(no subject)

Two negs, yesterday and this morning from R, and another neg from me, and we sent her off in to the real world again. I think she's excited to catch up with her team mates this week and her ceramics class. She's floating a kitten visit party.

AlbanyJCC pool, after being closed to be drained for inspection, predictably, is now closed for repairs. Swimming other places over the holidays confirmed that they're badly overchlorinating. All of the advice in the world about breathing technique doesn't help when the vapour completely wrecks your throat and sinuses. The closest YMCA in Greenbush has no available transit directions. The second closest in Bethlehem includes two buses and a half hour walk. I'm not opposed, but it makes it impractical to sneak off during the day for a bit. The YMCA's drop-in rates are $20, only $5 less than the uppity corporate place which only takes an hour to bus to. The next one has such poor bus connectivity that Google Maps is suggesting a 9 hour 58 minute bus ride, for tomorrow: . Great work avoiding the urban core, everyone. Always looking at bus options, it's amazing how often Google Maps tells you to hop a Greyhound the next day for something a handful of miles away. You couldn't have defeated mixed use harder if you tried. One of my first rants on this topic was how overtly racist leadership killed a much loved downtown pool as soon as the nun defending it died. Yes, I can drive the camper, but I'm still mad. Part of this is I want a low stress physical activity for the day when my stress levels are already high, and walking around NY drivers is bad enough, never mind driving. But kudos to the AlbanyJCC for doing community stuff vaguely close to urban density.

(no subject)

Also... talked to my mother on the phone yesterday. Meant to follow-up with her. Lots of gentle follow-up is how she gets things taken care of and she always talks about all of the many wonderful people following up with her. She reports that Gabe hide for three days after I left, then was sleeping on the towel I was using, and ignoring her. So yeah heart broken a bit there. When I'm talking to her on the phone, Gabe always puts himself on the call and joins the conversation, which is amazing as he's usually about the quietest cat ever. Thinking of asking Royal Paws for an estimate but a dedicated driver, basically a cross country Lyft, is going to be hella expensive. American Airlines' breed restrictions includes Persian cats for the same reason as most of the exclusions, danger of repository distress. It would have been clever to ship Gabe with the hutch, if a driver was willing to take and care for a passenger for some extra dough. While I was there, while walking my mother around the old folks home for doctor prescribed exercise, I happened to notice a note on a bulletin board where she was trying to give him away. A neighbor later visited and chatted and wished her luck in adopting him out. And then because she's bad with cats, she trips over them. She did the same thing with my black kitty. Having cats means often not just being able to charge from room to room. It's part of the deal. Then there's the mean side of my personality and that's the part that wants to see Gabe harassed by kittens.

(no subject)

https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-gear/bikes-and-biking/rivendell-black-reparations/

New respect for Rivendell. I've heard the founder is a character and this is a fine portrait of that.

From the fallout of that, https://www.rivbike.com/products/brp-contribution

"It used to stand for Black Reparations Fund, but it turns out we can't legally do that, so now it means, "Bike Riding's Fun!" or "Bikes-R-Fantastic." In either case, we donate all BRF funds collect from Feb 10, 2021 onward, to charity. We put these funds into a separate bank account, not connected to the general Rivendell one. We hope you'll toss one into your basket."

#buttsonbikes