High 5!

Yes day 5. 5 more days of juicing? I think so. It's gross. And a chore. But I can do it. My stomach feels a little funny right now. We just drank a nasty juice full of Italian kale. Not my fave. But then we rewarded ourselves with a piece of fresh pineapple. I think my tummy is trying to adjust to eating and drinking.

So this morning I laid in bed (which felt amazing- like more so than normal-I love my bed right now) and I was having a hard time with my thoughts. When I thought about being hungry I gagged a little. I could smell and taste the juice just thinking about it. It's just so frothy and stinky. We had our breakfast juices which were fine- I just don't think I am a fan of grapes in my juice because you get some skin in there- too chunky! I tried to climb back on the exercise wagon this morning. I did about a 4 mile walk. It was such a nice day- not too hot and a slight breeze. Heading back towards home I started to feel the fact that I was really hungry. I started to panic for a minute thinking that I couldn't possibly have enough nutrients to get me home. Then I reasoned with myself and decided that if it got bad I could call my siblings and get a ride and they could bring me something to eat. First thought in my head-a roll. White bread roll. Sugary and yummy roll. But then I realized I would only get fruits, veggies, or (gag) juice. So I decided to make it home on my own.

I ate half an onion baked with zucchini squash. and then ran some errands with the fam. We didn't get home until like 5pm. Note to self: 1 juice and a tiny amount of cooked veggies is not enough for a whole day. So we juiced when we got home and then ate some salad. Then I laid around feeling kind of tired. Today was kind of a tired and sore day. Maybe this was my day 3. My brother is having a super duper day 3. I think he is taking an Epsom salt bath right now because he aches so bad. Google says he is in deep detox.

I have to race like a pee horse -Pause- back. Was that vulgar? I guess I figure since I talk about my poop- which was colorful and large today- then pee should be fine.

Anyways...as of this morning I have lost 12 pounds. Weird. My mom has lost 10.

Oh yeah! 3 other people have started juicing for health since we started this! Yay for changing the world around you! Now if I could just get my dad to juice maybe he can get out of the hospital that he hates.

Guess what!? I have a treat for you all!- Pictures!

This is our juicer.Beet juiceJuicing some kale...grossTaste the rainbow!Lunch!

Cheers!

The aftermath- lots of pulp.It sets up in the fridge- shake first then drink.

This is what our kitchen is like now! I should have taken a picture of the fridge! No one in our family would ever recognize it!

Well, I hope you enjoyed and were relieved by the fact I didn't put any poop pictures up.

Goodnight!

Days 3 and 4

Yesterday was day 3. Hell day. Well, that is what they say. Everyone was telling us just make it through day 3 and you will be fine. Well it came. I saw. I conquered. It really didn't feel that bad. I was hungry of course. I had some intestinal pain in the morning. But other than that I was good. Juice isn't tasting so bad anymore- the problem is the texture and smell. I don't want to put that in my mouth anymore. I just went extra hungry last night because I didn't want to drink a 4th juice. Last night there was also a little bit of torture. I went to my friends later hoping they would be done with dinner but no... no such luck. They were making these amazing sandwiches with hard salami, pesto, and provolone on special bread. After baking it looked gooey and delicious. I learned a lot about myself while I watched them eat- more on that later. I also learned that pesto is my new favorite smell and that costco cookies smell as good as I remember them tasting. (so do chocolate covered almonds) -PAUSE- THERE IS A MINER BURGER SITTING ON MY TABLE RIGHT NOW, THIS ISN'T EVEN COOL! AHHHH!-

Okay, I am fine.

I didn't poop at all yesterday. That was sad. Today my poop was very colorful but not much of it. Lame. So I had my first unjuiced food today. And no it wasn't the Miner burger. And before you mutiny against this hypocritical blog let me explain. We started out wanting to do ten days because that is what the movie talked about. Then we did some more research and found that ten days isn't right for everyone. The people who did ten days were very unhealthy or combating big health problems. And after taking a self-assessment I found that I should be doing a diet that is mixed with fresh eating too. Part of me really wanted to go the 5 days without any food just because I said I would. I went back and forth in my head about whether that was me wanting to stick to my word or just being proud. I think it is pride. So I ate today. I ate 4 cherry tomatoes, one blackberry, 3 blueberries, and a handful of snap-peas with hummus. And I juiced twice today. I'm hungry of course but I feel just fine. We were supposed to eat dinner some beet dinner thing my brother was gonna make but they cracked and ate miners so I don't know what I'll do.

