Sow There

Last Friday, which just happened to be the fall equinox, there was a crazy wind in the air.
Not that the wind was overpowering or got caught in pipes to make that whirring sound. It was the kind of crazy wind that makes people like me restless.
Theres something about fall that has an earthy smell, perhaps from decaying leaves, or maybe from the wind that churns up the topsoil just enough so the scent permeates the air.
I remember times in college when I lived in an apartment complex and was good friends with several of my neighbors.
As the season changed and night began to come earlier in the evening. One or another of us would say hey, do you feel that wind? Lets go to the river.?
There was an unspoken understanding of what we were feeling itchy, a little pent-up, eager to bundle up in a sweatshirt and feel the cool wind on our cheeks.
On those restless nights about eight of us would pile into about two cars, or maybe into the back of a pickup truck when that was still legal.
As the river rolled by wed lean against the side of the cars, or lay on the hood and look up at the stars.
The heat from the engine was just enough to warm us a little.
Theres a quiet that friends can share by being close enough to hear one anothers exhales without needing to speak.
Thats the feeling in the air this time of year.

During the daily morning garden tour I pointed out to Tommy the plants that would be dying soon. The primrose is already mostly frazzled, but Ive left it in the ground anyway. One reader said that if you plant primrose next to plants that grow taller, such as impatiens, the primrose might survive until the next year.
I have my doubts, but havent bothered to compost it yet.
The snapdragons will likely survive the winter, but the vinca rosea will wither.
The tomatoes are finally going crazy after we learned from Cass Mutters, farm adviser, that tickling the stems of the blooms will help the flowers to pollinate. Im hoping to get one good batch of tomatoes to make salsa for freezing before the plants keel over.

Time to celebrate
Today is the fall equinox, which is a good time to think about the changing of the seasons and what to do in the garden.
Continue reading “Sow There! Sept. 22 Starting a new season” »

The energy drink name game wasnt as much of a hit as I had hoped, but this blog thing takes a while to catch on. I dont know why I think energy drink names are funny. Maybe because one imagines a bunch of 20-year-old hipsters sitting around some grandiose mahogany executive table scrawling on bar napkins to come up with the names.

In addition to the energy drink names mentioned last week, our research staff has discovered some lesser-known brands: Lightning Bolt, Crunk, Bawls, Monster Energy, Rip it, Pit Bull and Rockstar.
Dad spent some time thinking of different brands for different subculture groups. See Dad should be making the big-bucks, hanging out with 20-year-olds and scrawling on bar napkins. Why he wasted all that time as a corporate executive well never know.

Dads suggestions:
For the skater in your life: Rink Drink.
For roller derby girls: Pink Rink Drink.
For all you rednecks: Power Paunch.
Skateboarders: Skaterade.
Media personalities: Newscrewsbrews.
Chicoans: Buttejuice.
For manual laborers: Blister Juice.

There you have it. Great minds at work.

It’s been a long time since I’ve thought about the Muppets. OK. Close your eyes and imagine them. Of course Kermie and Miss Piggy come up first in our minds. The loveable and nature-loving frog and his materialistic and overly-pink, pampered girlfriend, not to mention jealous, prone-to-violence and narcissistic.
The Muppet Show debuted in the mid ’70s. I was seven years old, fresh off of Sesame Street, and suddenly there was a prime-time show that helped bond parent and kid with silly antics and actually really good songs.
When I did an informal poll of my girlfriends at work, most said their most memorable character was Kermit. One writer said she used to get tears in her eyes when she would hear the lyrics: “Why are there so many, songs about rainbows.”
Plus, Kermit is so cool contemplating his navel and being the first frog to ride a bicycle.

Continue reading “The lovers, the dreamers and me” »

Ive only seen the television show Survivor? a handful of times. I think that was during the first season when there was so much hype on the cast that included Richard.
But I wrote so many stories about our roller derby maven Flica Flame and have gotten excited about it. A bunch of my coworkers even signed up for a Survivor pool. Somebody found a list of contestants on the Internet and for $5 we were each randomly assigned one of the players.
I got Nathan.
Go Nathan go!

Continue reading “Passion play” »

Tommy and I volunteered again this year for Taste of Chico. We were given a job in the Go Girl energy drink booth. The beverage comes in a tall pink can. It tastes pretty good and is fizzy, although Im a little hesitant to pump myself full of niacin.

WIN IT:

CLICK ON THE ENTRY “ENERGIZED” BELOW TO ENTER A CONTEST TO WIN THIS BOOK.
Continue reading “Sow There! 9-15 Shameless plug, fizzy drinks and daffodils” »

I talked to my friend Jim this week and he asked are you still feeling the glow of Taste of Chico.?

Its funny, because I was.

Tommy and I volunteered again this year, which means you get a T-shirt and work for three hours in one of the food or drink booths. In appreciation, youre given a golden ticket,? which is a card that gets punched each time you pick up a snack.?

This event is so fun and so much Chico.? I wonder who those people are who avoid downtown. You hear about them every once in a while like lonely echoes. I think of those anti-downtown people sitting in plastic covered couches and watching The Price is Right? on full volume.

Continue reading “Energized” »

A new big-box clothing and home store is opening up in town and I got a flyer in the mail urging me to phone an 800 number to see about working for them.

I gave the card to a friend who is looking for a job. She phoned me up and said when she dialed the phone number she got an automated voice that asked her to dial in the last four digits of her social security number. Then the machine asked her to state and spell her name.

Then the machine asked her a series of questions.

I enjoy working at a job that is fast-paced. Press one if you strongly agree.?

Rather than doing one thing at a time I enjoy doing a variety of tasks.?

I feel I could work with little or no supervision.?

Then the machine told her your responses do not meet the qualifications. Thank you. Good bye.?

I called the machine myself, stating and spelling the name Anna Nicole Smith, and I too was rejected.

Its rude enough to call for a job and get an automated response. But to actually be summarily rejected for a job for punching a one when strongly agreeing? that you enjoy a fast pace and can work without a supervisor seems kind of harsh.

What do you have to do? Be a slacker?

The machine started out by saying were an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate based on sex, race, religion … etc.?

But apparently they discriminate against fast-paced workers.

Hmmm.

One week into this blog and I’ve already learned a few things, like how to find pictures of Matthew McConaughey and post one on the Internet.

One of the biggees I’ve learned is that it’s nice to have an editor.
Continue reading “A young editor” »

Gardening can lead to some fairly fascinating discussions. For example, with just a little research we learned that the plant amaranth was key to strife between pagans and Christians, is a super-high energy food source and can replace shark liver in our diets.

Read on:

Friday Sow There! talked about elephant head amaranth, the bizarre looking plant in Shelleys yard with blooms that look like someone making an obscene gesture with their middle finger.
Continue reading “Stop eating shark liver” »