Mary Saucier

noreply@blogger.com (maryja) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 18:45:00 +0000

Ivan and I have been talking about this blog and what to do with it. I had thought about continuing with my home posts but Ivan, rightly I think, believes that this was a blog about our trip and should remain so especially if we manage to complete it in 2010. For the time being, I am going to resume posting on my other blog ( Rimer ) where I am in the process of deciding how, and if, I will proceed. Please check it out and let me know what you like or dislike about either of the blogs. Do you have any suggestions? In what direction, topics wise, should I go? I'd love to hear from you!

Goat Milk Yogurt: Update

noreply@blogger.com (maryja) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 16:34:00 +0000

Mehhh!

I've made several batches of yogurt in the last few weeks and, although the flavor is lovely, neither Ivan nor myself were fond of the Elmer Glue like thinness - it had more of a kefir-like consistency than a yogurt. So I experimented with this last batch and added 2/3 cup of powdered goat milk to my quart of heated and cooled goat milk. Success! The yogurt was just as tasty (maybe a tick more tangy since the milk was not as fresh as I would have liked) but it now has a firm, creamy texture. I will need to sift the powdered goat-milk next time as it was difficult to completely dissolve it in the liquid milk resulting in small lumps that I had to skim off beforing jarring.

I may experiment further with other thickening agents like agar agar or tapioca to avoid adding more fat/calories to the finished product, but for now we are pleased with the results.

On a related note, I was asked about making rice-milk yogurt in a comment from my previous post. I did a little bit of research and it seems as if the answer is 'no' - at least not successfully. However, making soy yogurt is do-able and you can find recipe/instructions here, here and here. I would also recommend looking for a few other sites to ensure that you have a 'Plan B' and 'Plan C' in hand in case your first batch doesn't make it.

Next up: Yogurt cheese!

Goat-Milk Maid

noreply@blogger.com (maryja) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 19:29:00 +0000

As many of you know I am allergic to cow-milk and cow-milk products. I had avoided eating anything with milk in it since my diagnosis almost 10 years ago, but when Ivan and I started dating I began eating goat and sheep milk cheeses because I am not allergic to them and, well, he loves cheese.

I also began eating goat milk yogurt on a regular basis because it happens to be one of my all time favorite breakfasts: yogurt with banana, walnuts and honey. I hadn't been able to enjoy it for many years and did a little Snoopy dance when I realized I no longer had to deny myself.

When I got home from the bike trip I was doing some mindless web-surfing (as one is wont to do) when I stumbled across, somewhere, a site or article about making your own yogurt and how easy it was with the use of a yogurt maker. With some research I came to the conclusion that it was easy to make and a yogurt maker wasn't too expensive. Additionally, over time, making my own yogurt should prove to be cheaper than buying it and, perhaps, be better for me as it would have less additives. It would certainly be fresher. I was taken with the idea and this past weekend marked my first attempt. I was very happy with the results because I had read that the first attempt can be a nightmare. Here's what I did:

From my research I decided to purchase a EuroCuisine YM100 Yogurt Maker from Amazon. While you don't need a maker I liked the idea of having one aspect of the process, the incubation/fermentation stage, automated. By using the maker I won't have to monitor the temperature at all for the 8-10 hours it takes.

I found lots of how-to sites each with it own variant of what to do. I decided to follow the basic directions from the how-to video from Chez Us because they use the same yogurt maker. I also took some various tips I picked up from 101 Cookbooks into consideration as well. I figure that it will take a couple of attempts to get it just right.

The recipe:

1 quart goat milk (as fresh as you can find)
1/2 cup of plain goat yogurt with live cultures to use as your starter

The tools:

1 Yogurt maker
candy thermometer
whisk
sauce pan
large spoon

ALL YOU NEED

The directions: Wash all of your containers and tools thoroughly to avoid contamination. Slowly heat one quart of milk on low-medium heat to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Stir frequently to prevent burning the milk on the bottom of the pan as well as a skin forming. This is boring so have some good music playing.

When the milk has reached 180 degrees remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool off to between 108-112 degrees. (It was at this point that a I discovered that the candy thermometer I had purchased was a piece of crap. The inside of the very tip of it became full of condensation making it impossible to see what the temperature was. It came out alright but I'm still going to replace it even it costs a little bit more.)

DOH!

When it's cooled off, take a small amount and stir it into your starter. This will help break up the starter as well as bring down the temperature. Once its well stirred, pour your starter mixture into the warm milk and whisk it up well.

Pour the milk into your containers, place them without lids into the yogurt maker. Put the yogurt maker cover on, turn on the maker and walk away for 8 - 10 hours. When the time is up, take the containers out of the maker, place the lids on the container and refrigerate them for at least 4 hours. Enjoy!

