The self-sufficient individual and bureaucracy

In 1984, northern New Jersey experienced some of the worse flooding the area had ever seen. At the time, I was a Private First Class in the NJ Army National Guard. I was called up on state disaster orders, and spent about 5 days as part of a team evacuating people from their homes.

It was a surreal experience, sitting in the passenger seat of a 5 ton truck as we drove on what we hoped were streets. I had two jobs while the sergeant drove, one was to help him identify where the road hopefully was, and to keep an eye on the floor of the truck to monitor how much water was coming into the floor drain holes. Yes, the water was coming into the cab through the floor drain holes.

At one point in Pequannock Township, the wake from our truck blew out several store windows. I bet that wasn't something the store owner ever expected to happen. Many of the visuals are etched clearly into my memory. An old man weeping, and saying "I lost everything" as we helped him into the back of the truck from a rescue boat. A couple waving from their window yelling for rescue. A flat bottomed rescue boat loaded with people, one holding a cat in her arms. The cat freaked out and tried to jump. The woman stood up to control the cat. The boat broached, filled with water, and dumped everyone and their possessions into the water. I still see that cat fighting to swim as the current swirled it away along with all of the luggage.

At the time, I was frustrated. People had been warned the waters were going to rise, yet many stayed behind in their homes. Some had to be rescued in dangerous conditions. Our lives were put in jeopardy from the poor choices the residents made. At least that was how I felt then.

As I grew older and gained perspective, I realized that these people were protecting their property. Like the old man who was weeping, everything most of these people had was in their home. What would you take with you if you had to leave?

I thought of this past experience as I read Zeitoun, by Dave Eggers. This book is about a Syrian born contractor named Zeitoun, married to an American woman, with four children and a thriving business.

As Hurricane Katrina approached New Orleans, Zeitoun's wife and four children left to stay with friends. Zeitoun stayed behind to protect their home, the several rental properties they owned, and their business. The author wrote the book from the perspective of Zeitoun, and from the perspective of Zeitoun's wife. Then he went and found many of the people who were in the story to get their accounts of what happened, and the pertinent facts were confirmed by the interviews.

In a nutshell, Zeitoun spent his days after the levees broke paddling his canoe around the neighborhood. He fed abandoned dogs, coordinated rescues for neighbors who stayed behind and had run out of food and water, and checked on his properties. In his travels, he tried several times to flag down the heavily armed "rescuers" who were buzzing around the city in boats. They didn't stop to see what he wanted or needed. According to his account, at one point, he headed to a hospital, and armed National Guard soldiers aimed rifles at him, and warned him off.

Zeitoun and three other neighbors were meeting on a daily basis to share stories of the people they had assisted, and to coordinate the use of one of the guy's boats for rescuing neighbors who had run out of water or patience. The home they met at was a rental owned by Zeitoun, and one of the men was his tenant. Each day Zeitoun would call his wife to provide an update. About 8 days after the levee broke, armed soldiers entered the home, and without any explanation, hauled the four of them off. Two of them were of Syrian descent, and the other two were your typical Americans. Zeitoun and his three friends were held for 28 days without the benefit of legal counsel, or a phone call, and for about a week without any protection from the elements.

I don't want to give too much of the story away, but it was amazing to Zeitoun how quickly FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security could construct wire confinement areas, and all of the infrastructure to cage people in such a short time. The government was also able to lease jail space, establish transportation routes, and process detainees. Yet the feds never thought to focus these resources on saving people in the flooded areas, or on moving supplies to the stadiums where they told people to evacuate to.

I am in no way removing any culpability on the part of the local and state government in what I am writing here. It has been almost 6 years, and residents are still waiting for someone else to rebuild their homes for them. But we'll leave this topic for another time.

This book was a chilling read. I always think that when the chips fall, our fellow citizens are the people wearing the uniforms. Our neighbors will have empathy, and be the people coordinating our rescue and relief in an emergency. Just as it was in 1984 when we went into the neighborhoods we were familiar with to rescue our neighbors. After reading this book, I lost much of my confidence that citizens would be anything more than objects to be dealt with by a cold and bureaucratic government.

I have been pondering what right the government has to forcibly remove someone from their home, if the residents are staying in it willfully. One of the book genres I like, are ones of rescues on the seas, as well as pretty much any story about humans against the elements. This led me to think about the many stories I read, and some of the aspects of rescues.

In the times before EPIRBs and satellite communications, when someone got in trouble, the odds were against their survival if they couldn't fend for themselves. Being lost for months at sea was not uncommon, and often times people would just turn up months after they were given up for dead. Even back in the old days, if a rescuer offered assistance, and the person in trouble declined, they did this at their own peril. Rescuers will not return for a second attempt.

Technology has provided the ability for people to call for help from anywhere on the planet. In fact, you can purchase a personal emergency locator beacon to take hiking with you, just in case you get lost in the woods and need to have a helicopter come save you. Is your life worth $370? I would probably die from the humiliation of getting lost in the woods.

Several of the books, including Perfect Storm, outlined how the Coast Guard would offer rescue, and if the people on the vessel refused assistance, the Coast Guard would let the vessel captain know that if they refuse now, they would not return later. The captain of the vessel would have to put on his big boy pants, and make the decision right away, and live with the consequences of the decision. Or in some cases, die with the decision.

So how should the policy differ in the case of a flood? If a citizen decides to stay behind, isn't it their choice? But if the choice is made to stay, they need to be prepared to face the consequences, if a later rescue would jeopardize the lives of the rescuers. Some may argue that allowing people behind allows for the opportunity to loot. Would you loot if you were left behind? I wouldn't. So why should we assume anyone else would loot?

As I thought about the story, I began to see the difference in why the response to Hurricane Katrina was so impersonal, and the response to the floods in New Jersey were much more personal. When the federal government declares an area a disaster, FEMA steps in, and takes over all... yes, all agencies and efforts. This bureaucracy assumes command of all of the local first responders (like your local police), the state relief agencies, all public transportation facilities, and coordinates with the local prisons to deal with the criminals they expect to arrest. They generally have little or no ties to the victims, other than they are all "items" that must be put in their proper place.

This dawned on me as I thought of my time in the National Guard later in my career. I was serving in a unit that ran simulations for state and federal agencies to train them in how to deal with disasters. The computer spit out reports of victims, displaced people, food shipments, disasters, crime, and all of the bad stuff that can possibly happen in the aftermath of a disaster. This is what these people became accustomed to, and they were trained to not just be ready, but to expect the worst.

Having to transport, feed, house, safeguard, and protect citizens became a theoretical exercise. The humanness of the victims was lost in the bits of data, and paper printouts of the simulation. When all you know how to use is a hammer, everything starts to look like a nail. I began to see how jails were built before people were fed. Few of the feds left the command centers, and all of their information probably came from network news, which of course only reported the crime.

So what is the take-away from all of this? Read this book, and then be prepared to fend for yourself in the case of an emergency - the government responds in days when hours count. Have food and water on hand to last you and your family a week. Designate an easily identifiable landmark well outside of the area where you live as a rendezvous point in case you are separated from your family during an emergency. Have a plan for how to deal with pets, and keep a bail out bag handy. The bailout bag should contain a few basic items of clothes, and some of the basic necessities. Keep a copy of any prescriptions in it. And don't panic. Being prepared for the bad stuff should make you calmer, not more nervous. 

Recognize, mind your business | mind, recognize, business - Clovis News Journal

I haven't blogged much this week due to prior commitments, so please read this really pointed blog about people who feel the need to protect us from ourselves.

Recognize, mind your business | mind, recognize, business - Clovis News Journal

I have a few blogs in the hopper right now, but have compressed time. I am attending a League of American Bicyclist cycling instructor certification class this weekend, and have been focusing on preparing for it.

