all good here. as long as i think about my posture, and how i lift things, slow down, get help and at all costs avoid 250 pounders, work is going just fine. thankfully the rain las let up enough to check on my starts. there is no real significant snail or slug problem and most look like they've "taken" just fine. the raspberries are totally leafing out! still don't know what the mystery tree in front of the kitchen window is yet. not enough leaves to tell.

i talked to Pave and she is up for a mid-April trip to Bolivia. sadly, her dad passed away. he's been sick for some time. not much else to report.

tomorrow it's off to portland to see the Boredoms! and a nice dinner beforehand with Amy and Jake and hopefully Anakin!

it's shaping up to be a productive week or so in spine-garden-stove land. i received a good report from the doctor saying i can now lift 25 pounds, of course, using proper body mechanics. we talked about the tendency for low back pain to come up at some point almost daily, and she feels this will improve. she said i can try most things but i need to recognise when i've done too much and back off. she released me to the workmens comp doctor and as i understand it he will keep watch for maybe 2-3 months and then make a decision as to whether i am "medically stationary", i.e., either back to normal entirely, or if not, being at a point where it won't improve from there. i guess then settlements happen. (as far as visualization goes tho, we are looking at the 'back to normal entirely' option....) So i'm in the midst of re-orienting to ICU, really the new computer system, and then back to work on the weekend!


so i am lifting weights up to 8 pounds, doing the spine stabilization stuff, riding an indoor and outdoor bike and still walking 4-5 times per week 4-5 miles. i can ride the regular bike now, but i feel abit off, its either a balance or rather, a straight out fear of needing to catch myself and i'm not automatically at that point yet. when i go back to work, my hours will be 4-midnite with no more than 3 evenings in a row. alll of this is fortunate for me; i'll have plenty of time to do all the exercises before work rather than some ungodly hour in the morning, or after working all day. i also registered for a gentle pilates class that will start in april. (...i am so totally crazy i know. as i reread this i think its no damn wonder i get a little back ache! )


i have a few confessions as far as gardens go. 1.) i actually paid someone to dig up my beds and add compost. frivilous as it seems, now here i am happy with settling right in the dirt and planting starts. in fact the closer i can get to it all the better. so, yeah, the shovel stomping and dirt heaving is totally taken care! i feel a bit funny, like it's cheating or something! oh well, note to self, live and change prn. 2.) i want confess to Mrs Random that i too have starts in! we were in the Down to Earth Store same day thinking the same things! truth be told, i couldn't stand all those nice days in a row and so, i gave in over 2 weeks ago! so far i have: raspberries, onions, peas, broccoli, arugula, chard, mixed greens, and sweet peas, (the flowers). and surprise buds are popping up everywhere. and no evidence of little leaf eating slugs or snails! all seem to like the rain. :>)


Steve is digging away on the prolific blackberry crown population in his side yard. soon it will become a potato bed. berry bushes are looking nice. the strawberries i put in are all all leafing out. and i am almost finished with Kingsolver's book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. i am still reeling from the knowledge mass production of turkeys has resulted in turkeys NOT knowing turkey adult behavior as far as sex goes. that seems a pretty significant thing for a species to forget how or with whom to do thanks to our mass propagation models.


We recently heard from the Catholic Medical Mission Board and as it turns out they will cover Steve's and my ticket to Peru in mid-November or so! also, my stipend, and our insurance, so that's a relief and as always, so very much appreciated. we did finally hear from David in Bolivia and he is more than willing to work with Pave but suggests the middle of April. it has been a prolonged rainy season there and thinks mid April more will be happening in the way of solar cooking. expenses there are cheap. so i will call tomorrow and see if it will work for her. i hope so!


and more great news is we met with Ken Goyer today and he will talk with the attorney, accountant, and board members helping him in his Aid Africa, ABA (Also Doing Business As) Aid Latin America. he sees no problem and is very optimistic and genuinely thrilled to help us! hopefully, we'll be able to use our 'Vidas Mejoradas' name Steve and i picked out. we're looking forward to applying for grants and finally being about to give our donors documentation for their taxes. and we're mulling around ideas for fundraisers. further developments in all of this will come by way of the blog.