Christmas Ride Report

Our Christmas Century was most epic!  We started out with our new Panniers in Glendale and ended up in Newport Beach.  Through the city, we enjoyed riding the bike lanes on Verdugo, Colorado, Eagle Rock, and York Blvd.

1) water stop at Jack-in-the-Box on York Blvd. (7 miles)

Through South Pasadena (Monterey Rd), Alhambra (Chapel Ave), and Rosemead (Hellman Ave) we rode along broad residential streets. We climbed an overpass to cross the I-10 on Jackson Ave and followed fellow cyclists along Garvey Ave to enter the Rio Hondo Bike Path.

2) water stop at 7-11 on Hellman and San Gabriel Blvd (15 miles)

We went under the 60 freeway and crossed the 19 (Rosemead Blvd) where a guy was selling flowers and candied apples. Rio Hondo was super-scenic and colorful with leaves and a variety of plants at this time of year.  From there it was easy to follow the signs for the San Gabriel River Trail.  There were plenty of parks to stop and use the facilities and refill our water bottles.

3) water stop at Santa Fe Springs Park (27 miles) **restrooms closed until after New Year's Day!

We met a fellow cyclist who was a total inspiration.  He had lost possibly more than 100 pounds after being bit by a mosquito and experiencing a year of paralysis.  He told himself that if he ever became mobile again he would change his lifestyle.  And we saw him that day riding from Pico Rivera to Seal Beach and back in one day.  Way to go!

4) lunch at Liberty Park (33 miles)

When we got to the terminus of the San Gabriel River trail at Seal Beach we took a few minutes to eat and take photos.

5) water stop at Alamitos Bay (42 miles)

One of my favorite parts of the route was crossing through the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve.  We were definitely saddle sore at this point and all the biodiversity really cheered us onward.  There were also plenty of restrooms and water fountains along this part of the route.

6) water stop at PCH and Goldenwest (50 miles)

I loved the Huntington Beach portion of the ride, especially the dog-beach.  It was super fun to see all the dogs frolicking in the waves while we were suffering through the last decade of miles.  I definitely got to use all kinds of layers.  I was rocking the UCR cycling kit (Champion System), which I call the Cadillac of chamois and dear husband was sporting the Sugoi.  We both had bib-style shorts and tight-fitting jerseys.  I also had Pearl Izumi long-sleeved outerwear which came in mighty handy as the ocean breeze picked up and the sun began to set.

7) arrival in Newport Beach (54 miles)

I was feeling really beat-down just before I saw the sign welcoming us to Newport Beach.  Luckily I was traveling with a native (dear husband) and he knew a shortcut to get to our hotel (North Bayside Drive and Back Bay Drive).  It was really fun seeing all the fishermen and riding over a bridge to avoid the big climb at the intersection of the PCH and Jamboree.  We checked into the Hyatt Regency and got a room with a sliding glass door so we could roll our bikes up and into our room.  We stayed two nights and had a great walk around Balboa Island on Christmas day for some cross-training.  We made it a priority to book a hotel with a jacuzzi which we used at the turnaround point for our trip, soaking with massaging jets for 20 minutes.  I also did a cold-treatment by standing in the pool for 15 minutes, followed by a return to the hot tub without jets on for 10 minutes.

We packed plenty of nutrition for our trip.  Sliced apples, oranges and pears were our fresh fruit for hydration, sugars and electrolytes.  We used Quaker oatmeal bars (chocolate chip) and Gu shots.  Clif shot bloks and PowerBar performance energy bars, Hammer gels, and Jelly Belly Sport Beans.  Pretty much anything and everything to get us through the ride.  On the way there we also had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, which we didn't have on the way back...

8) water stop at Huntington Surf & Sport / Mobil gas station (72 miles)

We rode along PCH rather than close to the water to get home faster.  It was weird that there were very few pedestrian crosswalks, but it was pretty to see the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve from the inland side rather than the ocean side.  I bought a Huntington Beach sticker at the Surf & Sport.

9) snack stop at Out*Spoke*N (74 miles)

We stopped at a bike shop to get some Gu.  It was a good place to have a chat with other cyclists but we were on the move and didn't stay long.  I'm sure if we had timed it better we could have spent more time here and less time at the gas station.  It was kind of hilarous though to stop at a gas station and not fill up our gas tanks, just breeze on through fueled by carbohydrates and water!

10) water stop at Liberty Park (84 miles)

Some of the ride I was sans-jersey and styling my sports bra and bibs.  It was cool and refreshing.  There was a bit of wind on the ride home, a hot dry wind that left us encrusted with salt.  Interestingly, we didn't have any electrolyte beverage, but I think that's why the sports chews and bars were so important.  We tried to eat every 45 minutes.  Also tried to drink every 15 minutes, but it was probably more like 20.  I wish my Garmin watch would beep when it was time to eat or drink.  At least it keeps track of pace and time (and date).  I only wore sunscreen on my face and I ended up with a gnarly cyclist's shorts tan and a farmer tan on my upper arms.

11) lunch at Wilderness Park (90 miles)

This stop was idyllic with crane, swans, pelicans, ducks and a cute puppy frolicking among the families enjoying the outdoors there.  The restrooms and drinking fountains were welcoming features of the park.  I never knew much about Downey, CA but now I can say that I've been there.  We also never knew there were so many horses along the way.  It was interesting to be riding along in a turn-of-the century mobile (a bicycle) flanked by 1800's style transportation (men on horseback) and modern day machines (cars stuck in traffic on the 605 freeway).

12) water stop at 7-11 on Hellman and San Gabriel Blvd (103 miles)

By the time we hit the 7-11 again, all the fight had been knocked out of us.  We could bearly make complete sentences, let alone argue about whether or not a video should be recorded.  At Huntington Dr and N Atlantic Blvd we had a brief stop to put on our lights since the sun was setting and we had to hustle the remainder of the journey in the growing darkness.  Each half of the trip burned 6000 calories and took us about 7 hours.  Shoutouts to Dan Slater and the Riverside Bicycle Club for giving us the knowledge and confidence to undertake this epic Christmas ride.