Notes and Results:

With the goat milk make sure to shake the carton really, really well. I thought that I had but, when I rinsed the carton out, a good amount of fat solids came out. This may have affected the final consistency of the yogurt - making it less firm than I like.
You may be able to use a powdered yogurt starter but the one I found used skim milk from a cow so it was not an option for me. However, most sites I looked at prefer using real yogurt.
While heating the milk a small skin formed but I stirred it quickly and it seemed to dissolve back into the liquid. If it hadn't dissolved I would have skimmed it off.
It took about 15-20 minutes for the milk to cool down. Be patient though, if the mixture is too hot it will kill the live culture and you'll be left with...milk.
The longer the milk incubates, the thicker the yogurt will be. I waited about 8 hours for this batch and got a lovely, mild tasting yogurt with an Elmers Glue like consistency. Next time, I will incubate for 9 hours. I may also experiment with adding powdered goat milk to help with thickening.

Overall, this was a great success. As I said above, the yogurt was tasty but a little thin. This may be a side-effect of goat milk or a result of not incubating long enough or not having enough milk-fats in the mixture. I have 4 jars of yogurt left before I can try again, but I am looking forward to it.

On another note, if you like food blogging you should check out these two sites -the first is mix,mix...stir, stir written by the lovely and talented Carol Peterman with pictures by her equally lovely and talented husband, David. Carol has a true love for food and it's fun to read about her experimentation.

My other recommendation is 28 Cooks which has a lot of great vegan and vegetarian recipes. I mean, this is not just another tofu pup loving site. She has food that makes you want to sit down and eat.

He's Alive

noreply@blogger.com (maryja) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 04:13:00 +0000

In case you were wondering, Ivan is alive and has made it to Colorado.

West Seattle: Garden Ho, Part II

noreply@blogger.com (maryja) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 21:46:00 +0000

Sunday morning arrived with unexpected sunshine and warmth. After taking Sally for her morning constitutional I drove to 8 Limbs Yoga in the Alaska Junction for an early morning yoga class (it's time to start taking exercise seriously again). Afterward, I headed over to the West Seattle Sunday Farmers Market where I was delighted to find an "Ask a Master Gardner" booth manned by volunteers from the Washington State University Master Gardner Program. Score!!

Last week I had gone to check out the local branch library and picked up half a dozen gardening books as Ivan had just informed me the day before that I was going to be in charge of the garden. I believe I actually missed that memo, but I vowed to take the matter seriously. I am a city girl who has barely managed to keep house plants alive but I am smart, gosh darn it! And resourceful! So I went off to arm myself with as much knowledge as possible. The books from the library, however, did not meet my most pressing need: to tell me exactly what I needed to do and exactly how to do it.

The issues:

1) I discovered that the Wisteria planted on the south side of the house was a Chinese Wisteria. Very invasive and very hard to kill. Here's a great description of it:

Folks in the Southeastern U.S. are familiar with Kudzu, another Asian import that runs rampant over trees, telephone poles, old buildings, and slow-moving children. As bad as Kudzu is, Chinese Wisteria is even worse; Kudzu simply climbs and covers native trees and shrubs--occasionally shading them out and killing them---while Chinese Wisteria almost always strangles them to death. Wisteria is a twining vine, and when it wraps around a tree trunk the combined growth of vine and tree eventually chokes off the tree's plumbing. After the host tree rots away or topples earthward, the wisteria simply grows along the ground until the delicate tip of a new stem finds another vertical object to ascend, and the murderous cycle repeats itself.

How do I get rid of it without resorting to herbicides?

FAREWELL, MY LOVELY

2) The stand of bamboo also on the south side of the property has been sending out roots yards away from it's supposed containment field. There are two shoots coming up through the bricks in the drive way. How do I keep it from spreading? The books say to sever the rhizomes but don't tell how to achieve that.

SILENT BUT DEADLY

3) The laurel on the north side of the lawn was unreasonably tall. The tallest was approximately 20 feet high. Can I prune them down to around, say 6 feet, without damaging them?

GOSH, YOU'RE A BIG FELLA, AREN'T YA?

4) We are being overrun by dandelions. If I dig them up, what do I do with the hole that's left behind?

DO NOT MAKE A WISH!

5) Aside from the wisteria and the bamboo, we also have to deal with the encroaching blackberry, ivy, morning glory, and lilac that are already fighting to the death in the woods around us and they are trying to create military outposts in our yard. Bastards! How do I keep them at bay?

AND IT WON'T BE OVER TILL IT'S OVER, OVER THERE

So, you can imagine my delight and relief to have four, FOUR, Master Gardeners to consult for FREE!

I received answers for all my questions and I won't go into detail about what they told me, but my task for the day became to hack back the wisteria and attempt to dig up the root ball. (In the months ahead I will continue to cut back new shoots for as long as it takes for the root system to exhaust itself- just like I am doing with the clematis.)

So I got home, ate a bit (my first food of the day) and then fell into conversation with Domenico and Carmela who were doing some yard work of their own. We started talking about the laurel that runs between our properties and that I wanted to cut them down to about 6 feet. Domenico, who has the tools for this sort of job, offered to do the job if I hauled off the debris. Deal made, he went to get his limber (a sort of a small chainsaw on a stick) and I went to attack the wisteria.

During this time, the sky has started to grow dark and within 15 minutes of us starting our tasks it began to rain. I ran inside with Sally, but 10 minutes later it let up so I returned to the yard where I grabbed what Dom had cut and brought them to the far side of their property and through them into the brush.

