Aug. 24 - Lisa's Musings (on quarters) and Every Day Life

So, I start my day finding out it's not a good idea to let a pigeon drive a bus or stay up late.

Also, a naked mole got dressed and a pig didn't really make an elephant sneeze.

If you have young kids, you probably know what I'm talking about. If not, here's the explanation. These are books by Mo Willems.

They were very cute stories and I sang "the wheels on the bus" along with the 100 kids who listened to a fabulous storytelling librarian Megan Battle at the Ann Arbor Public Library this morning.

She should have been an actress. With the voice of a lark and the acting ability of an Oscar winner, she really missed her calling. Or maybe not, I could tell that she really enjoyed what she was doing.

And she had fans, too. Several mothers told me they rarely miss one of her storytimes and I can see why.

So, I head back to the surface lot to pay my $1.60-something parking fee and all I had was a $20. And what does the machine do? It gives me change in QUARTERS. Do you have any idea how many quarters are in $18 and change? I don't either. But it's a LOT.

If I'd been at the casino, I'd have been happy. But I wasn't. I was in a parking lot and I was NOT happy. Nope. Not AT ALL. I mean, seriously. Quarters?

I still haven't figured out what to do with all of them. I know, they're money, but they are heavy money, and who wants to lug around $18-plus in quarters?

I could take them to one of those change machines, but a friend told me they take 7 percent to eat them up and spit out dollars. So, I'd lose money.

I could roll them up and take them to the bank, but that's time consuming, and time is one thing that's a premium in my life these days.

I don't have enough time to do a lot of the things I want to do and rolling up quarters, driving them to the bank, parking, walking them inside to deposit them then driving back home, isn't high up on my list of fun things to do.

So, if you have any ideas what to do with all these quarters, I'm open to suggestions.

Aug. 8 - Lisa's Musings (about U-M football) and Every Day Life

Three years ago, I could have told you exactly how many days before the U-M football season opened.

I'd be getting the house ready for my dad's arrival; and reading, then cutting out, every preseason football story I could find from the daily newspapers.

So they're be a huge stack of them to peruse when he arrived, and of course, I'd have already bought and read any new U-M football books. He'd take them to read while accompanying me to cover city council meetings when he was here.

"The Victors" would be rattling around in my head as I bumped around on the lawn tractor mowing the property.

It's August, after all, which means one thing to U-M football fans -- the countdown to the start of the football season.

Well, a lot has changed in the last three years, and none of it for the good.

The grass seems to keep growing and those weekly mowings look like they will continue into September this year. Even my favorite tree, my Rose of Sharon, which usually blooms later in the month, is in full swing. Much earlier than in the past.

Lloyd Carr, who I adored, retired as football coach, and the excitement of having a new coach with a new offense has come and gone. As have the delivery of two daily newspapers. Now all I read about is U-M football mediocrity and NCAA investigations surrounding the team.

And my dad died.

So where does this leave me? In a preseason football funk.

In fact, I remarked to one of my friends just yesterday that I didn't even care if I went to a single game this year. I'm fine watching them at home.

But, as they say, I control my own thoughts, so, I'll be attending Fan Day on Aug. 22 -- two weeks from today -- from 1-3 p.m. It's in The Big House this year so perhaps this will help me get my football groove back on. I'm sure there will be lots of Maize and Blue excitement in the air.

And I'll think positive thoughts -- toss them out there to the universe -- and hope they bounce back at me, the team and the coach.

And now I'm headed out to tackle my property on Old faithful. It's her turn this mow.

So, "Hail to the Victor's valiant, Hail to the conquering heroes, Hail, Hail to Michigan ..."

And Go Blue.

July 21 - Lisa's Musings (on Art Fairs) and Every Day Life

I survived the first day of art fairs.

And in addition, I broke my non-buying streak, and came home with not one, but two, items.

Surprised?

Neither were fine art or anything artsy-fartsy. I didn't go that far, but I did see a lot of people who did.

And that's why these 1,000 artists keep coming back. I heard over and over they do this show because people here appreciate art, understand its value, and are willing to fork out the money to take it home.

Besides, who doesn't love art (or chicken) on a stick?

So, both my purchases were functional -- items that can be washed in the new dishwasher that arrives Friday. Care to guess what I bought?

I am the proud owner of two new coffee mugs. One's bright red with black specks and has a really cool looking handle. It was made by Jason Parsley of Cincinnati, Ohio and Parsley Pottery. He was on Main Street, near the art fair bus stop.

The first one I bought came all the way from Spring Hill, Fla. and the hands of Marshall Lanz. It's brightly colored -- oranges and greens and has this neat-looking frog on it. His booth was on State Street.

