random thoughts, And Food!

blue biker chic

2011-11-04T22:26:00.020-04:00

I have a new passion. Its wonderful. I have been toying with the idea of getting a bike since moving to Austin. This and that got in the way (mainly money). Then one day my baggy board shorts wouldn't fit (not easily) and the next day, I had a bike (hello imaginary money). It was just under $700. It's a great Trek seven.two. It's neither city nor mountain bike. Its good on light trails and fine on the street. A few months before getting the bike I bought a helmet (like people who buy a wedding dress before they've got the ring or maybe even the man). The helmet is baby blue. The bike is baby blue. It was meant to be. Got a bike cage for my Klean Kanteen (can you believe the guy tried to get me to buy one of those squeeze bottles?) and a rear light. Later I got a front light and because my hands kept going numb I replaced the grips with Ergon bio cork handlebar grips. I also got a little bell with a pink electra sticker on it - but mostly I just say "on your left" or slow down until I can pass people.

But, back to the awesome bike. It combines so many great things I love and never knew I loved. Its a great way to enjoyably exercise without the bouncing (actually, my head gets jostled instead of my boobs). Its fun. I am really not a thrill junky (I'll quickly wear out the breaks on these hills) but I can ride at a good pace and still enjoy the scenery. I forgot to mention the outdoors. You're outside on a bike. In a neighborhood or on the trail or whatever. Of course, its much more sustainable than driving my car. In Europe and Japan I did not mind mass transit. In the US, its rather icky. Buses and subways over here just make me want to wash my hands. Crazy people talk to you. But on a bike your being eco-concious without the hassle of associating with other people. The best way to arrive at work is after a great mind clearing bike ride. And the best way to get home is back on your bike. I might wake up grumpy, but once I'm on my bike all you think about is whats around you and pedaling. After work, the day's stupidity washes away while you pedal in the now.

Something else I never realized I enjoyed is the challenge biking presents. Austin is a hilly rocky area and that makes for some interesting biking. Personally, I prefer relatively soft, flat trails, but I do enjoy the challenge of getting up the hill and not falling off my bike going over some rocks. It's a great feeling to think: wow, I did that!

I met a cool couple at REI (through my freakish love of Klean Kanteen...) who run the blog Path Less Pedaled and tour around the US (and soon more!) on their bikes. Watching their videos and reading the blog has inspired me to make a trip with either Amtrak and my bike or my car & bike or just bike. South Florida is great for that - drive to a little island, rent a bike, and enjoy the area. Which, is another cool thing about biking: there are so many communities within it. There are easy paved park riders, and commuters, and serious racers, mountain bikers, and of course "kids" who ride without proper protection (lights etc) erratically and give bikers a bad name. You ride on the street and smile or wave when you see someone else on a bike (ok, not the reckless no helmet wearing kids). You never drive a car and think "Hey! Your in a car, I'm in a car, that's cool!". But being a (responsible) biker makes you part of a community.

So far, I've only biked down to and around the lake (and past sxsw), to work (a short two mile-ish trip), down Shoal Creek which runs through downtown, and to Central Market. I look forward to some bigger trips, to getting panniers, maybe a mirror, assorted bags... Maybe build up to biking to a state park? Lending my mom the car....

Chipping away at the waste in my life

2011-09-29T14:00:00.012-04:00

Inspired by Beth Terry at My Plastic Free Life I have been attempting to slowly whittle away at the waste in my life. Plastic mostly, but waste in general too. Slowly because I think it would be far too overwhelming to attack everything at once. And, I'm lazy.

Here then, is a list of the little things I've managed to do to eliminate plastic from my life.

Be prepared! I ordered a purse off etsy and I made sure it would be big enough for my Klean Kanteen (although I usually carry that or put a glass bottle in my purse), and have lots of pockets for everything I need. It doesn't look bulky and yet I manage to carry around with me: utensils, a straw, Newman's Own mints (in a tin), kleenex, a pen, reusable bags, a glass water bottle or lunchbot, lip gloss, moisturizer, nail file, my wallet & phone. Seriously, its great.

Water/drink bottles: I would feel lost if I left the house without my Klean Kanteen water bottle or thermos. I am absolutely in love with it. I've taken it on road trips and filled it at airport water fountains and in restaurants. Since I'm always prepared, I never have to buy water.

Utensils: I carry a set of to-go ware bamboo utensils in my purse wherever I go. It has a knife, spoon, fork and chopsticks.

Straws: I bought a set of stainless steel straws and I keep one in my purse for those drinks that just need a straw (Thai iced tea, fresh juice). I actually prefer the glass straws (glass production is less labor intensive than steel) and I have some of those at home.

Soap: I am now using solid soap for my hands and body and only have liquid soap for dishes and laundry. And my face, but I intend to replace that with a bar once its done. I might use soap nuts for the laundry or make my own. I can refill my Dr. Bronner's soap bottle at Whole Foods and use that for dishes. Once the shampoo is gone I will get a bar for that too. A Wild Soap Bar (which is local) makes some shampoo/body bars, while Lush and several other companies make exclusive shampoo bars. There is also the "no-poo" method where you wash your hair with a mixture of baking soda and water, and rinse with diluted vinegar. I'm looking forward to finding a bar of soap that will work for my face, body and hair and getting rid of some of the clutter in the bathroom. Bonus: solid soap bars are no problem to carry through on planes! Update: I currently buy good quality natural soap and just use that on my face and body and once or twice on my hair.

Toothpaste: I had been using Tom's of Maine toothpaste as it was fairly environmentally responsible and came in an aluminum container, but as they have moved to plastic tubes I've decided to make my own. Beth Terry actually has a great post on it with all sorts of plastic free options. I made a batch yesterday with coconut oil, baking soda, stevia & essential oils. Not bad, but the keep in mind the consistency will vary depending on the temperature in your home. I tried using cinnamon and clove essential oils for my first batch but there wasn't much flavour, I am now using ginger and orange extract which tastes better. My favourite thing about homemade toothpaste is that is rinses right out and I can immediately eat or drink what I want without it being effected by the toothpaste flavour.

Deodorant: I gave up antiperspirant long ago. Sweating is good for you. It gets out the toxins. I don't mind it, just the smell. I tried natural deodorants from the store and none really worked. Straight up baking soda on your pits is supposed to be great, but it gave me a rash. I spritzed alcohol on my underarms for awhile (in a reused eyeglass cleaner spritzer) but that stopped working. I use the salt crystal (as do my dad and brother) which works mostly but not always. Currently I'm using the crystal and then dusting a mixture of baking soda and corn starch on top of that. It seems to work. I'm sure other people would have an easier time, but working outdoors in Texas (and just being a sweaty person) makes it tough. Unfortunately, it seems shaving helps with the smell, but no matter how I shave I irritate my skin. Got to fix that.

Eggs: I only buy eggs in compressed paper containers because if it doesn't get recycled it'll biodegrade.

Toothbrush: I buy preserve brand toothbrushes from Whole Foods which you can either recycle where #5 recycling is allowed or send back to the company. They're made from recycled yogurt containers.

Lady products: I love love love my lunapads. Check out my write up on them. They are the most comfortable thing ever. One of these days I'll do something permanent so I can get rid of the birth control plastic.

Lube: Coconut oil is the best! Ya gotta be in a committed relationship (not condom compatible) but it totally rocks. I don't have half the problems like I used to once I got natural on my stuff.

Grains and spices: I buy them in bulk, its cheaper! byo bag or spice jar or glass container. Bonus: you only get the amount you need.

Lotion: I tried coconut oil for awhile on my face but it was not thick enough. Olive oil is actually pretty good. Currently I'm using a body oil from Badger Balm but I might replace it with something homemade. Badger sells all sorts of balms in tins (bug repellant, muscle rub, lip balm, moisturizer) so I plan on going away from water based lotions. Give them a minute to absorb and they're great.

Cooking: I avoid teflon (the debate rages on, but I'll just be safe and avoid it) and use metal or wooden cooking utensils. When used right cast iron is totally non-stick. Used right, by the way means heat up the pan, add oil, and let the food cook until its developed a "crust" (fish, pancakes, egg).

Clothes: Trying to buy clothes only made from natural fibers. I had thought recycled plastic clothes might be a good option, but apparently lint from synthetic clothes can end up in the oceans (I guess thats a duh) and as insignificant as it seems, I'd like to avoid adding more plastic to the collection thats already out there.

Napkins: I use clothe napkins at home which saves my pants & paper towels :)

Cotton Balls: I got the cutest little reusable flannel rounds to use in place of cotton balls off etsy.com I love etsy. If there is ever anything you need, look on etsy. I keep them in a cute glass jar and put them in a mesh bag until they're used up.

Cleaners: I clean just about everything with baking soda or vinegar (yeah... in a plastic bottle. Got to work on that one). Sometimes I use hydrogen peroxide. Vinegar and hydrogen peroxide are supposed to be just as effective as bleach in killing staph and other harmful bacteria. The only problem I have here are unreliable spray bottles.

Cleaning: I got a cool wooden scrub brush for dishes, I'm waiting until I can afford a wooden toilet bowl brush, a friend got me some cute reusable clothe wipes to clean surfaces with and I'm waiting to buy a cute red Thai made broom. Hey, if you buy cute cleaning supplies, cleaning is more fun! I also use natural celulose sponges for the dishes and old socks/clothes to clean dirtier surfaces.

Bags: I bring my own produce & grocery bags to the store. I always carry a compact bag in my purse so I don't even need at a bag at the mall/hardware store/etc. I intend to make a bread bag big enough for a loaf of ciabatta. Toss them in the wash occasionally to avoid germs.

Spreadable butter: I found a recipe online where you blend 1/2 cup oil and a stick of butter to make it spreadable. I put it in a Bonne Maman jelly jar and its been working great. I've also been thinking of getting a butter bell crock... thing.

Fast Food/Eating out: I try to avoid fast food - or eating anywhere where the food is not served on reusable plates with reusable utensils - but when I do eat it, I use my Klean Kanteen, tell the server "no straw", and try to bring my own container for leftovers or the food itself. Lunchbots or to-go ware tiffins are great for leftovers.

Needs improvement:
I need to work on meat, frozen fruit and vegetables. I should be able to get meat from the butcher counter at Whole Foods in my container, I just haven't tried yet. (Update: brought a sturdy container and managed to get meat put in it) I'm not sure how I could affordably stock frozen fruit for smoothies and keep vegetables on hand. I think its going to involve planning. I've got to learn how to plan meals so fresh vegetables get used and don't go bad.
I need to try to make my own almond milk & yogurt. Yogurt is supposed to be easy, but will almond milk be cost effective?
Austin doesn't compost, and I no longer live close enough to Whole Foods to bring them my veggie scraps. I've thought about a worm compost bin. I feel bad sending compostable scraps to the landfill where they'll never amount to anything.
Ice cream. Well, no one's perfect.
Allergy pills: dare I try the neti pot? Will it work?
Tissues: can hankies handle allergy season? Update: they almost can! I should probably make more. Old t-shirts work great, and you don't need to hem them.

Challenges: Its hard enough not bringing in plastic on my own, but what do I do about plastic from other people? There is a well meaning customer who twice now has bought me a cold bottle of water and said "stay hydrated" running off before I could refuse it. Gifts can be a challenge although I do my best to let everyone know I am trying to acquire no new plastic. Buying things online can sometimes be hard. Whenever I buy something online I say "please package it without bubble wrap, not in a poly envelope. For some reason, someone from ebay still sent me fabric in a poly envelope. Um, because fabric is not waterproof? My other biggest challenge is things I no longer use, but hate to throw away. I don't want some of these damn sample lotions anymore, but without a recycle symbol they're doomed for the trash!

One might wonder; Why eliminate plastic at all? Its so wonderful! Where would we be without plastic? What would I type on? I do accept that plastic plays a useful role in modern society, but also that it has far exceeded that role. Prosthetics are great, disposable spoons are not. Drilling for oil to make plastics can either lead to toxic oil spills, or endless wars (either we are fighting for oil, or someone else is. It cannnot be denied that like gold, blood has been shed to aquire and own it). Even if you responsibly throw your spoon/straw/bag in the trash it can quite easily blow out of a dump truck or landfill and make its way to the nearest waterway. Floating plastic looks very similar to jelly fish and for this reason it has caused many birds and turtles to die when their stomachs are filled with plastic. Of course, the typical answer to all of this is: Why not just recycle it? Unfortunately, in order to make something new you cannot use 100% recycled plastic. Even recycled plastic products require virgin petroleum, thus continuing the cycle. Plus, how often is a batch of recyclables trashed due to a bottle cap that shouldn't be there jamming the machine, or some dirty take out boxes causing the whole batch of recyclables to be tossed.

The point is, plastic may have its place, but we passed that place long ago, and have just become lazy. I am not scientifically minded nor am I likely to list statistics on how many turtles die from bag pollution, nor how many gallons of water are tainted from oil drilling or plastic manufacturing, or how many people have died trying to secure an oil field. I've been to the dump and seen the trash blowing around, I've gone to the beach and filled up bags of trash, and passed more trash than I could collect. I feel guilty when I go on a hike and do not collect trash. Frankly, that's good enough for me.

Finally, I should probably add that I am not a dirty hippy. My teeth are as clean as they've ever been, my skin looks as good as it is going to without microdermabrasion, and my clothes are clean. My hair is crazy but honestly, when has it not been? It actually looked its best when I was putting cornstarch in it for the shingles.

I'd like to apologize to the grammarians that shudder at my blatant disregard for the proper use of a colon,
semi colon or any other grammar rules for that matter.
I swear I tried to double space after the period, I just don't know what happened.

Constant Companion

2011-03-03T13:56:00.015-05:00

This post is horribly overdue. I fell in love over a year ago and failed to post about it.

Here's the back ground. When I was working at Sea World I always brought a "spill-proof" stainless steel mug filled with tea to work. Generic brand. It had some kind of screwy cover to make it spill-proof (didn't work) which would eventually get all gunked up (tea residue, dirt). But! I could get out a screw driver and take it apart to clean it. Woo! It wasn't insulated -I could feel the temperature of the drink through it. The guys at work would often thoughtlessly lay it on the dash of the golfcart and then my tea would be gone (thanks!). Also, those guys were gross. They were often sick, and I don't know if they ever covered their mouth. So, here they are hacking all over the place and there's my cup, getting germs all over the exposed mouth part.

So, I needed something better. I had been reading the waterbottle reviews over at reuseit.com and was waffling between Klean Kanteens and Sigg bottles. Sigg had such pretty designs but Klean Kanteen got a lot of good reviews. I think I had also been looking for sippy cups (not for me!! For some friend I guess!!) and Klean Kanteen was winning out. Their winning features? A wide mouth that is easy to clean and is easy to toss ice cubes into, and pure stainless steel interior with no lining - that was a major failing point for Sigg. You can't leave liquids in it for a long time, and you can't put acidic drinks like applejuice in it. Oh, and you should clean it with special tabs. Oh, and it turns out their bpa liner wasn't bpa free. But now it is - really!

Now, I was also searching for a new travel mug. I had certain requirements. It had to be leakproof, I wanted the mouth piece to be covered so germ-boys couldn't nastify it, it had to be sturdy, easy to clean and earth friendly. And that, is how I eventually met and fell in love with Klean Kanteen.

I bought it with two lids; the regular steel topped lid and the cafe cap which is like a regular travel mug top. One for tossing in my bag and turning the bottle into a thermos, and one for drinking on the go. No, the cafe cap is not leakproof, but it is incredibly easy to clean. There are just two little parts that easily come apart. If I want it to be leakproof I put on the regular cap. No big deal. As a thermos it does an excellent job. I would come to work at Sea World some time between 4 or 6 and during the freeze in the spring of '010 it kept my tea pipping hot. It keeps liquids so hot I always add a few ice cubes in with my tea. It goes with me everywhere. Its been to the beach, to New York, Pennsylvania and now Texas. I take it through airport security empty and fill it up on the other side either with water or with tea at Starbucks. If I leave the house, it leaves the house. If I'm on a road trip and its become empty, it goes into the restaurant with me.

The wide mouth on the thermos (Klean Kanteens come in two "mouth" sizes. Wide and classic) makes it especially easy to pour in a drink from another cup. This comes in handy if you don't want to ask the waitress to fill it for you.