BEFORE

Within minutes of this Dom had returned to his task, the limber set aside in favor of a pair of pruners. As before, the rain started up in a matter of minutes but this time we didn't run and we, including Carmela, spent the next 3 hours or so cutting back the nefarious laurel. Dom wielded the pruners while Carmela and I loaded up a large blue tarp (about 12x15) with the discarded branches and then dragged it through the mud to the the north side of their property where we dumped each load. We did this about 8 -10 times, easily, and I would guess that the total weight of the loads added up to several hundred pounds. Needless to say I was quite sore this morning.

DURING

The Master Gardeners had, in unison, rolled their eyes when I mentioned the laurel. But they assured me that, even though it might take a bit of time to grow back, not much could harm them so 'have at it'. So Domenico did. But each pass revealed just how tangled the branches had become - branches from one tree becoming fused to another's trunk; branches spanning at least 5 feet in length. It became clear that leaving the laurels at 6 feet in height was still going to be too tall. So the cutting continued. By the time we were done we were soaked through, covered in mud, rain dripping in our eyes and the laurel were pathetically bare, stumpy ghosts of their former glory.

AFTER. I SAID IT WAS SAD LOOKING.

Having said all that, I must admit I had a great time. I love hard physical labor and fancy myself a packhorse when it comes to this sort of thing - you just need to put your head down, set your teeth and keep going forward. The feeling of accomplishment is most satisfying and doing it in the rain looking like a rugby themed Abercrombie & Fitch advert just added to the overall pleasure.

MANDATORY SAFETY MEETING

As for our sad-looking laurels? I can now easily access the various plants underneath them if I decide to replant them elsewhere. If we decide we don't like the laurels they are at a state where we can pull them out. If we decide to keep them, we can now prune them properly and keep them under control.

Next weekend? Project Wisteria resumes and, if I can find a pick-ax, Project Bamboo begins.

West Seattle: On busses and spare rooms

noreply@blogger.com (maryja) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 19:30:00 +0000

Yesterday was cool and rainy so I limited myself to a couple of tasks around the house after one outside task in the morning. I go back to work next Monday and, without Ivan around, the schedule is going to become tight for me. Now that we live in West Seattle my commute has become much longer - both in distance and time. Although annoying, the long commute itself is not an issue for me. It's how it impacts Sally. I generally work 9 hour days. Add at least 2hours of commute time and that means an anxious dog with her legs crossed by the time I get home.

Before leaving on the trip I rode my recumbent to work for one week but the fastest I've gone is 1.25 hours - one way. I also drove for a week because Ivan and I were carpooling but, even though it's relatively quicker, driving is not a viable option due to gas and parking costs. Plus I hate sitting in traffic. The one thing I'd not tried was travel option #3: King County Metro Bus.

BUSTRATION

Here's the breakdown: I have to be at work by 8:00am, so I need to have enough time to 1) shower and dress, 2) eat breakfast and feed the animals, 3) walk Sally making sure she poo's because she's not having another walk until later in the day, and 4) walk 10 minutes to the bus stop which includes crossing Admiral. Oh, and there is no direct bus to the UW so I have to transfer to another line when I reach downtown.

I figured that I would need to get up at 5:30am, at the latest, in order to catch the 6:41am. So yesterday was my dry run. Other than crossing Admiral, which can be a bitch due to it's unrelenting 4 lanes of traffic and no crosswalk, I did ok. I managed to get to the UW by 7:30 which works out well because that means I can adjust my schedule to leave work a little earlier.

THIS IS NOT MY BUS, DAMMIT

I meant to ride my diamond frame in to work today to see if that would be quicker than my recumbent or the bus, but I slept fitfully last night and woke up late. And then I discovered that I'm still having issues with the front tire so I need to have it looked at as well as picking up some extra tubes for it. If I can resolve those issues today, I'll try biking tomorrow unless the rainy forecast turns heavy.

HUH. IT'S LIKE WE JUST MOVED IN OR SOMETHING.

I spent the rest of the day cleaning up our spare bedroom. We will need to figure out a number of storage issues but I put all non-essential items in the basement, sorted through the remainder of my books putting some aside for trade and shelving the rest, and separated the remaining boxes into 'mine', 'his', 'ours' piles.

NEXT, THE BASEMENT!

It's much tidier now but please don't ask to see the basement.

Update: I got my tire fixed (it appears that the tube was a little too small for the tire) so, if the weather is not too nasty, I'm set for another test commute in the morning.

West Seattle: Garden Ho

noreply@blogger.com (maryja) — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 15:31:00 +0000

THE BIG GREEN MONSTER

Not much to report today other than starting some projects the first of which was removing a large clematis from the north side of the house. I like clematis, but it was taking up a lot of real estate and, like wisteria and jasmine, will slowly take over it's surroundings if you don't constantly maintain it. Neither Ivan nor myself were emotionally attached to the sucker and I am more interested in utilizing that space for either a container vegetable garden along the wall and/or a laundry line that we can use during the spring and summer months.