This morning I drank my breakfast juice and mowed for 5 hours. There were two bad things about mowing. 1) I had to pee all the time which meant stopping and going into the house. 2) The fresh cut grass smelled exactly like the juice we have been drinking tastes. I was mowing along and caught off guard by my past meals...it was not pleasant.

I've lost 9 pounds since Thursday night. That is weird. I feel healthy and peaceful.

Okay so lessons learned or pondered...

Self control is awesome. I love exerting it. It is so important! Everybody should practice it- no really practice it- like make a goal and then force yourself to achieve it. It feels great and prepares you for later in life. I know some people that have struggled to have self control their whole lives and because of that have made a mess of it. Start small and big won't seem so big later on!

Okay I am off my soapbox.

I also learned how mindlessly I eat. Several times last night I had to mentally check myself because I wanted to reach for food without consciously thinking about it. I wanted to pop Cherry tomatoes in my mouth, chew on the piece of salami that Rachel didn't use, and peel off the melted cheese from the tin foil. It was kind of surreal to stop yourself from doing something before you even knew you were gonna do it.

I like to eat and eat and eat until I am stuffed. I don't like moderation much. I counted out the food I ate today because I really wanted to just take the whole bowl of hummus and the bag of peas to the living room and eat until it was gone. When I was little I didn't really understand being full. I used to eat until I was sick. I had no idea that you were supposed to stop before that. I used to eat whole miner burgers and fries and a milkshake at ten- no ten year old girl should be able to do that. I can't believe I didn't weigh 300lbs!

Lastly I recognized a food issue I have. I think I inherited it from my food hoarding father. I was sitting at the table watching my friends eat their delicious sandwiches and found myself thinking stupid thoughts like "They'll never have those sandwiches again, or those cookies. This was my one chance to eat it and I am missing out." Wow. That is a giant lie and really sick thinking. That is how I am though. I am afraid of missing out on something. As a kid of course I wanted to be first in line to eat because I was impatient but also because I was afraid the good stuff would be gone. Even as an adult I want to put lots of something good on my plate in case there is none left for seconds. I never end up finishing what I have. It is a really sick attachment because I have never gone without food. And more than that I live in a country where I can hop in my car and drive a block to any grocery store and get whatever the heck I want anytime I want. Man.

Right now I feel like I am breathing life in deep and slow. I'll eat or I won't. I'll be okay.

Man this juice fast is pretty cool.

Day two

I am gonna try to write this one faster than last nights because I really want to go to bed. Not only am I sleepy tired, but I am tired of feeling hungry.

So last night I was still feeling a little shy but the hunger has gotten rid of that...so POOP WARNING! The next few sentences are not for the prude of heart. Last night while I was writing I had a little gas. I was sitting cross legged in a big chair and so the smell kind of wafted up. Let me tell you, this diet is dangerous. I almost passed out from my own stench. I am not sure I have ever smelled anything so rank and raw. Nasty...I know. On a possibly grosser but funnier note, someone in my family had an accident today. I won't name any names but she may have given birth to me. I came out of the bathroom to hear her laughing at herself. She had some gas that apparently wasn't just gas. Let's just say it was wet and runny and not urine. She had to do some floor cleaning and laundry after that incident.

Okay, I am done with the poop and fart talk. Or am I? It is really hard to tell with this diet.

Anyways, breakfast was of course pretty yummy. Fruits always are. I slept in as late as I could...well I could have slept in longer but my brother who couldn't sleep past 8 was texting me to get up.

