Jefferson Park

This weekend The RHPB, Divot, and I went on a backpacking trip. It was time... we'd been talking about going off and on all summer but it seemed like one or both of us was always busy with something. Timing clicked for once: we both had Labor Day off so it made sense for him to take a weekend off from playing golf. Head to the wilderness, we did.

Based on recommendations from friends we decided to head to Jefferson Park. I was wary of heading to such a popular destination over a holiday weekend so was prepared for a lot of people. Which there were. From time to time it was annoying, but overall I'm glad we went. Next time I'll go mid-week!

Celebrate

This year I will be celebrating my 35th birthday. I have been working hard to get into better shape, and take better care of myself in general this year. In particular I've been eating better and exercising more regularly.

It's time to kick it up a notch, though. I am going to start running again.

If you know me, you probably know that I am not a huge fan of running. I used to run a LOT in my younger days. I ran cross country and for "fun" in high school. During college, running was a major part of the work-out with the crew team. I was never very fast but I enjoyed the time outside. After having kids, my running time seems to be centered on keeping up with the younger set.

So here's the deal. Starting next week I am going to be following this workout plan. Since I know myself, I am giving myself lots of time and flexibility so there are some extra weeks in there before the actual run. It also gives me "space" to include days with other types of workouts (like biking, in preparation for a Sonoma Wine Country tour). And if I decide I need professional help (heh!) I might join the Fleet Feet "No Boundaries" training program.

My goal is to be able to run the Pacific Crest 5k without stopping to walk. Which also happens to be the weekend of my 35th birthday.

Want to join me while I train? Cool! Things like this always are easier when there are friends along to support one another. I'm not hung up on being able to keep up with people, so if there are a few of us then I'll probably meet you at a track somewhere. Otherwise I'll be running and walking my "canal trail and neighborhood loop" from home.

Want to join me at the 5k? Even better! I usually celebrate my birthday with a family trip to the coast. Hopefully instead I'll have a good time celebrating better health too!

Boot

Like many others in my circle of friends (both local and "virtual") I have been making an effort to get into better shape. Let's face it - I don't have the most active job. This summer I started walking on a somewhat regular basis with a group of friends. Now that it's cold and dark in the morning, it's getting harder and harder to be motivated to roll out of bed early for a walk.

In the meantime I also started hooping which is pretty fun. It's a great cardio workout and seems to be helping with my balance and coordination. Plus I can't help but smile like an idiot while hooping. It's fun! I think that's part of what brings me back to class, week after week.

I've also noticed signs and announcements - as well as overheard people raving about - Boot Camp style exercise programs. It's a group fitness class that generally meets outdoors and combines several exercise styles including stretching, cardio, abs work, calisthenics, yoga... a little of everything. Several people have told me I should give it a try but it was tough to fit in. Not to mention, it's a little on the spendy side to just "give a try".

So when I saw a note on Hack Bend that there was a Boot Camp offering a free class this weekend, I figured this was my chance. Of course I had to send a shout out to my Chubby Mommy buddies to see who was interested. And I was delighted when my friend Kate sounded interested.

Let me digress for a moment. Kate is my best "wild hare" friend. If I see something that looks interesting, she always seems game to try. She has fun ideas of her own too! We've been to some great events, like Ignite Portland. And we've laughed our way through some, er... interesting?... events like the Taste of Home cooking show. Thanks, Kate!

So this morning as I was milling around, we decided (via very official text messages) that we would give Better Body Boot Camp a try. I know how that name sounds... but hey at least it's honest! I have kids, so I'm not necessarily looking for more Adventure in my life. But who doesn't want a Better Body? There's always something needing improvement, right? It's just that in my case there's a lot that needs improvement.

Arriving at Drake Park, I saw a small group assembled down at the stage. The instructors looked awfully perky for so early in the morning on a VERY COLD Saturday. Whatever they had, they weren't sharing. Soon they had us stretching and I was quickly warm enough that I could shed my winter coat. Hat and gloves stayed on for most of the class though!

Let me tell you... Boot Camp class is HARD.

And the hour long session does NOT fly by.

I kept thinking, "Julie would tell me this is one of those Try, Not Cry moments."

The hardest part? Hearing "hey you're almost there!" and then doing what felt like a million more reps of whatever brutal activity we were practicing. Some were harder than others. Others were even fairly easy in comparison. But even those were more difficult the second (or third, or fourth) time around.

Yikes.

