We are well into processing the applications now. I've sent out confirmation letters for 286 people. Basically I sent out confirmations for all the applications we received thru Saturday Jan 16. This would be everyone who sent in their application the day they received it and live close to Michigan. Last week Ellie returned the checks, with regrets, to all the people who sent in their applications too late, ie everybody whose application is postmarked greater than Jan 19. She sent out letters covering roughly 200 people. If you didn't mail in your application the day you got it in the mail, you don't want to hear from us until the end of the week at the earliest.
Vickie has been working me hard. She even sent me applications for 55 people just before she left for Florida for 6 weeks. (She'll be sending me the rest of the applications from there. If you can't get to Florida at least your application can.) I sent out confirmations for this latest batch today, so I am finally caught up. Meanwhile, it's getting cold here and I run outside. On Thursday it was in the low teens with a 10-15 mph wind and I froze. On Friday, it was 3 degrees with a 5 mph wind and I was fine. I wore different clothes on Friday, basically everything I had, but I wore plenty on Thursday too. Today I ran with the temperature in the mid teens and a 10 mph wind. Once again I was cold (but not my hands: I learned my lesson there). It looks like for me, it's all about the wind.
I know you're thinking: it's the end of January. It's the coldest time of the year. How can he work in something about gardens and vegetables? It can be done. I mentioned that each family garden gets 34 packets of seeds and 102 plants in the Garden Resource Program. The plants come from the greenhouse at Earthworks Gardens by the Capuchin Soup Kitchen. Where do the seeds come from? Some of them are saved from plants grown in the last season. Some are brought in bulk. That still leaves filling the individual packets from the bulk/saved seeds. This year the seeds are being packed by volunteers all over the city organized by Riet Schumack. Last Saturday I helped pack seeds for kidney beans, Swiss chard (one of my favorites), and dill at Rosedale Baptist Church on Evergreen, a place I run by every time I run. And next week I start the Urban Roots gardening program. You see I could work gardens in and summer is coming.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Saturday, January 23, 2010
PALM 2010 Has Filled
We jumped from about 250 participants to 414 on the Tuesday after the MLK holiday. When we only got applications for 50 riders on Wednesday, I thought that we could make it thru the week before PALM filled. Wrong. We jumped to 637 on Thusday and then got applications for 200 more people on Friday. We are filled. If your application is postmarked on or before Jan 19 you are on PALM, otherwise you are not.
A word about this: we don't like turning away people from PALM. All of the staff are volunteers. We do this because we love PALM. To tell someone that they cannot be on the ride that you can't imagine living without is very painful. We try to do what we can. Everyone who didn't make it this year will be added to the mailing list. (And once again, the best chance you have of being on PALM is being on the mailing list.) Each year I create an email list of everyone who has missed the cutoff. When we start to fill, I email warnings. This year I did it on Saturday when I saw that we had 250 participants after only 2 days. People do miss PALM, but we do what we can.
I'm starting to enter applications on the computer and send out confirmation letters. Today I'll be sending out confirmations for all the applications that we received on Friday Jan 15 . I'm up to 175 so I have about 600 more people to enter. It will take Vickie and I weeks to check the applications for errors, enter them into the computer, and mail out confirmation letters. We'll be returning the checks of the applications that didn't make it to us in time, with regrets, starting today. Unless you mailed in your application the day you received it, you don't want to hear from us for a while. Ellie has been keeping track of the applications we have received. Wait two weeks. If you really got to know if you are on the ride, email us then and Ellie will tell you. But wait two weeks. If you haven't received your check back by then, the chances are very good that you are on the ride. Your application would have to be lost in the mail and, if we receive it even weeks later and it has a post mark of Jan 19 or earlier, you are on the ride. Remember Ellie is the one with the broken wrist. Give her a break (no pun intended).
A word about this: we don't like turning away people from PALM. All of the staff are volunteers. We do this because we love PALM. To tell someone that they cannot be on the ride that you can't imagine living without is very painful. We try to do what we can. Everyone who didn't make it this year will be added to the mailing list. (And once again, the best chance you have of being on PALM is being on the mailing list.) Each year I create an email list of everyone who has missed the cutoff. When we start to fill, I email warnings. This year I did it on Saturday when I saw that we had 250 participants after only 2 days. People do miss PALM, but we do what we can.