___________

The value of free advice

A couple of nights ago, I was asked by someone I know to help her daughter with a college assignment. She had to interview a professional about their career. I have a job, so I guess I am a professional, so I was happy to help out. There were about 7 or 8 questions, and each one came in separately to my Facebook mail account. No, you can't see all of the questions or the answers, but I will share one with you.

The last question has been on my mind since the e-mail exchange. When I originally read it, I gave about 45 seconds thought to my answer, and then began typing. The question was "what advice would you give to someone starting out?"


It's a broad question, and can go in any direction. Is it career advice? If it's career advice, isn't it actually life advice? So after my 45 seconds of thought, I began typing. Here is the answer I gave:


"Blanket advice is hard to give, because everyone is different. So here is my blanket advice.

- If you want a stable career, choose finance, accounting, or economics. (Although I personally wouldn't choose any of these.)
- Learn how to network.
- Solve people's problems at work, and the opportunities will follow. 
- Don't burn bridges.
- Human Resources isn't there to help you deal with a bad boss. They are part of the company, and look out for the company's best interests.
- Find something you love to do, and be real good at it.
- Be your own person, and never compromise your principles - especially not for a paycheck.
- Live your life now, don't wait for some point in the future to start enjoying life.
- No one ever lay on their death bed wishing they spent more time in the office, so we can make the educated guess that you won't find your life's purpose working late.
- Debt sucks the life out of you, so save your money and pay for the stuff you want in life. Don't borrow money for a nice car, a big house (clarification - don't buy a house you can't afford), or an over-rated education. Paying off debt is slavery. (So are taxes, but that's for another survey.)
- Everyone will face failures, bad times, bad economies, and bad bosses. This is so you can identify the good times more easily.
- Be positive, everyone loves to work with positive people."


I can't make the claim that I personify all of them, but this is advice, not a mirror. So what do you think? Is this good advice? What would you offer up to the a person "starting out?"


______________

Do the hard stuff first

Last year we moved from NY to NJ. We love our new home, and the neighborhood. Since moving in, we've spent lots of time discussing how to landscape our property. The property presently has a patio, and very few plantings that were thought out. So we basically have a blank slate to work with.

In need of a path

For now we want to install most of the landscape structure, with a goal of having the gardens ready on time for spring planting in mid-May. The patio is a nice size, and installed correctly. There are a stack of matching pavers on our property, and I plan on adding sidewalks in natural traffic areas, such as between the patio and the driveway. Sidewalks should always be installed where people will walk, they shouldn't be installed where we want them to walk. 

For this phase of the project, I wanted to maximize the use of the extra pavers, making sure I don't run out of material as I do the sidewalk, but also utilize as many as possible. So I dug out the area where I wanted to install the sidewalk, and removed enough pavers along the edge of the patio so I could make it look like a seamless transition from the original patio to the new walk.

My "draft"

Another area needing a sidewalk is the space between the driveway and the side door I installed on the garage last fall. This also requires removal of a Hydrangea to keep the sidewalk from being blocked. I will probably use a grass block, so water will work through the walk into the ground.

Now I have to find someone who will deliver one ton of stone dust. My next job will be to remove the blocks, dig the area out a few inches deeper, install the stone dust, tamp and level it, and reinstall the pavers. I am planning to have it all together by the end of this week, and start installing early next week.

The other walk area

Doing the hard stuff first, in this case, installing the sidewalks and structure, provides a sense of satisfaction. Once completed, the smaller jobs - like planting provide greater satisfaction. Life is like this. If we get the big stuff done first, we can enjoy ourselves so much more in doing the small stuff.

If you like this blog, there are cleverly disguised social media buttons you can use to share this post lower down the page.

______________________

Determining when to take action

I have a focus group which provides advice on how to write better blogs. I refer to this focus group as "my honey". Yesterday the focus group pointed out that my previous blog, Life Lessons from an Erector Set, lacked a call to action. There was nothing the rare reader could do as the result of my post.

What separates us humans from the rest of the animal kingdom, is that we can change the channels on a television set, and we can contemplate what to do tomorrow. Animals live from moment to moment, reacting to what's around them. This is why we don't see animals protest for animal rights. Okay, part of the reason is that most animals eat other animals, but that's not the point. They are too busy sleeping, eating, and having sex. The astute reader is now trying to prove me wrong, and they are probably thinking of Charlie Sheen. But Charlie can plan who to have sex with tomorrow, as well as where, and then tweet about it.

So this got me thinking about how we determine when to take action, and what type of action to take. Project Risk Management is a framework, or knowledge area we can draw from. In a previous post, I discussed how our current government needs to apply portfolio management concepts to the budgeting process. A few days later, Governor Christie announced that he had identified key priorities, and has budgeted to address these first. I wonder if he reads this blog.

Many people in the general public apply a framework when they see that their cable program provider is about to remove their favorite channel, or that the NFL may not be playing next season. The massive fear they experience as a result of not having their favorite show on Tuesday night has them cowering in the corner, dreading the thought they will have to actually have a conversation with the other people in the house. Or they may be forced to read something from a book. They quickly call their smartest friend (referred to as a lifeline), and ask them who their Congressman is. If they are lucky, their friend is in the same district, knows the name, and provides the information. A call is made to the Congressman, threatening them with loss of their congressional seat if they allow the channel to be removed.

So let's pull the above scenario apart. The person is identifying a risk, and determining the probability of it occurring. Many people confuse possibility and probability. Something that is possible, is that an alien race will suddenly appear, and as a gift of friendship will cure cancer, pay off all of our mortgages, and give everyone free television connections. It is possible. But what we must do is look at probability instead of possibility. Is it probable that a philanthropic alien race will rescue us? If you think so, it's okay. We need people to keep us laughing in hard times. In the case of the cable television battle, the person has been convinced by the television infotainment wizards (generally labeled "news") that they will start losing their "right" to their favorite channel, or have to pay more to receive it.

After we identify the risk, and determine probability, we look at the impact the risk will have on us if it actually happens. In our example case with the television channel, the impact is that this person will be adrift on Tuesday nights, having to fend for themselves in terms of entertainment. They will be impacted, because they will need to surf the other 1,200 channels for an hour or two to find something else to watch. This is cruel. Can you imagine having to join the series "24" halfway through? Or another impact will be that they will pay more for their television signal.

Now our next step is to determine what to do about the risk. Here are the options we have when faced with a risk or decision.

• Avoidance - In the above scenario, the person would do the simple thing. They'd cancel their television connection, and find something better to do on Tuesdays. 
• Reduction - This is the option the person chose. They are trying to mitigate the issue by having their Congressman fix it to their benefit.
• Sharing - If the person decided to change service providers, they'd be transferring the risk. This is referred to as sharing, or insuring the risk. 
• Retention- Suck it up, and budget the money needed to pay for the extras. 

There is how you determine what to do when thinks are messed up. This is your call to action (or inaction).

If you are the focus group... I mean "in" the focus group, please let me know if this satisfies the need. And if you are a reader who enjoyed this post, please share using the clever social network buttons at the bottom of this post. Comments, questions, and derogatory remarks are always welcome.

________________________

Life lessons from an Erector Set - knowing when to start over

I remember playing with Lincoln Logs, Erector Sets, and Legos as a kid. There was a lot to be learned from these activities. Never mind the little lessons - the pieces never fit back in the box, some pieces will be found under the couch in a month or two, or you can really hurt yourself getting poked with a thin piece of metal. Those are the easy lessons.

