a review: the burley encore

Earlier this year I got excited about warm weather and the fact that our youngest daughter was getting close to that One Year tally mark that signifies, above all else, an appropriate age to be strapped in a seat with wheels that travels 15 miles per hour in a relatively bumpy fashion while wearing a helmet. What with having two of these young'ns, a bike trailer was the way to go.  After hours of deep consternation, pouring through internet reviews, images, and videos, I had narrowed my choices to those of the Burley variety.  Coincidentally, our neighbors had a new (2012) Burley Encore AND a two-year old they were willing to lend me.  So with their kid and one of mine all strapped up, we set off on a ride around the block. Ellie enjoyed it. That's all I needed to know. I decided we would go with the same model, as reviews of the more expensive deluxe model (the D'Lite) were mixed and I'd rather keep the difference.

Well, this thing has been a treat. It's light weight, has a good amount of storage capacity, and has made my life better. The handlebar that folds forward to double as a roll bar offers me some peace of mind and adds to the perception of it's safety.  The large 20" wheels appear to offer a fairly stable, cushy ride for the girls.  Granted, our two kids are young (14 months and 29 months) and small, and they don't seem to mind being in such close quarters, but they are pretty much shoulder-to-shoulder.  My one complaint is really that, at such a young age and short stature, my daughters' helmets get pushed forward by the back of the seat. This accounts for the most common reason for fussiness between them.

Our ride to the nearest park is maybe 5 minutes by bike path. It also enables us to get to another cool park about 1.5 miles away without having to drive. Lately, as summer temperatures have cooled a bit, I've set out on a couple longer rides to the grocery store.  That trip turns out to be about 4.5 miles, round trip, exclusively on a bike path.  I'd say I fit about 3 canvas bags full of groceries in the rear storage area of the trailer.  There is a lot more vertical space back there, it just get's tricky trying to stack groceries.

In the past two weeks my two-year-old has fallen asleep in the trailer twice. I think that is about the best compliment a trailer could receive.  Big ups to Burley.

Work less, not work-less

So, to make a long explanation, well, nonexistent, I'll say that my company has been forced to cut hours across the board, at least temporarily. Fortunately for me my employers opted for less hours than less pay per hour--the latter choice would have sent me into blind rage.

To be honest, this could work out very well for me. I'm only missing one day a week and able to keep my benefits, which I might not even need after the baby is born. I get a day off which will be devoted to my personal life which, you know by now, is much more valuable to me than the wage I make. It is supposed to be a temporary situation, but I have already posited that the new schedule could be beneficial to me as a permanent solution in that it could mitigate the cost of daycare once our baby is born. Instead of working to pay for daycare, I'd be daycare for at least a day... Not sure if my boss will buy into it once finances start picking back up, but I think I'll be sticking by that option.

Anyway, I'm not stressed, just a little weirded out, if not partially relieved that something really bad was avoided...

Quote, marriage

For me I am standing back at that stove and I want a do over. I want to live this marriage so Cole knows that I am hers and that nothing is as important. Making more money to buy more things, keeping a house, mowing a lawn, taking the garbage to the street, all of these domestic annoyances that people let ruin moods and marriages are on my list of things to not let win over this love. So fuck that spinach.

-Ryan, Pacing the Panic Room

quote/DIY

the do it yourself culture started way before the punks. people have always loved learning how to be better in touch with their surroundings by problem solving life’s inevitable breakdowns and becoming proactive in keeping their world functioning. it is great to learn how to fix a leak in your plumbing or not have to pay some stranger to do a simple oil change on a vehicle. learning to do it yourself aids in a lifestyle where one does not have (or want) a 40 hour work week. you can learn to get by on less by having to pay fewer people to do things you can easily do yourself. it is a great thing. when we learn how to fix things, our relationship between time and money shifts and our appreciation for the great, well functioning things in our lives grows.
from the chainbreaker bike book; a rough guide to bicycle maintenance by shelley lynn jackson and ethan clark
(stolen from Get Buck)

Work

Busting my ass at work - didn't get home until 11PM last night. I have super mixed feelings about all of it. Beautiful sunny day before a week of expected rain - perfect for planting 530 trees and getting sunburns. Working hard, pulling your weight, and giving extra effort can be rewarding in some ways or demeaning in others. I spent a lot of time agonizing over the tensions that characterize employer-employee relationships: expectations and effort... I thought about all the stupid decisions my boss was making, and focusing on all the things he wasn't doing. I was over-simplifying everything. When I realized late in the day that I was just going to have my ass busted until sundown, I stopped fighting it and relaxed a bit. I decided to stick to it, I also chose to enjoy a sit-down dinner with my coworkers instead of rushing home--it definitely made the day more pleasurable.

