Wheezy

Well, not really. I went to the Dr. today to see about some chest pains and shortness of breath I'd been having for some time, and I found out that it's possible my athsma has come back. So, for the next month I get to test drive a sexy new purple and lavender inhaler twice a day to see if I can manage to not be sucking wind like a chump every time I have to bike up a particularly steep incline, walk up a couple flights of stairs, or have a particularly intense shift in one of my hockey games. Needless to say, I'm not pleased to be dealing with this again after having thought I had conquered it when I was a teen, but I guess it's a shade better than thinking I was either having a heart attack or was horribly out of shape. With any luck, getting this problem taken care of will help me improve both my cycling and my hockey game. I'll no more as the next month passes. In other 'I'm getting old' news, I go to get tested for glasses at the end of the month. If someone pays me enough, I swear I'll get sports goggles made and wear them every game!

Planet Bike is my friend...

Just a quick note to say that Planet Bike rocks. I recently bought a light for my bike off them, and proceeded to break the mounting bracket after a few weeks of usage. I emailed them to see if I could purchase a replacement bracket, but the guy there offered to send me one free of charge instead. How cool is that? It's very rare to get anything for free these days, so I'm extremely appreciative of them. Thanks, Dan in warranty ;)

Office stupidity...

Funny, I thought I was working in a progressive environment where office immaturity was non-existent, but I guess I was wrong. It all started when I posted up Sadie Hawkins Day race posters all around my work. For those of you who missed my earlier post, the race is turn-about themed, where female riders need to find a partner with whom they will be required to stick with for the duration of the event. The point of this event is to promote female participation in race events in Chicago (because, at least in the alley cat context which is , female participation is low), and to raise money for a local women's hospital. Because the idea of the race is to encourage women to ride, the fees reflect this by making their entry the cheapest, followed by a more expensive fee for female/male couples (since this is a couple's race), and then an even more expensive entry fee for males who have failed to get a female partner.
Well, one of the overly-zealous PC crew here at the museum scribbled 'Yay sexism' and circled the fee section on my poster in the HR office. I could understand where they were coming from, so I responded by posting an explanation much like the one above about the fees and the reason behind them; this was removed, but the vandalized poster remained. I then replaced the defaced poster with one containing a little post script that anyone who had questions or comments could either call me at my extension, or contact the race promoters directly - no calls or emails, but this poster, too, has been defaced. You have to love how mature this person is.
Instead of getting into a passive-aggressive war of poster graffiti with this child, I will continue putting up fresh posters until the event passes. Everyone else I've talked to about this event has been really positive; some have even come up to me in the halls and said they'd seen the posters and intended to ride. Hopefully they do come out, and we manage to raise some loot for a very worthy cause, regardless of the people who have lost sight of the point and want to take shots at their perceived enemy.

Familiar habits

So, it's midnight on a cold Sunday/Monday in October, and I am wide awake, burrowed under my duvet - my lack of sleep can only mean one thing at this time of year: end of semester is drawing near. Yes, I'm back in school, for those of you who don't know, and in the process of pursuing my masters. It may come as no shock to those of you who know me well that my habits have changed little since finishing my undergrad. Tonight the first stirring up butterflies emerging from their cocoons can be felt in my stomach; the nervousness begins now. Why? Because I procrastinate - always have, and, apparently, always will.
Now is the time when I start telling myself that I need to buckle down, but rest assured it'll be another week before the 'oh shit' sensation kicks in and pushes me into overdrive. Even this weekend I was telling myself that I was going to get all my reading done early for the literature review paper I need to write, but instead I spent the whole day lazing on my parent's couch with the dog, watching a marathon on hauntings. Very productive.
Hopefully this week I'll manage to blast through the things I want to do, but it's always a matter of getting started. Like anyone who hates working out because it's good for me (rather than being active because it's fun), I hate reading when it's for my own good; I could read for hours on end when it's a book of my choosing, but assign text to me and I just can't stomach it. Assigned readings are literary codliver oil to my mind - I don't want to swallow those bitter meds.
Anyway, like it or not, this is the week. Goodbye to internet (well, somewhat), frivolity, and dawdling. Goodbye to 'ok, after I read this article/forum thread/chapter.' Goodbye to doing it after I cook this large dinner from scratch because it takes longer and distracts me from the task at hand more. Just get it done already...

Old promises come back to haunt me...

For those of you who didn't spend the mid-90s dressings in over-sized clothing and going to raves, some of the following terms may be foreign to you; for your convenience, here are a couple brief explanations:
Jungle - note - I did not write this entry. While much of the info contained is accurate, there is some debate over the Jungle vs. DnB, is it separate, or is it the same, issue. I apologize in advance if your own view (if you have one) isn't represented in that blurb but it is, after all, a wikipedia entry.
MC - To be used in the context of a Jungle set (series of records mixed by a DJ), not the more familiar usage related to Hip-Hop where the MC is the main event.

