So, Friday, Amelie had her "Spring Hat Parade and Egg Hunt" which was a little late for Easter, but as it's a secular school - SPRING. Anyway. I felt like coffee and I hadn't tried the coffee shop around the corner from school (the Daily Grind). So I popped in. I notice that the white board says "cash only" but that the coffee advertised is organic, fair trade, and shade grown (Do you like birds? Buy that kind of coffee.) . So I stand there counting my pennies and the nice owner lady is telling me about her great coffee and how she doesn't mind if I live nearby if I pay her tomorrow (seriously) and THEN this guy comes from across the room and gives her $2 for my cup of coffee. It's this TOWN. I do not carry cash, I guess I must start, I did have some but I spent my last quarter on strawberries at the farmer's market on Thursday. Those looked good. Amelie snuck into the fridge and ate them ALL. And then he went back to sit with the very cute girl he was with. Altruism. I am too cynical for this!
Anyway, so we did the parade and hunt (super cute, photos soon). I met one of Amelie's classmates moms and she basically told me this IS a small town - everyone knows everyone else either by blood or friendship, so be careful what you say. It's not L.A. Funny. Then I hit the Methodist rummage sale (maybe I was an hour too late but that was a bust) on the way home.
And, I miss my dogs. They are back in Phoenix as they couldn't get the hang of timed elimination. Mom and Dad will be fostering them until we are in a more suitable living situation. Aloha oe, Bonnie and Jake, until we meet again.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
10 Things to Do in the Dark
No, it's not that kind of list!
Tomorrow is Earth Hour, 8-9 PM. See how much you can turn off! Then, try these things:
WWF Presents: Ten Things to Do in the Dark
Wondering what to do when the lights go out for Earth Hour? Here are ten fun ideas to help you, your family and your friends make a change and make a difference on March 29.
Host a Green Party
Get your friends together for an Earth Hour eco-party. Fire up the flashlights and battery lanterns, serve organic food, avoid the disposable utensils, use natural décor (like flowers and hanging plants) and have a friend provide acoustic music. Talk to your guests about how you’re each reducing your environmental footprint and share ideas and solutions for saving more energy, money and carbon dioxide.
Give Yourself an Energy Makeover
Use Earth Hour to make your home more energy efficient: Replace your old light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs; install power strips (so you can turn computers and electronics on and off more easily); and change your air conditioner filters. Or go one step farther and install one new energy-efficient item, like an EnergyStar qualified DVD player. And on Monday, call your local utility and sign up for green power—like wind, hydro or solar.
Go Green with Your Kids
Earth Hour is a perfect time to talk to your kids about the environment and why we need to protect our planet from the dangers of climate change. Check out books on the environment from the library and read by flashlight, or head into the yard and have a night picnic. Or how about a night of board games? There are even Earth Hour kids’ activities you can download at www.earthhour.org.
Do a Recyclables Scavenger Hunt
Get your flashlights and scour your cabinets and shelves for cans, bottles and cardboard (like cereal boxes) that you don't normally recycle. Make a list of all the non-recyclable containers you’re using now (like plastic shopping bags and butter tubs), and figure out ways to reduce your consumption of items that end up in landfills. One easy tip: get reusable grocery bags...and reuse them!
Green That Workspace!
Working the night shift? Even if you can’t turn off all the lights at work, look around and see what you can unplug, turn down or use less of (like consuming less paper by printing double-sided). Every day millions of computer screens and speakers are left on overnight—shut ‘em off! And talk to your coworkers about what they can do to help make a difference too.
Involve Your Local Leaders
If your city or town isn't already hosting an Earth Hour event, ask your local government to set up a community "green" discussion in a public building from 8 to 9 p.m. on March 29. Help organize attendance by reaching out to local environmental and community groups, and come prepared to ask your leaders what they’re doing to make your city greener.
Clean Up Your Neighborhood
Grab a flashlight and take a long walk through your neighborhood, picking up trash and recyclables as you go. It's a great chance to do some stargazing too!
Unplug and Chill Out
Most of our daily activities—like watching TV, shopping online and texting friends—require loads of electricity, but do we really need to do so much stuff all the time? Take one hour for yourself to just chill...turn off the screens, put down the handheld devices and just take some "you" time to reflect, read or talk to your family. After all, why do more when you can do less?
Take Your Temperature
Your thermostat and your refrigerator are responsible for a huge portion of your carbon footprint. If you lower your thermostat by just 2 degrees and set your fridge to 37° F. and the freezer at 0° F., you'll make a big difference.
Make a Pledge for the Planet
Earth Hour shouldn't end at 9:01 pm—it's a chance to take a first step toward lowering your overall impact on the environment. So use part of that hour to make a personal pledge to do more—recycle, drive less often, remember to turn off or unplug electronics, and beyond. The only way we're going to stabilize our climate is if we make real changes in our everyday lives. That change begins with Earth Hour, and ends with a healthy planet.
