I know. Bad Bogger! The visit with mom was great. But, as with every visit from a friend or family member, something from my regularly scheduled programming has to give. This time it was bloggity-blog-blogging.
I was thinking about you guys though. If you don't believe me, just ask my mother. I kept reminding her that I wanted her to change one habit back in NY. And you would not believe the headway I made! Now, to put this in perspective, I told you what my mother was like, right? The woman who, while watching Lady Diana marry Prince Charles stood at the television with a group of awestruck viewers and blurted, "Who cares? No one put my wedding on TV!"
First of all, she will think twice about having her water glass refilled at restaurants when she knows that she is not going to drink it. In fact, the last night at dinner, she and I did an experiment together by flipping my glass over so that they wouldn't come over and pour more without asking. By the way, this worked wonders against the sniper-like attack of the water pitcher. The waiter looked at us like we were crazy (well, really, me.) but let him think whatever he wants. It worked. Thanks Mom!!!
The other thing that my mother did was she asked me permission before she ordered bottled water at a restaurant. Now, she was treating, so of course I held up my hands and just told her to do what she wanted to do. But she told me that she didn't want to disrespect my rule. She went from the start of the trip, when she insisted on bringing Diet Coke into my house because a guest might want to drink it despite my serious rule, to which she replied, "Too bad," was actually asking my permission. I have to believe that it was more than my rule that made her think twice. Something I said must have gotten through to her. Of course, she went on to point out that the reason she really wanted it was because it was sparkling, and not just regular water. Don't worry, Mommy! The fact that you're thinking about it makes me happy!
Finally - and I know that this isn't a done deal - but I think she's actually considering not buying bottled water anymore. She doesn't know this, but I am going to get her her own Kleen Kanteen so that she has an alternative sitting right in front of her. The fact is, my mom's a tough nut to crack. If I can get through to her, I know I can get through to other people. Believe me, once you start thinking about it, it's tough to go back.
My visit with my mom was awesome, and not just for the reasons I mention above. I have to admit, I loved getting through to her on certain things, but to all you who check off the 0-45 box for your age, I realized something. This is our responsibility. If our kids end up with a water shortage that has spread throughout the world, that's our fault. We can't blame a generation who didn't know that this would end up being a problem. And we can't use anymore excuses. This is not difficult people! Flip your glass over today!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Goooaaaaallll!
I had to look up that fact I posted yesterday again because it seems difficult to believe. I might have to do a bit more research to prove to myself that it is true that for every 8 oz of water saved, you save another 1.5 to three gallons. When I told my husband about that this morning, he said, "I don't know how we have any water at all!" How true. But I might have to go to a more reliable primary source for that little nugget to sink into my brain. Maybe I just don't WANT it to be true.
Either way, the restaurant thing is going to be the little goal I have with my mom. All she drinks is wine and coffee, so really, it would not be a big deal to get her to say no thank you at a restaurant. I think this might work!
Either way, the restaurant thing is going to be the little goal I have with my mom. All she drinks is wine and coffee, so really, it would not be a big deal to get her to say no thank you at a restaurant. I think this might work!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Just Say No
I know it sounds weird, given all this talk of water, but I don't drink enough. Water, I mean. My husband calls me the camel because I never drink (gosh, I think that's why he calls me that...) Being me goes something like this: 1. I don't drink enough water. 2. I get a headache. 3. I down enough water to fill my kids blow-up pool. 4. I burp 5. I don't drink enough again for the next two days.
I was out to lunch with my Mother today and the waiter dude filled up my glass every time I took a sip the size of a tear drop. Hey, I'm sure the guy was ready to pass out from boredom given that his only two customers were talking about Project Runway, but that's no reason to waste water. But, I realized, it was my fault. How? Because I didn't tell him to stop. Why is it that when I'm at a restaurant, I feel the need to pretend that I'm going to shrivel up into a scoop of pate if my water glass is more than a half inch from the rim of my glass? So, finally I put my foot down and gave it to him straight. I looked him in the eye and told him what I never had the guts to say before, "No thank you."
