Flushing and Forestry

After spending a small fortune for a septic system and a toilet/water pipe installation, we were all set for working indoor plumbing, right? Wrong! There is no water source, and without the ability to show the faucets working, Warren County still was holding our homeowner plumbing bond of $500 hostage.  I figured that I could rig up a simple pump system drawing from a small tank and at least get our bond back and have some kind of alternative to dumping gallons of water into the toilet tank for each flush.

It's potty time

After a few YouTube videos, I had a plan. I would buy a small holding tank, a simple water pump, and do some basic plumbing to get the water to where it needed to go. I had bought a porcelain sink and a faucet on eBay, but Cassie found a great curb alert score of a nice poly wash basin with faucets installed while on a walk.

Free is for me!

Initially I had hoped to use a large barrel to capture rain water, but we had no gutters/downspouts on the barn at this point. Collecting rainwater is still an option for someday, but a small indoor tank is the short-term solution. It turns out that water tanks are more expensive than I thought. I eventually settled for this 35 gallon model from TSC. I bought a highly recommended water pump on Amazon for about $100. I rigged up simple plumbing to get water under the floor over to the toilet/faucet. 

Holds about 21 flushes

After a few leak fixes, we had a system and I scheduled an inspection time to get things official with Warren County. The inspector was not the same fellow we had before, and he seemed confused by the entire operation and wouldn’t sign off on it until he did some research. This caused a bit of anxiety as we really wanted to be on the up-and-up with Warren County, as well as getting our $500 bond back. After a few days he gave us the official blessing and we were “bona-fide”! 

In the spring I replaced the flexible tubing with “PEX” tubing to improve water flow.

Professional plumbers would probably gag at the sight of this

Not the fastest system around, it is still better than pouring water after each flush.  At some point I may add the rainwater barrel and/or a small inline water heater for the faucet.

Eventually I did add gutters and downspouts, although it took a while due to the contractors getting in the right color.

A non-plumbing concern of ours was that the cedar trees in the front 1.5 acres were getting bigger and bigger by the year, and we really didn’t want a cedar forest choking out more desirable trees. The cedar trees were out of control and not terribly attractive to begin with.

For years I had contemplated buying a nice chainsaw and having my own cut-and burn party but this seemed like a huge amount of work, and I never seemed to have the time. Every year the trees grew a ton and I knew I needed to hire a pro.

Huge mess

After contacting several people who never seemed to show up, I found a guy on Facebook Marketplace who was ready and eager.  He showed up as scheduled and brought a skid steer with a giant tree-shredding apparatus on the front which would turn anything it came in contact with into mulch.

Not a precision instrument

This worked to perfection.  I flagged a few “good” trees I wanted him to save and he pulverized the rest. He left a 20-foot tree buffer between us and both neighbors, and even flattened a few dirt piles the driveway installer guy had left. After spreading some gravel piles and a good days’ work we paid him $2000 and he was on his way.  In 8 hours the front of the property looked completely different.

New view of the property

The Mighty Elixir (aka Coffee)

I have often heard it said that coffee is an acquired taste, and I am quite sure that holds true for many.  Not for me! When I was younger, I would beg my mom for a cup of coffee.  She might let me have a small cup  once in a while with the warning that too much caffeine stunts growth. Apparently there are no studies to support this statement which would not have mattered at all to my mother. 

