Fall

DAY 178

It is officially Fall but...feels like a late summer night what with the warm/cool wind coming through the windows and all...let's say it's still summer please?!

Finished up some laundry tonight as I launch another road trip...dried some in the dryer and hung some around my house - a good habit from my "No Lights" Month (which started out as no electricity month - not do-able for me!). I did use my dryer that month but decided that I always had to hang half on the line to dry. I am still doing that with every load...towels and sheets, rugs and jeans still get hung up and hung out. Inherited a great over the door rack-thing (thanks JoeyO!) that makes it easy to hang shirts and tops too. Good. Along with flossing regularly after a "scared straight" talk from my dentist, you can call me Good Habit Girl.

I will examine my electric bill from my summer months, compare them to last year too and report some numbers next time...I do think we (I) get a little complacent with conserving electricity in my town - we have community owned power so our electricity bills are very low. More on that later.

Fall always brings TV back to the land of the living...I only watch a few shows, really..one less now that As the World Turns is over - I am depressed - I have watched that show since I was child (on black and white TV) - feels like my whole life. My Mom and my Grandma and I would compare notes, "Did you watch The Story today?" Anyway, I digress...so, I watched an episode of a new show called "Outsourced" tonight...anyone see it? I thought it would be entertaining but I mostly just felt sad. It is a about a US novelty company that sold itself (its soul?) for cheaper labor in India...the items in the company catalog were all useless plastic, NOT MADE IN USA, c.r.a.p. such as...fake vomit, cheese-head hats (and this from a Green Bay Packer fan even!) and other embarrassing "American Culture" items. The gist was that the Indian staff not only had to learn about the items in the catalog to assist customers with their order, they needed to know the back story of the various trinkets, gadgets and contraptions. The main character Manager explained that the stuff really had no purpose but that was OK because in America you can do whatever you want even it if has no purpose. Nice. If I were a bettin' gal, I'd bet the show lasts a season if that.

On a similar note, I am done buying trinkets for my Teamworks programs unless they have a purpose. One year (a long time ago before I was older and wiser, like now, yet aging gracefully), I spent thousands of dollars on giveaways...a lot of plastic NOT MADE IN USA. I am now in search of pens that are reusable, or made of recycled or recyclable plastic, paper or something that will not go in the landfill. Found a company that makes these great bamboo jump drives...sustainable bamboo - well, he said they were supposed to be bamboo...but NMH (Not Made Here) - darn it! I will find something...no doubt it will cost more...will keep you posted.

Enough ranting for one blogging session...good night - have a Nothing New Day! Kristin