Snohomish farm

Today I stayed home from work because of the headache that prevented me from being able to walk without looking like a drunk octogenarian. I worked at the kitchen table, which overlooks the horse pasture. My in-laws have two beautiful chestnut horses (at least, I think that's what they're called). I just fed them some carrots.

I also checked on the kohlrabi, carrots, rainbow chard and basil I'm growing. The kohlrabi (white and purple) have already started to germinate, the first little sprouts are always the most fun for me to see. I may be pretty terrible at growing plants indoors, but I feel happy when I have dirt smeared hands and my knees and back ache from weeding and tending plants. I don't really like flowers all that much, although I'm a big fan of perennials. What I really enjoy is planting vegetables or fruits and then eating them when they're grown. There's just something so satisfying about sustenance gained from your own work, and knowing exactly where your food is coming from.

While I'm not a huge fan of the new commute, I love our new place. When we buy, I want enough space for a garden - kohlrabi, chard, lettuce, spinach, carrots, herbs, and cauliflower or broccoli. And I want some lovely perennial flowering plants surrounding the house and yard. I am so glad that, unless something truly odd and unforeseen occurs, I will never live in another apartment.

Today's Lyrics

http://www.pandora.com/music/song/lily+allen/fear#lyrics

I have discovered a passion for the most recent British invasion of female folksy singers, like Lily Allen, Kate Nash, Adele, and Duffy. Not necessarily Amy Winehouse, but she's alright. This is my favorite song today.

http://www.pandora.com/music/song/kate+nash/birds#lyrics

This is my second favorite of the day.

And now for some of their American counterparts - I absolutely love Regina Spektor. Brilliant music, brilliant piano.

Items

1. For L's dinner - two whole sliced up carrots, three natural cheese curds (Beecher's Cheese), grapes, and two slices of baguette.

2. Visited the new place yesterday, things are getting cleaned out in short order. Looking forward to moving, actually. :) And sleeping the whole night though with no ambulance noise.

3. One week of misery and pain left, Friday night final. I WILL make it through. With chocolate.

Happy Sunday!

Cheap Stuff

Last night, Colbert did a hilarious report on the Foxconn plant in China that is currently embroiled in a nasty public relations scandal with so many workers committing suicide, thereby drawing attention to the extremely unpleasant living conditions of the workers there. Colbert pointed out, quite rightly, that there would be no market for such cheap items were Americans not seduced by promises of cheap, cheap and cheaper.

For all of you made in America folks out there, how many of you actually buy American? How many of you bought American in the 90's when we were sending factories south of the border for cheaper wages? It's not corporate America that's at fault here - corporate America does what it does to increase value for the shareholders. What increases value? Sales. American CONSUMERS consumed the cheapest products, rather than the quality products, so American factories moved offshore.

When I lived in Austria, I knew people who would save up for months to buy high quality items because they didn't want to have to replace the blender they bought for at least a decade. When you buy a 100euro blender that you expect to last ten years or more (my mother's old Oster lasted fifteen years, the old Sharp microwave lasted 18 years), you're paying 10euro per year (not getting into the TVM issue here), while others who buy cheap blenders buy 20euro blenders every year or two, plus the frustration of using a lousy product. American consumers chose price over quality, and those folks who shop at Walmart should just be quiet about not having jobs, because we did this to ourselves.

Arizona Bill

There is plenty of evidence to suggest that the new bill in Arizona targeting illegal immigrants will likely increase rates of unsolved crimes and destabilize urban and rural communities. But, this reporter writes it a lot better I do. Worth reading.

Beecher's Cheese

For my operations course this quarter, I had the great pleasure of getting a private tour of Beecher's Cheese, located in Pike Place Market here in Seattle. They made 1.2 million lbs of cheese in their tiny location (see picture) last year. Their cheese is not only amazing, but they also donate 1% of profits to the Flagship Foundation, which helps to educate schoolchildren about making good and healthy choices in eating food. Touring Beecher's was like taking a master class in operations, and snarfing down fresh curds and mac 'n cheese made it all that much better.