Of course, you know how it is, sometimes a girl has needs one kanteen just can't satisfy. Enter the 40oz classic.

You see, the insulated bottle tops out at 20oz, and I drink way more than that. Especially when I'm out playing at Canaveral National Seashore which, by the way, is a dry beach. No waterfountains, no showers, no bottle machines, nothing but a chemical toilet. In a word, the way a beach is supposed to be. And the very important fact that the "classic" klean Kanteens come in a wide array of colours. Currently the insulated does not. Plain brushed steel isn't me. You can choose to buy your Klean Kanteen with either the classic cap or sports cap (shown here with the dust cover up). I bought my 40ozer with both. Like the cafe cap, the sports cap is not leak proof. But hey, be aware and carry both. Since classic Klean Kanteens are not insulated they do sweat. I've wrapped the 40ozer in a bandanna or stuck it in a sock. For their 27ozers my mom found some old neoprene beer cozies and repurposed them for her & my brother's kanteens. Klean Kanteen does sell built brand cozies, but since they are made from petroleum based neoprene, I do not recommend them. (yes, my mom's is made from neoprene but it is being reused from the days when we didn't know it was bad) You can find all sorts of great handmade cozies on etsy though!

Since I love Klean Kanteen so much (why? because they're a good company! They bottles are ethically made [yeah, in China, fugetaboutit] and the company belongs to 1% for the planet) I bought a 27oz for my mom, dad, little brother and boyfriend. I also bought the sippy cup for my friend's baby and a thermos for another friend. You know what my mom and boyfriend said? "Do you own stock in this company?" Ha. I gave my dad his filled with iced tea. I'm actually using the boyfriend's since he doesn't really - but I bought it for his bike cage (they fit!) so its there for when he goes out again. I'm hoping other people will see them using their awesome bottles and will want one for their own.

You might be wondering, why? Whats wrong with water bottles? Well, that is a whole blog post in itself. Suffice to say; plastic is not always recycled and when it even gets in the bin, it still isn't always recycled. Secondly, plastic is made from petroleum, bp was just drilling for the oil we wanted to make our bottles with. As long as I'm using petroleum, aren't I also to blame? Lastly (for now) your not just drinking out of pure delicious oil, there's all sorts of fun chemicals in that bottle to hold it together, and they don't just stay in the bottle.

Although I'm usually fine just holding my kanteen by the loop in the cap, sometimes I want to hike ("hike" strolling through the woods is hiking right?) hands free. I didn't like the options available at reuseit or Klean Kanteen at the time (virgin petroleum products) but luckily I found a really cool sling through ChicoBag.com. Luckily reuseit & Klean Kanteen have since added it to their site. I like it because its made from 99% recycled content, rolls into a pouch, and and has a little pocket on the side for my iPhone or wallet. There's even a place on the strap for a pen or chopsticks & chapstick. My 40oz (with sock) and insulated & classic fit in it fine. Lately on my walks around Town Lake I've actually been carrying my Kanteen & using the sling to carry my pstyle, iPhone & a snack or whatever. Oh, don't take it into the beach with you. It will take forever to get the sand out of those little pockets. I'd post a picture of the sling in action but I may have met my blogger limit....

So, if your still drinking from disposable or plastic water bottles what are you waiting for? Sure they cost a bit up front, but you'll be saving money by no longer buying disposable water bottles. If your using a plastic reusable water bottle, do you feel comfortable leaving it in your hot car all day? I know nothing will leach into my Klean Kanteen if I leave it in the car - I even got their stainless steel cap just for that reason. No plastic to leach into my water.

By the way, they do make a great sippy cup. Check out their facebook page or flicker account for some cute pictures of kids drinking out of the sports cap or sippy cap. They're sturdy enough to last through all the crap kids put their stuff through. I would suggest getting a strap to attach it to a stroller since I hear many parents have lost theirs due to kids propensity for throwing things. Seriously though, plastic contains hormones that may lead to early puberty. Who wants to deal with that any earlier than you have to?

Excercise?!!

2011-03-01T22:15:00.004-05:00

I've made an amazing revelation; I like exercise.
A revelation so amazing I've decided to once again take up the pen, er keyboard, and blog about it. I've always loved the kind of exercise that involves hiking around in the woods or playing at the beach, but now I've found that the indoor stuff isn't so bad either. I'm going to chalk this up partially to my techno/rhythm/80's/electronic radio station on Pandora. How can you not want to exercise when your'e listening to "Move it move it" or "I've got the power". But also, its because I know I'm moving closer to achieving my new years resolution. Plus, you know, chemicals and all that. Serotonin and whatnot. The elliptical in the apartment's work out room is a big help. I can move at a good pace without jarring my joints and bouncing my bits.

So, that's it. Exercise good. Make happy.
Also, it makes my legs tired.

Oh, and why am I doing this when I could just take the yoplait diet or lemonaide cleanse or maybe the cabbage diet? Because, frankly, I am weak. No way I could diet. Food and I get along well, we like each other. I like it, and it likes my butt. This way its a win-win situation. I get to eat what I consider reasonably healthy (salads but with ranch dressing & olives, chips & guac, freak'n carbs, the occasional cookie...), and I get all sorts of happy chemicals buzzing around by exercising. And, I get to keep my current pants.

Ooh, you know what else I consider part of a healthy diet? The very rare good ol' American (former)drive-through binge. The other week I ate at Huts (which is an Austin icon) and had a hamburger, basket of fries and a delicious chunky strawberry shake with whipped cream and a cherry on top. Of course, the only hard part is not doing that again for awhile...

Simple Soup

2010-03-17T18:02:00.006-04:00

I have been meaning to try some version of tortilla soup for awhile now. Eventually I would like to make something good enough that I no longer need Qdoba's "Mexican Gumbo" (I tell them it is not gumbo, they do not listen. Its tortilla soup, or burrito soup).

This, is not a version of tortilla soup. But thinking about it got me here. It is simply a delicious simple vegetarian soup (except I used chicken broth).

I sauteed garlic, crushed pepper, dried rosemary, half a red onion (because it was started), a green bell pepper (because it needed to be used), some celery and carrots until the onion was soft and I felt it was long enough. I then added my serendipity ingredient - two big heaping soup spoons full of Newman's Own Salsa (that was not getting eaten fast enough). You see, salsa adds that slightly tomoatoey, slightly thick, spicey element to the soup. Next came 48ounces broth (I used chicken, veggie works) and some frozen okra (needed to be used!) which I brought to a boil, and let simmer. Finally, for some protein, I added a rinsed off can of garbanzo beans. When the carrots were tender I turned it off and voila!

The verdict? Despite being so utterly simple this soup was delicious. I would not call it hearty, just a simple light soup.

I could have added the potatoes waiting to be used in my fridge. Little pasta or rice or some other grain (bulgar, barley) would probably also work well.

I love this soup because it was one of those random experiments where I toss a bunch of stuff together, and hope it works. And it did! So, I now have a base to build on. I now know salsa works in brothy soups (it was so flavourful I did not have to add any salt!). Perhaps it is too simple for a blog post, but I'm so pleased with it I had to share!

Breakfast in a Hurry

2010-03-11T18:14:00.013-05:00

I am having a harder and harder time getting out of bed. What this amounts to is; after hitting snooze several times, I just have enough time to make some tea, stumble into my clothes (set out next to my bed and waiting), brush my teeth, and grab my lunch - which I had prepped the night before. When I manage to get out of bed earlier, I usually fry an egg and make a sandwich to go. Lately I've just grabbed a granola bar and stumbled out the door. A granola bar hardly lasts me until lunch.

The perfect solution? Frozen breakfast burritos. Except, cheaper, healthier and better. I figured, if I can make my lunch ahead of time and freeze a bunch of those, why not breakfast?
I bought some multigrain tortillas (for fiber), eggs (lasting protein & something else I'm sure), frozen spinach (fiber vitamins & protein), cheese and veggie bacon.

Assembly was fairly quick and easy.

Microwave the spinach, bacon, and tortillas (for ease of folding)
grate the cheese,
cook the eggs with garlic, crushed red pepper, Mrs. Dash.
Add in the spinach.
When the eggs are cooked put it all together. Tortilla, cheese, fake bacon & eggy mixture. Fold 'em up (mine folded horribly, I blame the multigrain tortillas), set them on a baking sheet in the freezer for a bit, then wrap them individually and freeze.

I suppose if you were going to let this sit a long time you might date them, but I only make enough for about a week - I don't know how long they'd really last in there. I microwave mine for about a minute, flip and rub (you have to rub your frozen burrito to distribute the frozen part!!) and go 30 seconds or so more. I also like to use veggie sausage in place of fake bacon because it holds up so well and has more protein - I microwave that a bit and then cook it with the eggs. About 4 sausages per 6 burritos and maybe 8 eggs. I may try frozen broccoli next time as it is supposed to have a lot of fiber & protein (both of which help keep you full longer) and I forgot jalapenos.

canned soup

2010-02-27T17:41:00.004-05:00

I think I have perfected my potato & kale sausage soup. I was aiming for something similar to Olive Garden's "Zuppa Toscanna" and but I'm not sure what I ended up with. I knew I wanted sausage, greens and potatoes in it. I searched around the web for inspiration, bought a few ingredients and went from there.

I sauteed a lot of garlic, and crushed pepper, followed by an onion then some carrots and celery. After they seemed cooked enough I added the sausage and let that brown awhile. I then added a bunch of water (enough so that it would still be soupy after all the ingredients were in) a can of kidney beans and the potatoes. I cut up the sausage and took a shower so all the flavors would meld. When I got out the soup needed a little more flavour (I should have used stock instead of water) so I threw in two or three veggie bullion cubes. I tossed in most of a bag of collard greens (kale would work fine, I use greens interchangeably), let it cook until just soft and voila! Delicousness. I filled three of my Ball freezable canning jars (I love them!) and froze to add to my stockpile of "grab n go" frozen lunches.

Simple, delicous, hearty and adaptable. There is something wonderful about sausage potato and greens soup. Someday I shall have to try it vegetarian. Veggie sausage maybe?

the year in review, goals and resolutiuons

2010-01-03T09:38:00.005-05:00

Wopee, another year has come and gone. Its 2010 - I still haven't heard if we're calling it twenty-ten or two-thousand-ten. Its that time of year when we're supposed to feel refreshed and start over. Its a new year! A new month, a new week, a new day...

First though, lets review the year(s) we're leaving behind. The one thing that pops into my mind, the thing that has been bothering me a lot lately, is grammar. I think the last few years have marked the downfall of grammar. I am certainly no grammar queen - I hated those sentence charts we used to have to do. I blame this on technology and social networking. Because of texts and tweets people are using a new form of shorthand, and then forgetting when it is appropriate. If you are sending me a quick text message and you have an old phone, typing "c u soon" is fine. But if your sending me an email, please take the time to write out "see you soon" and perhaps you will. I have no doubt that many elementary, high school and college teachers are dealing with these mistakes (and the often inappropriately used "lol") in many papers. Another grammar mistake that has been bothering me is using words that sound the same in the wrong place. Remember, "quick, be quiet, or I am quite sure I will quit". Not to mention "we're sure you were where we were". Its one thing when someone for whom English is their second language makes these mistakes, its another when you were born using it. Remember, spell-check is your friend, and Mozilla makes it easier by underlining misspelled words!
(now the grammarians will attack my post. "Well, you forgot an apostrophe here, and you shouldn't start a sentence with a preposition!")

Aside from grammar I think manners have also gone down the wayside. Who will teach children and adults when it is and when it is not appropriate to text message or talk on the phone? I have seen articles in Wireless magazine and heard commentaries on NPR on the subject, but how many people is this reaching? To make it easier, here are the basics. Don't talk on your cell phone when you are at a cash register - it is rude to the cashier. The same applies for when you are in line for a latte etc - are they supposed to wait for you to finish your conversation before taking your order, or skip to the next person? I personally find it rude if I am in the same car with someone and they call someone. I can not leave to avoid hearing your conversation, nor can I call someone else (as neither person would hear their conversation clearly). If you must make or take a call excuse yourself first "sorry, I have to take this/make a quick call". Also, if your having lunch with someone, don't carry one a text message conversation at the same time. If you get a text message check it, but if you'd rather carry on a conversation via texts, perhaps you shouldn't be sitting with actual humans.

Were there any improvements this year? Obama took office and I moved into my first apartment. I suppose that is it.

Now that all of that is out of the way, on to my goals and resolutions for the year. This year I intend to take steps that will help me get into the field I want to work in. If that involves moving, I mean to get a dog.

As to resolutions, um, how about I try to get out more and be more positive?
Stress less. Its important to make resolutions that you probably won't keep.
Continue to find ways to cut down on my carbon and ecological foot print.
Cut down on the amount of plastics I use by buying things that are biodegradable, recyclable and preferably made from recycled materials.
Use my purchasing power wisely by buying things that are sustainably made and with a fair wage being earned by those who make it.

An atheist at Christmas

2009-12-24T13:59:00.011-05:00

Here is a disconnect: I love Christmas, and I am not a Christian. I was raised Christian, but life and logic, among other things, has changed my views. So, what right have I to Christmas, especially being an eco-minded individual? Are the cynics right, is Christmas just another holiday built around shopping?

Of course, Christmas is not perfect, presents make me nervous - even if its just a book I worry about packaging that I can't recycle and won't biodegrade. And I stress about getting too much stuff. Luckily I do not have the stress that comes from last minute shopping - I start thinking about Christmas presents around November, or whenever I see something someone might like. There is also the stress of being with family and reality not meeting expectations or desires.

And yet, I love the Christmas season. I love a lot of the songs (though not played ad infinitum while I'm at work... sung by annoying children). I love winter and the foods you eat and snuggling up to a fire reading Christmas stories or watching sappy Christmas movies. Snow and layering on clothes and mulled wine and spiked cider. Making and decorating cookies and finding the perfect gift and making cards. I even enjoy the Christmas Eve service at church.

This year I was not able to go home and see my friends and family, so this Christmas has been a bit lackluster for me. I managed to get some fir branches from a church that was selling trees to put in a vase, I put my few Christmas cards on a shelf, and that has been the extent of my decorations. I haven't looked at lights or gone to see the gingerbread house displays at Disney or anything else festive. The only thing I have done to celebrate the day (aside from gifts of course) is to have Christmas Eve dinner with my bosses and their family, and afterward go with them to Christmas Eve service at church. I enjoyed that. I now know why I enjoy that service; while spending time with their family at dinner and at church I was surrounded by such a warm feeling of family and community and love and peace. It did not matter that they were christian and I am not. Perhaps I enjoyed it because I was raised in a similar environment, and although it is in my past, it is still a part of me. I guess I could test this theory by participating in a Buddhist or some other religion's ceremony to see if I feel the same, or if it is too foreign.

Despite enjoying the service, I still was not sure if I had a right, as a non-christian, to the holiday. Surprisingly enough, it took a sappy Christmas song on my way home to make me realize that I do have a right to Christmas. [side note: Christians, even if you do not agree with my reason for thinking an agnostic/atheist has a right to Christmas, consider: I have as much right to take back a holiday as you did to take it many centuries ago] The song was "Do They Know Its Christmas?" by Band Aid. Maybe it helped that I was primed from listening to John Henry Faulk's Christmas Story on NPR. There might have been another song on that helped get the point across, but it was during that song that I realized that Christmas is about love - for your family and friends and neighbors, and peace and giving. Not just the capitalistic, mad rush to buy a shiny new *thing*, but giving from the heart, and charitable giving. Its about setting aside differences and realizing we are all humans, and learning to coexist peacefully. Its what the Grinch and George Bailey learned. I suppose if I had watched my favourite Christmas movies I would not have had to figure this out on my own.

Granted, these are values we should consider more than once a year, but like Valentines and Thanksgiving or Mother's Day, its good to set aside a day to remind us about these things. And, what would life be if we did not have holidays and traditions to look forward to? If each day was like the next. Or there were only part days like New Years.

That is what I feel anyways. I know I will never convince the cynics who think it is just another mass market capitalistic attempt to get us to spend. And I'm sure I would get a different response from the coalition of put the Christ back in Christmas. But at least I have figured out why I love it, and that it is ok.