When we got home, we ate the last of our carb loading meal.  It was great to have a home-cooked Christmas.  We also got a free dessert at the restaraunt Shor consisting of a pumpkin crème brûlée and two sugar cookies.  Guilt free!

blurred lines

When I go crazy, it's because I've lost perspective.  Things are going great, my dear husband and I are running in parallel lines.  We've been exercising together (not in series, or on a tandem) but parallel.  Also we've been riding the train and I just love the image of two rails extending indefinitely parallel.

Just because my husband is an electrical journeyman, I'll throw in the idea of resistance.  When two resistors (people who procrastinate) are in series, their resistance sums together.  When instead two resistors are in parallel, the resistance is a product divided by the sum.  For two resistors of R = 5, the series resistance is 10 while parallel decreases by a factor of 4 to R =2.5.  Surely this is why we are getting our house in order.

I've been thinking about divine shapes lately.  What is DNA other than two parallel phosphate backbones?  Amazing to recall my college humanities class and I remember talking a lot about the divine (perfect) circle.  Also been thinking about the triangle, without which I could not have won a set of Blocks & Marbles (thanks Grandpa).  It's trinity, symmetry and stability fascinate me!

I had a particularly great time recently constructing the unit cells and teaching students coordination number, packing efficiency, and radius ratio.  Without Pythagorean's theorem and the equation for the volume of a sphere, we wouldn't have been able to calculate our way out of a cube!


Before the semester started, I drew a Zinnia using the Fibonacci sequence and it made me happy.  Some idea that flowers cause a dopamine release was stuck in my head but it turns out that study was funded by the floral industry.  I miss my garden.  It's pretty grim looking at the moment, but these winter rains are starting to bring out the early spring greenery.  The wildflower box is already perking back up.  I haven't tended it since school started.

So, yeah, we've been taking the train this semester.  It's been a good change of pace.  I downloaded a bunch of 20 minute guided meditations for my mp3 player and listen to them on the way to school or on the way home.  It's a good way to avoid the rush-rush feeling that goes with commuting by automobile and taking advantage of the ability to close my eyes and focus on breathing.  Deeply.

Also had a great time frosting winter cookies.  Baked the Moravian Spice Cookies on Thanksgiving and frosted them with Royal Icing with the members of the Chem Club.  It was hexagon-tastic!

Thanksgiving Ride Report

This Thanksgiving was like none other!  We rode over the river and through the woods with dinner on our bike rack.  We prepared fruits and veggies from the garden using a Swiss Army Knife and a Microwave.  Regardless of the warnings about free radicals generated when heating plastic, we steamed the vegetables in Ziploc bags and added the butter after.  We had Eggplant steaks, Parslied potatoes & carrots with sliced garlic, Swiss chard with mushrooms, Spiced baked squash, Sweet onion and whole garlic cloves, and Snitzbrot.  We used only the finest paper plates and plastic cutlery.  We drank tap water with gusto.

It was really amazing because we stayed at the Doubletree on the 10th floor and from our hotel we could look at downtown LA and just barely see Griffith park.  It was daunting to consider the ride home because the day after Thanksgiving we got rained on nearly the entire ride home.  It was super fun riding by the Beverly Center and through Beverly Hills.  Also Fountain Ave bike route was extremely enjoyable.  Loved the Ballona Creek Bicycle Path and the bike lane along Venice Blvd.  It was thanks to CicLAvia that we felt comfortable riding through various parts of LA and for the first time I started to feel like "this is my city."

Mission Inn Run ~ Race Report

The 2013 Mission Inn Run (10k) course was a blast!  I got to cross the finish line with family, which is definitely the highlight of this race.  The water stops were plentiful and it was amazing running through the best parts of downtown Riverside on such a nice day.

I definitely wish I would have treated myself to some new running shoes because I'm having a keepsake of the race that is a sharp pain in my foot.  Finishers were awarded medals that were color-coded according to which course the runner (or walker) completed.  That was a nice touch.  You could tell which course the athlete was traversing by the color of his or her bib.  The kids (short courses) were white, 5 k was blue, 10 k was orange, and half-marathon was green (I think).

We had a super-weekend because we rode our bicycles to the train station in Glendale and took the train to LA.  From LA we boarded the San Bernardino line and disembarked at Rialto.  We took a sweet bike ride down hill to the SART which got us to Market street.  We rode by the health expo and on to our destination, the home of our family members (18 miles total).  We picked up our bibs & T-shirts Saturday night, via car.  We took a car to and from the race, but immediately after the race we dined at the Crest Cafe.  After that we got back on our bikes and rode to downtown Riverside station to take the train back to LA, then from LA to Glendale via train, and finally rode our bikes home (7 miles).  So it wasn't a totally car-free weekend but ALMOST!

I really loved running along the SART, through Fairmount Park, along Redwood Dr.  Saw the new Ryan Bonaminio Park, which was gorgeous.  I placed 673rd out of 749 participants.  Only 3 women in my age division (76 women) finished after me.  For some reason I feel good about this.  At least I showed up and I ran my own race (albeit with my family members).  I felt really good in mile 1 and mile 4 and in between I felt pretty dismal.  I definitely didn't walk or run the entire time and had no discipline about when to run or walk.  With no training, it's no surprise that my foot is still throbbing, but I believe it will heal itself.

I'm already looking forward to the years to come...

Faculty Development

October was a cool month to be a faculty member at CSUN.  We celebrated mole day by a service learning project, my CHEM 101 students took their second midterm, and the Center for Innovative & Engaged Learning Opportunities (CIELO) offered a series of Faculty Development workshops.

I didn't get the chance to attend all the workshops but I got the notes from two of them.  October 17th roundtable was led by Prof. James Sefton (Department of History) who speaks from 40+ years of teaching experience.  I wish I could have been there, but what I got via email was a student end-of-semester self-evaluation for students to reflect on their own participation in the course assignments including reading the textbook, attending lecture, notetaking during lecture, participation in discussion, coming late to class, attending (even on Fridays!), working practice problems, attending office hours, retrieving graded work (midterm, quizzes, etc), and taking advice from Professor.  This was extremely comforting to me as a teacher.  It puts some of the awareness and onus on the students to get where they want to go (basically make an "A" in the class).  I've been feeling the pressure from students who want good grades but simply don't know how to get them.

