Do You Realize?

Monday Meanderings

Howdy, folks! It is Monday, and I am, indeed, back in the blogging saddle again, after taking a week off to coincide with a week off that my husband took last week. No, we didn't do anything outstandingly fun, but we got some big house chores taken care of and got on each other's nerves, so it was at least productive, right?

Just to prove that I was actually thinking this week, there will probably be a couple of posts today. This one is just tidbits here and there, little "green" nuggets I wanted to share.

First, this month I am trying Instead Softcups (No strings! No wings! Just freedom!) during my menstrual cycle. Yes, I know, all of you are almost as excited as I am that I am a breed-worthy female with a working uterus. Yes, I know Colin is probably sick with envy that he can't try these out for his No Impact Man experience (but, hey, I wasn't handing out reproductive parts that day, Colin, sorry!). Yes, I know that 99.9985% of everyone who thinks about this switch is a little repulsed, wary, or both; include me in that percentage. But, I am willing to try it out, based on rave reviews from body-aware women everywhere (and I do mean everywhere, as I've seen all ages from late teens to pre-menopausal, and all walks of life, from triathletes to treehuggers to nudists to... well, you get the picture). If I like them, I will graduate to the Diva Cup (or another similar product) to reduce my personal waste.

Second, we decided to go ahead with carpet removal & replacement with either bamboo flooring or reclaimed hardwood flooring upstairs. We are also overhauling both of our upstairs bathrooms, and we are doing it with as many green materials as possible. They've been in need of plumbing overhauls, carpet removal (what moron decided carpet in bathrooms was cool?!?!), leak fixes, and much more for a year or more, and since we are patricians of procrastination, we've simply put quick fixes into play and ignored the water stains (oh, and that one hole, too) in the ceilings downstairs. There are some really interesting and attractive options out there now. There's Paperstone, paper-composite countertops that are equivalent to Corian; recycled glass tiles from several different companies, including one who recycled the glass light covers from all of Berkeley's traffic lights; and recycled aluminum or copper vessels. We're heading to Austin in two weeks to visit a showroom that carries a good many green options for homes.

Lastly, I must confess a probably-not-so-green decision we made this week. We signed up at Anytime Fitness, where we can go to torture our bodies... err, I mean, exercise... any time of the day or night. I know, I should get out and run (like Vanessa) or bicycle or whatever, but I don't. I don't like exercise, I don't like sweating, I don't like hurting. But, if I can plug some headphones into my own personal TV screen and watch Survivor or The Amazing Race while I do, at least I won't be so bored stiff as to render the experience completely worthless. And so, we've made one of those trade-offs I was talking about; I've traded some green points for possible motivation for personal health. That's it and that's all.

MIA?

Just popping in to let everyone know that I am NOT dead, I just feel like it! LOL!

Mark has been off work this week, and we've been working diligently to get house & yard issues in order and get on each other's nerves at the same time!

I'll try to post today or tomorrow, but don't hold me to it; it will probably be Sunday or Monday.

Don't give up on me, fair readers; I shall return (hopefully with renewed vigor, and not just exhausted)!

Happy Earth Day!

I wasn't aware there was such drama surrounding Earth Day. In looking around for information on Earth Days past, I discovered that there are actually TWO Earth Days. Both are claimed to be the real Earth Day by members of each camp, and I could not find anywhere that either of the originators of the Earth Days acknowledged that the other was legitimate. Quite scandalous, don't you think?

The first Earth Day is celebrated on the vernal equinox and was conceived by John McConnell. It was first celebrated in 1970. It is recognized as International Earth Day, and the United Nations rings a bell at the moment of the equinox to commemorate it. According to his website, it sounds as though Mr. McConnell and his followers are a bit sour that someone stole his thunder and made it more successful (and rightly so, in my opinion). To quote him:

"But just as more than one birthday each year for an individual would diminish the real birthday, calling other dates Earth Day detracts from the authentic day -- which can provide a more meaningful focus and obtain more unity in our diversity. The nature of the March equinox provides a reason for an event at the same time all over the world."

