One hope, one quest*

One year!

Yes, it is my 1-year blogger anniversary. Unfortunately, I've got too much work today to put up anything exciting for it, so here is a picture of me posing with my first post. Kindly ignore the extremely messy desk. Although it actually doesn't look so bad from this angle; the panoramic view is overwhelming.

* "Witness (1 Hope)" - Roots Manuva

Well, duh.

I got so absorbed in writing about my mom that I forgot all about the topic I meant to write about originally.

In Madison we are currently going through "The Big Melt". Snow and ice and other nastiness that's been piling up since October is finally on its way out. The bike paths and streets are completely clear of precipitation for the first time in months, although now they're full of sand and debris instead.

Today, on my way in to work, I was biking down E. Mifflin between 1st and 4th streets and the whole road, an entire 3 blocks of this street, was coated in a sheer film of oil of some kind. Most likely motor, I suppose. Even though this was obviously a clear sign of pollution, it was really beautiful. All rainbow-y, several orders of the Michel-Levy chart represented, including a whole lot of first-order colors (my favorite!). It was a lovely 3 blocks. I hope it's still there tomorrow when I bike in. If so, I'll stop and see if I can't get a good photo to share with y'all.

I do realize that the fact that I was contemplating the Michel-Levy chart as I biked down a dirty fucking road is pretty dorky. No comments necessary.

It's not devotion that I want from you*

I don't care what any of y'all got to say: my Mumsie is the sweetest mom in the whole universe, ever. For example, she still sends her very independent, nearly 31 year-old daughter (ahem, me) regular care packages. This morning, as I was overdressing for my bike ride into work, the postman banged on the door because he didn't want to leave such a "fancy package" just sitting on the doorstep. As soon as he said that, I knew it was from my mom without even looking.

The outside is decorated in cut-out paper flowers and when I slice open the box all of the inner flaps are covered in paper flowers and bunnies and whatnot. I know that she spent the better part of an evening decorating this plain old cardboard box. This is how my mom always sends stuff; I've got an entire collection of similarly decorated boxes in the basement that I don't want to throw away. Inside there are packets of flower seeds, a toothbrush (mothers can never quite accept that their adult children are capable of otherwise acquiring such necessary items), a flowerpot, some chocolate almonds, and Easter-themed paper napkins which will promptly be put with the other holiday-themed paper napkins to come out at the next house party, probably for my birthday.

Additionally, there is a coffee can full of anisette biscotti like only my mama can make, although Cabbibo's Bakery at the farmer's market comes damn close. It's nothing like that coffee shop shit that passes for biscotti in most places. It's also a pain to make, because you have to bake it twice, but it's my favorite and so Mumsie makes it just for me. Also inside is a box of rat treats (for Toot) that she made by hand. The rats always get included in a care package. Finally, there was an Easter card that arrived yesterday, with a "rat" on the front. My mother excels at finding cards for every occasion with a "rat" in it. ["Rat" because most likely the artist intended the vermin pictured to be taken as a mouse, but we have none of that in my family.]

Above: a sweet picture of my sweet mother on her 56th birthday. She made that face because I asked her to do something silly. She ain't too bad-lookin' for 56 and, luckily for me, seems to have passed on the easy-aging genes. Also check out Buzz the cat's bionic eye.

* "I do" - Edie Brickell

Tarred

I'm so tired, I can't pronounce the long "i" sound. Early to bed for me tonight, especially since I want to get up early to go do some deadlifting.

Lately I've been having a lot of trouble fitting climbing into my schedule. That sucks, because I love climbing. Tomorrow! I shall climb! I guess my main problem is that there's just too much that I want to do, period. I should aspire to be a more boring person. Or go down to having a single job. Somebody hire me to teach full-time?