Thursday, March 5, 2009

Between now and June. (checklist)

- Box up all belongings to be stored/moved.
- Get rid of as many unnecessary possessions as possible.
- Repaint the walls. (Ugh...I am thinking of paying for this part to be done...)
- Steam-clean the carpet. Again.
- Finish the garden bed on the incomplete end so the apartment doesn't bitch at me for installing it right before I move (despite the fact that the apartment NEVER does any kind of cosmetic outdoor maintenance, but I digress...)

Also need to start thinking broadly about designing my house, since a semester of interior design is my only experience with it. I have studied drafting though, which will be useful in learning basic architecture. I may end up very heavily involved in actual construction and the whole process, depending on what kind of weirdness I want to incorporate (hidden doors say what?) so I'll probably also try to pick up as many basic electrical and plumbing skills as I can.

And just in case you think I'm exaggerating: http://www.hiddendoors.com/

Decisions, decisions...

I’ve been pretty tired lately and stretched thin with professional/social obligations, which has probably contributed a lot to the fact that I haven’t given a garden update in awhile. That and maintaining a blogging habit (or any good habit, really) is difficult for me.

The garden is going okay. I’ve had some damage due to frost, mostly because I am too lazy to a) watch the Weather Channel, and b) drag bedsheets into the yard every night. I’ve also discovered that having no access to a watering hose when you have an entire bed of vegetables is a real pain in the rear end.

I just determined recently that I will be moving back in with my folks when my apartment lease is up, for a couple of reasons. One is that at my current salary and my current living expenses, it would take me years upon years to just come up with a down payment for my own land. Another is that my apartment complex sucks and doesn’t actually maintain anything, which leaves me with electrical outlets that don’t work, an air conditioner that constantly freezes up, and a porch that STILL hasn’t been painted since I put in the work order LAST June.

Also, it was offered to me to move back in so I can live rent-free while I save up some money and pay off my final credit card; turning down an in-ground swimming pool, high def giant televisions, and a big sprawling four bedroom house with WORKING air conditioning and homecooked meals while I save money for a year was too generous of an offer to pass up. Also, my father is having some issues with his back that has made maintaining said gigantic house difficult, so it would be good for me to be around to help with the chores, especially stuff like heavy lifting and mowing the lawn. Also, unlike a lot of people, I have a great relationship with my parents. They are neither too lenient nor too strict, and because I was such a privacy-craving, introverted, antisocial teenager, we’ve basically learned to coexist peacefully and not get into each others’ way. I didn’t have curfews or dress codes.

I know there’s a huge stigma against moving back in with the parental units, and I’ve personally been wrestling with it for awhile because I’m a pretty independent-spirited person. But there are financial advantages of hanging back for a year to build some capital that I simply can’t pass up. I know that this decision will be better for my end goal, which is to own a small farm within the next three years. (Not an agricultural business, but a homestead.)

After all, after I do buy my land, I will probably be living in a rickety used singlewide trailer for a year and a half while I work out the construction loan and build a ecologically-conscious farmhouse, so I may as well enjoy the lap of luxury while I can. And between now and then, I will be doing the architectural design of the house myself.

But all of this begs the question – what will happen to my little apartment garden? The leeks and the onions, the strawberries, cabbages, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and lettuce? What about all the herbs?

Unfortunately, none of this stuff will transplant well again. So any new gardening I do between now and the time I move will be limited to containers (at least my strawberries and herbs can come with me…)

I am debating leaving the baby plants for the new apartment owner to destroy or keep. I do know it would upset me to have to pull all of that stuff up. I guess a mass transplant could at least be attempted.

But on the other hand, most of the stuff I’ve planted is cool weather and will be dead LONG before June, so I don’t think I have much to worry about. In any case, I have full permission to continue with my gardening ventures in my parents' big backyard (provided I can keep their equally huge golden retrievers Bella and Vito from good-naturedly demolishing it...)

So there is still gardening in the near future. Fresh beds, new vegetables, and chickenwire! Stay posted!

