Among Friends

Yesterday, we took our son Jimmy to the airport because he went to Alaska for a week before he goes to basic training. Yes, he joined the Army and the only reason I am not TOTALLY depressed about it is that he will be a firefighter, which in itself is a dangerous job, but one in which he will be able to help people.
So we took him to the airport and I helped him check in and everything and I give him hugs and kisses goodbye; yes, he still is affectionate with his mommy and daddy. Then Brad and I start on an adventure to get the lay of the land of Louisville. It was raining which made things even more fun. Our first stop was a quilt store called Among Friends which was bright, cheerful and the staff were friendly. But I was not inspired - I don't think it had anything to do with my experience there - I just was not inspired. It felt like the same old stuff. It could have been that I have been so desperate for a quilt store (first one in 2 months) that I had way too much expectation or maybe it was due to the fact that it's not accessible and I do not want a casual relationship with a quilt store. Who knows.
I did purchase a pattern and talked to Betty about a couple of events and I may try to make it there for one of them, but somehow, I doubt it. I am finding that I am lacking my usual outgoing energy to go out and meet new people and get involved. I think I am looking at this next several months as a roadside rest area rather than making a home here. It's not that I can't handle goodbyes, I seem pretty experienced at it; it's that I don't want to invest the energy to say hello right now. I am not depressed, although I do find myself a bit melancholy at times; it's that I feel like I have too much to do to get ready to move again and I need to conserve my strength and ration my energy for the next place.
Which in a weird way makes sense since the next stop will probably be the last one for a long while and I really want to get that one right. I have to say, I have NEVER ever had this experience before. I have always embraced the experience of moving and have always looked at the adventurousness of a new destination. Just not here yet.

My Townie

Those who know me know that I have working on ways to reduce bulk (junk & waste), streamline my waistline, enhance my world and lessen my carbon footprint. Well, here's my next step. I got a bike so I can run the errands I need without having to drive my truck. We have analyzed the cost of replacing our SUV with a smaller more fuel efficient model and we have decided based on our traveling needs, it is cost prohibitive to replace a perfectly sound, working vehicle (it's not like someone will buy it and take it off the road) with yet another vehicle.

We will continue to make sure all maintenance is completed in a timely manner (changing filters, getting oil changes, tune ups and checking tire pressures) and consolidate our driving trips (ones that are necessary to drive distances) in order to reduce our gas consumption.

Okay, one could make the argument that buying a more fuel efficient car would be better for the environment but we are also trying to reduce bills and spending and it would take approximately 10.2 years to see the cost savings in purchasing a new vehicle. We can see more immediate savings by using our bikes and legs to make the short daily trips that make up the bulk of our vehicle usage.

One of the main reasons we decided to live on the installation was to save time, energy and money by living so close to work, shopping, library, and fitness facilities. So many people who work here live anywhere from 5-35 miles away and that takes a toll on the environment. Money was the deciding factor for us as I am not planning to work since we're not going to be here very long. It's cheaper to live closer to where you work and shop and yet so many Americans commute long distances for work.

My daughter's fiance for one commutes approximately 40 miles each way to work so the raise he receives has gotten lost in the increase in fuel expenses. My sister-in-law's hubby commutes almost 60 miles each way a day (he leaves for work at 5am to arrive by 7am) in Washington, DC traffic. She was commuting the same distance for a $14/hour job. It's insane! None of them drives with anyone else. How wasteful.

Brad and I have always tried to live close to his work, mostly to save us money (since I was a stay at home mom) and until I went back to work, we only had one vehichle. We are going back to one vehicle shortly. So what's all of this got to do with my Townie - well here she is!

The Art 21 - Purple Poem

She is a 21 speed, commuter bike with a rack and a basket for carrying items like my camera bag, groceries and library books. She's ergonomically designed to be able to sit with both feet flat on the surface of the road and when pedaling the rider (that's me) sits comfortable with the legs forard reducing the stress on the knees. Now the reason I got this bike is below:

Me with my Townie

The picture should at least say a thousand words. - 'nuff said.

This is Brad's bike - a road racer

Why didn't I get one? Look above to "Me and my Townie" - 'nuff said.

Some close ups of the beatiful poem and writing - it's truly inspiring - "is a choice you make from moment to moment" and another "We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give."

"dare to change"

my bike rack - I have a satchel that straps to the back to carry things like more books, a bigger camera, etc.

Possibly the view from whe I may fall of it in the future.

Just another cool shot!

My bell.

Six Feet Under & Dexter

I just finished the fifth season of Six Feet Under and I have been emotionally drained for the past few days. The HBO series stars Peter Krause, Michael C. Hall, Frances Conroy, Lauren Ambrose, Rachel Griffith, and Richard Jenkins.

From the HBO, Six Feet Under website:
Los Angeles, Christmas Eve, Nathaniel Fisher, owner of the Fisher and Sons Funeral Home, is killed when a municipal bus broadsides his new hearse. The tragedy casts a pall on the holiday homecoming of son Nate (who works for an organic food co-op in Seattle), as he must not only deal with the death of a father, but the fragile egos of mother Ruth (who has been having a secret affair with her hairdresser, Hiram), brother David (a closet homosexual seeing a black policeman named Keith), and a sister Claire (a rebellious high-schooler who receives the bad news after dropping crystal meth with new boyfriend Gabe). The only good thing to happen to Nate is Brenda, a passionate women he met on the plane, just before learning of his father's death. At home, David eschews the talents of his young mortician, Fredrico, to personally undo the damage of his dad's accident. The ensuing funeral leaves the family's deepest emotions exposed, and calls into question some of our more absurd rites of passage. At the grave site, David is not amused by the advances of Matthew Gilardi of Kroehner Service Corporation, a funeral- home conglomerate looking to buy out the Fishers business. As for senior Nathaniel, he may have been laid to rest- but has plenty left to reveal to his family.

Of course, how could I RESIST, I had to watch this series and much to my surprise, I LOVED it! What an innovative show; excellent writing and wonderful characters, best show I have ever watched! (And that means better than LOST.)

Now there are some provocative scenes in this series and they push the envelope, but they serve the series well and quite honestly, I was more shocked by Nate Jr.'s (straight brother) behaviour than I was with David's (gay brother) mainly because of the pain he seemed to cause the loves in his life. But I digress; you should watch it simply because it is one of the best shows ever and if you are tired of the same old same old - it is worth putting on your Netflix list or DVDs to buy. I rented it from the library but I know some of you just HAVE to have it on your shelves.

A side note - I discovered this gem by way of catching an episode of Dexter on CBS. It's a series about a serial killer who only kills other serial killers. It stars Michael C. Hall (whom I just love) and I was so intrigued by the episode I rented the entire season from Netflix while I was still in Alaska. Thank goodness I did because the Showtime original series is much better than the "edited for broadcast television" and the bonus of course, NO COMMERCIALS! I looked up Michael on the Internet and discovered that he was in Six Feet Under and after reading the above excerpt - just had to go there.

We just rented Dexter Season 1 again to watch with my son because Season 2 comes out in August and Season 3 begins on Showtime in September (which we got a year free when we signed up for Direct TV, which my hubby could not live without his ESPN and FOX sports; another story).

Anyway, here's my summer watching recommendations if anyone should care. I plan on started The Wire (another HBO series) next all courtesy of my local library. Just a small step in reducing clutter and waste, thereby reducing my carbon footprint on this earth.