Bed Time Stories prt I

2009-12-24T13:22:00.001-05:00

Once upon a time Alyssum forgot to screw her head on tight and it fell off.
She didn't notice, and she never missed it.
And she lived happily ever after.

For ignorance is bliss.

Life Without Plastic

2009-12-18T19:50:00.005-05:00

I found another cool green one-stop-shop online called life without plastic. They are even greener than some other places in that they only sell recyclable/natural products. Cool! I wish I had thought more about a products entire lifecycle before I had made other purchases. I have a neoprene lunch bag, which I bought off of reusablebags.com (which is another great shop, but not all of their stuff is cradle to cradle). Life without plastics also has a cool blog which had a neat blogpiece (what is a blog piece? Article? Modern language is getting more terms than I can keep up with!) about tiffins in India. It concerns how cheap plastic is on the rise, where formerly people relied on sturdy metal containers because they could not afford the disposables. An excellent point here is that they could not afford the plastic so they bought containers that would last multiple generations: i.e. pay more money up front, save in the long run. Come to think of it, what does my mom still have and what would I buy at an antique store; cheap plastic containers, or Corningware and Pyrex containers? The Pyrex and Corningware (with the exception of the plastic lids) are still in great condition after years of use, but who wants the plastic? A lot of the Tupperware is actually holding up, but bugs have been known to eat through it, I don't know what is in it, and what could you heat in it?

I am learning, and I "getting greener", but it is disturbing to look back at things I once thought were environmentally friendly and discover that they are not so much. I have learned that it is important that something must not only be reusable, it must also be manufactured responsibly, be sturdy and long lasting, and it should also be biodegradable or recyclable when I am through with it. Durable reusable bags made from canvas or recycled materials, metal water bottles with no liners to leach hormone disrupting chemicals, food storage containers which will also not leach chemicals, recyclable toothbrushes, feminine products... the list goes on! And I continue to learn. I do not think I am being a "hippy extremist" either. These are all rational and science backed concerns. Certain linings have been shown to leach harmful chemicals. Considering where our trash ends up when we are done with it is only a responsible thought process. The only possible negative effect here is that it is getting harder to buy "necessary" items that are not sustainable, which I must throw away (leading me to wonder, how will I evolve? Will I become a crazy off the grid dwelling person on the fringe of society?).

The Great Sexy Debate

2009-12-13T09:10:00.006-05:00

Lately I have been forced to take a strong look at myself and say "Who do I love more? Who is hotter?" I feel in love with Jon Stewart maybe five or six years ago, and back then he had no competition. He's funny, he's smart, and each year he just gets hotter. Its true, look at an old video and modern Jon wins.

But, not too long ago Stephen Colbert started to have a bigger presence. First he was just this guy doing bits on the Daily Show and showing up in Goodyear commercials. Then he had his own show. At first I didn't think much of it, I preferred to watch Jon. But, as I continued to watch The Colbert Report Stephen became more attractive to me. Aside from his wit and good looks (he was even attractive when growing his hair back). He's so much more active than Jon. He'll play basketball or tennis with some guests, he's traveled to Iraq. He promoted charitable giving when he introduced the donorschoose challenge which helped to fund classroom projects. And, he can sing! I'm not talking about the fun caroling music he does in his Christmas special either. In his interview with Elvis Costello his voice is divine. This would be enough on its own, but his face is on the cover of a most delicious ice cream - Ben & Jerry's American Dream Cone.

So, whats a girl to do? It looks like Stephen is gaining the upper hand, although Jon will always have a special place in my heart. And who's to say I can't love them both?
Let me know what you think. Who is hotter? Obviously the papers have it wrong when they talk about Johnny Depp or Rob Pattinson. When have you heard either than make a fart joke?

no babies

2009-12-04T17:13:00.003-05:00

What with so many of my friends and aquaintances - and aquantainces friends and friend's friends - having babies, I am left to wonder; "Why? Is it worth it?"

So I present to you my list of reasons not to have a baby.

They're loud (they'll cry, they'll scream, they'll whine and complain). They won't be that cute and immobile forever. Too many untestable risks (disorders, diseases, sociopath, republican, bum, cheerleader..). There goes your social life. Are you ready to commit to someone for 18- 50 or more years (who knows when they'll move out or you have to talk to them if nothing else)? Kids these days! Do you want to deal with sexting?! Probably shouldn't walk around naked or in various stages of undress (sure, when they're young its ok, but what about when they're older Mrs. Robinson?). Toys and cars and college and crap (little consumers!). So much to worry about - is there lead in their toys? Melamine in their milk? Is Frank the neighborhood pervert watching them? Will they call?! You get bored. You change your mind. Did I mention the screaming? And the personal space? The freedom. Shaking is frowned upon. They don't listen. They're little demon humans who will grow up to be adults and I seriously wonder whether they come with any pre-programed morals or values - so you'd better instill some! Your not supposed to call them names or smack em. And what if you mess up? There's no pretest for parenthood.

I think that's all. I know, aren't I a horrid person for thinking that about children. I'm sure there's more I can't think of at the moment.

What I would like - although I am not at this time even remotely considering breeding - is for you to tell me why anyone would want to have children. I'm curious.

I do know that they are little social and genetic experiments, and of course that is fun. I cannot agree with the "keep the human race alive" theory. Why? Let it peter out. It would make a nice book. What would the last few be like? How will they die? Suicide or old age? But who would read it!?(I am thinking of "On The Beach" by Nevil Shute, but ending for a different reason of course) That would be a shame. The human race dying off and no one to observe and comment on it - except perhaps the dolphins. "So long and thanks for all the fish!"

All I want for Christmas - or, I'm dreaming of a Green Christmas, prt II

2009-11-28T17:55:00.005-05:00

By popular demand (or..not) I'm blogging my green & easy low budget Christmas (or anytime) wish list.

Cards - preferably made from recycled paper - are great. If your can't think of what to say, why not just write one thing you like about me? A friend of mine did that once and it was such a nice card she didn't need to get me anything else.

Donations are great. You can give any amount and there are charities or groups out there to support any interest. I've donated to a poor school so they could buy books in honor of my dad, and through Oxfam I've donated money so a family could get mosquito nets in honor of my brother.

Time is free, but it can be the hardest to give. I'd love it if my mom and grandmother could come down for the holidays, and I wouldn't need anything else. (ok, they'd have to buy a ticket)

Gift Certificates are usually pretty easy (although unfortunately they often come on unbiodegradable plastic) though a bit impersonal. Spa gift certificates are a no-brainer for women. (and the Little Green Spa in Orlando is green & great!) The first time I went to Ethos was because of a gift certificate - and luckily theirs (and many other small businesses) are paper.

If you make a mean pesto, or delicious cookies, edible gifts can be cheap to make and are well received.

As I try to green up my house and life I am trying to cut down on the amount of things I own that are neither biodegradable nor recyclable. Plus, living in a tiny apartment, I am trying to have as little "stuff" as possible.

As to wrapping, personally I go with "free". I have a little box where I keep bows and ribbons and tissue paper etc from gifts I receive, and I use them along with inside out grocery bags to wrap gifts. This year I've wrapped a few things in strictly tissue paper. Since its so light it only needs one piece of tape - or no tape and a piece of ribbon to hold it together. I think the result is attractive, and it makes me happy knowing I've saved something from the trash. When I did not have any old ribbon to reuse, I've used plain hemp twine, or coloured raffia.

Also, if you are shipping your gifts, consider eco-friendly mailers. Typical manila envelopes are not recyclable (so I've read) due to the high ink content, but at most office stores (Staples, Target..) you can find recycled/recyclable mailers which use paper padding instead of bubbles, and are made from post consumer content recycled materials. I forgot to mention it in the "comments" section at amazon.com, and the last book I ordered came in a nasty plastic mailer. Why?!

Now, if you have a bigger budget, I'd like a larger kitchen.

a wonderful nondenominaitonal holiday

2009-11-25T17:09:00.003-05:00

Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and although I will not really be participating (no cooking, or get togethers for me - just work), I do love the day. Thanksgiving is one of the few secular but wildly celebrated holidays. Who can not love a holiday that is based upon good food, and reflecting upon what you have to be thankful for. I do not know what percentage of families sit down to their bounty and think at all about what they have to be thankful for, or how many just gorge themselves and watch football.
I love the food you eat once or twice a year, the family togetherness (not so much the stress), and the meaning behind it. People helping people, and gratitude for what you have.

This year I am grateful to have a good job, my health, and a home. I remind my self of the job part often at work (at least I have a job, with benefits.. it could be worse!). I am grateful for my friends and my family. I'm also happy for the time I have spent in Florida, and the chance to get to know a beautiful state.

The flip side of course is that Thanksgiving heralds Christmas. Shopping and travel or work and hum bug. I love Christmas and the holiday season when I am with my family...

In search of a "green" Christmas tree

2009-11-04T17:49:00.007-05:00

Halloween has just ended, and stores and theme parks are decorating for.. Christmas. Yes, Thanksgiving has not yet come, and it has been pushed aside in place of the impending holidays. And so, although the holiday is more than a month away, I find myself offhandedly planning for Christmas. Eco cards and eco gifts and the one that has still eluded me, the eco tree.

I love live Christmas trees, but as I live in an ultra tiny apartment, I do not think I could get a cut one small enough. This thought - the necessary smallness of the tree - naturally leads me to think of Emmit Otter and their "Christmas branch". Why cut down a whole tree? I could decorate just a branch instead! The pitifulness of a Christmas branch actually appeals to me. I worked at a.. plant place once (not garden center, what would one call The Organized Jungle?) and at Christmas time we sold trees. In order to get them ready a certain amount of trimming was necessary, and they were more than happy to give away the trimmings. So, I suppose I could find someplace that sells trees and get a few branches for free (they lasted forever in a vase of water and made great wreaths).

Actual live trees (or shaped shrubs or rosemary) with roots are an excellent choice and they are the right size, but I have no yard or porch for it to live on. I don't think one could even survive in my apartment until after Christmas when I could give it away. If you have the space for it though, rosemary trees can be easily transplanted in the yard and require only well drained soil and sun. Another great option is the Easter Red Cedar which is native to Florida, is drought tolerant, and resembles has a Christmas tree shape when young.

Recently I fell in love with tacky artificial trees, and it is in that direction that I am looking this year. I like the look of some tinsel trees, but as I can not find out what they are made of, I have decided to go with something that has perhaps started the tacky Christmas tree tradition: the Aluminum Christmas Tree. If I get a vintage one its reused so no raw materials or energy were used to produce it, its recyclable, and probably biodegradable too. I'm not sure how it will look with some eco ornaments (I think aluminum trees look best with tacky retro ornaments) but I'll let you know!

Another tree option I've fallen in love with is the feather tree. To me they actually look less tacky than tinsel or fake trees. If they're white they make me think of soft fallen snow. I say white because I think it was a pink feather tree that made me fall in love with them. My hesitation with feather trees comes from the fact that I do not know if they are cruelty free or not. How are the feathers acquired? Does someone gather them as they fall, or are they plucked? How green is a feather tree? I have to do more research. I hope they are green, because the glory of getting a two foot or less tree, is that you have room for more.

Christmas tree option number five is very simple, minimalist and affordable. Back in the days when I was an interior plant maintainer I got to explore some very interesting upper class homes. One of my favourties was the house of Ed and Ed. They had great taste in art and since I had their key and came early, I never saw them (except the time I came too early...). I do not remember any of my clients Christmas Trees, except Ed and Ed's. One, (I do not remember if it was real or artificial) had a teddy bear theme, but the other was the best idea for an eco friendly affordable tree. It was simply a few large branches with smooth black bark (beech?) stuck into a plain black pot decorated with glass icicles and little else. As I'd rather not spray paint the branches, my only question is from what kind of tree should I get these branches? Something with a smooth bark, and strong enough to support a few ornaments.

Or, I'll be the grinch, and there will be no tree.
But if I do get one, I will add pictures when I find it!

The Christmas dilemma

2009-10-24T18:09:00.004-04:00

The Holidays are getting closer which is causing my mind to skip ahead from shopping and eating and giving to getting. I have been making a lot of trips to donate assorted goods ever since I moved into my apartment, and I'm not done yet. I'm trying to take a hard look at what I have, and get rid of what I don't really want/need/use. I'm definitely not cutting back to the bare minimum, but two black skirts that are the same style? A candle that is nice but I'll never use it? A really cute stuffed frog that will get more love elsewhere? I can do without all that, and I'm still no where near minimalism.

What I wonder is, what is appropriate during the holiday season as far as receiving gifts are concerned. I feel bad if someone spends their money to buy me something, and since it is not something I like and can't return I re-gift it or donate it. This happens fairly often with my Japanese step-people. Why can't they just send sushi? Since communication at all is difficult, and my dad won't do it, there is no way to tell them "thanks, but no thanks". I have repeatedly told my parents that I only want things that are not plastic, are earth friendly, green, biodegradable, etc. Gift donations, or "memories" (like time together) are great.

But what about everyone else? How do I tell anyone else that might want to buy me things? Do I even tell them? I could post something on facebook, I know people have done that. And, when I do get things I'd rather not have, what then? Telling my dad that I appreciated the foot bath massage thing but would just prefer a pedicure did not work so well. He and his wife ended up a little insulted (or maybe it was just her). Should I not say anything?

Lovely Luscious Lunapads

2009-10-19T19:59:00.010-04:00

a brief public service announcement;
"for those of you that are easily grossed out, or disgusted by the talk of intimate women's products (and I don't mean vibrators) please leave". Kind of reminds me of when we had the talk in elementary school. I think this is the part where the rest of you watch a show about sharks or something.

Finally, a review for one of my new favourite undergarments: Lunapads. Lunapads is a really cool company run by women selling all sorts of cool products to let you have a "happier period, naturally". Among a few other things. My pstyle came from Lunapads.

You may be wondering, how on earth could I be referring to menstrual products as cool? To start with, let me describe lunapads. They are reusable, menstrual pads and they are the most comfortable thing I have ever worn. They are made of the softest cotton fleece in a wide array of fabrics from organic to conventionally grown cotton. There are other companies that sell reusable menstrual pads (gladrags is another popular one) but part of what sold me on Lunapads was the assortment of fun fabrics they had to choose from. That, and the design seems the best. The website is pink and cheerful, they have quick and helpful customer support, and their blog and videos seem to have the right balance between feminine, feminist, and self reliance. They are not in your face as some feminist groups can be, they don't seem to push you or come off as extremists. They are frank and open, but never gross or obscene.

Another great thing about Lunapads is the section on their website dedicated to donating pads to women in developing nations. I have thought about what women in third world countries do durring their periods, but only in passing and without thinking their was anything that could be done. Lunapads makes it easy to donate pads or money to women in other countries - they also have a pattern to download if you want to sew some pads and donate those instead. Their blog features stories from women who have delivered the pads, stories of how they have helped women in these countries, and what life is like for them without adequate sanitary supplies.

Back to why I love my lunapads (even if I don't quite love my period). Before I discovered reusable pads, every month I suffered through nast, uncomfortable, smelly, crinkly, wasteful disposable, irritating pads. Somehow I was sure that those nasty things (even the Seventh Generation brand) were irritating me. While researching different reusable pad options I discovered that I wasn't the only one. The plastics and chemicals and whatnot in the disposable pads irritated other people too! Amazingly enough, not only are my lunapads super comfortable, they don't smell and obviously they don't crinkle. Instead, I have a the wonderful feeling of not wasting. I buy the pads once and they'll last me roughly five years - as opposed to throwing out about six or so pads every month and contributing to our ever growing landfills. With lunapads you get a wonderful feeling of self reliance and they come in fun happy designs. Some other products they carry to make your period happy are lunablend, which is a mix of essential oils to help with PMS and a Lunachart. The Lunachart helps you to chart your cycle and thereby get more in touch with your body and the cycles you go through. Charting your cycle not only helps you if your trying to become pregnant (or avoid it) it also causes you to pay more attention to your body and notice any patterns or irregularities. Perhaps if I chart my cycle I can be a little more prepared next time I feel like going postal (like calling in sick or at least dabbing on some lunablend).

