Get Remixed

Bozeman vs. Des Moines, Part Deux

2013-03-24T14:55:00.000-05:00

Beer:
Bozeman: Montana has the 2nd highest brewery per capita in the nation (I think that's the right stat.)
Des Moines: Peace Tree. And way lots more bars not filled with college students.

I suppose I'm comparing two different things here. I love all the craft and local brews in Bozeman and in Montana. Every bar has something local on tap, and there are two brewery tasting rooms within walking distance of my house. I don't think I ever went to a brewery in Des Moines (though apparently in the mere eight months I've been gone, at least two have opened up.) I'm sure there are a few, I just never went.

But, I like the bars more in Des Moines - primarily the ones with patios - El Bait Shop and in between the Royal Mile and the Muse. Or The Lift. There's more, though then I get in to restaurant range (The Continental, for example) and then things really start to get confusing. It just seems much more casual in Des Moines, and much more college student filled in Bozeman. I just haven't found a bar that I would want to hang in for very long, minus trivia night at Colonel Black's, but that's really just because I'm a nerd.

Winner: Beer - Bozeman, Bars - Des Moines

Coffee Shops:
Bozeman: Lots. And home of way too many drive through stands in parking lots.
Des Moines: Mars Cafe. Need I say more?

This is actually a hard one for me to judge - I rarely drink coffee. So I have to judge more on atmosphere, and what I do more frequently drink: Chai lattes. The Rockford here in Bozeman has amazing Chais. And I like Zocalo a lot, primarily because they do something human right related with money (clearly, this is very important to me.)

But I miss Mars and Zanzibars. Mars is one of the few places I will actually get something coffee based on occasion.

Here's what my Bozeman friends on Facebook said (minus Jill, who was confused.)

Winner: Seriously, don't ask me.

Music Scene:
Bozeman: If you like bluegrass/folk, there's something for you (which, I do.)
Des Moines: There's venues! And some national acts!

I never thought I'd tire of bluegrassy/folk music, but if I stayed in Bozeman, I could see it happening. But we do have this great event every Thursday during the summer called Music on Main. Main Street shuts down in the evening, and there's a different band playing every week. (And free beer, if that's your thing.) I'm looking forward to that once summer is finally here again.

Des Moines can actually attract some decent bands, and some really big shows too. I was always too cheap to go to most of it, but I did listen to Spoon once from my porch. I think the biggest thing here has been Yonder Mountain (hey look, another bluegrass-y band!) Not that there's a problem with that.

Winner: Des Moines

Des Moines vs. Bozeman

2013-03-20T15:25:00.000-05:00

As I have been here in Bozeman for eight months now, I would like to offer some comparisons between Bozeman and Des Moines. I think I may have done something similar when I first moved here, but that was probably a bit rash.

Size:

Bozeman: 37,000+

Des Moines (proper): 250,000+

I suppose this depends on your perspective, is more people better, or worse? I like the size of Bozeman, it's a nice size enough size (especially with the University) so that I don't feel like I live in the boonies, but it's still small. Des Moines is also a nice size, offering more diversity (of all stripes) because of said size, but it's still a small enough city that there are plenty of opportunities.

Winner: I call this one a wash. I like both.

Food:

Bozeman: The best food I've had is at the Co-op sandwich bar. It was delicious.

Des Moines: La Mie. Zombie Burger. A Dong's. Centro. The Cheese Shop. Anywhere with sushi.

To be fair, I don't eat out much in Bozeman, my budget doesn't really allow for it. But what I have had, hasn't been all that impressive. Minus that sandwich from the Co-op - that was amazing. But there are many days when I miss La Mie something fierce.

Winner: Des Moines - easily.

Biking:

Bozeman: On an average two mile commute, I'll see anywhere from 10-20 bikers

Des Moines: On an average one mile commute, I usually would see 1-2

This is also a hard one to decide. I think the college here, and being in a much smaller town influences the biking culture a lot. It's a huge part of it, and there seems to be a lot less push back from non-bikers. But does that make it a better biking town? There are very few paved trails here, so I'm almost always in a bike lane or on the road.