Frogs seem to be big this year, as one artist said, "Who doesn't love a frog?"

In addition, I know what I'll purchase next year. A piggy bank. I could not believe how many different sizes, shapes, and colors of piggy banks there were.

Every year, I look at them and say I've always wanted one of these.

Next year, I'll fulfill my dream.

July 1 - Lisa's Musings (on the Westside Farmers' Market) and Every Day Life

Shrimp, patty pans, sunflower sprouts and sunflowers ... all in an afternoon's walk through the Westside Farmers' Market today.

This weekend, I'll try both a shrimp burger and shrimp dip and put some sunflower sprouts in my salad.

See all those veggies on the table -- I've reserved a few patty pans and some corn, too. Those I'll get on Saturday at the Chelsea Farmers' Market.

Did I mention a cheese pretzel from Stone Hearth Breads and Bakery? That's on special order, too.

I gotta tell you these farmers' markets -- are as dangerous as book stores to me.

June 30 - Lisa's Musings (on the Last Day of June) and Every Day Life

A little of this and that, on the last day of June.

I knew this would be a tough month for me with the one-year anniversary of my dad's death on June 14, then exactly two weeks later, what would have been his 89th birthday.

But I did it and celebrated another type of milestone along the way -- the one-year anniversary of my new job as the reporter for the A2 Journal, which everyone in town calls the Allmendinger Journal. Thanks, folks or that and all the wonderful kudos you've sent my way.

It's been quite a ride, and I'm ever thankful that I'm still a player in the ever-changing newspaper game.

So, moving onto to funnier things ... my regular UPS driver picked the perfect week to go on vacation, and his replacement driver is getting really tired of showing up at my house.

'Tis the season for all kinds of cat products to appear on my doorstep from companies vying for PR in my holiday issue. For the last few weeks I've been requesting samples of everything from cat collars and jewelry to cat trees and enclosures. So far, not a single company has turned me down.

So, it's been like Christmas around here, three times a day, as the USPS, UPS and FedEx arrive with these products. And the best is yet to come.

Did I mention I don't own a cat?

Onto the weather. I can think of much worse things than mowing on June 30 in a sweatshirt. I mean, how wonderful have the last two days been weather-wise? After all the scary and destructive storms we've had of late, these last days of June are my idea of perfect.

Upcoming fun stuff. I got a really cool invitation today via e-mail. Next week, I'll have an opportunity with other media types, to visit the studios of several artists who will sell their work at the upcoming Ann Arbor Art Fairs.

Did I mention I also get to travel to these studios in a trolley? How many times have you ridden a trolley in downtown Ann Arbor?

I'm also excited for July 1 because my intern makes her first appearance in the newsroom. And have I got a story-packed month for her. Welcome Taryn Meyer, you are going to be a really busy intern. And on her first day, she'll get to meet and greet everyone because there's a July 4 party at the office tomorrow.

My very own intern ... yippee. Now, I won't be borrowing everyone else's quite as often. Because there have been four more bodies to assign stories to, I've actually worked an almost normal amount of hours the last couple of weeks, and it's been really, really nice.

On second thought ...

June 28 - Lisa's Musings on (Cat Day) and Every Day Life

In addition to finishing off stories for this Thursday's issue of A2 Journal, today was also "Cat Day".

What's Cat Day, you ask? It's when all the stories and photos for the next issue of I Love Cats magazine are due to my designer, who lives in Wisconsin.

In case you were unaware, I've been the editor of I Love Cats for 21 years now, and while other cat magazines have ceased publication, this little magazine keeps chugging along. Year after year.

But, truth be told, it's actually two weeks past Cat Day. I've been so busy with stories and photos and videos for A2 Journal, that I blew up my original cat magazine deadline. Then had to beg for an extension.

My designer agreed. Maybe because I actually took my own cover photo for the September-October issue. It's only the second time in the history of the magazine that I've attempted this task.

So this double-witching hour takes place six times a year, and for the last several issues, it's like I'm cat jinxed. Or something.

Every time I clear a day to work on the magazine, a storm seems to come through. I'm pretty anal about storms and working on my laptop. The two don't mix. Ever. I don't talk on the phone during a storm, either. In fact, I run around and unplug a whole lotta stuff -- even through I have surge protectors all over the place.

For the last couple of months, the storms have been so bad that I've actually been weathering a majority of them hunkered down in the basement.

And, if it's not a storm, my stupid Internet connection decides to go ka-pooey. This has been happening a lot more frequently than in the past, too. So I'm not very happy with SBC or ATT these days, either.