Now that that's out of the way, I'll get on with the story. About 11 years ago (wow, that makes me feel old), when I was in high school, I made a promise to my brother. At the time he was what we call a 'bedroom DJ,' or someone who buys records, turntables, and a mixer, learns how to 'spin,' but never performs in front of a live audience (well, other than ones own friends who visit said bedroom/in-house studio). I, on the other hand, was a wild-eyed teen of about 16-17, who was having the time of her life going to parties (raves) on the weekends and dancing all night to a new (well, relatively new to me at least) kind of music called jungle. In the midst of all this excitement, I told my brother that if he ever played out, I wanted to be his MC because I myself never had any aspirations at learning how to spin but wanted to get involved.

Fast forward to the present day - well, actually about two weeks ago. My brother and I have a mutual friend who goes by the name Axsent, and runs a small club night at a polish bar in Chicago using the crew name Neoteric. Axsent had been asking me for quite some time when my brother was going to play their night, so I jokingly told him he'd need to ask him himself. I was amused (and pretty happy) when my brother begrudgingly accepted, and began to dust off his old vinyl and practice. That amusement turned quickly into apprehension once my brother told me that he had called up Axsent and told him to put me on the flier as his MC for the night; Axsent had just been telling me about how the new fliers were all printed and ready to go, but had failed to mention the little detail that I was now on them. Enter the cold hand of fear gripping my stomach. These days I am a far cry from being the wild-eyed party girl I used to be; perhaps in my younger years I wouldn't have hesitated to jump on stage, grab a mic, and babble some nonsense over relentless beats for an hour, but now I don't even know what I'd say. The truth of the matter is, I hate MCs. I don't just dislike them, I hate them. I could go up there and do my best mockery of everything I hate in the hopes of amusing someone, but I also hate public speaking. Perhaps some liquid courage might loosen my tongue a bit, but we shall see.
I will go through with it all and fulfill that old promise; I do owe it to my brother, after all. Hopefully nobody will take my actions that night at any serious attempt to be the Mistress of Ceremonies; if all else fails, I can just use my post to order beers from the bar!

Not much to report here lately in the city of Chicago. We've been experiencing some unseasonably warm weather the last couple of weeks yet, inexplicably, where I work within the museum is holding it down at an unbearable 50F. Needless to say, I've been shelving books while wearing two hoodies (both hoods up to cover my Dumbo ears) while in the main stacks, only to have to peel all those layers off when I head elsewhere in the building. You have to love the state-of-the-art climate control we have it; it was a million times worse when I worked in Anthropology storage, especially considering it was summer (shorts and flipflops) and the temps would sometimes fluctuate between the 50's and the 70's in different areas - you never knew what you were going to get, so you couldn't dress for the weather in there.
So, here I am, now sitting at the reference desk in the main library, doing circulation statistics and drinking weak tea from an over-used teabag in order to fight off hypothermia (yes, I am too cheap to just go get another bag). Thankfully there is cake featuring prominently in the foreseeable future because it is one of my co-worker's birthdays. Bless her for feeding my sugar cravings; perhaps that rush of chemically-induced energy that I'm about to get will cause me to feel somewhat above arctic in terms of body temperature for the rest of the day.
If you're reading this, happy birthday M., and thanks in advance for the cake!

Quick update

I forgot to mention - for those following the progress of my talks with the condo association, I ran into our building's manager yesterday morning on my way out. He said he had taken my letter, scanned it, and then was going to email it out to the board members. Hopefully I hear something back soon.

Question for any botanists/plant collectors out there...

When I was in Malta for our honeymoon last September, I photographed a really neat succulent plant. Because the climate is so dry in Malta, the inhabitants get their gardening fix by cultivating container gardens that they keep on the walks in front of their homes, or in small, fenced in courtyards. I would really like to find out exactly what the plant is so that I can get one of my own (I have become a bit of a container gardening hobbiest myself because I live in a condo with a balcony and no yard).
I have managed to narrow down the plant to the genus Aeonium by looking at some of the books and serials in the Botany library at work, but I am not sure where to go from there. So, if there is anyone browsing this blog who might know something, or knows someone else who can help, let me know!

Here are the photos that I took (click on them to enlarge and reduce pixilation):
































And here are some pictures of possible matches that were taken from sites online:

Aeonium arboreum
























Taken from Plant Safari. The stalks look right, but the rosettes don't seem to be tight/compact enough.

No name


















Taken from this page. The stems look right and the rosettes have the right kind of shape but the color and size appear to be different.

For some odd reason, a guy yelled 'go cubbies' at me as I rode past him on my bike this morning. I guess my ridiculously garish pink and orange bike top probably made me look a bit like a north-sider, but I still can't imagine why someone would yell that at a passing biker sans cubs gear. Perhaps he was just shouting it any anyone who would listen, like so many other crazed proselytizers that can be found on the streets of Chicago. I guess he didn't see my 'Jesus hates the cubs' button on my mess bag.

It begins...

So, as of today I am officially taking on my condo association about their lack of a recycling program. What follows is a letter I wrote to them about the letter (I think it's polite and to the point). Updates on the situation will follow if anything happens or, for that matter, if anything doesn't. I fully intend to be a pain in the ass until someone listens.

