tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-126278352024-03-07T18:24:56.421-08:00Someday I'll be Dr. DreDrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239331861091328558noreply@blogger.comBlogger499125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12627835.post-61796541660553709372018-12-09T09:51:00.000-08:002018-12-09T09:51:28.745-08:00Another snow day during which we still have powerI've received more alerts of potential power outages in North Carolina than in any other place I've ever lived, even without adjusting for the fact that I've lived here for a relatively shorter time. Despite this, we've only experienced a few brief power outages. The current snow storm has been no exception; I've received approximately three warnings about a possible loss of power, and here we sit, warm and well-lit. Beyond the presumptive closures of almost everything, here's what happens when it snows here:<br />
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<i>Our tiny pine tree was bent with the weight of the snow and ice, but recovered nicely after being brushed off and coaxed upright once again. </i></div>
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<i>Cyril was gravely displeased with the weather. Here he is being carried in the front yard to find a place to relieve himself. </i></div>
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<i>Cyril was much relieved (pun intended) that we could move the yard waste bin and reveal a small patch of grass for him. </i></div>
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<i>Once we came back inside, he was very willing to let me try on his winter hat in progress. </i></div>
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<i>The cats' desire to frolic in the out-of-doors has been conspicuously absent this morning and afternoon. </i></div>
Drehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239331861091328558noreply@blogger.com0Durham, NC, USA35.9940329 -78.89861935.5829684 -79.544066 36.4050974 -78.253171999999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12627835.post-4320353818381750622018-09-16T12:18:00.000-07:002018-09-16T12:18:46.136-07:00Just another rainy Sunday and a dog video that is only impressive if you knew Walter (Day #4)Although people closer to the coast are continuing the feel the <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/graphics_at1.shtml?swath#contents" target="_blank">effects of the wind and rain from Hurricane Florence</a>, those of us only experiencing the effects of <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/graphics_at1.shtml?cone" target="_blank">Tropical Depression Florence</a> are mostly doing alright. There are some downed tree limbs, and a little bit of standing water, but mostly we are okay. We keep getting texts from the electric company letting us know that they are working hard. We've had power consistently, so are just keeping our fingers crossed that they can get the lights back on for the many people who are still on flashlights/generators/sunlight.<br />
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Yesterday morning it wasn't even raining, and we played outside with the dog. For those you who knew Walter, you may recall that his version of fetch involved running about halfway toward the newly thrown ball before losing interest and eating some grass or a stick. He would then run enthusiastically alongside you while you walked to retrieve the ball and amble back toward whatever the starting point was and repeat the whole process. Fetch with Walter was profoundly aerobic exercise for the person throwing and retrieving the ball, but mostly allowed the dog time to bask in the sun and frolic in the grass a bit. Although I knew that there were Boston Terriers who did fetch things, I'd always attributed Walter's unique approach to the game to his breed. I'd laugh and casually think, "Well, he's definitely not a retriever..." Imagine my surprise, then, when it became clear that Cyril was not only enthusiastic about playing fetch, but was actually pretty good at it. Here's a video of him demonstrating his skills yesterday during the break in the rain:<br />
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In the background of the video, you can almost see the most substantial of the branches that fell in our yard, wedged into our baby pine tree such that it looks like some sort of graft/hybrid situation.<br />
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The cats have actually been weathering the storm surprisingly well, perhaps because there isn't much thunder, just rain. They have both enjoyed actively participating in our indoor fun ranging from the somewhat typical rainy day activity of board games to Lynn's decidedly unusual Saturday activity of building screens for our windows. The pre- and post- photos of the screens are for another day. </div>
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<i>Eli takes his turn at the board game. </i></div>
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<i>Eli is fairly certain that the scraps of screen were in fact the entire point of the screen-making enterprise. He will not give them back. Don't even try to take them. </i></div>
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As I'm writing about the rain and all of the time we've been spending indoors, I am reminded that my <a href="https://secure.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/CANBikeEvents?px=14448925&pg=personal&fr_id=29871" target="_blank">Bike MS: Waves to Wine</a> ride is actually next weekend. The hurricane has definitely put a little bit of a damper on my training, but I'm still planning to ride. My distance may be slightly diminished, but my enthusiasm and the need for amazing fundraising efforts to get us toward a world free of MS will not be lessened in the least. <a href="https://secure.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/CANBikeEvents?px=14448925&pg=personal&fr_id=29871" target="_blank">I'm a little over halfway toward my goal - can you help me get there?</a> </div>
Drehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239331861091328558noreply@blogger.com0Durham, NC, USA35.9940329 -78.89861935.5829684 -79.544066 36.4050974 -78.253171999999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12627835.post-77543837514396924742018-09-14T15:33:00.001-07:002018-09-14T15:33:27.511-07:00Life on the edge (Day #2)Today was another uneventful day on the edge of Hurricane Florence. We have been following the news, and know that more than half a million people are without power in NC, and that they have already had to do some <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/14/us/hurricane-florence-new-bern-north-carolina/index.html" target="_blank">attic and rooftop rescues of people from New Bern, NC</a>, but the Triangle remains relatively unscathed. We've heard a little thunder, felt a little wind, and noted some rain, but it feels more like an end-of-summer storm than a hurricane.<br />
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<i>The sky is a bit grayer today, and there's more rain. Cyril is disinclined to go outside to pee, but otherwise we've had minimal ill effects of the storm. </i></div>
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<i>Weathering the storm...</i></div>
Drehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239331861091328558noreply@blogger.com0Durham, NC, USA35.9940329 -78.89861935.5829684 -79.544066 36.4050974 -78.253171999999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12627835.post-28789719668894053672018-09-13T14:51:00.000-07:002018-09-13T14:51:48.909-07:00Missing the hurricane (Day #1)The path of Hurricane Florence was initially predicted to hit the Triangle region of North Carolina. It has since turned south and then will swing around such that much of the state will get much heavier exposure to the storm than we do. We've got all the requisite preparatory things, courtesy of Lynn, so for now all is well.<br />
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So far it's sprinkled lightly and there is a breeze that's gotten a bit stronger as the day has gone on. Doesn't much compare to the 105 mph winds that are happening on the Outer Banks right about now... More updates to come.<br />
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<br />Drehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239331861091328558noreply@blogger.com0Durham, NC, USA35.9940329 -78.89861935.5829684 -79.544066 36.4050974 -78.253171999999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12627835.post-85304845958633069252018-09-09T18:50:00.000-07:002018-09-09T18:50:00.039-07:00Back in the saddle, againNot so much an homage to Gene Autry as just using a turn of phrase to describe the feeling of September, 2018. I'm one month into my faculty job, and in the past few weeks I have been reminded of several things:<br />
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<li>Transitions are hard. No matter how many new positions I start, or how many spreadsheets I create, starting something new is all at once exciting, wonderful, overwhelming, and terrifying.</li>
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<li>When the going gets tough, the tough get on their bicycles. </li>
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Finding time to ride my bike through all of the transitions of 2017 and 2018 has been really difficult. This meant that reprising my <a href="http://callmedre.blogspot.com/search/label/200in2016" target="_blank">#200in2016</a> endeavors was all but impossible this year, and it made me a little sad to realize how long it had been since I'd ridden my bike. In fairness, only some of this was the crazy nature of my life, because some of it was just because of crazy nature. It has been so hot and humid here! Excuses aside, I've now set up my commuter bike on the trainer upstairs, so while it doesn't commute much at this point, it does provide a convenient way to exercise without leaving the house. I've also signed up for the <a href="https://secure.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/CANBikeEvents?px=14448925&pg=personal&fr_id=29871" target="_blank">2018 Bike MS: Waves to Wine</a> ride. They offer the option to ride as a "Virtual Rider," so I can train and fund raise as part of <a href="https://secure.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?team_id=536099&pg=team&fr_id=29871" target="_blank">Team Menstrual Cycles</a>, and then ride on my own in North Carolina at the same time that my team is riding up the coast of Northern California. I've not yet decided what distance I'll be riding - the Saturday routes in California are either 100, 86, 43, or 22 miles, and the Sunday routes are 63 and 42 miles. So far, I'm up to about 20 miles training, putting really only the 40-ish mile distances in range. Further reports to come.<br />
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While I'm training, however, I'd love for all of you to donate to Bike MS! I ride every year in honor of an amazing mentor with MS, with the goal of ultimately reaching a world free of MS. <a href="https://secure.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/CANBikeEvents?px=14448925&pg=personal&fr_id=29871" target="_blank">This is my fourth Bike MS ride, so consider donating $40 or $400, and it is the team's tenth ride, so $10, $100, or $1,000 all seem reasonable to me!</a> And if you aren't in a place to donate right now, consider reposting this or passing it along to someone who might be.<br />
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<i>I got a new bike-mount for my cell phone and I captured this terrible photo without stopping. I think it might be cool to try to get one from the handlebars each ride, but I already forgot to do it on today's ride... </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyrtHZIOOZMUDyGYqTV8nfZ9cRFPuUbR5QY7KNF0GRcWXeVewo8oPlfyNQPStre-c10xyC0fEdFAa3UZ11hlkBrx2WGQD5tfy4iWEeDtjWJ1pbkyYXGXJLLZNMt6Yp9o9tbNzK/s1600/2018-09-06+06.12.16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyrtHZIOOZMUDyGYqTV8nfZ9cRFPuUbR5QY7KNF0GRcWXeVewo8oPlfyNQPStre-c10xyC0fEdFAa3UZ11hlkBrx2WGQD5tfy4iWEeDtjWJ1pbkyYXGXJLLZNMt6Yp9o9tbNzK/s320/2018-09-06+06.12.16.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>This is the moonset in the morning before I catch the bus for work. It's already hot out...</i></div>
Drehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239331861091328558noreply@blogger.com0Durham, NC, USA35.9940329 -78.89861935.5829684 -79.544066 36.4050974 -78.253171999999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12627835.post-26504624887186802212018-08-19T12:33:00.001-07:002018-08-19T13:42:40.449-07:00The yard that time forgotWe bought our house in the dead of winter, shortly before a record-breaking stretch of low temperatures and snow in the Triangle. When we moved in, we estimated that the back yard hadn't been raked in several years and the front yard had been relatively untended for almost as long. Apart from my successful stint at succulent husbandry, my track record with plants is not good. My <a href="https://callmedre.blogspot.com/2017/08/clyde-allegory.html" target="_blank">somewhat confessional post about the series of Clyde plants I'd nurtured and killed</a> preceded the demise of <a href="https://callmedre.blogspot.com/2017/09/first-training-ride-and-clyde-update.html" target="_blank">what at that point was the current plant</a> by just a few short months. Given this history, when it came to tackling our yard I did what any smart person would do and called my mom. Enthusiastic at the idea of being able to transform our yard into something that would quickly become an important stop on any house and garden tour in Durham, she asked for some photos. Sobered at the images of an overgrown disaster in the front, and a scorched-earth-style sand pit in the back, we discussed how best to proceed. As we made plans to tackle the front on her upcoming trip to Durham, she packaged some hostas and a fern from her yard into a Priority Mail box and they were on their way. I managed not to kill them in the few days between their arrival and hers, and we went to work!<br />
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Things we did:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Removed another trash bag's worth of poison ivy from the front yard</li>
<li>Trimmed the "grass," or what passes for grass in our front yard that is comprised of plants we've tentatively identified as Virginia creeper, mint, crab grass, a small amount of residual poison ivy, and approximately 1,000,000 as yet unidentified weeds</li>
<li>Dug out four dead or dying shrubs</li>
<li>Positively identified, rescued, and trained the fig tree that Lynn attempted to demolish in the fall because she thought it was unsightly</li>
<li>Mixed in some compost into the dirt in front of the house and planted the hostas</li>
<li>Planted two ferns in the corner by the fence</li>
<li>Came up with a clever watering scheme that involved using the water from the dehumidier each night to water the hostas in the front yart, and each morning to water the herbs and ferns in the back yard</li>
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The results: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkVhVId_9hB782lN16MCJNKvBILEfWjSi_2QBn-PwCvHk8AdOKAnwgJmJPg7G43ujOspR7N_J63XK6InshTEIbmvgTqx4i0CM0ROhho_-6CWoaKtSmm7PaxQVeAA7yPSOpb3tQ/s1600/2018-08-18+15.56.03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkVhVId_9hB782lN16MCJNKvBILEfWjSi_2QBn-PwCvHk8AdOKAnwgJmJPg7G43ujOspR7N_J63XK6InshTEIbmvgTqx4i0CM0ROhho_-6CWoaKtSmm7PaxQVeAA7yPSOpb3tQ/s320/2018-08-18+15.56.03.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>The fig tree! This is after some pruning and also training the three branches to form a trunk. It's starting to look like a proper tree. You can almost see the baby hostas in a line behind it. </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEqNt81krgM9NqrzMQ4wGUs4j6JxjmbAvGHd4_bKEt-FagbIoIGaz0JSUcbyw5VnOmM3vXBJREhQU4PBa9vewsckBh2WUDlS9aMIgNEUVLVwMxARjIIEowcux-LduN5sDPXBmU/s1600/2018-08-18+15.55.51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEqNt81krgM9NqrzMQ4wGUs4j6JxjmbAvGHd4_bKEt-FagbIoIGaz0JSUcbyw5VnOmM3vXBJREhQU4PBa9vewsckBh2WUDlS9aMIgNEUVLVwMxARjIIEowcux-LduN5sDPXBmU/s320/2018-08-18+15.55.51.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>Through circumstances that are beyond the scope of this blog post, I have recently augmented my cicada knowledge, and can tell you that the insect husk you see here on one of the fig leaves is a <a href="http://songsofinsects.com/cicadas/scissor-grinder-cicada" target="_blank">scissor-grinder cicada</a>, which is, if not annual, more frequent than the q13 or q17 year cicadas that are frequently referenced. </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPC-NWRZ2YI4xhEEURChd3zw72L5LGtUEECLPRMKbMSYogI8tPh7QC_zQyaMoynkJLxjAS36ZuWqnFsIdwakq_hxhjweEBi64_slTCd-F-hi6n_ggPrArX3OoPkd68FZW3lICR/s1600/2018-08-05+09.59.35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPC-NWRZ2YI4xhEEURChd3zw72L5LGtUEECLPRMKbMSYogI8tPh7QC_zQyaMoynkJLxjAS36ZuWqnFsIdwakq_hxhjweEBi64_slTCd-F-hi6n_ggPrArX3OoPkd68FZW3lICR/s320/2018-08-05+09.59.35.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>This Fresno pepper is the only one we've harvested so far this year. There are some flowers on the plant as of this post, so fingers crossed for more.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCe5slnlS8m7rF8R9EzpIIWEDE2V0shdaY6dG4btTPOG93Trm8_oStYvpwmAr3aPNHEjAyQftYxNdBia1VtW_NuYP0kmk9eHvB37712i2MUcIKvhz5AfwU9B9j9C-kOhwc9C7U/s1600/2018-08-12+16.16.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCe5slnlS8m7rF8R9EzpIIWEDE2V0shdaY6dG4btTPOG93Trm8_oStYvpwmAr3aPNHEjAyQftYxNdBia1VtW_NuYP0kmk9eHvB37712i2MUcIKvhz5AfwU9B9j9C-kOhwc9C7U/s320/2018-08-12+16.16.10.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>I candied two green figs! I wasn't sure whether birds would eat them once they were more ripe, so I decided to go for it. They are pretty mild and mostly just taste like sugar with a faint fig undertone, so I'll be hoping for ripe figs for the next batch. </i></div>
Drehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239331861091328558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12627835.post-63794714131901070512018-06-17T09:14:00.000-07:002018-06-17T09:14:37.286-07:00Reflections, new directions, and pet photos (!)Tonight is the residency graduation ceremony at many OB/GYN programs across the country, and marks approximately a year since I finished residency and and we moved across the country. I've struggled a bit to get back into the swing of the blog, in part because we've gone through a tremendous number of transitions this year and I think we've hardly had time to process one before another is upon us. I posted <a href="http://callmedre.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-evolution-of-blog.html" target="_blank">earlier this spring about the evolution of the blog</a>, but it was a bit of a half-hearted attempt that left me feeling even less certain about the direction going forward. Here's a short list of some of this year's transitions that I'm hopeful to share more about in the coming year.<br />
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<u>I'm so close to being finished with medical training</u> - That's right, folks, it's really happening. For those you who thought I had been in college for the past 17 years, you should stop lamenting my slow progress and start celebrating the fact that in that time I have earned three (3) degrees, one (1) certificate, three (3) medical licenses, four (4) DEA numbers, including a special one for prescribers of medication assisted treatment for opiate use disorder, two (2) bilingual provider certifications, and eligibility to take my general obstetrics and gynecology board exams this winter. I also have a job. I think it's okay to let you all know at this point that I'll be joining my current division of general obstetrics and gynecology as an assistant professor in August. In the coming year, you can expect more thoughts about medical education, work-life balance, and the challenges of providing health care in the prison system.<br />
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<u>The weather here is completely different</u> - And it turns out that biking with seasons is a whole different ballgame. It's one that I had blissfully and intentionally forgotten while living in the Bay Area. Aside from the occasional rainy day, I could count on being able to use whatever portion of my free time I desired to ride a bike. Although the fall and early winter in North Carolina were seemingly designed for cycling, the "spring" and "summer" have been nearly indistinguishable and have involved temperatures and humidity that make me hesitant to leave the house walking, much less cycling. Despite this, I have lots of cycling goals for the year to come, so you can look forward to more NC scenery views from the saddle.<br />
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<u>We have an extremely anxious dog</u> - Walter's entire life was chronicled on the blog, and it still makes my throat catch a bit to see his name as a label option for each post. Cyril, too, has struggled with the loss mightily. He had some significant anxiety issues when we adopted him, and they worsened appreciably after the attack. It turns out that veterinary medicine offers some of the clearest evidence that medications for anxiety change lives. Our little dog is a patient at the <a href="https://cvm.ncsu.edu/nc-state-vet-hospital/small-animal/behavioral-medicine/" target="_blank">NC State Behavioral Medicine Clinic</a> and in addition to the equivalent of doggie therapy, he is now on lots of anxiolytics. He is making great progress, and you can anticipate some reflections on the challenges of a totally differently high needs dog from our last one.<br />
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<u>Eighty-five years of questionable decisions in our house</u> - The "what were they thinking" posts will not stop. I have a back log of "before" and "in the midst of it" photos to share, including some demolition photos from what we have been calling "the forbidden bathroom" due to it's lack of non-rotted structural support. This week will also mark the start of the first professional work on the house.<br />
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Suffice it to say, there is a lot going on right now and so I'll share some photos of the pets relaxing to remind you (and me!) to do the same.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCzWlxbovWM544k3Ooh3qrpM3Qbt6mTwA_hRhJ8J2_h6HMD6P8Ry48_GVTt4VsAQMwMVM1fSh454_6NkWZB9jpwyNiZVOpZ789fhLxr8rd65gxYxuN3vL__7op9SgQNLlSmJTY/s1600/2018-06-15+10.34.17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCzWlxbovWM544k3Ooh3qrpM3Qbt6mTwA_hRhJ8J2_h6HMD6P8Ry48_GVTt4VsAQMwMVM1fSh454_6NkWZB9jpwyNiZVOpZ789fhLxr8rd65gxYxuN3vL__7op9SgQNLlSmJTY/s320/2018-06-15+10.34.17.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>Cyril loves relaxing in a lawn chair. He tends to cycle between the sunny grass, the shady grass or pavement, and the lawn chair as his temperature needs demand. </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBK6FGBiciCvcbyN1EgXeOOSbwVSSIufVh7I5REmYI4z8TctcvTPX_rHwAp7Dm20tMkuPfOCEn4fUyJK1gYtmadmGoupfMKiNz9vLANSLIZftvTA91tgHb0MUtHx0Ko-zUl_0V/s1600/2018-05-31+21.30.41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBK6FGBiciCvcbyN1EgXeOOSbwVSSIufVh7I5REmYI4z8TctcvTPX_rHwAp7Dm20tMkuPfOCEn4fUyJK1gYtmadmGoupfMKiNz9vLANSLIZftvTA91tgHb0MUtHx0Ko-zUl_0V/s320/2018-05-31+21.30.41.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Eli is perhaps the most effective pet at reminding me to take a break. Here he is, seemingly saying "Now it is my turn to use the computer."</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieNRGFs0xPiCaZ63zw4mPQ2jYiF7PxTXKY0W7jiJxjutPwK5vnHYseowMwrxKnBzJUsicgm2ILoGZrrPQFd11e36nwv8oA1qntIIaYWSrBgehRmXjyzxvKpmethe6Elb3lXPDv/s1600/2018-06-10+12.30.38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieNRGFs0xPiCaZ63zw4mPQ2jYiF7PxTXKY0W7jiJxjutPwK5vnHYseowMwrxKnBzJUsicgm2ILoGZrrPQFd11e36nwv8oA1qntIIaYWSrBgehRmXjyzxvKpmethe6Elb3lXPDv/s320/2018-06-10+12.30.38.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>This is not some high-tech cat bed that we are using now. It is a high tech washing machine that the cat is using as a bed. I may or may not have started placing a folded bath mat in the washer for him to sleep on. In my defense, it needed to be washed anyway...</i></div>
<br />Drehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239331861091328558noreply@blogger.com0Durham, NC, USA35.9940329 -78.89861935.5829684 -79.544066 36.4050974 -78.253171999999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12627835.post-88918647211560141412018-05-16T11:32:00.001-07:002018-05-16T11:36:52.289-07:00Summer comes to DurhamAlthough it seems like only a few weeks ago it was 40F and we were feeling chilly, we've had high temperatures above 90F for the past few days and it doesn't exactly feel like spring. Instead, it feels like we've been catapulted into full-on summer. I know that some of you will say that I'm weak after living in San Francisco for four years, and while that is in general a fair criticism, it has already been up to 97F this week, and that is hot by pretty much any standard. To make the most of this new warmth (or, to survive in this burning hellscape, as Lynn has been calling it), I've been doing a few things.<br />