Many people say that coffee is great for you - research shows as much! Right?  Caffeine is defined as a naturally occurring central nervous system (CNS) stimulant of the methylxanthine class and is the most widely taken psychoactive stimulant globally. I think there is little doubt that it is one of the most accepted and promoted drugs in our society. Stimulated people are more productive, right? If you are expecting this to be a pro-coffee post, you might be a little disappointed even if I have always been the gal that loves coffee. This isn't exactly an anti-coffee post either.  It is, rather, a post about my recent experiment of one where I gave up my two daily cups of caffeinated coffee for two cups of decaf coffee. I did this for two reasons. One reason is essential tremor.  I, thankfully, do not have essential tremor, but my mom does. Caffeine stimulates your nervous system (which seems like a very bad idea for someone whose nervous system is twitchy). My mom also switched to decaf and said she noticed very little difference.  That is, until I gave her a cup of caffeinated coffee one day after months of drinking decaf. She could not figure out why she felt shaky that day until she remembered she had had caffeine. Essential tremor can be genetic, so I would prefer to try to keep my nervous system from staying in overdrive day in and day out. Will it keep me from having the same issue as mom? There are no guarantees in this life, but I will do what I can within my control. Caffeine has always had a large impact on my system. For example, if I drink a cup of coffee in the morning without eating breakfast, my blood sugar will drop.  I will then turn into the incredible Hulk. 

I never drink coffee on an empty stomach in the morning. Never. I mentioned the second reason in a previous post. I decided to try to use caffeine strategically for running. While training for my last marathon, I would only drink a cup of caffeinated coffee the morning before a very long training run (aka marathon practice run) or the morning of the race. The last gel I took during the practice run / race contained caffeine. I can tell you I believe it made a difference during those last brutal miles. I ran my second fastest marathon (10 years after my fastest when I was 36 years old) at only 10 seconds per mile slower, and that's after a cold two weeks before, having much lower base mileage, and carrying 5 extra pounds. Did the caffeine do all that? No, there was more to it, but I say with confidence that it did play a role. There are many studies that talk about caffeine, and its greatness with regard to performance (both cognitive and physical). I thought about reviewing a few of them in this post. The truth is studies are a great place to start for information, but they will rarely tell you exactly how something might impact you, the individual. Another benefit I found to not regularly ingesting caffeine is that my insides feel calmer.  That is the best way I have found to explain it. When I do have an occasional caffeinated cup when no running is involved, I feel a bit like jumping out of my skin. I also become hyper chatty (for me, anyway). 

Let's be a honest, I have a bit of a hard head. When I hear a lot marketing folks telling me I should use a drug daily when I am not trying to remedy any particular sickness, I eventually begin to ask why. My hope is that you might ponder the same. Maybe do a little experiment for yourself? 

Oh, and just in case you think decaf coffee just does not taste good, I would recommend checking out a local Dayton company that specializes in decaf - Savorista (no financial interest). I am still the gal who loves the taste of coffee, I just drink it with a lot less caffeine most days. 

The Track (1990s versus 2022)

5AM! Wake Up! My Garmin buzzed to tell me it was time to get moving. I had already told myself that if it was raining, I would get back in bed. I peeked out the window to find that the rain had already come and gone. My clothes were stacked neatly just waiting for me to get them on and get out the door. It was Tuesday which is track day. Thanks to Kim, Tuesday is always track Tuesdays at 6AM!

This particular Tuesday looked to have a good turnout. 7 or so ladies said they would be attending even though there was rain in the forecast. It was a little humid but there was a slight chill which made it all okay. Due to some leg soreness from the running festivities the Saturday before, I decided there would be no speed work today. I popped in an ear bud and began my circles. 

In 1991, my coach asked if I would participate in the mile relay. I always preferred the shorter distances, but since he asked,  I agreed. The next day I found out that a friend of mine wanted to be on the mile relay team, and there were no more spots remaining. I was happy to give mine up to someone who wanted it. The coach, however, was not in agreement. I remember him having a talk with me, and somehow that led to my taking the spot on the team. He said he wanted a strong relay team.  I felt like I was hurting my friend, but I acquiesced. (A year or so later, this coach would go on to say to me in class, "you would be okay if you had a lobotomy.")

A few laps into track Tuesday, I was suddenly thinking about 1991. Track Tuesdays are not new to me, but this particular morning was the first where my mind went back to high school track.  It dawned on me that I was out running on a track early in the morning because it was something I wanted to do.  It also dawned on me that I was out there running with people who were doing the same and were happy to be sharing the experience with others. 

