I'll get back to that. In between here and there, I have and will continue to generate my share of grant proposals and end-of-year contribution appeals. In the past month, I've written a proposal for money to pay for public art bike racks around my local farmers' market and an end of year letter for my boat club. I have finally gotten out of the habit of saving the other end-of-year letters in an idea file. And, I have finally relinquished the urge to track the yield of the letters I write. But it will still make my day to hear that my proposal is funded (if it is).

Over the past month, it has been driven home several times: This is the emotional side of money. Maybe people who give small amounts or any amount don't care how the organization does what they do or how effective they are. People who give have an affinity for the causes they support but not necessarily an awareness of the effectiveness of the organizations that work toward that cause. People give, and in return they get to feel as though they have accomplished something. Really they have helped someone else accomplish something, and we don't really know how well the someone else accomplished anything.

In truth, many non-profit leaders and employees- the someone elses who are accomplishing things - come to the organization through a similar passion as the person who gives money. The passion, which manifests itself in involvement, is often the way that people become employees at non-profits. While laudable, involvement doesn't necessarily make the person employed the best person for the job. Passion usually does not directly translate to efficacy.

So, these vehicles of social change - who is driving them? We fuel them with our money and volunteer hours. And who is drawing the maps that show point A and point B, cause and effect? How do we know if the route we're fueling is the right one? Is it through measurement, or can we really go by our emotions? Judging by the roads that are often used, we have been using mostly emotion to guide us closer to point B.

I will still give money to the boathouse and the CapitolRiver Council because I am involved with them. Those gifts of money and hours are more self-serving than charitable.

Not to harp on something that has already been done, but who do you give to and why? What do you think drives social change, and how much is the non-profit sector actually a part of that? Could the non-profit sector be retooled? Could charitable giving laws be retooled to encourage more efficient and effective giving? Who would you choose to measure non-profits? Hedge fund veterans or ivory tower consortiums? (Or me?) Email me or post a comment.

White elephant gift exchange

2007-12-20T08:31:00.000-08:00

It's not often that people think of writing a thank you for a white elephant gift. But the gift I brought to the office holiday party yesterday elicited this thoughtful email:

Dear Mrs. Skinner,

I am writing to inform you that I did in fact receive your Christmas present. After opening the box, the contents brought back memories of my recent visit to the Louvre in Paris and the Parthenon in Greece. This metallic sculpture of the womb with the green candle (green symbolizing new beginnings) representing life took my breath away. I can only compare this magnificent artistic work with a piece by Rodin that hangs in gallery 29 wing 4 of the Louvre. In fact, the additional Christmas candle can also be interpreted to be the womb of the Virgin Mary.

I have sent this delicate piece of art to Sothebys for a thorough appraisal. And I fully intend to display this in my high-security apartment till I can donate it to the Smithsonian so future generations can also enjoy this.

Regards,

Rohan

Pacific Yield Management

One thing about that trip to France

2007-12-15T07:50:00.000-08:00

I forgot to pack pants. I only packed skirts. It worked for awhile, but at the end of the trip I was getting antsy. I needed to wear pants. So I went out and found a pair of jeans at C&A for cheap. It is a good idea to pack at least one pair of pants.

Update 2:

2007-12-14T12:33:00.000-08:00

2:30pm. The gunner groups (or at least the larger groups) have performed the main event of the day - lunch. The contenders: Cafe Rouge Brasserie, Mama Crystal's Bistro, and Guitar Pricers (which was an exact replica of a rec room in someone's basement. I believe Guitar Hero is still going strong in there).
Consensus on the superior lunch offering will be reached once everyone emerges from group food coma. It really is disturbing how quiet it becomes from 1pm until the dessert groups start setting up at 2pm. It iss as if we have all brought out our carpet squares and have curled up in our cubes for a nap. But things are starting to liven up again. If I stand up, I can see a large patio umbrella sheltering food (from what?) and creating ambiance. A maddening hot cheese smell is wafting over my cube wall, and this is easily enough to drive me out for a walk elsewhere.

Grazing Day update

2007-12-14T07:46:00.000-08:00

9:46am. The lights have begun to flicker as more crockpots and griddles overtax our building's old circuitry.The magnanimity of this event is beginning to set in. Barring last year's grazing day event, this is the largest potluck I have ever attended.