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Bicycling: Riding in Durham is the full experience of road biking. There are busy urban streets with lots of people and cars, protected multi-use paths for pedestrians and cyclists, and long stretches of rural roads with varying degrees of shoulder for safety. I've enjoyed exploring since we moved, although definitely overestimated my capacity to bike in the heat...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIL6alQDOWwOZin2nTi5EJyAZTPaC8tV_nd3hlt3YaGqkM0SiOT6BqZPwufd2XgzLtFm1OP7PWPPVO4i6F_bxSLjGnDjTCVh3hoLIbRh1U8OWn4gxcIiBWwuDD2XzscP5gh9uB/s1600/2018-05-09+11.04.05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIL6alQDOWwOZin2nTi5EJyAZTPaC8tV_nd3hlt3YaGqkM0SiOT6BqZPwufd2XgzLtFm1OP7PWPPVO4i6F_bxSLjGnDjTCVh3hoLIbRh1U8OWn4gxcIiBWwuDD2XzscP5gh9uB/s320/2018-05-09+11.04.05.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Essentials any bike ride... I highly recommend the goddess garden which has a lovely lavender sent and is extremely gentle. The others are great for the body, but leave my face feeling chemically burned...</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjH0JfQigBrK01UhrH9bu4fKudfp00RrNsKbHkkg6J1xPqrAQ26hyphenhyphenMb5iR9ymxsdTnz4VPHHdfMFKo52AVCoG3-3jwo-O3eSLjuQGeXzP_MrS1D1M1QKfhERCF62L2l0rKotAn/s1600/2018-05-09+11.37.31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjH0JfQigBrK01UhrH9bu4fKudfp00RrNsKbHkkg6J1xPqrAQ26hyphenhyphenMb5iR9ymxsdTnz4VPHHdfMFKo52AVCoG3-3jwo-O3eSLjuQGeXzP_MrS1D1M1QKfhERCF62L2l0rKotAn/s320/2018-05-09+11.37.31.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>I'm too far out from my kindergarten days of encylopedic dinosaur knowledge to determine whether this is a brontosaurus, diplodocus, or apatosaurus. <a href="https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/animals/a14948/the-brontosaurus-is-back/" target="_blank">Apparently we've all agreed that all three of these actually exist now, in case you missed the dust-up over whether being a brontosaurus was really a thing...</a></i></div>
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I've biked portions of the <a href="http://www.triangletrails.org/american-tobacco-trail" target="_blank">American Tobacco Trail</a>, a rails-to-trails conversion that boasts many miles of beautiful (and relatively flat) cycling, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellerbe_Creek_Trail" target="_blank">South Ellerbe Creek Trail</a>, which is most notable for having a large dinosaur statue nestled into the trees next to the trail, and the <a href="http://www.bikewalkdurham.org/bikewalkdurham/dost/TrailWebPages/StadiumDriveTr.html" target="_blank">Stadium Drive Trail</a>, which is actually a glorified sidewalk that is great for safe walking and cycling away from cars for beginning cyclists or children, but is not really ideal for a road bike over about 8 mph.<br />
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Enjoying our backyard: "Yard" should really be in quotation marks there, as we don't have much grass at all. That said, "enjoying our backyard morass of sand and gravel" doesn't have the same ring to it. Since getting our fence installed, we've loved letting Cyril run around unencumbered by the stresses of other animals, cars, and similar distractions that are profoundly distressing to our tiny, sweet dog. The things we have taken out of the backyard in order to improve it's function and appearance include:<br />
<ul>
<li>One third of a phone pole</li>
<li>An old fence post which was sunk into concrete but not attached to anything else</li>
<li>Several dump-runs worth of cement chunks, broken bricks, and large rocks</li>
<li>Five garbage bags filled with poison ivy</li>
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That's right, the ground cover that was flourishing that I may have mentioned to some of you was actually just poison ivy. We suspected that there was some after Lynn got a rash, and it was confirmed when our amazing neighbor who installed the fence informed us that our entire yard consisted of poison plants and that he would recommend treating the entire area with herbicide. We may yet use chemicals to kill the remaining plants, but opted for mechanical removal of most of them. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI3YeCVQHj1lxGf-bj6txRiqLqzjQ3nTfmqlIvnDcen9VOJ6KzDPEJfqF3Zjxx9SuFzhJDo6iCZQs4f67ypdesCtJ-1qQRCmIqWWxVZWo8DFq_e1-6U4Wc3hKGXUPVf0A4X_Kf/s1600/2018-05-09+14.06.44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI3YeCVQHj1lxGf-bj6txRiqLqzjQ3nTfmqlIvnDcen9VOJ6KzDPEJfqF3Zjxx9SuFzhJDo6iCZQs4f67ypdesCtJ-1qQRCmIqWWxVZWo8DFq_e1-6U4Wc3hKGXUPVf0A4X_Kf/s320/2018-05-09+14.06.44.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>The before... You can see the green patch in the back near the fence, and you'll have to trust me that it's ALL poison ivy...</i></div>
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<i>The offending plant itself. You can appreciate how lush and three-leaved it is. </i></div>
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<i>Rainboots - check, Tyvek suit - check, garden gloves - check, innate immunity to poison ivy - check. That's right, despite walking around in it unawares in my sandals, I have remained unaffected. I also accidentally brushed some of it onto my face during removal, and emerged unscathed.</i></div>
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<i>Cy enjoying the one small patch of non-poison ivy (notably, it's clover, not grass) in the yard. </i></div>
Drehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239331861091328558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12627835.post-30858782566846363412018-05-08T12:42:00.000-07:002018-05-08T12:42:23.245-07:00The evolution of the blogMay is the month when "Blogiversary" pops up on my calendar alerts and this year brings us to lucky thirteen. I'm a few days late, but I like to pause for at least one post in May in which I reflect on what brings me back to the blog, and maybe what draws you all. I wish I had access to some of the content trackers and analytic software that the media researchers use to follow trends, because I would love to use data to watch the evolution of the blog, but I don't. Back in 2011, <a href="http://callmedre.blogspot.com/search?q=word+cloud" target="_blank">I used a web applet called Wordle to make some cool word clouds from my blog feed</a>. Unfortunately, that website no longer accepts RSS feeds, but I've found a less sophisticated one, <a href="https://tagcrowd.com/" target="_blank">TagCrowd</a>, that I think will nonetheless give some interesting insights into the focus of the blog over the years (2005-2018).<br />
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Some things to remember as you scroll through:<br />
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<ol>
<li>The words are alphabetical, which is not as aesthetic as the Wordle clouds. </li>
<li>The app doesn't recognize words like "San Francisco" or "shave ice" as one word, so you'll see those words pop up separately, which seems out of place. </li>
<li>There isn't one for 2014. There were no posts that years as it was the second half of my intern year and the first half of my second year of residency. This was a low time.</li>
<li>Some of the words that show up in the formatting of the posts, like "pm" for the time of day, are among the most common. I tried to exclude some of the most obvious (like "comments"), but got a little lazy as I went on with this. I've selected a threshold of seven appearances, and included a maximum of 100 words in for each year, so take them with a grain of salt. </li>
<li>The filter on this applet for "regularly used words" is not as good. For example, it highlights "really" in many of these clouds. I suppose I should broaden the range of adjectives I use, but it should also use a better filter, really. </li>
<li>Some years there just aren't a lot of posts. The first year (2005) is one of these, which is why it looks like buying eggs was in fact the most significant thing that happened all year. </li>
</ol>
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Here they are, from stratus, to cumulus, to cirrus, the word clouds of Someday I'll be Dr. Dre...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUg1oTALWkYqD4XULL1veyNZsCL2P6HOmKS2rMYV-48xr0P1cR9bVHckkV6KgTYm4lLj_qfEiEObJL300BL_v5h2nZveArZcrtvAVy-ckX5mDVnG51XY4WDyoMJT4RLSMBAYGk/s1600/2005_cloud.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="487" data-original-width="1384" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUg1oTALWkYqD4XULL1veyNZsCL2P6HOmKS2rMYV-48xr0P1cR9bVHckkV6KgTYm4lLj_qfEiEObJL300BL_v5h2nZveArZcrtvAVy-ckX5mDVnG51XY4WDyoMJT4RLSMBAYGk/s320/2005_cloud.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB1F09_ofRNh1OOq3M-nfPxztCROmtCAHcfY6QMh5StKnf51FHQtw7EP-pssCfBqDJvkkycE-c9UH8RU0DQI4q9FUFA1uaNFWA_63fKcxUejzVD8FPIO3RoWfzOTCj57g8SpIY/s1600/2008_cloud.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1321" data-original-width="1386" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB1F09_ofRNh1OOq3M-nfPxztCROmtCAHcfY6QMh5StKnf51FHQtw7EP-pssCfBqDJvkkycE-c9UH8RU0DQI4q9FUFA1uaNFWA_63fKcxUejzVD8FPIO3RoWfzOTCj57g8SpIY/s320/2008_cloud.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYNSUYXdP4RFulDJWx9P9osLK0n-q_Ji4FWGlXf_9AssMfBakDkm4CmDyTV2umy9UgEY_dx3Wy3k4U0HFFFhblZ7MDeG3rbsZShbEEH5ZvFB0p-i7yo60g0RqY7W95VR1afbix/s1600/2009_cloud.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="796" data-original-width="1387" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYNSUYXdP4RFulDJWx9P9osLK0n-q_Ji4FWGlXf_9AssMfBakDkm4CmDyTV2umy9UgEY_dx3Wy3k4U0HFFFhblZ7MDeG3rbsZShbEEH5ZvFB0p-i7yo60g0RqY7W95VR1afbix/s320/2009_cloud.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUnptjfdIT-PCfapcKRUXv2iOcaWXSCkJezZM632qPJrniT1BzNNHDj97BzxNCqF-9uLd6S4MvquK_ON6AnYCqXpnoavkkEwCp3ppPNJQwRZBuhnZk5gxYqLGH5N5t7XKDDNQN/s1600/2011_cloud.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1006" data-original-width="1386" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUnptjfdIT-PCfapcKRUXv2iOcaWXSCkJezZM632qPJrniT1BzNNHDj97BzxNCqF-9uLd6S4MvquK_ON6AnYCqXpnoavkkEwCp3ppPNJQwRZBuhnZk5gxYqLGH5N5t7XKDDNQN/s320/2011_cloud.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh5r-iSKal8OZDtyYs0hMGB6XY22LVnBCybDQDsHYql6d3yQ8JYGl4gEPozzjIZFEDvgl7sQ-zo1hY9WNNn9h9FgnoXdK2DRxXZJ35NaZNcFh-56a_EJxpfLcHiYRTXSeOPQoE/s1600/2012_cloud.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="1383" height="72" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh5r-iSKal8OZDtyYs0hMGB6XY22LVnBCybDQDsHYql6d3yQ8JYGl4gEPozzjIZFEDvgl7sQ-zo1hY9WNNn9h9FgnoXdK2DRxXZJ35NaZNcFh-56a_EJxpfLcHiYRTXSeOPQoE/s320/2012_cloud.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Drehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239331861091328558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12627835.post-52748812007757455462018-04-14T14:34:00.000-07:002018-04-14T14:34:37.321-07:00Return to Step 1: There was/is more stuff on the floors than you could possibly have imaginedWork on the house is, as you might expect, somehow both fast and slow at the same time. Although things are accomplished every day, and we are making plans for some of the huge changes (hello, new roof!), it often feels like parts of it will take forever. Like the floors.<br />
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You'll recall that I posted about <a href="http://callmedre.blogspot.com/2017/12/step-1-remove-uglydangerousdirty-things.html" target="_blank">removing the horrifying flooring early</a>. We pulled up carpet in the whole downstairs, and removed some random paneling and plywood that were on the floors also. This revealed some incredible peel-and-stick tile in the living room, dining room, guest bedroom, and the entire upstairs. Lynn is basically an adhesive removing machine with the heat gun as her bionic hand, but it is slow work! Let this be a lesson to everyone - If you have nice hardwood flooring and don't want to refinish it, put a layer of something that is easily removed, like weird wood paneling or plywood down on the floor before you semi-permanently adhere linoleum to it. You will be happy you did if you later recant your objection to refinishing, and I would argue that if you could refer people to this blog that it would actually increase the resale value of the home. What are a few small nail holes between friends?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDxUcsNCtO9DrfvHHkrfeM83yMKf3QFnsQcciYQ77NTdgd6j8L8QMuLqUY99UTEvm-EXzfmKd5SkjjzL5hiiFeblu-y1DJgrepBPbEKm0TEsiJSebjg91Gf0EJ7BiaQyJD0wRg/s1600/2018-02-03+20.19.14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDxUcsNCtO9DrfvHHkrfeM83yMKf3QFnsQcciYQ77NTdgd6j8L8QMuLqUY99UTEvm-EXzfmKd5SkjjzL5hiiFeblu-y1DJgrepBPbEKm0TEsiJSebjg91Gf0EJ7BiaQyJD0wRg/s320/2018-02-03+20.19.14.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>NB: If you use giant nails that leave 1/4" holes in the wood, no one will like you. You have to use something small that doesn't require a hammer, a pry bar, and a miracle to get out without leaving a huge chunk missing from the floor. </i></div>