Winner: It's also a wash.

Architecture:

This is hard to compare as well, Des Moines has more distinguishable neighborhoods with historic significance, but Bozeman does much better at making their new homes interesting, instead of cookie-cutter copies of each other. Not that I still want to live in a new home; but at least they look interesting.

Winner: Wash.

Weather:

Bozeman: Summer and Winter

Des Moines: Four distinct seasons

Fun fact that I didn't realize when I was young - EVERYONE says "If you don't like the weather, just wait five minutes." I thought it was just a midwest thing. Nope. Everyone says it. It's weather. It changes.

Now Bozeman does have four seasons, but from my experience, and what has been confirmed by folks who have been here longer is that Spring and Fall are pretty short. Plus, there are a lot less trees that change colors here as well as maples. So Bozeman lacks a super beautiful fall. HOWEVER, it has the best summer. People complain when it hits 90 during the day - which, I suppose is warm. But when there's no humidity, and it cools off to 55 every night, so no houses have air conditioning, and I just moved from Iowa where it's over 100 degrees during the day, well, I think it's fabulous. As are run-on sentences.

As for the winter in Bozeman, I would say the only difference is that its longer than Des Moines. And dryer. Which really does make a difference - I can just brush the snow off my car and go. Shoveling? What's that? I can just brush it away with a broom. Naturally, this is brutal on my skin, but easy-peasy for snow removal purposes.

Winner: Depends on my mood. And the season. Bozeman wins summer. Des Moines wins for complete seasons.

Scenery:

Bozeman: Four miles to the mountains from my door step.

Des Moines: Rolling hills. Sometimes.

Don't get me wrong, I love the plains of the midwest, and appreciate their beauty. But MOUNTAINS. So much more epic.

Winner: Bozeman.

Soil:

Bozeman: Alkaline soil

Des Moines: Nice soil.

I won't get into it too much, because it's really, really nerdy. But I didn't know how good I had it gardening in Des Moines.

Winner: Des Moines

Shopping:

Bozeman: No sales tax

Des Moines: Variety

No sales tax is nice. I'm sure there's more variety in Des Moines. But I don't shop much either place. Though Bozeman does have some amazing thrift shops, thanks to the University.

Winner: Today, I'd say Bozeman. But, meh.

So, there's my point-by-point analysis. Are there other things I should compare between the two?

Procrastination

2013-02-19T22:33:00.000-06:00

I should be working on work. But it's 9:30 at night, and even my passion has limits.

So I'm enjoying Josh Garrels.

And a mug brownie.

I've prepped for my next grad school interview, but I have not prepped for the eventual decision making I feel coming my way.

I am looking forward to: a third weekend in a row of hosting friends, nordic skiing, and some amazing potato and red onion pizza I made.

And now I really must go design some giant posters.

This Week

2013-01-26T11:25:00.000-06:00

While I was home, almost a month ago now, someone (ahem, a Miss Julia Lovan, who I will say doesn't exactly frequently update her blog either,) suggested I should update my blog more, even if it's more photos.

Well. I don't have any photos for you. But it has been a good week, so I thought I would share what I was up to this week.

Sunday:
I finally made it back to church after checking out a few others in town, and not liking them any more. Afterwards, I went on my first "long" run of four miles. Soon, I'll be wishing for the days of four mile runs as a long run.

Then, Vista potluck, where all three new vista's came. There was baked brie. And fried rice. And way too much food. We played a few rounds of Bananagrams and then watched Downton. I then finished off the day with a phone call. An all-around nice Sunday.

Monday:
The heat broke over the weekend at work, so after our staff meeting, I headed out to work from home. Everyone else has tiny offices that they could shut the doors to and turn on the space heaters, but as I work out front in the main room, there was no way to get warm. And I've got to admit, I loved working from home, with no one calling the phones, or walking in. I drank raspberry tea and got my stuff done, while wrapped in a blanket.