Turns out, this could be a really easy easy easy way of conserving water. I found out you could save 1.5 to 3 gallons of water for every 8 ounce glass of water you refuse at a restaurant. That doesn't make sense, you say? Well, believe it or not, it takes water to make clean, drinkable water http://www.idealbite.com/tiplibrary/archives/whet-your-appetite-save-water-week?page=1
So next time the waiter comes over to refill your water glass and you darn well know you're not going to drink it, for goodness sakes, just say no. Just be polite. Or the next glass of water will be saliva.
I was out to lunch with my Mother today and the waiter dude filled up my glass every time I took a sip the size of a tear drop. Hey, I'm sure the guy was ready to pass out from boredom given that his only two customers were talking about Project Runway, but that's no reason to waste water. But, I realized, it was my fault. How? Because I didn't tell him to stop. Why is it that when I'm at a restaurant, I feel the need to pretend that I'm going to shrivel up into a scoop of pate if my water glass is more than a half inch from the rim of my glass? So, finally I put my foot down and gave it to him straight. I looked him in the eye and told him what I never had the guts to say before, "No thank you."
Turns out, this could be a really easy easy easy way of conserving water. I found out you could save 1.5 to 3 gallons of water for every 8 ounce glass of water you refuse at a restaurant. That doesn't make sense, you say? Well, believe it or not, it takes water to make clean, drinkable water http://www.idealbite.com/tiplibrary/archives/whet-your-appetite-save-water-week?page=1
So next time the waiter comes over to refill your water glass and you darn well know you're not going to drink it, for goodness sakes, just say no. Just be polite. Or the next glass of water will be saliva.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Guess Who's Coming for Water
Having been at this water conservation thing for a while, I have gotten used to certain things. You know, all the little behaviors I've been blogiphising about. Faucets are turned on the lowest pressure possible. Toilets are not always flushed. Dishes are not rinsed before going in the dishwasher. Then there are the other kinds of evidence of this new endeavor, like driving my husband crazy and writing extremist letters to Coke-a-cola. Sometimes I slip up and make sure to spend a few minutes feeling like a pinhead about it and try to do better. But just as I'm feeling like the Steve Jobs of water conserving housewives, a force stronger than I swoops down and crushes the system like Y2K (you know, if Y2K had actually been a real thing): Mom's visiting.
I love my mom. She is smart and generous and gifted. I mean, I have not had to lift a finger since she's been here. She's made dinner, washed the dishes, and lit the fire under my keester to do laundry - and she's been here for less than a day! But, Lord have mercy, girlfriend can waste some water!
What do you do when you want to be an environmentally-conscious pain in the butt and have guests? If Ghandi's mom came for a visit and wanted a sandwich, would he actually tell mama to take a hike? (No, I'm not comparing myself to Ghandi. Jeez!) Seriously, when you have guests, do you just tell them all the new rules of the household until they decide they will never stay with you ever again? Think about it: my mother is scrubbing my pots - am I really going to get all Poindexter in her face about the amount of water she's using? I'm not. I may not be a good enough daughter not to talk smack about her behind her back on this blog, but I'll be darned if I won't be a respectful schmoopy pumpkin.
So for the next week, while I will continue my own water-conserving behavior, my goal will be not to drive my mother completely insane, but rather to convince her to change one behavior that will save water. Now, some of you may be thinking that one behavior is a pretty whimpy goal. Well, to you I say, you don't know my mother. Ever hear the sayings "get over it," "so what," "big deal," and "What do you think you're the only one who's got a life, Karen?" She invented those. So, unless you can come up with a better plan, I'm sticking to my underachiever goal - get over it!
I love my mom. She is smart and generous and gifted. I mean, I have not had to lift a finger since she's been here. She's made dinner, washed the dishes, and lit the fire under my keester to do laundry - and she's been here for less than a day! But, Lord have mercy, girlfriend can waste some water!