AWWW, IT LOOKS SO SMALL

First off, I went to visit Craig who sharpened our two shovels, a pair of clippers and a pair of shears for me. He gave me a visual tutorial on the finer aspects of tool sharpening including a visual effects laden demonstration entitled: "Do as I say not as I do or you, too, will slice your finger open." I have to say the blood was very realistic.

FIRST BLOOD, 10TH TO THE LAST CIGARETTE

When I returned home, I cut the bush back and down to the main stalk which revealed two overburdened metal stakes that I had to pull out.

With those removed, I cut down to the root and then started digging down which revealed that it was embedded underneath the stone wall. Domenico came over to help and he told me that the clematis had been there anywhere from 7 to 10 years - much longer than I had thought. I continued digging and he trimmed back the roots as they became revealed, but it was clear that a root system is firmly entrenched under there that I can't hope to get it all out without disturbing the wall.

YUP. THAT'S NOT GOING ANYWHERE

I didn't find much on-line about removing clematis, but I am hoping that it will prove similar to wisteria and that if I continue to cut back any new growth on the roots for the next couple of months, I will exhaust the root system and it will cease to grow. At that point I can then fill the hole back up and we will have a larger yard space to play around with.

THE REMAINS

Maybe we will build a goat pen.

Schmitz Park, West Seattle

noreply@blogger.com (maryja) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:14:00 +0000

I've been feeling very maternal toward Sally since bringing her home this past Tuesday. I think she is missing Ivan, so I want to spend as much time with her as I can before I head back to work later this month. This morning I decided to try and find Schmitz Park - an old growth forest here in West Seattle. According to the map I was given by the lovely staff at Mud Bay the park is located really close to our house. So I loaded Sally in the car and drove off in the general direction of the park.

It took me 45 minutes to locate the entrance that turns out to be less than a 5 minute drive from our front door. I drove all away around the park looking for a street that would dump me on the entrance. Or any entrance. No luck at all until I finally got clearer directions from the second person I asked. Then, pay dirt! It was well worth the wait and all the driving round in a circle.

A LIGHT IN THE FOREST

According to Wikipedia, it is a 53.1 acre (215,000 m²) park around 15 blocks east of in Alki Point, West Seattle, Washington. It features Schmitz Park Creek and one of the last stands of old-growth forest in the city. Ferdinand and Emma Schmitz donated 30 acres (121,000 m²) of the park to the city in 1908. (Ferdinand was the city's Parks Commissioner from 1908 to 1914). Additions to the park were purchased in 1909, 1930, 1947, and 1958

We wandered around inside for just a little while (I'd spent most of my designated walking time finding the place), covering a fraction of what is there to explore. Just me following wherever Sally's nose took us...

SCRATCH & SNIFF

...past part of the creek and under the Schmitz Bridge with its very cool graffiti.

OOH! PRETTY!

On our return trip, we crossed the creek again but not before Sally plopped herself down in the cool, running water and drank up a mouthful.

WATERBABY

I think walks in here will become a regular occurrence.

THE ROAD

The trees and the quiet make it an ideal place for an afternoon stroll.

WOOD NYMPH?

No Place Like It

noreply@blogger.com (maryja) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:47:00 +0000

Tiny Bella at dusk.

Sally is snoring on the floor and Fausto is porned out on the bed.

Tina's Big Training Day

noreply@blogger.com (maryja) — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 05:46:00 +0000

TINA STRETCHES HER LEGS OF STEEL

Tina and Will have been thinking about riding their bikes up to the wineries in Woodinville but Tina has been a bit fearful about the prospect as it's a 34 mile round trip - much farther than she has ridden previously.

Knowing a little something about being fearful and also knowing that I can make that ride fairly easily (Ivan and I did just that on Day 1 of the trip) I have become her willing, albeit unworthy, sherpa in this quest.

Just yesterday I rode the Burke Gilman Trail to the half-way point between their apartment and the the wineries, so the three of us set off to replicate that ride and give Tina a sense of the trail and to gauge how she would do with just half the mileage (16 miles).

It was a lovely, cool day and we completed our goal in about 1 hour and 42 minutes - slow for me, but a good pace for them on their first long trip out. During the ride I needed to gear myself way down in order not to unintentionally pass them. I could have certainly gone faster but that wasn't the point of the ride. This was for Tina to get a sense of what she was capable of. And as I pedaled, I thought of Ivan letting me set the pace during our week together on the road, letting me determine what I was capable of. I hope that Tina feels as good about her day as I do about that week.

THE CONQUERING HERO'S

Next weekend, we head for the wineries. We will go slow. We will take breaks. We will stretch out on the lawns when we get there and then pedal slowly home. And we will all know a little bet better what we are capable of.

THE RIDE HOME

Report from the Couch: Killer Clowns

noreply@blogger.com (maryja) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 03:04:00 +0000

This week I am staying at the home of my friends, Tina and Will who have a spacious apartment near Children's Hospital. They are actually attending a family function in Ilwaco (?) and so I am here by myself. It's really a lovely apartment, but I am very aware of how quiet it is. Most notably at night when I go to bed. After I've locked the doors and closed most of the windows.