Also, Prof. Sefton provided links to a report and supporting data regarding grade inflation at CSUN between the years 1990-2005.  The report touches on faculty concerns such as "observed deterioration in core university-level skills of reading, writing, critical reasoning, and analytical thinking."  Maybe we remember our own college experiences with rose-colored glasses, as we professors think back to our own experience in the lecture halls.  Maybe we think we (at age 17-22) were performing at a higher level than the current students.  I can't say that my life experience is common for all college students, in fact my own experience must have been unique and quite different from the experience of CSUN students.

Another two concerns raised in the report are the perception that " 'scantron exam' is common student vernacular for 'easy,' " and that "part-time faculty [should be] fully but supportively supervised, fully cognizant of academic expectations, and fully assisted in distinguishing their teaching at CSUN from their teaching at other institutions."  I am torn between assessing student progress via work-out exam (rather than multiple-choice scantron exams) and trying to find my feet in this new academic environment as a part-time faculty who has teaching experience at a wide variety of different institutions.

Offered as a possible cause of grade inflation is "Increased use of scantron exams (the usage here being the campus vernacular for 'easy') particularly in large classes, thus emphasizing memorization rather than critical thinking and writing."  This is one of my concerns also and as such, I have been doing work out tests so far this semester.  It has been grueling from the standpoint of writing and distributing the exams, carrying the large stack of papers, writing thoughtful commentary on each student's exam, and justifying the allocation of points when students argue and compare their exams with other students.

Another possible cause of grade inflation is "use of course evaluation forms in RTP actions, leading to concern by junior tenure-track faculty and lecturers about the effect of low grades on student ratings, and therefore on continued employment" which does concern me but not much.  I believe that if I do not provide a rigorous experience for my students, then I am failing them and myself, my profession and the University, robbing them of an authentic college (growth) experience and leaving them ill-prepared for life after college.  I hope (or would like to think) that I can find something to occupy my time, but my talents are best put to use in the classroom and I will be able to find another job elsewhere if things don't work out here at CSUN.  But I have heard other faculty express concerns like this and it does affect their demeanor in the classroom (the idea that their employment is not secure unless they are evaluated positively by students).

I know this post is getting lengthy, but I haven't even begun to discuss the second workshop I actually attended in person! This one was led by Geography Professor Ron Davidson about "How to get Students to Read," October 30th.  First I have to say that the Whitsett Room (Sierra Hall 451) was a challenge to locate, but worth the search.  It's on top of a pretty tall building overlooking sweeping mountain views (nearly 360 degrees) AND there was coffee brewing (and snacks) when I arrived, breathless after having run from Eucalyptus hall to arrive in the nick of time.

A graphic I made summarizing the main ideas of our roundtable is shown here!  It's somewhat cross-stitch, somewhat a woven tapestry, and somewhat a crossword puzzle.  What's always been puzzling to me is how difficult it is to get students to do work outside of class (even inside of class/discussion!).  I have always valued educational experiences/opportunities, maybe because my dad is a career teacher.  When I get the chance to listen to a leading expert in their field, I try to get as much out of the experience as possible.  I realize I slept through my fair share of classes and seminars, we're all human and time management skills take practice to acquire.

I'm thinking about the "speak softly but carry a big stick" ~Theodore Roosevelt (1901)  Also "you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink" ~ English Proverb (12th century).  As Mr. Wiggles says "I can't make you love dancing but I can make you better at it."  What I learned from the HOW TO GET STUDENTS TO READ faculty development workshop is that it takes both carrots and sticks to get students to read.  It's important to let students in on the process of choosing reading assignments, to select only the best reading material, to tie the assignments to real-world experiences (drawing, photography, folk-tales, poetry, essays), to allow time/space for collaboration, to be a role-model for good reading/writing behavior, and to allow room for debate.  "If you're not reading, you're just children!" ~Ron Davidson (2013)

Wonderfully, this roundtable discussion gave me the idea of letting student use their own drawings and concept maps on exams.  Also to point out features of the textbook that might be helpful to students on Day 1 to foster the student-textbook relationship.  To cite more depressing statistics....the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has released a "Vital Skills" test to assess the readiness of the workforce to address 21st century challenges.  I'm thinking a great deal about formative assessments rather than summative.  There's so much more to say and explore but I've got to run to the classroom!

free range

I've got so much on my mind this morning, I'm going to start out with a stream of conscienceness and then perhaps organize it later -- or not.  Just returned from the American Chemical Society Western Regional Meeting, which was AWESOME!  It was great to get together with a handful of other dedicated chemistry enthusiasts and talk the talk we love.  There was a great exchange of ideas and I'm really glad I carved out some time to participate.

On the drive up there, I had a moment of panic that perhaps I had forgotten to post a blog in September.  This semester is FLYING by.  I saw the coolest formation of birds flying (south for the winter I suppose) and while sitting on campus the other day, I literally watched leaves FALL to the ground and realized that summer is officially over.  Looking forward to the spooky parties and pumpkin carving.  I heard Nebraska had snow this weekend, that really blows my mind.

The theme for National Chemistry Week 2013 is "Energy: Now and Forever!" which is kind of ironic at the moment with the government shut-down.  Who's going to do the research and create the policy legislation that will enforce restrictions on "dirty energy" and catalyze the shift to renewables if the government isn't in charge?  I went to an entire session at the ACS meeting on Biodiesel and the analytical methods currently being used to characterize their properties.  I guess we'll have to rely on market forces.


I heard of National Plug In day, and I swear it was on that day or sometime before or after it that we saw an electric Smart car parked in the garage at CSUN.  It's crazy because I'm teaching thermodynamics right now and I usually ramble on about calories in = calories out and Weight Watchers.  Sometimes I talk about various sources of energy: coal, natural gas, geothermal, nuclear, hydroelectric, etc.  It's really hard to get through to people about energy if they don't consider the First Law of Thermodynamics.

Driving through California's Central Valley is like taking a trip to outer space if you're normally trapped in an urban environment like Glendale or Northridge or LA or the Bay Area.  There's tons of space (FREE RANGE) and it's amazing to think of the amount of food produced there.  I do try to teach my students that plants are our transducers for converting solar energy into carbohydrates, but it's hard to convey.  There were also talks at the meeting and research being presented at the poster session about advances in solar energy conversion, but we need much more work in that area to begin to compete with land plants.  Why is everyone so focused on algae?  Because our land is toxic?