One of the best lessons I learned, is that many times, regardless of how well I thought out the foundation, I would get to the point where adding more pieces made no sense. Adding pieces would make the pending failure even larger. When I got to this point, I would pull the product apart, put it back in a pile, and start from scratch. I'd apply the lessons I learned in my first attempt to my next iteration.

Other times, I would try to reinvent what I was building into something different. "I started with a house... where did that pointy side come from? Oh, who cares, I'll turn it into a boat. A big ugly boat. At least it won't feel like I wasted my time...".

Frequently we allow ourselves to become too deeply involved in what we are building, and as a result we are unable to see that we can't achieve our original objective using what we presently have. We can't continue to try and add on, tweak, or modify it, because all of this will just add to the costs when we fail, and be that much harder to start over. In fact it seems like the larger the scale, the harder it is to see how bad things are, and we continue to apply effort thinking that if we just do a little more, all will be well. If we stay the course, it will all work out.

I started to think of what I learned from an Erector Set as I looked at the challenges in our public school system, entitlement programs, bloated government bureaucracies, sickening levels of deficit spending, and ballooning national debt. The investment may be in emotion, time, money, effort, paycheck, fat union benefits, or voting block payoffs. This crosses party lines, and impacts the taxpayers the same.

Many of our government agencies have morphed into something different from what they were envisioned to provide, and have grown at a rate much faster than the general population has increased. They often do this as a self preservation tactic, to show value where maybe they would have a hard time measuring against their original mission. Our government is full of these. I won't mention any specific examples, since I am not writing this to be partisan.

When is it time to pull it apart and start over? How can we convince the people who are invested so heavily in their own large-scale, real-life Erector Set failures that it's time to start building from scratch? I don't have the answer, I was hoping you did.

If you like this post, please use the buttons below to share it with your social network. You can also subscribe to this blog using the RSS feed button on the right.

____________________________

Striving for mediocrity, and why outcomes can't be guaranteed

No one wants to be in last place, but someone must. Being last has a stigma, and has caused many to get upset. Yet for thousands of years, these losers went on with their lives, and found areas where they could win. If they were bad at basketball, they may have focused on science. Some people with great potential in science may have become ditch diggers. Some people with no potential become politicians (I won't bother to link to the pitiful resumes online, you can find them yourself).



Back in the early 90s, I was attending an Infantry Basic Non-Commissioned Officers course. There were about 30 of us taking the course, and I knew many of the other soldiers attending. There were many days of classroom study and discussions, and some field work. This course was memorable for many reasons, one being that I contracted Lyme Disease from a tick that wasn't known to carry it at the time (I was diagnosed and treated early, and it has not returned).

One of the course requirements was to complete a night land navigation course. This module required each soldier to navigate at night through the woods to locate a placard attached to a tree, and at each one, refer to a cue sheet to determine a new direction and distance to the next placard. This was a timed event. I was surprised to hear that we'd be doing this in teams, and the instructors chose the teams.

On the night of the exercise, I was half of a two person team. Or was I 90% of a two person team? All other teams were 3-4 people. I looked at the person I was paired up with, and felt the fear of failure start seeping in. He was what we referred to as an "oxygen thief", or someone who was a waste of perfectly good food and air, at least in terms of their service in the military. (Although I later met TSA agents who were reservists, and I realized that I hadn't seen what a real loser looked like.) Throughout the course, he had many excuses as to why he couldn't run, walk, march, or do most anything else. His uniform looked like he just pulled it out of a duffel bag, and he kept misplacing his stuff. This couldn't be right, how did I get paired up with him?

After consulting with the instructors, they confirmed that the roster was correct, and I couldn't change teams. Of course anyone who knew me back then, knows I can be challenging in a discussion (okay, maybe that hasn't changed much). I had taken my share of unpopular positions in debating the instructors during class. I saw this team assignment as a payback for verbally dragging the instructors across the floor, and off the slippery slopes, and kicked myself for precipitating this.

When our time to start the land navigation arrived, my team mate and I headed off together. He had asked to lead to the first point, so I allowed him to do this. Each person knows how many paces on each type of terrain totals a kilometer, and most field soldiers wore beads on their vests to count the distance. As each kilometer was walked, one bead would slide down the rope. It is second nature to any good field soldier.

About halfway to the first point, SSG J. declared we had arrived, and began looking for the placard. I questioned him on the distance, and when he confirmed we walked the distance, I told him I thought it was farther. I had been counting my paces, and knew we hadn't arrived. He insisted, and wandered in the dark woods looking for the placard that didn't exist. I eventually convinced him to follow me, and we set off for the real location. After a short time, his poncho came untied, and then he started dropping stuff. He lost his flashlight, pulled a leg muscle, heard carnivorous wild animals, and asked if we should go back to the rendezvous point. He kept banging his legs on branches and cursing. The clock kept ticking.

A glance at my watch had me wondering if we should just admit defeat and head back. But that's not how I'm wired. There was a decision to be made, and I made it. I advised SSG J. to grab the back of my gear with one hand, and to not let go. He grabbed on, and I took off on the course. I dragged him through the course, in some places pulling him over downed trees by his straps. "We" completed the course within the cutoff time.

The soldiers who failed were given a retest. An instructor put a glow stick 100 meters into the woods, and the soldiers were sent into the woods to find it. They only had to say the color of the stick when they came out of the woods. The pinnacle of mediocrity had been achieved.

Everyone passed the course, and I was disgusted to see SSG J. on the promotion list ahead of people I knew to be much better leaders. Who suffers from this inequity? First the people who could have passed the course on their own, were now competing with a person who needed someone to pull them through. The soldiers this person eventually led were also victims of the equal outcomes the training tried to guarantee. If he couldn't do the basics himself, how could he lead others in accomplishing them? Luckily, this was before the war on terror, and hopefully he retired before his services were needed.

What this taught me, is that trying to guarantee an equal outcome is not a good approach to having a better organization (or society, for that matter). Each of us are born to a family, and some families have more than others. We each have different interests, abilities, and determination. How we apply ourselves to the challenges in life will determine the outcomes in our life. There is no law or policy that can change this, nor can we normalize the variables that we each experience. Illness, accidents, genetics, bad decisions, and sometimes the complete randomness of natural events will ensure that there is no equal outcome, even when we attempt to make all of the variables equal.

When we take away grading systems, we encourage striving for mediocrity. When we take away rewards, we encourage mediocrity. If we only have pass/fail, why put in the extra effort? If I were an "A" student, why should I put in more effort beyond what it takes to get a "C", if my "A" puts me on equal footing with those who attained a "C"?

If we can count on a handout to keep us from having to provide for the necessities in life, how can we expect people to apply efforts to better themselves, and in turn grow our society? If I have an idea that will change lives, and reward me financially, why should I bring it forward if the implementation of the idea will force me to hand over the majority of the reward to support others? This is how we encourage mediocrity, and lose innovation.

We are each individuals, and each of us have the right to pursue happiness. There is no right to find happiness. When we think that we are due happiness, we must remember that life isn't fair, nor is a bureaucratic government fair. Taking from one person to give to another is immoral. Individuals choosing to give to another is genuine.

If you like this post, please share it with your social media network using the buttons below.

_______________________

Bike commuting - all you need is a bike!

I'm back to my bike commute now that the snow has melted, and am loving it. I was thinking about how much has changed since I started what was an occasional bike commute several years ago. My commute from Pomona, NY to Woodcliff Lake, NJ had some scary stretches, and I'd stop riding once the school buses took to the roads. Since our move to Oradell, NJ, I have been bike commuting much more frequently. The ride is primarily suburban, with a few small downtowns to keep it interesting.