I should pause here for a moment and tell you about when I was a kid. As a young child, until about age 12, I was sometimes plagued by a very active imagination which made going to bed an absolute terror for me. At one time or another I was haunted by visions and nightmares of: vampires, werewolves, demon possession, demon possession of black sedans that could leap thru 2nd stories of houses, "Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein", alien invasions and Killer Bee's from South America.

Over the years I eventually learned how to dispel my fear through sometimes simple (and sometimes not so simple) feats of kid logic. For example, after a suffocating summer sleeping under blankets to protect my neck from the onslaught of vampire neck bites, I managed to reason that, now that there is snow outside and it's cold, vampire bats would freeze to death before they got to my window. Therefore I was safe. This also worked for South American Killer Bees. (Werewolves, too, except that it wasn't so much the freezing to death as they don't wear shoes and the ice and snow on the ground would not be comfortable for them. Really, summer is the prime season for death by monster.)

Still, as an adult, there are those rare occasions where it will take me a few days to get used to sleeping alone in a new apartment. Until then I can have very brief, but intense, bouts of paranoia fueled by bad dreams and being tired. Take for example this lovely, cozy apartment. It's very solidly built with wall to wall carpeting. With the screen doors shut and the windows closed you can't hear anything. And it freaks me out a little.

So today I found myself, half-awake in the wee hours of the morning, straining to hear something, anything, although I was actually afraid that I would hear something and dear god what if that happened? Because the other thing about this cozy apartment? It's really dark. It's situated such that it gets very little sunlight during the day. And the night? Forget about it. I'm pretty blind without my glasses and its really dark and really quiet and now I can't hear the crazed killer clown that just broke in and is creeping toward my room along the carpet that muffles every single noise and even though my cell phone is near I can't remember the street address!!!! I am so toast.

I was never afraid of clowns until last night. Why now? I have no idea.

On the plus side, Tina and Will return tomorrow so I just have to get through tonight and when I go back to my place next week I will bring Sally home with me because, god bless her, she's a barker and killer clowns will be no match.

Sunday, Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (maryja) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 00:46:00 +0000

Yesterday was a very long day - 8 hours of non-stop driving from Sandpoint back to Seattle. Got in around 10pm. Have spent much of today reading and napping. More tomorrow.

Pee Break?

noreply@blogger.com (maryja) — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 19:56:00 +0000

POSTED WITHOUT COMMENT.

THE FINE PRINT.

The road to Cockrumville

noreply@blogger.com (maryja) — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 17:28:00 +0000

DULL, DULL, DULL

I left yesterday morning for the long drive out to Sandpoint, ID to catch up with Ivan for a day and a half of R&R. I decided to take I-90 as the quickest route but I quickly discovered 3 things: 1) it's not as quick as all that 2) it's boring as fuck and 3) I really hate driving.

Taking a cue from our week of biking, I stopped fairly frequently for bathroom and stretch breaks. I tried to keep my mind occupied by singing along with the radio, but it was difficult to hear the music over the rattle of the car and at one point, without warning, the stations I was listening to literally morphed into that un-holy duality that is eastern Washington radio - C&C - Christian and Country. I had a few moments of frantic scanning and I was relieved, RELIEVED, I say when a song by Cher came on. I almost wept with joy. As a bonus, one hit wonder Alannah Myles came on immediately after. I managed to maintain my sanity for the rest of the trip listening to, god help me, Soft Rock Hits.

Other than bathroom breaks, lunch, gas refills, and one power nap stop I only made one un-anticipated stop. Just after filling my tank in Vantage, WA I saw something interesting up on a hill. The roadsigns said "Wild Horse Monument". Generally, when I'm trying to get somewhere I never deviate from the road but this was too cool, so I stopped.

WHAT'S THAT IN THE DISTANCE?

I pulled into the parking lot where there were a few other cars parked and people milling about checking out the view over the river back into Vantage. Behind me was the hill with the monument at the top.

ANOTHER FUCKING HILL.

It looked like a short and steep hike but I was determined not to be put off by another freaking hill so I grabbed my camera and set off. It may have been my imagination, but I swear I could feel the eyes of the other people in the parking lot on my back.

True to expectations, it was short and steep. It also had the added bonus of a lot of scree-like rocks. Fortunately, I had my trusty sneakers on so I took it slow and steady making it to the top where the ponies were waiting for me in less than 10 minutes.

PONIES!

Best as I could tell, they were made of steel and had obviously been visited by the local teenage population on more than one occasion.

TAGGING - THE BRANDING OF THE 21ST CENTURY.

From the front they reminded me of cylons.

YES. I'M A GEEK.

After looking at the view of the river for a few minutes I started making my way back down.

PONY WITH THE BEST VIEW.

As I neared the bottom I spoke with an elderly couple who had watched me climb to the top. I gave them what advice I could (take it slow, put your camera away until the top, watch your footing) and left them to start their ascent. A few moments later, I encountered a mother-type women with what looked like a half-dozen kids ranging in age from about 8 to 14. Most of them were wearing flip-flops - the absolute worst footwear choice for this climb short of being barefoot. I silently wished them luck as they passed.

