Foiled

Or should I say... foamed.

In an effort to save money without sacrificing the essentials, I ordered wine online.
I was pleased. I was saving money and someone was dropping it off on my porch. (and while I realize the consequences of the fossil fuel wasted to do this - the guy is driving right past my house every day regardless... so why not stop and bring us some wine while your out).

BUT -- what I was not prepared for, was the styrofoam.

They ship in styrofoam! I am sure this is a cost effective way for the company to safely transport its product -- but I simply cannot have this coming into the house on a regular basis.

Do you know how I feel about styrofoam??


This clearly isn't going to work out. And now we have even MORE styrofoam that I have no idea what to do with.

OO the horror!

Luckily, I have some wine to ease my suffering.

The Requirements

Since you all have advice on my new car selection - perhaps reviewing this list of requirements will help you make a choice.

• great mileage
  this is a top priority as my work commute has increased from 8 miles one way to 48.


• affordable
  this is definetly the second most important as we are still financing the education of our second and final child


• great resale value
  why throw money away


• nimble driving experience
  (see the first bullet)


• medium to dark interior color
  FREE dog is black - need I say more


• sedan
  yes, I want 4 doors


• and it must be cute
  this is of course my cuteness scale - which may differ from yours

Other nice-to-haves:

• MP3 connectivity


• interior seating designed to fit shorter, ever-so-slightly round people


• easy care exterior color


• well placed drivers side cup holder

aw hell ...while I am at it:

• heated seats (I have them now and love them)


• remote start

Time to shop.

One man's garbage... is still really garbage.

Sometime back in the 70's there were these ad campaigns to get dumb Americans to stop tossing their trash around. I am sure you remember the commercial made famous by the single tear rolling down the weather beaten face of a Native American.

Personally, I never really understood why people would toss around trash in the first place. Why is it we need to be told not to be slobs?

Anyway... it was around that time when I read an article about the dangers of those plastic ring things which hold a six pack of soda cans together. These were invented because Americans are evidently too lazy to purchase individual cans of soda. Well these items of 'convenience' were wreaking havoc out in the Nature. Animals were becoming entangled in them or even strangled by them. The plastic was too strong for them to break free of. And of course - plastic lasts forever.
This broke my heart.

Since that day, if I ever encounter one of those little nasties - I cut them into several pieces. Granted - it's still evil plastic, but at least little animals won't get hurt by playing with it.

Ok.. so now here we were last month setting up our Christmas tree. And it was wrapped in that ubiquitous tree 'netting'.

This netting totally freaked me out.
I mean just look at it.
This is clearly some dangerous stuff.

I kept thinking of the baby animals.




















I had to save the animals.


And so I started snipping... and snipping... and snipping

Until I had a pile of teeny tiny little plastic bits.

The bits were everywhere. They were all over the table, stuck to the chairs, spilled onto the floor... they were on my socks and my sleeves. They were very tiny bits.

I am still finding them -a month later.
But the baby animals are safe.
So I feel better.

My name is weese and I....

...drink tap water.

Yes, I do.
In great quantities.
Right out of the faucet (well... I generally use a glass)
I have been drinking tap water all my life. Remember back in the day... they used to recommend it for kids because the water was fluoridated.
Mmmm, fluoride.

These days everyone, everywhere has a bottle of water with them.

While I do agree that bottled water is great if you are on the go - I just don't see the point of drinking it when I am sitting on the patio.

My ecologically sensitive wife sent me this link today from the Times and I couldn't agree more.
In Praise of Tap Water

Green-ness

Earthfriendly
Organic
Eco... blah blah.

You're not helping the environment buying eco-crap if you have not cut down your consumption.
Use less, people.

I am not saying to live a year without new clothes or not to use toilet paper or to build a tree house.

Just be smart. Everyday. When you buy three things at the store - don't use a bag, just carry the stuff to your car.
Reuse bits of paper for lists or notes left on the counter for the kids.
Turn some stuff off in your house.
Waste less food, start by buying less.

Buy a Subaru over one of the new hybrids.
Better yet, buy a used Subaru.

Recycle, Reuse, Repurpose
little things add up.


Here is a fun article on the subject. The author balances the ridiculousness of buying green ...

“Green consumerism is an oxymoronic phrase,[...]. The fruit at Whole Foods in winter, flown in from Chile on a 747 — it’s a complete joke. The idea that we should have raspberries in January, it doesn’t matter if they’re organic. It’s diabolically stupid.”

while considering that having folks just begin to think about being 'green' is a good first step.

“We didn’t find that people felt that their consumption gave them a pass, so to speak,”... But they do it as a practice of mindfulness. They didn’t see it as antithetical to political action. Folks who were engaged in these green practices were actually becoming more committed to more transformative political action on global warming.”

but...

"...sustainably-harvested caviar..."

pulleeezzeee.

It's the least I can do

I was in the ladies room at work this morning, serenely washing my hands. I have been more careful lately to limit my water consumption. I use my wrist to flip the water on, then off during sudsing, then on again to rinse. The process takes a little longer – but it’s more economical.

I was rinsing when I first heard the *thrrip*,*thrrip*,*thrrip*… I turn… slowly, as the realization of the origin of this sound washes over me. As my sight slowly hones in on the source, it continues... *thrrip*, *thrrip*, *thrrip*.
Yes, six times. I am pretty sure I recall hearing it six times.

I stare. Incredulous.
I falter, suddenly realizing my water is still running.
Damn. Wasteful.
I quickly slap the handle down with an audible pop.
I look back … curious… miffed.

And there she is. Wiping, mopping you might say, her just slightly dampened hands with SIX paper towels.
6!
Oh… the horror of it.

She tosses her WAD of nearly dry and unused paper towels in the receptacle and brushes past me toward the door.
I want to call out.
“Why?”
I don’t. I stand, dumbfounded … speechless.

I will not use any paper towels today.
I feel I need to balance the scales.