Working for someone else is hard, emotionally, especially if your only motivation is money.
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And I didn't have to experience this, but no one at any job should make you feel like shit, and especially not tear you down in front of anyone else. That's some pointless, hateful, demeaning bullshit. Any person that thinks they can bully someone below them needs to be set straight Unfortunately, people with delusions of grandeur do have the power to abuse and the authority to keep people in check with fear. Is the job worth it?

Only One Manda: The Best Things In Life Are Free [David's abridged version: the remix: volume 1]

Amanda (Only One Manda):
...First of all, we're (and by "we," I mean middle class students in the United States) made to believe that having a degree is a good and useful thing. It is when the economy is good, but when the economy is looking like Germany right around the time when people were using deutschmarks as wallpaper, it's not quite so useful. Knowing a trade is useful. Because there's a market for it.

I'm pretty sure that there isn't a job market for 20 somethings with BA's in religion and MA's in Theological Studies and no experience doing anything. I'm not sure what I thought would happen, but I'm pretty sure I thought that any kind of a Master's Degree would at least ensure that I wasn't going to be living well UNDER the poverty level. That's weird, isn't it?...

I've been working my little ass off in Maryland, here. Two jobs. The usual. Then, poof, one of the jobs couldn't afford me anymore. They felt really bad about it, but I had to go. That's fine...

Some people aren't as lucky as I am, though. I wonder what's going to happen to them as we lose more jobs. I wonder what's going to happen to us as more and more qualified and eager workers can't find work because there simply isn't any to be found? I wonder what's going to happen to families with children to feed. To people who don't have the familial resources needed in times like these.

I have to hope that we'll be able to pull ourselves out of this awfulness as a country. As a collective of human souls who have each other's best interests at heart.

I hope we're going to be willing to take a cut in hours or forego a raise so that we can ALL keep our jobs. Not just some of us. Not just the lucky ones. ALL of us. A-L-L.

Think about that in the upcoming years. What are you doing to take care of your fellow human beings? What are you doing to usher in a time of concern for each other? Of common human decency?

Even though it might seem like it, now is not the best time to have an "every-man-for-himself" mentality. That's the kind of thing that kills us.

The empowering potential of the human spirit, I might argue, is the very BEST thing in life...
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Last night I was watching the news and the report was about how a bunch of police recruits who have just completed all their training were being blocked from the police force due to city budget cuts. The report went on to say that a dozen recreational centers around the city are closing due to budget cuts. Here is my first thought: kids from homes or families that will potentially be broken by the economy are losing places to go play, socialize, and be safe, and instead are turned to the streets that have no police force to offer safety. Now, my cynical side argues that a police force could be corrupt or useless or whatever, that citizens should band together to protect themselves, and that the streets should fundamentally be just as safe. Is that the case? I don't know, but doubt it. Then again, I'm pretty insulated in a middle-class suburb that is likely going to keep its Rec Center.

I hope city budgets get fixed so that we're putting money into education and recreation--but where does that money come from? I have no clue... Maybe people should start paying for their trash services around here...

Reflections on Success/ The kids are alright

Over the weekend, I was speculating on whether I suffer from a fatal case of poor work ethic or just a temporary lack of inspiration by the options for work I see available to me. C, Amanda, Andy, and I had a discussion about "success" and, if I recall correctly, we had basically narrowed the definition down to making money by over-working. So, by being on-call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, you can be "a success," I guess, says the guy on-call 24 hours a day. This indicates that success comes in direct conflict with building or strengthening relationships. Granted, there are trade-offs and compromise with everything. I can only be so dedicated to skateboarding or tattoos or bikes, because I have time I want to give time to C and Alden and the rest of my family and--uggh--work. C and I have been reflecting on the importance of money lately. I just can't find enjoyment in working a job that is not relevant to my life--spending 8 hours each day of the work week away from home, not doing a thing for myself or my family, except making money. What if I was devoting some of that (day-) time to a large garden, keeping it fertilized, well-watered, properly trimmed and harvested, free of weeds, AND producing year round?!

Even still, accumulating money seems to promise an indefinite (but probably unattainable) amount of satisfaction and the alternative seems very precarious--with happiness no more certain. I'm trying to figure out how to raise a family and give a kid everything I had and more: a daunting task.