I also went to a session planned by the Women Chemists Committee, which was a breath of fresh air.  Like reading a women's magazine where they interview "Women at any age" about what type of moisturizer they use and whether or not they wear Spanx, this panel had representatives from all types of chemical industry and acadame as well as a variety of "years of experience."  It was a roomful of SUPERWOMEN and I felt reassured by being in their presence.  The can-do spirit of these women combated my own fear and doubt.

Another great theme of my experience at this meeting was conversations about chemistry education, one of my big passions.  The implementation of high expectations and plenty of student support seemed to be a general recommendation.  The importance of "out-of-classroom" experiences such as field trips and research experiences also were supported by data to show that they correlated positively with retention of under-represented minorities in STEM majors.  I am motivated to plan "brown bag" lunches and "tea parties" for the chemistry club.  Another cool idea is a "battle of the chem clubs" on knowledge or skills or demo shows.  I wonder who we could challenge?

And another CicLAvia is going on today.  After the excitement of the ACS meeting I'm skipping this one in favor of catching up on home/work tasks.  Heard a rumor that CicLAvia might become a monthly event.  Soooooooo hoping this is true.  OK so 3 in 2013, 4 in 2014 (including 1 in the San Fernando Valley!), and 5 or 6 in 2015.  That's not monthly, but it's better than annually.  Better get back to grading midterms and washing the laundry.  Wife-bot 2.1.5 out.

impatient scientist

There are times of the month when a woman curses scientists for not solving the problems of the human (female) condition.  I keep track of my monthly cycles just to make sure when I'm acting crazy, it's just hormones and I'm not actually going crazy.  This works for the most part until a hormonal sneak attack takes place.  Last night, I was dropped to my knees in agony with a migraine headache.  It was one of the worst in my life.  They sometimes occur on a monthly basis, but I suppose sometimes not.

I've never had good luck with the drug sumatriptan, but it's been the only thing prescribed to me for treatment of migraines.  Today, I'm scared to do much work because I don't want to suffer another headache.  Normal headaches I can stand, usually I just need to drink more water or rest, but the headache I had last night made me think I was going to vomit and kept me awake but immobilized.  Every time I tried to think about something, it caused me to feel like a railroad spike was being driven into the front of my skull.

Trying to understand how my monthly cycle might have affected or been the cause of this pain.  Now I am in day 5, which constitutes a high level of FSH.  Usually I get the migraine before the menstruation phase, but this month it came after.

What I've read about migraines is that they can last 3 hours to 3 days.  No wonder I'm scared it will come back.  The sumatriptan clinical trial data suggests it can alleviate symptoms within 2-4 hours in about three-quarters of patients, based on a majority caucasian majority 40 year old majority female test group.  Basically, I'm trying to decide what to do today since I still feel a bit of nausea, photophobia, and phonophobia.  I don't want to get on the freeway and try to drive somewhere if it makes the pain return.

It appears sumatriptan is a member of the class of drugs that are selective serotonin receptor agonists.  The agonist mimics the native ligand, as opposed to the SSRI drugs I have discussed in a previous post, which are inhibitors.  What I'm impatient about is a full understanding of these issues.  I wish I could order up a foolproof solution to this pain and the pain of monthly menstrual cramps.

Normally I rely on some of the above substances to get me through the pain of being a woman.  The compound pamabrom is a synthetic molecule in some medicines like Pamprin.  Theobromine is found naturally in chocolate and Yerba Mate.  Interestingly, while caffeine is a stimulant, I read that adenosine induces sleepyness.  I wish I could rest all day today.  I feel frustrated that I'm no closer to understanding these issues than last night when I was cursing my bad luck and circumstance.

For Further Reading

http://www.mrothery.co.uk/module8/notes/A2%20Option%20Module%208%20notes.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estradiol

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progesterone

http://www.glowm.com/resources/glowm/cd/pages/v5/v5c005.html

http://maptest.rutgers.edu/drupal/?q=node/260

poor me, i am so awesome

GoldieBlox

H.A.L.T. 

Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired

F.E.A.R. => negative
False Evidence Appearing Real
False Expectations Appearing Real
Future Events Already Ruined
Failure Expected And Received
Fighting Ego Against Reality
Forever Escaping And Retreating
Frustration, Ego, Anxiety, Resentment
Forgetting Everything About Reality
Future Events Already Ruined

F.E.A.R. => positive
Face Everything and Recover
Feelings Expressed Allows Relief
Forgetting Everything's All Right
Face Everything And Rejoice
Forget Everything and Relax

H.E.R.

Hip-hop in its Essence is Real

human estrogen receptor 

Hydrogen Evolution Reaction 

Carmen Rupe (1936–2011)

hydroxyethyl radical 

Health Empowerment Resource 

Higher Education and Research 

Hercules

Hero

C.U.N.T.

Cunning, Uniqueness, Nerve, Talent

Cheerleaders Understanding And Nurturing Together

B. I. T. C. H. 

Basically In The Clear Honey 

Beautiful Individual That Causes Hardons 

Beautiful Intelligent Talented Creative Honest 

Being In Total Control of Herself 

I've been thinking a lot about Disney, see prev post, and about the notion of princesses and waiting on a prince for rescue. I've also been thinking about the history books, which feature story after story about male Conquistadors.  How men discovered, explored, and took credit for our modern understanding of the universe.  Why does there have to be a separate class in Women's history or in the history of minorities?  In my classroom, I strive to present photos of women scientists and I wish textbooks would apply Title IX to their curriculum.  When are females the protagonist?  When they're the object of a man's goal.

babies-on-the-brain Cinderella trying-to-concieve

I was walking the mall and passed the Disney store.  I am not a terrorist but I wanted to plant an IED there for some reason.  The ideas propagated by the princesses of lore teach women to wait, to look pretty, and to believe that everything will work out if we try hard enough.  There's no shortage of amazing women who took their own lives by the reins, but these stories are not told often enough, loud enough, or sincerely enough to penetrate through all the other messages in our society. My applause to Debbie Sterling, a female engineer from Stanford University, who created a toy for girls that has real action potential. My hat is off to writer Rebecca Skloot, who decided to write about the women behind the stories in science. I have recently found KeriLynn Engel, who has devoted herself to blogging the stories of scores of amazing women in history. Last, but certainly not least, thanks to Dina Goldstein for her series of 'Fallen Princesses.'  It made me feel a little less crazy for hating on Disney characters and their general helplessness.  It helped me see that even princesses have a human side and can fall on hard times.