That evening, I went to my Master Gardener class up at MSU, where we talked about Botany! And plant reproduction! And roots! Iowa was name dropped, so my heart was happy.

Tuesday:
The heat was still broken at work, but I ran errands in the morning and then moved into my boss's office when she left. I only had to sit in the office for a bit, and then I headed up to MSU to run our program we're doing up there with my crazy three and four year olds.

It all went much smoother than the first week. Most of my kiddos returned and everything felt much more on target, I guess than the first week. I also was much less exhausted afterwards and managed to go for a run.

Wednesday:
The heat was still out at work. But either it really was warmer in the office or it was Stockholm Syndrom, because it didn't feel that bad. Either way, it was fixed by the afternoon. And really, I'm thankful the heat didn't break the week before when the temperature was hovering around zero.

And, as for the "Big Questions" (aka, What are you Doing After July?) - I still haven't made a final decision, but I have eliminated an option: I won't be staying in Bozeman. I love my job, and that is honestly the hardest thing to give up, but I have confidence that I can find something similar that I love. I am pursuing a few things in Des Moines (perhaps with the Y there, and I'm applying for a different Americorps postion) as well as keeping grad school in North Carolina an option. (I should know if grad school continues to be an option next week.)

So, nothing finalized. But one less option.

Thursday:
Busy with lots of fundraising stuff at work. It's almost a month until the dinner and auction, so we are on the hunt to actually get those auction "yes's" into our hands.

I then went off to MSU to spend time with my crazy-in-a-different-way kiddos (second and third graders this time.) Every single one returned from the week before. And again, I went to bed with my heart happy. I really love getting to spend time with these kids each week.

Oh, and I fit in a run. Whew.

Friday:
Oh, hi there! It's a day when I feel like I can look cute, because I have no sports to teach, no run to go on, and I'm freshly showered.

I was busy with more fundraising stuff and working on our summer guide, which I'm in charge of, and I have a week and a half to finish up.

I started listening to The Lone Bellow, because of several friends mentioning them. They're good. If you like folksy/country-ish music, I'd recommend them. (Side note: this might be the nearest to its release date that I've ever listened to a new band. Wow. I feel so on it now. Thanks friends for telling me about it.)

It apparently was "Free Food Friday" or, I suppose also, as one of our swim coaches called it "Fat-Ass Friday." We had pizza donated by a local radio station, as the "non-profit of the week" and then I went to a Mexican place in Belgrade with the CEO and her son, which was shockingly good for the combination of Mexican and Belgrade. And she treated. And I came home with a whole uneaten pizza. Whew. It's a good thing I'm running again.

Saturday: (Today)
I slept in until 8:30. It did actually feel great. Shortly, I'm off to help with child-care at Project Homeless Connect. After that, I will likely do my long run of five miles, since it will be warmer today than tomorrow.

After crashing from the run, I don't have much on my agenda, though I've had cravings for cinnamon rolls lately, so I might start a batch of those for Sunday.

This all ended up very long, and probably not all that interesting to...well..anyone. Happy Saturday all!

2012 Books

2013-01-02T20:38:00.000-06:00

Last year I started keeping track of every book I finished. I found my planner with the list in the back, and thought I would share. Some I loved. Some I hated. But I loved keeping track of every book, so I think I will keep on in 2013.