When I first started my 24 mile round-trip bike commute from Pomona, I rode my Trek 4300 "hard tail" mountain bike (no suspension front or back), with knobby tires. After a couple of rides, I replaced the knobbies with a smooth and skinny tire. This decreased noise and resistance, and my ride speed increased.

In 2009, I purchased a Surly Long Haul Trucker, which is made for fully loaded touring. I began to commute more frequently, and my ride time decreased due to the better riding position, and more efficient geometry. It's long wheel base and steel frame smoothed out the bumps in the road. 

I would ride to the gym near work, where my employer pays for memberships, and shower. This would add a level of logistics to my ride that sometimes left me in a bad way. Once I forgot my business casual shoes, and ended up having to wear my SPD riding shoes at work. Not many people noticed. I'd also forget little things like deodorant, or a t-shirt. And yes, sometimes I'd forget the underwear. I'd shower at the gym, and my body would still be sweating when I arrived at the office in my business casual clothes. I'd then hang my ride clothes on clips stuck to my cubicle wall under my desk. Needless to say, this was not always good for air quality.

When we moved to Oradell, my commute changed to a 17 mile round trip. So I decided to try something new. I shopped for an urban bike, which would provide a more upright riding position, allowing me to see and be seen better. I had also been reading about cycling chic, which is basically riding in Dutch style. My honey and I did a bike trip there years ago, and no one rides dressed as Lance Armstrong. They all ride in their regular street clothes. The common consensus is that drivers are more tolerant of a bike rider who is headed to work on their bike than they are of a racer out slowing traffic. I would agree based on my experience. 

.

After a bunch of research, I was having a hard time finding the right bike. I stopped at many bike shops, and the common recommendation was to purchase a tri-cross bike, which has the geometry of a road bike, but the components of a mountain bike. I wasn't impressed with the answers I received, all of which were focused on the bikes that were in stock. My honey ended up finding the perfect solution - a Gary Fisher Simple City 8. I will write a review of the bike as a separate post (as well as one about the death of local bicycle shop customer service), so I won't get into too much detail here. But it was perfect for what I wanted. It had an internal 8-speed hub with a chain guard, drum brakes on the rear, internally routed cables, a big basket in the front for my stuff, classic good looks, and an upright ride. 

I now have around 800 miles on the bike, and it is my primary ride. I use it for my bike commute, for heading to town for a haircut, to the library, post office, and to get warm croissants or bagels on weekends. When I bike commute, I ride to work in my business casual clothes, which are now all wash and wear. I roll up my shirt and place it in the top of one of my panniers. I carry my lunch, and often my computer. I have lights mounted, and lots of reflective tape. 

I love to bike. I experience everything around me much differently on the bike than I do in a car. A car propels you from one place to another, with all of the distractions of home. You can listen to music, talk on the phone, and do many things that keep you from noticing what is around you. The bike allows you to hear, see, and smell your environment. It provides you the opportunity to say hello to pedestrians, and other riders. It keeps your mind focused, and provides a nice low impact workout, which is right in the fat burning zone.

With rising fuel costs, and increased interest in fighting obesity, I am seeing more people riding their bikes during commuting hours. I often get asked by colleagues what they need to do to ride to work. I tell them to get out their bike, make sure it is working, and just ride in. People who live farther away can do a bi-modal  commute, where they park the car less than 10 miles from work, and pedal the last distance. No matter what happens at work, they will have a bike ride to remember from the day. 

Here are some resources to help you get started bike commuting:

League of American Bicyclists is an advocacy organization that has a Smart Cycling program, which provides education for road users, as well as certification for cycling instructors. 

Bike to Work is a Web site that was recently launched, and it contains great information related to bike commuting.

People for Bikes is an advocacy group which provides tools and communications around making bicyclists voices heard in our policy makers' offices. 

Bicycle laws vary by state, so I am linking NJ laws. The basic premise is the same from state to state. 

Bike Commuters Blog contains lots of inspiration for us bike commuters.

There are also some links on the right to assist you, and the Twitter feed on the right shows bike commute posts. I'll write more specific posts about bike commuting as time passes, but if you have any specific questions, please ask in the comments below.

If you like this post, please share it with your social networks using the buttons below.

_________________________

Exercise pain and whining - like peanut butter and chocolate

There aren't many things that are worse than hearing someone whine about an insignificant item. So I won't. I will instead whine about how much pain I'm in, which is never insignificant. It's the good pain, thanks for asking.

On Saturday my honey and I headed to our favorite yoga studio, Yoga Synthesis. The instructor (Kelly) had a full room, which is a testament to her awesome abilities in leading a class. There were requests for hip openers, shoulder openers, and you can always count on her to do lots of core. After 90 minutes, my body had that low strum of soreness that one gets after a good workout. But the day wasn't over.

Side story ... I've run for years, but only focused on my 2 mile run time so I could pass the Army Physical Fitness Test. Last year I read Born to Run, and purchased Vibram Five Fingers. When I ran in a 5 mile race a few weeks after getting the VFFs, I took second place for my age in a very large event. I followed that up with a personal record of 21:14 for a 5k, and two weeks later I beat that personal record with 20:58 for a 5k. This was a good time for a 48 year old guy. I haven't run in sneakers since I purchased the VFFs. So this year I joined North Jersey Masters Track and Field Club, and decided to see how much faster I can be if I have some training.

Back to the story ... Saturday after lunch I hopped on my bicycle, and rode 5.3 miles from home to a middle school a couple of towns away for a club coaching session. I ran about a mile to warm up when I arrived, and talked to the coach about my VFFs before we started. He was convinced they are bad for runners, and explained about his pronation, orthotics, and all the rest of the stuff Christopher McDougal discounted in Born to Run. I gave him my canned answer when I come across VFF doubters: "I have been using these for a year, I am totally convinced that I am faster and have less discomfort after a long run as a result. I understand you don't believe they work, but I'd recommend that you not discount them until you have tried them yourself, or at least have read the book". There was one other minimalist shoe runner there, and she agreed with my answer. Anyone who runs in VFFs knows what I am talking about. It is like trying to convince someone there is oxygen around them, as they tell you they were at a party and someone told them there isn't oxygen, so they are not convinced.

Then we (about 20 runners) ran about 80% of the way around the track, walked the last little bit, and after two breaths, we took off again. We did this 15 times. It was referred to as 300x15... or was it 15x300. I haven't run this hard since I was in the Army Reserves, and my pride induced me to beat the person in front of me during the 2 mile run. After the sprinting and walking ended, I mounted my bike and rode home.

Yesterday I took a rest day, and today I rode to work. My body has the dull ache of a great workout thrumming throughout. My feet are complaining, they were grabbing the ground for almost 6 miles, but I know the pain to be the muscles and connective tissues getting acclimated to the first heavy workout. My leg muscles are very sore as a result of the continuous switch from speed to slow, to pedaling a bike. My core is sore from the yoga, and the only part of me that isn't sore are my facial muscles. (In the past I would have knee and hip pain, but the VFFs have eliminated these.) My honey was very understanding, and even commented that I wasn't whining as much as normal.

Normal whining for me would be grunts and groans with every move, and wheezing as I walked. My honey would say "can you please stop whining?", which I would translate as "you poor man, you must need me to rub sports goo on your legs, bathe your feet in salt water, and bring you a cold beer but I am too busy in the kitchen right now to help you, you poor man". At least that's what I think she meant when she asked me to stop whining. This would in turn have me whining more.

Tomorrow night is another coaching session, so I expect the pain to be extended. I haven't decided if I will use the bike to commute, and get additional exercise in, or take the car. My first race of 2011 will be the River Edge Run on 4/9, and I may do another 5k on 4/10 in Rockland County. I'd like to start the 2011 race season with a good showing, and build on the season from there.