Breakfast recap: Cranberry walnut sausages, fruit, yogurt, and a gingerbread man from domestic yield management, and a solid cup of joe from reservations. Bruno and I skipped over the French pastries offered up by alliances, mostly due to lack of information.

Grazing day

2007-12-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

Today is grazing day. For my contribution I have brought Rubschlager pumpernickel cocktail breads to go with my co-worker Bruno's wasabi tuna salad.

Bruno, my other co-worker Harold and I are affiliated with one of five appetizer groups that make up grazing day, our time slots evenly split between morning appetizers and afternoon appetizers. There are three breakfast groups, four lunch groups, and three beverage and dessert groups.

Hours of preparation have gone into making this day possible. Conference rooms have been booked, crockpots have been cleaned and tested, buffalo chicken dip has been made. Executives have booked their flights home early or have chosen to take the day off so as not to witness the unashamed displays of productivity loss.

Instead of meeting in conference rooms or cubes today, people have set up grazing meetings where they walk and talk and eat. Fuses blow due to the influx of crockpots, so people who do have electricity today save early and often.

53 places to go in 2008

2007-12-09T20:05:00.000-08:00

I was excited about the NYTimes travel section in the Sunday paper. The 53 places to go in 2008 were beckoning. But when I picked it up I realized they weren't targeting me at all. They were targeting people who care about hotels. If there is a new fancy hotel going up in a random location, then that random location made the list. And that is great for that location, but I just don't care that much about big fancy hotels.

The thing that was more exciting to me was the best ideas of 2007.

All of this got me thinking. What about my best places to go in 2008? What about my best ideas of 2007? I think it is time you readers sit down together at a four-top somewhere and have your say. So, be prepared to vote early and often next week as I use and abuse blogger's polling function.

This weekend: Chicago

2007-12-08T07:28:00.000-08:00

Rob is taking a final exam this afternoon, and after that I am going to meet him downtown near the Gleacher Center and we are going to celebrate the end of the quarter. There are more exciting things to celebrate for others with regard to this program - Mrs. Dehn's dude is graduating today (congratulations, Greg!) but for now the end of a quarter is a great reason for us to enjoy a night out.

What to do? If you have any suggestions, please post a comment. I will check throughout the day. We have our eye on Rosa's Lounge, but I'm still looking for a great place to have dinner.

We'll be back tomorrow morning, and I can't wait to pick up a NYTimes at the airport - their super travel section comes out.

Ellen, I will perfect that chocolate cayenne cookie recipe. My first batch had too much flour in it (or at least too much dry stuff), and the cookies vaguely resembled little rounds of blood sausage - a great holiday gift! So, I'll figure it out and post the recipe.

I could totally do that, you say. You should!

2007-12-07T21:06:00.000-08:00

If you thought at any point during the time this past month while following my nanowrimo 'progress', 'hey, I can totally do that', then check out the following challenges and do one of them. Guaranteed fun, even if you run away screaming.

NaNoWriMo-style Events On the Horizon

Script Frenzy - NaNoWriMo's sister challenge (April). Goal: Write a 100-page screenplay or stage play in April.

NaNoFiMo.org - National Novel Finishing Month (December). Goal: 30,000 words.

JaNoWriMo - January Novel Writing Month (January). Goal: 50,000 words, or whatever goal you set.

FAWM - February Album Writing Month (February). Goal: Write 14 original songs in a month.

NaNoEdMo - National Novel Editing Month (March). Goal: Commit to 50 hours of novel editing.

JulNoWriMo - July Novel Writing Month (July). Goal: 50,000 words for a new or unfinished manuscript.

24 Hour Comics Day - (Changes annually, lasts 24 hours). Goal: Draw a 24-page comic in one 24-hour period.

48 Hour Film Project - (Varies; operates via tours around the USA, lasts 48 hours). Goal: Create a short film in 48 hours.

Book in a Week - (Begins on the Monday of the first full week of each month, lasts one week). Goal: Write a novel.

Mad Challenge - (Varies). Goal: Complete a variety of point challenges issued by moderators, including writing 10,000 in 5 hours.

April Fool's - (April). Goal: Set a word-count goal for yourself and fulfill it by the end of the month.

3-Day Novel Contest - (August 30-September 1). Goal: Write a novel in three days.

