cool timeline

So while looking for something else, I ran across this cool little timeline - now they just have to update all the events to link to wikipedia & I'll be happy...

spread of obesity

Here is a fun little interactive map of how the obesity epidemic has spread over the past 20 years or so. The 1991 to 1995 change was fairly alarming, as was the 1997 to 2001 change.

So the 1985/baseline map - this is when I was 7 years old or so. I had one family member who was obese, and people would actually comment on it. It was an oddity. In 1991, I was 13, and this person was still an oddity - and I can remember specific instances of biased treatment of this person. But just after 2001, I moved to the South. I was amazed by how this same family member would be considered "normal" or within a normal-ish range where I was living in Texas & Mississippi.

The most interesting thing about this map, that I see, is that 1985, half the states didn't even collect data on obesity. In 1991, 3 states still didn't collect the data. In 1991, the highest obesity rate was 20-24% (found in 4 states). In 2004, only 7 states had an obesity rate under that 20-24% that had been the highest rate 13 years earlier. Its really scary. I don't even want to see the projections for the future. I'm not even sure I want to know where we are now in 2007.

And we wonder why health care costs are out of control...

I don't know what the solution is. The transfat bans are a place to start, but thats not an answer, just a mere piece of the puzzle. I wonder how strong the correlation is between 'cheap credit' and obesity... if credit is easier to obtain, maybe people who previously had to walk places are buying cars. Or maybe as credit was easier to get, more people bought houses and moved out to the suburbs where they had no where to walk to and in turn had to start driving everywhere. I guess that way to figure that out would be to look at the areas that have had giant suburban building booms over the past 10 - 15 years, and see how that correlates to the spread of obesity map.

Maybe cheap credit is hazardous to our health?

Birthday Continues

So, despite the no-gift birthday, My family did give me some small things that they had apparently purchased before I told them it was a no-gift birthday. One of my gifts was a manila envelope full of past birthday/holiday cards that people had given to me. Most of these cards are from people who have long since passed away, and for once, I was glad my mom saved something & gave it to me. Very strange to see handwriting & messages to the child-me from people who are no longer able to tell me anything.

Until right now, I didn't understand the whole card-giving culture. I figured it was hallmark-invented thing whose sole purpose was for generating money. I GET it now. And when my kids get cards, I am saving every single one of them for them.

The timing of this is perfect - I now see a real good reason to work on making my own photo cards. A lot of the greeting card choices out there are awful, and I can never find one I like. And if you are going to give something to someone that they might keep for 20 or 50 years, it might be nice if you liked the card you give that person in the first place. Once you are gone, that might be all you leave behind to remind them of you. It might as well reflect you accurately.

Because I can never find cards I like, I tend to just not give them. I think I need to adjust my thinking a little bit. Just because the cards I find are BAD doesn't mean I can't make something better. It might mean that other people are looking for better options too... And thus, it looks like K's Aunt is right, and I need to get going on making cards...

Hooray!

Its my birthday. I feel kind of like Sarah Silverman... I can't seem to help myself from telling people. I got carded while buying a bunch of beer & wine for a BBQ I'm having, and even my husband tells the guy 'it's her birthday!' And I added 'but I'm not turning 21'.

So the question is...why do I actually like it this year? Usually I kind of dread it. I think the reason has something to do with the fact that I have mandated it a 'no-gift birthday'. No social awkwardness to be had! I asked my family to donate to our PMC ride in lieu of any and all gifts for this entire year. Suddenly, I don't have to pretend to like something :-)

And as for my hubby, well, I didn't get him anything for his birthday, either. So it all evens out, and suddenly, I can just enjoy the day for the day. Good food, good friends, and of course - naturally- it is stormy out. The house is even clean HOURS in advance of when people are supposed to be here. I got up at 6:30 this morning. And I'm happy about it. I think I've finally just figured out the my birthday dread issues. A huge weight has been lifted.

I think that there is something to be said in just celebrating good health, general happiness, and just being alive.

