Home Improvement Hangover

You may remember our post from Labor Day weekend where we pulled up a concrete path in our garden. We've (hopefully) entered the final phase of the project. Yesterday we spent the day laying gravel underlay to level out the path and to aid drainage. The good news is that we tested the drainage of the gravel because it poured down rain all day. When it was all said and done, we were soaked to the bone but ready to lay stone.

Today we woke up, ate a hearty breakfast, and went outside to start putting the stone in place. The good news is that the path is an 100% improvement. The bad news is that we have to order another ton of stone (we've already used 2 tons), and we need to plant creeping thyme before the next bout of rain begins.

While these pictures aren't of the finished product, it should give you an idea where we are headed:

Imagine a finished path with creeping plants between stones and flowers along the side of the house.

The Scene

Stay tuned for pictures of the final product!

The Raconteurs

Darcy and I have been fortunate enough to see some great shows this year; Radiohead was amazing and The Black Keys were fantastic. Last night we went to the Wamu Theater to see The Jack White Band ... er, The Raconteurs. And, they were ok. The five members of the band sure bring a heck of a lot of energy to the show, and they are obviously extremely talented musicians. Jack White is the center of attention, but that is a good thing. He has an amazing stage presence and I felt drawn into the music. They sounded good, and the stage set was minimal which I thought fit nicely with the band (there was no need to add extra visuals).

Now for the negative. Wamu Theater is not a great place to watch a show. There is a lot of concrete and it is rather large so I felt like I was in a warehouse and not a theater. That is kind of disappointing because I think that The Raconteurs would have been much more at home in a place like the Paramount. They played a very short set - around an hour - and then an encore of about fifteen to twenty minutes. And, this is probably the thing that I disliked the most, they made the crowd wait during the "encore break" for what seemed like 15 minutes. I personally do not understand the encore. It seems like a lot of ego boosting on the part of the band. The band knows that they are coming back out (the guitar techs were retuning for crying out loud) and the crowd knows that they are going to hear more songs. At the very most, leave the stage and return quickly - especially if you had just wrapped up what I consider a short set. I like the way that the Pixies did it: they did not even leave the stage, they just took a short break to acknowledge the crowd and then continued playing. Or, Pearl Jam: they left after a long set to take a break and came back on to "play the second half of the show".

Ok, enough complaining and sorry about the punctuation / grammar/ run-ons. I am programmer not a writer.

Oregon Whitewater

Here is an entry that I posted on the American Rivers blog:

This weekend, the Northwest Office of American Rivers enjoyed a staff river trip down the beautiful Lower Deschutes River. One of Oregon’s “Wild and Scenic” rivers, the Deschutes is known for amazing whitewater, incredible wildlife, epic fishing, and stunning views.

Nearly ten years ago, I was a whitewater raft guide in California. After that experience, I returned to school and, frankly, thought my days of river life were over. The academic in me took over, and for years I was in a classroom learning about the tools in law and policy that could be used to save the rivers I loved.

When I was asked to guide the paddle boat for our staff trip on the Deschutes, I have to admit that I was pretty nervous. I wasn’t sure if guiding a raft would be like riding a bike. Sure, I grew up in Montana; I guided trips on Class III and IV whitewater in California; and I rafted incredible rivers like the Penobscot and the Middle Green River near Seattle, but riding as a passenger is different than guiding. (For proof of my recent adventures, visit the Middle Green River Coalition website and photos by MGRC co-founder Lisa Parsons of the Green River Clean Up in May.) My anxiety was amplified because I started with American Rivers last December and didn’t want to disappoint my wonderful colleagues by dumping them into the frigid spring-fed water.

I’m happy to report that our overnight trip from Macks Canyon to Heritage Landing was a truly memorable and relaxing experience. The rapids were great fun but low key with room to recover if you were slightly off your line. Most of the rapids were mellow Class II wave trains with four Class III rapids in the last seven miles of the river. One of my favorite rapids was Colorado Rapid, which presented a nice big wave that, with the help of my fine crew, we hit straight on and with lots of splash. I can’t think of a better way to cool off on an eighty degree day.

My husband, who had never rafted on whitewater before, was so inspired by the Deschutes that we conspired to buy a boat so that we can get out on the river regularly. I beamed when he told me, “You were really in your element out there.” Needless to say, it’s good to be back and to know that the river never leaves your system!

Special thanks to the fine folks at All Star River Rentals in Maupin, Oregon, for gear and excellent service. Check out All Star if you are interested in guided trips or rental services in Oregon!

Freedom of the Press, My Ass!

Amy Goodman, a journalist and host of "Democracy Now! The War and Peace Report" was arrested outside the Republican National Convention. Here's the video of her arrest and an account and follow up after her release from jail is available on Salon.com. Before you think that this was probably some liberal journalist causing trouble, the Washington Post is reporting that an AP photographer was also arrested while covering the protests outside the convention.