If you like this post, please use the buttons below to share with your social networks.

____________________

Sowing seeds of contentment - in the garden

Cold frame

Last week I built a cold frame from left over stuff in the garage. It is rather large, and I could have definitely made it half the size. So I may offer up some space to neighbors who garden.

This morning we sowed seeds for a range of tomatoes and peppers, as well as our first batch of lettuce. We also started some flowers. Thanks to a good friend in New Mexico for some of his heirloom seed stash, and some seeds we had purchased last year from Hudson Valley Seed Library.

Seeds are in

Yummy rotting stuff

Our Earth Machine is still working great, and now with the warmer weather, it is rotting stuff faster than we put it in. If you had read my post in the fall about this, you'd see that the person at the county who told me not to start composting until the spring was not providing good advice. Now is a great time to start a compost pile, it is amazing how fast stuff rots. Bergen County offers a discounted Earth Machine, so before you go purchase one, check with your county.

If you like this post, please share it with your social networks using the buttons below.

____________

A simple way to have more money

My dad's brain was full of verbal quips, probably from Reader's Digest. He'd feel the need to share them with the family whenever he felt like it. "The early bird gets the worm", was one of his favorites. As I grew up, I'd ask him what the worm got for rising early. He never responded. Another of his favorites was "It's not what you make, it's what you keep", referring to money. It took me a few years to understand that one.

When I got out on my own, I was able to apply many of the lessons I learned about money, as well as gain my own experience through making mistakes. These mistakes are referred to as "stupid tax" by Dave Ramsey. I met my honey along the way, and before we married, we talked about money. We both agreed that it sucks to owe money, and we vowed to get out of debt, and stay out of debt. We focused on this goal right away, and quickly got on top of the expenses, and stayed there.

It's not what you make, it's what you keep. A person with a large income, can be poor from large expenses. A person with a low income, can be rich due to low expenses. The premise is based on financial wealth, but in reality richness is defined by our life, not the stuff we accumulate.

I hate getting rid of stuff, so I know the best way to combat this is to not get stuff in the first place. When I do get rid of stuff, I have a process I use to do this. We generate some cash offloading the unwanted stuff, and it starts to feel good to purge. Try it, you will find it liberating.

There are many ways to increase the amount of money you keep without having to skip meals or not pay your electric bill. In fact, saving money can even make you healthier. The following are some we use, and you can pick the ones you like.

Pack a lunch - Every week my honey makes a batch of something yummy, and we take it to work for most of the week. We also prepare small containers of veggie servings to accompany our main course. I like yogurt, so I buy plain low fat yogurt in a big container, and make 5 small containers containing a spoon of jam (or fresh fruit), and add a 1/2 cup of the yogurt to the top. Buy in bulk, and be creative. I eat the same portions every day, and just vary what goes in the container. A typical lunch for me is a container of yogurt with jam, a 1/4 cup of nuts, a main course from the big container, a hard boiled egg, and about 3-4 servings of fruit and veggies. This is how I maintain my boyish figure. Eating lunch out can easily cost $75 a week.

Buy generic brands - When I was growing up, generic food was in a white box with black letters, and the contents usually tasted like sawdust. Times have changed. Many of generics are from the same processor as the brand name.

Don't buy bottled drinks - It takes 1 liter of water to fill a 1 liter steel bottle. A steel bottle costs about as much as one trip to the movies, and you can drink from the same bottle your whole life, and bequeath it to your favorite child when you depart the planet. Drinking soda is just bad.


Bring a thermos, or suck it up until you get somewhere - There's a reason why "Price Sucks" and "Starbucks" rhyme. Purchase your favorite gourmet coffee for home, and fill a thermos before a road trip. Fill a travel mug for your commute. Wait until you get to a free/cheap coffee source if you must have it. If you are unemployed and stopping at Starbucks, please stop it. Now.

Get on the wagon - If you have to eat out, don't drink alcohol. The conversation is better, the food tastes better, and you will find the bill to be about half what you used to spend. Okay, you won't be nearly as funny, but you can handle that. If you have to drink, have an appetizer at home along with your nip before you go out. Or have a nightcap when you get home. Even Groupon can't match these savings.

Avoid using your car - It's great to ride your bike for exercise, but the real savings comes in when you use the bike to replace the car. Many trips you take in your car can just as easily be made by bike or mass transit. It's real easy to find parking for a bike, and you will experience the neighborhood in new ways. There's no reason to dress up like a superhero to ride, just get on the bike with what you have on. Unless of course you are in pajamas, then please change first. Walking is highly underrated. Try it, you will love it. I walk between buildings at work, and had people I work with, going in the opposite direction, stop and offer to drive me to the other building - on sunny days. The picture on the right of this blog's home page is from walking to another building, and finding out too late that the concrete on the sidewalk was still wet. Let's keep this our secret.

Use the free fitness center - It is a proven fact that gravity works pretty much the same all over the dry parts of our planet. So a 15 pound weight will weigh 15 pounds at the gym, as well as at home. With minor creativity, and a schedule, you can work out wherever you are. Avoiding the car helps you get your cardio in.

Have someone else pay the depreciation on your next car - A car is not an investment. An investment has an expectation that it will appreciate. A new car loses between 25-40% of it's value as soon as you purchase it. Car leases are the biggest ripoff out there. Your total life cycle costs are astronomical when you look at the total real costs associated with them. So buy used, and only a make and model that has a high reliability rating.

Install Compact Flourescent Light (CFL) bulbs - Don't laugh, we swapped out a few rooms in our old home, and our electric bill dropped dramatically. These bulbs are a little slow to get bright, but this works great for the mornings, you can turn the kitchen lights on and they wake up with you.

Accept your lawn for what it is - Stop spending money to create more work.

Decrease consumption - Make do with less. Eat 10% less than normal. Drive 10% less. Turn the thermostat in the money saving direction. It all adds up.

Buying stuff leads to buyer's remorse. Read the book Buyology, and you will see you are just a tool for the benefit of the marketers. Break the the chains that bind you. Change your focus, and you will be rich. The kind of rich that can't be taken from you.

If you like this blog, please share it with your social network using the buttons below.

_________

Automobile drivers may need continuing education

My commuting vehicle

I finally made my first bike commute for 2011 yesterday, riding my Gary Fisher Simple City 8 for the 17 mile round trip to my office. Last year I rode pretty consistently, leaving my car in the driveway for days on-end. Last night I had an interesting interaction with a driver. I was riding down Kinderkamack Road in Emerson (NJ), and traffic was light. The driver of the car approaching me from behind leaned on his horn, and crossed the yellow line, passing me (safely).

In the past, I may have yelled at him, or flipped him off. But one of my intentions this year is to assume people have the best intentions in mind, and keep that thought until proven otherwise. The traffic light in front of us turned red, and the cigarette smoking young driver of the Toyota Coroda (it was a rusting Corolla) stopped at the light. I rolled up next to his half open driver's window, and in a non-confrontational tone said "hi, you really shouldn't blast your horn like that behind a bicycle, you scared me". He responded "you are supposed to ride on the sidewalk, the road is for cars". I put on my quizzical face, and asked "do you have a NJ driver's license? Because that isn't the law, in fact the law says I have the same rights and responsibilities to the road that you do".

He suddenly became nervous, and said "I guess I don't know the law, I'm sorry, and I will go look it up when I get home" was his response. I thanked him, and rolled backward to the space behind his car. When the light turned green, we continued on our way.  As I continued on my way, I pondered how someone could have a license, and not know the rules of the road.