Not sure why this keeps happening because it takes place in both good weather and bad. Bottomline: it's really, really annoying. And it's killing my Cat Day productivity.

But anyway, my friend/copy editor/proofreader Becca arrived today to read all the copy I'd finished late, late, late last night. (Thanks, Mother Nature and ATT.)

Although I used to be able to pay her, budget cuts have curtained, (cat-tailed?) that, so I look for other creative ways to say thank you for being my second set of eyes.

Today, she worked for food -- a roast beef sandwich, angle food cake and raspberries. Oh, and lamb for her two dogs, Tiger and Mardi Gras.

And because I have such a small budget, putting together each issue takes a lot longer than it used to. I couldn't figure out why; but then Becca reminded me that I'm writing a vast majority of it, instead of copy editing other people's cat stories.

As a result, what I could do in a day or two now takes me a week or two.

Then Mama nature likes to stick her nose into the mix and it takes a month. Or two. Working in little chunks.

And, I still have to layout the whole issue, make the corrections to the typos in the stories and figure out if I have enough copy to fill its 40 pages.

So Cat Day will turn into Cat Night.

June 27 - Lisa's Musings (on fun with farm animals) and Every Day Life

I went on a special tour and spent my Sunday morning having fun with farm animals at Back Forty Acres in Sylvan Township.

It was pigs and turkeys and goats and sheep and chickens and rabbits and turkeys -- oh my.

I was literally in hog heaven spending time the Doll Family's Tamworth pigs -- especially Humphrey and Delbert, the two boar hogs. Put a horn on Humphrey and he looks like a rhino. Seriously. He is a BIG pig. With large teeth, too. But cute, cute, cute. I cooed at him like he was a baby.

Then there were the young ones ... oh my red oink-oink, they were too precious for words.

Larry and Kevin Doll took two hours of their day to take me from pasture to pasture, hike around part of the 180 acres explaining each flavor of animal as we went. Thank you both for answering all my questions.

I learned about other Heritage breeds like Silver Appleyard ducks, for instance.

The Dolls specialize in meat, poultry and eggs on a farm that was begun by their great, great grandparents in 1864.

Duck and chicken eggs abound, and some even come in pink and blue.

You'll have to wait for the story to find out the full story. But that won't happen for a couple weeks.

So, I hope you enjoy the photographic tour of the farm animals.

June 26 - Lisa's Musings (on a plentiful bounty) and Every Day Life

Never let it be said that my friend, Nancy and I don't support local farmers. Here's the haul from today's trip to both the Ann Arbor and Chelsea farmers' markets.

Some of the produce, of course, is from our share of the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) from Our Family Farm of Manchester.

The rest was purchased from a number of different farmers.

Not pictured are the blueberry scones. They were consumed before the photos were taken.

June 25 - Lisa's Musings (on trying to do the right thing) And Every Day Life

Here's a little word to the wise for people who are trying to do the right thing and, well, possibly making themselves sick in the process.

According to a recent study, reusable grocery bags can serve as a breeding ground for dangerous food-borne bacteria and pose a serious risk to public health.

This according to a joint food safety report issued by researchers at the University of Arizona and Loma Linda University.

Researchers randomly tested reusable grocery bags carried by shoppers in the Los Angeles area, San Francisco, and Tucson and found consumers were almost completely unaware of the need to regularly wash their bags.

And, although it's interesting info, I think the study was a knee-jerk reaction to a possible ban on plastic bags in the LA-area.

So, really, how many times have you washed your cloth shopping bags?

Maybe it's just out west but, the findings suggest a serious threat to public health, especially from coliform bacteria including E. coli, which were detected in half the bags sampled.

Humm ... those plastic ones I always feel slightly guilty about requesting -- well, they're looking better and better to me. Besides, I reuse them for small garbage can liners.

So, 97 percent of those interviewed said they never washed or bleached their reusable bags. And, that would include me, had I been interviewed. Who woudda thought to do this?

The good news is washing the reusable bags kills nearly all bacteria that accumulate in them, according to the study.

So, here are some tips for their use since lots of you want to do your part to be green.

1. Wash your reusable bags after each use. (So that means you need to have a whole bunch of them, so there are always clean ones and you're not doing wash all the time)

2. Separate raw foods from other food products. (And don't forget to tell the nice people who pack your groceries at the store before they get to work.)

3. Don't use your grocery bags to carry other stuff like books, magazines or clothing. (So now you can label them ala Martha Stewart.)

4. Store them somewhere cool and not in your car. Good luck with that. I'll probably forget to have them with me because by storing them in my van, they are always there with those higher temperatures promoting the growth of bacteria in them.