Itchy Feet

I have itchy feet. I've spent the past week indulging in an obsession to move to the Bay Area. It'd be hard to leave my comfy little quite country home...but I'm BORED. Perhaps things area a little too tame around here. We'll see how I feel after we head out there to see friends & family, though. But the climate & diversity is really appealing... and living closer to the city.

on a side note, I got a Where's George bill while on an 80-mile ride yesterday. The bill itself is really boring. I'm the only one who has logged in its location since it was put in the system in 2005. It's travelled 59 miles in that time (although I'm sure its been further - that's just its official/logged travel). But this system of tracking bills is really a neat idea. I'd like to see someone say "I was sick and coughed on the bill before spending it" :-)

iphone cozy

So I got to play with a friend's iphone last night, and I am definitely hooked. Despite the ridiculous service plan cost, not to mention the ridiculous cost of the gadget itself. Why I actually NEED one is beyond me. But I need one. Who knew I needed a sexy phone? I do NOW, of course... I honestly think that if I were offered a choice between diamonds or a new car or an iphone, the iphone would win.

But my problem is the screen of the iphone. It looks like it'll get beat to shit in about - I dunno - about 20 seconds once I actually activate it. And another problem - there is not yet a plethora of iphone cozy's out there. I am way too lazy to make one. And I can't ask *SS* because she's busy virtually arranging her new apartment.

but hey... at least the iphone doesn't have an antenna that I can snap off. I'll have to get some kind of a cloth covered bubble wrapped thing with a leash on it.

Comcast...sucks!

I saw a plane flying above my town the other day, trailing a banner that says "FIOS IS HERE!!!" - so I biked home as fast as I could, only to find out that Verizon lies. Fios is NOT here yet. Apparently the plane was just turning around or heading to the airport or something. The bastards. such a tease!

So I've bit the bullet, and I broke down & ordered DVR from comcast... like I don't give them enough of my money every month, right? What's another $15? I ordered it last week. And had to schedule an installation appointment, which means I had to wait a week before I could actually enjoy it. They couldn't just send me the stupid box, right? I'm very good at plugging things in - especially when I am unplugging one thing and swapping it with something very similar. I mean, with two science degrees in the house, you'd think we'd be capable... but then, I guess, comcast wouldn't get their 'installation fee'

So I'm now 1.75 hours into my 2 hour installation window. I'm sure they'll call me at 4pm, an hour after the end of the service window (1-3pm) to tell me they wont be able to make. At which point I'll have wasted an entire day for them not to show up. How do I know? It's happened before.

And I think when that happens, I'll tell them to keep it. And explain that I've lost hours of productivity waiting around for them to blow me off, so I'm not interested in giving them any more money. And then I'll tell them that as soon as FIOS shows up, Comcast is getting the Axe. And then I'll tell them that in the mean time, I'm getting a Tivo.

15 minutes left, guys...

2007 PMC (1 of Many posts, I'm sure)

So I've plotted out the Route for the 2007 Pan-Mass Challenge that we are participating in on August 4th & 5th. Unfortunately, it took me a couple of hours to do this on google maps. There may have been an easier way to plot it, but this is the only linkable map I figured out how to create.

So if I'm tired from plotting the route, how am I going to feel after I actually RIDE it? (duh - exhausted).

A few folks whom I know read this have asked for the link to our fundraising page. After we complete the ride, I'll post pictures (we're buying a small point & shoot specifically for this purpose).

Ferrari Man

I completed my first Century yesterday. Kind of a milestone for me. (For those of you not familiar, a century is a 100-mile bicycle ride). I was pretty sore last night, but I'm feeling better this morning... which is good - I'm supposed to do 60 miles today, according to the PMC training plan. Of course, according to the afore-mentioned training plan, I was only supposed to do 90 yesterday. So we'll do no more than 50 today. and if you factor in the unplanned 20 miles I did on Friday, we might bring that down to about 30 miles, to keep the training load about even. And then its supposed to be 90 today, with thunderstorms later, so we'll see how much I actually get done.

The ride was mostly uneventful & I'll spare you the boring details. But the Wayland-Weston-Sudbury area is amazingly beautiful (and more or less flat). I highly recommend Water Row in Wayland (or maybe its just over the Sudbury line). But BEWARE: the town of Sudbury PADLOCKS their port-o-pottys... the sadistic bastards. (Also, Acton has nice clean port-o-pottys at some of their parks, and THEY don't lock them.) I guess this means I'll never move to Sudbury - out of SPITE.