[UPDATE: After receiving a few responses about the post above I realize I need to clear one (major) thing up that is less clear than I intended. The definition of success I referred to is not OUR personal vision of success, but it is our perspective of mainstream society's vision of success--which is coming at us from many different angles, including one guy Andy met who was constantly on his phone and who said something about being on it 24 hours a day to get where he was. I don't envy that type of "hard work." The whole post had come about because I don't know how to define success--will it be money I make or save? Will it be maximizing time spent at home, with family, and doing great things for my home and family? Probably the latter, or something similar to it. But more and more I am feeling like I need to solidify my definition of it so I can move in a new direction perhaps. I understand about balancing, compromise, and sacrifice--but I know there has to be a better way where we redefine success, place more value in home & family over careers. I guess I'm literally talking about "doing" versus "spending". You can work a job to make money to buy food (= spending)...or you can grow food (= doing). Then you don't need that amount of money, right?]

No name post

It's a gray Sunday. C has been painting doors. I've been... watching Ebay and growing a doom-errific beard to prepare for the "Gag" show this weekend. Also, practicing my bass lines and drinking beer to get ready. What else? Drinking lots of coffee. Bought the movie "A Mighty Wind"--haha: "Wha' happened?!" Watching football--Bengals are winning... This weekend is the winter solstice--almost halfway done with these short days, right?

I love C--she's been cooking some really awesome stuff lately. I don't think I do enough to repay her for how well she treats me...

C made the point that someday soon Work-life, for everyone, may have to make a compromise of sorts with Self-sufficiency (i.e. making stuff, growing food, etc.). It's a good point. I'm looking forward to next year's garden: more vegetables, stuff to freeze, stuff to share...

Last thought: thesauruses might be better than dictionaries

Winter Wonder

Thanksgiving just passed and it seems like we're moving full speed ahead towards winter. I think this is the reason I've been contemplating, more seriously, how I want to spend my free time. In the summer, there's no question that time should be spent outside, in the garden, on my bike, or with Alden. As the temperatures have dropped, I've found myself in front of the TV more and more. I've managed to find a lot of shows that I enjoy watching. But my conscience has been pestering me to find something better to do. C and I talked about limiting our television time, and instigating a reward system to "earn" time to sit and zone out. I'm struggling with ideas for good alternatives. I would care to crochet another hat--this time for C. Also, I would like to make use of the sewing machine we borrowed from our parents--maybe make some useful winter layers, or convert my old army duffel into a messenger bag... Read a book, maybe? Cook? In the dead of winter, I will hopefully find some motivation to order seeds for next years garden. Maybe I'll make more art...

Shout-out + Re-vision

Reviewing yesterday's post I had one of those smack-my-own-forehead moments of self-disapproval; I failed to send out a very public "Happy Birthday" to my dad. He turned 51 yesterday! Also, a point worthy of note, C will be turning a very beautiful 25-years old tomorrow. I will admit, the dread inside is growing as I really don't want her to be disappointed in her special day. She deserves the world and I want to be the one to give it to her, on a silver platter. Or a polka-dotted one if she would like it.

Speaking of C, she and I had an interesting discussion yesterday about jobs, the economy, and our parallel vision of the Good Life. I don't want to give away any secrets, but I would care to say that I feel very good about the future, which will hopefully include checking-off most of the items on that list I wrote up in high-school... Nothing is very certain, and some of our radical ideas are in a very primitive stage, but I realized C has the imagination to create a better life and I'm on board. I also realized that since high school I've not "stepped outside the box," and have found myself in a stream that might be carrying me away from the original ideals that originally inspired me. The Good Life--which I'm apparently NOT living--seems more feasible than ever and it's within reach. I just need to accept the challenge and take the leap. [and I don't mean "plunge" here!]

Say word?

Driving Report

Almost every day in the past two months I've ridden my bike past the intruding gas station marquee that advertises the current price for a gallon of gasoline. It has become my morning news; my ticker-tape for the state of the economy. As prices have been increasing, I've felt an increasing sense of pride that I've been driving less and biking more. The fear of economic depression and insecurity is looming, but hasn't gotten under my skin, yet. I was also proud to hear that driving has declined across America. Yesterday, Atlanta Business Chronicle reported this:

Federal Highway Administration data released Monday [shows] Americans drove 9.6 billion fewer miles this May than in May 2007, the third-largest monthly drop in the 66 years the data has been collected.