Lunch was nasty. We tried something called mean green and as it sounds it was very green and having to drink it made me very mean. It was really tough to choke down. Especially the frothy part. Who wants to drink green froth? I don't think there will ever be a market for kale froth.

Dinner wasn't bad. It was mostly carrots and spinach. I also learned that chugging the juice is a technique that I am torn about. On the one hand you finish before you realize how much you hate it, but on the other hand the feeling of that thick of a beverage in my stomach so quickly isn't something I am fond of.

Realizations of the day:

Commercials suck.

Visiting your father in the hospital is okay as long as you leave before the dinner tray arrives.

My families mood swings complement eachother...most of the time. When one is ready to quit the others talk him or her off the ledge. The downside is that someone is always threatening and always crabby.

Going to the movies is a bad idea when the person in front of you has a large bag of buttery warm popcorn and is sitting so close that the smell reminds you of how great it tasted a week ago when you had some.

And lastly, if you say you hope you don't dream about something you probably will. Last night I dreamed about juicing and about real food. In the dreams I kept trying to juice things you can't juice like bananas and avocado. Somehow after pulling them out of the juicer they would end up in my mouth and I would have to scrape the food off my tongue and spit it in the garbage before my family realized I had cheated.

Sometimes I am amazed by my brains over-activity.

Well that's it I think.

Goodnight and happy eating. (which btw I hate you all for)

Brave or stupid?

It's funny how your perspective can change so quickly. A week ago I got incredibly excited every time I felt hungry- that meant I got to eat. This week I cringe when my stomach growls because I dread my next meal. Yesterday I thought a juice cleanse was a great idea. Today I want to eat a loaf of french bread- by myself- right now. This morning I thought my juice meal tasted pretty darn good. Tonight I gag when I think about liquids. Yeah, things change pretty quickly.

Rewind a bit...

My brother watched this documentary called "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead." It was about a dude who went on a juice fast for 60 days in effort to cure himself of his obesity and autoimmune disease. It worked. My brother sent us a text raving about it and now about a month later we are actually doing it. Well, attempting to do it.

The goal is a 10 day juice cleanse. We juice fresh fruits and vegetables each day for all of our meals. That's it. Just frothy juice. No chewing. (I miss chewing)

Why?

Well according to the website: "When we take in fresh fruits and vegetables in live form, because of the high enzyme and alkaline content, the body will begin to release toxins that have been lodged in the cells." Some of my family is also looking to lose weight with this cleanse but my main goal is to get rid of all the crap (no really, literally crap) that is stored in my poor lengthy intestines. If you don't already know this about me, I have a hard time pooping. I'm what you call irregular. Sometimes I get on a good schedule with my life and my bowels move pretty smoothly but the slightest change or trip or extended stay in a public place and it's like someone shoved a cork in my hind-end. I once went 9 days without a good release. Sick I know.

So that is the goal. But it isn't an easy road. The website goes on to say: "Once this happens, a cleansing response can occur, which range in headaches, dizziness, sore muscles, fatigue, nausea, low-grade fevers, runny nose or coughing, mood-swings. We are cleansed ONLY when the trapped matter LEAVES the system." Sounds like a party right? Ya know, I am not too worried about those things though. I've lived through feeling crummy many times before. I'm Catholic, I've fasted and been hungry. But I still think this is going to be the biggest test of my will and self-control that I have ever agreed to. I've given up certain things for amounts of time before. But I have always had a good substitute. When I give up sweets I have fruits to eat. When I give up meat I have, well, everything else to eat. But giving up eating and replacing it with drinking- not the best substitute.

Here's the deal. I love food. I mean I really really love food. I love the taste, taking bites, chewing, savoring, smelling and yes, talking about food. Juicing it all up and drinking it through a straw just feels like a grave injustice to the beauty that is food. Sick I know. I love food.

A few highlights...or lowlights from the start of this adventure:

On day 1 we bought our produce from a couple fruit stands and a grocery store that sells local foods. Then we went to Black Angus. I had steak, shrimp, ribs, potato skins, 3 cheese bread, fried zucchini, two kinds of salads, and molasses bread. It was amazing. (The memory haunts me)

On day 2 we actually started so for all intents and purposes this was day 1.

