It Ain't Easy Being Green
Friday, July 27, 2007
Or is it?
This post has nothing to do with Writing and more to do with Life As I Know It. (psst, I'm finally learning how to use the labeling feature. I know. I'm slow.)
Today is Trash/Recycling day in my neighborhood and as I was hauling out the recycling, it brought to mind a post I read once -- heaven knows where -- that the poster didn't recycle. At all. And seemed really proud of herself, too. She refused to recycle, like it was all part of some evil government plot or something.
I've known people who don't recycle really vigorously, but at least they make some effort. Like, they might not recycle plastic, but they'll toss their soda cans in the recycling bin. I mean, if the city has arranged for pick-up of recyclable items, it doesn't seem too much of a stretch, y'know?
Then there are the recycling apostles, come to save the world from post-consumer waste. Ed Begley, Jr. comes to mind. I watched a show he did earlier this year about his day-to-day life called
Living With Ed. Wow. I felt kinda bad for his wife, but it was funny. You have to admire that kind of passion.
I fall somewhere in the middle. I recycle almost everything that my local ordinances allow -- newspapers, aluminumn cans, glass, paperboard, cardboard, some plastics. I rinse out containers and make the kids take them to the recycling bin in the laundry room. In SC, it annoyed me to no end that they didn't pick up glass or paperboard, like cereal containers. Do you know how much cereal this family goes through?!?
I'm not perfect, by any means. Plenty of stuff gets thrown away that I
could recycle, but it requires a certain amount of extra effort.
For instance, I just bought school supplies. Things like glue sticks come with the paperboard on the back and the little plastic bubble in the front. Since the city doesn't take the plastic bubbles, I'd have to separate them, toss the plastic and recycle the paperboard. Ummm, yeah. Now that I've written it all out, I might do it, but on a regular basis -- honestly -- it's probably not going to happen.
So let's talk.
Do you recycle?
Would you recycle?
Would you be the mom who takes the paperboard off the glue stick package?
Do you think recycling is a waste of time, effort and tax dollars? Why?
On a slightly different, but still green, tack:
What other options for energy saving do you currently employ, i.e. energy saving lightbulbs, you take public transportation by choice, you drive an energy efficient vehicle?
What options intrigue you?
I love wind farms. We drove past several in Europe and I thought they were very striking looking.
The local community college used
Green Roof Blocks to help cool the buildings. Nifty!
E-Books! Some pretty green technology there!
Labels: Life As I Know It, Random Questions
I Wanna Go Fast
Monday, July 23, 2007
People really should only drive cars commensurate with their driving ability. Seriously. At least then other people would know what they're dealing with.
If you can't find the damn gas pedal with a flashlight and binoculars, you shouldn't get to drive a BMW. You should drive a rusted out Chevy Nova. There are few things in the world more frustrating than toodling along behind a car that you know damn well could blow the doors off most other vehicles on the road and they're driving 45 in a 55. WHAT THE F***????
I love to borrow dh's BMW 5 series. It's an orgasm on wheels. Smooth as sin and just as likely to get you in trouble. There is no way to feel sad or depressed when you drive something that beautiful. And you know the gods are smiling as you turn on the radio and Lenny Kravitz is blasting "American Woman." A match made in heaven.
So if the rest of you slow-pokes would kindly get the HELL out of my way, I'd be obliged.
I just watched "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" and I told my husband I want a bumper sticker that says,
"I Wanna Go Fast."Labels: Life As I Know It
Eye exams
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Going for my annual eye exam this morning. Is it twisted of me to hope that I need a new prescription? My eyes have been the same prescription for several years -- which means I haven't needed new glasses for a long time. And I WANT new glasses! Now, I love my frames. I think they're cool and fun. But I want something a little different now. I'm bored.
I'll let you know what happens. Because you're all waiting with bated breath, I'm sure. *gg*
ETA: Oh well. No new glasses for me. No need for a change in prescription and I got my eyes dilated. Fun, fun, fun.
Labels: Life As I Know It
So ready for school to start
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Both of the kids have morning camps this week and they're really enjoying it. I think they miss structure during the summer. We have a little at our house, but it's generally a free-for-all.
But yeah, I'm ready, too. I always get excited about school -- and not just for slacker mom reasons, either. It's a fun time! New clothes, new teachers, new classrooms, new friends. And that new paper smell. And schools always smell the same on the first day. I can't really describe it, but they do. It's very comforting.
We've got about 3 weeks left before the first day and I'm rarin' to go. I've got their school supply lists printed out. I'm even thinking of missing the chaos of the tax free weekend and just taking them to Target one day next week to see what we can find.
DS needs new jeans since he shot up this summer. DD could use a bit of sprucing up, but she's mostly ready.
I'm ready. Grade school, bring it on.
Labels: Life As I Know It
Eight Things Redux
Monday, June 25, 2007
I did this one before, but I took it down because it sounded uptight and weird and not really me. Must have been in a bad mood that day. But now
Babe has tagged me, so I'll see if I can come up with something better.
1. Taken together, I'm half Native American. Even if some of it is Central American. My dad's mother was Choctaw -- raised on a reservation in Oklahoma. Her name was Ona. My mom's father was Mayan, from Honduras. Extremely well-educated and very successful. Tough old man, too. Wish I'd been able to meet them, but Ona died before I was born and I was just an infant when mi abuelo died.
2. I look a lot like Ona. But pale. And with shorter arms.
3. I just cut my hair last week. It's been past my shoulders for years -- since my daughter was born, really -- and I just got sick of it. I like it. It curls now.
4. I took a semester of Russian in college and did miserably at it. I think I'll stick with Romance languages from here on out.
5. Two of my German teachers came to the US as refugees from Germany after WW2. One had been drafted into the German Army when he was 14, was captured almost immediately and spent the rest of the war in a POW camp in Marseilles. The other was actually Czech, and she walked with her mother and sister across Czechoslovakia, across Germany, to get to an American camp, so they could come here.
6. #5 wasn't really about me. Too bad. So for #6, you learn that I don't follow rules well. I almost always get away with it, too. ;)
7. My kids. My adorable Monkey Children. They're growing up. And they like each other. I find this fascinating, especially since I'm an only child. I have other friends with boy/girl children, about the same ages, and the kids hate each other. Mine squabble, of course, but overall they love to be together. I feel very fortunate.
8. Sela is pronouced See-la. Not sell-a. Try yelling sell-a at me at conference and it's not that I'm ignoring you, it's just that it's not my name. See-la.
And I don't tag people! If you see this meme, haven't done it already, and would like to -- Go For It!
Labels: Life As I Know It
Balance
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Good news...
I baked blueberry muffins this morning.
Bad news...
I burned them. And my hand. Ouch.
Good news...
I like the new flavor of coffee creamer I bought (Chocolate Raspberry).
Bad news...
It's not fat free.
Good news...
I found the perfect tights to go with the gorgeous top I bought last week.
Bad news...
Everything would look better if I lost five pounds. See above "not fat free" comment.
Good news...
The outfit complements my kick-ass sparkly high-heeled sandals perfectly!!
Labels: Life As I Know It