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<i>This is early days in this project...</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrrOfqQIkb1rlet1vfKhIKy9FKzCTTkCNaiFoOuH2B4waxPRrHB-hN4oi8eUzbhrwjOcNo4ITynVhtiy8Y3zFv5qfwho62RL5ZInbVcF29f6oSEbgfeOFc-Koyf4kgoB5Z8hU8/s1600/2018-02-25+14.25.34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrrOfqQIkb1rlet1vfKhIKy9FKzCTTkCNaiFoOuH2B4waxPRrHB-hN4oi8eUzbhrwjOcNo4ITynVhtiy8Y3zFv5qfwho62RL5ZInbVcF29f6oSEbgfeOFc-Koyf4kgoB5Z8hU8/s320/2018-02-25+14.25.34.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>The heat gun in action!</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5mEWYemSeMUXmwRGMv2AbdU7NhuDUVapGkLwd9WRx0uqtTNgkp4luLR2nupbLcIJunHfNpwGmBkBb8GYHQv0txPjGghgAHjf1pcLHsdErlrm2iG-t2BVhyphenhyphen2Ae0H2aqCoVo9Zk/s1600/2018-02-03+21.02.13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5mEWYemSeMUXmwRGMv2AbdU7NhuDUVapGkLwd9WRx0uqtTNgkp4luLR2nupbLcIJunHfNpwGmBkBb8GYHQv0txPjGghgAHjf1pcLHsdErlrm2iG-t2BVhyphenhyphen2Ae0H2aqCoVo9Zk/s320/2018-02-03+21.02.13.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>After the heat gun, the industrial vat of coconut oil makes an appearance. It does a remarkably good job of un-sticking the last little bits of adhesive and the dog loves it!</i> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIrhRRV9K-C1BeGCLafq3JHAn5QexcyPjrwtlf4B6zvIV9-nheC420kkvIvHE15WsFxJ-Gjm7Ck3wv8-ZBT0f1keXpQz3u3CuGtO-knyKL37R2-zcfrIDXISIBml6QuhFrQWQq/s1600/2018-02-25+14.25.54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIrhRRV9K-C1BeGCLafq3JHAn5QexcyPjrwtlf4B6zvIV9-nheC420kkvIvHE15WsFxJ-Gjm7Ck3wv8-ZBT0f1keXpQz3u3CuGtO-knyKL37R2-zcfrIDXISIBml6QuhFrQWQq/s320/2018-02-25+14.25.54.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>Ultimately the floors are lovely. Unclear whether they are stained different colors in different rooms, but we can work with that. </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYEqKwbmpK26MKZI6Q0BfwOoA6lrqOzv8pZtdwjhjvoWJlP1gfK-mdhqUFVJPky0j8Tiv-qIhGPUrL-aCQm_QlO8hTUnf6sO-umBC-91Hl_3dILdfxUWAEKdVFDzsOZ9d5U9y3/s1600/2018-03-04+17.41.27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYEqKwbmpK26MKZI6Q0BfwOoA6lrqOzv8pZtdwjhjvoWJlP1gfK-mdhqUFVJPky0j8Tiv-qIhGPUrL-aCQm_QlO8hTUnf6sO-umBC-91Hl_3dILdfxUWAEKdVFDzsOZ9d5U9y3/s320/2018-03-04+17.41.27.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>Progress in the living room...</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEXRfu3oAMszluBRMnaLLBPj_kTwqgzdB-woLW6RXg6JRXo0NXCsfzk8etsVoWtmMq47UqFN_Jmg6_7L6mfeZwKI0-PlBjRJ5zyZjv8IfSRq4eMxXvi0UGvGV75re0tiGh8WqP/s1600/2018-04-14+17.25.13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEXRfu3oAMszluBRMnaLLBPj_kTwqgzdB-woLW6RXg6JRXo0NXCsfzk8etsVoWtmMq47UqFN_Jmg6_7L6mfeZwKI0-PlBjRJ5zyZjv8IfSRq4eMxXvi0UGvGV75re0tiGh8WqP/s320/2018-04-14+17.25.13.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>Massive progress in the study!</i></div>
<br />Drehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239331861091328558noreply@blogger.com0Durham, NC, USA35.9940329 -78.89861935.5829684 -79.544066 36.4050974 -78.253171999999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12627835.post-77473250313197346292018-03-30T14:22:00.000-07:002018-03-30T14:22:47.228-07:00In loving memoryAs some of you already know, and most of the rest of you have guessed after reading the title of this post, Walter died on March 25, 2018. He fought valiantly in the hospital, surprising all the staff with his impressive recovery after all of his surgery and his ridiculous demeanor in the most challenging of circumstances. Despite their amazing care, on Sunday morning he suffered a catastrophic neurological event that left him not himself and working hard to breath. We waited through the day, and it became clear that he would not get better. We said goodbye in the evening. He was the best dog we could ever have hoped to have, and we will love him forever.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9fSAO7ydASpzSb4RtO6d_jnbNG6ykZi9I17MvcaBR5liO6FZTGSQ0OVpnDj3WwqcZ3l2ztp6thzYTN_4EHSysDBckMRyD1vCpEgUhxhCqAPGOXcICk5dP91iLBQkzlAe4FqlF/s1600/waltCloseup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="448" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9fSAO7ydASpzSb4RtO6d_jnbNG6ykZi9I17MvcaBR5liO6FZTGSQ0OVpnDj3WwqcZ3l2ztp6thzYTN_4EHSysDBckMRyD1vCpEgUhxhCqAPGOXcICk5dP91iLBQkzlAe4FqlF/s320/waltCloseup.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0510G9HQeoOwDEenC4S3eIwlkhba-6wKLZ_BiYFcIS25N1vJHSQ3XaSIfE6HT8heNixeVYytl51STKkfl_5CR4iUGCh8hItn2lBrp3O1GSZq-33l8amkRfVxFkMXdzNPRBRwC/s1600/walter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="299" data-original-width="448" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0510G9HQeoOwDEenC4S3eIwlkhba-6wKLZ_BiYFcIS25N1vJHSQ3XaSIfE6HT8heNixeVYytl51STKkfl_5CR4iUGCh8hItn2lBrp3O1GSZq-33l8amkRfVxFkMXdzNPRBRwC/s320/walter.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU8Z75kDkCWT2c3J1uCFb8U54VekY1eoClm-eNzwJRCf5mCbpa9V-fAyCXAMj8X_wwyiQ_0OMzqfv9gB8mZDeXwZF1ZshQKd8bIKZFLnskCMEj3MYFDReN4sALuGF1r57epHB-/s1600/walt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU8Z75kDkCWT2c3J1uCFb8U54VekY1eoClm-eNzwJRCf5mCbpa9V-fAyCXAMj8X_wwyiQ_0OMzqfv9gB8mZDeXwZF1ZshQKd8bIKZFLnskCMEj3MYFDReN4sALuGF1r57epHB-/s320/walt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtyY3-wqnBaEnPNWIX4hyphenhyphen7bz5xmzACN1jI3ZV1HoGrfIQDi8grvZxNnV6UIwssCGbPGiZNmoVKll_XjawaU2WTT2CO5_yAQihfrdCQpJgq2CdB1QakonfKI_VrQyxGOwXIQRsg/s1600/walter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="1024" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtyY3-wqnBaEnPNWIX4hyphenhyphen7bz5xmzACN1jI3ZV1HoGrfIQDi8grvZxNnV6UIwssCGbPGiZNmoVKll_XjawaU2WTT2CO5_yAQihfrdCQpJgq2CdB1QakonfKI_VrQyxGOwXIQRsg/s320/walter.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>These are just a few of the photos of Walter that have graced the posts of this blog. You can find more <a href="http://callmedre.blogspot.com/search/label/Walter" target="_blank">here</a>. </i></div>
Drehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239331861091328558noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12627835.post-20619650197226701012018-03-23T11:28:00.000-07:002018-03-23T11:28:55.822-07:00One of the worst things ever...As some of you know, earlier this week Walter was viciously attacked by two much larger dogs while he and Cyril were out for a walk. I'm not going to describe that horror here, as I wasn't there and it was traumatizing for all involved. Suffice it to say that Walter suffered major injuries to his back half in particular, and was immediately taken to the closest veterinary hospital to us with critical care services. Everyone else is okay physically, but will require some time before dog walking is a relaxing activity again.<br />
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Once Walter got to the hospital, he had an x-ray to confirm his spine wasn't fractured (it wasn't) and an ultrasound to confirm there was no bleeding or fluid in his belly (there wasn't). He was admitted to the ICU and then under anesthesia they shaved most of the hair on his back half and washed and dressed his wounds. Over the last four days, he has undergone the following:<br />
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<li>Four surgeries with general anesthesia for wound debridement, closure, and drain placement</li>
<li>Placement of seven drains into his wounds</li>
<li>Placement of a central line (a special IV for fluid management)</li>
<li>Placement of a feeding tube</li>
<li>Transfusion of one unit of blood and one unit of FFP (plasma)</li>
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Despite all of these interventions, we are uncertain whether he will regain complete use of both of his back legs, and the threat of infection is ever present. The staff at the <a href="http://www.vshcarolinas.com/" target="_blank">Veterinary Specialty Hospital of the Carolinas</a> in Cary, NC have been incredible, and have cared for Walter as they would their own animals. They would never let us know if they tired of our frequent visits and calls, and have been honest and reassuring when possible about his clinical status. </div>
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We were able to connect with the heroic mail carrier that used pepper spray to stop the attacking dogs and save Walter's life, and we feel forever in his debt. He said that this was the first time in his entire career that he had ever had to intervene in a a situation like this, and his presence of mind and quick action were the difference between losing Walter and where we are now. We are preparing a thank-you gift, and if you'd like us to include a message from you, please send me a note, leave it in the comments here, or otherwise let me know. We are also so appreciative of the neighbor who provided a ride to our injured baby.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqJbx6Q0UC2bUIrGKruqC1JSWwoWCvTxlTrUZGSc70xclcIbQ7PI6wXa0YBm2NTiUr5_cEC0mfrnlNn_LmTS_OKHrM49oGJYafx0QfFzg1xbyBX2NtRQJJW5XHxONAa0lW9zET/s1600/2018-03-22+21.13.06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqJbx6Q0UC2bUIrGKruqC1JSWwoWCvTxlTrUZGSc70xclcIbQ7PI6wXa0YBm2NTiUr5_cEC0mfrnlNn_LmTS_OKHrM49oGJYafx0QfFzg1xbyBX2NtRQJJW5XHxONAa0lW9zET/s320/2018-03-22+21.13.06.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Walter looking so much perkier after a few days in the hospital!</i></div>
<br />Drehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239331861091328558noreply@blogger.com3Cary, NC, USA35.79154 -78.78111690000002935.3792725 -79.426563900000033 36.203807499999996 -78.135669900000025tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12627835.post-22466807539437430252018-03-04T15:23:00.000-08:002018-03-04T15:23:57.593-08:00Introducing CyrilFor years, we have been discussing and debating getting another dog. We considered adding a mutt to the family in order to avoid the myriad health problems associated with a purebred dog. We thought about getting a big dog, maybe a pit mix, since we have the space and both enjoy walking with the dogs. We perused the options endlessly on <a href="https://www.petfinder.com/" target="_blank">PetFinder</a> before and after it was referred to as "<a href="https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/2b23adc6-3774-4f78-a7f5-989a1055c5f4" target="_blank">something that resembles Tinder for dogs</a>" on <a href="https://www.nbc.com/this-is-us" target="_blank">This is Us</a>.<br />
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As an aside, in attempting to find a link to that clip I googled "Tinder for dogs" and came up with the following:<br />
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<ul>
<li><a href="https://barkbuddy.com/" target="_blank">BarkBuddy</a>: An app designed to help you "find fluffy singles near you," BarkBuddy connects people "with cute pups that need a home."</li>
<li><a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/tindog-tinder-for-dogs_us_55aea38ee4b08f57d5d2c264" target="_blank">Tindog</a>: This may or may not be defunct, but looks like it was an app to help people with dogs meet dogs (and their owners). It may or may not match both the dogs and the owners.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/theodorecasey/2017/10/02/tinder-for-dog-owners-serves-a-niche/#c072aee2a366" target="_blank">Dog Date Afternoon</a>: More explicitly connects single people who want to date but want to make sure that their dogs are compatible before they invest any more energy into a potential relationship. </li>
<li><a href="https://www.engadget.com/2014/11/03/allpaws-app-tinder-pets/" target="_blank">Allpaws</a>: Another app to facilitate pet adoptions. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.twindog.co/" target="_blank">Twindog</a>: Looks suspiciously similar to Tindog, and I wonder whether there wasn't some sort of lawsuit that resulted in a name change here... </li>
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After so much going back and forth and listing the pros and cons of getting another dog, we decided to move forward and applied to adopt another Boston Terrier. We wanted Walter to have a buddy in the autumn and winter of his years, and after we saw this little guy and realized that he had been returned multiple times due to behavior issues, we couldn't say no. We found him through the <a href="http://www.bostonterriertn.org/" target="_blank">East Tennessee Boston Terrier Rescue</a>. Having adopted Walter through the Midwest Boston Terrier Rescue, we were committed to a rescue dog. </div>
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And here he is:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsoZz5Hzya137Rm5xTRG2gCnmzD6liwHLlad2oMgiOhI4AcZrauCTR-Xeis_sfCH2T2tTOBLrBvgkvsZ7hGfx_27X1Ct1UtN08aDjNbq3NBPvcByHNuTm0HurJLOJr9eztoTyq/s1600/2018-02-11+19.03.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsoZz5Hzya137Rm5xTRG2gCnmzD6liwHLlad2oMgiOhI4AcZrauCTR-Xeis_sfCH2T2tTOBLrBvgkvsZ7hGfx_27X1Ct1UtN08aDjNbq3NBPvcByHNuTm0HurJLOJr9eztoTyq/s320/2018-02-11+19.03.15.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>Cyril is a 2.5 year old brown/brindle Boston Terrier.</i></div>
