When life gives you lemons, make lemon meringue pie.

I know, that’s not the traditional saying, but I generally march to the beat of a different bagpiper. I think it’s safe to say that 2020 has provided a significant number of lemons to every day life, and there’s only so much lemonade you can drink. So I like to look for something that takes a bit more effort. After all, life went to the trouble of giving me something.

The latest lemon to hit my life was when the support rail of my bed broke last week. It wasn’t unexpected, as it’s the second time one of the wooden rails broken, but the first time was a tiny break near the bolt. This is a full-fledged, half the length of the bed break.

Broken wooden support rail in a bed frame.

I suppose I could tell a funny story about how it broke… an epic battle between Arwen and Cassandra, which the bed lost. But it wasn’t that epic – Cassandra was holding Arwen, and fell back onto the bed when the cat struggled to escape. I heard the crack from the next room.

My lemonade approach would be to order new support rails, or finally get around to ordering a new bed, which I had been looking at for a while. I can honestly say I wasn’t surprised that it broke; the previous break was a couple years ago. I was more dismayed at the timing, since shopping is a bit difficult at the moment. I have ordered a new bed, figuring it’s a good use of stimulus money.

But what about the bed frame? I can’t exactly donate (even if places were open) or give away a broken bed frame, even after gluing it. That wouldn’t feel right. Our spring trash day, when we can put bulk items out at the curb was cancelled… and if it hadn’t been, was actually the day the bed broke, so the break would have been after the pick-up anyways. And to be honest, it’s a reasonably nice (if broken) bed… a pretty wood color that was originally a crib, converted to a toddler bed, and now a full-size bed.

And then I realized what my lemon meringue pie approach would be. With the feet planted into the ground, the support rails will be the right height for a raised garden bed. The size is just about right to reach into every part of the bed for gardening and weeding, possibly with pavers, or even by splitting apart the support slats from the bed itself, and rejoining them as walkways. And the head and foot of the bed are effectively built-in trellises.

Of course, this takes time to set up. Even though I’m not digging deep, I submitted a dig request to mark the utility lines, just to be sure. I need landscaping fabric to reduce weed growth, and a mix of dirt and compost to fill the bed once that’s all done. I’m looking forward to planting sunflowers in it this year, as the spot I’ve chosen is remarkably sunny.

I bought a furnace.

I can’t say that’s a phrase I ever wanted to use. A furnace certainly wasn’t on my top ten things to shop for list. But I knew it was coming.

I had hoped my boiler would limp through one more winter. Last winter, it gradually lost water over a period of three to four weeks, with no obvious leak. That implied the leak was somewhere in the pipes to the radiators, but those pipes are buried in the foundation throughout the house. I learned how to bleed the system – drain the water and the build-up of air into the garage work sink to allow the water to replenish – buying functionality for another pair of weeks, until the room temperature variances started again.

As with all home improvement projects, I did my due diligence and requested estimates from multiple companies. Ultimately the one I chose was not just because they included a maintenance package and removal of the boiler, but because their sales representative explained what he was looking at in the house and attic, and what they needed to do for each piece of the puzzle.

Unassembled pieces of ductwork along with my stuff in the garage

Switching from a boiler and window air-conditioning meant there was no ductwork in the house yet, so we spent four long days with people crawling around in the attic and hammering away in the garage. I pulled what little I store in the attic down, moved furniture around in the garage, and parked outside for a week in December.

When they were done, I had a working furnace, a smart thermostat, and more importantly, peace of mind.

And an air-conditioner. Because I have ductwork now, and it will be far more efficient than window units.

Thoughts on The Long Earth

I just finished reading a book about traveling between parallel worlds. It was an amazing book, and at some point down the line, I’m sure I’ll share the review of it here. While reading it, it struck me how clever Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter were in creating a mode of travel for The Long Earth that was so clearly available to the masses.

When access to the means of travel, in this case, across the multiverse, is controlled by a corporation or by price, the story will be about a select group that can travel. In The Long Earth (the name of both the first book and the series), the plans for the “Stepper” were released online, and involved mostly items that are available at your local hardware store. And a potato to power it.

If you ever had a potato clock, you can appreciate the simplicity of it with at least a vague understanding that you can power something with a potato. Or pair of potatoes, for the clocks. The Stepper plans were deliberately accessible and available to everybody.

