Take note / Have Mercy

Will Smokes stencil. MP/ 2012

Sometimes when I come home after a long day, I have to lie on the floor and listen to Springsteen at top volume. No apologies. Sometimes I even sing along with the lyrics insert. Shyman's karaoke. Today was one of those days. Though making a baby genuinely laugh as the day turned to night was a real treat. Mabel! She has a great laugh for near six months. It is so neat to hear that first laughter from such a wee thing. She will laugh the same laugh two, three, four years from now. So special. Mabel's witching hour, a process that begins after 4:30 pm most days is funny to witness! Girls gotta stand and yell!

The Barber house is cold cold cold now that it's contents once settled in their place were taken down quickly and packed tight. Rip off the bandage. Three Mexican sisters lie on their backs in a box made to transport a typewriter. My favorite red banner from Steve that reads MEXICO is rolled up. Books are boxed, linens stacked and the medicine cabinet now echos. Moving house is hard. Good bye Haus. Good bye Meg. With this said, I am looking forward to the positive change that comes with relocation. New space to work on, arrange and build from.

Here are some current goals 

- roast a bird

- make a loaf

- build something out of wood

- take a class

- take note

- make a fire for a friend

- share the table

- hang hooks

- welcome change

Last week I wheeled a new bicycle into the stable. Jessica Alba gasped "TRAITOR". Nice to meet you Gears. Ten gears to explore in old friend Winnipeg. Dry November. Unheard of. This new addition is a real beauty. Late sixties french make Mercier in winter white with lovely black detailing, steel racks and fenders. It is a tank. The weight of this bike is a world away from the head-of-hair weighted Miele that has been ridden faithfully since 2009. The knees have announced "no no no more fixed". Such is life. Riding a fixed gear offers a load of power right off the line. Strong momentum is easily maintained on this style of ride, though riding downhill is a nightmare. Now that I have gears and the ability to coast, I hardly know what to do! Legs automatically pedal around corners. I used to know my place in traffic. How to maneuver my body and bike as one in the hustle like a fish hopping upstream. Same thing goes for riding a moped. You get to know the powerband of your motor quick. Peak torque. When to blast, when to hold back. Riding the Mercier is all new. When I do ride I think of Janelle and Laura zipping around Montreal on their geared tanks. 

New bike.

New home.
Newsome.

How hard can in be? Just do it. Change is brewing. The moon fills out. Gotta go carve some big flowers out.