An Unquenchable Thirst (interesting if you find nuns...interesting.)
The End of the Wasp Season
The Oregon Trail (a kids graphic novel, for the record.)
The Meaning of Marriage (a marriage book that doesn't make this future crazy cat lady depressed!)
Wilderness Medicine
Everything is Illuminated
Expedition Planning
Death Comes to Pemberly (Probably my least liked book of all of these.)
Quiet
The Hunger Games
Washington Park
The Reason for God
Letters from a Skeptic
Parenting Beyond Your Capacity (lots of parents at Gateway were reading it, so I figured it would be relevant)
Notes from a Small Island
Neither Here nor There
I'm a Stranger Here Myself
Little Dorrit
Growing a Farmer
Make the Bread, Buy the Butter
In the Garden of Beasts (Not nearly as good as Devil in the White City. Probably the other book that I disliked.)
Cannery Row
Life of Pi
East of Eden (Loved it. Cannot express how much I loved it.)
Dawn of the Century (well, this was about 50% photos, if not more. But I'm counting it.)

So a lot of Bill Bryson, some Tim Keller, and John Steinbeck, if you're looking for a theme.

Planning

2012-12-07T18:15:00.001-06:00

I want to have a farm and grow food, have my own sweets business, have my own food truck selling fancy grilled cheeses and soups, write a novel, get a graduate degree, work with college students and work with kids, live near mountains, and take care of my parents.

I mean, really, that's not unrealistic in the least, is it?

Two Completely Unrelated Things.

2012-11-02T23:44:00.001-05:00

I received the cutest birthday gift in the mail today.

It's a fake piece of cake. Amazing.

The best part is, this is literally how it was mailed. No box, just one side stamped.

In unrelated facts about Montana: it is expensive to buy a house here. As in, the state as a whole, but even more-so in the Bozeman area. Not that I'm anywhere near buying a house. But it does cross my mind, especially when I'm feeling rather, how do I say it...directionless? in my life.

A house that I really want in Des Moines:

Just down the street from my old house. Big yard, garage (a rare thing in Sherman Hill,) a shed, two beds and one bath. All for $100,000. It's a little cozy square foot wise, but trust me, after this apartment, I wouldn't mind. It really is a super cute house.

You know what $100,000 could get me in Bozeman?

Well as far as I can tell, nothing. If I get outside of Bozeman, I may find something close to what I could afford, like this place for $145,000. (I'd do that.)

But actually in town? The best I could find was this condo at $119,000.

Uh. No thanks.

So for those of you who are worried that I might just stay in Montana forever: Don't worry too much. I don't want to rent the rest of my life. And unless I meet a rich cowboy real soon, I won't be able to afford anything but rent.

Canyons

2012-10-25T20:45:00.000-05:00

And they danced naked in the coolness of the canyon at night, the moonlight reflecting off their chests and the dark water as it ran through the red walls. Because that is what you do when you are young and still beautiful and slightly drunk on cheap beer.

Why I'm a bad blogger

2012-10-17T00:24:00.001-05:00

Writing a blog, unless it's specifically about say, cats, requires an honesty and openness that I just can't muster.

This Was a Lazy Saturday

2012-10-07T01:48:00.001-05:00

I had brunch at some new friend's house. I was full until 6pm.

I picked up my room, and put everything away.

I swept and vacuumed.

I did some dishes.

I finished watching Ken Burn's documentary - The National Parks: America's Best Idea.

I read a chapter and a half from "Designing and Managing Programs."

I then promptly fell asleep.

I texted a few friends running marathons tomorrow, once I woke up, wishing them good luck.

I wrote a letter.

I half caught up on She Reads Truth.

I did some story editing.

I did a little mental planning for a new story.

I emailed about a future post-Americorps job idea.

I planned a hike for tomorrow.

I attempted to solidify birthday camping plans. I didn't really get anywhere.

I looked up recipes for bagels.

I looked up ideas for healthy, cheap breakfasts. Cereal is expensive, and I guess not that great for me.

Not bad for a lazy Saturday. And now, because "Designing and Managing Programs" is an instant insomnia cure, I shall read some, and go to sleep.

A Montana Moment

2012-09-29T10:27:00.004-05:00

I had the most the most Montana-esque moment last night when invited over to an acquaintances' house for burgers.

1. The directions (she lives out of town) included: "look for the large stump mailbox to turn at" "if you see the monkey on the motorcycle, you've gone too far" and "our driveway is about half a mile long."