Another twist in The Long Earth was that humanity only evolved on ours, referred to as Datum Earth. No need to wonder if you’re going to meet yourself, or an evil version, on the next Earth over. People stepped either east or west, with the nearest Earths, as measured in steps from Datum Earth labeled “low”. Some people went higher, building new homes far from the civilization they knew, exploring the new frontiers.

And some people found they didn’t need the steppers. Interesting adventures were had by all.

Thoughts on Bridge 108

I’m fortunate in that I’m provided with many good books to read. This review was originally published in the January 1, 2020 issue of Booklist.

Award-winning author Anne Charnock begins Bridge 108 by introducing readers to Caleb, a twelve-year old from climate-ravaged Spain, living illegally in England as one of Ma Lexie’s assistants. He found his way there with Skylark’s assistance, not realizing that he was being trafficked and enslaved. A spur of the moment decision leads Caleb to freedom and on an adventure to find a better life for himself, with the added possibility of locating his mother, who he was separated from before meeting Skylark. As his world turns upside down time and time again, he gradually realizes that his parents’ dream of escaping to England – legally – was naive, causing him to reflect on the people who have aided or hampered his quest for a better life. This coming of age story sees Caleb sampling multiple jobs in a dystopian world, striding solidly forward in his efforts only to have them come crashing down due to outside forces. The potential reality to this late twenty-first century setting, with drought, wildfires, and closed borders, makes Bridge 108 both appealing and frightening. 

Three meals and a workout at Centr.com

One of the many generous offers that appeared online during this stay-at-home time was a free six-week membership to Centr.com, a fitness website run by Chris Hemsworth’s team. Yes, that Chris Hemsworth, better known to many as Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Centr can be accessed via a web browser or their app; the daily planner shows the same selection either way. There are recipe suggestions provided for three meals each day, at least one workout (some days more), an article to read, and a podcast or meditation to listen to. Any item on the planner can be swapped out by searching through the appropriate category and selecting a different one for the day.

The sign-up process allows users to select their fitness level and goals, and meal plan choices of Regular, Pescatarian, Vegetarian, or Vegan. The introduction also mentioned that you can make adjustments as needed, either due to dietary restrictions (for example, recipes that includes bread list Gluten Free as an alternate) or limited availability of ingredients.

Clockwise from the top left: Chilli mushroom & eggs toast, Dukkah salmon (& bok choy, not pictured), Greek chicken & lemon soup
Clockwise from the top left: Chilli mushroom & eggs toast, Dukkah salmon (& bok choy, not pictured), Greek chicken & lemon soup

The workout selection is pretty varied, from boxing to pilates to HIIT to dynamic yoga, and some insane training that Chris Hemsworth puts himself through. The recipe selection is equally varied, and frankly, quite tasty. I had a chai-spiced oatmeal the other morning, and there’s a variety of smoothie recipes available. I’m definitely enjoying the added variety in both my workouts and meals.

Spring is… oh, it’s snowing again.

What can I say, it’s Chicagoland. But it still looks like spring out there. My grass is green and will need mowing soon. My strawberries – added last year – are starting to revive. My hyacinths look lovely and smell better. And I’ve already started weeding.

Hyacinths (along with some leaves and weeds) in the front garden bed

OK, I’m not too thrilled about that last one, but it comes with gardening. Some of the weeds are things I planted, like the peppermint that wants to go everywhere in and around the star bed. Others, like thistle and burdock, which came with the yard, will probably come back soon, though in smaller quantities than when I bought the house.

And then there’s the vegetable garden. If you’re new to gardening, you may be deciding which seeds to order. I gather a lot of people are – my usual source, Territorial Seed Company, has stopped taking orders to catch up because of the unusually high demand. Due to compulsive organizing tendencies, I placed my order in January. In fact, I have peas and salad greens sprouting already, and I keep checking to see if my radishes and carrots are showing signs of starting.

Everything else that I want to plant, well, I’ll have to wait for the rest of spring to arrive.

The same garden bed, 2 days later, covered in snow with a couple hyacinths barely visible.

Thoughts on The New Improved Sorceress

This fabulous urban fantasy was hard to put down, and I am looking forward to its sequel. The review was originally published in the December 15, 2019 issue of Booklist. Online access to Booklist’s reviews is currently free; if you’re looking for ideas on what to read, that’s certainly the place to go.