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<i>From the moment he arrived, he and Walter bonded over their shared love of blankets. They are shown here in the heated throw they both adore.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQaFf0Ji3WHirP5Zanefg4pU20HuOUQoQ5oM_bvFBROdcRY63wU-hU0patU8XN75VkO57Gi9TM3rZTxHpRGkwY49jNErqaVNb5L3jHtn1nRaLOk70IsBeh1YSbPteY-CEpX0i5/s1600/2018-03-03+13.19.31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQaFf0Ji3WHirP5Zanefg4pU20HuOUQoQ5oM_bvFBROdcRY63wU-hU0patU8XN75VkO57Gi9TM3rZTxHpRGkwY49jNErqaVNb5L3jHtn1nRaLOk70IsBeh1YSbPteY-CEpX0i5/s320/2018-03-03+13.19.31.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>In the morning sunshine, there's no need to burrow...</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_lYm85Zr21vuaXOj1YiLxuC5wAy2a-a1OKgjU5PeszEtOGRerca8dX7h27qyqlTVN_EoyC4JnKLsl8rRygWWsRKUa-OZxlDdWj4dcFlX7OXPMy25U5daLIoVn9HAhCjm9a5jl/s1600/2018-02-16+18.43.57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_lYm85Zr21vuaXOj1YiLxuC5wAy2a-a1OKgjU5PeszEtOGRerca8dX7h27qyqlTVN_EoyC4JnKLsl8rRygWWsRKUa-OZxlDdWj4dcFlX7OXPMy25U5daLIoVn9HAhCjm9a5jl/s320/2018-02-16+18.43.57.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>And sometimes when Cyril gets too hot under the blankets, he hops out and sprawls out on the floor to cool down.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx7rHsiekOhtgWDGLmoigNsvhABxigxjoWLfB6_DjfIJo-aXkaIwtnNyMhekxR-Ekzdw9aSH8nYDd3UvT4X_ahGrwyDjmkV8iDyrJjE2iooEmUs8YS4XdveYsgaNVoncfroJQ9/s1600/2018-03-01+11.04.53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx7rHsiekOhtgWDGLmoigNsvhABxigxjoWLfB6_DjfIJo-aXkaIwtnNyMhekxR-Ekzdw9aSH8nYDd3UvT4X_ahGrwyDjmkV8iDyrJjE2iooEmUs8YS4XdveYsgaNVoncfroJQ9/s320/2018-03-01+11.04.53.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Of the cats, only Aleks has condescended to snuggle NEAR Cyril. I know he'll eventually learn that they can snuggle just like he does with Walter, but for now he's a bit standoffish. Eli has barely condescended to come downstairs since Cyril arrived... </i></div>
Drehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239331861091328558noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12627835.post-55995131571340439822018-02-17T11:26:00.000-08:002018-02-17T11:26:16.176-08:00Knits of 2017At the beginning of the year, I like to reflect on the prior year's crafting. Not only does this tend to inspire me for the year to come, but it greatly appeals to the data analyst in me. You can find all of my knitting-related posts by clicking the "knitting" tag in the sidebar, or peruse the <a href="http://callmedre.blogspot.com/2011/01/year-of-knitting.html" target="_blank">2010</a>, <a href="http://callmedre.blogspot.com/2011/12/2011-in-knitted-goods.html" target="_blank">2011</a>, <a href="http://callmedre.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-knitting-of-2012.html" target="_blank">2012</a>, and <a href="http://callmedre.blogspot.com/2017/02/busy-is-as-busy-does.html" target="_blank">2016</a> lists here. Ravelry, which allows me to easily track my progress and record my projects, reveals the following yearly yardage totals that are 100% predictable when you consider how residency went:<br />
<ul>
<li>2014: 851 yards</li>
<li>2015: 1,988 yards</li>
<li>2016: 5,159 yards</li>
<li>2017: 5,909 yards</li>
</ul>
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The second half of 2017 was particularly productive, as residency was over and I had a bunch of cross-country drives during which to knit. The tally for 2017 is as follows:<br />
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<ul>
<li>2 pair of mittens/gloves</li>
<li>3 scarves</li>
<li>4 hats</li>
<li>9 baby sweaters </li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUwKqC1jNsOBtGG7A9BqONiZUh6Aj-0lVgTkUA1y7IO6MIHK2AOngP5P_ChoT8dRGH74I7zICRjv38LrxbsE_d3JX01EhGvF2UUEqDmUkaVCJpq6siyt8WIqf0rnpjaRy5BRkX/s1600/IMG_20170311_164317-COLLAGE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUwKqC1jNsOBtGG7A9BqONiZUh6Aj-0lVgTkUA1y7IO6MIHK2AOngP5P_ChoT8dRGH74I7zICRjv38LrxbsE_d3JX01EhGvF2UUEqDmUkaVCJpq6siyt8WIqf0rnpjaRy5BRkX/s320/IMG_20170311_164317-COLLAGE.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><i>The baby sweaters continue to dominate the knitting focus, and I anticipate that this will continue into 2018!</i></span></div>
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Drehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239331861091328558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12627835.post-46578759412302315382018-01-31T15:36:00.001-08:002018-01-31T15:59:39.103-08:00Step 0: Address some small plumbing issuesOne of the ongoing challenges of the house is the plumbing. Similar to other systems, (e.g. the electrical system and the decorating system) some corners had been cut over the past 85 years of rentals and repairs. Notably, before we moved in, the line between the house and the sewer was not working. This resulted in a rather unsavory situation under the porch and at another point in the crawlspace that has since been remedied. This required digging up the front yard!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ0MBqqGEy-8YXx5Oq_hq9xLr3WsFMmFjW1ILHn7E2sTgduzHJZPuBL48iLtZeJbLml_3zbpnPyeyz-6vWH7mblIYBl7zdqEQcGiA7Lhr_ZU1oPobAOl2yU-CV6I31TK6TOD5K/s1600/2018-01-18+12.57.11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ0MBqqGEy-8YXx5Oq_hq9xLr3WsFMmFjW1ILHn7E2sTgduzHJZPuBL48iLtZeJbLml_3zbpnPyeyz-6vWH7mblIYBl7zdqEQcGiA7Lhr_ZU1oPobAOl2yU-CV6I31TK6TOD5K/s320/2018-01-18+12.57.11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>The digging was delayed by freezing weather, but fortunately was complete before Snowpocalypse (pictured here) came to Durham. </i></div>
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Although that was the largest thing, we've had a few other plumbing issues come up.<br />
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1. It was clear after our home inspection that one of our bathrooms had enough water damage/rotting wood in the floor that filling the tub might result in a sort of cable-less elevator situation riding downward into the crawl space. We weren't sure whether the tub/toilet/sink in that bathroom had an ongoing leak, or whether it was old damage. We've subsequently had the toilet and sink cleared, and are deferring use of the tub until we can replace the subfloor and flooring and make sure that the walls are made of something other than mold.<br />
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2. The upstairs bathroom is just the sort of endearing space that I love and that normal height people cannot comfortably navigate. We've been somewhat uncertain as to whether water leaks from the fixtures here also, and so have limited usage in that bathroom.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpcruIk7rXGmCLRviv1aquBm63fYUoTZgSMd81PmVd6LYvg-P2fbq9UbwtCPH5u21eGzElAhwaw3Z7aMVbJGhVPuDtfsUBmrJY6sdkUX1b-qJcAbc3M7xv1KQZ_bynTUq2_oPz/s1600/2017-12-29+12.00.26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpcruIk7rXGmCLRviv1aquBm63fYUoTZgSMd81PmVd6LYvg-P2fbq9UbwtCPH5u21eGzElAhwaw3Z7aMVbJGhVPuDtfsUBmrJY6sdkUX1b-qJcAbc3M7xv1KQZ_bynTUq2_oPz/s320/2017-12-29+12.00.26.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>Good luck peeing standing up, gentlemen over 5' tall...</i></div>
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3. The other downstairs bathroom, which we referred to as "the functional bathroom" prior to confirming it was safe to use the toilet and sink in the other downstairs bathroom, is also a work in progress. All of the fixtures seemed to work, which we considered a win, but there was only a tub and no shower. Eli, who likes to drink from the tub preferentially, did not mind, but it was not working well for Lynn and I. </div>
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Although Lynn has done the lion's share of the house work, I did participate in the conversion of the tub to a shower! I learned more about plumber's putty and pipe joint sealant than I ever really wanted to know, and can now recognize "the plumbing guy" at Home Depot. Prior to completing this, I was drawing a "quick" bath each morning before work, which is not really a thing that people do... Now I've installed the shower and Lynn has hung the shower curtain, which was really the much more significant task. We removed a hideous cabinet from the wall and have learned a great deal about mounting things to plaster. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF6moCmF6d113f_0yKD4mAgSHyGq0rrSh6fawEQHdSIsXPQ5D9uiNxXmnICsH-4iVJYJoYi6mlk95VCgNWD4sqKaUGGIJ9kEwR1aHDIJuwVJWfc-YCa3H42gyMkejme3tVl5pK/s1600/2018-01-14+12.07.13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF6moCmF6d113f_0yKD4mAgSHyGq0rrSh6fawEQHdSIsXPQ5D9uiNxXmnICsH-4iVJYJoYi6mlk95VCgNWD4sqKaUGGIJ9kEwR1aHDIJuwVJWfc-YCa3H42gyMkejme3tVl5pK/s320/2018-01-14+12.07.13.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>The faucet removed from the tub. You'll notice that part of the metal is spontaneously disintegrating because it's so old and corroded. That curved water spout piece was the closest we had to a functional "shower" for a few weeks...</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiP1LItr93zYXD1_sp9oibTO60y3p_wvMbI_2cylEmiweUcpP9TWBphD0pf-t6yk9_kkOJRXwkUi23Lg4Y0OX4QAlYn-4-m4pBaXOtLcvnD5ceKSpYLHB9ZHAID3sgWjTboRc2/s1600/2018-01-13+20.23.27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiP1LItr93zYXD1_sp9oibTO60y3p_wvMbI_2cylEmiweUcpP9TWBphD0pf-t6yk9_kkOJRXwkUi23Lg4Y0OX4QAlYn-4-m4pBaXOtLcvnD5ceKSpYLHB9ZHAID3sgWjTboRc2/s320/2018-01-13+20.23.27.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>Eli looks disparagingly at the disassembled faucet. </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-7QmPmWI65ttBNEvncBYkOebg_1PreOF6L_OrlLfiFqe_r6HozAwZyWdptLhhuKKlJ8DvJzH4yakrn60dN9Buz5dKGxksEYQamEN004BFV4LACM8ZMP0TngsJp6xwaaGRLvXu/s1600/2018-01-14+19.19.56.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-7QmPmWI65ttBNEvncBYkOebg_1PreOF6L_OrlLfiFqe_r6HozAwZyWdptLhhuKKlJ8DvJzH4yakrn60dN9Buz5dKGxksEYQamEN004BFV4LACM8ZMP0TngsJp6xwaaGRLvXu/s320/2018-01-14+19.19.56.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>Removing the cabinet revealed several interesting prior paint choices in the bathroom. You can also see where there was a different shape of window previously. </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3zXx5U3gp92ElboB9R_-P_YZwqybGqSO-Kt6rOVW1g8ZgxpUqW0RwAtp8szjFMI0ILEYsuEg1TReyiFLp3a1AHMnrJgyaS6i-khZaZJUR5wz57RYR9jptcV3IWRD1s-EzQW3R/s1600/2018-01-14+19.29.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3zXx5U3gp92ElboB9R_-P_YZwqybGqSO-Kt6rOVW1g8ZgxpUqW0RwAtp8szjFMI0ILEYsuEg1TReyiFLp3a1AHMnrJgyaS6i-khZaZJUR5wz57RYR9jptcV3IWRD1s-EzQW3R/s320/2018-01-14+19.29.04.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>The upside-down bathroom cabinet is a temporary stand-in for pantry shelves!</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHg5NJFxtWVEqr1V79arRf0MjfEfedbfOroieHM2Lkuib4dAFa5ysz9Y_vdMX_6iTk_72ARIUX5wKHTpied93KqbsvyaifuLcSFtcJC_jZtgobYyVwN0a8P6r_68DnHy0S9PSU/s1600/2018-01-31+18.25.42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHg5NJFxtWVEqr1V79arRf0MjfEfedbfOroieHM2Lkuib4dAFa5ysz9Y_vdMX_6iTk_72ARIUX5wKHTpied93KqbsvyaifuLcSFtcJC_jZtgobYyVwN0a8P6r_68DnHy0S9PSU/s320/2018-01-31+18.25.42.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>And the shower works!</i></div>
Drehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239331861091328558noreply@blogger.com0Durham, NC, USA35.9940329 -78.89861935.5829684 -79.544066 36.4050974 -78.253171999999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12627835.post-75366847035176074192018-01-11T19:17:00.000-08:002018-01-13T06:23:15.716-08:00Step 3: Remove the ugly/dangerous/dirty things from the ceilings. <div>
It had not previously occurred to me that there were so many ugly/dangerous/dirty things that could be on ceilings. I think I'd imagined that anything dirty would fall down from the top of the room, rendering the floor filthy, but somehow leaving the ceiling pristine. Not so. The original ceilings in our place are bead board - planks of wood with rounded edges and a groove in the middle such that it looks like twice as many smaller boards. On top of the [undoubtedly lead based] paint on these gems was a layer of wallpaper (likely with asbestos), and then eight inches of cobwebs and random wires and extension cords, and then a drop ceiling. As those things have come down, we've only found one hole in the ceiling, and it's small. </div>