2. I had to open and shut two gates just to make it through said driveway, dodge grazing cattle (and cow patties,) and cross a wooden bridge.

But the burgers were amazing.

Glacier National Park

2012-09-04T22:56:00.001-05:00

Go. If you ever get the chance, go. It's worth every minute.

We go to the mountains & do three things: We come back alive, we come back friends, & we go to the top. In that order.
— Roger Baxter-Jones

When They Really Get to Know You They Will Run

2012-08-22T23:52:00.003-05:00

What makes you think that it wont grow back
in a day or two...
husbands and winter
they know the truth
but what can they do
I dont like girls the way they are
so shave their legs and make them look like movie stars
and then we can pretend its natural

Put on whatever makes you attractive
if it's not you, then do it for the sake of fashion.
Your friends like a certain you,
thats who you've got to be.

Junior high legs
blonde hair gone brown
from removing it.
Waxing since thirteen
wisdom from a beauty queen
her tiara diggin' deep in her head...

Im starting to think, that im kinda shy
or at least I'd like to be.
Winter legs give me heart attacks
so take it off with laser
so it never comes back.
And then we can pretend its natural.

-Pedro the Lion

A whole song about shaving legs. But it's really about so much more.

Thirty By Thirty

2012-08-15T22:38:00.001-05:00

I've been thinking of my "Thirty before Thirty" list, for some time now. Here they are, all typed out, for the world to see.

(Some of them by their nature push back others, so as of now, there is the flexibility to be a "Thirty before I'm done being Thirty" list.)

1. Climb a mountain - done as of 7/18/12 (Mt. Helena) (Not an insane hike. But none-the-less, I summited a mountain.)
2. Change careers - done also roughly of 7/18/12. Hello Montana!
3. Grow a moderately successful garden.
4. Read Anna Karenina (I've started a number of times and always quit. Must finish.)
5. Become a registered foster parent. (Did you know you can be single and a foster parent? Hurrah, something I can actually do!)
6. Pay off my student loans.
7. Get an animal. (Crazy cat lady, here I come!)
8. Return to being car-less.
9. Make a quilt.
10. Visit four more states (which would put me at 30 visited.)
11. Go to Grad School (This I'm willing to skip for a good solid career change, and getting my student loans paid off.)
12. Make edible gnocchi (not from a box, I can do that.)
13. Bike more. (I know, terribly vague.)
14. Learn how to actually do mechanical work on a bike
15. Write more letters
16. Design some cards to write said letters
17. Skinny dip (because after thirty is just too old to be doing such things. I think.)
18. Begin helping my parents retire.
19. Read more books.
20. Wear my little black dress.
21. Eat more veggies, and less meat. - Accomplished as of moving to Montana. Continue to keep up.
22. Write more stories.
23. Get through one round of editing the stories that are already written.
24. Be more confident.
25. Hike somewhere to watch the sunrise.
26. Make my own jam. As in the condiment, not the music.
27. Go fly fishing and actually catch something.
28. Make a sandwich-quality loaf of bread.
29. Sit on the computer less.
30. Keep a better budget.

Additions as of March 2013:
31. Complete a marathon
32. Participate in ragbrai (but don't just ride, be a mentor to a teen.)

So You Want to Live in Montana...

2012-07-24T23:26:00.001-05:00

One Week

2012-07-23T22:48:00.001-05:00

Technically, I've been in Montana for exactly seven days. Though I've really only been in Bozeman for three of those. So really, my conclusions on a state, or even the city are likely inconclusive...but at this moment, I love it.

I hiked a mountain.

This photo does make Mt. Helena look shockingly epic. But I think most mountain photos do that. In reality, we were just over a mile high. But we gained 1,300' from where we started! So that's a lot of elevation gain, especially since a good number of us were at sea level-ish the day before.