Even though it was really hard, there was some fun along with the suffering. In my heart I feel good about doing something nice for my body. I don't know if my muscles and joints agree yet. Maybe my body would have been more thankful if I had come home and treated it to a nice long soak in a hot tub. But since we don't have a hot tub, I don't think my muscles were getting their hopes up.

After class we toasted our survival and warmed up with a large pot of tea at Townshend's. I was so happy to have something hot to drink!! And the shower that I finally took (after coming home and going straight to spreading bark and otherwise "winterizing" the yard - before it snows again) was probably the best shower. Ever.

Am I cut out for Boot Camp? I'm not sure. Maybe I should decide depending on how sore I feel tomorrow? As I told Kate over tea, I think I would definitely enjoy something more in line with Flip-Flop Camp.

Let me know if you see a poster for Flip-Flop Camp. I'd love to give it a try.

Drive

Finally. I know...

Surely you have been on the edge of your seats after reading this post, and then this one. Heh... or you could have just gone over to Missy's blog and read her account of our drive home from Baker City.

Was it really all that bad? No... actually I think it was worse. Basically, we spent all day in this:

Splash

I didn't go wakeboarding this weekend. Don't get me wrong... I tried. But through a nasty combination of age and total lack of athleticism I never quite made it fully out of the water and vertical.

Anyways... it was fun to try something new. And it was a blast to hang out at the lake, ride on the new boat, and soak up some sun. Our kids were elsewhere so we got to play with the nephews for a change. They showed me their tree fort, helped me with word search puzzles, took me on walks, and taught me how to play "Aggravation". They loved playing with Divot, taking her out to swim, and throwing a football for her to chase into the water. On the lake we watched them wakeboard, while others waterskiied and wake surfed. Scott tried the wake surfing too, and was up on his first try. It looked like fun but I was worn out from all my previous efforts with the wakeboard. (Not really, but it sounds good right?)

Pepe's

We went to Pepe's for dinner tonight. When I expressed my sadness that they were closing to Pepe's daughter (the owner) tonight, her jaw dropped.

Pepe's in Bend is not closing. At least, not yet. She said they have considered a change, but nothing is a "done deal". We had a wonderful dinner there tonight - great food and friendly service as always.

I know not all Bendites feel the same way about Pepe's, but many of you do. Please show your support to this great family restaurant, and help convince them that Bend wants them to stay!

Grub

It seemed like a good idea at the time. I pictured myself and a few girlfriends sitting in chairs, perhaps each with a glass of wine. I knew it was fruitless to hope for a Bourdain - after all we were in Redmond. But perhaps the friendly and sociable presenter would be reminiscent of Emeril, or maybe even Alton. Heck, I would have been OK with a Rachael. We would giggle at their jokes and marvel at their knife skills. I would drool over their gadgets and gizmos, wishing I had the same gear in my home.

Oh, the humanity.

Julie and I arrived early, in time to check out the exhibitors. Since this was a cooking show, we imagined we would find event planners, gourmet shops, kitchen stores... that kind of thing. I was really really glad to see Rocky Mountain Products - we were given a sampler box of their sauces at Christmas, and they are soooo yummy. There was a booth for "Cooks N Counters" (a kitchen store in Redmond) and Pampered Chef. Oh, and someone from Quizno's was there, handing out Sammies. But Cookie Lee jewelry? And the candle place? Not to mention the retirement home. Hmm... I guess we weren't going to be doing too much networking with them (but it gave us an indication of the target audience, which apparently was NOT us).

We were also dismayed to see some six HUNDRED chairs setup in rows, facing a stage kitchen and two ginormous screens. Small and intimate this show was not. I immediately put my conference-going experience to good use and snagged us seats in the back row. Easier to make an escape, and easier to stand in the case you are surrounded by people you would rather not be surrounded by. (Nothing personal, but I am slighty claustro- and crowd-phobic.)

As for visiting the booths, apparently the format was to stand in line starting at the far end of the hall, and work your way around the outside walls (where the booths were set up) in one bovine-reminiscent queue. Can you say "Moo"? Yeah, me too. Alternate booths seemed to have something yummy to hand out (like the Sammies from Quizno's... they were actually quite good!). Luckily I had eaten a large lunch (at the Speed Shop Deli) so I wasn't too desperate. But about halfway around we got to the concession stand, and it was too much for Julie. She had to get some food.