The second Earth Day, celebrated today, was conceived by Senator Gaylord Nelson, who claimed that the "idea for Earth Day evolved over a period of seven years starting in 1962." It (coincidentally?) came to fruition a month after the first Earth Day, on April 22, 1970, and it is the one most publicized. He makes no mention of the fact that someone else had beat him to the punch.

As if all of this isn't scandalous enough for you, the Daughters of the American Revolution (well, one member, at least, who was quoted in Time magazine) thought that the April 22, 1970, celebration was a dirty Communist trick. It was, after all, the 100th anniversary of the birth of Vladimir Lenin, and you know how closely Lenin and environmentalists are linked. Egads!

So, there you have the riveting, all true, soap opera-inspired history of Earth Day.

Flashback

I am on strike... from life in general. I need a break. And so, instead of a new post in which I have to utilize brain cells, I will share (read: copy & paste) a post from 2005 that was a favorite (of mine and others).

Sunday Muffins and other Hedonism

I smell Sunday Muffins... our family's Sunday ritual... streusel-topped, big-as-the-cat's-head, real-blueberry muffins... with BUTTER... (drool)

Am I going to Hell for my Sunday Muffins someday?  I don't know... and this is posing a big problem for me lately.  I've been wondering:  How can I encourage my children to embark on a spiritual quest to discover their own beliefs when I'm not even sure what MINE are, and WHY?  And so, I've been researching different religions and spiritual values. 

I started with Christianity, the religion of my childhood.  I have no problem believing in Creationism, and I don't necessarily believe that Science and Creationism are polar opposites, but can mesh with one another.  What I *AM* having problems with is figuring out why our divine Creator would set us up for failure by giving Adam and Eve Free Will.  If He's omnipotent, wouldn't He have known what they would choose before they chose it?  And what in Heaven's name does Free Will have to do with disease, suffering, and death of babies and children?  Why punish the Good, when there's enough Bad for him to play with for a LOOOOONG time?  If he wiped out Sodom & Gemorrah (sp?), why doesn't he wipe out Al Qaeda; does He really mean for us to believe that homosexuals are worse than monsters?  SIGH... I don't have the answers... and I'm really mad with God for now.

After buying a Pagan magazine & more or less reading through it, I'm more than pretty sure that I'm not Pagan... I don't buy the multiple deities thing, but I admire their peacefulness as opposed to Christianity's "eye for an eye" mentality.

Buddhism... much to my surprise, I discovered that it's not really a religion, but a set of values to embrace as taught by the Buddha... I love the concept of Mindfulness & Compassion by which they live.  I love their non-violence... I think I mesh well with Buddhism...

I haven't gotten to Hinduism yet, but, again, the whole multiple deity thing is a little hoky for me.

And so, today I will eat my Sunday Muffins with butter without fear of retribution from my Creator... I think...

(Thoughtful sharing is encouraged in the Comments; nasty snarkiness need not apply.)

Edited to add: I haven't been struck down for my Sunday breakfast indulgences. We have switched, however, from those sinful trans-fat-laden muffins to gingerbread pancakes; whether that has anything to do with it, I don't know.

A Tuesday Ten

One of the things I hate about having whichever of my emotional conditions that this is a symptom of, is that on rainy, gray, overcast, forlorn, or otherwise Eeyore-esque days, I feel like doing nothing. I feel no happiness, no inspiration, no... nothing. Nada. My soul and my personality feel just as blank as the day.

