A group of us guys went to campaign headquarters down on Mercer and got a list of numbers to call, a short little script and got to calling. The first couple people I called I was super nervous. But eventually, I became much more comfortable and even did some freestylin’ (not rapping to people). I had a couple of good conversations, a new appreciation for those people that call me with their individual campaigns, and a little insight into campaigns.

Out of about 30 people called, I probably actually talked to about 6, left about 15 messages, and the rest were wrong numbers or the people were not home or didn’t have any kind of messaging system. By the end, it was really easy and natural and I would definitely consider doing it again when there’s something I can get behind. I’ve also volunteered myself and my car for election day to do whatever needs to get done to get people to the polls.

It feels good to have given some of my time instead of just clicking donate on a website and to meet the other people who are just as passionate about our candidate as I am. If you’re considering volunteering, DO IT. You won’t regret it (probably).

Doesn't he look like Dirk from Rushmore?

One thing that’s necessary if you’re starting out is having someone to show you how to do it. I tried learning from the internets, using videos and tutorials, but sometimes it just doesn’t work out. You’ve got this pile of tangled yarn in your hands, your poking sharp sticks through it and it’s supposed to look like what?

There are some sites out there that are pretty good, though. The tutorials on KnitPicks.com are pretty good and will get your started. I recommend trying to just do a square for your first project.

I’ve got a large skeen of Fisherman’s wool from Lion Brand. Although it’s not red, I hope to have my very own Zissou hat soon. Will post photos if I ever get started for reals.

Lo Lo did amazingly for her first sailing trip, considering we had Force 6 conditions with some gusts topping 45 mph and 3-5 foot breaking waves in the sound. She’s a natural for sure.

Can’t wait to get sailing in our own boat (on much calmer days).

Check our the new boat’s blog at http://northwest21.blogspot.com

For small projects, they have a fully-featured free version that you can use to collaborate between two people on one project. And affordable plans for anything more than that. They even offer SUPER discounts for non-profits. I highly recommend checking them out if you ever find yourself in need of super easy collaboration tools on the cheap.

Using the instructions found on the site, I’ve got the basic structure built. I’ve still got some work to do on the press base and final sealing/cleaning, but I think those are another 1-2 hours work.

Total time so far: 2 hours. I’m estimating it’ll be about 4 hours total. Then we can make grape juice (kid and adult varieties), apple cider (kid and adult varieties), pear cider (kid and adult varieties) and just about anything else you think you can press between two boards using a hydraulic jack.

UPDATE:
Added the press base and sealed the joints. Next step is to cover the pressing surfaces with some wax and we’re all set. Just in time too cause we’ve got some “sweated” apples that are READY to get squashed.

ANOTHER UPDATE (9/5/08):
We picked about half a bucket of apples and pressed them into 1/2 gallon of delicious homemade cider. Unfortunately, most of the apples got maggots and fell off early this year, but we did our research and we should be better prepared next year.

If you end up with a bushel of apples and don’t know what to do with them, feel free to bring it over and squeeze the crap out of them with our 2-ton jack.

• Rainwater Harvesting System Plumbed to Laundry and Toilets
• Infiltration Raingarden Handles All Stormwater OnSite
• In-Floor Radiant Heat with 4 Zones and Programmable Thermostats
• High Efficiency Gas Boiler Fuels both Space Heating and Domestic Hot Water
• Pre-Plumbed for Solar Water Heater

Some of it like the high-efficiency boiler seems like a requirement for new construction. It’s not significantly more expensive and you would see it made up in the savings on gas in a very short time. They’ve had these types of units in Europe for decades and they work really well. You never run out of hot water and you don’t need to keep 50 G of water hot at all times. Simple.

It’s a bit out of my price range, but I was definitely taking notes for future building projects and house endeavors.

It’s called Orchard and you can see it at fivedotorchard.com

I sent in my application to sit for the exam for national certification in massage this week so in 3-5 weeks I will take the exam and as soon as I graduate, the school will send in the rest of the paperwork, so I will get licensed in July. But I DO plan on taking time off for most of July and just spend time at home working on the bigger projects like remodeling the kitchen and maybe bathroom, doing some serious farming, getting a dog, and also taking a roadtrip with my special lady.

What’s been most surprising to me is my openness and aptitude in working with the more subtle, esoteric, energy-related work. Going into it, I was expecting to be into the clinical/medical type massage (which I still love very much). But if you asked me 16 months ago, even 8 months ago, if I could say “universal energy”, “chakra”, or “your energy flow is stagnant in this spot” with a straight face, I’d probably politely agree with you and then probably dismiss it. And that’s one of the biggest transformations I think I’ve gone through. I’ve broken free from the analytical, left-brain, got-to-be-explained with science mentality that I’ve held onto strongly for the last since I can remember years.

I feel open to the possibilities ahead in my career and look forward to the surprises that are still in store for me.