Posted by anomalily
Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:03:50 GMT
Do you ever have the suspicion that you made a deal with the devil that you don't remember?
Here I am, on top of a great big gorgeous remote snow-covered hill. I biked up here with eight friends and spent the night drinking good beer and playing scrabble and charades. I payed $5.50 to stay in a heated cabin on a real bed. In a few hours, I will bike home through a wee snowstorm and eat a big ol' vegan burger in a newly smoke-free bar with my friends. Then I will go see a hilarious free drag show and bike home.
I definitely haven't done anything good enough to deserve this charmed life. Oh, devil, what did I promise you in return?
Morale: 10
Health: 6 (Icky cough)
Miles Biked: 27
Hours of Sleep: 8.5
# of Drinks of Caffeine: 0
# of Drinks of Alcohol: 3
Weather: Snowy and Rainy
no comments
Posted by anomalily
Mon, 05 Jan 2009 23:36:43 GMT
Act I: The photographer takes a quick 365 picture after fixing a flat tire before leaving her house for a group bike trip.
Act II: The photographer realizes that she has gotten a flat tire again.
Act III: The photographer loses her shirt in a battle against the flat tire and time. She gives up and replaces the whole wheel with a wheel from another bicycle.
Act IV: The photographer arrives at Stub Stewart State Park at 1100 foot elevation, with half of the "Team Hardcore" winter bike touring crew. The rest of the crew is finishing fixing flat tires and consuming Dairy Queen. They take a group photo in front of snow-capped trees. Ed is subsequently cropped out of the photo because he was too far to the left with his bicycle.
Act V: (not shown) Team Hardcore is reunited in a warm, delicious heated cabin on top of a beautiful snowy hill. Much alcohol is consumed and charades played.
no comments
Posted by anomalily
Mon, 05 Jan 2009 22:50:56 GMT
I haven't had a real comforter in 2 1/2 years. When I moved all my stuff to Oregon in an airplane, I just brought a large sleeping bag and a small pillow. I've accumulated quite the collection of pillows, blankets, and a set of mis-matched sheets but I still have only the sleeping bag stuffed into this duvet cover. You'd never know it's not a real comforter unless you heard the rattling of metal zippers under the covers.
My bed is one of the most precious parts of my life, a place in which I truly dwell. So many places in my life I simply sprint through on my way from one task to the next. But my bed is where I come when everything else is confusing, or when I'm sick, or when I can't concentrate on anything else. My bed is mine- I don't share it with anyone else, unlike kitchens, desks, typewriters, computers, cameras, couches, or television sets. My bed knows my farts better than I know them myself.
Let them take all my possessions if they must, but please leave me a soft spot of earth to sleep on and a bicycle to ride.
Morale: 8
Health: 6
Miles Biked: 8
Hours of Sleep: 10
# of Drinks of Alcohol: 0
# of Drinks of Caffeine: 0
Weather: Hail and Steady Rain
no comments
Posted by anomalily
Sat, 03 Jan 2009 03:41:14 GMT
I planned on taking this shot jumping silhouetted by the sunset, but unfortunately the "sunset" was merely gray getting darker gray. Oh, Portland winter.
I'm proud of what I've accomplished this year:
-Planned and implemented TWO bicycle encouragement programs: the pilot Walk + Bike to School Challenge and assisted the Bike Commute Challenge.
-Found a whole new community of fun, bike-loving friends.
-Built my home.
-Released a new zine and a mini-comic.
-Biked down the Pacific Coast. (As well as many other short trips.)
I have great plans for 2009, but for a moment I'll just linger on feeling satisfied and loved. It's the closing of another year. They just keep getting better and better.
Morale: 9
Health: 8
Hours of Sleep: 7
# of Drinks of Caffeine: 0
# of Drinks of Alcohol: 0
Weather: Sporadic Rain
no comments
Posted by anomalily
Wed, 31 Dec 2008 08:44:07 GMT
Why do you do this to me, oh uterus?
Some small creature is tangoing through my inside, wrenching my ovaries into funny shapes. I couldn't take the pain; by early afternoon I was passed out spread eagle on my bed. I can't tell you how long my nap lasted, but it wasn't short by any standard. I woke up feeling great.
We had a funeral for the chickens in the dark. We sung "You are my sunshine" and lit candles as we buried them.
