I saw this guy on Ellen a few months ago and was astounded that a guy who is only fifteen, but looks 8, can sing that good, let alone sound just like Johnny Cash. Don’t believe me? Then just watch this…the announcer is crap and can’t get her words straight, but you will forget all about that when this guy starts singing…
Ever stop to think how the term ‘just Google it’ is becoming a rather accepted, well used part of everyday language. A few short years ago it would be ‘look it up’, as in get out the trusty ‘ol dictionary and start flipping. Do people even own dictionaries anymore? Or are they just used to stabilize that wonky desk or table you have. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against Google, but I do sometimes wonder if it is decreasing people’s ability to actually think for themselves, as they no long have to, Google does it all for them. Google is definitely a handy item, like say if I lived in New York and was looking for New York movers I would be much more inclined to just type that term in and see what it gives me rather than search through page upon page of them in a phone book. I guess I’m just feeling old as I sit here and wonder what the new ‘term’ will be ten years from now…
So, when we originally re-did our bathroom, we searched high and low for the perfect soap dispenser to match the new decor, or should I say match the walls and become the new decor in the room. We found we loved and bought it along with it’s matching container with a lid and cup thingy. They look great and provide a great ‘decor’ in the room. Only one thing, the soap dispenser is really starting to get annoying as it does not pump like we would desire it to pump. It’s pump-ability if you will seems rather diminished from when it was first purchased, and this is extremely disheartening. You have to pound on the thing for half an hour to get enough soap to wash your pinky finger. K, tidge exaggeration, but still, frustrating. Today I decided it needed refilling and that I would try to make the pumping action and a little more actionpacked let’s say. Well, my frustration soon passed onto the bathroom faucets as neither of them were set up so that when you pull the lever to plug the sink, the lever actually pulls something and makes it so the plug then plugs the sink. This has nothing to do with the faucets themselves, and I wish no ill will on the faucets. It has all to do with the person, ahem, the boy, who installed the faucets and has somehow neglected to adjust this part so it does indeed actually work. So, after I calmed myself with several shots of whiskey, I left the boy a nice little note stuck to the bathroom mirror asking him to please remedy this situation. If questioned I shall feign surprise and say the little sink fairies must have left it when they were unable to plug the sink to have their bath….
Happy Earth Day 2008!! Since it is the day of the earth and time to celebrate all it has given to us, I felt it only appropriate to ponder, what are we doing to give back to the earth and to indeed keep it ‘happy’. I remember in elementary school, every Earth Day our school (small school in a rural community) would venture out and clean up garbage off the side of the road. I loved doing that and that was our way of 
doing some small part to help the Earth and keep our community clean. It was actually fun, seeing what strange stuff we could find on the side of the road and wonder how it got there and the sense of satisfaction at being able to see a truck full of garbage and the clean roadways. The best part was all of us working together towards one common goal, and really, isn’t that what Earth Day is all about?
As an adult, here are some of the things I (we) am (are) doing to reduce my impact:
recycle – we recycle our newspapers (which with 5 a week adds up to a lot of paper), and cardboard, we return all recyclable containers for the deposit, and recycle the other ones, reuse plastic bags and have bought the other ones for groceries. Need to do more on this point, recycle glass/tin.
Compost – this is the boys’ favourite thing to do and cuts down on our garbage hugely. And this gives back to us as we then put the compost on our garden, so our food kinda comes ‘full circle’.
Turn off lights and unplug things I am not using. Turn the heat down (off actually) when I am not home. Don’t leave the water running while I’m brushing my teeth. Plan my car outings so I can get it all done in one outing instead of ten separate ones. Try to wait until I have a full load to do my laundry and wash in cold water as much as possible. Buy in bulk to reduce packaging. Use a water pitcher as opposed to buying bottled water.
I know there is more, just can’t think of it all right now, and I know there is more I can do, I am a work in progress, but am proud of all that I do as it is a lot more than many are doing. Take a look around and see just how many people still just don’t get it!! Do your part to make our Earth happy and you will be happy too.