On the real day 1 we took the juicer out of the box and made a yummy liquid breakfast of apples, pears, carrots, and ginger. Then we made a list of all the things we were going to get accomplished during our cleanse.

Then we all promptly took large bowl movements.

We tried to substitute one addiction (food) for another (shopping). It didn't work too well because everywhere we ended up going had a grocery section to tease us.

Lunch was a mixture of pretty much every fruit and veggie under the sun. It resembled Barney in a blender. I choked it down because I was starving.

Dinner was basically Gazpacho juice. The first sip tasted pretty good. The last sip was truly muscled down.

I went to a dinner party and watched my friends eat steak and snack on crackers with fancy cheese. The highlight of the party- smelling Jake's BBQ smelling hands. Twice. YUM!

My dad called to tell us he is in the hospital again. Going to see him nearly drove my sister and brother to eat. It doesn't help that the cafeteria at Memorial hospital has always been a family favorite for their Clam Chowder, salad bar and fresh rolls.

I went out to some other friends house later in the night thinking it would be a good distraction. Little did I know the cop show we would watch starred a cop who never stopped eating delicious sandwiches. Okay, they may not have been delicious but at this point who cares!

My sweet and loving cousin also decided to eat dinner very late...chicken sausage stuffed with everything amazing including cheese. He let me smell that too though.

Mary was right, smelling food is almost like eating it. I had several large helpings of chocolate ice cream scent. Thanks Rachel.

Now it is almost 1am on real day two. I am hungry and have a headache. I also feel a little like I need to poop. Instead I am gonna go to bed and pray I don't dream about real food or have nightmares about their juices.

Stay tuned for more updates...

In my automobile...

“I wish I had a teleportation device.” I am ashamed to admit that it was I who muttered that phrase just the other day. Why? Well, because I had 140 miles of travel ahead of me and was not looking forward to it. One hundred forty miles: That doesn’t seem like much anymore. In fact it took me just about two hours from doorway to doorway. Two hours is nothing. Two hours is a movie, four television shows, a fancy dinner out, or half a school day. So why was I complaining? I complained because the automobile has completely changed America’s concept of time.

When we were asked to write this essay, I didn’t have much personal experience to draw from. I have never known what it is like to not have a car. I’ve never wanted for gasoline or tires. When and where I needed to go, I went. I grew up in a two or three car family. With each new licensed family member came a convenient way to get them where they needed to be. So, I knew I wouldn’t have a problem writing about life WITH a car but what about life without one? I decided to do some personal experimentation. I decided not to use my car sometimes (please hold your applause). As I write, I have four car-free (or relatively free) days under my belt. Today should have been my fifth but it was supposed to rain and I didn’t want to have soggy stuff when I arrived. Looking back at my decision making of early this morning I see more clearly other options, like wearing my bag under my waterproof coat or putting a garbage sack over my bag. But, at 6am I only saw two: walk and get wet or drive and stay dry. And just to be clear, it hasn’t rained at all yet.

Day 1: I left my house at 6:45am. I figured it couldn’t take longer than an hour and a half to get to school. I embraced modern technology and Google Map searched the route to see how far it was, and they estimated a walking time of 48 minutes. It actually ended up taking me 45 minutes, and once I jaywalked from my side street to Lincoln Ave, I had sidewalk the entire trip. It felt good to start my day with a brisk walk. I was a little overheated but I had an hour to cool down before my first class started. I read a book. After school I walked home a different path. I wanted to avoid main streets in the daytime because I don’t really like people all around me. I cut through Franklin Park and followed smaller streets from the Historic Chestnut district up to Lincoln and 35^th. I was blown away by all the beautiful houses I never knew we always had. For some, it was the meticulously manicured manors that caught my eye, others, the picturesque paint job, and still others, the sheer charisma and character of the quarters. It took me longer to get back home. It was uphill most of the way and I stopped several times to catch my breath when the combination of self-propulsion, fresh air, and beauty took it away. I told some of my friends and family that I had walked to school. I was so proud of the 5.2 mile roundtrip that I had made without the aid of wheels or an engine. Mostly, I was proud because I knew I could and I did. My mind always wonders things like: If you can, why don’t you? My first day walking was a pride builder in so many ways.

