Gardening in the City
As I prepare to move into a new apartment in downtown Richmond I am beginning to investigate new ways of feeding myself for as little as possible… and no, ramen is not on the list. I am talking about vegetables and herbs. (I will address proteins briefly toward the end).
One of two options I am considering is investing in a CSA program. Unfortunately, after some research I discovered there is only one CSA servicing the Richmond area. What a shame… I think for a city this size we should have two or three. The pricing was a little steep as far as CSAs go (from what I have seen in other Virginia cities- Charlottesville and Roanoke have no shortage of CSAs). As much as I would love a completely random box of veggies every month or so, it seems like this is the least likely of my choices. However, I will keep an eye out for developments in the CSA community in Richmond.
My second option is a back porch bucket garden. This one is going to be time consuming (not that I mind. Gardening is an enjoyable hobby). I am going to have to brush up on my agriculture skills. Fortunately my dad and the immediate family are farmers and gardeners. No shortage of knowledge there. I think with his help and some careful planning (and some very probable failures) I can make this option work. I have already made a list of veggies that I think I can grow in these conditions to include: Tomatoes, Potatoes, Lettuces, Onions, Herbs, Squash and (if I can find a big enough bin) Corn.
In this vein of thought I considered composting my own food waste in addition to the garden. I think that will work hand in hand with the gardening, but I am going to have to do some reading up on composting. I didn’t realize it was so involved and intricate a process until I began reading a little about it on the internet. I knew that there were various kinds of composting as well, but was not aware that it branched into quite so many techniques and methods. The bottom line overall is that I have a lot of research to do before fall planting season. Yikes.
Now, as I said I believe I have proteins covered. Between dad’s big meat freezer and the local butcher shop it would seem that meat is covered. Our local butchery is an outstanding example of culinary artisanry and skill in the trade. I am also taking a new approach to animal proteins when it comes to diet. I am going to try treating them as a side dish or accompaniment to whatever else is going on the plate. Some recent research I have recently read suggest that animal proteins may be more carcinogenic than plant protein. I will by no means become vegetarian, but I might make that 1/2lb hamburger a 1/4lb hamburger.
Unfortunate Circumstances
Ever feel like everything was hitting you at once? I mean, have you ever had one unfortunate incident after another stack up until you thought you were going to implode? Lately I have had a dose of that and I can attest that it is no fun. Fortunately, I seem to have developed a coping ability which most would be envious of. This, however is not about me. Not this time.
I have a good friend who has had some pretty rough things happen to her lately and, while I sympathize- even empathize, I can’t do much for her because of the vast physical distance separating us. Were she here or I there I would certainly reach out to her and give her a hand up. All I can do here is offer a word or two of encouragement and hope that something works out somewhere along the line.
This friend has recently returned home, having no place to live but with a friend. This person then ended her hospitality by tossing my friend out (for nothing more than personal reasons, I would infer) at 3am. Not a good scenario. At least she had found a job, which offered some light at the end of the tunnel. Oops. They decided they couldn’t take her on. SO now she is homeless and jobless and I am wondering what I can do to help that will actually be helpful. I hate to see this happen to anyone, especially a friend. Maybe there is a solution somewhere. I’ll have to keep trying, as will she.
Homecoming
It has been a while since my last post here. Last Monday I learned that my grandfather, whom I have only recently gotten back in touch with, had passed away from a heart attack. It was a hard thing to hear and something particularly hard to come to terms with. We had been apart for 18 years. We weren’t terribly close, but I know I mattered a great deal to him. It was evident upon our reunion.
I left Thursday morning to go to the viewing that evening. I thought I was prepared for the event. I mean, they all go the same way don’t they? Apparently not. Also apparent was the fact that my grandfather was not just some old farmer. Roughly 400 people showed up for the viewing. It was incredible. Visitors ranged from friends and family to former school mates, employees and so forth. I learned a lot about my grandfather simply from the stories I heard that night.