The May decline was 3.7 percent from a year earlier and continues a seven-month decrease in driving that has amounted to more than 40 billion fewer miles traveled since November 2007 compared with the same period a year earlier.

It is apparent that Americans' driving behaviors are changing dramatically and quickly, in response to increasing gas prices. This will have interesting effects in a society whose infrastructure has evolved in the past 50 years to accommodate almost exclusively the privately-owned automobile.

Very recently, gasoline prices have begun to recede slightly--presumably due to the decrease in driving (i.e., demand). I am wondering, if dramatic increases in prices will modify behavior as we are seeing, will the opposite be true, and in just as little time? My suspicion is that is will not. People's behaviors are also changing because our future is becoming less certain or predictable. Driving less is a result of economic fearfulness and we won't be quick to peek our heads out from under the comforter. [Any thoughts or comments on this?]

Perhaps driving less will force us to stay within and move around our neighborhoods, by bike, or on foot. Maybe this will at first feel like a trap or prison, with limited breathing room. I'll admit, I'm worried to think that traveling to Cincinnati or Cleveland, let alone North Carolina, will become increasingly difficult. But it's also exciting to think that maybe our communities will be better because of this new (potential) situation. Of course, new technologies and alternative options will become more available. One day we might find ourselves catching a solar powered (?) train traveling between Cleveland and Porkopolis, right down the middle of empty ol' Interstate 71.

Weekend Warriors

"Holy F balls." That's how C suggested I start this entry. I agree that this phrase sums our exasperation at our current situation. We had slept in the morning after Thanksgiving and were brainstorming all the wonderfully relaxing things we could fit in to our three extra days of holiday vacation: "Let's sleep in and wash my car windows;" "let's watch football and go shopping;" "let's clean the house." Somehow the conversation turned to dream house renovations. C asked me what I would do to change the kitchen. We then started talking about knocking out walls around the house. In an attempt to reign ourselves in, I mentioned that if we were going to do anything, we should pick a needed change--like removing this dirty carpet. A blink later and C was on her knees pulling carpet back to appraise the hardwood floors. I think she was as excited as I when we realized the floors were probably in great condition throughout. By noon we had removed all the carpet and padding in the hallway. We went to lunch and wrote down our strategy for refinishing our hardwood floors. However, our flowchart involved a lot less steps than what we've done so far. It is late on Sunday morning and we are at Panera for the third time this weekend. Our refrigerator and oven are conveniently blocked by our couch and a few bookcases. So that is why we ate Wendy's last night.

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I'm finishing up this post Monday morning. C is at home finishing up the second coat of stain in the living room and hallway. This project has involved renting (for 24 hours) an electrical floor sander and 3 passes over approximately 900 square feet with successively finer sanding pads; scrupulous vacuuming; tack-cloth-ing; and now TWO coats of noxious wood stain (English Chestnut!). That is, not to mention dismantling our home and packing our possessions into the basement and garage. Soon we will be polyurethane-ing. Did I mention that we overlooked the fact that 40 degree temperatures and rainy weather is really slowing down our progress? Well, the floors look gorgeous so far and pictures will be up soon.

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I want to mention that this project started on "Black Friday"--the day after Thanksgiving--the largest shopping day of the year, and also designated as "Buy Nothing Day" by radical "Jammers and Cultural Creatives" across the developed world. I'm proud to say, in the spirit of B.N.D., C and I rented a tool to work together to improve our house. We didn't have to wade through crowds of sale-hungered mall shoppers to exchange money for services, improve our quality of life, and support the economy. We also improved the value of our house, which might, in a small way, improve the value of our neighborhood. The cynic would remind us that we did buy some tools (a sanding block, a broom handle...) that will remain in our possession, that we quickly went through some inexpensive latex gloves, and that we created a lot of trash. I will remind the cynic that we saved some beautiful wood floors, original to the house (50 years old!), and that carpet should never have been put into the house in the first place. Our house will be cleaner, contain less allergens, and be easier to clean, and our knowledge and independence is increased. Remember the three R's: Reduce, Reuse, Refinish...?

(All my love to C, my beautiful wife, who was a powerhouse this weekend and this morning. She is an incredibly hard worker and inspires me constantly. She was in her element from the point of ripping out the carpet. C, I know this project has been testing your patience, and the fast food we've been fueling up on is killing us slowly, but everything looks great and I am loving you more and more every second. When this project is finished, hopefully I'll make it up to you, big time.)