I'm starting to enter applications on the computer and send out confirmation letters. Today I'll be sending out confirmations for all the applications that we received on Friday Jan 15 . I'm up to 175 so I have about 600 more people to enter. It will take Vickie and I weeks to check the applications for errors, enter them into the computer, and mail out confirmation letters. We'll be returning the checks of the applications that didn't make it to us in time, with regrets, starting today. Unless you mailed in your application the day you received it, you don't want to hear from us for a while. Ellie has been keeping track of the applications we have received. Wait two weeks. If you really got to know if you are on the ride, email us then and Ellie will tell you. But wait two weeks. If you haven't received your check back by then, the chances are very good that you are on the ride. Your application would have to be lost in the mail and, if we receive it even weeks later and it has a post mark of Jan 19 or earlier, you are on the ride. Remember Ellie is the one with the broken wrist. Give her a break (no pun intended).
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Applications Are Coming In
Ellie and Vickie went to the PALM post office box on Friday and it contained the applications for 143 participants. There goes my chance for a low number and I mailed my application on Thursday night. I went to Ann Arbor on Saturday to pick up the first few applications from Vickie (26 of them) so that I could test the changes I made on real data. They brought in Saturday's mail. I counted 70 envelopes. That should end up being about 100 people. We picked up mail for two days and PALM is already 1/3 filled. Since there is no mail on Monday, Tuesday could be a big day. If it is and you want to be on PALM, you had better send in your application this week. Remember all you have to send in with your application is the registration fee ($110 for adults, 18 and over; $65 for young people, 11-17; and $55 for children 10 and under). You can select and pay for meals and bus rides up to May 15. If you need an application, you can download one from here.
Besides the PALM application, the application to join the Garden Resource Program came in Tuesday's mail. My two favorite things for the summer in the same mail. I've expanded my garden to 20 by 25 with an additional raised bed behind the garage, but I'll be getting 108 plants and 34 packets of seeds. I'm going to be hard pressed. There is going to be a community potluck on Feb 16. There is nothing better than to talk about gardening in the dead of winter. They also sent out a list of classes that I can take. I took one on bee keeping last year to see what was involved. It was very interesting. Did you know that keeping bees is illegal in most cities, including Detroit? Something about harboring wild animals. Did you know that almost all cities are losing pollinators, but not Detroit? (Could have something to do with the 40% of Detroit that is vacant land.) Did you know if you move a bee hive 20 or 30 feet, the bees won't be able to find it? (They navigate back to the hive using the angle of the sun. They'll find where the hive used to be.) But if you move a hive miles, no problem. (When the bees leave the hive after the move they realize that their geographic bearings are messed up and they will recalibrate.)
Besides the PALM application, the application to join the Garden Resource Program came in Tuesday's mail. My two favorite things for the summer in the same mail. I've expanded my garden to 20 by 25 with an additional raised bed behind the garage, but I'll be getting 108 plants and 34 packets of seeds. I'm going to be hard pressed. There is going to be a community potluck on Feb 16. There is nothing better than to talk about gardening in the dead of winter. They also sent out a list of classes that I can take. I took one on bee keeping last year to see what was involved. It was very interesting. Did you know that keeping bees is illegal in most cities, including Detroit? Something about harboring wild animals. Did you know that almost all cities are losing pollinators, but not Detroit? (Could have something to do with the 40% of Detroit that is vacant land.) Did you know if you move a bee hive 20 or 30 feet, the bees won't be able to find it? (They navigate back to the hive using the angle of the sun. They'll find where the hive used to be.) But if you move a hive miles, no problem. (When the bees leave the hive after the move they realize that their geographic bearings are messed up and they will recalibrate.)
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Applications Have Started Arriving
I guess they really did mail out the 2010 PALM applications because I got mine today. Of course, I'm only 40 miles from where they mail them. This year's applications are in black and white, sort of like winter. The hardest part of winter for me is the lack of light and the color deprivation. That's why I like cardinals. Their red coats in the winter are an act of defiance. You also can show defiance: mail in that PALM application. There will be a summer. You will be able to ride your bike again.