Dear Condo Board –

I am writing to you about something that has concerned me for quite some time, namely ***** Loft’s lack of a recycling program. Since we moved into our unit about three years ago, there has been talk about how our association is considering options and will be getting something in place ‘soon.’ Eventually this talk (and even the signs about it on our floor’s trash room) has disappeared. Does this apparent lack of discussion mean that a plan has been made, or does it mean that the whole matter is on the back burner? Currently I am forced to haul my recyclables to work every day on my back while biking in to work; it’s not really a big issue because doing the chore every day keeps the amount low. However, when we do things like entertain guests and go through some cases of beer, I wind up throwing all those bottles out because I don’t exactly feel it’s appropriate to being that kind of waste into my work place. I have a feeling that efforts like mine are in the minority in the building, and that most of the recyclable waste goes straight down the trash chutes, and into landfill; that’s an awful amount of mess for one building that could be routed to other use.
Is there any way that we’re going to see something happen on this any time soon? The Chicagoland area has a wide variety of options that could be explored in terms of waste management and recycling; it really is our civic responsibility to do something about reducing our waste. Beyond that, residential buildings with five units or greater are required to offer a recycling program to its occupants; this info is accessible by just google searching ‘city of Chicago residential recycling,’ clicking on ‘multi-unit buildings’ under residential recycling, and reading that page. For your convenience, I will quote the page here directly:

“If you live in a building of five units or greater, you are serviced by a private waste hauler, which is mandated by law to recycle applicable materials. Your building management is also required to offer you an effective recycling program, which is defined by three things: source reduction and separation, an education program and a written recycling plan.”

I hate to be the squeaky wheel, but this is something that has bothered me since we moved in, and I have grown impatient with waiting around to see our association do anything about it; I would much rather my assessment fees go to something like this that matters in the long run, rather than re-blacktopping the parking lot. Please give the matter some serious consideration.

Here are some good sites to check out:

The Resource Center of Chicago - www.resourcecenterchicago.org - This company will arrange residential pickup, and guarantees that 90% of their waste actually is reused. They have been active in the Chicago area for 30 years and are very well-respected.

Chicago Recycling Coalition – www.chicagorecycling.org – this site offers some great tips and ‘how to’s’ about residential recycling.

Finally, please let me know if there is anything that I can do to help this process move along; it’s one thing to voice a complaint, but it’s another all together to try to actually do something about the matter to help change be made. Feel free to email me blah@blah.com with any questions, suggestions, or responses you might have.

Sincerely yours,

Lisa L*****, #***

This made me snicker a little...

I'm sure the religious folk who were protesting against the Harry Potter series because it allegedly taught their kids witchcraft and promoted Satanism are pleased about this one.

Low-rise bike shorts/knickers are foolish...

Before I forget

Here is the flier for the Sadie Hawkins ride and race in Chicago. All you cyclists out there really should make it if you can; people even come in from around the country to participate. It's a really fun night. Even better, if you want to help out, please click on the img, print it out, and post it up wherever you think interested cyclists might see it. Thanks!

Changing Seasons

Welcome to fall and hibernation. Sometimes I feel that I might be part bear. It is inevitable that around this time of year, I begin the downward slide into sloth. This last Tuesday the urge hit me hard as I fought to stay awake while reading some mind-numbing article for my Archives course; finally this learning-induced coma won out, and I found myself turning off my book light and going to sleep at 9:30pm for the first time I could remember (at least while I wasn't battling some sort of vicious flu or SARS) in my own hazy recollections.
This irresistible pull towards dreamland is accompanied by the unrelenting urge to consume food at completely inappropriate hours, perhaps due to some kind of latent instinctual drive to gain the body mass that will feed me through my long winter's slumber. I only manage to avoid making a complete pig of myself by keeping the cupboards bare, and my husband's own snacking urges perpetually unfulfilled.
My increased levels of restorative sleep and nourishment don't leave me with any sort of increased energy levels; instead, I rely on my morning's bike commute in the crisp fall air to act as my surrogate demitasse of espresso. While I appreciate the health benefits I've gained by cutting caffeine out of my diet and adding exercise, I do wish my wake-up call could leave me less sweaty and disheveled when I arrive at work. All that aside, I really am looking forward to taking on the challenge of winter bike commuting. I've bought a vast array of over-the-top bike lights to make motorists more aware of me through the winter evening's gloom, or at least induce such epileptic seizures in offending drivers that they're too busy trying to recover to be able to spray me with sludge, graze me with their rear-view mirrors, or beep furiously at me for having the audacity of taking up their valuable lane space. Wish me luck and send me warm thoughts - I'm off to contemplate the snack and nap that are not the in the cards for me.

Call for a general strike

What follows is a pretty interesting editorial that someone posted on a forum I'm involved with that appeared in Harper's Magazine. I'm not really sure how plausible the idea is, but it would be interesting to see if anyone would commit to it. Personally, I could never afford to leave work until the end of such a strike, but I have no problem with at least taking the first day off as a statement, and then doing as the author suggests by stopping consuming beyond the basic needs to live. Anyway, here it is, for all you tree huggers out there:

Specific suggestion:

General strike