According to Salon:
UPDATE IV: The Washington Post has a few more details on the arrest of Goodman and the two Democracy Now producers. In addition to them, a photographer for Associated Press was also arrested today while covering the protests (h/t Edward Champion). An AP spokesman said of the arrest: "covering news is constitutionally protected, and photographers should not be detained for covering breaking news." Democratic strategist and CNN commentator Donna Brazile was hit by pepper spray on her way into the Xcel Center.

Just as was true for the despicable home raids this weekend, there will be no shortage of people defending all of this (browse through the comment section here to see many such people). The fact that there were some criminals engaged in some destructive acts (who, needless to say, should have been arrested), apparently means that whatever the Police do both before and afterwards is justifiable (just as the existence of some Terrorists justifies whatever the Government does in many people's minds).

I don't care who you are and what your political opinions are, but it is outrageous to arrest a member of the press for absolutely no reason. During the Olympics, the Chinese government was criticized for limiting press coverage. Why would we ever stand for it in this country?

Please go to the Democracy Now! website to find out how you can help. It could be as easy as sending an email denouncing such terrible acts. We love this country and want to see the First Amendment protected!

Happy Anniversary!

I can't believe it's been two years! Love you, Ryan!

Oh, you know this blog has to say something about the election!

The heat of election season is on full blast. Those of us that get enveloped in the passion and intensity of an election often say that "this one is the most important" and urge the people we love to vote one way or another. The truth is that every election is the most important because we learn from the past and evolve. Sen. Paul Wellstone (a former teacher and Senator from Minnesota who died in a plane crash about a week before election day in 2002) once said, " Our politics are our deepest form of expression: they mirror our past experiences and reflect our dreams and aspirations for the future."

With each election, we become a more perfect union, not a perfect nation. You only have to look at the last two centuries for proof: abolition, women's suffrage, environmental protection, labor laws, public education, civil rights, and many other advances are proof of how far we've come.

That's not to say that we don't make mistakes because we do. It's ridiculous to me that we cannot have a constructive conversation about health care in this country. Some elected officials get drunk off of our trust (a.k.a. power) and make foolish decisions that betray that trust. However, our nation is too important to give up on. While it's good to learn from mistakes and take criticism, it is unacceptable to be a cynic and claim that progress is not possible. As a democracy, politics is for the people. Politics is to take action to make our lives a little bit better. It may be slow and it may be frustrating at times, but it works.

Of course, I realize that how you define "progress" is different for everyone, and everyone knows I am an unapologetic liberal. To me, the conservative movement has become too narrow and one-sided. If you deviate from the conservative mold, you are used as a token or ridiculed as an extremist.

I applaud more traditional conservatives that want to return the Republican party to it's roots but with an eye toward the future and an inclusive discourse. However, I cannot support the current leadership in the Republican party. Sen. John McCain has emphasized his independence, but at the same time, is so ashamed of his independence that he has recast himself into the narrow conservative mold and changed his public views on many issues. McCain and his vetting committee have chosen a running mate that appears to fit the conservative mold, and Gov. Palin's "no-nonsense reputation" is really just more of the same "I'm right, you're wrong" self-righteousness that only hurts our society in the long run.

For my money, I support a candidate that is open to having tough conversations with many perspectives at the table and to making a judgment call to benefit the public and not just his cronies. The Democrats have their problems, and I disagree with a number of party leaders. However, a message of hope and inclusion is worth more and does more for the future than a perpetuation of the the status quo.

For those of you who didn't see Sen. Obama's acceptance speech last week, it's worth checking out. For those of you who did see the speech and want to see it again, here it is:

Thanks for reading and don't forget to vote on November4th!

Putting The "Labor" Back In Labor Day

To Do List:
1. Sledge hammer and break up the concrete path that went from the front to the back of the house (CHECK!)
2. Pull up the concrete and put it into piles (CHECK!)
3. Research how to dispose of concrete piles (CHECK!)
4. Borrow friend's truck to transport concrete to disposal site (CHECK!)
5. Buy wheelbarrow because we need to load up concrete into said truck (CHECK!)
6. Break back with four truck loads to disposal site (CHECK!)
7. Admire blood blisters from long day of work (CHECK!)
8. Realize that you have no idea how much stone will cost to replace concrete path (CHECK!)
9. Freak out a little because of your stupidity in not properly planning project from start to finish (CHECK!)
10. Freak out because stone places are closed for the rest of the holiday weekend (CHECK!)
11. Drink beer while posting about mayhem on blog (CHECK!)

Only one small portion of the seemingly endless path after demolition

The former front walkway after Darcy gets through with it!