There were two experiences in those mile relay races that are forever engrained in my psyche.  One had to do with what is referred to as a petit mal seizure. When I was in my teens and early 20s, I experienced these sometimes during times of stress or speaking directly to someone. I had no idea there was an actual name for them. They are called absence seizures for a reason. One minute I would be doing something, and seconds later it was as if someone had pulled the curtain over my brain.  A few seconds later, I would be standing there and have no idea what I was doing or saying second before. This one just so happened to be right before a teammate was handing off a relay baton to me. One second I was watching her approach me. A few seconds later she was ahead of me and jumping up and down while yelling at me to run. You might be able to guess how embarrassing this could be. It was in front of multiple schools including my own. I did learn how to use this while running relay races. I found that once I began running, I could basically be detached from any pain I felt if I just let my brain go blank. The key was to wait until AFTER I received the baton.

On another race, half way around the track, I was rudely ripped from my blank brain state, by a guy who was also on the track team. He was a year or so older than I was, and he was dating someone else on the team. While we were waiting for our events, he decided to call his girlfriend some very rude names. I told him to quit calling her those things. Apparently he did not appreciate that so in the middle of my loop around the track for my race, he stepped toward the track, leaned toward me, and called me the "C" word.  Nope, not Cassie. It is the word that some men like to use to greatly insult women. Once my race was complete, I went over to my coaches and told them what he had done. I had no idea what came of that, but I can only assume it was not much. The next evening, the same guy along with two of his 6 foot tall buddies decided to drive by my house (which was on a dead end street). When they saw me and my then-boyfriend sitting outside, they put the truck in reverse. As they pulled up, I told the then-boyfriend not to do anything. I knew had he tried he had no prayer of defeating 3 guys who were over 6 feet tall and played on the football team. Apparently that was how many it takes to scare a 5'6" Texas gal who is a year or two younger than they were. Once they finished with the insults and threats. I went inside and told my mom. My mother then called each of their parents.  One of the boys had a parent who did not care at all, but one of the boys had a parent who thought it was a very big problem. None of them ever approached me again. 

This Tuesday at the track was very different than the days at the track years ago. On this day, I was invited to run a marathon in March. (Thanks Kim!) I was also invited to be part of small church group. (Thanks Alayna!)  I did not have to figure out how to blank out my brain while I ran because this day I was running on purpose and for a purpose. No one pressured me into being there. Everyone smiled at me when I arrived, and we were all happy to see each other. 

I do find it amazing that after my early track experiences, I would have any desire to make weekly visits to a track before the sun comes up. It really is the company that makes the difference, and kind people have more of an impact than they can imagine.

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14

Finding Kindness

For the first 25 years of my life, I just assumed that people were, in general, rather mean to each other.  It was my perception of the world around me based on experience. My family, save my mom, was not even close to kind. They were not there for us while my single mom worked, took care of a young child, and took care of their dying mother. She had 2 brothers and 1 sister who chose to be mostly absent. Her oldest brother was cruel and caustic. I feel for the patients who call him their doctor. My father was seldom present. The few times he was, he used insulting humor to get in a good laugh on the object of his humor.  Please understand, I did not even know enough about people to feel any sadness about my situation.  I had a mom who loved me, and some key people who went out of their way to care for me. The world, however, seemed a mostly harsh place. I still do not feel sorry for myself at all. That thought simply is not part of the equation.

I grew up in a very small town. Many people ranged from disengaged to mean. That is not say that there were not kind folks because there were, but not many.  Once again, this reinforced my perception of the way people treated each other. After 17 years, I was off to the US Military Academy. There was focus on honesty and perseverance, but, as you might imagine, kindness was not a concept often considered. A cadet's first summer and first year consisted of a lot of being told what to do, what not to do, and being yelled at for a multitude of reasons.  That said, I did begin to meet some very kind people. After leaving West Point, my next stop was the Army.  Kindness is certainly not served in the Army. By 25 years old, the vast majority of my experience with the way people treated each other was very negative.  I never thought to be sad about it as that was simply the way it was.  I am certain there are plenty of people in this world who have experienced the same or worse. 