NaPlWriMo - National Playwriting Month (November). Goal: Write a play in one month.

NaNoMangO - The artist's alternative to NaNoWriMo (November). Goal: Draw 30 pages of sequential art in one month.

AugNoWriMo - August Novel Writing Month (August). Goal: Write a novel in one month.

NaNoPubYe - National Novel Publishing Year (Year-Round). Goal: Get that NaNoWriMo novel ready for publication!

this edition of what I want, Welcome to

2007-12-07T20:36:00.000-08:00

My birthday is coming up, and some people have been asking what I want for Christmas and for my birthday. I think the last time I laid all of my material yearnings before all ten of you was in April or May. The fiddle? I got a great one at the fiddlers' festival in Battleground, IN. [Must post picture - fiddle has awesome scroll grafted onto it of a bald man with a beard. Jacques.]

The new laptop? I did get one, and am very happy with it. It is up for best actor in a supporting role for its performance in 'I think I should try writing a novel in November'.

The oars? I learned to live without them. It's fine. Though it is kind of sad - I definitely moved away from rowing my single this year in favor of triathlon 'training' and then in favor of sloth.

I did not get the penguin thermos or the octopus whisk or the bumblebee honey pot. But I did get to see them and admire them in this little shop somewhere in Paris. I enjoyed that, and I don't want those things anymore.

Minnesota Center for the Book Arts gift certificate: I really want to try this in 2008.
J-41 Atlas shoes: This would really help me with the pair of black and the pair of brown shoes thing.

A copy of my very own - Metamagical Themas: I have been enjoying parts of this book since high school. Want a copy of my very own to have and to read parts of for the rest of my life, over and over again.

More trips to places! I want to get out of here.

Jetlagged

2007-12-07T07:32:00.000-08:00

As an airline geek, I am so far enjoying the NYTimes' new blog, Jetlagged. The blog's tagline is 'navigating the unfriendly skies'. So, my guess is that the first few posts will continue to discuss whether the skies are in fact unfriendly.

My other favorite reading yesterday was Ms. Sarah Marty's new post about vegan Thanksgiving. Ms. Marty is famous. Very famous. At least, she will be. But you'll have to check her blog frequently in the near future to learn why she is very famous. The news is hers to tell.

Three things

2007-12-04T13:20:00.000-08:00

Architecture and the printing press - Brunelleschi's Dome and Frank Lloyd Wright's Art and Craft of the Machine. Wright says that architecture was the point at which all intellectuals converged before printing (a.k.a. 'The Machine') messed it all up. This assertion and others made by Wright makes me look at architecture in quite a different way. What about the evolution of architecture? What does Brunelleschi's feat (the dome) mean now? Did I already mention that I want gift certificates to the Minnesota Center for the Book Arts for my birthday and/or for Christmas? Does that make me more a part of the machine than I already am?

Calendars - Now is the time when calendars for next year start showing up. I just picked up my complimentary calendar from United Noodles, my favorite Asian food market. For 2007, Boeing distributed beautiful calendars with vintage travel posters on them. What next, what next?

Meat raffles - It seems like people who are not from here have either busied themselves with assimilating or stand proudly by wearing their foreignness like a badge of honor. By 'here' I mean Minnesota. All are either familiar with or amenable to a meat raffle.

Weekend unfinished.

2007-12-03T17:24:00.001-08:00

Yield: Several unfinished projects.

Novel: Did I write the ending to the nanowrimo novel? No.
Status: unfinished.

Messenger bag: Almost done. Need to attach strap.
Status: unfinished.

Meatloaf: Finished. I put one of everything in this dish - leftover dal added a nice curry sweetness. Somehow the culinary adventures from this weekend required me to use every single dish in the house, and the adventures quickly gave way to a quest to restore order in the kitchen.
Status: unfinished.

Blog post: I started this blog post on Sunday night. I guess I was staying with the theme from the weekend, as it is now Tuesday.

Opportunity cost of snow storm

2007-12-01T10:53:00.001-08:00

High. The opportunity cost is high. What was I GOING to do?

I was going to scavenge thrift shops for a manual beater/blender thing to hook up to a bike so that I could whip cream for hot chocolate by pedaling a bicycle. After I procured a beater/blender thing, I was going to head over to my favorite bike shop, County Cycles, so that they could assist me in this endeavor. No luck.