Day 2: On Tuesday mornings I play basketball with a group of older men from my church. It starts at 6am and is held at the gym 21 blocks away, so I drove. Rather than looking at that as a failure, I saw it as a necessary exception. I did rush home after, get ready, and walk down Lincoln to the Medical clinic for my friends’ appointment. I beat them to the door even though they drove past me. I didn’t have to put anything in park, unbuckle, or turn a key. I found out my Godchild is going to be a girl and then I grabbed my backpack and headed the rest of the way to school. The trip home this day was unremarkable from the previous trip which is to say it was incredibly remarkable. It is amazing what you can see when you open your eyes. And it is amazing what you can think and feel when you give your brain the time to process the stimuli coming in.

Day 3: This was the day I got my timing down. I knew how long it would take me and slept in accordingly. It was going to be a big day. As I made my way to school I passed through the Albertsons parking lot as usual. A random guy asked if I wanted a ride to school. I’m not sure how he knew I was going to school and I’m not sure why he thought it was okay to offer me a ride. This might be why my sister asked me to text her when I made it to school safely that first day I walked. After school, I had to walk to my Dad’s house to do some cleaning. He lives somewhere around Chestnut and 50-something. It was nice to see some new road. I passed a lady working in her raised beds right off a busy street. I really wanted to stop and ask her what she was growing. I had hoped it was all sorts of yummy vegetables. I walked past, shuffled back a few steps but then turned and kept going. I was too chicken to ask and I didn’t want to seem creepy. But more power to her! After working at my dads I walked a few more blocks to church for Good Friday Stations of the Cross. Then I began the little over two mile journey home. Around 6pm I got my walking shoes back on and repeated my previous journey only in reverse. I started walking crabby and having a headache but by the time I got to the church I was just tired. It was that good kind of tired though. The kind you feel happy to feel because you just walked 10miles that day. And I was indeed happy to feel it. I had my niece pick me up after the service though because it was dark out. This is still Yakima I live in.

Day 4: The trip to and from school is easy now. I stopped in the park on the way home to pray and chat on the phone with my boyfriend. I also started looking at people’s faces as they drive past. I was happy to see that some people look very happy. Some, however, look like I need to get out of their way or they will run me down, especially in their crosswalk (and don’t bother trying to tell them the crosswalk is for the pedestrians or that pedestrians have the right of way- it just won’t get through). Around 3:30, some friends from out of town got a hold of me and wanted to hang out for a bit. I had to be home before 5pm to baby-sit for my sister so we had a small window to work with. They asked me to join them at Northtown. I told them I wasn’t driving my car today. We tried to think of a closer place to meet but it would be tough to walk anywhere and back by five and still get to actually hang out. They said that could pick me up but that didn’t work out, so I didn’t go. I did homework and read instead.

Day 5: (I took a break in my writing and by the time I started again I had a day five to chronicle) I took my time walking this morning. I walked a new path and meandered through the Gilbert Place neighborhood. When I got to that giant mansion of a house near 16^th I stopped and starred and dreamed. I ran into a fellow student at the crosswalk on Tieton. I recognized him as one of the guys I usually see riding his bike to school. We chatted briefly about how he had gotten a flat but that today was a beautiful day to hoof it anyways. When the walk signal came on he jogged away. I still took my time. I ended up at class six minutes late. I didn’t care. My teacher didn’t seem to care either. I think deep down he knows that he is teaching us things we learned in middle school. It got windy on the trip home but I was unfazed. You know, I am really starting to value my walking time.

Time itself doesn’t change. An hour is still 60 minutes. A day is still 24 hours. But, what I learned about time from our conversations in class, the book, and my own “hands-on” research is that our idea of time is not the same as it ever was or as it will be in the future. Maybe, like beauty, time is in the eye of the beholder.