 

As time went on and I had more choices, I began to realize I could shape my world by choosing to interact with the kind people. Of course, none of us have complete control regarding those who surround us, but we do gain more choices as we age. It was actually a bit shocking how kind some people could be, and I often questioned why I would be deserving of such kindness. I had not yet begun to understand that another person's kindness is much more about who they are than who I am. I began to understand that there was also power in my own kindness.  Again, it was very surprising how others responded to something as simple as a kind word or a smile. My Ah-Ha! moment came while listening to John Maxwell at a presentation on leadership. It was my first academic introduction to servant leadership which might sound odd since I attended what many consider to be the premier leadership school in the country.  

 

Maxwell spoke of "adding value to others" and provided a 3-step process. The process was simple and actionable. 

 

Step 1: Decide to add value to others. Be intentional and keep making the decision daily.

Step 2: Actively look for opportunities to do this multiple times throughout the day.

Step 3: Do it!  

 

Why had I never been told this before?  It seemed so obvious and simple but also profound. Based on my life experiences, I knew this was not common knowledge. I immediately realized that this would positively impact my life as well as those around me. I was so excited to give it a go, and I have been working on being intentional about this for the last 5 years.  That is not to say that I am great at it or even consistent day to day. What I can say is that I am much better about it than I would have been otherwise.  Adding value to others is not about making another person valuable.  It is about seeing a person's value and letting him/her know you see it through your words and/or actions. It is also about seeing and listening to that person.  The majority of us want to know we are valued. I have yet to meet a person who does not. Amazing things happen when we start expressing to others that we see their value. It can change the lives of both the kindness receiver and the kindness giver. Being intentional is key, and it is too important of a concept to be one of the latest buzzwords. It also must be said that it cannot be only flattery which means you must be capable of valuing others. 

 

It has been a journey of many years from my starting place to where I am now, and I am not sure that I could have completely understood the importance of the steps listed above had I not begun where I started. Intentionally valuing others holds power whether you are young or old, individual contributor or CEO.  It is certainly worth trying out, and once you begin to experience the profoundness, there is really very little point in looking back. There is only continually reminding yourself to look for the good in each person who crosses your path, and let them know you see it.

Mom and I at graduation (1993 high school / 2019 PhD)

 

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)

Experiment of One

Now that JC is a little older, COVID had been around a while, and my PhD work is done, I have been able to add back into my life another area of interest - human performance research. I have always enjoyed helping others achieve their goals, and I have had the chance to do that a few times in the running arena. It has been quite a while since I focused on trying to optimize my own performance, and to be honest I am tired of carrying around this extra 10 pounds that came from having a child and ticking over into the 40s. I tried going back to Weight Watchers which helped me lose 20 pounds about 15 or so years ago, but it simply isn't working for me this time around. I can blame hormone changes or aging, but doing that does not get results.  Besides, I insist on seeing this as a learning opportunity. It reminds of something I read many years ago in the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey that really stuck with me:

“Suppose you wanted to arrive at a specific location in central Chicago. A street map of the city would be a great help to you in reaching your destination. But suppose you were given the wrong map. Through a printing error, the map labeled “Chicago” was actually a map of Detroit. Can you imagine the frustration, the ineffectiveness of trying to reach your destination? You might work on your behavior—you could try harder, be more diligent, double your speed. But your efforts would only succeed in getting you to the wrong place faster.”

I feel a bit like while I was busy living, someone did some major revamping of the road system that is my body, and I am still trying to follow that old, now inaccurate map. Time for me to update that map!