I took a few days off last weekend before the registration rush to go to Florida. It was the coldest it's been there in 27 years. I was going to run a race so the cold weather was great. I was trained for it. The 80's was what I was afraid of. I was probably the only happy person on the plane. The only trouble was the race started at 5:30 AM (Actually I was in the third wave so for me it started at 6:00 AM). There were 16,887 participants so we had to get there early. We were supposed to be at the start at 4:00 AM. This meant that we had to get up around 3:00 AM. All this so that we could wait in the dark and the wind and the cold for the race to start. We had 4 or 5 miles in before the sun even rose. I went with my brother and his training group from Flint. We all did well. My brother was the first finisher from Flint. I was the second finisher from Detroit. Well, Detroit is larger. Oh, I was also the last finisher from Detroit. You just have to look at it the right way.
I should start getting applications this weekend to do my part of registration. I still have work to do to get ready. I had to make changes to the registration program, database, and the confirmation letters. I made the changes but I need to test them more thoroughly to be sure that they work. I made a preliminary test and caught a few obvious errors, but I need to test some more before I start doing things for real. It's best if I do it on weekends when I have more time and am more awake. Wish me luck.
I took a few days off last weekend before the registration rush to go to Florida. It was the coldest it's been there in 27 years. I was going to run a race so the cold weather was great. I was trained for it. The 80's was what I was afraid of. I was probably the only happy person on the plane. The only trouble was the race started at 5:30 AM (Actually I was in the third wave so for me it started at 6:00 AM). There were 16,887 participants so we had to get there early. We were supposed to be at the start at 4:00 AM. This meant that we had to get up around 3:00 AM. All this so that we could wait in the dark and the wind and the cold for the race to start. We had 4 or 5 miles in before the sun even rose. I went with my brother and his training group from Flint. We all did well. My brother was the first finisher from Flint. I was the second finisher from Detroit. Well, Detroit is larger. Oh, I was also the last finisher from Detroit. You just have to look at it the right way.
I should start getting applications this weekend to do my part of registration. I still have work to do to get ready. I had to make changes to the registration program, database, and the confirmation letters. I made the changes but I need to test them more thoroughly to be sure that they work. I made a preliminary test and caught a few obvious errors, but I need to test some more before I start doing things for real. It's best if I do it on weekends when I have more time and am more awake. Wish me luck.
And They're Off
The PALM 2010 applications were mailed out January 12 by 1st class mail. We mailed 3477 of them, up about 400. If you haven't received our application by Friday and want one, check the web site. I'll post a link to a PDF file containing it there. Our printer mailed them out and said that about 300 people had forwarding addresses (they moved or are in Florida). It's going to take some time for the applications to reach these people. If you are one of them, download a copy on Friday.
As advertised, I added anyone who emailed us their mailing address by Jan 2 to the mailing list and you should get an application by mail. Everyone who emailed us after that I added to the mailing list and then emailed them the link to the application on the web today. You should be set. Once again the reason I'm not posting the link to the application on the website now is that lots of our riders are not friends of the web and we want everybody to have an equal opportunity to get on PALM.
A few more things to remember: last year we mailed out the applications Jan 25 and the ride filled (700 rider limit) on Feb 5. Every year for the last 4 years we've filled a little earlier. With the economy in Michigan, who knows about this year, but you've been warned. If you are short on cash after Christmas, remember all you have mail in immediately is the registration fee: $110 for adults 18 and over, $65 for young people 11 to 17, and $55 for children 10 and under. You have until May 15 to add any meals and bus rides you may want. (All meals are optional: you can pick and chose if you want.)
Please fill out your application carefully, Last year about 15% of the applications had errors. Every error means we have to at least make a phone call. If you got the amount wrong, we have to mail you back your check and get a new one. Very time consuming. And please send us a business sized self addressed stamped envelope so that we can send you back a confirmation letter. (That's one of the things I do for registration, so I'm real interested in this.)
As advertised, I added anyone who emailed us their mailing address by Jan 2 to the mailing list and you should get an application by mail. Everyone who emailed us after that I added to the mailing list and then emailed them the link to the application on the web today. You should be set. Once again the reason I'm not posting the link to the application on the website now is that lots of our riders are not friends of the web and we want everybody to have an equal opportunity to get on PALM.