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Work-life has been busy, so this step has been almost entirely conducted without me present, but still consulting on the phone and demanding constant photos of the progress. Here's how things are looking:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC0CGsLgfX-V0gA8SzkRGauWr0r99_eaLg79fZyia3YfdDd6oTqVb-5y6UBLtbcoh6r1VgRIv6aDM5gZ89jg23KLpR2VtTdnojCAiSavdBdWhZ3rpA5CxXeH3EmpT8p4s0K-m9/s1600/2017-12-30+13.54.51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC0CGsLgfX-V0gA8SzkRGauWr0r99_eaLg79fZyia3YfdDd6oTqVb-5y6UBLtbcoh6r1VgRIv6aDM5gZ89jg23KLpR2VtTdnojCAiSavdBdWhZ3rpA5CxXeH3EmpT8p4s0K-m9/s320/2017-12-30+13.54.51.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>The bedroom with the drop ceiling tiles removed, but with the frame still up and the wallpaper underneath. It almost looks like a geometric pattern, but it's really just water damage...</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrGW7DjvuhLleYDtlxVDVLmYwfAq-OGZ-BZgE0WNBX6CoL4jTy9PUaUgTPqttVRAjVeurcmkLvRc1WtaNDnk-9arOqPtYhcdDikck7FsS7UwQsbTlHukaBsYz75kURNxT0kcdn/s1600/2017-12-31+10.45.06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrGW7DjvuhLleYDtlxVDVLmYwfAq-OGZ-BZgE0WNBX6CoL4jTy9PUaUgTPqttVRAjVeurcmkLvRc1WtaNDnk-9arOqPtYhcdDikck7FsS7UwQsbTlHukaBsYz75kURNxT0kcdn/s320/2017-12-31+10.45.06.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>The ceiling revealed, including a small hole...</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPkr-u23ktL6zfYYaj4PiEypdibboR4FQzBnRYnaAI4FotBAGP34SpO3rzmInPlBOSl0BtyS3IvaH6b0BstFmjhyR_yUBLnA55BcSzdccNonnLI0RTStYd9Uxbk-OSwHFo28B3/s1600/2017-12-31+10.45.23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPkr-u23ktL6zfYYaj4PiEypdibboR4FQzBnRYnaAI4FotBAGP34SpO3rzmInPlBOSl0BtyS3IvaH6b0BstFmjhyR_yUBLnA55BcSzdccNonnLI0RTStYd9Uxbk-OSwHFo28B3/s320/2017-12-31+10.45.23.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>The bedroom in its current glory. This time it's the air scrubber sitting jauntily by the fireplace. You can particularly appreciate in this photo that the white paint on the walls stops where the drop ceiling was placed. It now gives this wild edging effect wherein there is white paint, and then about six inches of unpainted faux-wood paneling, then a gap with crazy looking wallpaper, then the picture molding, then the ceiling. Somehow beyond shabby chic...</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN72dQjlvRouHVCySnHGQ65Dg4utEx3xWA-5c_6g_Gk4hyphenhyphenfvTidC2mFTh_l4ZCIWjoukPIJUcMg_QiCuQAPBWLaw7J54F8MS7hOxxi6jsl2OS6xw356z66oi3T2pPyBQIdxYc7/s1600/2018-01-07+13.18.53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN72dQjlvRouHVCySnHGQ65Dg4utEx3xWA-5c_6g_Gk4hyphenhyphenfvTidC2mFTh_l4ZCIWjoukPIJUcMg_QiCuQAPBWLaw7J54F8MS7hOxxi6jsl2OS6xw356z66oi3T2pPyBQIdxYc7/s320/2018-01-07+13.18.53.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>The living room ceiling is the same material, but a slightly different color of blue-gray. Also, there is still peel-and-stick linoleum in there. I think the previous residents kept the linoleum company in business. There are miles of it...</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTjzu2RtfocRWVoZYsIZFkr_X50yKaprfrJw5T_HLhGaFf6bQBQ3YiJGmKxNXT7Hr6tf2yCc3ukf3RwHQZkaFb_OQdcuY4oiuxe1EFu3Lp30ToDNtWwCiTXsN44zjeHelRGmUf/s1600/2018-01-07+13.19.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTjzu2RtfocRWVoZYsIZFkr_X50yKaprfrJw5T_HLhGaFf6bQBQ3YiJGmKxNXT7Hr6tf2yCc3ukf3RwHQZkaFb_OQdcuY4oiuxe1EFu3Lp30ToDNtWwCiTXsN44zjeHelRGmUf/s320/2018-01-07+13.19.10.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>Overall the bead board is in good shape, and it's beautiful. Once it's scraped and repainted (with lead-safe masks, mom, really) it will be restored to it's former glory. </i></div>
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I'll leave you with a funny list of how this move has altered my search history in my phone seemingly irrevocably. When I type the word "Durham" into Google, it prompts me for the following items:</div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="https://durhamnc.gov/1102/Toilet-Rebate-Program" target="_blank">Durham Toilet Rebate Program</a></li>
<li><a href="http://durhamnc.gov/855/Bulky-Items" target="_blank">Durham dispose of bulky items</a></li>
<li>Durham bike groups</li>
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In fairness, I did once Google the toilet rebate program after seeing an ad for it on a television in a lunch place. Only in recent weeks have I heard "Do you need a more water efficient toilet?" on a television and thought, "Why yes, I do!"<br />
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Drehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239331861091328558noreply@blogger.com1Durham, NC, USA35.9940329 -78.89861935.5829684 -79.544066 36.4050974 -78.253171999999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12627835.post-82489323206629931502017-12-22T18:51:00.002-08:002017-12-25T07:00:53.325-08:00Step 2: Connect the top and the bottom floorsWhen the house was built, it was used as a rooming house. Judging from the holes and patches in the walls, it seems that at some point it may have been configured as a duplex. Most recently it was set up as two separate apartments, a larger one on the first floor and a smaller on the second floor. In order to achieve this, the stairwell in the middle of the house was boarded up. There were a series of two-by-fours, two-by-eights, and two-by-unclear-slightly-larger-amounts which were nailed to a frame of two-by-fours, and then plywood was nailed over the whole thing. The general approach to building this separation seems to have been that more and larger nails were better - no need for screws or other building materials that are easily removed. <div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7AGqn_RAAjt-XLrgtPlPpXEqYo4kADn7jUsJ6Gdf0jtTlth_S7DeDKkqD1Sa9uqC6IF-IRiidF528m0JV8ch295Em4cX8GE4hdu8VtWErt6tnIzky5h31JoVGzAg5Dye6_34E/s1600/2017-12-22+18.19.39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7AGqn_RAAjt-XLrgtPlPpXEqYo4kADn7jUsJ6Gdf0jtTlth_S7DeDKkqD1Sa9uqC6IF-IRiidF528m0JV8ch295Em4cX8GE4hdu8VtWErt6tnIzky5h31JoVGzAg5Dye6_34E/s320/2017-12-22+18.19.39.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>The first of the plywood comes up. As an aside, we don't have any lights upstairs right now, so this stunning photo shoot lighting is from a phone and the crack in the "floorboards". </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIKCTmF66LB7qbXlWP3Ktxs2aQqMxpWsTLeK26wSMAYa9XAsphCptpRH2UOJ48Y-2rSVhM2lLixKBCFUuF1-fwcAXIUmAfTeSKCss4ScGjaK_nYkj8F31pCPOrHCCeCqFaEKJ/s1600/2017-12-22+18.19.40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIKCTmF66LB7qbXlWP3Ktxs2aQqMxpWsTLeK26wSMAYa9XAsphCptpRH2UOJ48Y-2rSVhM2lLixKBCFUuF1-fwcAXIUmAfTeSKCss4ScGjaK_nYkj8F31pCPOrHCCeCqFaEKJ/s320/2017-12-22+18.19.40.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>Lynn uses the sledgehammer to remove another board. She's kneeling on a weird long step/platform that was also built in, presumably for some security purpose I cannot fathom. </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWq_T_u9e4Eayyo6sAbZ8-8t2Lv-fDoJ3Her4hKr78_bQdFiNmEmJHV1YZ9nECG4GbeEe80HqAG-U_bo2panZOGaQL9gKYRWnnu2blCGozvsVr8Qh4dNSRXs3lBtLu4ch1kp9w/s1600/2017-12-22+18.19.41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWq_T_u9e4Eayyo6sAbZ8-8t2Lv-fDoJ3Her4hKr78_bQdFiNmEmJHV1YZ9nECG4GbeEe80HqAG-U_bo2panZOGaQL9gKYRWnnu2blCGozvsVr8Qh4dNSRXs3lBtLu4ch1kp9w/s320/2017-12-22+18.19.41.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>The stairwell revealed!</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy9l21uJNY0Au-t9Y6JNRElfaisMAIntp2XAbadyB1Xfm9rxfxlDK_j5-YsaVhcH2G7q0-PSXe1bZR5xnzFhgHVGUFAYCcwojn6MhNrXP16nnLyqmq3Nybyi92udlUhHYK4VC3/s1600/2017-12-22+18.19.42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy9l21uJNY0Au-t9Y6JNRElfaisMAIntp2XAbadyB1Xfm9rxfxlDK_j5-YsaVhcH2G7q0-PSXe1bZR5xnzFhgHVGUFAYCcwojn6MhNrXP16nnLyqmq3Nybyi92udlUhHYK4VC3/s320/2017-12-22+18.19.42.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>Completely connected!</i></div>
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I'll have to make a point tomorrow of taking a picture of the sawed-off banister that is hot glued into the wall. </div>
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Drehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239331861091328558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12627835.post-7654645160631910132017-12-22T13:04:00.000-08:002017-12-22T13:04:19.177-08:00Step 1: Remove the ugly/dangerous/dirty things from the floors.There are so many ways to define the beginning of adulthood. Those of us who are still trainees in our 30's tend to spend a lot of time justifying that we transitioned to being "real adults" when we graduate from college, started supporting ourselves and our scholarly endeavors, moved away, became a "real doctor," or completed all of the training necessary for licensure and board certification. I will stand by my insistence in all of these milestones as markers of a truly adult existence, but will qualify that by staying that I've come to believe that there is not really a firm threshold to cross from young person to adult. <div>
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And then we bought a house. As a milestone, it's out of reach for so many that adulthood certainly can't be predicated on home ownership. In the setting of the recent financial crisis, frankly, it seems imprudent to even suggest that signing for a mortgage is a right of passage. Nonetheless, I don't know that I've ever felt more like an adult than when we sat and, rather anticlimactically I might add, signed on the dotted lines and received the keys to our new home. </div>
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As soon as the deed was registered, we started on the massive project that I anticipate chronicling here: restoring a 1933 gem to it's previous glory. There are layers of tile and carpet over the hardwood floors. The paint on the door frames and baseboards is so thick that they appear rounded in places, and there is certainly lead in the deeper layers. There are likely asbestos-filled wallpaper and tiles in many rooms, and although less medically ill-advised, the decor choices in most of the rooms were not good. </div>
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Step 1: Remove the ugly/dangerous/dirty things from the floors. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitrb55z3_ldQggOptDbVY2N2DyobEoDUKbLV1tgNTPCEHN2JCt4msvo9PIdc5vqH4PwwYPtHktALlovZV9nlUkZuJVUF2CSSQ6SR8LvVpyc_S0VxpN2hGyePs3HIJKz2SgGIjO/s1600/2017-12-20+16.26.37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitrb55z3_ldQggOptDbVY2N2DyobEoDUKbLV1tgNTPCEHN2JCt4msvo9PIdc5vqH4PwwYPtHktALlovZV9nlUkZuJVUF2CSSQ6SR8LvVpyc_S0VxpN2hGyePs3HIJKz2SgGIjO/s320/2017-12-20+16.26.37.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>Distressing carpet gives way to bright green carpet pad, which is stapled to thin wood paneling over the original hardwood floors. Oh, and some of what were supposed to be delicate nails holding the tack strip around the edges are actually 2.5" carpentry nails. </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4pPC-XMdHbFDzkd1j0oHCvS_sLHVFuY9XCzeExuYF560sFNe3qemwNByK9QhBmDuwP52TKwPwLn-Z5rEZLQIXpb5nHQj5rBID0bljxFs4D0Na-LVTakpl4SR8yMWvwr8pxS5Y/s1600/2017-12-20+16.58.53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4pPC-XMdHbFDzkd1j0oHCvS_sLHVFuY9XCzeExuYF560sFNe3qemwNByK9QhBmDuwP52TKwPwLn-Z5rEZLQIXpb5nHQj5rBID0bljxFs4D0Na-LVTakpl4SR8yMWvwr8pxS5Y/s320/2017-12-20+16.58.53.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i> The first real glimpse of the hardwood floors. </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ7KCCw2Hk3lOB9BwI8ziEn046RLqqr2y8WzJ0xc-FIxCHwxyqwxKVPt4O4qVUpTz97bUIRw7q8KDzE39Y9y3cZFBCjEpt76fsnFg48r6phDcWEoHF1ctZrW3DijR82pEUfpU4/s1600/2017-12-20+20.46.53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ7KCCw2Hk3lOB9BwI8ziEn046RLqqr2y8WzJ0xc-FIxCHwxyqwxKVPt4O4qVUpTz97bUIRw7q8KDzE39Y9y3cZFBCjEpt76fsnFg48r6phDcWEoHF1ctZrW3DijR82pEUfpU4/s320/2017-12-20+20.46.53.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>The shop vac poses jauntily with the fully uncovered hardwood floors. </i></div>
Drehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239331861091328558noreply@blogger.com1Durham, NC, USA35.9940329 -78.89861935.5829684 -79.544066 36.4050974 -78.253171999999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12627835.post-72274047631508416672017-10-22T12:18:00.001-07:002017-10-22T12:18:45.058-07:00Down dog, a meditative cat, and a mysteryI'm truly settling in to fellowship life! Leading indicators:<br />
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1. I have been able to make progress reading a novel in more than 0.5-1 page increments before I fall asleep. I've been reading <u>On Beauty</u> by Zadie Smith. I highly recommend it.<br />
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2. I've started getting back into yoga. I'm not yet back to my Ashtanga life, but I've been using this app called <a href="https://www.downdogapp.com/" target="_blank">Down Dog</a> that will put together a series of poses that actually make sense for almost any time interval. The dog generally sleeps through any yoga in the morning, but the cat is very keen on joining me.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTtVb6gzbYjdBFng7jtDIEOHrtnAOrA3aC1Cq7b3tbN20vtflPHjDE9VvlN66yQ3k-kIhUePdF1hkPNauAK-Zqoryfa_TL23C3qk_XdbIr1mIw0ddjYeApUPhqfhyXTW243x7d/s1600/2017-10-18+08.09.03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTtVb6gzbYjdBFng7jtDIEOHrtnAOrA3aC1Cq7b3tbN20vtflPHjDE9VvlN66yQ3k-kIhUePdF1hkPNauAK-Zqoryfa_TL23C3qk_XdbIr1mIw0ddjYeApUPhqfhyXTW243x7d/s320/2017-10-18+08.09.03.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx-93ZD0qHov4UIZR_FBFcjBK6RnETxUntrjhCCMCsI0zF95Lhd64F_ijedMthYa7cdyf52ToCeYf6BVtxi0nmZPWrfVGZowVCuiUt-3TTceaV5p-M1LbnOkWw98SZprtY71Az/s1600/2017-10-18+08.11.39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx-93ZD0qHov4UIZR_FBFcjBK6RnETxUntrjhCCMCsI0zF95Lhd64F_ijedMthYa7cdyf52ToCeYf6BVtxi0nmZPWrfVGZowVCuiUt-3TTceaV5p-M1LbnOkWw98SZprtY71Az/s320/2017-10-18+08.11.39.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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3. I completed my 50 mile bike ride, and learned of an amazing mid- or post-ride snack: a spoon full of peanut butter rolled in a mixture of M&Ms, mini peanut butter cups, and pretzel bits. This was quite possibly the highlight of a rather rainy and gray ride. The sunniest bit is shown below. I have also made a new cycling friend in the triangle, and I've got plans for more rides in the coming weeks. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzfYXIDzv7CzGb1bsy4-iV1ds7zwf0yjXtgon_jjQZwrpBuauc7lf5mVxYF38x2TT3hpO8rIy8vr9wee_IAyC8bmC-5D76XdX-JDDW_CsIYB7EBZGTxs50piHJgJ0dawpCvCrZ/s1600/2017-10-07+11.30.39-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzfYXIDzv7CzGb1bsy4-iV1ds7zwf0yjXtgon_jjQZwrpBuauc7lf5mVxYF38x2TT3hpO8rIy8vr9wee_IAyC8bmC-5D76XdX-JDDW_CsIYB7EBZGTxs50piHJgJ0dawpCvCrZ/s320/2017-10-07+11.30.39-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw_VOQfZMixaUJiQiW_DxuNqTAtM5RYjaDXYH6r5KgJ2gVHUxdJgNO7Nt-LHiU0ThKa2UowIuxqZWIaT_7E1wxpPtlpt1fFsZ2GeApb9IMp1yMOJf3pqBA7xsQZNgrUUHwqhLU/s1600/2017-10-07+14.42.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw_VOQfZMixaUJiQiW_DxuNqTAtM5RYjaDXYH6r5KgJ2gVHUxdJgNO7Nt-LHiU0ThKa2UowIuxqZWIaT_7E1wxpPtlpt1fFsZ2GeApb9IMp1yMOJf3pqBA7xsQZNgrUUHwqhLU/s320/2017-10-07+14.42.10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>We took Walter to the ocean after my ride, even though it was a rainy and gray.</i></div>