Having an assortment of fun patterns may seem superficial, but getting in touch with your cycle and attractive pads helps to change your perspective on your period. Instead of dreading uncomfortable disposable pads, I don't mind so much when its time for my period now, and I get to choose which cute print to wear. Cocoa Kaleidoscope or my new organic Magenta Mandela?

As to cleaning them, I don't find it gross at all - certainly no more gross than washing cloth diapers. Just rinse or pretreat or scrub or whatever, toss them in a bucket or whatever to soak until its laundry day, and hang dry.

You might be thinking, "I don't wear pads, I wear tampons so Lunapads aren't for me". Tampons are still disposable, they are still treated with an array of chemicals (even the cotton ones), and anything that could potentially cause death should make you think twice. For people who are not interested in cloth pads, and like tampons, there are still other more environmentally friendly alternatives. There is the diva cup which gets rave reviews and there are natural reusable sea sponge tampons. I think I'll give those a try next, for swim suit season (even though I'll still only go in ankle deep... I'm sure your still shark bait...). According to JadeandPearl.com which sells sea sponge tampons "The average woman uses nearly 600 pounds of paper and cotton throughout her lifetime menstrual cycle. In North America alone, an estimated 20 billion bleached pads and tampons end up in our sewage systems each year. Sponge tampons are reusable for 6 months or more."

Give them a try, you might fall in love. You might get more in touch with yourself - that is one aspect of lunapads I love. They don't make you feel like your period is gross or something to be ashamed of or secretive about. Its natural and it doesn't have to be horrible. I know I won't be going back to disposables.

Am I a lady?

2009-10-04T21:18:00.007-04:00

I like to think that I am a lady - certainly less of a Lady than the Queen, but definitely more so than say, Britteny Spears. But I wonder sometimes, what is it that makes me a lady? There are some things that are "unladylike" which I don't do - like spitting (ew) and others that I do (if you don't burp you will explode, or at least have stomach issues). Currently though, what is bothering me is language.

I used to swear very little, but as certain words became more mainstream and everyone around me was saying them, the list of words I do not say got smaller. I certainly do not say the "f" word, or any of the vulgar words used for the female genitalia. Or, as I prefer to say, "junk". I have somehow decided that it is ok to say "bitch" if its used jokingly "those bitches" - I blame this on Dave Chapell. Or "shit" if I'm pissed off (maybe the "f" word if I stub my toe bad) but I try to avoid letting them become a part of my every day language, and not to use them in anger. I definitely avoid using the "n" word, hesitating even to use it in a quote.

In my own family my parents very rarely cuss, my older brother hardly ever, I seldom do, and my youngest brother cusses more easily. Which leads me to wonder, is this a generational thing? Words you would not have heard on the radio before are no longer being bleeped out of songs or TV. I am of the belief that we are going to pot, and this would be just another example of the degradation of society. Perhaps it is not a generational change as I work with a woman in her 50's who cusses like a sailor, and some of my friends - older and the same age as I - swear freely.

Those who swear would probably say that this is a good trend, we should all loosen up and they're just words, right? And I'm too bourgeoisie wanting there to be a difference, wanting to carry myself in a certain way, wanting to be respectable.

And so I find myself back at the question, am I a lady? Can I be a lady and still work in a "man's job" and burp and fart. I have found that in trying to fit in this man's world, I try to act more like the guys, and talk like the guys and I am no longer quite sure what is really me. Am I really coarse? Can I burp and still not be coarse? Does how I dress weigh in to whether I am a lady? I think guys have it easier, I think it would be easier to decide if a guy was a gentleman.

What do you think, what makes a lady and am I one?

On the argument against me being a lady, I present this logic;
Food is the way to a man's heart.
Food is the way to my heart.
Therefore, I must be a man.

pstyl'n

2009-09-26T21:39:00.003-04:00

There comes a time in a woman's life (in, a very special kind of woman) when she realizes she has to stand up and take matters into her own hands. When she can no longer sit down and be content with the status quo. I am of course talking about when a woman realizes she wants to stand up like a man, and pee.

You might ask, why would I want to do that when I could sit down on a lovely chair designed for this purpose? Besides you think, I already have three options - hover, squat and sit, what more do I need? Well, I'm tired of unquestioningly sitting down to pee. Getting my pants around my ankles in all sorts of filth, and exposing my butt to all sorts of tics and voyeurs. Not to mention the possibility of peeing on my shoes.

Oh course, I can't just lazily whip my junk out and pee freely like a man might, but I can do a lot better than nestling down into insect filled grasses.

Still though, where on earth did I ever get such a strange idea? On the lovely Lunapads website I found something called a pstyle. The pstyle is a great little plastic device which allows you to easily pee while standing. It even comes in pink! I read about it and researched it and put it on the back burner of my mind until I went to Seattle - and was forced to use an incredibly nasty porta potty. Then and there I decided - I'm going to buy that thing so neither my butt nor my pants will ever have to get any closer to this grime again.

If your interested, there are a lot of websites out there with information on different devices to help one pee standing up, or even a tutorial on how to do it all on your own. I'd suggest doing that in a skirt though, the benefit of the pstyle is that your pants stay on, and stay clean. Krista's cups has a lot of useful tips on using the pstyle. Another great benefit of the pstyle is that it eliminates the need to try and find a clean leaf to wipe away drips - it does it for you!

My only complaint is that it is a bit bulky - not when being used, but if your hiking with just some snug jeans and nothing else, where to put it? There is another option out there that folds flat, but I think I will just hike with a mini backpack instead.

So, was that tmi, or did I just blow your mind?

Obama's Speech to Students

2009-09-08T20:46:00.004-04:00

Just watched Obama's highly controversial speech to students. Why it is controversial, I do not know - other than the fact that whatever he does it will upset someone.

Two thoughts went through my head as I watched the video. I felt very inspired and proud of our president, I too was inspired to try and work harder. On the other hand, I was disappointed - but in the audience. The camera would occasionally show an image of a student rolling their eyes, or slouching over or just looking obviously bored. I hope that their parents see them in this video, and smack them upside their head when they get home. The speech lasted less than 30 minutes, and they can not sit up straight and be respectful for that long? How many of those people will the message reach, if they are not open? Of course, if they act like that, chance are they were taught it or never taught properly by their parents. I ashamed for the President, and wonder what he must think as he gives this speech to a bunch of students who will not even make the effort to listen. I will have to keep a look out, and see what the response to the speech is, hopefully more people will be positively affected than those that shut it out.

wild aniamls

2009-08-25T19:11:00.002-04:00

I know a man who is like an animal I might find in the park.
If you are gentle and kind and offer it food, it would approach you and you might think it is tame. It would follow you home and sit on your lap or even sleep in your bed. But, if you go to shut your door, it would run outside back to it's nest. The next day, or the day after, it would be back again, scratching at your door, begging for food. Once again, it would curl up with you, but it would always eye the door. It might even bring a nut or a some bedding from it's nest to your house, but definitely not all of it. It could be comfortable for several nights on end, but out of the blue it would bolt. Perhaps it perceived the door was closing, it missed it's wild home, it had to cleanse itself of the scent of domestication.
But always, it would come back.

Ratatouile?

2009-08-04T20:32:00.010-04:00

What does one do before one leaves on vacation? Survey the perishables, and figure out how best to use them up. I had in my refrigerator three zucchini, a container of baby bella mushrooms, half an onion, and a new bunch of celery to be used up. Plus a can of black olives that had been stepped on, a bell pepper, a fairly full jar of Newman's Own veg salsa medium and some Vodka spaghetti sauce. I was trying to figure out how to use up the zuch, 'shrooms and celery when it dawned on me. Ratatouille!

Now, as far as I can tell, what I came up with is still ratatouille. It is a cheap peasant dish, and I'm sure most peasant dishes arouse from trying to use up the perishables.

Since I do not have a large saute pan (none of my pans comfortably fit a tortilla) I cooked all the ingredients individually in my cast iron skillet. It took more time to cook everything separately, but I think I was better able to cook them and get the best flavour this way.

So, my recipe? I burnt (too high!) some pepper flakes, (turned down the heat) added some garlic then half an onion and sauted it for... awhile. I set my mushrooms in whole, but the onions were getting too hot so I scooped those out and set the rest of the mushrooms in - there was just enough room for all of them. After those were well browned on both sides I added those to my "cooked" bowl and added one loosely chopped red bell pepper which I cooked until it was a little black on one side and softened. Those came out and in went three celery stalks, some more crushed pepper, and dried oregano and basil.

Next the zuchini went in. After awhile got bored waiting for the zuchini to cook so I dumped everything back in with the addition of the remainder of the Vodka sauce and Newman's "Farmer's Garden" salsa. The lid hardly fit on so everything then went into my stock pot to simmer away.... With the addition of a bunch of collards that had to be used up! I used a pair of scissors (scissors are your best friend in the kitchen) to cut out the midrib and rough cut them into the pot. I brought it to a boil and let it simmer an hour or two more. I figured it was done when the collards were finally wilted.

Voila! I got two 2Cup and one 4 cup archer glass container full, plus one small cereal bowl out of that. Now bad huh? Flavourful (from my spices or the sauce?), healthy and vegetarian, what more could you want?

Lies, all lies

2009-07-27T18:52:00.002-04:00

We need more truth in advertising and.... cliches.

I was cleaning a jar out with some baking soda and vinegar earlier today, and I left the jar and lids with vinegar sit, and guess what I found floating in the vinegar? Flies, nats, little flying insects. Formerly flying. Flies. In. Vinegar.
I know what your thinking, this is not a valid experiment, I need to set out an open container of honey. But really, do I need more flies? I do not need more proof, I am convinced. My nice days are over. Now that I know I can catch flies with vinegar, I have no need of honey. If I find I need more, I'll resort to the nice.

What other proverbs are deceiving me? Do early birds get the worm? Is all this haste making waste? Is fear the only thing we have to fear? Really? Not influenza or economic decline or rising global temperatures perhaps?

I go out a little wiser, and little less naive, and a little saddened.

New Toy = delicousness!

2009-06-18T18:21:00.010-04:00

So, I got a new toy. I've wanted this for quite awhile, and finally went ahead and bought it. When I tell people "I got a cherry pitter!" They say "do you pit cherries often?" That, is not the point. The point is that I can. For $15 I can pit a bag of cherries relatively quickly with an all but one success rate and little mess whereas before I've had to slowly go through and cut each one - creating a mess and getting bloody looking hands in the process.

And, what does one make when cherries are reasonably priced at the grocery store and you have a new cherry pitter?

Cherry Cobbler! Which I've also been craving (cobbler in general really. I've got to get to the peaches before they're gone). I have epicurious on my iphone and I wanted to get started when I got home, so I searched around on there for a recipe and found this one. I also followed the advice in the reviews and substituted in the recipe for the topping from the plum cobbler with cinnamon biscuits.

The best part about the cherry recipe was having to get a bottle of Lazzaroni Amaretto (made from an infusion of cookies?) which is a delicous addition to a cup of black tea. Mmm, or licking the cherry syrup in the pot (if I had a bigger pot I'd stick my head in it).

The only substitution I made was replacing the cream in the biscuit recipe with whatever "dairy" I had on hand, which happened to be Almond Milk. Oh, and I misread "1 tsp vanilla" for "1 tbsp" but no problem either way. I also don't know how many cherries I used. A bag and most of another from the store, however much that was.

The only difficult part was figuring out how to mix the dough, how to get it into the pan, and how to get it off my fingers!

Oh, I almost forgot - the real problem arose when I heard a sizzling sound from the oven and I realized that my container must not have been a 2 quart dish (or, too many cherries? too much biscuit?). The only thing I could do was to stick a cookie sheet under it and watch it boil over..

The end result was great and the spices really stood out. The biscuits were fluffy, the cherries were soft and... how do you describe that cherry feel? And of course, you can't have cobbler without vanilla ice cream.

The only thing I will do differently is to put it in a much larger container and lower the ratio of biscuit to cherries. In one review someone suggested using extra dough to make a separate biscuit, and I think that would be a good idea (they were definitely good enough to stand alone).

You may be asking yourself, really though, a $15 cherry pitter for the occasional cherry cobbler? Of course not! I perked up some plain non-fat yogurt by tossing in some pitted cherries, pureeing with my immersion blender, adding some more cherries whole, a bit of honey and had a quick, easy, and healthy ultra yummy snack.
And that's not all! Yes sir, this little gem will soon be working its way through a jar of kalamata olives! So delicious, yet so frustratingly filled with seeds! I salivate at the thought of some Greek inspired kalamata olive filled dish... (stay tuned!)

Congee

2009-06-05T15:39:00.002-04:00

Yeah! I finally made congee/chao. For those of you who are in the dark, congee is a soupy rice dish served in (probably) every Asian country. Congee is the Chinese word for it. In Vietnamn its chao. My dad's Okinawan wife makes it for him when he's hung over or sick for some reason. My brother had a variant of it in Thailand for breakfast. Its sick food, comfort food, and food thats good for you when your mouth hurts.

One of the nutty Vietnamese guys I work with keeps saying "that's easy, any child can make that". Well, yes, it is easy, but any soVietnamese child was raised on it. Thats one reason its so great - it's so easy it was no problem to cook it up even though I was feeling lazy. I browsed around on the net for some basic ideas, and winged it.

Basically, here's what you do;
I guess I used too much rice - I used 2 cups jasmine rice and 8 cups water (you really want the rice to break down) but I could have used 1 cup rice and 6 cups water (so Hung tells me). I suppose that would have been enough too - I kept having to add more water, so who knows how much I ended up with. And it was still thicker than I've had it elsewhere.

I had about a pound of chicken thigh meat which I cut up (literally! who needs a cutting board?!) which I heated up a few pieces at a time in my beloved cast iron skillet before tossing them in the pot (perhaps this helped? I don't know).
I also cut off and peeled a nub of ginger which I thinly sliced and tossed in. I also threw in three cloves of garlic, thinly sliced. The only other spices/condiments I added were a few good pinches of kosher salt, a dash of soy sauce, some fresh ground pepper, a dash of crushed red pepper flakes and a light drizzle of sesame oil at the end. That sounds like a lot of flavouring, but its really not. Its very subtle. I think what you taste and smell mostly is the ginger and the jasmine rice. It not quite bland (which is good when your stomach is upset) but not spicy either.

Just before dishing it up I chopped up some green onion and tossed it in.

The giver of cast iron skillets has had a terrible sore throat lately and has been feeling very sick, and this is just what was needed.

It was filling, satisfying, mostly healthy (I wonder about that chicken thigh meat) and soothing. Besides all that, it was simple. A few cheap ingredients and very little prep work. Just toss a bunch of stuff and cook some meat on the side if you so desire. For a bit more work I've read that it is often served with a bunch of condiments like chopped cilantro, peanuts, chilies etc.

If you have any other congee suggestions let me know! I think I'll have fun playing around with this.

got to have a baby

2009-05-17T09:57:00.004-04:00

disclaimer; I am not referring to my friends who have recently had/are having babies

It is generally understood, that only the stupid people are breeding. Ignorant people have children, teach them little that is good and set them free in to the world to wreck havoc, vote, and in turn breed again. I've thought what a terrible shame this is and how unlikely it is to reverse. There are fewer intelligent people, and less of them breed. Exponentially, the stupid will grow more quickly, while perhaps the smart people will die off.

I have said before how much I detest children. They're loud, they require attention - more so than the house plants I forget to water - they live too long, and who knows when you will get your space and freedom again. Plus, its a deteriorating world we live in. I don't think things are likely to get better - simply put, I think we're going to pot. So, isn't it selfish and cruel to put force another creature to live through all of this?

Unfortunately, I have come to the conclusion that in order that the human race's remaining years have a fighting chance, the intelligent must breed. We need to dilute the stupid in the gene pool. I'm not talking about crazy rampant breeding, just one or two. The only other thing we can do is hope the stupid will have gay babies, or by some mutation their children resist the stupid gene, and become intelligent individuals.

turn-ons and turn-offs. Or, cheers and jeers

2009-05-10T18:11:00.001-04:00

I hate:
Mean People -
dishonest people, self-centered people, close minded people and people who are too full of themselves are included here
Plastic
I'm trying to rid my self (or severly limit) my use of plastic/non-biodegradable things. Products by Preserve and such that can be reused somehow don't count.
Fundamentalist Christians who are close minded and try to convert you get on my nerves, and the same goes for similar Republicans.