As for Bozeman, it might just be one of the cutest towns ever. I keep on walking around and falling more in love, every single time. My wee apartment is two houses away from a little park, and the neighborhood as a whole I would say has a smaller Sherman Hill feel. The houses are smaller, and there is a mix of old and new, but there is a similar indie vibe going on.

Though, after tonights walk, I just think it might be the whole town with that vibe (except for the new west half of town.)

I came home, made dinner, and then was going to work on finding homes for all the random things that don't have one yet (and find my blasted bookbag; seriously, how can I misplace it here?) But as has happened every other day, I just think of how much time I'll spend inside in the winter, and I just can't stay in here any longer - I just have to be outside. So I walked to the atm to deposit some money. And then I just kept on walking. I stopped by one of the bike shops, on the hunt for cute grocery panniers. Then I ended up at the very local grocery store (Heebs.) I bought a block of cheese, because I'm almost out. Then I continued on to the library, where I discovered a small sculpture garden, and a wonderful park that stretches from behind the library down to the hospital. The nice part was, it's up on the bluff, so you can see a nice view of downtown, and the forest to the north. The sun was setting, and it was just perfect.

On my way down, I walked along the south side of Main, which I hadn't walked at all - I found the park where the Farmer's Market meets, and decided (This is really where I was going with this) that South of Main is pretty cute and artsy like the North side. Same sort of small, unique houses, with lots of trees and tons of people out walking and biking.

Yesterday we hiked the M trail, whose trailhead is only four miles from my doorway. So if that's not incentive to visit...

Two Days to Go

2012-07-13T16:22:00.002-05:00

It's Friday.

I'm sitting at the hitch store..getting a hitch installed.

I leave for Bozeman in two days.

Today so far, I've closed a bank account, finished a friend's wedding photos, burned those to disk, uploaded a good amount of those online, prepped everything for a yard sale, gotten tables for said yard sale, picked up my car from the mechanic, and soon, will have the hitch installed. Oh, and I also picked up a new windshield wiper.

It's only 4:15.

I had a friend today say that it doesn't feel like I'm really leaving.

I agreed. It doesn't.

But as I sit here, writing that I out, I can feel the small rise of panic start, the one that shows up whenever I do something a little scary. It's lurking there. I think I've just been too busy to notice.

I'll probably feel it more tomorrow. But it still doesn't really feel like I'm leaving.

The "You're Doing What in Montana?" Post

2012-06-28T12:45:00.001-05:00

Oh hello bliggity blog. It has been a while.

As I am moving, I guess it would be a good idea to attempt to keep people up to date on my life.

A blog is fairly easy for that. But I make no promises. I'll probably post a a few times for a month and then not touch it again for another seven.

But on to the point:

Yes, I am moving to Bozeman, Montana.

Yes, I am doing a year with Americorps Vista.

Source: google.com via Liz on Pinterest

To be more specific, I will be working with Montana Campus Compact at the local YMCA. Campus Compact works to engage college students in community service and create further connections in the local community; so at the Y, part of my duties will be working with the college interns and volunteers.

Additional things that are on my plan are:

Help programming for summer camps include more educational elements
Bring in new sponsors
Increase awareness in general of the Y's programming & connect with more fundraising opportunities
Lots of other stuff. It's a fairly young Y - only eight years old, so there's lots of stuff to do!

I've loved every conversation with the staff - they just seems super excited to have me there, and really wanting to prep me to succeed. I've never had that really with a job before, and to also have a job that combines all sorts of things I either want to do, or have experience (and enjoy doing!) - it's just all so new to me!

I'll be sharing an apartment with another Americorps volunteer. How that came together is another long (and frankly rather dull) story.

I just put in my two weeks today. So the count down I suppose officially begins. I leave for Bozeman on July 15th - less than three weeks!

Chicken with Sriracha Cream Sauce

2012-01-19T23:05:00.001-06:00

I made the most amazing meal this week.

