5 Small Ideas

Not too much to report. A good day, therefore, for a hodge-podge post.

1. Last night I boiled some rutabaga and parsnips and ate them for dinner. Then I went to pickup. Rob counted 55 people - the biggest group I've ever seen there. Looks like we'll have even nicer weather on Thursday!

2. I got a certificate from the Marine Corps Marathon in the mail yesterday, which reminded me of a dream I had over the weekend.

Scott and I were running a marathon, and we were almost finished. We were in the lead, along with some high school cross country runners and their coach. We really wanted to win, so just before we crossed Independence Avenue to get to the finish line at the polo fields, Scott told me we should yell out our favorite words in order to help us run faster. I thought it sounded kind of silly, but then he said "avocado" and sprinted off. I said "Guatemala" and felt this great burst of energy. He and I came in 1st and 2nd in the marathon.

It would be great if that technique worked in Ultimate.


3. For some reason, biking makes me think of water-related analogies.
- Riding my mountain bike is like being in a rowboat, but riding my Schwinn Continental Traveler III road bike is like being a fish.
- Riding alongside city buses is like swimming with whales. They're gentle giants that don't mean any harm, but they can hurt you if you're not careful.
- Bikers are sort of amphibious. But they get to switch between car and pedestrian worlds instead of between land and water.


4. From today's Writer's Almanac:

On this date in 1770, Benjamin Franklin introduced rhubarb to America. He was representing the American colonies as an ambassador in London, and sent a crate of rhubarb to his friend John Bartram. The plant, native to central Asia, had been introduced in Europe by traders; the rhubarb which Franklin (books by this author) sent to America had come to London from Siberia. Rhubarb first appeared in American seed catalogues in 1829, and soon became a popular ingredient in pies. John Bartram was also responsible for introducing kohlrabi and poinsettias to America.

Rhubarb. Yum. Better than rutabagas. I wonder if I can grow some in our backyard.


5. The other day at the grocery store, my checkout clerk recognized me. She knew I didn't need my groceries put in plastic bags because I bike and pack everything into my Timbuktu. I was sort of flattered that she remembered me. And she told me that I remind her of Pikabo Street, which is sort of funny. My sister is the alpine racer, not me. Nevertheless, I won't stop anyone from grouping me with an Olympic athlete.