Hear Me in the Harmony

A cat has absolute emotional honesty: human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a cat does not.
— Ernest Hemingway

Pico turned 10 earlier this month.  Last night I dug out pictures of him as a kitten, and I could cry remembering how tiny and crazy he was:

I love kittens.  Every time I go to PetSmart, I’m tempted to adopt one.  I nearly did a couple months ago when they had one that looked almost exactly like Pico.

Now Pico is giant:

He doesn’t even fit in his bed!  He probably should go on a diet . . .

Maybe not that one.

That’s ok, though – he’s still the sweetest boy.

The bicycle, the bicycle surely, should always be the vehicle of novelists and poets.
— Christopher Morley

David had to go to the bike store today to get reflectors put on and I met him there after I went to the movies (The Losers = awesome).  I’ve been toying with the idea of getting a new bike for a little while, and we just signed up for a 19-mile ride at the end of the month, so now is as good a time as any.  I found two that I really liked and test rode them both.  First, the Breezer Citizen:

Pros:  It’s SO cute, it comes with fenders, a chain guard (and I usually ride in pants, so that’s useful), automatic lights on the front and back (pedal powered), the spring-loaded basket holder on the back, 3-speed on the handle bars (like a motorcycle), and a bell. I can imagine myself tooling around town, to the farmer’s market and stuff, in this adorable but durable bike.

Cons: Maybe it’s not so sporty for the kind of riding we do (road and trail riding; no off-road stuff), though the guy at the bike shop said it should do just fine.  I also worry maybe three speeds isn’t enough, though I tested them all on my test ride (and I don’t use anywhere near all of the gears on my current 10-speed).  As a womens bike, it only has one place for a water bottle cage.  Also, I don’t love the color (it’s more yellowy-cream than this picture shows) and it’s the only color it comes in this model year.

Next up, the Marin San Rafael:

Pros: It’s definitely a good bike for the riding we do, the seat has awesome shock absorbers, so I hardly feel bumps, the handle bars are adjustable, it’s got two places for water bottle cages (because it’s a men’s/unisex bike – I guess woman don’t need as much hydration), 10 speeds more than fulfills my needs, and I love the sparkly dark blue.

Cons: as-is, it doesn’t have reflectors on the front or back (but those are easy enough to add), and no spring-loaded basket holder (which I really love) or bell – and it’s already a bit more expensive than the Breezer, so adding these things brings the price up even more.

I don’t know.  Or maybe I do.  What do you think?

Babies are such a nice way to start people.
— Don Herold

My BFF Aimee had her second child, a daughter, on April Fools’ Day.  I’m pleased to present baby Lillian Jeanette (after Aimee’s mom), better known as Lily:

I went to visit Aimee and Tim and Ben and Lily for Aimee’s birthday a few weeks ago (they moved to New York in January).  Everyone is doing great; Ben is as handsome as ever and is slowly adjusting to his new role as big brother.

Lily and I got along famously – we even napped together!

We didn’t do very much exciting – our big outing was to the grocery store – but I was able to take Aimee to lunch on her birthday, and we had a great time just catching up.  I can’t wait to go back and see Lily when she’s a bit older and  more active.

I reckon being ill is one of the great pleasures of life, provided one is not too ill and is not obliged to work til one is better.
— from The Way of All Flesh, by Samuel Butler

1. sick days that let you catch up on TiVo

2. planting things

3. anniversaries – today is one, for me

There is a muscular energy in sunlight corresponding to the spiritual energy of wind.
— Annie Dillard

1. it’s a glorious day and I didn’t have to work (I did have to go to the Social Security office, however, but I was only there for an hour)

2. I saw a caterpillar for the first time in years on my walk this morning – love them

3. I ran the second half of my walk (a 5k) today, despite doctor’s/physical therapist’s orders because it was nearly all downhill and I felt like it for once

4. the new purple sunglasses I got Easter weekend

5. flavored fizzy water

6. a much-needed pedicure