A word about concessions at any food or cooking-related event. Or, really ANY event, but especially one where you get to watch someone else play with food. First of all, I was shocked that no one was serving or selling glasses of wine. Don't wine and food go together? There was a "wine wheel" (telling you what kind of wine to serve with certain types of food) and the event was sponsored by Gallo, for cripes sake. But there was no. wine. anywhere. Secondly, that had better be some darn good food coming out of the concession stand. Poor Julie... it was as far from any interpretation of "good" that I could conceive. Her "teriyaki chicken with rice and vegetables" was a brown, gooey, sloppy mess. The rice was congealed into dry clumps and the whole thing was drowned in some kind of sauce that smelled more like soy than teriyaki. A word to the Deschutes County fairgrounds caterers: Yuck. You need to try harder. Now, the ladies selling the food seemed very nice, and I strongly doubt that they had anything to do with the quality.

OK, I digress. After Julie tossed more than half of her pitiful excuse for dinner away we continued our migration around the booths. As we finished Kate and another non-blogging friend (hi, Adrianne!) joined us. And it was about that time that the show was to begin. We wandered back over to the vicinity of our seats, and found that people had filled in on both sides. So, we could push past the good folks on one side or another and squish together into the teeny, close-set chairs. Or we could stand. We chose door number two. Hooray for us!

And in the end our standing in the back became a show-long running joke. The presenters implored those with empty seats close by to let us in. No thanks, we are just fine standing. Someone later came out with a cart full of chairs, and proceed to set them up for us... directly behind our four chairs in the back row. Really, we are doing great! We kept reassuring people, and then the next person who came along would get upset that we had nowhere to sit. When the whole time the FOUR of us were standing behind our FOUR saved chairs. It was really nice that they were concerned for our backsides... but frankly it was a lot funny too.

Finally it was time for the show to begin. That's right, there really was a "show" that must go on! After the welcome's and thank you's and drawing of names out of the raffle box, out came our cooking expert extraordinaire... someone. No one I had heard of. No one Julie, Kate, or Adrianne had heard of either. I am sure she is a nice person and her friends love going to her house for dinner. But... unfortunately not as exciting as seeing Alton or Emeril. Let alone the dreamy, bad-boy that is Bourdain. Sigh.

First she demonstrated how to cook cornish game hens. She reassured us that you don't need one of those fancy-dancy roasting pans with a rack. Oh no, mortals! You can use one of these instead!

OK readers, get your mind out of the gutter. Yeah, I can tell what you are thinking. Get over it. This is a cooking show, remember?

That's right, you can make a big foil rope thingy. Then fold it into a "W" and perch your little hens on that so they don't stick to the pan. See? Now don't you just feel silly?

I sure felt silly. Because I must have looked like the biggest snob in Redmond that night. Scratch that, I am pretty sure my friends looked like snobs with me. Things people might have overheard us saying?

"Umm, is it really Eggs Benedict if there's no hollandaise sauce?"
"Cool, at least this recipe has liquor in it!"
"Hey, she (the cook) has wine! No fair, we should get a bottle in our goodie bag."
"Look, she's pretending to slice a strawberry... that's pre-sliced!"
"Wow, she goes through a lot of paper towels."
"I used to have one of those mixers. It sucked. They should get her a KitchenAid."
"Smacking it against the rim of the garbage can does the trick, too." (On removing an avocado pit from a knife blade.)
"This really isn’t so bad when you stand in the back with your snarky friends"

Yeah, we were pretty snarky. It was like MST3K goes to Cooking School. But for this type of event it's my saving grace. Later in the show we started leafing through the cookbook/magazine from our goodie bag. Some of the delights inside included:

First off, check out this delightful Honeybee Ham Salad Sandwich - Good concept, poor execution. I don't know what the yellow "frosting" is on the outside of the bee. I don't think I want to. If I made this for my kids they would pick off the olives and then make a run for it.

Easter Bunny Cheese Spread - Perhaps the biggest waste of jelly beans ever committed. And this bunny might just give my kids nightmares to look at, let alone eat. Yikes.

And last but not least...Easter Bunny Bread - this one looked like a cute little bunny that had been shot in the stomach. Handy, so you can scoop out the innards with veggies or parts torn from it's doughy body. To borrow a line from Zippy... Oh my shit.

But there were some legit, yummy-sounding and looking recipes too. Like Lemon-Nut Twists and Strawberries al Moscato With Vanilla Cream in Meringue Nests. What is really puzzling is that though those recipes are in the cookbook/magazine... they were nowhere to be found on the show's website. So sorry suckas, you have to go to the show if you want the good recipes!