When I got to my car, I looked back to see their progress. The older couple had made it half-way, but he seemed to be lagging a bit behind his companion. The Mom/kids combo had split into 2 groups, each taking one of the two paths up the hill. From my vantage point it looked like they, too, were struggling many of them on hands and feet scrabbling for handholds to the top. They were less than a quarter of the way. I debated sticking around to see how they all did but the day was winding on and I was eager to get going again.

I've never been to Eastern Washington before. I'm pretty sure the view from I-90 does not give an accurate or complete picture of the region but I didn't enjoy the area until I got through the traffic congestion of Spokane and onto Route 2 north where I drove along the Priest River and the western banks of Lake Pend Orielle. The unremitting sameness of I-90 was now replaced with the tree lined two lanes of state routes and provided a much more interesting landscape.

I rolled into Sandpoint, ID about 4:30 and found Ivan waiting for me at an internet cafe - Monarch Mountain Coffee.

BEAN BAG CEILING.

He was a sight for sore eyes - sunburned face and arms, his once (almost) white shirt slowly turning grayer. Of course he was blogging but he was soon on the horn trying to find us a room for the next 2 nights. Folks, Sandpoint, ID, population 6500+ is not a cheap place. We could have had a honeymoon suite at the La Quinta for the reasonable price of $319 per night but, since it's hot tub was neither shaped like a champagne glass nor filled with champagne, we took a pass.

ALL BUSINESS.

The past two days has been all about the R&R. We went to the movies twice (Hellboy 2 and The Dark Knight). Ivan blogged. I found him bike tubes and checked out the local antique malls. We went swimming in the hotel pool and soaked in the hotel hot tub (still no champagne).

I'll be leaving in a short while for Seattle and he'll be back on the road heading for Missoula, MT not to be seen in these parts again until the fall.

A king among men

noreply@blogger.com (maryja) — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 18:13:00 +0000

Sigh....Viggo (I call him 'Viggo' because we're so tight now) busses his own table.

SQUUUUEEEEE!

noreply@blogger.com (maryja) — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 17:24:00 +0000

I am not usually starstruck but...OMG! Viggo Mortensen is sitting not more than 3 feet away from me! He is teh sexy! My eyes are burning from trying not to stare at his back/ruggedly handsome profile.

Back in the Saddle

noreply@blogger.com (maryja) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 19:11:00 +0000

(Apologies in advance for the shifting fonts in this post - I can't seem to track down the problem.)

I got back to Seattle late Friday afternoon watching the roads I'd just pedaled roll backwards under the car wheels while Katja drove. I was aware of the first of several odd sensations that would come over me that weekend. This particular one was a mix of incredulity and awe especially as we drove down inclines that I had labored furiously to get up and over just days before. Katja offered to take a different route but I wanted to see where I had just come from. I think it was a good choice.

I spent that night with Katja and Craig. They were going to a party so it seemed a good opportunity to have some quiet time and try to decompress. I had grabbed some gear from our house, Tiny Bella, and hammered out a plan of sorts with our house-sitters Kelly and Stephanie. I went back the following day (Saturday) to do some laundry and clarify our plan (I was pretty spent the day before) and then headed to Columbia City and Howard and Julie's Yellow Cottage where I have been crashing since.

They ran in the Seafair Torchlight Race that evening so I accompanied them for the moral support. They both did well. Julie in particular managed to shave almost 5 minutes off of her previous years race time.

THE GREAT RACERS

The next morning, Julie and I met our friend Mark for breakfast at Cafe Flora. I was pleased and touched to learn that Mark, who had suffered from a stroke in early June, was beginning to read again in part because our blog. It's slow, he said, but good. For myself, it was a balm to hang out with the two of them because of odd sensation # 2- I was all jangly inside. A mixture of feel adrift, unsettled, physically recovering from the emotional stress of self-doubt and leaving Ivan. Eating warm, nourishing food with comfortable and comforting companions soothed me quite a bit.

Later that day would bring odd sensation #3.

The recumbent is neither a small nor a light bike. We usually transport them using the bike hitch on Ivan's Saab - a car that, for various reasons, I don't contemplate attempting to drive. My own car has a Yakima Little Joe rack that they don't recommend using on my make and model. It's seems fine for smaller road bikes, but I'm too cautious to put the recumbent on it. So I had packed up my Specialized Sirrus with the constantly flat front tire. After breakfast I walked it to BikeWorks in Columbia City sure that they would replace both the tube and the tire. But the mechanic found a piece of glass embedded in the tire and promised that, if it flattened, I could bring it back and he wouldn't charge for the labor. So with a new tube and a quick check of the brakes I got on the bike for the first time in about 4 months and I had the immediate sensation of falling over. I pedaled to the corner but the feeling of being unsafe was so strong that I got off and walked it back to Howard and Julie's. A few hours later I got on it again and biked around the neighborhood getting re-accustomed to the feel of being on a diamond frame because I had a plan that I was determined to follow through on.

GEARING UP

Monday morning just before 7:00am I got into my biking clothes, shoes and helmet and went on a brisk 6.5 mile ride along Seward Park/Lake Washington Blvd. My feeling of tippieness didn't last long but I was acutely aware of the pressure on my wrists and sits bones- two sensations I had not experienced in months.