Tomorrow is Earth Hour, 8-9 PM. See how much you can turn off! Then, try these things:
WWF Presents: Ten Things to Do in the Dark
Wondering what to do when the lights go out for Earth Hour? Here are ten fun ideas to help you, your family and your friends make a change and make a difference on March 29.
Host a Green Party
Get your friends together for an Earth Hour eco-party. Fire up the flashlights and battery lanterns, serve organic food, avoid the disposable utensils, use natural décor (like flowers and hanging plants) and have a friend provide acoustic music. Talk to your guests about how you’re each reducing your environmental footprint and share ideas and solutions for saving more energy, money and carbon dioxide.
Give Yourself an Energy Makeover
Use Earth Hour to make your home more energy efficient: Replace your old light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs; install power strips (so you can turn computers and electronics on and off more easily); and change your air conditioner filters. Or go one step farther and install one new energy-efficient item, like an EnergyStar qualified DVD player. And on Monday, call your local utility and sign up for green power—like wind, hydro or solar.
Go Green with Your Kids
Earth Hour is a perfect time to talk to your kids about the environment and why we need to protect our planet from the dangers of climate change. Check out books on the environment from the library and read by flashlight, or head into the yard and have a night picnic. Or how about a night of board games? There are even Earth Hour kids’ activities you can download at www.earthhour.org.
Do a Recyclables Scavenger Hunt
Get your flashlights and scour your cabinets and shelves for cans, bottles and cardboard (like cereal boxes) that you don't normally recycle. Make a list of all the non-recyclable containers you’re using now (like plastic shopping bags and butter tubs), and figure out ways to reduce your consumption of items that end up in landfills. One easy tip: get reusable grocery bags...and reuse them!
Green That Workspace!
Working the night shift? Even if you can’t turn off all the lights at work, look around and see what you can unplug, turn down or use less of (like consuming less paper by printing double-sided). Every day millions of computer screens and speakers are left on overnight—shut ‘em off! And talk to your coworkers about what they can do to help make a difference too.
Involve Your Local Leaders
If your city or town isn't already hosting an Earth Hour event, ask your local government to set up a community "green" discussion in a public building from 8 to 9 p.m. on March 29. Help organize attendance by reaching out to local environmental and community groups, and come prepared to ask your leaders what they’re doing to make your city greener.
Clean Up Your Neighborhood
Grab a flashlight and take a long walk through your neighborhood, picking up trash and recyclables as you go. It's a great chance to do some stargazing too!
Unplug and Chill Out
Most of our daily activities—like watching TV, shopping online and texting friends—require loads of electricity, but do we really need to do so much stuff all the time? Take one hour for yourself to just chill...turn off the screens, put down the handheld devices and just take some "you" time to reflect, read or talk to your family. After all, why do more when you can do less?
Take Your Temperature
Your thermostat and your refrigerator are responsible for a huge portion of your carbon footprint. If you lower your thermostat by just 2 degrees and set your fridge to 37° F. and the freezer at 0° F., you'll make a big difference.
Make a Pledge for the Planet
Earth Hour shouldn't end at 9:01 pm—it's a chance to take a first step toward lowering your overall impact on the environment. So use part of that hour to make a personal pledge to do more—recycle, drive less often, remember to turn off or unplug electronics, and beyond. The only way we're going to stabilize our climate is if we make real changes in our everyday lives. That change begins with Earth Hour, and ends with a healthy planet.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Yes, finally, pictures!
Sorry, all, I have been technically challenged these last weeks, and though I have been online, it is company equipment which I can't upload onto. So I finally dug up the necessary infrastructure to get my photos online. Here are the ones I took of the empty-and-therefore-spacious-appearing house before we filled it chock full of our sh*t. And you should just SEE the stuff we left in Phoenix!! Yeesh!
I hope to have more about the lovely and scenic El Segundo on here soon. And we found out that indeed, parts of town smell bad, but not our part.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
On the Carbon Tax
"Free market" solutions to pollution have always been a problem because the costs of pollution are not part of the market, instead, they are borne by society without costs to the polluter. So, there lies the need for a carbon tax. Policy makers in many cases have already moved on from that fact to the issue of what to do with the revenues. But, if a carbon tax is doing what it should, it's a tax you should never want to collect. For more, an enlightening article from the NYT Op Ed Page is here.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Just a couple of things...
Hi from Sunny California!
This is just too good (thanks, laist.com)!
And Battlestar is coming back, fools! Rent the DVDs now & thank me later. Watch this to see why you must watch this show. You must watch this show!!
And also, the cast doing last night's Top 10 on Letterman here.
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