I like:
donation gifts -
a friend of mine had a tree planted somewhere for me for my birthday and thats cool. I donated money in my dad's name for his birthday and donated money to oxfam for my brother's birthday so a family could get mosquito netting.
I like rescue animals - I dislike puppy mill dogs or irresponsible pet owners who don't fix their pets.
I like good books and art in many forms
like a Taurus I like things that please the senses - especially good food, served well
I love my friends, and my family isn't that bad either
I like nice polite kind people - the kind of people who would give up their seat on a bus to a little old lady

Fat in the USA

2009-04-27T09:38:00.005-04:00

disclaimer: By writing this I am not saying I am fat. Please don't say "oh, your not fat". Cuz I'm PHAT.

On my way home from work everyday I drive by a bill board (drove, I think its finally gone) of a disgustingly thin woman - just her mid section - with a midriff baring shirt with a measuring tape around her middle. It was some ad for weight loss. "You can be this thin!" But, why would I want to? I whole heartily believe that real women have curves (even though I haven't seen that movie yet). Um, also, to those naturally skinny women out there - you can't help it, I still think you're real women. But, you are meant to be that way. What I'm saying is, I have naturally slender friends - and they are beautiful that way.

Ok, disclaimers out the way - back to talking about people who have some junk in their trunk. The point is, its hard having curves in America. We have very few curvalicious roll models. Starting from a young age we are impressed by the notorious Barbie who was impossibly tall, skinny and big breasted. Not to mention video game and comic book characters and Shera. Do you know how hard it is trying to live up to that? Women on TV, billboards and posters are all skinny and big breasted. And, if celebrities do get pleasantly plump, they are so talked about that they quickly loose it. So, it is hard for many women to accept themselves as they are because society is constantly telling them that they are not thin enough nor big boobed enough.

What I want is a slightly shorter barbie with less perky boobs and a little bit of a belly and a bit of a butt. Actually, I don't have a Barbie around, so I'm not sure how her butt looks - but I am definitely not going to google it.

On the other hand, we are definitely a country of fat people. I think people in the Middle East console themselves by saying "Sure, those Americans bomb us and sure are making a mess around here - but man, they sure are fat! And stupid! Most of them don't even know where the Middle East is!" "Oh, its funny..." Actually, I think that quote applies to a lot of other countries (except you substitute bomb with whatever). And yes, I know that they bomb each other, but they probably have to make other generalizations about their neighbors who bomb them.

There's not a lot else to say about the whole fat thing. We are a lazy, misinformed people (the preservatives are making me fat!). Now, I'm not saying we are the only fat nation, I am saying we are the fattest. (see poll).
Maybe this propensity towards fatness is another thing that makes it difficult for people to be a little curvy - fear of going too far in the wrong direction.

Individual (healthy?) lasagna rolls

2009-04-12T18:25:00.012-04:00

Lasagna roll-ups!

I adapted my lasagna roll-ups from I heart food 4 thought and she got it from coconut and lime. I've simplified it by using a jar of pasta sauce instead of making my own, and sprinkling the whole thing with chopped garlic instead of putting shallots in the rolls. I also used part-skim ricotta (possibly I should have looked further for less fat - don't grocery shop on the phone) and wheat noodles. Oh, and I didn't use basil.

I have made this before and it got rave reviews but this time I am making it today with the intent of baking it tomorrow. Also, since it makes more than my rectangular pyrex dish can hold, I put a small amount in a 4 cut pyrex round container which I froze. I don't know how that will turn out. But, if it works, I think I will start making my own frozen foods!

I think perhaps they are fairly healthy, as long as you only eat a few - I'm planning on having it with broccoli to increase the health factor.

Verdict: It was pretty easy to make, especially since I used premade sauce - the only difficulty was in rolling up the lasagna, the squiggly parts tend to come off (that's why they're piled on top) and its a bit messy. The odd thing is that last time I ran out of filling and this time I had almost too much - perhaps because in the beginning I was very sparring. Oh, it turns out I used 15oz ricotta... Making my own sauce sometime might be fun though, it would probably up the yum factor, just take a bit longer - and that in the picture, thats my whole kitchen work space. It gets crowded fast.
I'll post this after I've cooked it.
Turned out good - except, more sauce would have been better. And I need a good old fashioned vegetable steamer. And thats mozerella pieces on the top, not a gob of butter. Oh, and the slivers of garlic were still very intense.. My burps taste like garlic.
As to the frozen part, how am I going to cook that?

The only thing we have to Fear....

2009-04-11T19:22:00.006-04:00

I love to walk in the woods. I like to go alone, or I like to go with a friend. Its fun to take a friend and enjoy it together, or be alone and enjoy the quiet. But, when I tell some of my "cityfied" friends, their response is often "you better be careful, some girl was eaten by an alligator/had her throat cut open somewhere last week in the woods/on a bike path/etc."

Now, as to animals in Florida, I have very little fear. (Of course, the water is the exception, I cannot see through the water, and sharks can swim fast....) I have a healthy respect for alligators snakes and spiders, but I don't think I fear them. With a little outdoor sense and caution, unfortunate run-ins with animals can be avoided. Besides the fact that in Florida snakes and spider bites are rarely deadly. Australia of course is another matter, the venom in animals there can kill you before you can get to the hospital. Alligator mishaps can be avoided by knowing when they're more likely to be aggressive - like mating season (which lasts from May until June). Apparently jogging along the water's edge with your dog or chicken (what??? I read that here) is also not a good idea - I guess thats like swimming in the ocean with your dog. Apparently taking your dog out with you is like tying a worm to a fishing hook.

The people thing is a little funny, I have a friend in living in New York city and I worry about her in the big city. Having something slipped into her drink at a bar, getting mugged or worse coming home late or getting robbed. There has to be a higher concentration of people with evil intent in a big city than scattered in the woods. Sure, there could be some crazy guy in my well lit but relatively uninhabited woods well away from habitation, but what are the chances? I could have been caught in a tornado in Texas (there was once downtown while I was working there) or in a hurricane in Florida. I want to move north someday, and while there I could loose my power during a blizzard. There are lots of things in the ocean that could hurt me - medium sharks, jellyfish, red tide, but... oh, I do fear the ocean. Its too big, and the water is too murky. Damn!

So, where does this fear get me? I do not swim or go out far into the ocean - and I love the ocean, I love to walk and play around in it. Fear only cripples you. Today while I was walking in the woods I thought about everyone's worries and started to get jumpy at every little noise - and there are a lot of noisy scurrying lizards in the woods around here. Another noisy animal in the woods of Florida?
Armadillos!
If I let fear get a hold of me I could not enjoy going out in the woods. It is unreasonable to think I should not go there, or not go alone. Sometimes I tell people where I am going, so, as I say, "they can find the body". What else can I do? I don't go out to the woods when its dark, and I've got my phone with me "help! arghhhhh _______"

Yes, I could get attacked, or I could crash next time I fly, and I could stay home and never do anything that has any associated risks, but would that be living?

graffiti

2009-04-04T21:10:00.002-04:00

I have been forced to reevaluate my stance on graffiti. I was completely against graffiti - I don't like "tags" on buildings that are ugly and lower the property value or make the neighborhood seem less nice. I had a friend who for some reason seemed pro-graffiti, but I'm still not sure why. I guess he understood why they did it, but that still does not excuse trashing someone else's property. Three artists (or 2 1/2) have convinced me to really rethink my view.

Banksy's work is incredible, thought provoking, and although I guess this is a matter of opinion - makes the area it is painted on look better, at least a lot of the time (and not just because his work is so sought after). His style is so cool, but there is also a deeper meaning behind it. Its not just saying "hey, this is mine". Simply, they are murals that may offend some because they may not like the message they convey. Its also interesting because it often stenciled on to the surface creating a unique end product.

Julian Beever is another artist (very different from the first) whose work would be considered graffiti by some. What differentiates his work from typical graffiti is its transience. If you do not like it, you don't have to worry because it will be gone as soon as it rains or the streets are washed.

The .5 artists is Shepherd Fairy. I'm not saying he's not a full artist, but there is a lot of controversy right now on whether his Obama poster (or other posters) are truly his, or whether he's just really good at tinkering with other people's work. I was looking him up once and found a site comparing his work to other posters etc. Whether its true or not, I do like a lot of his work and it has caused me to think about "poster art/sticker" art/graffiti. Its a neat way displaying and distributing the artwork.

Although these artists have very different styles techniques and messages, they have succeeded in making me think. Their art has caused me to consider "what is art and what is graffiti?" and it has also introduced me to some cool techniques for making art or graffiti.

A few years ago I took a tour of Philadelphia. One thing that has stood out about that tour were the murals painted on buildings throughout the town. They were all very different, but they all accentuated the European/cool feel of Philly. The really cool thing about the murals was that according to the tour guide, they punished graffiti artists by making them paint a mural (ironic punishment?). Supposedly someone will not graffiti over someone else's art/work. Whether or not that was true, they definitely looked cool. The murals in Philly and elsewhere have made me wonder, perhaps some people just need an outlet. Maybe more cities need a place where people can legally express themselves (in an appropriate manner). In Orlando at Pho 88 one wall of the building is covered in ever changing graffiti/street art. I'm fairly certain the restaurant owner allows it, and (however it is set up) the artist gets to advertise (there is often a name or number). Of course, this wouldn't work for delinquents who just want to tag buildings and join a gang and feel cool, I think they'll have to look elsewhere for help (family planning perhaps).

I once saw a picture of an awesome mural somewhere in South America of evolution, but I can't find it right now or I'd post it.
I know this post is rather rambly, but its past my bedtime and I think I'm going to find out whether my laptop is capable of creating 3rd degree burns (one day a decade from now I'll end up in a fertility clinic and I'll find out all of my eggs have been hardboiled.. ooh, easy birth control...).
Um, so yes... my brain is asleep. I could wait and add to this later, but maybe I'll just add on later... in comments....

Talk amongst yourselves.

saving green

2009-03-30T16:48:00.002-04:00

Last week our president (of my place of employment) told us that they will do their best not to lay anyone off and that they are looking to cut wasteful spending to get us through these tough times. He asked us to all act as though we own the company, and think of ways we could save money and write our ideas down and give them to our supervisors. I sent my director an email with about 12 ideas (not including two other emails) for conserving energy - which is the same thing as money.

I think this is a great idea for anyone who works - do your company a favour, look around you and write down everything you can think of that is wasteful (single use cups, old fashioned lightbulbs, single sided printing, faxing, etc) and let them know. If you can help them save some cash, I'm sure they'd appreciate your concern and effort. My little brother also did this for the restaurant he works at. Its is not a green company by any means, but since being green often means saving green, they are suddenly interested.

Yes, it will cost a little up front, but in the long run it will save money (like the little things I've done at my apartment).

To help you out, I'll post my ideas.

Vending mashines with sensors that turn off/or decrease energy usage during the long periods when no one uses them. http://www.idealbite.com/tiplibrary/archives/never-can-b2-eco-office-week

Unplug (or plug into a power strip and unplug) appliances when they are not in use. Appliances like computers, cell phone chargers etc use a lot of energy even when they are turned off. http://www.idealbite.com/tiplibrary/archives/beware-phantom-loads-electronics-we

If your company uses paper towels, dyson hand dryers are more hygenic and save money (less upkeep too) http://www.dysonairblade.com/why/?sinavtype=menu

Turning your thermostat up a few degrees in summer and down a few in winter can save energy - dress appropriately and shade those windows!

Replace all lightbulbs with CFL or LED light bulbs.

If you work somewhere that gives the customer a reciept, ask if they even want if - not printing it will save you paper (it all adds up).

If you have showers use low flow shower heads (1.5 gallons per minute or less) and low flow faucets.

Print in draft mode http://www.idealbite.com/tiplibrary/archives/draft-dodger, print double sided and decrease your margins to avoid using an extra paper.

If you use a company car or charge your gas to the company - avoid idling. http://www.idealbite.com/tiplibrary/archives/american-idle-bust-myth-week I turn off my car when I'm stuck at a train crossing. (This counts for the drive through too - burn a few calories and walk in).

If you can't get people to turn off the lights when they leave a room, consider motion detecting light switches. http://www.idealbite.com/tiplibrary/archives/clap

If your still sending faxes (who faxes?) consider e-faxing instead. http://www.idealbite.com/tiplibrary/archives/just-fax-maam-sorry-pun-was-too-eas
y

I'm sure there are wasteful habits that can be cut out where you work too, I think of the economic downturn as an opportunity for people to wake up to their wasteful lifestyles and make a change for the better.

If you have any ideas I haven't posted, please let me know!

The Ant and the Grasshopper

2009-03-28T18:27:00.003-04:00

I feel like the grasshopper in Aesop's fable of the grasshopper who danced and partied all summer long, but when winter came he was not prepared. Throughout the summer he scorned his neighbors the ants for working so hard while it was beautiful out, but in the winter time they were able to take it easy because they had prepared for the hard times ahead.

After high school I went to college and eventually got a 2 year degree - and took some cool classes, and went on some cool trips - but I just went "gen ed". C'mon, I've always wanted to do the same thing - work with plants somehow. After that I messed around a few years until a roommate said to hurry up and go to school. So, here I am at my midlife crisis (I can have my midlife crisis whenever I want thank you very much) two 2year degrees, no big career, no family. I have to not compare myself with my elders (my mom and grandma both say "when I was your age...") or friend's my age who have husbands, careers and kids.
I'm not saying I necessarily want that white picket fence lifestyle (but I do want the white picket fence, they're so cute). I just... don't want to be the grasshopper. I don't want to someday get married and worry I've never lived, worry I never had a career.. Or, I don't want to just float on and wish I had something more substantial to show for my years.

Granted, I think I'm doin ok - my own place, two jobs, an A.A. and an A.S. Thats good, right? Right? Ok, I'll work on more.

Of course this brings us back to the question of whether the time is right for me to bring "dog" back into my life. I may never be stable though, if I wait for that I may wait forever.

Ok, new to-do list; do more stuff, do things for job advancement

Oh, just so you know - I still think children are evil and marriage is the death of fun. I'm just saying, everybody is doing it. My mom (I do not know why) used to sing to me the song "I never will marry" by Linda Ronstadt
"...I never will marry
I'll be no man's wife
I expect to live single
All the days of my life"

She's an odd woman that mother of mine. She sang to my older brother "dreamer" by Supertramp "...can you put your hands in your head? oh no! your nothing but a dreamer" Hm, what about my little brother?

facebook, twitter and mysociallifeisdependantuponstupidmembersonlycomputergroups

2009-03-24T17:32:00.003-04:00

I do not belong to facebook (trying to stay out despite requests) I really do not like myspace (definately won't join that one) and god help me, I hope I never tweet. For those of you fogies who live in a cave and don't know what I'm talking about - I envy you.

I have this little blog which my friends and family could read if they cared to see whats up in my life (ok, more of whats on my mind). They don't have to join and create a password and another ID to remember. They can simply go to the site, and read it. Yes, it can be a bit long, but do you want to hear "status: doing nothing, bored. feeling fat." "what are you doing now: dishes" Woo! Yes, I have friends who tell me myspace helps them keep in touch with their friends and family but in order for me to find out whats up in their lives also, I have to join. I have to create an account and a website and a profile and remember another password and one day I'll get drunk and post something crazy that will prevent my nonexistent future children from being accepted into Notre Dam. I have also had a roommate (who should have gotten it over with and become a stripper) who used myspace to meet all sorts of great guys - sometimes two in one day!
Yes, facebook is supposed to be "classier" you have to use your real name, but a.) it is against pictures of mom's breastfeeding (what??) and b.) people use it to facebook-stalk. I had another roommate who told me she was feeling down because she was checking up on an old boyfriend and she saw he was now dating a young attractive woman. I do not want to check to see what a friend has been up to and wind up in a drama like that.

Is that enough for now or should I go on to say why I think this next generation is going to pot?