While researching, I came across Dr. Brittany Robles and decided to plunk down the little bit of cash she asks for to get her nutrition plan for postpartum. I am way past postpartum, but this body of mine feels very different than it did before having a child so I figured I would give it a shot. Dr. Robles focuses a lot on eating healthy foods rather than cutting out certain ones. In fact, she never tells you not to eat certain items. There is no counting of calories or points. She does make suggestions on what you should consider skipping (mostly processed foods). She addresses you as beautiful momma and tells you that you matter. The first two weeks, she gives you a list of 3 things to include in your diet daily (level 1). The next two weeks, she adds in 3 more things. By the time you get to week 7 (level 4), there are now 12 items listed daily, and not all are focused on food. She also throws in some bonus items after level 4. 

I made it through level 4, and feeling very empowered, I found myself wanting to continue to tweak my food choices. I also began marathon training and felt I needed a nutrition plan focused on my individual needs so I signed up with OnPoint Nutrition.  I now, for the first time, have a nutrition coach. It really boggles my mind that I spent years working to improve my running by focusing almost exclusively on running plans and only peripherally on nutrition. I am interested to see how this plays out!

I am also deep into reading Roar: How to Match Your Food and Fitness to Your Unique Female Physiology for Optimum Performance, Great Health, and a Strong, Lean Body for Life by Dr. Stacy Sims. She focuses specifically on women's physiology, hormones and aging. Eureka! I feel this subject in my bones, and I love and share her passion for helping women achieve their optimal performance. 

For the next three months, I am an experiment of one armed with information, a Garmin, a running coach, and a nutrition coach.  Did I mention I gave up caffeine and will strategically use it for running performance? If you know me, you know I love my coffee, but decaf will have to do. It's getting serious folks! I will never be an elite athlete, but I can certainly improve my knowledge of performance and my own performance. From this process, hopefully I can learn more to help others in the future as well do my best to help keep myself healthy as I age. Stay tuned!

Other sources I am currently using to help in this process: Kodiak, Hello Fresh, Picnk, Volcanica (decaf Ethiopian Yirgacheffe!), a food scale, OSMO Nutrition, FitDesk, Active Life Chiropractic, the Centerville Salt Room. I am in no way paid by these companies nor by the folks linked anywhere in this post. No (wo)man is an island. 

Vitamins I am currently taking: Iron Water (doctor's orders), B12, Vitamin D, Magnesium, Probiotics 

The $20,000 Throne

Getting the septic system installed was a huge hurdle (and cost). However, it is pretty useless without some facilities attached to it! For some reason, my initial thoughts were that I could actually do the work in installing a toilet. Seems like all you needed to do was cut a hole through the concrete and attach a drain pipe, right? I was an expert after watching a few YouTube videos after all. I was soon convinced to let the pros handle it, which was pretty much the only reasonable decision. I had already framed off a corner of the barn for a small restroom with sink.

By now I knew the drill. Lookup the procedure on the Warren County Health Department website, research the permit process, and start printing, filling out, and making calls. As per usual, I called 3 plumbers to get estimates. The first call I made was a mess, as the guy actually laughed at me and said I couldn’t do what I was doing. He said that I can’t put in the septic and build the house later (Warren County was fully aware of our long-term plan). Then he proceeded to give me an outrageous quote for about $6500 to do the whole thing. The next 2 calls went much better and I set up a couple of on-site appointments. The first guy looks it over and says he will send me a quote in a few days. By the time the quote actually showed up I had already committed to the third guy. The quote was also outrageous, I figured he just didn’t want the job. The quote from All American Plumbing was very reasonable and they could start in “2 weeks”. Of course they could.

 As it turns out, the permit/inspection process for plumbing connections is very complicated and makes absolutely no sense. The main goal of the stringent inspections is to ensure that the new connections do not disrupt the county sewer system nor the water supply. Our situation uses neither sewer or public water as they are not even available at our location. Yet we were grateful that we had the county looking out for our best interests. 

Looks simple enough

 AAP provided us with an isometric diagram, and said he would need to cut out a bit of concrete out of the floor. Instead of just a hole, it turned out to be a lot more concrete than I ever thought. The removal and re-pouring turned out to be a major factor in the whole cost. In addition to the toilet, we were also planning a sink and provisions for a hot water tank and a pressure pump.