What value is a license or certification, if it isn't a guarantor of competence? Why do we license someone as a teenager, and only require more education when they have proven themselves to be real bad at operating an automobile? This started me thinking about other licenses, and the educational responsibilities that are attached to them.

I am a Project Management Professional (PMP), as certified by the Project Management Institute. In order to maintain my certification, I am required to complete 60 hours of continuing education in my three year certification period. There are many licenses and certifications that have this requirement. Some examples are Certified Public Accountants, and Practical Engineers. New knowledge and regulations must be absorbed in order to remain competent in the role.

In contrast, a 70 year old automobile operator was probably licensed in the mid-1950s. They have received no additional training since the license was issued, yet our vehicles, mobile communications, infrastructure, transportation networks, and laws have changed dramatically. I'm not stating this as a way to make a statement about old age, heck, many of the elderly are great drivers. I am pointing out how we can improve road safety for everyone by making sure people who operate a potentially lethal machine are aware of their responsibilities on the road as our laws evolve over time.

My own observations show that drivers ignore pedestrian rights in a crosswalk. If you disagree, please go for a walk tonight, and find a crosswalk to test this theory. I recently pointed out the lack of enforcement to my local police department, and they said they don't have the resources to address the problem. This was an admission that this issue is a problem, and since it is a problem, it should be addressed. It would only take an hour a week for a month, at different times of day to get much better compliance with the law. An option is to have local residents volunteer to hand out informational palm cards to cars stopped at the traffic lights in town.

Drivers often ignore bicyclists' rights to the road. I've had drivers blast the horn and yell for me to get over, thinking I have to move over to let them pass. This assumption is incorrect. I am not allowed to impede traffic, as long as I can safely ride on the right while cars pass. A lane that is less than 11 feet wide is not considered safe, and I have the option to block the lane to stay safe. I also don't have to ride next to cars that are parallel parked, since an opening door can knock me into traffic, or I can slam into the door. Either of these can hurt more than a swift kick in the groin, and often kill the rider.

A universal rule of the road is that the vehicle occupying the lane owns the lane, and anyone wanting to move to that lane must yield to the owner of that lane. It is a simple concept, and if understood and applied, would resolve many issues. Drivers often swing around the yellow line, and then come back quick, with their rear ends inches from me, and this is why it is important for me to control the lane in a restricted area. If I leave enough room for a driver to pass in a dangerous area, they will pass.

I've also had drivers attempt to get in front of me while I'm stopped at a traffic light, standing in the center of the lane, with cars in front of me. What were they thinking? I sometimes ask them this.. as they look back sheepishly. Hiding inside a heavy machine is impersonal. Staring at a living human being is personal. People can be shamed into compliance.

I've witnessed drivers putting on make-up while driving in chaotic areas, texting while driving (and sometimes not seeing the light turn green as they text, forcing me to impatiently ring my brass bell at them - now tha tmust be embarrassing), reading books, flipping me off while passing me, and yelling from their windows such silly things as "run Forest, run", "go Lance!", and the timeless "get off the F#$king road!". I once had a driver combine texting, horn, yelling, and flipping all at the same time, while trying to force me into the curb. She was truly good at it. I envy her ability to multi-task. I hope she isn't married for the sake of her potential spouse, and hope she chooses not to procreate. We have too many self-absorbed people on the planet already.

I admit that many bicycle riders also ignore the laws, so if you don't hold me responsible for all of the bad bicycle riders, I won't hold you responsible for all of the bad automobile drivers. Since most of the bicycle riders hold a drivers' license, they would also benefit from participating in continuing education on the evolving traffic laws.

The vast majority of drivers I interact with on the road are considerate, safe, and competent drivers. They don't terrorize me on the bike. They maintain a patient and safe following distance, and accord me all of my rights to the road. I will also say that the vast majority of holders of various professional licenses and certifications are competent at their jobs, but this doesn't change the fact that they must all continue to learn.

The incident last night is an example of the ignorance we end up with when the license doesn't indicate competence. Which made me wonder... At what point do we recognize that the changing systems and laws should require people to re-certify, or at least maintain some continuing education to keep them up-to-date? We lose around 40,000 lives in automobile accidents a year in the US. Maybe it's time we implement some solutions that we can all live with.

If you like this blog, please share it by pressing the social media buttons that follow.
______

Is it safe yet?

I often get asked if I feel safe when riding my bike on the road. The answer is “yes”. I practice good road bike riding, and manage the danger zones by using statistics to my advantage. I do have an occasional run in with a driver. All of these issues were related to rudeness, not bad driving.

But just because I feel safe, does that make it safe? In 2007, almost 700 bike riders were killed on US roads. More than half a million riders end up in the emergency room each year. Seven hundred bike riders dead… do you really want to ride on the road? About 90% of cyclists killed on our roads die as a result of a collision with an automobile. Contrast this with the 40,000 people in automobiles killed on our roads in the average year, and suddenly 700 riders sounds low. Although if I were one of the 700 killed, this statistic wouldn’t make me feel better.

So how do statistics help me ride? They show that 87% of bike accidents occur in intersections. This would probably send many bike riders around the block, only making right turns. But not this guy, I use statistics to keep me safe. I am especially aware and safe when approaching and traversing an intersection. That means I only have to deal with 13% of the risks. Wearing a helmet is a huge risk mitigator – Around 60% of rider brain injuries could be prevented by wearing a helmet. So I wear a helmet – and on the statistics go.

A couple of years ago I found that I may be tracking the wrong statistic. Scientific American published a story with a very simple metric to follow. What are the percentage of women riders in a geographic area? This may be the best indicator of how safe the riding actually is. My first thought was that this was just more male bashing. A feckless attempt to portray men as idiots without any risk meters installed. Never mind the fact that 17 years ago my wife – then girlfriend – opted to stay home instead of going mountain biking on a cold and slushy day. Ignore the fact that the emergency room had to reset my arm back into the shoulder socket, a pain I still feel, yes, even today. Of course I can pretend I didn’t ride my bike through Monsey, or Mordor as I lovingly referred to it, dodging minivans, pedestrians, and Spring Valley Taxis, arriving home to relate the stupidity of every driver who tried to kill me, as my wife stared blankly back. But that would be too easy. I needed to determine if this was the correct metric to answer – “is it safe yet?”.

America is way behind the rest of the developed world in providing transportation alternatives to the gasoline powered wheel chairs that fill our roads. First, most of our dedicated bike trails and paths are in areas that don’t support riding as an alternate transportation method. Most paths are strategically placed in parks, where you can ride in circles around pedestrians and runners, after driving your car to get there (and to get back home). Paths don’t go from our homes to the shopping centers or places of work.

Biking in America as an alternate means of getting around accounts for less than 2% of all trips we make. In the Netherlands, 27% of trips are completed on bikes. Interestingly, in America, less than one third of the riders using bikes as transportation are women, and in the Netherlands, the percentage of women riders exceeds 55%. In Germany, half of all riders are women.

In the Scientific American article, women are referred to as “indicator species”. Sorry men, we aren’t indicator species. This title is relegated to the women. If women aren’t riding, it is probably not safe to ride.

So how do we get more women out riding as transportation? Studies show that a bike infrastructure increases the number of riders, since it is safer to ride in areas designated to ride. Another interesting statistic is that as the number of riders increase, safety exponentially increases for all riders. Tom Vanderbilt’s book Traffic attributes this to drivers’ not noticing a solitary bike rider, but once they see many, they drive more safely. 

Cycling is a sustainable transportation method, is green, fights the fat monster who has invaded our lives, and places us closer to those around us. Try nodding and saying hello to a pedestrian from your car while driving 50 miles per hour. It isn’t noticed. Conversely, I was mumbling under my breath at the car in front of me one day while riding the bike to work. A woman walking her dog on the sidewalk stared at me. I caught myself, and said "I forgot. For a moment I thought I was in my car and no one could hear me". She smiled and laughed as she continued on her way. I blushed in embarrassment, and rolled forward. 