Off and on, our cook demonstrated several recipes over the course of two hours. I use the word "demonstrated" because mostly, that's what she did. Granted, she can flip a crepe with the best of 'em. But the vegies were mostly already chopped, so there was no wow-ing us with her knife skills. Which really, is one of my favorite parts of watching cooking shows. It's sort of like going to see the fire eater, just in case he gets burnt. I want them to chop stuff, just in case they bleed. Bwahahaha...

After all of the demonstrations it was time for the final raffle. Since we have a brand-new kitchen I wasn't too excited about most of the appliances on stage, but I had my eye on the cute blue microwave that sat idle for the entire show. If they don't use it, it must be a prize, right? Nope. All that appliance eye-candy that she never used was just that. So, what did they raffle off? That's right... the food. Some of it was finished just minutes ago, but remember the show lasted for two hours. Ummm... do you want faux eggs benedict (with avocado, no less) that has been sitting for more than an hour? Yeah, me neither. I can appreciate not wanting to waste the food... but at least if you are going to give it away, then give it away the minute it's done. Forget the "must be present" till the bitter end crap and feed us. Kthxbye!

Then it was over, and we all (600 of us, mostly in separate cars) fought our way out of the parking lot. And then discovered a fun fact about the geography and placement of the Deschutes County Fairgrounds. Yeup, in between the fairgrounds and the on-ramp to Highway 97 there are railroad tracks. So of course, there was a train, and all (600 of us, mostly in separate cars) had to wait for it to pass.

But all in all, is there ever a bad night out with friends? I can think of better venues and events, but I think all say it was a good time.

Snark and all.

Fiddle

When we found a spot on the bleachers, I leaned over and told Boo, "no matter what happens, remember that I love you very much." She looked at me with a confused expression. I reassured her that soon she would understand.

Kids dressed in black pants and white shirts (some with ties!) started to filter in and find their seats on the gym floor. We spotted Q.P. and Stinky among them. It was almost time to begin.

Our chosen seats had a good view of Stinky but it was tough to see Q.P. which was a little disappointing. Finally the teacher appeared... and the 6th grade orchestra concert began!

Some time during the first number Boo asked me, "Is this supposed to be 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star'?" And by the look on her face I knew that she understood my earlier comment. But all things considered, it was pretty good for a bunch of kids who just started playing assorted stringed instruments. And it was QUICK too... they only played for about 20 minutes. There were few surprises - I think they played the same tunes that I probably played at my first orchestra concert.

But there was one large surprise - Stinky was the second chair for the first violins.

When it was over, I could tell that the kids were relieved. That first performance is a tough one. Next year music classes are optional. I hope they will both continue with something, if not orchestra.

Immobilized

My mobile phone... isn't. Some time last week it was looking like the battery died. After a full charge my phone stayed on for only a few hours. Even less if (gasp!) I actually made a call. So in order to make sure it was on I had to keep it plugged in at all times.

A replacement battery didn't help alleviate the problem, so now I am faced with the task of choosing a new phone. I'm frustrated because I really like my little phone. It isn't much more than a phone, though it does have a camera. The style is nice and the call quality has been very good. If possible, I would just get another one. But (of course) they don't make this particular device and the prices on the Internet are prohibitive.

What's next? It's fun to tease the RHPB that I will just get an iPhone (and use my mom's address in Salem for billing). While I think there are some really cool things about the iPhone, that probably not the direction I will go. A lot of people are recommending "smart phones" or "mobile devices" but it's a little scary to go down that road.

I really don't have a burning desire to read email on my device. Part of me just wants to get another plain ol' phone. I like having a camera - even if it's not a high quality one it's nice to have one that "does" in a pinch.

But on the other hand, I wouldn't mind having the ability to Twitter from my cell. ;)

What do all y'all think? Any recommendations?

Perilous

It was almost 60 degrees outside yesterday which made it tough to remember that it's still winter out there. Despite the mini-heat wave there is still snow everywhere, and it's cold (hella cold!) at night. Friends are still making trips up the mountain. Others are escaping (temporarily) to warmer climates. But just as the hot, dry summers make Bend a fun place to live... so do the many traditional winter activities enjoyed by Bendites. Ice skating, skiing, snowboarding, snowman building, and sledding - you betcha.

And then there is the Ice Crit.