So, today, instead of writing something inspirational, I'll post up another Tuesday Ten list. What shall our subject be?  How about... Ten Things You Didn't Know About Me (Unless You Live With Me)? Without further ado:

1.  I find androgynous and slightly effeminate men incredibly sexy (i.e. Davey Havok, Criss Angel).

2.  I love to take naps. But, often, I can't, no matter how hard I try.

3.  I love board games. They totally rule. My favorites? Scrabble, Monopoly and Wise & Otherwise.

4.  I have extremely diverse taste in music. All found on my iTunes: Enya; Arlo Guthrie; Butthole Surfers; Billy Joel; Dave Matthews Band; Britney Spears; The Flaming Lips; Harry Connick, Jr.;  Marilyn Manson; Sheryl Crow; Red Hot Chili Peppers; Prokofiev.

5.  I've never attended more than 1 year of college.

6.  I am a Reality TV junkie. There's nothing like the occasional episode of "Flavor of Love" or "The Bachelor" to make you feel like your life is deep and meaningful.

7.  I am not at all a social or gregorious person. A social event at which I know no one is akin to listening to William Hung sing "She Bangs" inside my head for hours.

8.  I am very high-strung.

9.  I absolutely love random bits of mostly useless knowledge. I read the Harper's Index religiously and devour Mental Floss magazine like candy.

10.  Oftentimes, when reading a good book, if I can't stand the suspense any longer, I will read the end of the book, then flip back to where I was and continue reading. It's like a great big literary orgasm.

Never Too Old to Mosh (updated)

Yesterday, I proved several things to myself: (a) The depths of motherly love are, indeed, infinite. (b) Concert venues rob you blind for food & drinks. (c) One is never too old to mosh.

When we got to Edgefest, the gates hadn't opened, but the line was almost a city block long already. When I got to the security checkpoint, I was informed that my camera wasn't "small enough." (Pardon me, assholes, if you're going to say "small cameras allowed," please elaborate. It's the smallest camera in my house.) So, I got to go back through the line after putting the camera in the car; it was not looking like a good day so far. 

After wandering around the vendors (including the Sierra Club, Frisco Recycling, and Green Mountain Energy!), we went into the stadium. Having social anxiety and agoraphobia to widely varying degrees, I was immediately grateful for having taken my Klonopin. I would estimate 10,000 people were there at this point (at its most crowded I would say 20,000).

When Bullet For My Valentine went on, we went down on the floor (having no intentions of anything other than enjoying the concert). At some point, though, a mosh pit opened up right next to us, and, in the true nature of a mosh pit, began sucking people inside it, including me. At first, I was quite panicked, afraid I would soon surely die. But I didn't. And I got to unleash my (not so) hidden inner fool. It was all good.

Now, let me be clear. Moshing? Very physical, frightening, and pretty damned silly-looking, but somehow cathartic. Crowd surfing? Absolutely the dumbest thing (and pretty freakin' selfish) I can imagine at a concert. Hoisting yourself along at the mercy of millions of groping hands, hoping they can hold your weight (and that they are even paying attention to your body hurtling toward them) is just not bright. To quote Davey Havok, official Beautiful Human & lead singer of AFI (who did, indeed, perform later):

Just in case someone has misled you to believe otherwise, crowd surfing sucks. I would leave it plain and simple like that but, for fear of someone confusing the statement to be only a commentary against aggressive behavior at shows, I shall further clarify. Not to be confused with crowd crawling to sing along, the dying art of stylistic stage diving or the evermore rare head walking, crowd surfing is a passive, non emotive, 'Hey mom look at me and how wild I think I am.' behavior. While kick boxing, slamming, singing along and the like are all visceral and emotional responses to music, crowd surfing is, simply, weak. Always has been. There is really no better way to cheapen a live performance than to float like a happy little cloud atop the hands of discomfited showgoers. For all those aghast, having been misinformed and tricked into thinking it was cool, or far out, or what ever you crazy kids might call it today, FEAR NOT for you are not too far gone! We at the Church of HolyChristCrowdSurfingSucks welcome you with loving arms. Now you know...and you know what GI Joe says about knowing. That is my public service announcement for today.

Ironically, the crowd surfing numbers reached ridiculous proportions during AFI's performance. I just know he was looking out at the crowd, thinking, much as I was, "You fucking morons!"