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And finally, unrelated to my progress toward normalcy, there is a mystery involving <a href="http://callmedre.blogspot.com/2017/08/clyde-allegory.html" target="_blank">Clyde</a>. He had been thriving, and even had leaves that looked variegated in color like his old self. Then, one day last week he abruptly lost all of them. We hadn't had rain in a bit, and I'm not amazing with the watering can, but I really don't think that I would have offed him that quickly. I'm pretty sure that some creature ate the stems, because I saw one laying in all of it's green and purple glory next to the pot. I'm starting again from scratch, and hoping that he can make another comeback. </div>
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Drehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239331861091328558noreply@blogger.com0Sunset Beach, NC 28468, USA33.880728 -78.51223099999998633.8280015 -78.592911999999984 33.933454499999996 -78.431549999999987tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12627835.post-15980937912762979822017-09-05T09:33:00.000-07:002017-09-05T09:33:52.993-07:00First training ride, and a Clyde updateToday was my first official training ride for <a href="http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/NCTBikeEvents?px=14448925&pg=personal&fr_id=29048" target="_blank">Bike MS: Breakaway to the Beach</a><span id="goog_1514053481"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_1514053482"></span>! I rode a little over 10 miles, exploring some of the parts of Chapel Hill that I haven't seen before. Turns out the UNC golf course is fancy... and to put the hills in perspective, on my usual little 14 mile loop around San Francisco I would gain approximately 1,600 ft of elevation, whereas my 10 mile loop today was just shy of 500 ft. Despite the grade not even approaching that of San Francisco, I am out of shape enough to shift down significantly and pant my way up even the little ones around here!<br />
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<a href="http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/NCTBikeEvents?px=14448925&pg=personal&fr_id=29048" target="_blank">And in case you were hoping for a reminder, here it is: Click here to help to meet my fundraising goal of $1000!</a> Thank you so incredibly much to those of you who have donated already.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbN-RLaaw_lVozUkAKoTG1RTIla9BZ-GbjUtAdGLV9swxg07K98Izu8iBcMY7GEZ7g9oLdPlvJw0OxyiNMUm6u41wrB-B_vJy3aCs6U2gmo7pjbpl770eRrO3Tqw5LysNurBjK/s1600/2017-09-05+08.38.36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbN-RLaaw_lVozUkAKoTG1RTIla9BZ-GbjUtAdGLV9swxg07K98Izu8iBcMY7GEZ7g9oLdPlvJw0OxyiNMUm6u41wrB-B_vJy3aCs6U2gmo7pjbpl770eRrO3Tqw5LysNurBjK/s320/2017-09-05+08.38.36.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>There are a bunch of lush bike paths all over Chapel Hill. Here's one I hit on my ride this morning.</i></div>
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In addition to doing my part to get to a world free of MS, I'm also contributing to the beautiful greenery that defines the North Carolina summer landscape! Here is my most recent photo of Clyde, who has really been flourishing in the rain. He even has some of the darker color in his leaves now!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmJEyfrAWL8jQ5ng-yDrbTUHJ88nPLJYkE9KIRDNssmLe83XYAMwJ3VpJzIt_qSV6vvHB_ZXWAZhlrKPUjnWeiDYV4VZEK8hEG1xWSQGqgEn08J14VULT_-FJXHda00LipRDls/s1600/2017-09-05+11.16.22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmJEyfrAWL8jQ5ng-yDrbTUHJ88nPLJYkE9KIRDNssmLe83XYAMwJ3VpJzIt_qSV6vvHB_ZXWAZhlrKPUjnWeiDYV4VZEK8hEG1xWSQGqgEn08J14VULT_-FJXHda00LipRDls/s320/2017-09-05+11.16.22.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Still not quite filling the pot, but looking more like a normal plant every day.</i></div>
Drehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239331861091328558noreply@blogger.com0Chapel Hill, NC, USA35.9131996 -79.05584450000003535.8103276 -79.217206000000033 36.0160716 -78.894483000000037tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12627835.post-50831154047997381722017-08-24T18:30:00.001-07:002017-08-24T18:30:33.781-07:00Third time's the charm<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/NCTBikeEvents?px=14448925&pg=personal&fr_id=29048" target="_blank">Click here to donate!</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYgCGUkFw162kupT49XxVF5OKQDAXf-niDmI566yC1x_vHXDVt-rDHXC8L9b842AfiEDIl-aImFwREVhJXzhbvI66mJHVjWqatAJIkqjF1VkK9f4sqR_mNmGd7iF8S5f_9wIn9/s1600/2016-09-24+13.54.18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1197" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYgCGUkFw162kupT49XxVF5OKQDAXf-niDmI566yC1x_vHXDVt-rDHXC8L9b842AfiEDIl-aImFwREVhJXzhbvI66mJHVjWqatAJIkqjF1VkK9f4sqR_mNmGd7iF8S5f_9wIn9/s200/2016-09-24+13.54.18.jpg" width="149" /></a></div>
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Two years ago, I joined <a href="http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/CANBikeEvents?team_id=497526&pg=team&fr_id=28894" target="_blank">The Best Team. Period.</a> I became a part of Team Menstrual Cycles, an incredible group of cyclists that includes not only many OB/GYNs, but also a number of lovely folks riding with MS. I got a bike jersey featuring a uterus riding a bicycle. Together, we rode in the Bike MS: Waves to Wine ride in California and raised tons of money to fight MS. This year, for my third annual Bike MS ride, I'm riding as a member at large!<br />
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It's clear that moving across the country, taking boards, starting fellowship, and dealing with all of the roadblocks life throws up along the way have left me terribly out of shape. I got on my bike the other evening and panted through a 7.5 mile ride through the UNC campus... This is not how I left things after the back-to-back centuries last fall. Nonetheless, I'm committed to riding 50 miles on October 7 in the <a href="http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/NCTBikeEvents?pg=entry&fr_id=29048" target="_blank">Bike MS: Breakaway to the Beach</a> ride on the coast of my new state of North Carolina. It looks like some of the routes even dip into South Carolina, although the final details are not yet posted. I look forward the beautiful landscapes I'll see on my training rides and the day of the event!<br />
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My goal is to raise $1000 for MS research and support by October 7. While I train, you donate! Even more than wanting to train enough to breezily blow through the finish line on the day of the ride, I want to breezily blow through my fundraising goal! Every little bit helps, and if today isn't the right day for you, do me a favor and pass this along to a friend or family member.<br />
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<a href="http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/NCTBikeEvents?px=14448925&pg=personal&fr_id=29048" target="_blank">Click here to donate!</a></div>
Drehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239331861091328558noreply@blogger.com0Chapel Hill, NC, USA35.9131996 -79.05584450000003535.8103276 -79.217206000000033 36.0160716 -78.894483000000037tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12627835.post-56782856862825084312017-08-14T17:50:00.000-07:002017-08-14T17:50:01.100-07:00Clyde: An Allegory?I have had a plant named Clyde for over a decade. He was a gift from my mother, and is a cutting of a plant given to her at his namesake's (my grandfather's) funeral. I think we all like the idea of his memorial living on, embarking on transcontinental travel, and botanically connecting the entire family.<br />
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What I should have, but did not anticipate when I first assumed care of a Clyde plant, was that I would inevitably kill one through a combination of neglect and drought. Horticulture has not been my primary focus at any point in my life, and if memory serves, at some point in medical school or graduate school I had to obtain another cutting from my mother and vowed to be more careful. Unfortunately, Clyde proved no match for the Midwestern summer sun through the rear windshield of the car we drove from Michigan to San Francisco. I felt terrible as I looked at the hard, baked dirt and shriveled brown stems and roots of my previously beautiful plant. Suffice it to say I was able to move on, and my mother dutifully provided me with another cutting to cultivate. I think Clyde traveled by USPS in a plastic baggy.<br />
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Throughout residency Clyde always seemed on the edge of perishing. My erstwhile watering patterns were sufficient for my succulents, but in no way resembled the summer rains in Michigan. He was reduced to just a few leaves that wavered from green to brown over the course of four years. Despite this, Clyde survived, and was loaded into the car for yet another long drive. Suffice it to say that if the summer heat across Wyoming was a bit daunting four years ago, the Mojave was a whole new level of hot. Clyde baked in the sun even inside his protective cardboard box, wilting to almost nothing.<br />
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When we unpacked the car, I placed Clyde's pot on the back porch, a sad memorial to a nice memorial. I informed my mother that I might be in need of yet another cutting. Still holding out a small amount of hope, I watered the sad, brown, exposed roots and stems in the pot, and allowed the North Carolina rain to soak the soil in a minimally draining pot that was never really meant for plants. Much to my surprise, Clyde is coming back!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigsayAkWlU7XFVhgineZvx9GF5y1266z6FbASmUzsfAOM3IkPSD7LKzYgUTo6YznVE4uvxmI-X966Wvak_6jqdh-LWWIR-oHv06l_Wi7iWaU6L3XDM7wKGLzzla_m7HeATRabF/s1600/2017-07-22+11.31.59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigsayAkWlU7XFVhgineZvx9GF5y1266z6FbASmUzsfAOM3IkPSD7LKzYgUTo6YznVE4uvxmI-X966Wvak_6jqdh-LWWIR-oHv06l_Wi7iWaU6L3XDM7wKGLzzla_m7HeATRabF/s320/2017-07-22+11.31.59.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Clyde shows an tiny sign of life...</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrmcuyYHF1B64hKvV0TWk_GquCgu92Ihl3CV5m-X-QyFw-utpVlOIlKy8ChZszudoeSpVnWeVI3TF7wsjKlxiB0pf1OjLDLLIuy48FoghEeAJyueOU5MeSzj6OeuMnIWXIJprP/s1600/2017-08-09+18.03.34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrmcuyYHF1B64hKvV0TWk_GquCgu92Ihl3CV5m-X-QyFw-utpVlOIlKy8ChZszudoeSpVnWeVI3TF7wsjKlxiB0pf1OjLDLLIuy48FoghEeAJyueOU5MeSzj6OeuMnIWXIJprP/s320/2017-08-09+18.03.34.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>The little leaves grow...</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLOVa5HtZfqRC8IbOOcoMxVBPVrJOFyjWzjZG1PHSwsKj8pELxkjyprOksjSwBYvUgAcBV47tOWrHAiCYeTcghy3-tEbANGJ8UK5zkkr7BGqBh1WooSh4COPr_wOSTDdznYyH-/s1600/2017-08-13+10.18.42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLOVa5HtZfqRC8IbOOcoMxVBPVrJOFyjWzjZG1PHSwsKj8pELxkjyprOksjSwBYvUgAcBV47tOWrHAiCYeTcghy3-tEbANGJ8UK5zkkr7BGqBh1WooSh4COPr_wOSTDdznYyH-/s320/2017-08-13+10.18.42.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Starting to look like a real plant again!</i></div>