I tried to compensate for low daytime productivity by drinking coffee. I compensated, to say the least. I started a new mini-comic about the Snowpocalypse '08.
Morale: 9
Health: 6
Hours of Sleep: 7
Drinks of Caffeine: 1
Drinks of Alcohol: 0
Miles Biked: 8
Weather: Sporadic Rain
no comments
Posted by anomalily
Wed, 31 Dec 2008 08:30:29 GMT
Don't you wish that life sometimes had a backspace key?
I spent the day at the IPRC editing photos, binding a book, and making the third print run of my New Years' card-comics. Finished the night with soup and a bad movie about reading Jane Austen.
I can't believe that it will be 2009 this week. I also can't believe that I plan on moving 4,000 miles next year. By bicycle. To go to school in the woods.
Can I really leave Oregon? Back up and let me think, honey.
Morale: 9
Health: 8
Hours of Sleep: 7
Miles Biked: 10
# of Drinks of Caffeine: 0
# of Drinks of Alcohol: 0
Weather: Sporadic Rain
no comments
Posted by anomalily
Mon, 29 Dec 2008 23:41:50 GMT
The snow almost completely melted- it's almost as if it was a very long dream. I took the opportunity to frolic in the park in my very silly dress & petticoat I got from the bins (per-pound thrift store) yesterday. I'm going to have to do another shoot in this- it's too fun!
I planned on zoobombing to celebrate lack of snow, but activities with out-of-town visiting friends and rolling around in my salvaged heelys and drawing comics, I had very little energy left.
Morale: 9
Health: 7
Hours of Sleep: 7
Miles Biked: 0
# of Drinks of Caffeine: 0
# of Drinks of Alcohol: 1
Weather: Scattered Rain Showers
no comments
Posted by anomalily
Sun, 28 Dec 2008 08:13:13 GMT
Our chickens were murdered by coyotes. The first thing I heard this morning was my roommate talking on the phone saying "The chickens are dead and I don't know what happened."
I assumed that they had died from the cold because we unplugged the heat lamp once it got above freezing. But when we went outside to survey the damage, there were giant paw prints all over the back yard and the chicken wire on our coop was ripped up to a height of three feet or so.
I felt guilty. I chose to sleep inside the house last night because I was totally scared after watching a freaky Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode. Could I have stopped the coyotes? Would they have tried to attack me too?
RIP, Belina, Lucky, and Claudia.
We consoled ourselves with a trip to the Bins (Goodwill unsorted by-the-pound thrift store) where I scored this amazingly silly outfit. I now feel like fighting bad coyotes with high kicks a la Buffy.
I also drank coffee today, which is generally inadvisable. It led to much letter-writing.
Morale: 6
Health: 7
Hours of Sleep: 7
# of Drinks of Caffeine: 1
# of Drinks of Alcohol: 0
Miles Biked: 0
Weather: Warm and Wet
no comments
Posted by anomalily
Thu, 25 Dec 2008 10:50:00 GMT
Feet covered in blisters from walking in inadequate shoes. My bicycle beckons me from beneath the layers of snow in the backyard. When you have 12 consecutive snow days, it limits your activities to crafts, board games, eating, reading, and drinking warm beverages. All fabulous things, but excess can be troubling.
Scrabble playing and eating food filled my day. Again.
It's amazing I complain about such a charmed life.
Morale: 9
Health: 8
Hours of Sleep: 6
Miles Biked: 0!
# of Drinks of Caffeine: 0
# of Drinks of Alcohol: 2
Weather: Cold and Icy.
no comments
Posted by anomalily
Tue, 23 Dec 2008 01:45:30 GMT
I didn't believe it was possible, but there was more snow today. Now they are saying it won't thaw out until next weekend. Everything is shut down. I miss my library so much. I want my books on hold! I want to ride my bicycle! I want my dome home to be warmer!
Shawn made it over on the bus and we made brunch before skiing/walking to the library to return books. It seems that my days mostly consist of making food and preparing to go outside now.
Morale: 8
Health: 6 (I NEED TO RIDE MY BIKE!)
Hours of Sleep: 9
# of Drinks of Caffeine: 0
# of Drinks of Alcohol: 1
Miles Biked: 0
Weather: More. Freaking. Snow.
no comments