What do you do when you want to be an environmentally-conscious pain in the butt and have guests? If Ghandi's mom came for a visit and wanted a sandwich, would he actually tell mama to take a hike? (No, I'm not comparing myself to Ghandi. Jeez!) Seriously, when you have guests, do you just tell them all the new rules of the household until they decide they will never stay with you ever again? Think about it: my mother is scrubbing my pots - am I really going to get all Poindexter in her face about the amount of water she's using? I'm not. I may not be a good enough daughter not to talk smack about her behind her back on this blog, but I'll be darned if I won't be a respectful schmoopy pumpkin.
So for the next week, while I will continue my own water-conserving behavior, my goal will be not to drive my mother completely insane, but rather to convince her to change one behavior that will save water. Now, some of you may be thinking that one behavior is a pretty whimpy goal. Well, to you I say, you don't know my mother. Ever hear the sayings "get over it," "so what," "big deal," and "What do you think you're the only one who's got a life, Karen?" She invented those. So, unless you can come up with a better plan, I'm sticking to my underachiever goal - get over it!
Monday, October 5, 2009
It's Pouring... Water! (Well, yeah...)
I have so much work to do today that I'm not really sure how I'm going to get it all done. So, instead of getting into it and finding at midnight that I've neglected the blog, I thought I would sit down for a quick word about my lovely, earth conscious neighborhood.
I knew just the place to go to get the bio bags and sure enough, there they were, and cheaper than I had found them online! Still not as cheap as my free paper bags from Trader Joe's, but this foe plastic is made from food and is completely biodegradable, so I guess I don't have to be such a cheapskate. So I'm back on the wagon and off the garbage disposal once more.
I also stopped off for a cup of coffee at this awesome bakery near me called Arizmendi - one of two places near me that I can always rely on for an awesome cup of coffee and something full of carbs and delicious (the other place is Cafe 504 - Hi guys!). Anyway, BOTH of these places do something that I think every cafe should do. Instead of selling bottled water, they just provide it, free of charge to any thirsty customer. I've made a mental note of this before, but somehow today, this hit me a little more seriously. They could probably choose to make a killing on bottled water, but instead, they do the earth conscious thing and just give it away - as if this stuff just pours out of the wall or something! Oh, wait a minute... it DOES.
I know I've mentioned that sticker that restaurants can put on their paper towel dispenser that reads "These Come From Trees." Well, I think it's important to note that, in the same spirit of that kind of simplicity, a huge difference could be made if local places decided that they are not going to take part in the bottled water scam, and instead provide water to their customers. Why. Because, as I've said before, it's the SAME water! There is nothing magical about bottled water. Except, of course, to the people filling up the bottles from the tap and making money off of it.
Look out for the places that provide water for their customers and give them props. They're doing a good thing.
I knew just the place to go to get the bio bags and sure enough, there they were, and cheaper than I had found them online! Still not as cheap as my free paper bags from Trader Joe's, but this foe plastic is made from food and is completely biodegradable, so I guess I don't have to be such a cheapskate. So I'm back on the wagon and off the garbage disposal once more.
I also stopped off for a cup of coffee at this awesome bakery near me called Arizmendi - one of two places near me that I can always rely on for an awesome cup of coffee and something full of carbs and delicious (the other place is Cafe 504 - Hi guys!). Anyway, BOTH of these places do something that I think every cafe should do. Instead of selling bottled water, they just provide it, free of charge to any thirsty customer. I've made a mental note of this before, but somehow today, this hit me a little more seriously. They could probably choose to make a killing on bottled water, but instead, they do the earth conscious thing and just give it away - as if this stuff just pours out of the wall or something! Oh, wait a minute... it DOES.
I know I've mentioned that sticker that restaurants can put on their paper towel dispenser that reads "These Come From Trees." Well, I think it's important to note that, in the same spirit of that kind of simplicity, a huge difference could be made if local places decided that they are not going to take part in the bottled water scam, and instead provide water to their customers. Why. Because, as I've said before, it's the SAME water! There is nothing magical about bottled water. Except, of course, to the people filling up the bottles from the tap and making money off of it.