I've been told that the word "bitch" is associated with unpleasant behavior.  I'm still not sure why that is.  I'm caught up in acronyms these days.  I've written about INBD and FUBAR in previous posts.  Today I'm treating you to some other choice phrases that have been stuck in my head lately (see above).  I've always wondered about men who dress like women, why would they do that when society disempowers women?  But there's something I love about drag queens, how they identify with the female form and embrace all its curves.  I love RuPaul's reimagining of cunning, uniqueness, nerve and talent.  A friend of mine and I were talking about words we use to describe our friends.  He said "dawgs" is not OK but "bitches" is.  So this one goes out to all my bitches!  These days I am trying to appreciate the power of words and apply the technique of turning a negative thought into a positive.

bye-bye gas guzzler

Sometimes I think in pictures.  When I can't find a clipart that expresses the img in my mind, I get creative!  Right now, I'm heading into a car-free future and I'm excited and terrified.

Why am I scared?  I worry that we will be hit by a gas guzzler, which is ironic because we've been driving sooooooo much over the past two years it's remarkable that we've not been in an accident.

A rough estimate of husb and myself's driving habits (21 miles and 36 miles to work, respectively) and husb and myself's fuel economy of our vehicles (35 mpg and 41 mpg, highway, respectively) gives roughly 1500 gallons of gasoline we used in two years.  That's 28,600 pounds of carbon dioxide emitted.

We're investing in Metrolink and taking the green route, at least for the month of August to see how it goes.  What are your stats?

SUPERMOON = SUPER-PMS?

I'm a scientist.  We observe and form hypotheses.  I have one going right now about the supermoon.  Remember that weekend where everyone watched the moonrise because the moon was closer to the earth than usual causing it to appear larger on the horizon?  Yeah, and it made the tides higher.  I am thinking that it also synchronized the world's women's menstrual cycles, and not just humans -- animals, too.

Strange things have been going on in my body and in the creatures around me.  I was cleaning up the backyard and heard the neighbor's cat really wailing.  It was like she was strummin' my pain with her finger, singing my life with her meows, killing me softly... with her song...

I ran into a stranger who asked me within 3 sentences if I was PMSing.  I also caused someone to burst into tears with my own bitchiness.  Awesome, not awesome.

So here comes my hypothesis: if the moon is exerting some kind of control over the tides, then is it too far-fetched to say that it affects us (animals) too?  And what about plants?  I read in the Farmer's Almanac that the moon's cycles influence seed germination.  I'm not sure I believe it since it said not to plant on the 9th of June because "seeds planted on this day will rot in the ground" but mine germinated just fine.  So, like I said, it's just a hypothesis.

CicLAvia ~ Iconic Wilshire Blvd ~ Ride Report

This event started at 9am and we rolled through the starting point just beyond Pershing Square at 1 Wilshire Blvd at 9:05am.  It was quiet to begin with, under great cloud-cover.  Westlake/MacArthur Park was a really pleasant surprise, since I've never seen it before.  Like a mini- Central Park for LA.

The architecture at Vermont and Wilshire was spectacularly colorful.  The Bullocks Wilshire/Southwestern Law School building (1929) with copper panels and the housing, retail and a public school surrounding a subway station (1996) make the area a bustling and dynamic multi-use city-space.

The Pellissier Building and Wiltern theater (1931) in green terracotta is another stunning structure.  The marquis advertises Patty Griffin, but my inner comic read Kathy Griffin, who I LOVE.

The Wilshire United Methodist Church was another eye-popping building.  It's spire is intricately decorated and it has a large rose window facing the street.  By the time we reached the turnaround at 5900 Wilshire Blvd, we were surrounded by cyclists.

I really enjoyed the display of the Berlin Wall sections.  It was a peaceful spot to lay in the grass and appreciate the music.  We didn't catch any of the advertised belly dancing, but I heard the music and knew it was coming soon.  The Variety Building (1971) is the tallest skyscraper on the Miracle Mile and has displayed ten segments of the Wall (the longest in the US) since 2009.

The Craft & Folk Art Museum (CAFAM) is definitely something we will return to someday. We had fun posing with the Oscar statuettes outside LACMA. Ruben Ochoa's Dancing POPOS were really cool.  The theme of this ride seemed to be art & architecture and even though CicLAvia organizers encouraged this as the most walkable event, most of the participants were on bicycles!

There were two adorable costumed greeters outside the Korean Cultural Center at 5505 Wilshire. The Los Altos Apartments (1925) at 4121 Wilshire were totally iconic.  The Scottish Rite Masonic Temple (1961) was an ornately frescoed building that we noticed both coming and going at 4357 Wilshire.

Robert F. Kennedy Inspiration Park at 3410 Wilshire nearly brought tears to my eyes.  Actually what captured my interest was an out-of-service fountain at the intersection of Alexandria and Wilshire, a remnant of the demolished Ambassador Hotel (1921).

Most of the information presented here was found in a pamphlet prepared by Catherine Gudis based on the Los Angeles Conservancy's curatingthecity.org.  I got a few comments on my socks, one had multi-colored bicycles and the other was a rainbow all the way up to my knee.  Gudis also cites "Cruising the Archive: Queer Art and Culture in LA 1945-80."  Shoutout to PFLAGs!  I didn't know if they were complimenting me on the bicycle sock or the rainbow sock, since both people said "I like your sock."

T-shirts bearing the logo I (heart) K-town were for sale for $10 each and a group of volunteers out front of Immanuel Presbyterian Church at 3300 Wilshire were handing out free bottles of water (BIG THANKS!). Rolling back into downtown, we saw more cyclists than ever.  

A stop at the Westlake Theater (1936) for a traffic crossing was nice.  We noticed the gorgeous mural, which I now know depicts Jaime Escalante one of my biggest role models in life.  I first learned about this dogged calculus teacher like most other people by watching the movie Stand and Deliver (1988), in which he is portrayed by Edward James Olmos.  Both men are in the mural along with a graduate and a proud parent.

After a quick bite at Crepe'n Around, we headed back into LA Union Station and caught the train back to Glendale.  Overall, we had a great time with no accidents or mechanicals.  We are extremely grateful to all volunteers and workers (LADOT t-shirts were amazing) who made this event possible.

