As some of you may know, Jill and I are doing our level best to live simple, more environmentally ("Creation") friendly lives. We've made some progress, but still have lots to feel guilty about. We still drive the five blocks to the grocery store, buy fruit in January, forget to bring our own mugs to the coffee shop/church, eat red meat and seafood (occasionally), keep the house cozy warm, use a clothes dryer, build fires for the sheer joy of it, shower and flush the toilet daily, water our lawn, reproduce, and on occasion, drink coffee and beer (really, this is bad for the environment).But we've taken some baby steps. For example, I walk the nine steps to my work (and Jill bikes/buses the seven miles to her work). If it's yellow, we let it mellow (except when we have company, because that seems to gross people out). We cast condescending looks at people who waste energy with their plasma TVs (as we can't afford one) and complain about lawn mowers and all "those people" who clog up the interstate driving into the mountains. We think about unplugging our dvd player when we're not using it. And, above all, we watch--and quote--An Inconvenient Truth.
And the last few weeks, we took two more steps. First, we set up the composter Jill got for Christmas in our backyard. This isn't your grandmother's composter (chicken wire and a pile of manure). This is deluxe. Hard plastic, strategically placed removable vents, a self-opening lid. It's a real hoot. Not only is it good for the environment, it has the added benefits of entertaining us on the nights when NETFLIX won't cut it (yes, watching leaves compost would make an exciting Friday night for us) AND helping us eat healthier (its so much fun it makes me want to eat a banana just so I can toss the peel in).
Jill also replaced many of our light bulbs with the long lasting mini-florescents. The good part is that we don't have change our light bulbs for nine years (I hate changing light bulbs, particularly because people expect me to do it all the time. Tallists.) The bad part is that we accidentally got the wrong ones ("Daylight Bright*") and now our bathroom glows. The yellow that's mellowing looks like nuclear waste. Our humble throne room now radiates like the Throne Room of the Almighty. It's really quite something. And, as I said, we have at least nine years to enjoy it. Lucky us.
*There is one that looks "normal", but "Daylight Bright" is not it.
5 comments:
Your Dad accidentally bought the wrong bulbs, too, the first time. He moved them to the basement, but now we have to worry that the local police will think we're growing something illegal down there.
By the way, I don't remember asking you to change a single light bulb at Christmas (although if I had thought of it I probably would have). When did you say you're coming home again?
Hilarious. I too have made the CFL "Daylight Bright" mistake, and decided that "Soft White" is really the way to go. So in 2017, check out the "Soft White."
Mellowing... Hmmm... What happens when you find Baby Schreurs playing in the toilet someday? I would be checking Daisy's breath too, by the way. Just sayin'...
Ah, Joel. You make me chuckle. Good work on the compost. And on walking to work every day :). Jill, I'm impressed for real!
Okay, are you dissing the homemade composter...I happen to be very proud of my homemade, backyard, two sided (fill one side one year and the other the second year), sliding front doors, and orange snow fence sides (not chicken wire...orange snow fence makes a better backyard statement). Spending all that money on a great big "plastic" composter and you guys call yourself environmental... sheesh!
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