I felt stiff and sore this morning especially in the upper body, but I got up again and went for an 11 mile ride. Compared to the Bacchetta, the Specialized feels spindly, like I'm riding a bike made of wood and it might shake apart. That said, I do go much faster if my bike computer is accurate, and hills aren't terribly hard although there are a couple I've been avoiding. I'm going to attempt them on tomorrows ride - my last of the week. On Thursday morning I'm heading out to Idaho/Montana to catch up with Ivan for a night before he gets too far for me to drive. I expect to be gone most of the weekend but I'll be back in the saddle next week. I'm fielding offers for weekend bike rides and I'd like to see if I can make them all materialize at least until I hopefully, head out to Virginia later this summer.

I'll post more about them in the weeks ahead as well as some catch-up posts about the ride out to Twisp. I have few vivid memories as I was spending most of my time focusing on my pedals, but those I do have are good.

Yes Man

noreply@blogger.com (maryja) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:17:00 +0000

One last post of the day: I love Ivan.

He's been the most supportive, generous partner and traveling companion a woman could ask for. Making sure that I ate, rested, and hydrated. Getting me to a bed and a shower when I really needed one (damn feminine hygiene issues). Riding behind me as I set the pace up mountains and through tunnels to make sure I stayed on or near shoulders even though he could have gone faster and further on his own. He was/is always patient, always kind, always attentive to my needs.

I love that he wanted to take this trip. I love that he wanted to take this trip with me. I love that he will go forward without me knowing that I am safe with friends in Seattle. In fact, there is no question or doubt in my mind that he should go forward without me. He is my "Yes Man" and I am proud of him and everything that he is capable of accomplishing. I hope everyone who reads our blog will support him either in thought or words as he pedals eastward.

Mary's Choice

noreply@blogger.com (maryja) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 19:37:00 +0000

A very big and heartfelt thanks to all of you who commented on my last post, called me, e-mailed me, and answered my teary phone calls as I tried to figure out what to do next. It was a difficult decision, and one that I'm still not sure was the correct one to make, but I've decided to stop here and go back to Seattle and Ivan will go forward with the trip, hopefully making up for the lost time in short order.

I have not yet figured out what I am going to do for the rest of the summer. I am on an unpaid leave of absence from work thru mid-September so I may just get in my car with Sally and drive on up ahead a few hundred miles and and meet Ivan every few days or at least once-mid trip. Or I may go back to work and make some money to help pay for the house we just bought.

Whatever I decide, we both agree that I need to be productive in some way this summer - perhaps creating a support group for women whose husbands go on long bike trips. If I stay in Seattle I will be riding my bike even if it's just to commute to work or explore my new neighborhood of West Seattle. I see this as an opportunity to actually start training for the next bike trip - taking it in small degrees so I won't become overwhelmed by every freaking hillock.

End of the line?

noreply@blogger.com (maryja) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:13:00 +0000

In my post earlier today I related that I was having a struggle on this trip. It's not just the most physically demanding undertaking it's actually the most mentally/emotionally demanding undertaking I've ever encountered. Moreso, even, than Burning Man. I've been on the verge of crying at least once a day for the last week.

After this mornings post, Ivan and I took off on Rt 20 heading to Loup Loup Pass. Not a particularly hard climb (although our muscles are stiff from not stretching yesterday) and the heat of yesterday replaced by cloud cover and a cool breeze. A slow climb in granny gears but a piece of cake compared to both Newhalem and the Rainey/Mt Washington passes. But...I lost it. I found myself by the side of the road sobbing uncontrollably. Ivan, who had been ahead, parked his bike, and walked back to me. He walked my bike to where his was and then hugged me while I cried.

Let me be clear here, going on this trip with Ivan was *my* idea. I have felt that, for too long, life has been passing me by and I wanted to do something BIG. Something that I could look back on later with pride and sense of accomplishment. Doing it with the man that I love would be icing on the cake. But now I am really afraid that this is too big. That I should have started with smaller, more manageable trips to get a sense of what I was going to be facing: the hill climbs, the heat, the weight of the bike. I've only had this particular bike since April and haven't ridden it very much compared to what needs to happen to ride 3300 miles.

And my heart is breaking at the thought that I just can't do this. That I'm soft. That I'm giving up too soon. That I'm a big loser. That if I stop now, I may forever regret that choice and how that choice might affect me. Ivan is proud of me but I want to be proud of myself and I'm not feeling that way at the moment.

So we've ridden the 5 miles back to Twisp where we had a late breakfast and are now at an internet cafe - our first solid internet access point in days - with a couple of possible plans in the works.

We'll go back to the RV park we stayed at last night and just relax. Maybe go swimming. And we'll see how I feel in the morning. In the meantime, we'll make contact with friends who may be able to drive up here on either Friday or Saturday and pick me and my bike up as well as bring Ivan his smaller tent. He'll continue with the trip solo as I really, really want him to. (I would never want my limitations to stand in the way of his aspirations.) I would fly to Virginia in September and meet him there when he gets to the end of the trail and we'll fly back home together.