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Mysterious kale illness.

I am still having issues with my poor kale-lings. Their lower leaves keep turning yellow and falling off. What is up with that? :(

I have read that it is probably a lack of nitrogen in the soil, but I just fertilized...I think tonight I am going to do a water change in the goldfish tank and use the nasty goldfish water to soak the kale and maybe the nitrate waste in the fish water will perk them up.

Barring that, I'm not really sure what to do...

The spinach is kicking butt and taking names, though. And I've about decided that leeks are more trouble than they're worth.

Sets Of Three

Three jobs I have had: Kennel crew member at a municipal kill shelter, grocery store clerk, technical editor.

Three places I have lived: Huntsville, AL; Tuscaloosa, AL; Auburn, AL.

Three shows/channels that I watch: House M.D., Top Chef, Malcolm In The Middle

Three places I have been: Boston, Massachusetts; San Diego, California; New York, New York.

Three people who email me often: Sonya, Leslie, Ilisa

Three of my favorite types of foods: Soups, Asian food, Southern soul food

Three places I would rather be: Tuscaloosa hanging with my best friend, fishing/boating at Lake Guntersville, on another road trip north.

Three friends I think will respond: Who knows...

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Letter meme - J

I got the letter J in a meme from two and a half cents (see blogroll) so here it goes...

1. Jaded - I am a very jaded person. Part of it is due to the fact that I have very high ideals, and get disappointed when other people don't live up to them. I am politically cynical and expect politicians to get away with exactly as much as I allow them to. I have been exposed to a wide variety of wild experiences, and this has made it pretty much impossible for anyone to shock or surprise me. Since most surprises are not pleasant, I am not partial to them anyway.

2. Jocund - Despite my cynicism, I am generally an optimistic and cheerful person because there is a good chance that everything will turn out all right, one way or the other. I lead a fairly carefree life and I don't believe in worrying about things you have no control over. I am lighthearted, and a happy drunk.

3. Janus-faced - These two aspects of my personality identify me a dual-natured person. One could say that I am "Janus-faced"...many facets of who I am are contradictory; I am a slob who adores order, I'm an ethical liberal and a fiscal conservative, I am a homebody who loves new experiences and a religious person who does not attend church. (I meditate daily and study religious texts, but it is rare I make it to services, although I'm trying to rectify that.) I can also be a bit of a hypocrite at times. I try to work on that too.

4. Justice - I am obsessed with what is just, and justice is a driving force behind many of my ethical decisions. I try to take into account not just what is fair to me, but what is fair to everyone. Injustice infuriates me, and there is nothing I despise more than the obstruction of individual freedoms.

5. Java - I am a caffeine addict. A cup of coffee is vital to my morning routine, and without it I am a zombie until roughly 10 AM.

6. Jazz - I live by the rules of improvisation, and try to go with the flow as much as possible because I think it decreases the stress associated with change. That isn't always an option, but I'm always happy when I have many directions to choose from when it comes to how I am going to steer my life. I am also a fan of Charlie Parker and Billie Holiday.

7. Jinx - I have abysmal luck sometimes, but it's usually comical and temporary (like locking my keys in the trunk of my car). Sometimes the sheer amount of crazy things that happen to me wears me down though. It may be amusing enough for a sitcom, but it gets old.

8. Junk - I am a pack rat, and tend to accumulate WAY more junk than I need or will ever need at any point in my life. Occasionally I have to declutter my entire home and get rid of dozens of things that I don't want to look at anymore. My worst junk offenders are papers (I have problems throwing even an insignificant note away) and dirty laundry (I can never seem to get a laundry routine down...)

9. Jest - I love a good joke and I'm always up for teasing somebody (or getting teased). I think people take themselves way too seriously at times and I'm one of those people who tend to do that. So I go out of my way to be ridiculous sometimes. Being silly and having fun is good for you.

