the pepper swap

we have had a problem with rats in our house for some time now. i find myself intrigued by their roaming while we're asleep, as we keep finding their shit in places one wouldn't really expect. at elast one of them as taken to stealing our food, which he/she then hides behind a basket that we keep on the kitchen counter. i can only figure that he/she imagines we won't discover this hiding place, then he/she will return at some time later to enjoy the fruits of his/her labor. things have just shifted though. this morning as i stood over the stove boiling water for tea, i looked behind the basket, and noticed that our rodent friend had stashed a jalapeno for his/her snack. as you might imagine, this made me laugh quite a bit. so today, i plan to replace our friend's jalapeno with a habanero. cruel as it may be, i like to imagine the little bugger in a state of shock. he/she may be clever, but we are the ones with the big brains after all. perhaps we'll be seeing less of our friend. the urine odor behind the fridge has become rather bothersome.

the winter skin

these colder late winter mornings keep me from the bike. march seems to me that time of year (in california) where we all don't quite know what to do. we don't know whether we should find the patience to remain inside drinking tea and eating copious amounts of sweet things, of pushing ourselves out into the cold sun, and shedding the winter skin.

perhaps this morning i will bake some cookies. somehow it seems right. lannie, mike, and i are all planning to ride from portland to san francisco this summer. june. i keep telling myself that i have time to get in shape. but time doesn't stop while i'm talking does it?