The whole corner is gone!

I forget all the details, but the next few weeks were filled with lots of concrete moving/pouring, inspections, scheduling changes, and even some roofing work as a venting tube was required to go up through the roof and not out the side of the building as we were hoping for. 

Up and out!

Needs to handle all the pressure I can throw at it

We also got to go toilet shopping! We bought a model which claims to be able to flush 20 or so golf balls at a time. Probably won’t test that claim, as septic systems are very limited as to what you can flush. 

Provisions for the water pump visible on the left

 I bought a sink and faucet even though those items won’t be needed for a while. Due to all the costs and well-digging uncertainty, we are not going to get a water system at this time. We will still need to have a supply of water for flushing on hand, stored in gallon vinegar bottles. After the final Warren County blessing, I was able to install the flooring and toilet. By that time it was winter and frozen water rendered the toilet useless for a couple of months.

The nice folks at All American Plumbing even helped us out with our now beleaguered driveway. 

The Sep-Tek Adventures

 The Sep-Tek Adventures

One of the popular requirements for spending more time out at our vacation property was that we had an actual, functioning, non-primitive restroom facility. This is a perfectly reasonable action, as we wanted the property to be as relaxing and home-like as possible if we were going to spend some weekends there.  After considering a compacting or incinerating toilet, a proper septic system was the best choice as it was seen as an investment of sorts because it would raise the property value and make future construction as easy as possible. I also feared that future county regulation would only become more stringent as time went by. We then started our rocky journey of tests, permits, inspections, and dealing with a few different contractors.

This secluded spot isn't going to cut it anymore

The first step was to have the ground tested and evaluated to see what our options were.  We hired a nice gentleman from Lebanon who took measurements and soil samples back to evaluate.  We received the good news that a leach system was possible because of the soil type and amount of space we had available, as opposed to more elaborate and expensive systems. Clearcreek Environmental designed a septic plan, and I obtained Warren County’s blessing in permit form and got some installation quotes.  3 rows of colorful flags were placed to indicate precisely where the system would need to be installed.  These flags needed to remain for 3 or so years as we were otherwise preoccupied having a baby, finishing a doctorate, changing careers, and navigating the pandemic you may have heard of.

We have a plan

Finally we were ready to have the system installed. I dug out the quotes received and had them updated to reflect the new (higher) rates.  We chose a company who had good ratings, a reasonable price, and were ready to go in “2 weeks”.  As we would find out, “2 weeks” is contractor-speak for a timeline that sounded close and reasonable but was nowhere near accurate. After about 2 months and repeated assurances that we were “next in line”, some earth-moving equipment finally showed up. To their credit, SepTek did step up their game and got things ripped up in a hurry.

150 feet of this stuff

We had learned from previous experiences that the Warren County inspections department were there to help us get proper work done and not put up red-tape hurdles and slow things down.  The contractors did not set up the proper pre-installation meeting with Warren County, but we got that straightened out. The WC inspector was a great guy and kept us in the loop, and assured us he would make sure the company did it’s installation properly.

This thing cost a lot $$

After 2 weeks of steady progress, a few tense moments, and a couple of awkward phone conversations with the installers we had a septic system. The WC inspector gave his blessing but said that maybe the chosen installer was not the greatest choice for the operation. The company had a lot of good reviews, but all were for emptying septic tanks and not installing them. Basically it was a bit like hiring the reliable oil change place to rebuild your engine, they might have been in a bit over their heads. The final insults were the rather shabby backfill job (leaving us with a bumpy mess of a leach field) and the company threatening us with a property lien for not paying in full within a few days even though A) the bill was not due for 30 days according to the invoice and B) the final inspection paperwork was not in my hands yet.

Nice backfill job, thanks!

The glow of a newly-minted septic system soon turned into more work and cash, as the system was useless without something attached to it. Thus started the story of the next installment, the $20,000 throne.