Look out for the places that provide water for their customers and give them props. They're doing a good thing.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Bag Lady
I have fallen off the garbage disposal wagon (for those of you just joining us, the g.d. can waste up to 150 gallons a month! Shocked? Yeah... welcome to my world!) the last few days because of a reason you might consider stupid. I don't have any compost bags. I've been using Trader Joe's bags, but I would have to do food shopping for the Brady Bunch in order to keep up with the number of paper bags I would need for compost and recycling. So, I need compost bags. But, I just went to order them and I have to say, they are a bit expensive! And the cost of shipping makes the price jump from pricey to what-you-talkin-bout? So before I break into my son's college fund (okay, it's not THAT bad), I am going to go on a compost bag hunt. I think I know a place in my area that sells them. In the meantime, if anyone notices a sale on compost bags, please let me know!
Friday, October 2, 2009
At the Car Wash, Whoa whoa whoa whoa!
I'm thinking of naming my car the Schmutz Express. No? How about the Crumb Bun? Let's just get right to the point, shall we? Crap Bubble! Is that better? Whatever garbage reference you may like best, you would think of all of them when you see my car. Why don't I get it washed? Well, what stops me from doing every other freaking everyday thing other people do? Water. Unfortunately, I came across a little piece of information before washing my car that has blocked my ability to pay a visit to the nearest 76 station with a drive through washer: it takes 100 gallons to wash a car. One HUNDRED.
Okay, so I'll get a bucket and use it in my driveway. Better? NO! Turns out all the junk in the soap and stuff runs off the driveway, and into the sewer and well, ends up in the ocean (not in magic fairy water heaven, like I thought). Oh, you oceans and sea creatures! Just when we humans want to go do something in ignorance, you're always ruining the fun!
So what is a person who can't see out her car windows supposed to do? Well, it turns out that there are some products that will allow you to do a "waterless," and more importantly, "Non-toxic" car wash. Here are some links:
http://www.luckyearth.com/index.html
http://www.ecotouch.net/product_details.php?pid=19
http://www.laurakleinsgreencleaning.com/Green-Products/?gclid=CN-gosuSn50CFRlcagodLklr-Q
Please know that I have not tried ANY of these products yet and that I'm just putting random ones I find up here. If you want to let me know about a particular one, please do, and I'll do the same. I'll be honest, I'm just going to go by price unless someone knows of one I should not live without.
I have to say that I am really disappointed that my son will not have the memory of getting all wet and soapy in the driveway in his bathing suit as we wash the car. It's why people live in the suburbs, right? But I guess I would rather sacrifice that cheesy Kodak moment than his future water supply!
Okay, so I'll get a bucket and use it in my driveway. Better? NO! Turns out all the junk in the soap and stuff runs off the driveway, and into the sewer and well, ends up in the ocean (not in magic fairy water heaven, like I thought). Oh, you oceans and sea creatures! Just when we humans want to go do something in ignorance, you're always ruining the fun!
So what is a person who can't see out her car windows supposed to do? Well, it turns out that there are some products that will allow you to do a "waterless," and more importantly, "Non-toxic" car wash. Here are some links:
http://www.luckyearth.com/index.html
http://www.ecotouch.net/product_details.php?pid=19
http://www.laurakleinsgreencleaning.com/Green-Products/?gclid=CN-gosuSn50CFRlcagodLklr-Q
Please know that I have not tried ANY of these products yet and that I'm just putting random ones I find up here. If you want to let me know about a particular one, please do, and I'll do the same. I'll be honest, I'm just going to go by price unless someone knows of one I should not live without.
I have to say that I am really disappointed that my son will not have the memory of getting all wet and soapy in the driveway in his bathing suit as we wash the car. It's why people live in the suburbs, right? But I guess I would rather sacrifice that cheesy Kodak moment than his future water supply!
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