I'll feel a lot less guilty asking for plastic at Polly's tomorrow.

Especially since I have a health study to back up my non-green choice.

June 24 - Lisa's Musings (on camp) and Every Day Life

When I was a kid, I wasn't a very good camper.

I went to girl scout camp, which included learning how to tie knots, sleeping in a tent, singing around a campfire, telling ghost stories and roasting marshmallows.

I couldn't wait to get home.

Although marshmallows do taste better when on the end of a stick and turned over a fire, that was about the only thing I liked about camp life.

Even as a youngster, I enjoyed my heat and air conditioning and sleeping with walls separating me from nature.

Then there was an equestrian camp taught by some big name trainers. And even though they were very prestigious horse people, I didn't like them much.

I hated living in a cabin for a week with a bunch of kids I didn't know. And although there were no tents at horse camp, it was still pretty awful. As an only child, I was used to having my own room and lots of time alone. At camp, I literally had to escape into the forest to have any time to myself.

After spending a lot of money to send me to this camp, I finally convinced my parents that I wasn't a very good camper and there was no point spending a small fortune to send me somewhere that wasn't much fun.

Many, many years later, my friend Becca and I decided it would be fun to go to dog camp. At night, we slept in a pretty nice hotel, and during the day our dogs got to play in a whole bunch of different kinds of performance events.

The problem was, for the most part, the people running the camp knew less than we did about the performance disciplines they were teaching. So, with a few exceptions, we didn't learn a whole lot. And we weren't very good joiners at night when all the campers got together to play games and do whatever adult campers do.

We headed elsewhere for dinner and drinks and pretty much stuck to ourselves. En route home we vowed to never go to camp again.

But with the kids out of school, I've been going to different camps to do stories. So far, I've been to a little kid's camp where they learn about the Huron River and cool river stuff.

Today, I went to Cloverbud 4-H Camp where the kids have planted flowers, made necklaces out of cereal, tie-dyed T-shirts, made picture frames -- the list goes on. Plus, they've tasted tropical fruit, learned weather and electrical safety precautions as well as first aid.

These are cool camps. Day camps. Camps that weren't around when I was a kid.

And I'm enjoying experiencing them vicariously.

I've always been a pretty good non-camper.

June 21 - Lisa's Musings (on avoidance behavior) and Every Day Life

It's one of those Mondays.

I'm headed to Ann Arbor for a city council meeting with something like eight public hearings (and people who attend council meetings in Ann Arbor like to be heard) followed by an 11-page agenda.

Of course, the best stuff is near the end of the 11 pages, but there are a bunch of other items that I think readers will be interested in reading about so, I'm afraid I'll be there for the duration.

And, if I'm home before 2 a.m., I'll be pleased.

And surprised.

As I told my editor, it's going to be a long night and I've packed my sleeping bag, pillow and provisions. Well, the provisions, anyway. I have all kinds of snacks to keep me awake during the proceedings.

And, like having a dentist's appointment, I've done everything possible to try and keep my mind off of the night ahead. But I can't do it any longer.

I've eaten. The dogs have eaten and I'm off for an exciting night in the council chambers. On those uncomfortable benches that kill my back. And my butt.

I keep threatening to buy a seat cushion like U-M football fans. The problem is I'll happily tough it out for a football game.

A council meeting? Not so much.

Plus, I'm missing "The Bachelorette."

Maybe I'll be surprised and get home early enough to watch it on the DVR.

Yup, trying to think positively.

But I think it's a matter of having a rich fantasy life, and I hear it's more prevalent on the first day of summer.

June 15 - Lisa's Musings (on killdeer) and Every Day Life

Today was Road Commission meeting day, and it also included some communing with killdeer.

This is only the second time I've spent any time with these quirky little birds; my first meeting was at a dog show in Indiana.

Today, it was on the grounds of the Washtenaw County Road Commission headquarters on Zeeb Road.

Actually, when I saw them, I wasn't sure what kind of bird would hang out in the middle of the driveway, then just skitter away -- not fly -- when I approached.

The moment I drove by, first one bird, then a second one returned to the pavement. So I asked someone if they knew what kind of birds they were.

The answer I got was a killdeer.

I was told that the birds try to lure away onlookers from their nests. So I looked for a nest in the opposite direction of where the birds were trying to take me -- but I didn't see one. I wouldn't have disturbed it, I just thought it might be neat to see what one looked like.

So, after yet another quick meeting (did I mention I really LIKE covering these mid afternoon, very short meetings?) I went back outside to find the killdeer.