Did you know there is an Ice Crit? If you did, then I will see you there because once you have been, you will be back. But for those of you that don't know, here's the scoop. Crit is short for "criterium", which is basically a multi-lap bicycle race on a closed course. So an Ice Crit is - yeup, that's right - carnage in the cold. And I just got word that Bend's 69th Twilight Ice Crit is going to be held this weekend. Come and watch the mayhem, or contribute to it by racing your bike (20 laps) around the Swampy Lakes Sno-Park parking lot - it's fun for all who dare attend.

See ya there!

Bend's Twilight Ice Crit
Saturday, February 16th
Registration and practice laps start at 6pm
$5 entry fee, free to watch
Race starts at 7pm
Swampy Lakes Sno-Park (16 miles west of Bend on Cascade Lakes Hwy)

Headlights, glow sticks, blinkies, and other forms of illumination are recommended.

Brace Face!

Brace Face!
Originally uploaded by fiveforefun

Yeup, Stinky got braces today. And so the fun that is orthodontia, has officially begun in the "Weird" household.

Q.P. isn't far behind and will probably get hers this spring. Boo is slated to have them as well, but probably not for a few years. (Which means, probably right after the big kids are done!)

Clean

I like my house to be tidy. Not sterile, just... somewhat clean. This particular character flaw flies in direct conflict with another.

I don't put things away when I am done with them.

And unfortunately no one else in the house does, either. So here I am on a Saturday morning, looking around in despair. Where did all this junk come from? Why is there not a SINGLE cordless phone on a hook. For that matter where are the cordless phones? Remotes for TV, DVD, Wii, and who knows what else are spread across the living room. Miscellaneous shoes and bike helmets are everywhere else. Halloween candy wrappers are underfoot, under chairs, and under... where?

So today we are going to clean. I am going to reinforce the rule that "kid stuff goes in kids' rooms." I will remind everyone that trash (like the Halloween candy wrappers) belongs in the garbage can, and your dishes get rinsed out and go in the sink (but only if it doesn't fit in the dishwasher).

And then I will remind myself of the same things.

Lofty

Miss Julie, I am soooo stealing today's post title from you. I know it's your word, I said you could have it. But I'm taking it back. It's mine, I used it first, so there! ;) But I just can't help it because it describes, perfectly...

Our seats at the Hannah Montana concert.

Yeup, we were way up there. But it was fun anyways!

Na...Mo

Man... who comes up with this stuff? And why, oh why do I feel obliged to participate? I mean it... isn't there enough to do during the month of November without agreeing to

1. Post to my blog every single day
2. Attempt to write a 50,000 word (roughly 175 page) novel

???

Maybe it will be fun, maybe it won't. But I am going to give it the old college try anyways. Wanna join me?

NaBloPoMo - aka National Blog Posting Month. I participated last year, and came pretty darn close to posting every day. Maybe this year I will stick to it and think of something interesting for all y'all to read every day in November. So tell me - any suggestions for themes or topics?

NaNoWriMo - aka National Novel Writing Month. I have to be honest, this scares the bejeezus out of me. Why can't it be National Cookbook Writing Month? But I have always wanted to at least try to write a novel (I was a lit major in college), so maybe this will inspire me to get a start on things. Or not. We'll see!

Wish me luck... and if you are participating let me know. Maybe we can cheer each other on, or celebrate with martini's on December 1 if we survive!

It sounded like a good idea at the time. I was at McDonald's anyways, buying my (semi) monthly bacon & egg "McGriddle". (Yeah, those are darn good... in the bad kinda way!)

So I did it. I ordered an iced coffee. From McDonald's.

Now, keep in mind that I am grumpy before my morning caffeinated beverages. Imagine how crusty I was after tasting the large cup of swill that was handed to me:

Use your imagination. Perhaps I am using my powers of concentration to try to make the iced coffee from McDonald's taste good. (Hmm... maybe that's shooting too high. Let's go for "less bad".) Or maybe I'm shooting invisible rays out of my eyes that will magically transform the nastiness that is an iced coffee from McDonald's into a delicious iced toddy style coffee from Thump... or even a Cinnamon Dolce latte from Starbucks. Cripes I would even go for the stuff out of the office urn over the iced coffee from McDonald's!

Yeup. It's that bad. Just say no. Do not pass go, do not collect $100. Don't wonder, like I did, if iced coffee from McDonald's can really be that bad... because I promise you it is!