So women, please ride your bikes, and take your men with you. As riding becomes more commonplace and safer, men can increase the risk by participating in other activities while riding – like counting the women riders.

Is it safe yet? If you’re a guy, you probably don’t know, so please go ask a woman. And if you like this post, share it using the buttons below.

The difference between an event and a lifestyle

Most people who know me, know I served 23 years in the reserves. I served 19 of those years in the National Guard, and my last 4 in the Army Reserve. When I joined the National Guard, physical fitness tests were a joke. I was in a mechanized infantry battalion, serving in the battalion operations section. Most years the physical fitness test was conducted at a desk.

A senior NCO would pull out the Army Physical Fitness Test score card, and have me fill out the personal information. He'd then ask how fast I run, and I'd say "real fast". We'd negotiate the time, and he'd fill in the information for my 2 mile run. We'd then negotiate the push-ups and sit-ups, with the card finally completed and turned in. The only time I broke a sweat was when the air conditioner broke.

View Army Physical Fitness Test and over 3,000,000 other topics on Qwiki.

Then things started to change. The Army standards were slowly enforced, and the physical fitness test cycle followed the Regular Army's twice a year schedule. The Army also instituted regulations where a test could only be administered by someone who had already passed the test. It became real obvious that staying in shape was very important if you wanted to continue to serve. But there was still some of the "good old boy" shirking of the rules happening, but not nearly to the scale as it was in the past.

Then Iraq invaded Kuwait, and there were huge call ups of reserves. At the mobilization sites, units were losing up to half of their numbers due to physical condition and weight issues. Suddenly the idea that compromising fitness standards to keep unit rosters full, left the units unable to perform their war time mission. And overnight, the standards changed. It was a great time to be a junior NCO, because promotions suddenly became available as the unfit were sent out of the service.

Up until this time, most people I served with treated the annual (and then semi-annual) physical fitness test and weigh-in as an event. The lifestyle the lived was sedentary, and fitness was not a thing to think about. They would mark their calendars, and a month before the test, they'd have one dessert after a meal instead of three, and dig their sneakers out of the garage and shuffle around the block a few times. After the first few days, they were generally crippled over, and feeling the pain. Even after several weeks of occasional preparation and dieting, many would still fear failing the test, so they'd get a "profile". This medical form kept them from having to take the test for a specific period of time. These were usually for some undiagnosable ache or pain, and would provide the person with a few more months to pretend they were getting ready for the test. The event caused dread. It was something to train for, and then they could stop exercising again for 5 months.

A small percentage of the soldiers would live a fitness lifestyle. A fitness lifestyle is one where decisions around diet, and time to exercise are worked into the person's life. Approaching fitness as a lifestyle turned the physical fitness test from being a dreaded event, to just another opportunity to exercise. As a person who lived a fitness lifestyle, I could determine how much effort I exerted for the test, and knew that I could put in minimal effort and still pass the test. Sometimes I did this in protest, maybe doing 41 push-ups when the minimum was 40, or I'd jog slowly and cross the line with time to spare. They wouldn't call it "the minimum", if it wasn't good enough. Striving for mediocrity.

On transferring to the Reserves in 2000, I was asked by my new Sergeant Major if I would be able to pass the physical fitness test at the next drill (a month later), so I could help administer the test for the rest of the unit. I chuckled, and said I could pass it right then, in my battle dress uniform, with the combat boots on. He asked if I had been training, and I said that I lived the lifestyle, so the event was just recording the workout for that day. We became instant friends, and much to his disappointment, he was no longer the fastest NCO in our unit.

Much of life is like this. We know what we should be doing to have a great quality of life, yet we postpone doing the necessary stuff until it resembles a wall we must climb. Transitioning from inaction to action can appear to be insurmountable. We dread the pain. Yet we know that once we get over the initial pain, we will find the happiness that is found in the lifestyle. This applies to many aspects of life. Inaction is self perpetuating.

Is being healthy a lifestyle for you, or are you still waiting for that one event to motivate you? Be the lifestyle. This journey called life is not a dress rehearsal.

If you like this blog post, please share it through your social media channels by using the buttons below.

Shedding the clutter from our lives

Now to pick the veggies 

One of my weekend projects was to construct a cold frame to start our vegetable seeds in. The goal was to use what I already had around the house, without having to spend money. Being pedantic is a sport I find lots of pleasure in. Luckily, I had replaced 11 of our first floor windows, and kept some of the storm window sets for cold frames. This combined with leftover plywood and scrap lumber from the garage repairs I did last summer provided me all I needed. I had the project completed within about 2 hours. 

I was surprised that I was able to sell the old wood windows to someone who wanted them for a garden center he was opening. I had them for sale at $10 each, and I ended up selling them for $150 for the whole stack. I also sold several of the old aluminum storm window sets for $10 each, but kept enough of them for our cold frames. I was just about to throw them out when the buyer contacted me. 

Sold on Craigslist, $150

My normal order of activities in getting rid of stuff is to see if it will sell on eBay at a reasonable price. If it is too large, or a niche item, I use Craigslist. I can say I have sold more stuff on Craigslist than I have on eBay. Here's a phone set I am selling, I use a Google Voice number so I can control communications with the potential crazies out there. When we escaped the tyranny of NY last summer, I was posting items on Craigslist, using PayPal for financial transactions, and shipping items across the country. It was like running an online store. One buyer came to our home to purchase our kitchen set, and logged in to our computer and paid me via PayPal. I then logged in and confirmed the payment was received, and helped them load the items.   

If the items I was getting rid of were not worth much, I'd use Freecycle. This organization has local groups where people post and look for free items. The idea is to help someone out, and at the same time keep the items out of the landfills. One person's junk is another person's treasure. I had mixed success with Freecycle, finding that when something is free, the people who commit to picking up the items aren't real motivated to actually show up. Much of the free stuff ended up in front of our home, labeled "free". Unwanted household items get dropped off at a local charity, where they can sell it flea market-style to raise funds. Any items remaining end up in the garbage. The garbage pile is small.

The astute reader will notice that yard sales are not part of the mix. About 12 years ago, my honey and I had set up our yard for a sale. It was a gorgeous day, clear skies, perfect weather, and a light and arid breeze. Our tables were set up, all items priced, and we were about an hour from starting the sale. I looked at her and  asked "how much is all of this stuff going to make for us?". We did the calculations, and determined that we'd net about $200. The next question was "would you pay $200 to do whatever you want on a day like this?". We grabbed some cardboard, wrote "FREE" on it, stuck it to a tree, and went hiking. At the end of the day, we put the few items left in the garbage, and basked in the satisfaction of having been able to enjoy such a great day together. We haven't had a yard sale since then. 

So attack the clutter! A home is much easier to clean without so much stuff. And don't replace the clutter. We often ask each other how much an item will sell for online after we are tired of looking at it. This keeps us from purchasing many items. 

Confusing judgments with facts

I don't blog much about work, since I try to keep my work life and rest of my life somewhat separate. I also have never succumbed to carrying a Crackberry for work, but that is the topic for a future blog. When we look at where we invest our lives, we will see that we spend considerable time on the job. So part of the pain that leads to growth occurs here.

This was painfully obvious in a meeting this week. We were conducting long term planning, and had worked in small teams to develop SWOT analyses around various aspects of our processes and environment. The team I was on had created a very comprehensive document as a result of our efforts. When it came time to review our document with the larger team, there were few questions. I thought it was a reflection of how well we had performed our work.

