2 lbs

Never in my life have I had such a packed schedule. There are shows to go to, races to compete in, garage sales and flea markets, seed swaps, keg parties and weddings. Business meetings with shrewd neurologists are up there, too. This spring, I've found myself caught in a whirlwind of masonry, Pabst Blue Ribbon, embroidery and medical politics.

I started the garden a few weeks back. I'm hoping it's not too early. It's been an awfully temperate spring thus far with no frost in April whatsoever, so I'm optimistic things will survive just fine. Seeds were started indoors this year, in pizza boxes filled with baked earth from the East Liberty backyard. As usual, I was pretty determined to avoid spending any money on gimmicky yuppie-planting stuff, i.e. special soil, vermiculite, moss, little compostable planters. I built a table out of plywood and spare 2x4s in the basement, and hung flourescent lights from tied-up bicycle inner tubes. Everything sprouted rather well, despite a little mold at the beginning, which I attributed to not filling my containers up with enough dirt. Not enough airflow over the surface.

Cherry tomatoes, cabbage, broccoli, swiss chard, and peppers. I busted up the plot with the help of my buddy's cousin, a Marietta, Ohio native with a penchant for pedaling through the mountains. I liked him. He works fast food and doesn't use the internet.