Seriously though, I'd rather my friends called me up or sent me an email (even a group email) or (dare I say it?) an actual letter, than to have to check their "tweets" or facebook account to see what little minutia they have been up to. "status: road trip, see attached photo" As to the blog? Well, it exists half for me to just get my thoughts out and if someone wishes to comment than so be it; and half because a friend told me to set up a blog so I'd stop bothering him and he could just read my thoughts at leisure. hm...
If one of my friends had a blog I'd love to read it. I would try to check it periodically and comment to let them know they're loved (hint). How is this different from a social networking site?.. Ah, I answered my own question. Social networking. That's what those sites are, and this is not. This exists to share ideas or thoughts, those exist for "networking".

I suppose this is long enough for now. I'll sound more like an old lady later when I write about "this younger generation"

cured fom brats

2009-03-22T17:32:00.004-04:00

I've heared from a lot of vegetarians how they feel better when they don't eat meat (some people say they feel better when they eat just fruits or cut out sugar, but that's too extreme for me) and today I think I have been cured (at least for awhile) of bratwursts. Probably hot dogs in general.
I think I have good memories of eating junky food, but then I try it again and they don't measure up. It seems more foods are being relegated to the list of foods I eat when I'm feeling crummy. Tony's cheapie pizzas in the frozen food section, fast food in general - actually, fast food has pretty much been wiped off my list (I had one Checker's burger this year and before that I hadn't had a drive through burger in a couple of years, and I think it will be a couple more until I do it again, if ever).
It is interesting how my tastes are evolving - I now prefer chocolate ice cream over vanilla - but unfortunately I now prefer food that takes longer to cook and requires that I eat it soon after purchasing it.
My last Taco Bell nachos were pretty bad, maybe they're next....

Passive Aggression

2009-03-21T18:56:00.001-04:00

When I hear the words "passive-aggressive" it seems to me like its said negatively. As though this is a bad way to share your anger or annoyance with someone. I suppose it is healthier to confront someone and discuss your problems like an adult - of course this requires that both parties act like adults. For great examples of passive aggression check the passive-aggressive notes website. Personally I'm not big on confrontation. Partially because I blow things out of proportion "what if s/he yells at me or hates me and then we will have all this awkwardness and then they won't be my friend anymore". But, also I think I've learned its easier because I've dealt with people who it was not possible to discuss things with in a mature manner.

I do feel better when the issue is brought up front in the open and whoever and I can discuss it calmly and reasonably. But, there are some issues that I do not think can be calmly discussed. Or, at least not with all people. These are of course children, god/religion and weight. Like "Maybe if you didn't eat so much at church functions you wouldn't be as fat as your damn kid". No, thats just plain aggressive... no passive there.

I suppose the verdict is open dialogue is best, except when concerning god, weight or baby flushing - in which case we tip toe around it or avoid it all together. I mean um, population control...

Edible landscaping link

2009-02-08T16:23:00.001-05:00

Here is the website for the guys who are doing edible organic landscaping. I am busy and sick with pollen allergies and moving soon so - I haven't checked much into the community thing yet. I found some leads I will follow, but if none of them works out, I want to find someone who will help me make it. So, not much to say, I just want to get that website link up.

Garden of Eatin'

2009-02-07T19:53:00.002-05:00

The Garden of Eatin': A Short History of America's Garden from roger doiron on Vimeo.

I love this video. I know a guy who is doing pretty good business planting vegetable gardens for people, hopefully the time of the victory garden has come again. Now I just have to find a solution for people like me who do not have yards.

Please sign the petition here.
And let me know what you're growing!

A piece of land

2009-02-04T19:26:00.002-05:00

When I chose my new home I had to pick between a bigger more expensive place with a balcony with a nice view and bathroom with a window and a smaller affordable place with neither. I decided to be practical and get the efficiency sans garden space (a bathroom is a great place for plants, and a window really helps). I really really wanted the place with the balcony - it looked like it got a lot of sun and I could have grown some vegetables and some other things. Few things make me as happy as being out in a garden, and a patio garden would have been something.

Now, the perfect solution to my no garden plot dilemma would be to rent a bit of land to garden in... on. When I lived in Germany I often passed a large area that had little gardens sectioned out all over it. They were small - maybe 10 x 10 - and had a little shed or something on them. I forget, maybe they had a fence around them. As much as I loved living in Germany, I missed playing in the dirt, and often thought that if I could have one of those I could be happy. I have read that people have done similar things with vacant plots in Chicago and in New York. So, why not here? I would gladly pay a small fee every month to have my own little space to garden in.

I am an idea man, not an entrepreneur. So, will someone please take this idea and run with it? I really think its a great idea - even in these hard economic times. I think a lot of people would pay $20 a month (I don't know what it should be) to have a place to grow their own vegetables or roses or whatever. Especially as people are hearing more about salmonella infested fruits but can not grow their own because they live in small apartments. Maybe the idea would have to be sold a bit, its popular in other parts of the world, and our grandmothers would do it, why not us? There are a lot of empty lots or worn down buildings around here that could be converted into a garden.

time to move on

2009-02-04T19:04:00.002-05:00

After four rooms found through craigslist.org I am finally through. I still think craigslist is really helpfull and a great tool. There are all sorts of jobs there and you can sell stuff or buy things and if your bored or whatever for a good laugh its fun to read the personals. Seriously though, just for fun - never date anyone from there, they're all quacko. I don't even think its bad getting or renting a room there - I met two great people that way (one by moving into her house, and the other was her friend) and a friend of mine just found the best deal on a condo there.

But, I am through searching for awhile. There are a bunch of great deals on craigslist, but I took the easy way. I went to an apartment complex and rented an efficiency. Its in a safe clean neighborhood so I don't think I will be too nervous starting this next phase in my life - the part where I (just before I turn 30) finally live on my own! Up until now I've lived with my parents, lived with "men friends" or rented rooms at stranger's houses. I would be nervous if the area wasn't safe, or was loud or something, but I think it will be ok. (While there I met an elderly lady on her way to play bingo in the club house - it doesn't get calmer than that).

It will be like renting my room (because its just an efficiency, so its like a big room plus kitchen and bathroom) - but the Hello Kitty Pinkness will extend beyond the bedroom! Haha! Plus, since it will finally be all mine - I can finally entertain (a little). Unfortunately this means I'll have to keep a little cleaner, but my excuse has always been that I haven't had enough space to be clean, so we'll see if that turns out to be true (I plan to get a raised bed and kick everything under there).

Oh, just in case your keeping tally - this will be my 2nd move this year (unless you cound the brief time I'll stay at a friends in between there and here) and my.... 8th home since I moved back to Florida. Woo! I blame it all on my dad, because as partial Navy brats we led the lives of gypsies.

Planned overs

2009-01-31T17:54:00.005-05:00

Another food related entry!
A week ago Publix had Hormel meat stuffs on sale - those beef tips in gravy and pot roast and stuff - so I bought a few and froze all but one. So, for dinner I made a bunch of Texmati rice I wanted to use up (it was a really good whole grain blend with brown and red rice and pearled barley and rye berries) and the beef tips, and a bunch of frozen mixed vegetables. I had too much rice so I froze a bunch in a pyrex type container and divided the rest into the rest of my pyrex type containers. I later thawed the rice and used it for another similar meal, so I saved even more time!
Voila! 2 lunches and a dinner or 3 lunches or whatever. I like the smaller containers because its better portion control (Then I'm not too full for a piece of chocolate!). Maybe sometime I'll get more containers and freeze some and then make another meal and freeze that and I'll have variety!
I know its not very exciting, but it beats the lunch of the guy who eats lunch next to me - every day a can of soup and an individual microwavable mac n'cheese. Even though a lot of this is instant - frozen veggies, premade beef tips - its got to be a lot healthier and cheaper.
Next time I'll have to figure out the cost breakdown. $4.99 for the meat, um, $1.50 for veggies? (didn't use the whole bag) rice my mom gave me so say $1 (used a fourth of it) so... $7.49 for four meals.... Woo! $1.87 each! Can't be too off, right?
Oh, note to veg heads - mushrooms and gravy would be good too. Or whatever.

So, in review - healthy, cost effective, and relatively quick!

Adulthood

2009-01-28T18:27:00.001-05:00

My mother was a good mom who trained us children well. I don't know if we ever had fruit loops, rarely had junk food and most of the time I remember eating well balanced meals at the table. But, the best thing about being an adult is ignoring that. Now that I am off into the wilds of the world I can drink milk out of the carton, have cookies for breakfast and chocolate pie for dinner. Oh, and meals based on chocolate soy milk. And of course, the poor person's staple: ramen noodle soup.
Oh, and while I am making confessions my bed doesn't even have a "made" state. Made is when all the covers are on the bed and sort of cover the mattress.

Its a horrible sloppy college style life I am leading - and a little late into my life to begin it. I can only hope that one day my mother's training will come back to me, and I will remember how to live like a grownup should. Until then, I shall enjoy my chocolate based diet, and sloppy ways.

Happy Anniversary!

2009-01-22T16:34:00.003-05:00

Happy 36th Anniversary Roe v. Wade!

There are two ways of looking at this anniversary - it is either a celebration of a ruling that has helped thousands of women have safe abortions and avoid births that could endanger their lives, or the life/health of the child, or put them in a situation they were simply not ready for. Or, it is a sad reminder of the thousands of children who are not alive today - unwanted, or unhealthy, or orphaned or mistreat or maybe even adopted into a loving home.

Of course I see it as a celebration of a ruling that has helped many women. I know several women who had done their best (outside of abstinence) to avoid pregnancy and had an abortion because they were simply not ready to have children. Some of those women have children now - when they can properly care for them. I do not see a young fetus as a thing with a soul and rights (above mine) that can feel pain etc. The body aborts or miscarries eggs/embryos that are either unhealthy or that the body cannot sustain and this is just a step beyond that.

I wonder if the anti-choice side is all christian. Would any other group mind?

I am currently doing (almost) everything I can to avoid a pregnancy, but I know I am not ready to have a child - I can hardly support myself, and I know I'm not taking as good of care of myself as possible. Should I let a child "mess up" my life? Or change the path I'm on? I have heard people say that if you accidentally get pregnant you should "accept the consequences", but a child is not a punishment and it should be a choice. One should choose to have children if and when ready. If one is not ready I definitely believe you should try your hardest to avoid pregnancy, but there are accidents and tragedies. I do not know how anyone (except Sara Palin) could defend a pregnancy that could cause the death of the mother, or is caused by a crime (rape or incest).

I suppose there are three reasons to support abortion; it is a women's choice, in case of harm to the mother or due to crime, and because there will be abortions regardless of legality. If it were illegal women would continue to have abortions using a variety of methods and some of the women would die or become injured, and some children would be born sick or deformed.

I joke about abortion a lot (because I don't like people joking about me having kids "oh, why don't you have kids? Your life is meaningless without children" "oh, your sick, you must be pregnant, haha") but I would give it serious thought if I did become unintentionally pregnant, and I would not take it lightly and I am sure for most other women it is not any easy out, or a method of birth control.

Perhaps if we improved our sex education in the United States we might experience less unplanned pregnancies. I do not think abstinence only worked for Bristol Palin.

Here is my can of worms. Luckily, not too many people read this so the chance of my being slammed for my opinion is minimal. But, why must it be so emotional and polarizing? I am happy as long as you do not take away my right or the right of other women, and I will allow you to do what you want. I am not forcing you to abort your baby for whatever reason, so why be so angry? I have had a woman tell me that her friends have a baby they love with down's syndrome and if he'd been aborted (something, I forget where she went with that). But, that's ok, allowing other women to choose whether or not to have a child does not stop someone else from having theirs.

Real Florida, part I

2009-01-17T17:22:00.006-05:00

Florida is a beautiful wonderful state. I don't want to live here forever, but I do love it, and want to enjoy as much of it as I can while I'm here.

One thing I love about Florida is the diversity. There are springs and swamps and scrub flatwoods and hardwoods and pinewoods and of course the beaches.

Yes, there are golf courses and resorts and theme parks and clubs and even beach resorts, but I do not consider this to be the real Florida. Its like determining what is a native plant. If it was not here when Columbus was here, its not really Florida. I do consider St. Augustine and Fort De Soto "real Florida" so... I guess we can add a few years to that equation.

So when I am stressed or worn out I like to go to the woods (of which there are many close by in Florida - not so in Texas) and recharge.
These are pictures from my last trip to the woods, I won't tell you where, because its my special place!

I am experiencing technical difficulties uploading my photos, so I think I may have to create a flickr account to store them and link there. So... if you want to see the rest of my pictures check them out here.
I'm totally new at this flickr thing so I welcome any suggestions! I guess I'll be learning more about in in the next few days!

To-go Ware

2009-01-16T22:15:00.002-05:00

Yeah, a food related post!
Checking up on Vegan lunch box I noticed they had a post about to-go ware and a survey that leads you to a coupon, so I thought I'd mention it here so more people can check it out.
To-go ware is a really cool website that sells utensils and containers (and other stuff) so that when you get it to go, you can use less disposables. I got some reusable utensils from them for my dad my brother and myself for Christmas. The utensils are made from bamboo and are beautiful and nice to handle, and they come in a cool carrying case that supports either a women's group in Burma or a group that recycles bags in India. They come with a knife, fork, spoon and chopsticks. I actually got mine from reusuablebags.com but 40% off is a good deal. I could get a set for someone else, or their tiffen...

The Road Goes Ever On And On

2009-01-16T21:45:00.009-05:00

The Road Goes Ever On and On
by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Road goes ever on and on; Down from the door where it began.; Now far ahead the Road has gone,; And I must follow, if I can,; Pursuing it with eager feet,; Until it joins some larger way; Where many paths and errands meet.; And whither then? I cannot say.

: The Road goes ever on and on; Out from the door where it began.; Now far ahead the Road has gone,; Let others follow it who can!; Let them a journey new begin,; But I at last with weary feet; Will turn towards the lighted inn,; My evening-rest and sleep to meet.

Still round the corner there may wait

A new road or a secret gate,

And though we pass them by today,

Tomorrow we may come this way

And take the hidden paths that run

Towards the Moon or to the Sun.

Still round the corner there may wait

A new road or a secret gate,

And though I oft have passed them by,

A day will come at last when I

Shall take the hidden paths that run

West of the Moon, East of the Sun.

these are pictures from my recent walk in the woods, I thought of the "walking songs" while I was there

Valentine's Day - Part I

2009-01-15T17:20:00.003-05:00

So the stores are once again (and a month in advance) pulling out their Valentine's wares. The commercialism of any holiday takes away from it and especially on Valentine's Day, gives fuel to those who oppose it. I love a reason to celebrate, and whats not to love about a holiday dedicated to celebrating love? You do not necessarily have to spend money and although technically you should always let your loved ones know you care, whats wrong with a day devoted to that purpose? I can only see really hating Valentines day if your just bitter about the whole love thing, and if thats the case, its best to just put on your blinders and ignore it.

Unless I find a really cool card, I like to make cards for a few people I'd like to give love to. (Don't feel bad if you don't get one! It doesn't mean I don't love you!) And although I have bought things for people before, one of my best Valentines involved having a surprise dinner cooked for me. On other occasions just spending time together was great.

I am a little bit of a pink fuzzy romantic at times, but I see nothing wrong with Valentines Day celebrated in an honest (not forced) nor "in your face" (like the stores do) sort of way.
This year I don't know what I'll do, I may crawl in a cave or I may hang out. Who knows? But, I won't hate on anyone else either way.

victory garden

2009-01-11T16:25:00.002-05:00

What is the answer to the problem of rising costs, crappy tomatoes at the grocery store and a desire to eat affordable local oraganic produce? Grow a Victory Garden!

Today I got a washbucket - what do you call it, one of those metal wash tubs - a bag of Black Cow composted manure and a bag of Granny's Soil, a Patio tomato plant and a small lettuce. And a hanging basket of mint for outside my window.