Anyway, that's the situation at present. I'm going to take some time to rest and think and make a final decision in the morning.

All quiet on the eastern front

noreply@blogger.com (maryja) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:45:00 +0000

Ivan may have mentioned our wifi issues so posting is sporadic at the moment. Expect to read even less from me as trip so far has been the most difficult thing I have EVER faced. Ivan has been the best partner a girl could ask for, but I need to struggle through this by myself. I'll be back to posting as soon as I can.

Jesus rides a Harley

noreply@blogger.com (maryja) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:48:00 +0000

Day 2 - July 18 - Snoho-ho-ho-mish

noreply@blogger.com (maryja) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 19:37:00 +0000

We got up this morning around 7:00, none the worse for the mosquito's and burrito's, to overcast skies. We packed up camp and following the directions Bob and Cat, our unexpected hosts, gave us we took the parallel road we were looking for last night. We rode past farms, cows, horses, antique rose nurseries and viewed Rt 9 from afar. It was lovely

We found a small airport with a restaurant, the Buzz In, where we had $3.00 breakfast specials of fat and protein. The waitresses and patrons were friendly and helpful pointing out that we were very near the Centennial Trail - a 17 mile paved walking and biking path - that would take us up to Arlington. On our way there we stumbled across an Internet Cafe in Snohomish, the "Wired and Wireless" where we've spent the last several hours getting the blog to work properly and mapping our next leg.

If all goes well, we'll take the Centennial Trail to Arlington and then catch SR 530 to Darrington where there is a motel! The promise of a shower and a bed is motivation for me to keep pushing as long as it takes to get there. From Darrington it will only be another 19 miles to Rockport and the Northern Tier Trail that we will follow until we get to Sandpoint, ID.

I'm hoping that it remains overcast and cool today - much better riding conditions after the heat and sun of yesterday. It should take less out of me.

Starting Out

noreply@blogger.com (maryja) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:56:00 +0000

--
A purpose of human life, no matter who is controlling it, is to love whoever is around to be loved.

Kurt Vonnegut, Sirens of Titan
US novelist (1922 - 2007)

Day 1 - July 17 - The best laid plans

noreply@blogger.com (maryja) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:17:00 +0000

The alarm did not go off at 4:00.

When I woke up that morning, Ivan was just taking Sally for a walk. I looked outside and thought to myself "This is later than 4:00am." I started getting dressed and Ivan checked his phone when he returned - it was a few minute past 5:00am.

I woke up Craig and we quickly realized that our plan was not going to work. Ivan and I repacked the Tiger and we drove back to our house in West Seattle. We were not defeated, but very tired as neither of us had slept very much or very well.

Back at our house we both took showers and our awesome house sitters Kelly and Stephanie rose to the challenge. With their help we managed to get our bikes on top of Kelly's small truck and our gear in the back. He then drove us to Golden Gardens and stayed with us until every piece of gear was checked, adjusted, test-droved and we were finally on the Burke-Gilman trail by 10:00am.

Of course, we had had nothing to eat that morning but a vegan cookie and some coffee so we pulled off fairly quickly and had some breakfast at The Dish in Fremont/Ballard. We decided while eating that he would track mileage and I would track costs.

We followed the Burke-Gilman trail north and then switched over to the Sammamish River Trail which is gorgeous by-the-by. Our goal was to reach Woodinville and figure out how to get to Rt 9 from there which we would then follow up to Rt 20. True to form, however, we by-passed Woodinville by 5 miles. We were in/or near Redmond when we discovered our mistake so back we went 5 miles to Woodinville. We rested for awhile because I was experiencing a bout of toe numbness in both feet and wanted to take off my shoes.

We got directions from a couple of bikers that took us to another trail that ran behind the UW Bothell campus. It was unclear at one point what to do next so another friendly lady walking her dog gave us direction to Rt 9. Which we found. Yay!

But by this time I was really dragging. It was hot and it was uphill and we hadn't eaten since breakfast so we stopped at a Quickie Mart in search of food. I found a beef and bean burrito that would later find *me*.

Fueled up, we got back to the the long, slow slog up Rt 9. I prayed for long stretch of downhill and it finally appeared much to our delight. However, it terminated at a stretch of construction just before Snohomish and I was hurting. We both knew I was too tired to manage the traffic and the jersey barriers so we pulled off in search of a parallel route. However, I was now feeling sick to my stomach. We saw a barn with a lawn off the side road and a man mowing his estate. I rode down to him, explained the situation, and asked if the people who owned the barn would mind us camping there for the night. Turns out he and his wife owned the place and were ok with us pitching our tent. They also let me use there bathroom for which I was grateful.

I was glad that we stopped, but I had a rough night. I felt sick, I was wound up from riding and I started planning how I could get out of this cock-a-mamie plan without Ivan thinking I was a wimp. The temperature in the tent was cool but my sleeping back was making me sweat so I was alternately sweating and shivering. Finally, I got some sleep. Not a lot. But enough that I stopped thinking of ways to sneak home.

I have faith that it will get easier as I get stronger.