Seriously. It's good it turned out great because (1) last week's was on the blah side and (2) this had possibly been the most uneventful week of my life. If I didn't have this dish to rave about, I would have nothing to talk about.

Source: theboogieblog.net via Liz on Pinterest

So I started with the recipe for Stuffed Salmon with Sriracha Cream from The Boogie Blog. Except I had no salmon. But I did have chicken! So imagine the picture above, but it's chicken! (My photos turned out terrible. Boo. I was too excited to eat, rather than get the photo right.)

The marinade is perfect. Seriously. I have plans to use it again. And since I also now have a GIANT bottle of Sriracha, I'll probably be using that again too.

Sriracha Cream Sauce:
1 Cup Mayo
1/4 Cup Sriracha
3 Tablespoon Sweetened Condensed Milk

Mix all together. Taste. Make spicer or sweeter, depending on what you like.

Marinade:

1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup water
5 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp fresh ginger
1 minced garlic clove
2 tablespoons honey

1. Combine cornstarch and 1/4 cup cold water. Stir until cornstarch is dissolved; set aside

2. In a saucepan, combine 1 cup water, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, brown sugar & honey; bring to a simmer

3. When liquid is simmering and brown sugar has melted, add the cornstarch/water mixture & simmer until thick enough to coat a back of a spoon (This took longer than expected. But it will happen.)

4. Place cooled marinade in a plastic bag with the chicken. I halved two chicken breasts. Let sit in the fridge for 1 hour - overnight. I did over the workday. I think it was a good choice.

5. I cooked some brown rice here.

6. When ready to cook, the salmon recipe said to line a dish with tin foil, and cover with tin foil. I was out. So, I just coated a dish in olive oil, and placed the chicken in there. A little messier to clean up, but otherwise worked fine.

7. Sprinkle with Seasame seeds. Cook for 20 minutes at 400. I turned it up to 450 for ten more minutes after that.

Then place some chicken on the rice, sprinkle with some chopped green onions and drizzle with the Sriracha cream sauce and enjoy. It was so nice to finally eat something fresh made and not reheated on Tuesday night. (And this actually has worked great as a work meal. Bonus!)

The Apple Factory

2012-01-10T23:33:00.001-06:00

Really, this isn't just about the Apple factory.

Apple just gets the highlight, because Mike Daisey loves Apple - really, really loves Apple.

This episode of This American Life is a serious must listen for anyone who likes to know where their stuff comes from. I have so many different thoughts after listening to it.

First, I'm no luddite. I'm writing this on a Macbook Pro (a five year old one, but a Macbook Pro none-the-less.) I work on Macs. I have a cell phone. I'm not naive either. I was knowledgeable that my electronics come from China, and probably from a factory, whose working conditions probably aren't the same as the States. It was a bit surprising to realize the scale, though. 400,000 working in a factory? That's almost the size of the Des Moines metro area.

We live in an age where electronics are everywhere. I give up a lot, for a variety of reasons, but I'm not on track to give up my computer. I'll probably need a new one within a few years. Do I value my lappy more than the work environment of someone I'll never meet halfway around the world? As a Christian, I don't think I should. So what is one to practically do?

I'm not sure. Daisey gives a couple of practical solutions to what he sees as fixable problems. For example, employees do the same minuscule task for years, never rotating, and slowly destroying their hands. If they simply rotated tasks, this could avert that. He says all it takes is someone to care. But labor is cheap in China, so if an employee can't work their job after 10 years, there are plenty to take their place.

I was also aware that most factories are warned when ethics auditors come to pay a visit, giving them time to hide anything, such as underage employees. Daisey says doing away with the warning would easily make the audits more realistic.

But what is one person in Iowa, who wants her electronics to be made fairly, to do? I can make a lot, but I'm not going to be able to whip up a computer. Do we demand something different through our wallets? Do I write an email? Where would one even begin, if practically everything is made with such questionable, at minimum practices?