10. Jnana - Jnana is insight gained through meditation. I think I learn a lot through silent introspection and contemplation, so I make it a process to meditate and think deeply on a regular basis.



If anyone else wants a meme letter, let me know. :)

Garden update

Not much new going on in the garden right this moment. I got a new garden gnome for Valentine's Day that looks sort of like the one from the Roaming Gnome Travelocity commercials (this fact amuses me to no end).

I had to toss a few romaine lettuce plants that had root rot (probably from the transplant shock) and I thinned two of them, taking the tiny secondary plants that were fighting with the buttercrunch for food/water and replanting them on the end of the rows with the other three saved rejects. If they survive, cool. If not, eh, whatever. I am sure the remaining plants will benefit from the lack of competition.

I am having an issue with my kale seedlings where the lower leaves are turning yellow. I think this might be a nitrogen issue, but I'm still doing research. I've also had this issue with my cabbage seedlings. If anyone has a remedy or a solution for that problem, let me know. I did a bunch of snipping to strip the diseased leaves and leave more energy for the healthy ones, but I'd like to rectify the situation so I don't lose more leaves. The seedlings only have so many...

The best performers so far are the onions and the spinach, which are looking fantastic. The spinach lost a few lower leaves to what appears to be frostbite, but otherwise looks spunky and is putting out tons of new leaves. None of the onions had transplant shock like the cabbages/lettuce/brussel sprouts/broccoli did.

So far everything is looking good, if growing a little more slowly than I would have anticipated. But gardening is a patient art.

I want to get a new shoplight for starting the hot weather transplants (it's getting dangerously late in the year to start my heirlooms) but unfortunately I do not have an extra $150 hanging around. 'Tis the state of affairs, I'm afraid. Hopefully I can squeeze the seed startup project into my budget after I get paid this Thursday and get all that stuff rolling this weekend, as well as direct sow the plants I didn't get to last weekend.

What the stars say about me.

I'm interested in astrology, not because I believe it (although I am tempted at times) but because it's a cool concept, and scarily accurate at times. Here's what astrology has to say about me:


1985: Born in the year of the Ox

Ox people are hard-working and persistent, they can stick at a task longer and go at it harder than anybody. They believe in themselves and tend to classify almost everything into two basic categories, bad and good. They hold up their high standards as a model and severely judge those who don't aspire to maintain these same ideals.

Ox people are not social or party animals, they tend to be quiet when in a party. Although they appear to be tranquil, in fact, Oxen are ponderous but impulsive when angry. They are capable of fearsome rages, therefore, it is better not to cross an Ox.

Ox people are observant, they have remarkable memories and are good at reporting on absolutely everything they observe. Go ask an Ox if she remembers who were at the party 8 months ago, most likely, she will name them one by one to you.

In the home, the Ox is a great guy to have around. In business, the OX can succeed in the arts, a contracting business, or an estate., thanks to their creative nature. And since an Ox is intelligent and good with his/her hands, he can be a good surgeon as well.

Ox people are stubborn and dogmatic, they believe in their decisions and will never regret them once they're made. They are also very close to their families. Unfortunately, Oxen often find that those who are close to them fail to understand them. Nevertheless, they are patient and caring; that makes Oxen the best friends you can ever have.

Oxen are very responsible and loyal. Ox people are seldom jealous. but they will be jealous of their rights; and the fidelity of a husband or a wife is one of their rights. They are very family-oriented, conservative and faithful.

The Ox works hard, patiently, and methodically, with original intelligence and reflective thought. These people enjoy helping others. Behind this tenacious, laboring, and self-sacrificing exterior lies an active mind. While their balance and strength inspire confidence, Oxen can seem rigid, obstinate, and slow. They impress others as leaders, fearing neither responsibility nor risk. However, sometimes they must labor long hours to accomplish little.

The Chinese say the time of year and day an Ox is born is important in determining lifestyle. One woman in Hong Kong bragged that she would always be financially provided for with minimal effort on her part because she was born on a winter night. Oxen have little to do during the winter months, she explained, because the sweat of summer and fall harvesting is over and it is up to the farmer to feed and keep the oxen warm so they'll have strength for spring planting. Oxen born during agricultural months, however, are sentenced to a life of hard labor.

