So, I’m starting to think about the book again. I had a major setback two or three months ago, which was the realization (after talking to the director of AIDS Lifecycle) that I may not be able to get the time with the director of AIDS Lifecycle or the directors of SFAF and LAGLC (the two beneficiaries) that I’ll need to write the book that I’ve envisioned. My interest in AIDS Lifecycle is also declining, so I’m wondering vaguely whether it might not be better to pull the plug on the book project and pick a different subject on which to write. I think the answer is probably “no”, but I’m still mulling it over. It will be a lot harder for me to sell the book to a publisher if I can’t get the backing of the AIDS Lifecycle office.
That said, I’ve also sunk quite a few years and a huge chunk of money into the book, so I don’t think I can just walk away.
So, I’m mulling it over.
Travel-wise, I have gotten my new travel pack! It’s the REI Women’s Grand Tour, and it’s a pretty nice travel pack – internal frame, adjustable suspension, rear/bottom access, detachable daypack for random expeditions. I’ve ordered a set of packing cubes as well, to make packing up easier. (During my SE Asia travels they were a godsend – I could unpack my pack into a set of eight cubes and know exactly what was in each one – and I could pack up in fifteen minutes or less without worrying about being able to find it later.) I’ve also finished my typhoid vaccine (the last of my vaccinations), bought plane tickets, and sent off my passport and visa application to the Ghanaian Embassy in DC. This weekend or next I will try to make it over to Berkeley and the Travelsmith outlet store, to see if I can find 2 pairs of pants that will travel nicely, dry fast, and not wrinkle. I will probably buy clothes once I’m in Ghana, too, but I need something to wear for the first couple of days.
Cycling: It’s just about time to start training for the Markleeville Death Ride, and I’m meeting up with a potential cycling coach tonight. It’ll be interesting to chat about her philosophy of training and get some insights into what kind of program she would set me up with. I’m not sure if I’ll go with her or my last year’s coach.
I have now clipped out the worst of the mats on the Fuzz, and am continuing to brush him. There are still quite a few mats to go, but I’m having trouble getting him to sit still while I clip them out – he’s starting to suspect something and move off as soon as I pick up the scissors.
I’m also going back to doing cycling long rides this weekend. Between the candymaking and the rainy weather, I’ve been unable to get out for the last six weeks or so. I’m not particularly unhappy about this – I needed the psychological break from training – but I do need to get back into the saddle, I think.
Have wound up 2/3 of the warp for my “production weaving” project and have settled on a set of patterns. I’m going to thread it as a straight-up point twill (1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8, repeat) and use treadling and tie-up variations (which appear to be nearly infinite) to produce some vastly different-looking patterns.
That’s mostly it for today…onward ho!