I wanted to put together this contraption for grazing day, an annual large-scale potluck we have at work every winter around the holidays. Different groups sign up for breakfast, snacks (not that you need a snack with all the food that is there), lunch, beverages, and desserts. It is the least productive day of the year, easily beating out the day before Thanksgiving and any day between Christmas and New Year's day. And it's in Minnesota, so hotdish (that's casserole) and eggbake (that's kind of like quiche) abound.

Our group is small, so I thought we could offer hot cocoa with whipped cream you could make yourself. Isn't that a good idea? That's on par with pulleys, I think.

I just don't know what to do with myself

2007-12-01T10:38:00.000-08:00

It is snowing like crazy here, so the list of things I wanted to do that involve transportation by car, bus, or plane are out for the weekend. I always thought I had stored in the back of my mind a list of things I would do if I were confined in any way (you know, snow storm, both legs broken, bed rest, jail...). It's not like I thought it would be. I am antsy.

The drama of Rob's flight home from Chicago being cancelled has subsided. So that's good. Today would be a good day to make chocolate cayenne cookie dough and freeze it. Or do something with all the awesome fabric I have been hording. I just don't feel like it. Argh!

Life post-novel is nice. I will edit soon and post excerpts on mytrashynovel.blogspot.com, but today isn't the day for that either.

I wonder if I could do THIS in an afternoon...

50,000 words. I did it!

2007-11-27T21:21:00.000-08:00

These are for you

Thanks for putting up with my word count updates and lack of words this month. I just finished writing 50,000 words, and I am feeling great! Actually, I am feeling tired.

The story is not over yet. I have more to write, but I will tackle that later. There are many loose ends to tie up. What happens to the main character (Emily) and her love interest? Does the lobbyist really think it is that terrible that Emily used her feminine wiles to get strategy out of the guy and then use it against him, all in the name of historic preservation? (And is that really in real life all that bad? You tell me.)

The Twin Cities nanowrimos will have one last write in at Nina's (near my house) on Friday night. Then, we'll head to W.A. Frost for a celebratory glass (or two) of wine.

The TGIO (thank goodness it's over) party will be held at the Literary Loft, which shares a building with the Minnesota Center for the Book Arts. This will be a great chance to peak into the book arts space, as I have not yet been there. Coincidentally, a gift certificate there is just about all I can think of that I want for my thirtieth birthday. Yes, thirty.

But that wasn't news

2007-11-26T07:09:00.001-08:00

Sorry. I'd like to clarify - the last post only had a little "news" in it. The exciting news was that I hit 45k and am now less than 5,000 words away from having written a novel (though I'm beginning to suspect I may need more words).

The rest is definitely not news.

Now, for some real news...

Airline Food: Survey Lauds United, Slams Northwest – USA Today
By Ben Mutzabaugh
Posted at 09:23 AM/ET, Nov 23, 2007

United has the best buy-on-board meal options while Northwest and Southwest have the worst. That's according to the "second annual" Airline Snacking and Onboard Food Survey from Dietdetective.com. Using a 5-star scale, the group gave United the best mark with 4½ stars. "The health and fitness network put United at the top and lauded the airline for its variety and healthful options," writes the Minneapolis Star Tribune (free registration).

"Continental Airlines came in second place and received high marks for offering a low-calorie and high-impact meals on flights of three hours or more," the Star Tribune adds. Continental is also rare among carriers since it still does not charge for its meals. Midwest placed third, with the survey saying the airline "takes its food seriously, and it shows." Still, DietDetective.com warns that Midwest's "famous fresh-baked on-board cookies can hurt: They're 120 calories each." Following Midwest were Delta, JetBlue, American and US Airways. Southwest and Northwest tied for last with two stars each.

As for Southwest, DietDetective.com says the carrier did not offer "much variety" nor "much in terms of nutritional value." But the group saved its most scathing remarks for Northwest. The survey cited NWA for snacks that "are very high in calories," but it also slammed the airline for not being cooperative. "It took a bit of work, but finally, after calling and e-mailing, some information was provided," DietDetetive.com says on its website. The group claims a Northwest spokesperson said: "Essentially, we don't keep track of nutritional values for our menus." DietDetective.com counters that "considering all the surveys showing that people want this information, maybe they should." Check out the DietDetective.com survey to see its finding for each airline surveyed.