MEGAN AUMAN

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just like a real jeweler

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I got my castings back today, and sat down at my bench with my saw frame and new flex shaft, just like a real jeweler.

And just like a real jeweler, I felt like I got nothing done all day. Its been so long since I worked with silver, its like a foreign material to me. Its too soft and bendable. I like solid, reliable steel. Plus, all the new stuff is so small. And my hands are too shaky. And don’t even get me started on soldering.

Needless to say, I think I’m done in the studio for the day.

On a happier note, I ran 11 miles this morning. And a lot of it actually felt good. (Or at least a lot of the first 9 miles, the last two were a little tougher.) I’m really happy at how well my run went. I feel like I’m getting stronger and will be ready for the half-marathon. Plus, its fun to think about what you can eat when you burned an extra 1100 calories this morning.

deb’s new bike

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Yesterday, I took my mother-in-law shopping for a new bike. The one she’s been riding is almost as old as my husband, so it was time. Not only will she be riding it for fitness and recreation, but she plans on riding it to work several days a week. (She’s a elementary school band teacher, and works at different schools each day. But two are close enough to make commuting by bike possible.) Score another one for the bikes.

Trek also has a program right now to encourage everyone to “Go By Bike.” You can pledge to bike a certain number of miles, and it will calculate your savings in carbon and gas money. Plus, you’ll be entered to win a free bike. I picked up the brochure at the bike shop yesterday, and it was a well designed argument in favor of biking. Perhaps we should all send one to this guy.

500 miles!

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Today I logged my 500th mile on Nike+. Even though that’s only a fraction of the miles I’ve run in my life, its pretty cool to have an official record of logging 500 miles.

The problem with running so much is that you tend to go through shoes a lot. (You need to replace your running shoes at least every six months.) I’ve got a closet full of shoes that I need to do something with. Which is why I was happy to find RecycledRunners.com. The site helps you find places for donating or recycling your used running shoes.

what I’m reading: asphalt nation

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If you read Asphalt Nation at roughly the same time you’re listening to The Omnivore’s Dilemma, you may start to think that American is doomed. Asphalt Nation looks at all the ways the car is ruining America, the historical precedents for favoring the car over other modes of transportation, and some suggested solutions.

The other thing that happens when reading any book while listening to The Omnivore’s Dilemma is that you start to compare the two. And Jane Holtz Kay is no Michael Pollan. While the information is good (and sometimes scary) the delivery is a little bit dry. Plus, the book is a little dated at this point. (It was published in 1998.)

Honestly, I agree with everything Kay says. I think we need to take steps as a society to become less car centered. I also agree that its going to be a long, slow battle that we can never completely win but should keep fighting anyway. But at this point, the solutions aren’t anything new (walk more, bike more, expand mass transit, etc.) and the overall story could be told in a much more interesting way.

Verdict: Most of the information and statistics can be gleaned from bike and walking advocacy websites. Hold off until Michael Pollan decides to dabble in the car-free lifestyle. (A Natural History of Four Modes of Transportation, anyone?)

walk score

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Another cool find from Ode Magazine, Walk Score analyzes how walkable your neighborhood is by measuring distances to nearby amenities. Its not exactly accurate however, since it doesn’t take into consideration things like sidewalks and street widths. (Which the site fully admits.)

My neighborhood got a sad 45 out of 100, while my parents’ beach house in Ocean City, MD scored only slightly higher with a 52 out of 100. Yet, I know from experience that Ocean City is much more walkable than where I live now. (Considering that Ocean City actually has things like sidewalks.)

Still, its a pretty cool little tool.

remember me?

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Even though I have, um, zero, experience with advertising, I still feel compelled to critique just about every ad I see. I think the bicycle industry (both manufacturers and advocacy organizations) is missing a key opportunity to promote themselves right now. Can you think of a time in recent memory when Americans’ have been more receptive to cycling? Yet I haven’t really seen an increase in advertising for cycling.

Then I saw this ad campaign on Bikes Belong‘s website. (I haven’t seen it anywhere besides their website.) The campaign relies on the idea of nostalgia to encourage people to return to their bikes.

Now, if you ask me, nostalgia is not the reason cycling is on the rise. There are a number of reasons people are interested in cycling – rising gas prices, reducing carbon emissions, combating obesity. I don’t think nostalgia falls high on the list.

I’d love to see more people bicycling, especially as transportation. Hopefully the bicycling industry will create some more compelling ads. Or perhaps I’ll have to make some grass routes ads myself…