I tried to get a photo of them but for all their skittering while I was standing at a distance, when I tried to get too close, they flew away ... guess they figured they couldn't out run me, which I'm quite sure they could.

So when I got home, I looked them up. They are supposed to be a shorebird, according to All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Humm ... there aren't too many shores anywhere near the Road Commission HQ -- at least none that I know about.

Second, they are "graceful plovers common to lawns, golf courses, athletic fields and parking lots."

Ahhh.

And they run across the ground in spurts -- yup -- "stopping with a jolt every so often to check their progress, or to see if they've started up any insect prey."

It's all coming clear to me now.

And as I read further, I learned that they are the least water-inclined of all the shorebirds, which begs the question, then why call them one?

They have a distinctive kill-deer call, according to their description, but I didn't hear it. Plus, they do like muddy lagoons and I think there might be one of those in the back of the Road Commission property.

So today I learned more about upcoming road projects and killdeer.

I just never know what I might find when I set out to cover a story. It's one of the reasons why I love this job so much.

June 10 - Lisa's Musings (on manners) and Every Day Life

If I were Supreme Ruler of the Universe, I'd pick a day in August and declare it International Mind Your Manners Day.

Why August? Because it's one of those months where there aren't a lot of holidays.

I'd make it an International PAID Holiday for everyone on the planet.

(Sorry about that essential emergency service people, I know you'd still have to work because thugs don't take holidays, people get into accidents, and can't plan when they'll get sick. And, yeah, it's summer, so gas station and hotel people, etc. would be on duty, too, but who works that day would be chosen through a lottery system and would get paid double.)

So, why an International Day of Manners?

Quite frankly, because people have gotten really, really rude and everyone needs to be reminded about common courtesy. While driving. While walking. While biking. While shopping. While dining.

Pretty much while living and breathing.

It would be a day spent being reminded of, participating in, and relearning manners.

A day that honors "Please" and "Thank You."

A day to go over a checklist of what constitutes bad manners -- things like tailgating, flipping off people, looking bored when others are speaking.

And, a day to honor what constitutes good manners. Things like allowing people to get out of parking spaces, spending that extra minute or two to let someone cross the street or turn left in front of you.

No getting angry allowed.

Mind Your Manners Day would include permission to smile at people who approach you on the street and wave at people you don't know just because it's a nice thing to do.

The holiday would include being patient with people who aren't moving as quickly as you'd like them to, or offering help others who look like they could use a hand unloading their cart at the grocery store, or whatever.

Remember when people held doors open for each other?

Feel free to add to the list of kind, good and mannerly behaviors. We can all use reminders once in a while. Even though good manners should be second nature.

And the best part? No need to spend money on presents or spend hours cooking special food. No guilt about who to invite or not invite to the house.

This International Day of Manners would be 24 hours of permission to do nothing in particular except kind things.

This is MY kind of holiday.

May 24 - Lisa's Musings (on Kiwanis scholarships) and Every Day Life

There was a whole lotta money being handled at the Kiwanis Club of Ann Arbor meeting today.

And this time, it wasn’t in fines of quarters or dollars.

Nope. It was paper money – of the check kind – which totaled $29,000.

Today was the annual Kiwanis scholarship awards program during which 29 seniors in the Ann Arbor Public Schools were awarded a thousand dollars each for their college educations.

No one in the club knows, exactly, how long the Kiwanians have been handing out scholarships, but it’s been a long, long time.

And for these future leaders, it was really, really cool to hear what this money meant to the next stage of their lives.

Let’s face it – college tuition is super expensive and with more and more parents losing jobs, homes, second incomes, having their salaries cut -- every penny can make the difference between, well, attending college and not being able to afford higher education for their children.

One student told me the money meant everything to her. It marked a clean slate and a new chapter of her life. “This isn’t high school, anymore,” she said. It’s the next stage in the rest of her young live.

Seeing the baby faces of these soon-to-graduate seniors, and hearing the excitement in their voices as they talked about what they’d major in while in college.

Several soon-to-be graduates said they wanted to become journalists, which made me smile – and reminded me of how becoming a journalist was the only thing I ever wanted to do when I was in high school.

In fact, I’d already worked on the high school paper and at the local weekly before I got my high school diploma. In fact, I did an internship in sports at a daily newspaper my last trimester in high school because I’d already gotten all the credits I needed to graduate.

I was willing to give up all the fun senior stuff – just to get a jump on my future.

It’s something I’ve never regretted and a career that I still love – even if the requirements of being a journalist in today’s new “news ecology” changes as quickly as the weather in Michigan.