Another unique aspect to this gathering was the fact that this would be the first time a very large portion of that side of my family would see me since I was about 4 years old. All evening I could see peoples faces as they caught glimpses of me. Always surprise and disbelief. I can’t tell you how many people approached me, introduced themselves and then told me that “The last time I saw you, you were this big.” and they would hold their hands just a bit higher than their knees. It’s true. It had been a long, long time. What was terrific was the welcome I received from everyone. Dad was pretty busy dealing with the formalities that go along with a funeral, and several of these “new” relatives took it upon themselves to attend me and introduce me to other family and friends. It was a shame it could not have happened under better circumstances.
The whole experience left me a bit overwhelmed, but largely pleased with who I am and who my grandfather was. I felt the beginning of a closeness that I have not felt in a great while being formed between myself, my father and my grandmother. It is wonderful to have family again.
Office Hell!
Office jobs are punishment from God. I can attest to this, for I have one. It is not terribly unfortunate as it provides me with some time to do other odd jobs that I typically don’t make time for. I am simultaneously collating copies, looking for a new apartment and text messaging almost everyone I have a phone number for. Of course, now you are questioning the validity of my opening statement because, really, it doesn’t sound too bad. Like I said, it really isn’t- but it is still God’s private purgatory for the middle class.
The number one thing about office jobs are the infinite supply of inconveniences. No matter what you have been assigned to do, you can be assured that some facet of it will require you to do more work because the person who assigned it to you has failed to do something on their end. I just had to make 57 copies of a particular form because the person who handed me the assignment didn’t bother to make sure there were enough copies of each of the forms I needed to complete this project.
A little known fact about people who work office jobs: broken copiers and copier related malfunctions are the leading cause of death amongst office workers. When the copier goes down someone’s ass is immediately is on the line. That is something that isn’t getting done or that will now take longer to do. In the office world, time is money. Some will respond with the initial disbelief. No, it’s not totally broken. It will come back on. Maybe if I unplug it… No luck. Then panic sets in. That paper won’t make it to your boss’s desk on time, the team down the hall won’t get that memo. So on, so forth. The frenzy, if left unchecked, will evolve into a full blown bloodbath. A total horrorshow. Think of any George A. Romero zombie film meets hyenas fighting over a fresh carcass. It can get ugly.
In reality, it’s all a bunch of idiotic bullshit. What is an office anyway but a bunch of people doing someone else’s work so that the person/ people at the top of the food chain can succeed and further repress the homogeneous clones. I don’t want my blood and sweat to pay for anyone’s vacation home, third car or yacht except mine. It is time to formulate a trajectory out of this sand trap.
Onward! Upward!
So by now, if you have read more than one or two entries of this blog, you may realize that I am somewhat of a restless spirit and am eager to move on to another part of the world. Today I have decided to stop wishing and be more proactive in my pursuit of this goal. As I speak I am applying to a variety of jobs that would take me, at the very least, across the Mississippi River. I don’t know what it is I hope to find there, but I imagine it will be more than I have here in Richmond.
Of course there are a number of things crossing my mind as I begin to plan this out. I will be leaving behind a lot of people that really matter to me and have all played a large part in my life up to this point. I will be far away from the larger part of my family (not necessarily a bad thing- with the exception of Dad whom I have no desire to elude). Despite this, I still feel the need to travel and see what it is the world has to offer me. I don’t doubt that I will return to the East Coast at some point in life- but for now it is time to expand.
Moving is another big concern for this adventure. I’m gonna have to drive. There’s no way around that and it’s likely to be a long haul. Don’t get me wrong, I am biting at the bit to drive across country in my own car… but I am not looking forward to spending upwards of $600 to do so. Fortunately I have an insanely fuel efficient car for its size. I seem to find a positive for every negative in this situation, which is only encouraging me even more. Right now, there is nothing holding me back. I have to do this.
