Day 66: Sometimes It Just Hurts

Yesterday we did not meet because both Dwain and me went to the Peoples Climate March in NY City. I was worn pretty thin yesterday, and was still not 100%. Dwain was the same, so I'm glad that we did not get together.

Dwain went with his Zen group, and I got to ride on the bus with them. We got there on Saturday and went straight to Central Park, where his group sat and meditated in support of the March. It is really impressive that they can sit there for hours at a time. I meditate, and I do some sitting meditations. But I much prefer moving meditations like taiji or running. So while they sat I walked around Central Park, literally. From one corner to the other around the park. That was a six or so mile hike, but dang was it an adventure!

I walked all the wary around the park using the paths. What an amazing treasure the park is! There were so many people running, walking, riding bikes, strolling, eating ice cream, walking dogs, and any other park related thing like playing sports, practicing martial arts, and so much more.

There is a part of the park with a great fountain and arches, and there were four wedding parties there taking pictures.

There was also a chess tournament going on, and the participants ranged from little kid to really old person, and every flavor of human being seemed to be there. There were rows of tables and tables of people moving their pieces and slapping the timer.

There are several lakes in the park, and a few big enough to have boats in; but there was only one lake where I saw boats. The bigger lake had nothing but a fountain and a running/walking track around it.

I walked from the south of the park all of the way to the North Woods and around the lake at the top of the park. What a great adventure I had!

Then the day of peace started. I was there early and just walking around when I saw this group of over 400 police officers in formation. They were going over their duties for the day. Now I know that we need to police our society, but cops have just been being real knuckleheads and being caught for it. And I have been on both sides of the badge and gun, so I know that there are some really kind, compassionate cops. But there are also some really bad guys, racist and more. So seeing this really saddened me not because of who they are or what they do but because some people are just bad, and some of those bad people are cops.

It was really neat to see the day start with empty streets and grow into a huge crowd. At the beginning of the march there was a moment of silence when 400,000 persons stood one beside the other in perfect silence, and then the crowd roared to life. In that moment I felt the power that we have to make the changes necessary for our planet.

There were so many groups there, from actors and politicians to anarchists and communists. My favorite sight, though, was the number of kids there. Of course by kids I mean children to twenty-somethingers. It warms my heart that they are as involved as anyone because they really will inherit the mess were making of the planet.

I was there to march with Veterans for Peace, and I'm glad that I did. I've missed being active with this group. I'm really itching to make a difference since we've started causing more death and destruction in SW Asia. I really don't understand what Obama is doing. Can't he see how well this policy has worked in the last 13 years. Sad. Just sad. So I'll find places to volunteer and actions to go to so that I know I'm doing my part to stop this madness that we are bringing on the world.

Dulcimers! That's what we're here for, right?

I woke up this morning and finished getting ready and eating first breakfast, and then I went down to get the bike out of the basement. I've been riding Gretchen's because I got a flat on Sonam's. Well, today there was a flat on Gretchen's! So I had two bikes with a flat tire a piece. So I just started walking and called Dwain. I said what had happened and that I was on my way and would be late because it is a four mile walk. He offered to come pick me up, and he did! Then he took me to the bike shop after we finished and I bought two new inner tubes. I replaced them and did some other tightening up of the bikes. I should be good-to-go tomorrow.

I put the top linings on, and this doubles the glueing surface for the top. I did the same for the bottom. These are an important structural element for the instruments. The bottom linings are black walnut and the top are spruce because it is softer. The linings on top are left just proud so that they can be sanded down to match the ribs. Clothes pins hold the linings to the wood so the glue can dry and affix permanently the linings to the sides--using fish glue, so permanently isn't the right word. But you get my sentiment.

I was done cleaning the instrument of excess glue, so I had to make the transverse braces for the bottom. It may seem like a simple process of glueing some wood inside and calling it a day. But the craftsmanship is really import to Dwain and me. So there is measurements and cutting at angles and carving and planing for each of the braces; there are four on this machine.

Once they were each cut I had to work a lot to get them to sit right into the inside. Then, I had to rig weights so that the braces will be glued down properly. I love how the machine starts to look like some steam punk creature.

Once I got this done there was nothing else I could do on the instrument today, so I started to sharpen the planer, which had a really nasty dent and knick in the blade. It wasn't me! I've not done this since the first couple of weeks, so it was really nice to see that I could still do it. I see myself starting to work more independently and I like what I'm seeing.

At some point today there were a bunch of hornets flying around the shop. We were catching them and putting them outside while trying to find out where they were coming in the shop--we never found that out. But Dwain went outside and found out where they were coming into the house. He got some caulk and went to plug the holes. I was there for moral support and support support because he was up a ladder, regardless of how small it is. Well, he got stung more times than I did, but I got popped twice on the head. The back one still hurts!