Until THE question. "Is this bullet under weaknesses a judgment, or is it a fact?". It was my written comment that was brought into question. I immediately reacted, and began to defend what I had written. I should have realized I was sleep deprived for a week due to a bad cold, and I was not myself. If I had realized this, I would have just answered the question. Instead, I launched into a rationalization of why my comment was valid.

After about a two minute diatribe (I was really not feeling well), I paused. Someone on the other side of the conference table stepped in to save me. "Maybe we can just reword this?" I paused for a moment, and sheepishly mumbled "yes, I think we can do that".

The pain of the exchange hit almost instantly, and I wasn't happy with how I reacted. I was also not happy about what I'd written. I am in the habit of doing an acidity test on my writing, because I do have a tendency to make a matter-of-fact statement when it may just be an opinion. Bullet Point Bob. I can also highlight the negative, when maybe the better approach would be showing the positive. This feeling of regret followed me home, and into my thoughts for a day.

I once heard someone make a comment about another person. I am paraphrasing, but it was along the lines of "that guy can tell someone they are full of crap and have them walk away smiling". When I tell people they are full of crap, they generally walk away pissed off. How can we point out a problem without it looking like a negative? Jack Nicholson's approach in "A Few Good Men" may be good for some issues, but this won't fly in the average workplace.



Life is messy, full of bad news, and replete with issues to resolve. My instinct is to tell people what they did wrong, or state the obvious solution, when the more mindful thing to do is help them see what a better solution may look like. I see parents telling their kids "don't do that!". When maybe the response should be "do this".  Many of us carry this need to correct others with us as we make life's journey. Robert's Rules of Order; it's not just a book that outlines the rules, it's part of my name. I fight the need to tell people what not to do.

It's hard to unlearn the stuff that causes us discomfort or pain, but I trust in the fact that humans continuously change. Our chemistry and brains are created that way, and I know that once we can identify something we don't like, we can continue to work on improving it. If we don't actively participate in managing the change, the change may actively manage us.

I work in a cube environment, and one of my colleagues and I often "prairie dog". I pose philosophical questions over the wall, and he answers them. We then discuss the topic, and others may chime in to assist, or sometimes to tell us (okay, me...) to shut up. Today he said something that is profound - "happiness is a personal decision". As simple as that. Happiness is a personal decision. So choose to be happy, have positive thoughts, don't judge (unless that's your job) and share with others how your enjoyment increases as you make positive changes in your life. We all need each other as role models on the journey. As we implement the changes, the pain of the learning goes away. Or the idea that pain goes away is my judgment, and not a fact. A question I shall pose over the cubicle wall...

Where does the time go?

I ask myself this question every time I stare disbelievingly at my "Honey Do" list. I also asked myself this question as I realized that I haven't blogged in days, and I have about 15 of blogs in some level of editing. So I decided to just write a new one instead. Inspiration is whimsical.

I'm sure I'm not alone in the feeling that time flies, and that there's lots to do. You, the occasional reader of this blog probably feels the same way. Where does the time go?

When talking to friends and acquaintances, I often relate what my honey and I do during the average week. Home projects, walks, plays, concerts, and when the weather is right, we ski, bike ride, hike, and run. Many people I talk to get tired just listening to me talk about what we do. We never have to worry about losing vacation time, we use it pretty regularly.

What is the difference between us and most other people? When we met, neither of us had a television connection. We'll be married 15 years in May, and we still have no cable or satellite television connection.

We do watch movies, but only through our Netflix subscription. I think we saw a total of 4 movies together in the past year. I watch a bit more, but generally it is while pedaling a bicycle mounted on a trainer. Movies are a reward for working the heart.

I'm not telling you this to brag, I am just stating a fact. We aren't average, and are thankful for this. The average American watches 8 hours of TV a day. That's a lot of time. The only drawback of our not having a television is that we can't talk to acquaintances about the latest episode of Who Wants to be Lost on American Idle, or whatever the name of that show is.

So where does your time go? It probably gets sucked into the black box in your living room. 

Are you spending money to create more work?

It must be spring. I received a solicitation from a lawn chemical company, and they are offering a free $54 value lime application if I sign up for their annual lawn treatment program. That solicitation was wasted on me. 


Most people buy in to the American lawn - a pure green mat of grass, uniformly colored, perfectly trimmed, and amply watered. Is this the right choice? Is there a better option? 

Most of these American lawns are a combination of about 3-4 varieties of grass. This means that if an insect or fungus starts in a lawn, it can feast on at least 25% of the grass once it gets started. If two come at once, there goes half of the lawn. When this much of a lawn is under attack, we can only react with chemicals to save the lawn. 


Every time grass is cut, 10% of the nitrogen is removed from the lawn, because the fertilizer is what makes the lawn green, and is in the tip of the grass. This chemical-laden, high nitrogen grass is carted away, and we are forced to fertilize again. After 6-8 cuts, a lawn is nitrogen deficient. This requires reapplication of fertilizer, and much of this is washed into the storm drains, and to the reservoirs. This fertilizer encourages vegetation growth in the water, impacting water quality, kills fish, and decreases food for migratory birds.

Since grass varieties want to be about 18" high, cutting weekly forces the grass to stay under 4" tall. This cutting weakens the lawn, and makes it easier for weeds to get started. But what is a weed? A weed is a plant growing where we don't want it to grow. Putting down a broad leaf weed killer helps the grasses, which are monocots (single veined), but at the same time the herbicides pollute the soil. Treating for crabgrass or nutgrass puts a barrier in the soil that keeps crocus and other bulbs from coming up. Wonder why you don't see as many crocus in lawns as in the past? There's your answer - you probably killed them.

Lawns require over 600 gallons of water to adequately hydrate 1,000 square feet of lawn. So a 4,000 square foot lawn uses 2,400 gallons - each time we water. If we water twice a week, we are using around 10,000 gallons a month. At about 2 cents a gallon, that's $100 per watering, or $400 a month. This provides the water companies with huge profits, fueling the water wars. It is estimated that lawns actually receive between 2.5 - 5 times as much water as needed in each watering. 


My lawn philosophy is real simple:
- if it is alive and in the lawn area, it is not a weed. this diversity ensures that there is always something green (lawn Darwinism)
- frequent cutting keeps the big stuff down, and favors short vegetation
- never catch the clippings, it adds nothing to thatch, and letting it fall puts nitrogen back into the lawn, saving money
- if you catch the clippings, compost them and reclaim the nitrogen for later use
- never water a lawn, unless it came from a mop bucket and was used to clean
- rake out the thatch as-needed, and seed with a wide mix of grass seeds. This year we will incorporate clover into the lawn, since it is hardy, stays green, and flowers. Don't confuse this with wood sorrel, which has yellow flowers and is a weed. But if it grows, it can stay. I'm pretty easy this way
- plant crocus in the lawn using a dibble, this gives the lawn a nice look in the spring
- apply an inexpensive organic fertilizer along with lime once a year
- decrease lawn area by adding flower beds, vegetable gardens, and other non-grass alternatives, and water these using water barrels

One of our neighbors waters continuously, has pesticides applied, obsesses over the lawn, and seems to be out there every waking hour. His lawn looks real bad. Our lawn looks better, and I invest little time in it. While he is obsessing, I am enjoying our property. 


Most Americans have been convinced by large chemical companies to spend money on chemicals to create more work. If they have a professional lawn service, they are spending money so they can in turn spend more money. Having a perfect lawn requires a very costly cycle to implement, and destroys the crucial ecosystem contained in your soil. 


What will you do this year? Keep up the endless cycle of chemicals? Or will you respect your property, and let nature have it's way? The choice is yours.