Turning Water Into Whine

I feel like a performer who doesn't want to go on stage today. Just kind of tired - like all I want to do is lie on the couch. I feel a really boring entry coming on, but today is one of those days that I'm just happy I'm actually sitting down and doing it. The thing that motivated me to finally start typing was the bottle of water sitting on the table in my living room. Yes, a bottle of water. I bought it at the farmers market this morning despite my doing everything else in the most environmentally friendly way possible - canvas bag, biodegradable plastic bags, returning the strawberry containers, and buying only organic food. Yet I bought this water. Well, I was thirsty! Yes, I should have a steel cup with ice water in it. But I didn't. I bought water.

My point is that I am hoping that I get to the point where I no longer do it. Where I refuse to do it. I hope I get to the point where I am always prepared and I never feel like I am going to deprive my thirsty child. The bottle of water sitting in my living room is the reason I wanted to start this. Bottled water is the reason this issue scares me so much. But right now, I know I'm still part of the problem. I want to get to the point where I am no longer part of the problem. So here I am, tired, cranky and wanting to watch my DVR'd episode of Project Runway. But I'm going to write about what's going on in my kitchen.

Is it common knowledge that using the dishwasher uses less water than washing by hand. I actually did know that, but I really had no idea how much until I read this:

http://www.savewaternow.com/water_saving.html

Apparently you can save about 1000 of water if you run the dishwasher when it's full (I don't know about you, but it seems like mind is ALWAYS full). Everyone knows that you have to hand wash certain things every now and then. But I read a couple of interesting things that you can do to use less water when you do have to hand wash that I am going to adopt. One is filling the sink with water and using that to do the initial wash. The other idea was to use as little dish soap as possible so that you don't have to use as much water to rinse.

For a while now, I have been buying a huge thing of dish soap at Costco and then refilling a smaller dispenser that I keep by my sink. I'm not sure why I started this, but I always fill it with about half water and half soap. Now, I know you think I'm going to say that this was a waste of water, but I think it's actually been a water saver. The soap isn't as thick, so there is not as much rinsing. Let's face it, you don't need that much soap to get the dish or pan clean.

I'm going to force myself to drink the rest of that bottle of water I have sitting on the table. Before I can force this stuff down everyone else's throat, I've got to force it down my own.