I noticed many interesting things surrounding time. Some are small things, like the time it takes to walk across the crosswalk. I noticed that you never have enough time. The drivers in cars look at you like you are a snail even when you are speed-walking across to accommodate them. Even the little green or yellow walking figure that appears on the signal only lasts about a quarter of the time it takes to cross. I can’t tell you how many times I have found myself in the middle of the road while the crosswalk signal is putting up a big red hand telling me to stop. Why is the time to cross so short? My guess: to accommodate the automobile. Besides, nobody really uses crosswalks anyways; everyone has a car to drive somewhere.

I also noticed that because of the automobile, we are able to do more with our time. We can go places we couldn’t go in a day before. We can check more things off of our list in one day. We can be more productive if we need to be. In 1909 it took 20 days to drive across the US. Today it takes 36 hours. You gave us that statistic in class. But, what does that mean to people who don’t have to travel across the nation? Well it means that if you can traverse the country in 36 hours then you can do just about anything in a day. It means you can make it to work in another town in 30 minutes. It means you can make it to the doctors in 20 minutes, roundtrip to the store in 15minutes and you could even have a McDonald’s cheeseburger in your mouth in less than 10minutes. In fact, you can do all those things in one day -twice! When I drive to school it takes me literally 5-7minutes depending on traffic and school zones. When I walk it takes me 45minutes. That means that when I drive I have nearly 40 more minutes to sleep, eat, sit in a bubble bath, read, pray, talk to my family or anything else I wish to do. But usually, I fill those 40minutes with something. Just something. Not even anything that I can specifically remember. In fact, I usually end up feeling rushed as I hustle out the door. When I use those 40minutes to walk to school, I know exactly what I am doing. For that amount of time, I am living on purpose. I am walking to school. I am looking at houses. I am thinking about my day and my life. I said we could be more productive if we need to be. What we need to remember though, is that the automobile can gift us with time, but it can also steal from us the value of that time.

So I guess I also noticed that the automobile can be a thief. Our value of time is not the only thing it can steal. It can steal from us our health. We are one of the most obese countries and Yakima has been listed as one of the fattest cities. The only exercise some get is from the front door to the car door and with garages, even that is minimal. It can steal our money. It costs $40 to fill your tank every week. It needs new tires, and washing, and changing. The automobile steals money like a metal and rubber child that can’t love you in return. It can steal our pride. “Wow, look at that car, it’s bigger, better, cooler, sexier, smarter, and so is the person driving it.” As that video showed us, research makes sure we feel this way. Finally, cars can steal that time they give us right back from underneath us. The average American spends 70hours a year in traffic. That is nearly two weeks of vacation time stolen from you in little 20minutes increments each day. But, as Americans, we love the car so we keep letting it rob us blind.

I also learned about my own feelings regarding time. I have to make time to take time. I have to say to myself, “Self, don’t be so rushed or try to cram so many things in.” When I read that part in the book where they didn’t go out and do things because it was raining or the part where they had a lazy holiday because they didn’t hop on a plane or train to travel, I was envious. During lent, one of the things I gave up was television. I started doing new things to fill my time. I read books, walked while listening to books on tape, took naps, and even put together puzzles. As lent ended I was excited to get to watch TV again but then a quick thought entered me mind, “how will I have time to do those other things with all the TV watching I do.” It’s not the same thing but it is very similar. Even if I don’t consciously think it, I must love the idea of the automobile and time not controlling me. Sometimes when we think we are exercising freedom we are actually chaining ourselves to something else.

The automobile has most definitely changed our idea of time. Some of those changes are good and productive and some are less than ideal. Sometimes we feel more freedom because of our car, and sometimes we feel more oppressed. I don’t know for sure if it is bad that we have let the automobile change our idea of time, but I do think that it could be very bad for our culture if we don’t change our ideas about the automobile.

The walkers lament.