I'm not really cooking much right now, but with a tomato and some lettuce you can at least have an easy salad or tomato sandwich. If I wanted to spend a little extra money I would get the Earth Box - which is a really cool system that makes it easier to grow herbs and vegetables. My Dad and his wife got one and they have more lettuce than they know what to do with. Which brings me to Plant a Row for the Hungry. Its a neat concept where gardeners are asked to plant an extra row of vegetables in their garden to donate to soup kitchens or food banks. At my last job we had a bunch of extra citrus from a decorating job. One of the ladies donated the extra to a soup kitchen and they were really happy to get the fresh fruit. I guess most of what they have is canned. In Florida people often have the problem of what to do with so much fruit growing in their trees, and I think this is a good solution.

Did I mention how easy the Earth Box is? I love it because you don't have to fertilize or water as often or weed and its raised... My thought is that if it was easier more people would do it. Yes, its expensive (we sell them for $59) but your going to save money growing your own produce and and it will certainly last a few years. You would definitely get a lot of use from them - or any vegetable garden - in Florida with our multiple growing seasons. I'm not sure how many we have but I know you can grow tomatoes in the spring and fall, I think eggplant and okra (and more) in the summer and lettuce and celery in the winter (among others). The only thing its hard to do all year here are herbs.

Even if you only have a small amount of space, its fun to grow at least a tomato and some basil or parsley (its so expensive to buy herbs from the grocery store). And, I think growing your own vegetables is a great way to involve kids in gardening and get them more likely to eat vegetables.

Let me know if your growing anything!

Oh, and another cool thing about growing your own - you can find some really neat varieties that would cost less than they do at the store. A friend of mine grew some really cool yellow tomatoes the other year and I think thats the first time I had yellow tomatoes. Unusual and heirloom varieties are usually more expensive at the grocery store. You might have to start heirloom varieties from seed, and it might be harder to find them, but its still cheaper and lots of fun.

Drugs

2009-01-10T20:59:00.003-05:00

I suppose I am a bit hypocritical about my stance on drugs. I don't like a lot of prescription drugs when they do not treat the deeper problem (like anxiety or depression medicine - why are you depressed. treat that). And I don't like "recreational" drugs. Maybe the Regan administration had a strong influence on me, or maybe it was watching other people do drugs. I believe that they can lead to other things (pot to heavier things) and they can have a negative effect on your life. Make your paranoid, withdrawn, hang out with shady people... Granted, a lot of people don't hang out with shady people and can still be productive etc.. But, this is another debate that can never be settled. If I ask people who have done drugs they are biased in one direction, and people who have never done drugs are biased in another. Oddly enough some people who have smoked pot give me varying responses. I suppose it depends on the individual.

Here's the hypocritical part. On occasion, I like to have a drink. It is a drug, it can be addicting, it can lead to other habits, and it is mind altering. For similar reasons to why I am hating being sick - that my body is behaving oddly and I can't control it, that I do not know why I feel the way I do - I like to have a drink. I like to feel a little dizzy and floaty and relaxed and less in control. Which.. is odd since that is why I hate being sick! I suppose since I chose to have the drink I am somewhat in control? Granted, I have never been so drunk I have lost so much control that I've gotten sick or lost consciousness or woken up with a stranger or not been able to remember what happened.

But, I don't think those things happen when you smoke pot. No one smokes a few and wakes up with a stranger, or winds up puking... Maybe I don't like it because you must smoke it? But, there are brownies.... I'm very straight edged and law abiding, possibly the law scares me off. And the negative aura that surrounds it. Negative from society's perspective.

Other drugs, definitely not. With pot you still have control (or at least with only a little?). I can have one drink and still think fairly clearly and know it will wear off shortly and know that although I may act a little silly or giggle too much or talk too much, I'm not going to end up doing something I may regret. Well, probably not.

I don't understand the why. I suppose some people like the way they feel.. But, whatever emotion or feeling you are looking for, there are other less dangerous legal ways of feeling that (except the feeling of being attacked by giant spiders or whatever). In other words, if you need to relax, try yoga.

Also hypocritically, if a doctor prescribes for me the same drug that others use recreationally, I have no problem taking it. Possibly this goes back to the fact that now its legal, and if its prescribed and I'm taking it for pain, there is a different connotation than someone scoring morphine to get their kicks. (note, I haven't tried morphine) Yes, that is what the drug actually exists for, but I think in some geeky way I think its cool. Like "wee, I'm getting some drug, and its legal!".

Hm, is this like a virgin wondering what all the noise about sex is? "Why are peopled all crazy about this sex thing? Why don't they just take a walk and hold hands, or read a good book?" Maybe, but I like to put my thoughts down, even if you plotted this out and it looked like some yarn someone dropped on the floor, its still good to write it out.

resolutions

2009-01-09T09:14:00.000-05:00

Alrighty, it is now January the 9th and I've come up with two resolutions.
1.) It has been suggested to me from a trusted source that I learn to capitalize. Ok, I will give it a try. Maybe people will take me more seriously if I capitalize? I know when I've house hunted I ignore the ads with poor spelling.
2.) Learn to get along with Hung. The annoying guy at work. Bothers the hell out of me, but we must get along. It makes it difficult that he's annoying as heck and won't stop bothering me but, I'm trying!

Have you made any resolutions? Do you like my fancy big city appropriately capitalized words?

the a.m.

2009-01-09T08:26:00.003-05:00

I am becoming some insane early bird. I can no longer even sleep until 4am. What the heck am I to do with this new found insomnia? Well, I "sleep" so I suppose I can not call it insomnia. What do you call it when 7:30 is as much "sleeping in" as you can manage? Possibly I need to go on some sort of sleep inducing vacation.

I suppose I've never really been a night owl, and I've always woken up fairly easily... But I am adjusting to my work schedule too well. What am I supposed to do? Get up and be productive at 4am? Hopefully this is a passing thing and I can get back to complaining that I feel groggy because I've slept in too long. Ah, those were the days. Now, I feel groggy because, although i went to sleep at 12, my body feels it necessary to wake me at 4a.m., and then at 7:30a.m. I'm like some sort of bread, my body warms and pops up at 3 and 7, and you can not put it back into the toaster. Wait, I suppose that would make my bed the toaster?

I work with a guy who automatically wakes up early, and he uses that time to have a second job (I don't think so). I know some people would get out and jog, but its way too dark and I just don't jog. Work is the only thing worth dragging myself out of bed in the morning for, and that must be what got me in this predicament in the first place. Work and breakfast, and I don't see anyone making me pancakes.

children

2009-01-07T16:51:00.003-05:00

the children dilemma is one i've pondered for awhile. to procreate or not to punish another creature with the gift of life. of course, i'm nowhere near in the position to carry this through (except that i posess a possibly working uterus) but i do wonder now and then.
at work they say "oh, why don't you have kids?" so i say "because i hate them and they're nasty" to which they reply "what if your parents thought that way?" "well, i guess i'd be happier or never know, wouldn't i!!!!!" i mean really, oh, what if every egg was utelized? what a horrible crowded place this would be.

i don't have that driving urge to multiply like some people do, and when i do get the urge, i beat it the heck down. for my part it also has a lot to do with my mate. i've dated people before who i would have had kids with - i knew they'd be a good father, but i have also dated people who i knew would not be able to cut it.

of course, it would be my own little science experiment. my own little guinea pig. but, it would also be my gamble. kids are a crap shoot. you don't know what you'll get. you roll the dice, test for a few diseases, live a healthy lifestyle but it is still possible that despite your best efforts your kid has some problem - gluten intolerance (i hate cooking for picky eaters), autism, cheerleader... and you can't send them back.

also, how long is the child your resonsibility? i like dogs because its an 18 year commitment at the MOST. if they are a burden on society or others is it your responsibility? you made them. granted, some things are up to fate and perhaps nature.. and, what do you do if they do something unlovable (murder, steal, professional football)? how do you reconcile that?

i don't even know if i'd want a kid for 3 years though. i wonder if i'd tire of it after awhile. all the crying and needs you would have to fulfill. love, attention, food... i just don't know if i could do it. too little me time, not to mention time with the baby daddy.

oh, and then there is the moral question of if its even right to bring more children into this overcrowded poluted world. yes, i put the fate of whales above the fate of humans. i've said before that if i ran for president my platform would be "no babies for anyone" at least not for 3 years. well, babies for whales of course. (you see, i'd put something in the water supply, but it would be hard not to affect frogs)

oh well, luckily that decision is not even here now (and that is a can of worms i'm not even opening up... not now anyways). i'm not even ready for a dog, let alone a human. and people are having kids older these days. although if i haven't made my decision in 10 years i think i'll do some house cleaning and take away my ability all together.

poll

2009-01-07T15:12:00.000-05:00

last i checked i think a career was beating love, but now it looks like they're neck to neck again. um, i don't think there is a comment thing under the poll, so feel free to let me know here if you voted for which and why.

content?

2009-01-05T16:42:00.003-05:00

a little dilemma, should i keep the content of this blog as is - mostly my random thoughts but nothing too personal. definitely nothing that could anger someone specifically like bitching about my mother brother father or lover. nothing too sappy like "woe is me, why am i so _". and since this is a public blog i've decided not to get too detailed about me. in other words, this is random musings (but i think that was taken), not a diary.

i had intended to post more food related stuffs, but i'm not cooking now. unless you want to know about my great nutella and natural nut butter sandwiches on wheat! they're great and they've got to be pretty healthy, right? sure, nutella has cocoa in it, but whats a little on a sandwich? i do get made fun of at work for my chocolate sanwiches. i live off of those things. i'd like to take a nutella and banana or other fruit sandwich, but it just would not last in my pocket or in a golf cart throughout the day as i munch on it.

so, i guess thats it? but if you want me to tell you about how awful my hands are and how i'll never have a lady's hands please let me know.

i think i just walked in a circle with this one. ha, maybe this should be the thing under the title that describes this blog.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-05T16:17:00.000-05:00

Or, if you celebrate chinese new year, delay that a month.

So, another exciting year.. The Year of Obama! there is something to be happy about. May he solve all the worlds woes.

Personally, i think my job jumping will be delayed a while. unless something incredible turns up - which i don't think is likely. i suppose this is good, since my resume lacks large amounts of time at one place. on the other hand, i don't intend to delay it too long, so even a year or so at sea world won't improve my job hopping. anyways, i don't see the government (or whoever) opening a lot of forestry type jobs right now. but i'll jump on anything if i see it! i think instead i will volunteer and get to know people and network and gain skills, take classes etc. so when opportunities arise, i will look better.

this year i've made no resolutions. i'm not much one for changing me. i'm trying to purge and declutter, but thats not really a resolution. i'd like to get stronger and fitter, but i've decided to save gym money (i'm slowly replacing my car piece by piece) and delay that - and i'm certainly not going to do anything at home. maybe yoga later... sometime.
so, my only goal this year is to work towards the ultimate goal of a career in forestry/environmental something. which will lead to financial security and stability and... a dog!

other than that, western new year has not been so exciting. maybe chinese new year will be more so? maybe its still last year...

selfish desires

2008-12-30T18:53:00.003-05:00

i want my very own something to love and hug and cuddle and hang out with. i want something to love me unquestionably and always be there for me.
in short, i want a dog. i have been waiting years now, every since my dog died. i know there are some people who want love and rush out to have children, but i am waiting until the right time (for a dog). i need space (although there are many happy apartment dogs) and time and money but mostly i am waiting until i am stable. i am moving for the umpteenth time since i lived in florida and that is not good for a dog.
plus, i enjoy a slightly gypsy lifestyle now, and i would be even more encumbered by a dog.
i had a beta a few years back, but he often tried to commit suicide and he stayed behind several moves ago.
but someday, a dog. an older rescue dog. who i can tell everything to and who won't bark at everything and who will wrestle with me and will have a nice coat to pet (no yippers). someone to go on walks or swim or hike or whatever.
i had thought a golden or a basset hound, but maybe just a mutt. (or a basset retriever!)

i have already had the best dog, and he was great to talk to. he was my brother, my best friend, my child. got along with everyone and everything (he only tried to eat frogs, and spit those out) liked to swim and hike. and didn't try to hump me. plus he was beautiful. what more could you want in a companion?

i should try to find a picture to post.

oh, also, unlike a child - dogs only live to be 18 tops, and you can neuter them.

i love/hate science

2008-12-30T18:51:00.004-05:00

i hate it like i hate othello and 1984.
i think that what i "think" i feel is really just a product of the chemicals bouncing around in my head. i'm only attracted to a man because his immunities are different than mine and we'll make good babies and he makes certain chemicals and hormones in my head and body go crazy. (or, if i am on the pill, it makes my body misread things)

i like to read these articles about love and our bodies and the chemicals and isn't oxytocin neat, but at the same time it depresses me because perhaps what i thought was love was really just science and biology.

can someone really love you or are they only acting a certain way in the hope of rewards (it makes them feel good, they want sex, they want something)
how can i reconcile being a halfway logical practical person with being an emotional hopeless romantic? can it be done?

sometimes i do things and i wonder if i do them selflessly, or do i have some other motive? of course i am not a great example, i'm not the best of people, but mine is the only brain i have to pick.

i would like to believe that love is not just science, but i am not sure.

so this was christmas

2008-12-27T18:17:00.002-05:00

living in florida it is sometimes hard to feel "christmassy" when your in a tank top and getting bit by mosquitos. at least, thats what people say. i think the cold definately helps, but i've had christmasses before, and they must have been warm. of course, i'm used to colder weather and people who say this are used to colder weather so i'm sure people who live in this all the time have no problem.

i did not feel very christmassy this year, but i think it had more to do with another year going out with a fizzle and not decorating my home. and doing "christmassy" things. but, definately, cold would help. cold would be nice anyways.

the real question is, as a non-theist (i'm not really sure what that means, even after looking it up - i assume someone with no defined religeon or beliefs) what is "christmas" to me?

it definately includes decorations and alot of the music i like (just not played non-stop until i hate them) and christmas movies and all that but i think charles dickens describes it best - specifically in the muppets' version of a christmas carol.
its not the buying (although i do like giving gifts or sending cards) and of course to me it is not about the birth of the savior (i don't even know when obama was born! or sidhartha gautama or ghandi). Mostly, to me, christmas is a time for family togetherness. the warmth and love of being with each other and celebrating that.

like valentines day you might say "why not enjoy your family all the time?" well, i like a holiday and this encourages you to spend time with family and celebrate it.

plus, its just cool to put a fire hazard in your house and cover it with electric wires!

next year, less is more

2008-12-20T18:56:00.002-05:00

recently when checking out the latest on inhabitat i read a neat article about buying nothing, or at least more practical, earth friendly gifts. there have been lots of ideas on inhabitat for buying things like buying a family a sheep through oxfam. the sheep helps the family become self reliant by producing wool that they can use to make clothes to sell to earn money to feed the sheep to make more wool to make more clothes... i've also read about buying trees and i've bought gift memberships to earth/animal friendly organizations before. and, i also like the website where you give the recipient a certificate to donate money to the charity of their choice (hopefully within reason, not nambla or whatever organization thinks the pill is murder.

so, i need to do more of that next year. walk the walk. i've done more e-cards this year although i was worried at first that people would like them less than physical cards, but i've heard from a few people that they like them. why not? they arrive quickly, don't create waste, don't cost (well, mine didn't). i sometimes feel a little guilty about not buying someone something for christmas but i think they will be happy if i at least get/send a card to show i care and am thinking about them. and personally, i would rather that than something i may have to give to the salvation army later.