It's TIME: Pt. Reyes ~ Ride Report

A ride mapped on 03/21/2013 using a Garmin Forerunner 110

Sometimes when you do something so EPIC, you have to take a step back and see how that jewel fits into the crown of your existence.  This ride was certainly tops in LIFE so I have to express a bit of it here in my biking blog for posterity, of course.

A HUGE thanks to my dear aunt Anne for organizing and facilitating this transformative weekend. We took 1,066.27 ft of climbing in strong winds along Sir Francis Drake Blvd all the way until the end of the pavement.

Basking in the sun at the turnaround like a sea lion.  We saw so many different flowers and wildlife, including a coyote.  Also ran into an experiment station at the end of this tree-lined driveway.  It was a great pleasure to take an 11 mile recovery ride the following day out of that wind.  When a friend told me to bring a windbreaker, I'm glad I listened.  Also totally loving these gloves I found at a gas station in either KS or NE over our epic Christmas vacation.  Missing family right now, lots going on with cousins and sisters.  It's the dawning of the Age of Aquarius or something, like big things are happening for all of us.  Claiming the area like early explorers must have done felt really inspiring.   I always loved our in-house library with maps and photographs of ancient artifacts and cultures.  I wonder what will survive this modern digital age for the future generations.  Will this carbon fiber bike still be an artifact after 10,000 years or will it be broken down again to atoms and converted to another substance in this universe?

Things I learned from this ride:  hills kills.  Beware of cows.  Bring lots of CLIF.  Don't be afraid to lay in a grassy meadow.  Explore meandering pathways.  Sing in unison.  Sometimes all you need are two peas in a pod.  The experience of the Spirit Rock Meditation Center was incredibly authentic.  The powerful women we stared into each others eyes and shared deeply.  It was scary and uplifting.  Hiking the hills of Mount Tamalpais overlooking Stinson Beach was a moment in time that is completely priceless.  When I think back to the expansive views, I become speechless and calm from the inside out.  When you see yourself in that scale, the worries fade to grass and the peaks which seemed large are now just a part of the landscape.

LA River Ride (preview)

When my collaborator said Friday is writing day, I must have heard RIDING day because I took off on Friday afternoon at 2:30pm like a bullet and overshot my destination.  It's easy to do on the LA River Bike Path, which takes you along the I-5 corridor.

The wildflowers were spectacular and the skies couldn't have been bluer.  I met my mirror image.  At a stoplight.  She wanted to ride with me, perhaps considering I was wearing as much fluorescent yellow as possible in addition to reflectors.  With the help of her mobile device and McDonald's free WiFi, I got back home without reaching my original destination.  Something about the next turn being 'Apex' I knew there would be no soon end to the climbing and I was out of gas.

Sometimes it's fun to see where the city leads you.  There were two streets I identified with.  One I called out 'Muhlenstrasse' because it was steep like the street in Jena I used to push my bike up on foot rather than choke halfway up.  It was actually called Alessandro.  Why is it always a freakin' hill?  That guy must have been one powerful dude if every street named after him is a long climb.  Made me think of a friend from Jena of the same name.

Long days give way to high productivity.  I can feel the solstice coming, it's only 10 days away.  From LACC you can see a cathedral of Scientology, the Hollywood sign, and Griffith Observatory; it might be fun to visit the last one on the solstice.  They have a cool sculpture that reads out the time and date by objects' shadows and alignment with the heavenly bodies and the energy emanating from them.

20 miles of SMILES

Speaking of collecting photons...The radish (easter egg blend) seeds are almost ready to harvest.  Spinach too.  Harvested Mexican Poppy seeds today.  Lettuce and chard are bolting.  Squash is flowering and fruiting.  So are tomato and pepper.  So is basil.  I started more radish (white icicle), new carrots (Danvers #126), new salad mix, and a bunch of herbs that I haven't had in awhile.  V-I-C-T-O-R-Y.  Spell it with me!  Made some new seed packets too.  And a new set of QR codes.  Just need popsicle sticks to finish that project.  And time, love, and tenderness.

Corona del Mar Scenic 5k ~ Race Report

The Corona del Mar Scenic 5k provided us what it always has, sweeping views and more food than you can fit on one paper plate.  This year, we ran in the Men's Race although in previous years we have run the Women's Race.  We stayed at the DoubleTree Club in Santa Ana to be nearer to the starting line.

It was super fun running with a large representation of family members, my husband and his mom, her husband, my sister-in-law and her husband, and their two children (8 people).  The weather was fantastic, cool and overcast with a slight breeze, although at one point it seemed we were running at exactly the wind speed since we only felt the breeze while walking but lost it when we started jogging again.

CdM5k 2013 Course Map

I won't bore you with the details of how we placed, let's just say we ran 12.5 minute miles and enjoyed ourselves immensely.  Staying down there for the weekend allowed us to get a total body workout, running the CdM5k on Saturday and Kayaking around Newport harbor on Sunday.  We caught a bit of the Balboa Island Parade while stopping at Pavilions for a bathroom break.  Hot chocolate and doughnuts were our Kayaking turnaround treat.  Even though it was overcast while we were out on the water, it wasn't too windy and we didn't flip once!

Kayaking Route

I thought of the poem containing the line "One if by land, and two if by sea;" and I'm not sure if it applies here.  Maybe if we consider ourselves "attacking" a fitness routine, our metabolism will respond doubly if we challenge it at sea. Or maybe it means when we're done with a workout, we can eat an ice cream cone with one scoop if we did a 3.2 mile run (337 Cal) and two scoops if we do 5.3 miles of kayaking (1048 Cal). Working out at the beach is the best.  BTW, Happy national running day!

value

I've been thinking about value lately.  I've said this before, but I'll remind myself again, when a word gets stuck in your head, you better get it thought through, because it might be the universe trying to tell you something.  Or the universe that is your grey matter.

First, I think of values (political) such as whether people "value human life" or not.  I mean, who doesn't at least value their own life.  When I think of my own health, which I take for granted, I realize that many of us do not make daily choices that lead to a state of optimum health.  Others do.  A recent trip to Las Vegas cemented these opposing values in my mind as part of the fabric of American culture.