People born under the influence of the Ox are kind, caring souls, logical, positive, filled with common sense and with their feet firmly planted on the ground. Security is their main preoccupation in life, and they are prepared to toil long and hard in order to provide a warm, comfortable and stable nest for themselves and their families. Strong-minded, stubborn, individualistic, the majority are highly intelligent individuals who doen't take kindly to being told what to do.

Although Ox people don't ask to be put in the limelight, they do like to be boss, for these quietly dominant types enjoy being in positions of power. Oxen try to instill in those around them the rigor, determination and power of work which they themselves possess. Respecting others, they are always open to a dialogue. Even though they may not broadcast their virtues to the world, nevertheless it is that steady, conscientious attitude that will deservedly see them to the top.

The Ox childhood and youth will generally be without incident. It is in the second part of their lives that they will encounter difficulties to do with their marriage. Their partners may well take offense at their apparent indifference and seek consolation elsewhere in an attempt to find the romance so conspicuously absent at home. If this happens and the Ox cannot put things right by the exercise of intelligence, the ruin of the entire family may be risked as Oxen have no time for a deviation they are unable to understand. During the third part of life, Oxen may suffer enormous difficulties, but if they can manage to smooth them out, their old age will be peaceful.

The Affectionate Ox

Oxen make solid, steady, reliable partners. They can be tender, devoted, sensual even -- but they are never romantic. Very affectionate to those close to their hearts, they are cool and distant to anyone outside their emotional circle. Getting close to an Ox is a very difficult thing to do, for they hold all but their chosen few at arm's length. However, once they have committed themselves, they make loyal, steadfast lovers and are the least likely of all the signs to possess a roving eye. Casual love affairs are definitely not the Ox's style. Although they may not show it, their emotions are deep and passionate. If their love is spurned or if they should suffer a broken heart, they will retreat inside themselves and channel all their emotions into their work. Generally, they make no mistakes in their judgment of others, successfully merging their romantic and family lives. Happily settled in a contented relationship, an Ox will make a supportive and faithful partner, someone whose love grows stronger by the year and whose sterling qualities are worth his or her weight in gold.

The Rooster, Rat and Serpent get on very well with Oxen. There are struggles and problems with the Monkey, and a lack of understanding with the Ram and the Boar.

Popular belief is adamant that the Ox should under no circumstances set up house with the Tiger. Such a partnership would inevitably end in a battle that could terminate only with the departure or disappearance of the Tiger. The Ox, the stronger of the two, would keep on charging until the Tiger was destroyed. An Ox mother could never get on with a Tiger child -- better for the latter to leave home!

February is the month of the Ox. The time of the Ox is from 1:00 a.m. to 2:59 a.m.; their direction of orientation is north-northeast. The Ox's color is violet.


Life Path #: 7

LIFE PATH 7

The 7 Life Path is the searcher and seeker of truth. You have a clear and compelling sense of yourself as a spiritual being. As a result, your goal is devoted to investigations into the unknown, and to finding the answers to the mysteries of life.

You possess a fine mind; you are an analytical thinker who is capable of great concentration and theoretical insight. You enjoy research and putting the pieces of an intellectual puzzle together. Once you have enough pieces in place, you are capable of highly creative insight, and of practical solutions to problems.

You enjoy your solitude, preferring to work alone. You need time to contemplate your ideas without the intrusion of other's people's thoughts. You are a lone wolf, a person who lives by your own ideas and methods.

As a result, close associations are difficult for you to form and to keep especially, marriage. You need your space and privacy, which when violated, can cause great frustration and irritation. When your life is balanced, however, you are both charming and attractive. You can be the life of a party and you enjoy performing before an audience. You enjoy displaying your wit and knowledge, which makes you attractive to others, especially the opposite sex. But you have distinct limits. While you are generous in social situations, sharing your attention and energy freely, you are keenly aware of the need to come off stage, and to return to the solitude of your lair. You associate peace with the unobtrusive privacy of your world. Therefore, intimacy is difficult for you, because you guard your inner world like a mother lion does her cubs.