-although, side note, i hear its a bad year for alot of organizations like salvation army and toys for tots and food banks, so please go through your house give what you can-

there is a rather angy discussion on inhabitat about why we need to shop and buy junk to save the economy, but i think my gas, grocery, phone and all other bills will have to do that. i don't think my, or anyone else's not buying "stuff" is what is ruining the economy.

beds and bedrooms

2008-12-16T19:55:00.002-05:00

once again i've found incredibleness on notcot. for some strange unexplainable reason - although i'm sure it makes some kind of weird sense to a psychologist - i like being in small spaces. namely, i like little bedrooms and inclosed beds. like beds with curtains or little cabins with loft rooms or this awesome "bedroom" in a european guesthouse (scroll to the bottom to see the bed in the niche in the wall). i suppose if you were freudian this might be some sort of womb thing. maybe its because i'm short?
anyways, this bedroom is cool. i think only curtains could make it cooler.

the poo problem

2008-12-14T18:55:00.002-05:00

of the many problems which overrun the country, one that i never gave much thought to was the poo problem. but, at the last public lands day, two of the ladies in my group were all about it. apparently, their business (i don't know if it makes money or if this is a free thing) is promoting or building dog waste disposal sites. i wasn't part of the conversation, i think it must have begun already when i started listening. anyhoo, through them i learned that dog waste is actually a big problem and beaches and rivers have been closed due to it. one of the other ladies i volunteered with said you can actually trace the waste in a lake or beach to know what kind of animal is causing it. what fun!
so, i am thinking of the loosely run neighborhood in which my dad lives - on a lake - and all the people out there who have dogs, but don't clean up after them. i found some neat information here about building a composter and here about how bad the problem is. i like the compost site because it says you can buy the starter stuff at somewhere like home depot.
in response to the "no one buries the animals poop in nature" statement; domestic animals are certainly (most of them anyways) not eating a natural diet (bacuns aren't natural??) and are not pooping in such a concentrated area.
so, if you know someone who's not picking up their poop - pass it on!

more green christmas

2008-12-14T10:49:00.004-05:00

updated green christmas ideas. a company (or group) in the uk challenged people to wrap gifts in sustainable tape free ways. here. so, i've decided that i should also give up the tape. i've managed before. i like the use of rubber bands. scarfs and such are a cool idea - maybe my old single socks? ... maybe not.
also, i hope people don't mind ecards!
my other cheap favourite christmas idea is collecting the cut off branches from christmas trees from places that sell them. they make great wreaths or bouquets that smell good and last a long time

satan?

2008-12-11T20:00:00.003-05:00

remember the church lady on saturday night live? it was actually dana carvey dressed up as a cute little church lady. i'd include a video, but i can't find the one i want. well, anyhoo, i'm thinking of the episode where she makes the point that santa is just satan rearanged.
what brought on thoughts of satan santa? well, recently when looking at some website i thought i read "satan" when actually it said "santa". hm, what does this mean? if your freudian i guess i am a grinch. i asked my boss to order "satan claus" signs for christmas, but she doesn't think she can get those.
while i'm on a anti-christmas rant, did i tell you about the atheist christmas cards? maybe i did. if i wasn't making cards or using ecards.com i'd get those.
actually, i'm not anti-christmas, its just fun to taunt it. and, anything for that matter.

brown paper packages tied up with string

2008-12-09T17:56:00.006-05:00

this year - in an ever growing attempt to green my everything - i bought raffia ribbon at michaels to use instead of the usual plastic ribbon. last year i used hemp twine on some packages, and i've also reused ribbon - but what if the person i give a gift to doesn't reuse their ribbon? at least raffia is biodegradable and although the ribbon from micheals may not be completely ethically or organically grown, its got to be better than how plastic ribbon is made - plus, its a tree!

i've also given up wrapping paper. my new favorite way to wrap packages is with paper grocery sacks. if you turn them inside out they make great wrapping paper. plus, they are free and completely recyclable. i kind of like that simple earthy brown paper look. i've read that you could decorate plain wrapping paper with stamps or have kids do it (if your into kids). my old roommate decorated some plain wrapping paper by drawing on it. i really like the simple paper and ribbon look, but that would be fun too. resusable gift bags are nice, but you don't get to rip the paper, you don't know if the other person will reuse the bag, and then if you get one, you have to save it until you can regift it. another good thing about plain paper bags for wrapping paper is that its not too pretty. sometimes i feel bad for throwing away such pretty paper.

once i have something wrapped for christmas, i'll have to take a picture so you can see.

i think i will also do more donations for gifts next year. i read that through nrdc you can have a tree planted in a tree planted for someone in costa rica for $10. i know i could personally use less "stuff". i heard on public radio that you can get someone a gift certificate with which they go online and choose which organization they want the donation to go to.

i suppose i still like a little stuff, but i really enjoy memberships and donations. any coments? maybe thats why flowers and food are perfect - they are stuff, but they won't last and they are biodegradable so they won't take up space in my house or in a landfill!

paper! sustainable and convenient

2008-12-03T16:33:00.008-05:00

occasionally (namely around christmas) i like to make my own holiday cards. the difficult thing is that convenient stores - michael's and jo-ann's - aren't very eco friendly. i pick up some stamps and raffia there, but i dislike buying paper from them because its not recycled. not at all.

so, i went to the evolve store - because they carry all sorts of earth friendly household stuff - to see if they carried recycled or alternative paper. they didn't but they directed me to xpedx

anyhoo, since they were so nice and i was quickly easily able to find just what i wanted i thought i'd pass the experience along. if your making cards or printing (anything really) christmas letters, i'd suggest stopping by - the location thing says they're all over. like in texas too.

(now where do i get greener stamp pads etc?) which is on colonial between the asian market and bumby right next to subway. there is a blue sign out front. they had all sorts of papers which i didn't look at because a guy who worked there took me to 100% RECYLED PRINTING PAPER AND CARDSTOCK! and linen paper and other stuff which i am sure is great. there were envelopes and such too. paper was sold in bold or by the sheet. good price and they were very nice and it was clean inside. AND they are fairly green for a paper company. its thoroughly discussed on their website. plus, they have forest stewardship council certified paper.

(ok, why is this going double spaced? why??)

leftover cranberry sauce

2008-12-02T19:11:00.004-05:00

everybody (ok, only like, one person and la madeline's) is talking about turkey stuffing cranberry sauce sandwiches which of course my family can't have - maybe they can with tofurkey at christmas. but, we are not a stuffing family anyways. and, i do of course enjoy our meat free meal. its fun and tastes good.
*but* what to do with that leftover cranberry sauce? well! i found a neat suggestion online to stir it into yogurt and top with nuts! wow, that does sound good! especialy nice THICK yogurt like greek. the bad thing about traveling for the holidays is NO LEFTOVERS! (although there was year chris's family was nice and made us leftovers to-go) i got the idea here.
somebody try it for me and let me know. and now i'm thinking, cranberry sauce smoothies? in oatmeal? on ice cream? i don't know, leftover cranberry sauce has always bothered me.
speaking of la madeline's, its the reason i go back to texas, i had the best thanksgiving rissoto there i'll have to try to recreate...
oh, and what am i thankful for this year? Obama! (how about you?)

Aldi's review

2008-12-01T12:43:00.002-05:00

So i've finally made it out to Aldi's - the possibly european based cheap grocery store that i've only seen in PA before (that my mother loves). I stopped in the store at aloma and forsyth today. I didn't grab a cart because i didn't need much - but if i did need one i would have needed a quarter because they are cool and european style in that the carts are all chained to gether and you put a quarter in and get it back when you return it (hopefully will stop walmart style carts all over the parking lot). it was very clean and well lit and the prices were really good and they had pretty much everything. I didn't get anything though becuase i am making meatloaf tonight and i wanted old fashioned oats and they only had quick - so i figured i'd best just get everything at publix. but, they had everything else.
the cool thing was that if you did not bring a bag, you have to pay for a fairly sturdy plastic bag (varying prices for different sizes i think - also very european). i saw several people leaving with their groceries in bags and i wonder - will they bring them back and reuse them? will they think twice because it cost them? i hope so.

all and all i think it was cool - but i don't think i'd want to go if i was shopping for something very specific. but if i was picking up random things like sides and pantry staples and random meat and frozen stuff it was good (nice cheap grape tomatoes too).

long live the queen

2008-11-30T17:53:00.004-05:00

i find all sorts of cool things on notcot.org and recently the coolest thing i found was this video of the queen of jordan. sad to say i never thought of jordan much at all before (i mean, i think the fact that there is a place named jordan and that its near israel crossed my head, but thats all) but i never realized that it had a queen or that she was hot. so, due to the cleverness of the video it appeared on notcot and then i found it and now here we are. (disclaimer; i'm just saying she's very attractive, i'm secure in my femininity enough to say that. plus, smart clever women are attractive)

in other news i've read some varied articles on obama and such and i've come to realize - maybe you knew this already - that in order to succeed politicians need to be politicians. i mean, they have to be careful about saying this and not rubbing this person the wrong way or upsetting this faction. which i guess means that being the way we are makes it harder to get a really good president. because although things might be for the best s/he'd have to be careful about stepping on people's rights and being pc. i don't know if that makes any since, i'm tired and a little hungry and its been awhile since i read those articles. by the way, i'm pro dictatorship by melissa. so, there are my political views (my platform of no babies for anyone for 3 years or so seems to upset some people and i do not know why)

anyhoo what i'm trying to say is that people keep saying "he's such a politician" or "s/he lied/flipflopped" it seems to me that they all do that - especially the ones who succeed. they learn how to play the game and thats how they get far. except maybe a few oddballs like kucinich (a vegetarian president would be cool) and um, who was that constitution guy that a lot of younger people liked? r something...
let me know if any of that made any sense.

intimidated

2008-11-21T12:38:00.003-05:00

for so long i've been a non-confrontationalist (similar i think to my dad and brother) but it has always bothered me. someone will say something rude or do something that is wrong and i don't respond and it simmers inside of me while i plot their doom. like including their car in my experiment to see if splenda equal and sweet and low have the same effects as sugar in a gas tank. but, i'm trying to speak up and out more lately.
but now the question arises, which is better? i suppose you could put a positive spin on not responding to insults etc and say i'm "turning the other cheek" or whatever. but what about people who litter? i'm building up the courage to speak up when people i know litter, but strangers? the guy at walgreens today who tossed his trash into a shopping cart when around the corner was a trash can?
my irrational fear is that if i do speak up i'll get yelled at or insulted or worse. i suppose if i am going to speak out more i need to not let people's responses get to me. of course, i shouldn't let what people say get to me at all, but i have a hard time with that - like when i get taunted at work (its hard being the lone tree hugging heathen).
also, if i guess i should be careful how i respond, or i could be percieved as a bully. like the whole christian debate - or the abortion debate. and perhaps its best to just be quiet and not let people know how you feel because maybe they won't like you so much if they know your a tree hugging pro choice liberal heathen. of course, if that turns them off why should i want to talk to them anyways.. i have conservative no-choice christian friends.
and, i like the debate - when its rational. if we can rationally debate evolution or abortion or gay rights thats cool - i like it.
and there is the delema of the internet. have some people not responded to my blog thing because they are busy, insulted, or haven't checked it?

chile relleno casserole

2008-11-14T18:34:00.005-05:00

tonight i finally made the chile relleno casserole i found on for the love of cooking

here is the recipe with my changes:
3 eggs, 3 tbsp flour and 3 tbsp yogurt mixed together then add salt, pepper and a 3 oz can of sliced olives (not, like i did, chopped olives. i forgot that "chopped" olives means "minced to heck")
can of black beans rinsed
3 7oz cans of whole green chilies - or roast your own - my publix did not have 7oz cans so i used 4 4oz cans.
about 3/4 grated 8oz block of colby jack cheese
1 can enchilada sauce - publix only had red mild old el paso sauce
should have had chopped green onions for garnish

in a greased baking dish layer chilies (cut open, spread out), egg mixture, cheese, beans, and repeat until you've run out of ingredients. top with sauce and cheese and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

the original recipe is at the link (its also much tidier)

the verdict? i think it was yummy. should possibly go with a side salad (as suggested) to make it last longer, but i've got some for lunch at work tomorrow, so thats all that matters. also, i spilled the salt a little, so a little over salted....
and maybe more beans or something else added? but, you wouldn't want to add too much or i guess it wouldn't be chili relleno.
it was easy and quick though! (other than those dumb new pop top cans, and grating the cheeese) so i'm happy about that.
easy and fairly quick to prepare and one dish and mexican

christians

2008-11-14T15:37:00.004-05:00

I am told that perhaps my "yes we can" post may have sounded rude to some christians. i do not understand why. by saying the bible argument does not work with my i was simply trying to state that i am not a christian so that argument does not work. because, how could i believe something based on a book i believe is a work of fiction. and why not bring on the apocalypse if accepting people is a forerunner of it? my very amiable brother and father think it is incendiary.
i have several christian friends and family members (haven't heard from them since that post/e-mail so who knows how that friend thing is going) who i do not think know i am agnostic. i guess they assume i am like them. i tend to do the same. if i read a blog i assume the reader is a youngish white female until i read otherwise. and if i meet someone i assume they think as i do. i haven't brought up my absence of christian beliefs because it tends to be met with "no! your not" - this from a co-worker (something along those lines) and i think my grandmother ignores it when i mention it. i don't know what they think when they realize i'm not christian. what do they suddenly assume? other than that i am going to hell. plus, how do you bring it up?
if i meet someone and find out they are christian, i guess i generally apply my stereotypes to them. although of course there are many degrees and many types of christians. from the lady i work with who is very nice and accepting of people, to the vietnamese guy who is a decon or something but is not very accepting.
so, christians, if any read this, whats up? have i insulted you somehow? do you not like being called christians?

in other news, i've got to get my camera back or get a camera phone, so i can start taking pictures of dinner and writing about that. otherwise, its going to be all bitching.

2008-11-08T20:44:00.001-05:00

i love this

mccain's concession

2008-11-08T19:52:00.004-05:00

so, i have finally watched john McCain's concession speech
http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/results/president/speeches/mccain-concession-speech.html
it was good and i am glad that he hit the key points that everyone should be happy for - what it means for americans, and the fact that obama inspired so many people.
does john mccain really not know give palin any of the blame? or does he not realize how diry his campaign was? and, will his speech inspire some bitter angry republicans to move on and appreciate how monumental this is?
i am not as moved by mccain's speech, but it was a good speech and honorable.
if the tide was turned, and mccain somehow broke a barrier - ok, say palin was running... well, i think i woman will be president someday, so i think it is not as monumental as a black man winning. and, if more people voted than ever before for a palin/mccain campaign, could i still find that inspiring despite the fact that i hate palin so?
its not the same! obama is all that is good, palin is the dark side of the force.
in other news, looks like i'll be sleeping with ear plugs again tonight. thank you annoying damn neighbors. ear plugs are the best thing. i keep a pair on my nightstand. i wish i had known about them years ago. nights trying to fall asleep with a pillow over my head could have been easily solved with rubbery bits shoved in my ears. not the most comfortable thing - but they do the trick. - just be careful though, it feels weird if you scratch your head while wearing them, and freaky if you brush your teeth with them in.
damn, now i remember i meant to get mouthwash at target.....

Yes We Can!

2008-11-08T17:57:00.001-05:00

for the first time i am really excited to be an american. that may sound bad to so many patriotic americans out there, but i question whether we are the best. it sounds too arrogant to me. whats wrong with an EU nation or canada?
but now, i am living in an exciting time in america. we have finally moved forward. we will have a black president. i was too young to appreciate the berlin wall and while the twin towers was momentous - is that something you want to live through (plus, i was in germany at the time). so, THIS is an amazing piece of hitory.
i wish now that i had paid more attention to the election, that i'd gone to the rally in orlando.
I don't think i really paid much attention to the clinton administration, but after 8 years there is a president who is more in line with my views. I suppose i am a late bloomer but at the tender age of nearly 30 i am getting slightly more interested in politics. - in so much as it affects me and the environment. honestly, i'm much more interested in plants and food and nature than i am in the government. just like chemistry.
so, what is all this rambling?
I'M JUST EXCITED!! so much hope lies in barack obama. president elect.
if you have not seen his victory speech please watch it (full screen)
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4572578n

the only thing that makes me sad now? that others do not share my joy at this great time (worse that some people heartily dislike, hate obama - why???????) and because gay rights are so far behind. why can't they be married? why can't they have children? there also is so much hate and false reasoning. i do not think marriage straight or otherwise was in the mind of our founding fathers - as is some people's logic - and the bible argument does not work with me. nor of course does the "its not natural" (i've heard some stories about the boy mini dolphin whatevers at aquatica! wooee! [let me tell you, dolphins are dirty perverts]). a guy at work told me that when gay people are accepted it would be a sign of the apocalypse or some such. (i wouldn't know, something god related) so, BRING IT ON!

just thought i'd share.
Barack Obama has made ME excited about government and america. that is amazing.

testing, one, two...

2008-11-08T17:50:00.000-05:00

ok, so this will be my rambling spot.... maybe i'll just use this space to complain about my bastard loud neighbors.