Then, I think of value (bargain, price) which we may have had at Circus Circus.  I enjoyed the theatrical escape of being geographically distant from my house, which seemed much less cluttered when we returned than when we left.  Something about staying in a dirty, crowded, noisy hotel makes you enjoy the peace and quiet of your own home when you return to it, exhausted.  I went totally WifeBOT5.0 on the house with the remaining glycogen in my system from the crystallized ginger and added some boiled turnips and barley/lentils for good measure.

Also, I think of value (of a color based on its reflectivity).  I like highly reflective colors!  Especially for biking and cycling.  Think of them as photon friendly.  High value is like canary yellow or cyan (#00FFFF). Low value is like a king's red or navy blue.  I still haven't gotten to my craft project of adding reflectors to a couple of pairs of pants and a jacket using iron-on double stick batting and fluorescent orange ribbon coated with retroreflective tape.  I have one running outfit, but I want a few things for urban night-cycling.  Wolfpack Hustle, this summer I am riding (at least once) with you.  Found my stack of blank canvases so a flock of birds I hope to paint.  I've been watching you carefully this spring my feathered friends.

Finally, I'm thinking about eVALUEations.  It's the end of the semester and naturally I am evaluating my students while they are evaluating me.  We each give each other a certain number of points, and then I give them a letter grade, they submit teaching evaluations (both electronically and on paper).  If my garden were to evaluate me, it would give me an F.  The value on the thermometer was above 100 deg F yesterday, which means it's time for the dogs to get their summer haircuts.  At the shop they ask you, what value?  Meaning how short of a razor guide to use.

Value is everywhere in my life these days, but I am in a big moment right now.  Finishing up at Claremont and heading into a summer of new experience!  Grades are due in a week.  We had our first research meeting yesterday, so it felt great to show how much progress we've made this past semester.  Publication-quality figures!!!  I feel like my neighbors are valuing (or evaluating) the educational garden in the front yard.  We have our first ripe tomatoes and cayenne peppers (thanks to this heat wave) and there are seeds forming on many of the native and cultivated plants.  These are a few of my values: plants and chemical education.

Yeah, and it's BIKE WEEK in LA.  Amgen Tour de California is happening!  You can take your bike onto any bus for free.  There are bike lanes spontaneously popping up around town this week and weekend.  I value my carbon bike, it was costly.  I value the Reve Tour and they gave me a free subscription to a magazine so I can read stories other writers write and other photographers photograph about a lifestyle I wish I had more time for.  But I guess that is what tells us about our values.  What you spend your time doing must be what you value, or as Tony Robbins would say: "You're out of alignment, and that's why you're not happy."  It's almost time to align myself with a showerhead, but at least the thoughts about value are out of my head and down here (not on paper), or should I say: up in the cloud?  Maybe later today I can align myself with my bicycle around Claremont or otherwheres.

Verdugo Mtns 10K ~ Race Report

This race was awesome, particularly the weather that day was stunning and perfect.  We had cool winds, cloudcover, sprinkles, and just as we were finishing up, it was warm again.  The steep change in altitude throughout this course has you discovering layers of wildflowers and canyons overlooking Hollywood and Los Angeles.  I think my knees are almost recovered.

The officials said we did it in 2 hours 16 minutes, which is crazy by the way, since we have not been training to do such a thing.  If we hadn't have been part of that event, which we did it one time, our time was more like 2 hours 39 minutes (on May 28, 2012), so I guess we rested a bit more when we weren't compelled by photographers and volunteers along the way to "keep going!"  There were water stations at every mile and cyclists in yellow jerseys throughout the course with MTB on standby for emergencies and to remind us to "keep to the right" as runners who had already turned around were flying down the rock face.

The fastest man, Kwin Keuter of Los Angeles, 24 years old, managed to go up and back in 40 minutes.  The fastest woman Lliana Hernandez, 25 years old, of Glendale, placed 28th overall. She was only 10 minutes behind the fastest man, finishing in about 50 minutes.  It was so fun to read about her coaching story in the Glendale News-Press and seeing her "sweep by" us a full 2 minutes ahead of the next woman Emily Farr of La Crescenta, age 29, who placed 34th overall.  As for us, or me, I was number 622 out of 653 racers, that's among the slowest 5%.  Out of 54 women who ran in my age group, I was the second-to-slowest, among the slowest 2%.  But hey, finishing is finishing and by golly we did it!

work/life balance

I've been wanting to write about this for awhile now (since Apr 2nd at least) and since I'm shooting for 10,000 pageviews, I want to get one more post in for April. So here goes, work/life balance...

I've had the [Illustration by Hallie Bateman for Pandodaily] stuck in my mind ever since I first saw it (pun intended).

woman-in-half

Then when an opportunity to speak with the filmmaker of "Lost in Living" at a screening on CMC campus, I knew I had to make time to go.  Also the event was being hosted by CMC Prof. Audrey Bilger and every single event she plans is good.  What an amazing role model.

I cried.  At the end.  I didn't want their stories to end.  I wonder if Mary Trunk felt that way, too.  I have to thank her and the artists who star in this reality-show glamazon escape film.  We see gorgeous artists in full bloom, soaring through the story while doubting themselves along the way.  It was so powerful to see friendships and generations evolve over the course of 2 hours.  Did I mention I love time-lapse photography?

Also, I got a copy of the DVD and I would be happy to have a screening.  Call me, maybe?  Our house is such a mess right now, I think dear husband is completely incapable of making progress towards helping with it. For me, I'm imagining what Henry Ford would have said: "Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs."

I'm not a mom, but I'm definitely a woman who struggles with the daily grind of balancing creative time and housework. I'm losing the battle on the home front, but potentially winning it on the outside. But maybe that's what all women feel like. When I read my cards, the image that I saw was King of Swords, an unstoppable force of nature. That's how other people see me, but I wouldn't even describe myself like that.

All the moms in the film judge themselves and their decisions, but all are creatively established to the point that they can handle rejection and even continue to work productively (and successfully) while raising children.  Nothing could have inspired me more to continue writing, even if I do not have a clear picture of my audience.  Let's continue this conversation...

CicLAvia

I can honestly say this is the most amazing event I have ever participated in.  If you don't know, there are two more chances in 2013: Sunday, June 23rd AND/OR Sunday, October 6th.  Please make plans to join us in Glendale.  We had a car-free day by taking the Metrolink into Union Station.  All together, we took alternative transportation to get to Venice Beach from our front door.  It was a cyclist's dream to cruise down closed streets, I was constantly pinching myself to be sure I hadn't fallen asleep and drempt it.