In The New Improved Sorceress, the second book of the Wayward Mages series, Sara Hanover presents a realistic urban fantasy as college student Tessa Andrews adjusts to a maelstrom stone embedded in her left palm and all of her magical friends. This collection of supernatural friends includes her ghostly father, trapped in the basement; a centuries-old phoenix wizard sharing a young man’s body; and Hiram, an Iron Dwarf. Hiram requests Tessa’s help locating a magical gem, the Eye of Nimora, and the entire group chips in to help with her quest. In addition to her quest, agents from The Society (of wizards) attempt to recruit Tessa to a specialized college, she plays field hockey on her college team, and even attends classes. Further complicating her life, a book on Dark Arts imbues Tessa with magical powers of her own. Hanover references the previous book, The Late Great Wizard, enough that this sequel can be read on its own. Fans of Libriomancer and other urban fantasies will enjoy the gritty reality interspersed with magic. Any reader who has wondered what a normal person would do with magical powers will be delighted with this action-packed story.

The things you notice working from home

This isn’t my first work from home rodeo. You’re going to notice things in your house and neighborhood that were outside your scope of awareness before: the thunk the washing machine makes as it switches to the spin cycle, the water running through the pipes if you have a boiler, the creaking as a strong wind pushes the house, the way one cat announces before she uses the litter box and the other howls as she prepares to produce a hairball (typically while I’m working out).  You may wonder why the small cat makes a thump when she jumps onto the counter, but the large one only thumps coming down.

Even in these strange times, you’ll notice things about your neighbors too.  You’ll find out which ones hire a lawn service (and wonder why everybody on the block hires different ones), notice when the truck that always leaves at 5am is home or gone, and wonder why the curtains across the street are still closed this morning when they’re usually open before you head to work.

You may hear the guy who talks to himself – loudly until he notices somebody outside – as he rides his bike, or see the couple that takes morning walks year round, even in our winters.  You can watch the birds at the bird feeder as they alternate with the squirrels, observing the different visitors as spring advances.  If you look carefully later, you may see the evening visitors… woodchucks, raccoons, and skunks.

When you inevitably return to normal office settings, you will know so much more about your home and neighborhood if you take the time to look and listen now.

Quiet, but for the birds.

On a normal Monday morning walk, half of these cars would be gone from driveways. Some others would already have the spattering of snow cleared off, preparing to leave. Instead, I saw only a handful of cars on my way to the park, rush hour diminished by the Stay At Home order that went into effect Saturday night. As I walked, I listened to the birds.

Snow notwithstanding, the robins have reemerged in northern Illinois for the spring. The couple inches of snow that landed on Sunday had, for the most part, melted itself off the streets and driveways by Monday morning, but remained on the lawns and trees, a fluffy white layer made more pleasant by not needing to shovel it.

The cardinals never left for the winter, but now they’re singing. There are a couple woodpeckers in the neighborhood; I never see them, just hear them as I’m walking. That’s an improvement over the one woodpecker at my old house that started pecking on the wall outside my home office. Occasionally, I hear an owl, and frequently the crows.

For now, I hear fewer cars. They’ll return, after this crisis fades, but for now, I’ll enjoy the birds’ sound effects.

In times of trouble, find your family.

For most of us, the world has shifted immensely in the last week.  More people than ever are suddenly working from home, and parents who never considered homeschooling are finding themselves with children underfoot and educators scrambling to produce online lessons.

The initial wave of panic shopping should be done, I hope, allowing grocery stores to return to the new normal – encouraging social distancing as people move through restocked stores.  And the kindness may continue… people offering to go shopping for anybody in the neighborhood that can’t or aren’t comfortable going at the moment, photos of goods in a front yard saying “take what you need,” relatives dropping of food for family members in the vulnerable groups.  Whether they’re technically related or not, these are the families that hold our neighborhoods together.

Our karate family is similar.  Classes are either cancelled are reduced in size at the moment, so karate schools are turning to technology to make sure people stay active and keep training.  Many of the schools are streaming classes through Facebook Live, and opening them up to everybody instead of just their students.  That is how I attended a local class online on Tuesday, part of a class at Legacy Martial Arts in Pennsylvania last night (I had a meeting rune late), and am prepping for a kickboxing class at Double Dragon Tang Soo Do in Michigan tonight.

Stay active, stay upbeat, and if you’re able, take a moment to help somebody during this mess.