However, all this privacy and solitude can cause isolation and loneliness. You can be aware of an emptiness in your life, a part of you that yearns for company and close companionship that may be unsatisfied.

If isolation is brought to extreme, you can become cynical and suspicious. You can develop hidden, selfish motives, which people may sense and cause them to be uncomfortable around you. You must guard against becoming too withdrawn and too independent, thus shutting out the love for others, and keeping you from experiencing the true joy of friendship and close companionship.

You must especially watch out for selfishness and egocentricity, thinking of yourself as the center of the universe, as the only person who really matters. Social contract gives you perspective on yourself and on life, while too much isolation can make you too narrow, and even shut off from the rest of the world.

Secretly, you may feel jealous of the easy relationships formed by others; you may perceive others as less inhibited than you, or more free to express themselves. You may harshly criticize yourself for not being more gregarious, powerful or capable of greater leadership.

Your challenge in life is to maintain your independence without feeling isolated or ineffectual. You must hold fast to your unique view of the world while at the same time being open to others and to the knowledge they have to offer.

With your abilities to learn, analyze and seek out answers to life's important questions, you have the potential for enormous growth and success in life. By the time you reach middle age you will radiate refinement and wisdom. Phytaguours, who lived 2500 years ago and is often called the father of numerology, loved the 7 for its great spiritual potential.

The person with a 7 Path Life often finds success and satisfaction with business, science, religion, insurance, invention, the occult and anything relate to research.

Destiny #: 2

The 2 destiny suggests that the direction of growth in your lifetime will be toward gaining an understanding of people and a greater spiritual sense of the world around you. A name producing a 2 Destiny gives you the tools to work very well with other people. Your destiny will be, in part, in the role of the mediator and the peacemaker. As you grow in this direction, you become sensitive to the feelings of others, you become diplomatic in handling complicated situations.

The spiritual potential for the 2 destiny, and perhaps particularly so for the master number 11/2, is very high. You have the capacity to be inspirational, and the ability to lead merely by your own example. An inborn inner strength and awareness can make you an excellent teacher, social worker, philosopher, or advisor. No matter what area of work you pursue, you are very aware and sensitive to the highest sense of your environment. Your intuition is very strong; in fact, many psychic people and those involved in occult studies have the number 11/2 Destiny. Indeed, the 2 has a spiritual connection not found in other numbers.

In many ways you are dependent on others and seem to function best in a partnership or in some form of group activity. As you mature, modesty will run deeper in your nature, and you must work comfortably without recognition of your accomplishments.
Often, others will get credit for your ideas, and this must be of little real concern to you as you skill as a team play progresses. Cooperative, courteous, and considerate, you have the capacity to become an outstanding facilitator. You will have the capacity to organize and handle people, just as you will handle detail, rarely overlook anything.

As you fulfill your destiny, tactful and friendly behavior will increase your popularity, and nearly everyone will like you. Perhaps this is also because you are more content working with your ideals, rather than dollars and cents. The positive aspect of the number 2 Destiny is an always idealistic attitude. This is even more accentuated in the master number 11/2.

The negative 2 personality can be oversensitive and easily hurt. Too much of this number in your makeup can make you very shy and uncertain. Sometimes the excessive 2 energies makes one apathetic and somewhat indifferent to the job at hand; the ability to handle details is hampered in these cases.

Some 2s, and especially the 11/2s, struggle with a continuous sense of nervous tension; you may be too sensitive and temperamental. You tend to dream a lot and may be more of a dreamer than a doer. Fantasy and reality sometimes become intermingled and you are sometimes very impractical. You tend to want to spread the illumination of your knowledge to others irrespective of their desire or need.