I've walked around all morning looking like I'm crying.
Maybe I am.
Wait that is Johnny Cash's line. I am wearing a black sweatshirt and black hat. Maybe I'm channeling his spirit.
Okay so the cry-looking eyes don't have anything to do with anything really except that as I type I keep being reminded of them by the burning and the sniffing. Why do dripping eyes always have to bring along the dripping nose? Sniff Sniff. Oh well.
So, my new hobby- when I walk places I like to look at the faces of the drivers as they pass by. The best is when I'm using the crosswalk and I get to see the drivers faces who are trying to make a right hand turn. Their eyes glare at me as if to say: "Who has the audacity to step foot in my road?" And then the second they think they can get around me without clipping me, they zoom past. I shrug a little once I reach the safety of the sidewalk. I feel a little bad that I ruined their day like that. But mostly I feel extremely overjoyed for them knowing that the worst part of their day is a 5 second pause to let me across the street. Their life must be something spectacular!
If you ever find yourself enraged by the person keeping you from the beloved right hand turn, then stop, and smile. Life is grand! No boss will yell at you today! No child will enter a battle of wills against you! No car accidents! No war! No world hunger! Have no fear because the worst part of your day today is little ol' me! I almost feel like a super hero! Environmentalist are right- walking to school really is saving the world.
One more thing on the topic of walking. I think I am going to start working on a patent for a new invention. It's similar to a catapult. When you press the little button at the corner that lets the mainframe know a pedestrian needs to cross, the catapult would engage. Once the little lighted man appeared on the sign across the street, the catch would release sending the people soaring to the other side. I know what you are thinking...there must be all sorts of liabilities to sort out what with all the people flying through the air willy-nilly like that just to land on concrete. But I'm sure congress can sort that out. Maybe a foam pit at each street corner.
Yes, my invention would have to be extremely accurate for that to work. And I would need to account for the brittle bones of old people and the metal gears of the riders' bikes that may become lodged in another's ribs or skull. Maybe the government can handle that one too. Like laws about who can use the cross walks and maybe even a licensing process. Everyone who wants to walk would have to prove themselves fit enough to cross the street and vow to do so unencumbered.
This must all seem like a lot of work but really, this is the only solution I can see to the pressing problem of crosswalk crossing time. Sure, we could just make the time the little walking figure appears longer and keep the red stop walking hand at bay say...oh I dunno, a reasonable amount of time for an average individual without super human speed to get atleast most of the way across the street. But come on, that sounds too easy and logical. Which probably means it would never work.
I bet the right hand turning drivers would like the catapult idea as well. Not only would it get them past quicker, but it would be like a fun arcade game- trying to avoid the flying pedestrian from splatting on your windshield.
The more I think about this, the more scientifically complex it sounds. And boy do I hate science. I guess it's back to the drawing board.

I get around...

