Puddle Jumping in DC

Eight Grey Images from Fayetteville

It's All So Complex And Amazing

My feet, rythmically pounding the earth. The scent of lilac. The air in my lungs.

It's all the same stuff arranged in complex patterns that cause each specific behavior that makes up this gigantic cosmic dance.

Sense and Economics

"A large, and growing, chunk of our collective resources is already allocated to the military on the basis of passionate claims about moral imperitives. Those who care about civilian objectives have to answer in kind, not imagine that they can win the debate with careful spreadsheets and subtle tradeoffs alone."

- Frank Ackerman & Lisa Heinzerling, Priceless: On Knowing the Price of Everything and the Value of Nothing

New Multipurpose Motto

When you are being pulled by the heartstrings, you better not let your hips get too far behind.

Things Heard in Our Dining Room Thursday Night

"No, we don't panic now. First we mutate, then we panic."

"Wings is good. Yes, wings is good."

"Wow, that's like the Studio 54 of oceans."

"Ears beat teeth." "No, I think Mke Tyson proved that teeth beat ears."

"I need to get more guys around." "What?" "I need to propogate, propogate, propogate."

"Boo-yah, who's got ears?"

"Let that be a lesson to you: stink glands!"

Every once in a while, you need a night off from graduate school.

One September Thursday

8 Miles at Mid-Day.

I had planned to run early this morning but had some trouble with the execution of that particular plan and ended up running at mid-day.

They've finally removed the construction wall by the Senate side of the Capitol. Not really pretty yet especially since all the Capitol trees are being stored over at the National Arboretum during construction.

But on the same grounds, you find this lovely spot. Click on the fountain or window for alternate views or click here for a view of the whole structure.

Capitol Geese
View from the Lincoln

Our tax dollars at work.
Click on the sign to see a close up of the "Wet Road" sign on dry side walk.

It's too early for school field trips so the mall is mostly left to tourists with preschoolers or without kids and lunch-hour joggers . . .

. . . and the omnipresent pickup soccer game. Here with spectators.

Commence Marathon Training

Even though I signed up with the AIDS Marathon Training Program weeks ago, I consider today the begining of marathon training. Up until today, I was training for the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler (check out the 2004 race day report where Jim Hage uses the word "polyglot")

10,000 people got up at the crack of dawn this morning to go out into 40 degree weather when weather forcasts promised 25 mile per hour gusts of wind to run 10 miles. Runners are nuts.

I enjoy road races. Among the things that kept me entertained today:

• Before actually crossing the starting line when the announcer let us all know that the leaders were approaching the first mile marker.
• In mile 2, how Ray, the guy who always runs with the American flag, shout hoo-rah to everybody who cheered him on. (When you frequently run with the flag guy, or worse, get beat by the juggler, you learn not to invest much in your running ego.)
• The view of the Custis-Lee Mansion in mile 3 as I ran over the Memorial Bridge among mobs of runners.
• How two members of the Maryland Crew Team made a cell phone call during mile 4.
• The cheerleaders in mile 5 including one who employed us to "Act like you own it out there."
• How the wind picked up and blew trays of water cups on the poor volunteers in mile 6.
• The guy who cheered on his running partners at the mile 7 marker by shouting "Less than 5K to go, come on . . . 6 and a half minute miles now!" (We were squarely in the 10 minute mile pack.)
• The runner who had finished and was cheering folks on in mile 9 by shouting "The easy part is over, pick up the pace now."
• Chatting with the guy in the carpe viam shirt who started with me at the beginning of the race.
• Finishing in 01:44:25. My best 10 mile time yet.
Posted by jenstudio at 12:12 PM

She's been like bird-on-speed this weekend.

Granted, the whole routine has been off. We drove to CT then to NH (where we left her in a motel while we drove around some more - don't ask) then back to CT and then back to DC - but she had her people almost 24 hours a day. Then we came home and I did three 14-hour days at school. I don't go in on Friday or Saturday.

Allegedly, I'm writing a paper but Bug has been zipping around the room from cage to head to play stand to head to travel cage to head to cage, etc. She chewed through a zip lock bag in order to get a pellet cookie that is exactly like the one in her dish in the cage and dumped a container of seed off the table.

Here she is desperately trying to pick up this small container of sunflower seeds.

Bug only eats about 1/2 of a teaspoon of seed per day. Contrary to still popular belief, parrots shouldn't eat a diet of mostly seed. The rest of Bug's food is parrotlet pellets (and cookies made of pellets, nuts, eggs & baby food carrots), fresh vegetables, cooked grains & beans, and sprouted beans & seeds (apparently sprouting makes it ok).

What Bug gets in the mornings is mostly low fat high carbohydrate millet seeds - what she's after now is sunflower.

I've heard a theory that seed for birds is a bit like crack for people. I don't know but what would you do this for?

Bug is very entertaining but can be quite the distraction.

Out of curiosity, I weighed the little container on my gram scale. It weighed 13 grams. Bug weighs 29 grams. Imagine hanging from a bar by your feet (ok, it would have to be knees for people) to pick up a container that is as big as you and is nearly half your weight . . . . with your teeth.

Somewhere around here, I opened up the container and gave her a couple.

Apparently, mind control is a power of parrotlets.

At least she's not being velcro-bird.

Other people just don't find the same amusement as me.

So there was a sign in the Maryland Food Collective on the baked goods shelf today that said:

Isn't that second part implied?

The guy next to me in line didn't find it nearly as amusing as I did.

Things that are Evil

Things that are Evil - Volume 1
Bug's guide to scary household objects and a few not so scary things.

Things that are Evil:

The Measurex 29.6 - Bug's Advice: If The Measurex 29.6 gets too near the cage or, heaven forbid, enters the cage, mad flapping usually makes it go away. If flapping alone doesn't take care of it, fall off your perch.


Curtains - Bug's Advice: One afternoon of looking freaked out on top of your cage should get these tied back for you.


The Portable Telephone - Bug's Advice: The Portable Telephone makes harmless noises throughout the day. Don't worry about that. It is only dangerous if it comes near you. Luckily, hiding in Jen's hair provides sufficient protection from The Portable Telephone.


The 3001T Scale - Bug's Advice: If The 3001T ever comes in view, your only option is panic. Fly the other way without hesitation, even if you end up in the potted plant on the windowsill. The 3001T Scale is less dangerous when it's covered by a towel.

Things that aren't really as bad as you'd think:

Jen's Very Boisterous Husband - Bug's Advice: Jen's Very Boisterous Husband makes a lot of noise and frequently crashes into the room singing but if you can overlook that, you'll find he knows how to give head scratches.

Things that might be evil but we don't know yet:

The Bathtub and the Stuffed Parrot- Bug's Advice: I'll tell you when I decide what to do about these. In the mean time, drink from the bathtub quickly but do not bathe and eye the stuffed parrot suspiciously.

So what does your bird think is Evil?

Jen's note: I posted this same list in another a couple of online forums. If you are coming over forum Flight Feathers or Parrotalk you may have seen this. We have a well bird vet appointment on Saturday so, I'm sure there will be a volume two.

How to play with toy!

Reach . . reach a little more . . . get a firm grip . . . . give it a good shake . . . and hang on tight with beak and a foot.

If necessary, follow with the "you forgot to turn off the flash again" stare.

Technology, it just gives you more ways to avoid working. :)