All in all, my day was exciting, eventful, and, yes, even fun at times. And, just to prove I can turn any blog post into a green opportunity, I got four "Recycle Revolution" organic cotton bags for recycling our drink cups; I dried my hands on my pants when I washed them, and I only used one napkin when I ate lunch!

(Update: Final count was more than 30,000 in attendance. That equals about 1250 pounds of black eyeliner and body jewelry! hehehe)

Never Too Old to Mosh

Today, I rose to the highest echelon of super-cool mothers. I moshed in the mosh pits at Edgefest with daughter & boyfriend. Too tired to post longer tonight, as I've been gone for 15.5 hours... I'll post details tomorrow! Quite a fun day, indeed!

Piss and Moan...

Okay, I have a confession to make. I am very squeamish about peeing in a toilet that contains someone else's. (Yes, I am aware that the correct terminology is "urine" and "urinating," but it takes longer to type, and besides, does anyone but doctors really use those?)

I know, intellectually, that depositing a few ounces of pee into 3.5 gallons (on the economical side) of water, and then flushing it down is terribly wasteful. I know, intellectually, that pee is sterile. I know, intellectually, that you really could possibly drink the stuff (Although, it is a myth that it would somehow keep you alive in dire circumstances. It would, at best, provide a placebo effect, like you were doing something to make things better, not unlike pushing that little button while waiting on the crosswalk signal.). All this, I know. Intellectually. And yet, I still cannot bear the thought of peeing and having someone else's splash up on me. Porta-potties? Pure hell.

I know, however, that water conservation needs to be on my list of greening actions. So, I've taken the whole "if it's yellow, let it mellow" thing to heart in my personal bathroom, during the day, when no one uses it but me. That way I only have to flush 1/3 to 1/4 as often there. And I don't flush in the other bathrooms, either, if just the boys are home. They don't care; they are logistically further away from any splashing that might occur.

No, it's not ideal. It's not completely, whole-hog, full-tilt conservation. But no one ever said it had to be, now, did they? The whole point is actually doing something about conservation, instead of just pissing and moaning.

Making the World a Better Place--Part II

Do you remember my post about The Better World Shopping Guide? Well, it has a companion book, The Better World Handbook, which tells us, "You don't have to be an activist to make a difference in the world!" This is good news for me, since I don't have the courage, patience, or wherewithal to be a true activist. But I can take more responsibility for my living, and my family's living, and bring it more in line with our values, which is what this book guides us in doing.

It covers Seven Foundations for building a better world: Economic Fairness, Comprehensive Peace, Ecological Sustainability, Deep Democracy, Social Justice, Simple Living, and Revitalized Community. It then equips us to "live out your values by providing a wide range of simple but effective actions that you can take every day." Hey, I'm all about simple but effective.

I cannot say enough about this book, and I've only gotten through the first chapter and have started skipping  around other chapters in joyful glee. I think I will include a quote from it every day or two on my blog; it's just that inspiring.

The Challenges of My Marriage

My husband is disgustingly fit. I outweigh him by 10 pounds (once upon a time, by 30 or more). He is also obsessive about his showering habits. Long showers. Frequent showers. Many gallons of wasted water. You get the idea.

So, last night he goes for a run. Knowing that he will typically, in this scenario, take a shower both at bedtime and in the morning (I know, don't ask). At bedtime I say, "Hey, I issue a challenge. If you plan to take a shower in the morning, I challenge you not to take one tonight, and vice versa. One shower. Pick a time."

"Okaaaaaaay..." he says. I should have seen it coming, right then, and run the other way like the coward I am. But I was stupid. And lazy. And already under the covers. "I take your challenge and up it. If I take your challenge, then you have to take mine." He then proceeded to challenge me to get on my bicycle and start riding it to the Green Market (3 miles through town, then 3 miles back!) instead of my cushy (and gas-guzzling) SUV. Crap.

Hindsight is 20/20, and, boy, mine just got Lasik surgery.