The high light of the ride: When we were headed home going west on Rt 117 through Maynard, we came across THE definition of a mid-life crisis in action. A man in his 40s or 50s (yes, balding, slightly over weight) had washed his nice red Ferrari in his driveway, and was drying it with a leaf blower. He was holding the leaf blower above his head to get just the right angle. The only way this could have been any better is if he had been using an actual hair dryer.

Perhaps this Ferrari man is the very same Ferrari man I saw a couple of weeks ago in Acton trying to fit a case of coors light into his shiny red Ferrari. Now, I ask you. If you bought a Ferrari, wouldn't you choose a more high quality beer? A micro brew perhaps? That scene has really bothered me... I guess there is no accounting for taste.

Le Tour

Ahhh... it's Tour de France time. There's nothing like watching how bad other guys have it to put your own suffering into perspective. I'm sore today - on our ride yesterday we shaved a whole MPH off of our 60-mile route (which is still a pitiful 15.7 MPH average). But I'm not NEARLY as sore as, say, Robbie McEwen who crashed hard, and then came back to win the stage yesterday. I'm willing to bet that he's WAY more sore than I am - the aches that I feel? eh... not so bad then.

The whole tour is roughly 2,205 miles. In just over 3 weeks time. Every day is a ride that I would consider epic. They do it day after day after day. And they can't take anything because of all the doping issues. I don't even think they can take NSAIDs.

On a recent visit to my chiropractor, he mentioned that on some level, I must enjoy pain since I am a cyclist. I thought he was joking, but as I approach weekend totals of 150-miles, its starting to dawn on me that he must be not far from the truth... what is wrong with me? In addition, I heard someone refer to cycling as 'the worlds most cruel sport'. Here's a funny article someone forwarded me yesterday - at least, I thought it was funny.

Fishers

So we were riding through Acton on Pope Road between Rt 2A & Strawberry Hill Road, and for the second time in the month, found a Fisher running across the road in front of our bikes. For a mammal that is known for being very secretive & elusive, we've seen this same Fisher in the same place twice in a month.

Today he wasn't alone: he (its always a 'he' I don't know why - don't ask) stopped in the middle of the road when he saw us coming, and kind of prarie-dogged up to look at us, then turned around and ran back to where he came from. As he went over the stone wall and into the woods, two other fishers joint him bounding off into the woods.

Despite their il repute for munching on fluffy little kitties, these guys were beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. And silent.

Half squid, half octopus

So I ran across this story of a half-squid, half octopus... my father-in-law used to work at this facility some time ago - I can't wait to ask him about it (the deep sea pipes, not the octosquid). The pictures are kind of interesting - on par with the Chupacabra of south-central Texas. I'm all for new species - especially the odd ones.

For some reason, it gives me a lot of hope to know that there are unknown mysteries of the deep still out there. Like giant squids, or Octosquids... or other creepy slimy creatures...

Of course, I feel just a little bad that we oblly find them because we suck them into filters, or catch them in giant nets... but at least there is a little unknown out there.

so 5 months pass...

I'm not the most reliable person, apparently. I disappear for LONG periods of time. Months, in fact.

I'll just skip the last few months. You didn't miss much. I went snowboarding in Salt Lake City, which was amazing. Beautiful weather, great riding, and good friends. Can't beat it. Although there was the one racist drunk shmuck in downtown SLC - if you're of a minority, put on your thick skin before visiting SLC.

Lots of Photography. Started using the large format (B&W only). Started doing portraits. Chickened out from entering a show at the Fitchburg Museum of Art. I'm currently struggling with what to bring on our August trip - we're going to Hawaii & California, and I'm not sure how much gear I really want to bring. In an ideal world, I'd bring my large format, but its too much crap to carry.

We are riding the PMC again this year. The PMC (PAN-MASS CHALLENGE) is a 2-day, 192-mile bicycle fundraiser that raises money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston through its Jimmy Fund. Want to help support our ride? We could really use the help... Last week we rode 145 miles. Next week we'll ride 170-miles or so...

So other than riding a lot, life continues. We eat, sleep & ride now. And work. I'm really looking forward to August, when I can take some time off from riding. Of course, then we start running - we've agreed to do a 1/2 marathon in the DC area in March. Should be....interesting. to say the least.

Some gratuitous eye candy, until I return...