<br />Drehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239331861091328558noreply@blogger.com0Chapel Hill, NC, USA35.9131996 -79.05584450000003535.8103276 -79.217206000000033 36.0160716 -78.894483000000037tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12627835.post-29900727771248718552017-07-23T15:05:00.001-07:002017-07-23T15:05:49.569-07:00And now for something completely differentI've been her in North Carolina for almost a month now, and life is so different from San Francisco. Here is a little table I've prepared to illustrate just how different it is (click to enlarge):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVY-VCYwYolwFM1S_VvzWGqHjecnHQtNu25ZGWXBuDicp7b1T6drygpngrw3AcyPcQoMvNG-sexwfdFz6fXk9aM64WoD0xeuWWl3r9fkNNlr6TPOYsq08elINW125_-_JKmKY5/s1600/20170723-table.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="377" data-original-width="1356" height="110" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVY-VCYwYolwFM1S_VvzWGqHjecnHQtNu25ZGWXBuDicp7b1T6drygpngrw3AcyPcQoMvNG-sexwfdFz6fXk9aM64WoD0xeuWWl3r9fkNNlr6TPOYsq08elINW125_-_JKmKY5/s400/20170723-table.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<span id="goog_972486339"></span><span id="goog_972486340"></span>You can appreciate that fellowship is objectively, quantitatively better than residency, despite the steamy weather that heats up early, and that many aspects of living in Chapel Hill are amazing. I miss some of the food options (read: <a href="http://statebirdsf.com/about/" target="_blank">State Bird Provisions</a> and <a href="http://ujitime.weebly.com/" target="_blank">Uji Time Desserts</a>) that were close and delicious in San Francisco, but there are tasty things here that we're discovering every day (like <a href="https://rootcellarchapelhill.com/" target="_blank">The Root Cellar</a>, which is literally right outside our side door).<br />
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Walter does not enjoy the heat. He is, however, loving having more rooms in which to lounge and a guest bed to sleep on during the day. Here <br />
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he is recovering from a long walk in the heat, and drinking from a twirly straw:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggR3oE0bPiopa5MHFjPq3H5crqjTpb_Vf3RZa12l9RHQf6yhaVeRReBwRAgwNqu-bGV5E6zldCga5AYOaKUT654wG1SndgWSu6M9r9UiVmQYVpd5rpX9LGaA43g8_Kz5fEtf5o/s1600/2017-06-27+12.00.29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggR3oE0bPiopa5MHFjPq3H5crqjTpb_Vf3RZa12l9RHQf6yhaVeRReBwRAgwNqu-bGV5E6zldCga5AYOaKUT654wG1SndgWSu6M9r9UiVmQYVpd5rpX9LGaA43g8_Kz5fEtf5o/s320/2017-06-27+12.00.29.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>Just kidding, he cannot drink from a straw. I just posed him like this in solidarity with a friend who was limited to liquids for a bit. </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCuzUX24yp2VKduocOcMO-WRAZMC7psQq5bPQjqd9piTI1vNd2iehSfx175cgg0LnQcTesr3CxO-QwNkPA_ElWPwcABw6F2VXWXAWun0X45kW5cdmyxTh_p5r1HRUfdaAPO0GQ/s1600/2017-06-23+19.13.03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCuzUX24yp2VKduocOcMO-WRAZMC7psQq5bPQjqd9piTI1vNd2iehSfx175cgg0LnQcTesr3CxO-QwNkPA_ElWPwcABw6F2VXWXAWun0X45kW5cdmyxTh_p5r1HRUfdaAPO0GQ/s320/2017-06-23+19.13.03.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Good by to the slogan "Brown is the new green!" that was all over municipal green space in San Francisco during the drought. Here in North Carolina freeway rest stops are beautiful!</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf_6j75cuGKWQfEltHkumd5Ry0QSqzr8YCUOBP6is4Ytz_NBFiHqMI1f9gO9hd-yyyRwmYU1NTm2kOLa1Uy0CtGXM1WSzk3Z5jCZUg55TaiTkaJrZGEgWmBV4LdavSVD4O1TAC/s1600/2017-06-23+20.10.46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf_6j75cuGKWQfEltHkumd5Ry0QSqzr8YCUOBP6is4Ytz_NBFiHqMI1f9gO9hd-yyyRwmYU1NTm2kOLa1Uy0CtGXM1WSzk3Z5jCZUg55TaiTkaJrZGEgWmBV4LdavSVD4O1TAC/s320/2017-06-23+20.10.46.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>The view from the passenger's seat on our drive in.</i></div>
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<br />Drehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239331861091328558noreply@blogger.com0Chapel Hill, NC, USA35.9131996 -79.05584450000003535.8103276 -79.217206000000033 36.0160716 -78.894483000000037tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12627835.post-50597509953167734882017-05-12T19:18:00.000-07:002017-05-12T19:18:55.644-07:00The Final CountdownAs many of you know, I've installed the "Final Countdown" app on my phone. Filed under "wellness," along with my meditation and yoga apps, it counts down the days, hours, minutes, and seconds until residency ends on June 17, 2017 at 5PM (with the start of cocktail hour at our banquet). As of this posting I'm at 35 days, 22 hours, and minutes and seconds that count down as I type. I've set it to display the countdown in a soothing electric blue that seemed somehow less aggressive than red or green event. As we inexorably move toward the end of residency, I find that in a similarly unstoppable fashion my to do list gets longer and my desire to complete those items evaporates.<br />
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Things I've been avoiding:<br />
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<li>Cleaning out my closet: There are things in there that I moved but haven't worn since residency began. I know, truly, that I will never wear them and that there are others in San Francisco who would, but the effort to remove them from my closet feels Herculean. </li>
<li>Recycling my old medical journals: So many of them have not yet been read. At some point I will just need to embrace that many of them will never be read, and resign myself to the fact that they were lightly skimmed at some point and recycle them. Until that point, however, they will sit, weighing down the desk drawer and my conscience.</li>
<li>Studying for boards: This is sort of happening. I'm actually doing a little bit of studying each day, but nothing feels like enough.</li>
<li>Finishing manuscripts that have languished for months/years: Can a little bit more languishing really hurt?</li>
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Things I've done instead:</div>
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<li>Went on a little vacation to Monterey: This involved kayaking with the dog, which Lynn thought was a great idea and I was quite dubious about, but which turned out to be fantastic. It also involved a lot of lovely walking, the aquarium, and some new yarn. See photos below.</li>
<li>Knit: This could be it's own list. The parade of babies continues, and I have been trying out new techniques and some bold colors. Hopefully all of the expectant parents I know are feeling highlighter florescent accent colors and/or bold stripes...</li>
<li>Pumped up my bike tires: I've not been on my road bike in months, and I'm trying to motivate in that direction...</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5b-IctRt4pairM4C3az5UTbjv_d2KKhD5tjhegC4mx4NODxJ6ATLJyJWj1k_FTTZca-8ZZXHJYCZqzBB_ubj6pB0BwYhG9Y7JA8M9g2QMQb1ektsrtwBlTKhYWzzqsPAzz_-Z/s1600/2017-04-26+15.20.44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5b-IctRt4pairM4C3az5UTbjv_d2KKhD5tjhegC4mx4NODxJ6ATLJyJWj1k_FTTZca-8ZZXHJYCZqzBB_ubj6pB0BwYhG9Y7JA8M9g2QMQb1ektsrtwBlTKhYWzzqsPAzz_-Z/s320/2017-04-26+15.20.44.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This has to be one of the most photographed trees in the US, maybe the world - the "Lone Cyprus" on the 17 Mile Drive in Pebble Beach. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZlHTAGg75fTyGvRTjvj-3_h4LIIAyNlWNCqjAdAIdJM_qY0kQgF8ukhWqLuCva50jA9ElpaWrkHBaGcrm3ntUfk9MRwyoW6ZbwIVL5M77ceOuMps0qjewcPYsBtsnnDFN7AXJ/s1600/2017-04-27+14.03.19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZlHTAGg75fTyGvRTjvj-3_h4LIIAyNlWNCqjAdAIdJM_qY0kQgF8ukhWqLuCva50jA9ElpaWrkHBaGcrm3ntUfk9MRwyoW6ZbwIVL5M77ceOuMps0qjewcPYsBtsnnDFN7AXJ/s320/2017-04-27+14.03.19.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The jellyfish were my favorite.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheu1GNEWfsnhaE8YnR_SuWJncC2IGws8FpD5wx5-c7nLEsRlA1fX2uOkcMkYM5iSZEtJiuelym5XepN_K6vhOtYQe_6UahBAYGDsWQHyQPIBs_8DjuYSdYC2-o0i-0YQ1Vrr7b/s1600/2017-04-27+16.34.54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheu1GNEWfsnhaE8YnR_SuWJncC2IGws8FpD5wx5-c7nLEsRlA1fX2uOkcMkYM5iSZEtJiuelym5XepN_K6vhOtYQe_6UahBAYGDsWQHyQPIBs_8DjuYSdYC2-o0i-0YQ1Vrr7b/s320/2017-04-27+16.34.54.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This little <i>pulpito</i> moved around a bunch for us. I kept thinking of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/14/world/asia/inky-octopus-new-zealand-aquarium.html?_r=0" target="_blank">Inky, the one who got away, and his mate Blotchy, who must rue the day he didn't follow his buddy to freedom.</a> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx9-b3om0iTRogGT86Rdaa54Xlgxib3Fnp2q1ZzgV8rSel9JcTdt4G3lIF8uV1drP3cj4YYRFHfBAMQi9g3_rJWP-Uia2Ut5o6ZfvCseTovkRJWvOM7pVpKdGboB2mkDZuw2xw/s1600/2017-04-28+10.48.43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx9-b3om0iTRogGT86Rdaa54Xlgxib3Fnp2q1ZzgV8rSel9JcTdt4G3lIF8uV1drP3cj4YYRFHfBAMQi9g3_rJWP-Uia2Ut5o6ZfvCseTovkRJWvOM7pVpKdGboB2mkDZuw2xw/s320/2017-04-28+10.48.43.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Walter, in the kayak. There is a longer story that involves him jumping out of the kayak and (later) being spooked by sea lions. Maybe for another post...</div>
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Drehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239331861091328558noreply@blogger.com1San Francisco, CA, USA37.7749295 -122.4194155000000136.9717915 -123.71030900000001 38.578067499999996 -121.12852200000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12627835.post-70309827198180642392017-02-20T12:46:00.001-08:002017-02-20T12:46:56.708-08:00From the other side of the drought...For the first few years that we lived in California, there wasn't much rain. I thought this was pretty great, as I bike to work most days, but recognized that it was affecting farmers and also people with nice-looking lawns in many parts of the state. There was much discussion about how best to conserve water, and apportion the water that was available to the most necessary tasks. Enter late 2016 and on into early 2017...<br />
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We have so much rain! There have been many recent stories about the havoc the rain has wreaked across the state, from <a href="http://fortune.com/2017/02/18/california-rain-mudslides-floods/" target="_blank">images of people being rescued from river-like streets</a> to t<a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/02/19/oroville-dam-dramatic-photos-show-damage-to-dams-emergency-spillway/" target="_blank">hreats of old dams and spillways overflowing to the breaking point</a>. Meanwhile, I've been alternately lazy, using various ride services to carpool with strangers, and super intense, suiting up in my rain gear to brave the weather by bicycle. And then there are my succulents. They cannot decide whether to be thrilled or destroyed by the rain. While some are showing a little brown around the edges and there is tropical-looking moss growing on the dirt in one, others are blooming! Lemonade, I suppose.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAggnMmXaZM-LTWvhx25MR2HpenHInCgL6o0Dx7HAfvRyFUezy5ZZk30fN2yohNVjPzt0pXQFsQvnIvCNeXmgDKcAbvCrSkZiWgXVg7j6s1Fc9dlcl4jJDqkLdJnP-tI3ET08V/s1600/2016-10-08+12.16.17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAggnMmXaZM-LTWvhx25MR2HpenHInCgL6o0Dx7HAfvRyFUezy5ZZk30fN2yohNVjPzt0pXQFsQvnIvCNeXmgDKcAbvCrSkZiWgXVg7j6s1Fc9dlcl4jJDqkLdJnP-tI3ET08V/s320/2016-10-08+12.16.17.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i> Some of the succulents look fancy when they bloom</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGNb-GU5Zq89bD_ma2oPehMFHZdiWTZcApUeEkJsj7Uu4c1wb6nQMlbJounkg0jVIbF6bvsPfmjpqbL0gzMYnj2nDu8dNGEeKUjsy_Bu9kbDRk-84oQnp-qs5uu_nACPscF-Uk/s1600/2017-02-19+13.35.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGNb-GU5Zq89bD_ma2oPehMFHZdiWTZcApUeEkJsj7Uu4c1wb6nQMlbJounkg0jVIbF6bvsPfmjpqbL0gzMYnj2nDu8dNGEeKUjsy_Bu9kbDRk-84oQnp-qs5uu_nACPscF-Uk/s320/2017-02-19+13.35.45.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i> This one has grown so tall with all the water that it falls over whenever there is a lot of wind</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoB5YbNBzKMpov72gAoFUT0lX73v__D37cMqdn-HI3jPi37K9ABGUHvQSPJJ4_DWJ01ad4zxg8_EJ5jOPr9rTe9ltCvGB7gI5bM7lJU_FWkPTpK7AGaTlvg66Qtnq3h6PFRcgS/s1600/2017-02-19+13.36.03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoB5YbNBzKMpov72gAoFUT0lX73v__D37cMqdn-HI3jPi37K9ABGUHvQSPJJ4_DWJ01ad4zxg8_EJ5jOPr9rTe9ltCvGB7gI5bM7lJU_FWkPTpK7AGaTlvg66Qtnq3h6PFRcgS/s320/2017-02-19+13.36.03.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>This one is threatening to outgrow it's pot</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil4S_mvB7YHLimVAoPkvThyzPOXCNrijDgkd6ZoNsG8ywnjQ8kz0ihZgSrqXgt5ZCNxSsN0ZTAEZCOhShF2hz2utYDEFxZS-mKEY1uYicTXdyzlduqJibCDfQcQJBzUgCUMlCx/s1600/2017-02-12+11.50.03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil4S_mvB7YHLimVAoPkvThyzPOXCNrijDgkd6ZoNsG8ywnjQ8kz0ihZgSrqXgt5ZCNxSsN0ZTAEZCOhShF2hz2utYDEFxZS-mKEY1uYicTXdyzlduqJibCDfQcQJBzUgCUMlCx/s320/2017-02-12+11.50.03.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Walter hates the rain, but on the sunny days we do have, he loves grazing in the flowers that bloom</i></div>
Drehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12239331861091328558noreply@blogger.com1San Francisco, CA, USA37.7749295 -122.4194155000000136.9717915 -123.71030900000001 38.578067499999996 -121.12852200000002