A few more things to remember: last year we mailed out the applications Jan 25 and the ride filled (700 rider limit) on Feb 5. Every year for the last 4 years we've filled a little earlier. With the economy in Michigan, who knows about this year, but you've been warned. If you are short on cash after Christmas, remember all you have mail in immediately is the registration fee: $110 for adults 18 and over, $65 for young people 11 to 17, and $55 for children 10 and under. You have until May 15 to add any meals and bus rides you may want. (All meals are optional: you can pick and chose if you want.)
Please fill out your application carefully, Last year about 15% of the applications had errors. Every error means we have to at least make a phone call. If you got the amount wrong, we have to mail you back your check and get a new one. Very time consuming. And please send us a business sized self addressed stamped envelope so that we can send you back a confirmation letter. (That's one of the things I do for registration, so I'm real interested in this.)
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Happy New Year
The First Dozen was on January 1. The high was supposed to be 25. I got a call from a diehard Wolverine Bike club member. She said it was too cold and she wasn't going to ride. I went outside to get the bicycle pump out of my car. The wind was blowing, it was cold, and I hadn't preregistered. I decided not to do it and decided to jog instead. (Biking is always colder than running.) The first 1/2 mile was against the wind and I was really cold. The street was a sheet of ice so I thought that I made the right decision. Later on in the run I warmed up and it wasn't bad. I looked at the main roads: perfectly clear. And to top it off the Wolverine Club member called me up. She did the ride and wanted to know where I was. There is a lesson in this. It's either always try to ride before you decide that you can't or don't live where they have winter, I'm not sure which.
I jog outside year round. Winter in SE Michigan is makes jogging doable: it snows, but snow accumulations of over 6 inches are rare. Granted it doesn't go away, but it does get trampled down. It gets cold, but a winter can go by where it doesn't get to zero. My hands and my face are what get cold. I found a new set of gloves to wear under my mittens now my hands are good. I have a Poletec bandana that I can use to cover my face so that's OK too. I jog in the morning. Not many people are out. Emanuel Stewart lives in my neighborhood and occasionally I see one of his boxers (who leaves me in the dust). It's a kick to be the first one to make tracks in fresh snow. It's different being the first bike to make tracks in the snow. I try to avoid that.
I sent the mailing list for the 2010 PALM applications to the printer today (January 3). There were 3417 addresses for applications. You can still email us your mailing address and we'll put you on the mailing list. We printed up and stamped some extra applications to mail out and we'll try to get you one of those. However the staffer who volunteered to do this (Ellie) slipped on the ice and broke the wrist of the hand she writes with. It seems to be one of the prerequisites for working on registration. She is the one who answers all the email. She's gamely pressing on but you'll notice that her answers are getting shorter. Meanwhile I'm getting the application program ready for this year's registration. (New application fields, changes to the database and the confirmation letter.) I made the changes but I need to test them before the first batch of applications come in.
I jog outside year round. Winter in SE Michigan is makes jogging doable: it snows, but snow accumulations of over 6 inches are rare. Granted it doesn't go away, but it does get trampled down. It gets cold, but a winter can go by where it doesn't get to zero. My hands and my face are what get cold. I found a new set of gloves to wear under my mittens now my hands are good. I have a Poletec bandana that I can use to cover my face so that's OK too. I jog in the morning. Not many people are out. Emanuel Stewart lives in my neighborhood and occasionally I see one of his boxers (who leaves me in the dust). It's a kick to be the first one to make tracks in fresh snow. It's different being the first bike to make tracks in the snow. I try to avoid that.
I sent the mailing list for the 2010 PALM applications to the printer today (January 3). There were 3417 addresses for applications. You can still email us your mailing address and we'll put you on the mailing list. We printed up and stamped some extra applications to mail out and we'll try to get you one of those. However the staffer who volunteered to do this (Ellie) slipped on the ice and broke the wrist of the hand she writes with. It seems to be one of the prerequisites for working on registration. She is the one who answers all the email. She's gamely pressing on but you'll notice that her answers are getting shorter. Meanwhile I'm getting the application program ready for this year's registration. (New application fields, changes to the database and the confirmation letter.) I made the changes but I need to test them before the first batch of applications come in.
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