Today marked the third day that I have made the 2.6 mile walk to school in the morning. It takes right around 45minutes from my front door to the front door of the Haven ministry house (across the street from the campus). Why am I walking to school? I wish it was for more noble reasons like trying to save the planet or in support of those who cannot afford vehicles-perhaps those in third world countries who walk miles everyday simply to access clean drinking water. But, those of you who know me, probably know that isn't true. Hopefully you know that isn't true because I'm a complicated woman kind of human being who rarely does anything for one single good reason and not because I'm a selfish jerk (please say I'm not a selfish jerk). I guess I could be a selfish jerk- that is kind of the point of this whole blog thing right- to write about myself and in order to make it funny let my flesh-ripping sarcasm shine through.
Anyways, back to me (wow I can't get away from this selfish thing can I ((my sisters where right(((nobody tell them that please))).
So walking to school- right walking. Why have I been walking? Well, I decided to walk to school once just to see if I could do it. I had been reading about that family in NYC who gave up mechanised transportation and thought it sounded like a challenge. And because I am highly competitive- yes, even with myself- I decided to give it a try. I left the house super early because I had no idea how long it would actually take me to make the trek- google maps gives you an estimate but -brace yourselves for this- sometimes technology is wrong. I ended up about 45minutes early for school so I read a book and tried to get myself to not stink of sweat and outside. Even though it is somewhat cool and brisk in the morning I end up sweating by the time I get where I am going. And it is that annoying kind of sweat where you are hot and cold at the same time. I think cold sweat might even smell worse than hot sweat- or maybe it just makes you more self conscious because you think you shouldn't be sweating or maybe I am just thinking about this too much- that could be true too. The walk home that first day was the best and worse part. It was slower paced because I wasn't trying to be anywhere at any certain time so I could really have a chance to take in the scene around me. I had no idea there were such beautiful houses in Yakima. Some newer construction and others old with wonderful upkeep. I just love looking at unique houses! It was also sunny. Sunny is nice but that made is warmer and that made me sweat even more. It is also uphill the whole way home....more sweat. But overall, I was extremely proud of myself for meeting the challenge and doing something I thought I could.
The second time was a different story. This time I was walking because I knew I could and thought I should. If I can get to school and not use my car then I probably should-sometimes. Not only does it save me money and provide over 5 miles of fat burning cardio round trip, it is better for the environment that I call home. So I walked out of determination and a little bit of guilt.
Mostly I just remember thinking, "Wow this is taking forever!" Okay, that is a lie I also did stop dead in my tracks two times in awe of a couple different properties I passed. One was this old white faded brick house that looked like it belonged on an old hilly street in Seattle. It had this amazing deck with those paper lantern lights hung all over yet avoiding the tacky look. I envied their entertaining capabilities. The second was a modest house that had a meticulously manicured tree growing up the front wall and perfectly placed around the windows of both stories. It was one of the coolest things I have ever seen. But other than that, walking was just taking forever. I was tired and I wanted to be home.
That was Tuesday. Since then I have been going back and forth in my head about walking again. I think I should keep it up at least until I finish writing my paper for Humanities about the affect of the automobile on American culture, but I am also searching for reasons why I absolutely need my car. Why would I need my car- how about the value of my time and the things I need to do? I wrestled with that until last night and then still being undecided, I turned to my adventurous and competitive side to make the decision. I need to go to my dads after school to clean and I need to make it to Stations of the cross at 3 and back for Good Friday services at 7. Can I do that all without my car? Can I go one day of somewhat normal activities without my car? Is that a challenge I smell (or my armpits((sorry, maybe this is why people are shocked when I tell them I am 25- perhaps my humor suggests a little boy))? So challenge it is and challenge myself I shall!
This time I know how long it will take me and wake up with just barely enough time to shower, throw some food in my mouth and blow dry my hair so it doesn't look like a twisty mess all day. I ditch my backpack because even though I am taking 17 credits, I apparently have no need of any of the books I bought or even my brain- maybe I should leave that at home today too.
I head down then up, then back down the little hills surrounding my house and start the Rosary as I walk. When I get to Albertsons (the half way point) I see a motorcycle cop and some guy at the pump makes a comment in my general direction. I didn't hear him and mumbled, "huh?" Apparently he thought that was an agreeing response to whatever he said because he laughed and asked me if I was going to school. I am a little creeped out but before I put that title on the feelings, my mouth is already responding to him: "Yeah." As he asks if I want I ride I silently chastise myself for not answering with something like, "No, I am heading to see my big strong boyfriend who carries a gun," or "No, I'm with that cop over there," or "No, I am actually a scary man under these clothes who will kick your you-know-what if you try anything you big creep." But because I am distracted by my inner monologue my mouth answers for me again: "Nah, I'm doing this for exercise, thanks though." I guess that is much nicer- hopefully not too nice. Luckily my feet weren't involved in any of this. They just kept minding their own business putting one in front of the other so I am pretty far away now as he mutters something else. In less then a minute I get back onto a main road feeling very relieved, a little stupid, and slightly helpless. The guy from the pump drives past and honks. I raise a hand in recognition and I spend the rest of the walk to school hoping that I know that guy from one of my classes and not from a poster or the bottom corner of the newspaper where the crime stopper ads are. And then before I know it I am at the school.
This challenge/project/environmental duty really is proving to be a challenge, even in Yakima- or maybe especially in Yakima. I hope the rest of the day is less eventful.