Where did it come from and what does iced coffee from McDonald's taste like? Well here's my best guess. Last night they put all the leftover coffee in the fridge. When I drove up someone poured out a little of that day-old, not-so-good-to-begin-with, coffee. Mixed it with a little milk. Poured over ice... and there's my beverage. It's like sucking on my dog's dirty paws (not that I know for sure what that tastes like, but it's gotta be in the same ballpark). I am pretty sure that in two hours I will still be able to taste the bad flavor, even gum isn't masking the taste of the icky iced coffee from McDonald's that is coating my tongue.

There is one good thing about the iced coffee from McDonald's. It comes with a free apple pie! But since the iced coffee was two bucks and the pies are usually two for a buck... if there is ever a "next time" I think I will just go straight for the four pies.

Folks, consider this my public service announcement. Just Say No to the iced coffee from McDonald's. I wish I had.

Song

Via Painted Maypole's Monday Mission... here's my song rewrite of The Beatles' "Maxwell's Silver Hammer".

Stinky was ready; he held the Wii-mote steady
Zelda's a cool game.
Riding a horse around on the TV.
Oh, oh, oh, oh.

Balanced on the ball^*, defeating monsters big and small,
Excitement starts to mount.
"Watch me beat my highest of high scores,
Mo, aw, aw, om?"

But as he's bouncing u-up and down
His feet slip and he frowns.

Bang! Bang! There goes my new vase^**
Down onto the floor.
Bang! Bang! There goes my new vase
That's right, it is no more.

^*It's one of those big inflatable stability balls, an almost perfect perch when playing Wii.
^**The vase used to sit on the hearth, next to the fireplace. Now it's on the kitchen table in pieces. Scott is gluing it back together.

No children were harmed in the course of this event.

Wrath

The Grapes of Wrath at the Old Mill Martini bar is served in a martini glass with a red grape garnish. It's light pink in color, and smells slightly sweet. It's a sipping drink. Refreshing, and one of my favorites on a warm summer evening.

After sipping my way through the evening, this morning I am feeling the "wrath".

Tylenol, anyone?

Froggy

One of the things that the kids brought back from camp was "The Froggy Song". Actually it's not so much a song, as a chant. And now it's stuck in my head.

My froggy is purple
Your froggy is YUCKY GREEN!
My froggy is purple
Your froggy is SICK! HAH!

My froggy eats oatmeal
Your froggy eats CORNMEAL MUSH!
My froggy eats oatmeal
Your froggy is SICK! HAH!

You get the idea, right?

The kids sang some new verses that I don't remember from my days of playin' in the woods.

Any suggestions for a new annoying song to get stuck in my head? Or any cool Froggy comparisons I might not have heard yet, just to mix things up a bit?

(Help!)

Backup

Not the computer kind. The traffic kind.

I waited in backed up traffic for no less than twenty-five minutes at the north end of Deschutes Market Road, near the railroad crossing. And after all that time, when we passed by the crossing (that was supposedly being repaved)...

The workers were perched on and sitting around the barrier supports, chatting and laughing.

How much do these guys get paid? Cuz... well... I can do that too. Where do I sign up?

Flagger

If you live anywhere near 15th Street, and south of Reed Market Road, then this should be a familiar sight to you:
(Apologies for the crummy phone-camera image. I don't haul the Nikon with me on my daily drive.)

Yeup, that's right. We have road construction. In fact we have had road constructions for months. I know the traffic flaggers and they know me - so well that when I saw one at the store he said "hi" to me. All part of upgrading the utilities and infrastructure for this 90-home Pahlisch development. (At least that's my best guess!) Because, ya know, we don't have enough big empty houses in Bend. Let's build more!

They have been in the process of tearing up one section of road at a time, doing something mysterious and important that involves lots of heavy equipment and six or seven guys standing around staring into the pit, and then patching the road surface. Lather, rinse, and repeat... all the way from the canal to Reed Market.

It's been hellish.

I have waited for flaggers for up to 25 minutes at times. Sometimes I give up, turn around, and go further down Reed Market to 27th Street, just to avoid sitting and waiting. I have found alternate routes through the "Biblical King" neighborhood just north of us. But NONE of them seem to go all the way from Ferguson to Reed Market, so I usually get stuck anyhow. And I can only imagine the wear and tear on my car by driving over the uneven, patchy "surface".

But it's almost over.

The end is in sight.

They are paving 15th Street right now! And they wouldn't dare rip up a freshly paved road, would they?

Or would they?