An interesting comment that Daisey also makes. He says something to the effect that there are a lot of people who wish for a more handmade time. But because labor in China is cheaper than most machines, in the factories he toured, everything was technically handmade. I got an ironic kick out of that.

Seriously. Give the episode a listen. It clearly gave me plenty to think about.

2012

2012-01-05T13:07:00.000-06:00

It's hard to time a jump with a camera remote, as seen here.

Happy 2012 to all!

Iowa Nice

2012-01-02T20:51:00.001-06:00

One of my favorite things about living in Iowa is how much everyone (mostly) loves living here. There's a lot of pride in our lil' city - it's something that I've found a lot less in cities where everyone is much more transient, coming for a few years and then moving on. We aren't afraid to brag about the state we choose, for whatever reason, to make home. For most people it only gets in the spotlight once every four years, but at least personally, I love to talk about my state.

(There is some cursing in the video, FYI)

An easy use for scrap t-shirts

2011-12-18T13:29:00.001-06:00

I love making these (t-shirt scrap rosette bobby pins.)

"Something as Important and Real as Soil and Food"

2011-12-12T20:26:00.001-06:00

I have lots of thoughts stirring about after reading this article from NPR (including: this girl might be my doppleganger, and where can I find her jacket?) There also may have been some serious thoughts. I wish I was near the point that many of these people are, but I can barely manage the three 6x4 plots in the backyard. Yet, it is encouraging to know that there are young people doing what I want to do.

One of the bits I found most interesting was kind of tucked away at the end. I think it's even more interesting than hearing about more young people wanting to live, what for many, is a quite idealistic existence. It's work. It's more work than I (and a lot of other young people wanting to farm) can imagine, with lots of opportunity for failure (see: my sad garden.)

Farming — the work, and the independence, and the connection to something as important and real as soil and food — was the one thing that he wanted to throw himself into. And he's been doing it ever since. But it wasn't always a big happy folk dance.

"I can remember feeling kind of desperate, and having many failures, a lot of failures, in the first couple of years of growing crops and not really knowing what I was doing," he says.

But there's one thing he had, and it's a big reason why he's still farming. He loved the business side of it: finding customers and making a living on his own.

That sense of farming as a business is probably the biggest thing the young farmers have to learn, he says. It's what he preaches to the young apprentices who come to his farm to work. (He's had more than 200 such apprentices over the years.)

Ideals are great, he tells them. "But if you're going to stick with it, and expect to make a living at it, you've got to be realistic about the business aspects: Money, and managing money, and borrowing money, and all the things that a business person has to do. And you have to accept that, and learn to like that – somewhat, at least – and be willing to be good at that."

(Read the rest over at NPR)

Transportation

2011-12-08T18:26:00.001-06:00

Source: tugboatprintshop.com via Liz on Pinterest

I haven't had a car for 8 months now. It's been fine. I was driving it so little, with working downtown, that it was more work to make sure it was moved frequently enough. I've enjoyed saving the money. Sure, I've had to plan more for groceries, and occasionally work the bus system, but it's worked. I really want to make it to a full year without a car.

However, with the onset of winter, it's not nearly as easy to just hop on my bike to get groceries. There are some crazy people who ride year round in Iowa. I'll ride for quite sometime, but once it's under forty degrees, I call it quits. I'll still walk, but that make grocery runs just that much slower. Additionally, it's putting a cramp in my volunteering with a nearby camp during the school year. It's hard to make the forty minute drive without a car, and I really want to be volunteering more with them.

Anyway, the last few days I've been pursuing cars. I might have a major need for one in February, and I've found several that I like and that are within my budget. But then, I think about the digging and scrapping and how little I will actually use it this winter, except for a jaunt home, a drive to the camp, or a drive for a couple of Grad School interviews, it hardly seems worth it.

Coupled with needing to save every penny for grad school, and really being picky on what I want, compounded with insisting on low MPG, I basically end up at a stalemate. I shall continue with no car until something changes.