When we got out at Union Station, we were a bit disoriented, but it was somewhat easy to follow the crowd of people on bikes.  We parked (our bikes) in Olvera Street for some much-needed breakfast at Rodolfos.  We mounted up and gathered in the square with all the other cyclists.  When the church bells rang 10:00am everyone started howling and ringing their bells.  Slowly the crowd began to roll through a starting line of sorts, maybe there was a camera there.  This is Los Angeles, after all.

At every stoplight, my dear husband said "take a picture" this is a once-in-a-lifetime view, and it was!  Usually I don't let the photos speak for themselves, but I think this time it's warranted.  People along the way, and afterwards eating our recovery meal at Traxx kept asking us what we thought of the experience.  IMHO, the news organizations got it all wrong.  The way we felt about it was: by showing up and participating in this event, we are showing our support of all cyclists, no matter their level of experience and we are saying to our local government (HEY) we want more bike lanes.  The safer the streets are for people, the more people will come out and ride bikes.  The more people on bikes, the happier and healthier we will all be.

We stopped twice, both coming and going, at the mid-city hub.  The port-a-pottys were much appreciated.  The food trucks and merchandise tent as well.  And as usual, a DJ saved my life!  By dancing a little and drinking ice water, we found the strength to finish out the ride even though streets were beginning to be re-opened for autos.

I don't know why we made such an epic ride out of it, most other people did just some portion of the route.  We rocked the whole thing from end to end.  Problem was, we didn't stay at Venice Beach longer than 10 minutes and we had to turn around. Even starting at 10am sharp, we didn't get back to Union Station until 3:30pm (missing the afternoon train, and having to wait until 5:40pm for what was probably the last train of the night, but maybe not).  Anyway, KUDOS to Metrolink for getting us there and back.  On the way in, we just bearly made it in before the doors closed and they didn't complain that we didn't have our bikes strapped in to the bike zone, in fact, we were in a handicapped zone, but the bikes fit within the yellow tape and they let us stay.  On the way back, we were in a car stacked 4 bikes deep (normally they allow only 2 bikes per car) but since we were going only one stop, they let us stay on.  So SERIOUSLY THANKS to everyone who coordinated this dream-ride.  In total we traveled 53 miles round trip, including the train.  To the sea...and back.

Ceiling Tuesdays

FINALLY I did an awe-inspiring Tuesday ride.  I brushed the cobwebs off this beauty, which I am christening "The Iron Lady" in honor of our recently departed chemist-pioneering woman Margaret Thatcher (R.I.P.).

I've had this bike since I became a woman, in the biological sense.  I was reading something about how you know you are a woman, by when you hear men cat-calling you!  Well I did get one persistent cat-caller on this ride, but one in 34 miles isn't bad.  And I was wearing my tennis-ball boob bra (see VS) and this is an idea for a future blog post: I have names for all my bras that relate to their origin and our history together.  Despite the latest buzz about whether or not to wear a bra, sometimes I enjoy it.  Other times, like on the weekends, I like to go without.  Just like I enjoy a day without a car, I enjoy a day without a bra, too!

It's amazing for the first time I did lots of things. That's why I've been so exhausted! Sometimes you have to write to realize things about yourself. See also Why grad schools should require students to blog. I rode over to Pasadena City College to check it out. I also wanted to see if it would be possible to ride my bike there on a regular basis if I can get hired there.  I still also have to write about my amazing times in Marin county.  But first: the Pasadena City College ride...



Getting through Glendale isn't bad, if you are totally aware of your surroundings and hustle through streets like you are a car.  Verdugo has good bike signage, but you have to watch for shadows and parked cars.  Also there is a school zone.  Eagle Rock is always interesting.  York is colorful and smells delicious.  I'd hate to get a flat there though, the sidewalks are quite busy.  Arroyo is amazing, and I stopped at the park there twice to refill my water bottles and have a snack.  Climbing out of the canyon wasn't as bad as I imagined, but I had to get out of my saddle a few times.  Pasadena is achingly beautiful and I enjoyed the shade of its mature trees to take a phone call.

It was hard to find a way in to CalTech's campus.  Once in, I overheard guys giving each other a hard time about eating and not being "in lab."  All too familiar.  Once I crossed Hill St into PCC, the atmosphere was pretty different.  I dismounted my bike as I entered campus but rode through on "scooter mode" until I found a bicycle rack.  I thought I might find a place to sit and grade midterms, but instead I was starving so I walked over to Bittersweet Treats for some Banana and Strawberry ice cream and a "Trail Mix" cookie.  I stashed the cookie in my backpack and ate the ice cream as I walked back to my bike.

Writers have to find inspiration.  These types of rides are mind-numbing and mind-expanding at the same time.  It allows you to get the "lay of the land" both internally and externally.  Ride on!
Again: Too many labels to post: career, ceiling tuesdays, community, cycling, distance, education, fall, goals, green, love, Map My Ride, motivation, nutrition, pain, picnic, positive, riverside bicycle club, San Francisco, science, spandex, spring, vintage, weight loss, winning, winter, writing

snow white

I saw the movie Mirror Mirror with Julia Roberts (finally) on Netflix the other day.  Again the wise old woman is demonic while the innocent youthful one is the herione.  What's wrong with educating women?  Maybe it was her star power, but I was drawn in by the Queen character.  Had she ever had children of her own?  Had she ever been in love once?  How did she learn all that magic?

I told my students the other day, you can spend many years denying your own abilities, but eventually you have to own them and grow up.  No wonder women and girls are busy flipping their hair and posing about uselessly.  Disney tells us that's what girls do.  Check out the body language alone in this video.  Now I can see out my window a dog walker pausing to observe the plants in my front (educational) garden.  Lovely.

International Women's Day passed in my life, while I was clueless as to its intent and history.  One powerful image has stuck in my mind though, a girl with a pink bike.  It was in the lobby of the Athenaeum next to a big poster advertising a film called Girl Rising.  A lame photoset which is totally unrelated is here.  I have been thinking ever since about the power of educating and empowering women around the world.  And giving them bikes.  And teaching them to farm.  And teaching them chemistry.  Practical magic.