All better now!
Monday, June 1, 2020
Watching Children Sleep
I walked into my kids' rooms tonight at 12:30 to day good night. It had been an especially long time since I've seen my now 13_year old son fast asleep like that. It kind of made me sad.
Friday, May 8, 2020
my Corona Life
We've been on lockdown since March 17th. Being May 8th, I guess we've been at it for almost two months.
I try to get up every morning Monday through Friday around 7 AM. Or at least, that's what my alarm is set for. Usually, my wife is already out of bed and working out. She is training for a full Ironman Triathlon this September and is hoping that it will still happen, although she has reservations about it because she is unable to do any swim training. The unknowns of Corona Life make all of this so much harder.
Anyway, unless I stayed up late the night before playing NHL 20 on Xbox One, I get up at 7 to my alarm clock. 7:00am is because my older son, a 7th grader, starts school at 8:30, so I want to make sure that he is able to get up and have breakfast before checking the morning announcements at 8, then go through his school emails and write down all of the things that he actually has to turn in and when he should do all of it.
My son loves to have waffles or chocolate chip pancakes and bacon for breakfast. So, that actually helps motivate me to get up and start cooking. As I did before Corona Life, I make enough so there are usually leftovers. He's eating and growing so much (it's the age you know,) that he often will eat a double batch. I use Klondike Cakes pancake mix, which is higher protein than regular homemade or Bisquick, and also add protein powder. I only buy uncured bacon (Coleman's from Costco is really good, as is the house-made from Whole Foods at the meat counter) and serve it typically once or twice a week, as it's expensive and not the healthiest thing in the world. And, again pointing to the age, he'll down a pound no problem.
(My recipe, because the box recipe is WAY too thin: put a mixing bowl on a scale. 2 scoops of Vega protein powder is around 50g, then I add enough mix to get to 240g. Whisk in 2 cups of milk until just combined (don't go crazy whisking.) If you don't have a scale, the ratio is 3/4c. milk for every 1c powder. The batter should stream, not drip, from the whisk. If dripping, add a tablespoon of powder at a time until it does stream and not drip. I transfer it to a measuring cup because I find it easier to pour than scoop then sprinkle chips on the cakes on the griddle, but a 3oz ice cream scoop does a good job for dollar cakes and a 1/2c ladle does a good job for larger cakes, in which case you'd fold 1/4-1/2c chocolate chips into the bowl.)
After he gets going for his day, I wake my daughter up at 8:45. My son's morning wake up is borderline miraculous. The moment I say, "hey hey it's time to get up," he sits up, gets out of bed, gets dressed, and gets to the kitchen in less than 5 minutes. My daughter, on the other hand, is not quite so quick. It is all I can do to keep from going crazy every few minutes saying, okay! Time to get dressed! Time to get dressed! Time to get dressed!
By the time I'm done with her, it's around 9:15 or 9:30 and her day begins at 9:40. Being in fifth grade, she has less to do during the day. She usually has a read-aloud, read by one of the fifth grade teachers, from 9:40 to 10, then a live meeting at 10, and then usually one more live meeting and focuses on two subjects during that day. Once she's going, she is actually more independent than my son.
For both of them, I definitely need to check in on their work to make sure it's being done to completion, with comprehension, and giving more than 50% effort. Just like any of us, they can try to skate by doing the bare minimum, or, need a little help seeing the full scope of what can be done. I'm trying to continue to hold them to a high standard even though Corona life makes that difficult.
When I'm not checking in with them, I'm doing laundry, preparing our meals, cleaning the kitchen, going shopping once or twice a week, and trying not to go crazy. It's hard to not be depressed as I don't have my usual outlets, just as everybody else is feeling. I'm usually on two hockey teams and sub on a third, so I usually have one or two and sometimes even four hockey games in a week.
Now there's none of that which is why I've been playing Xbox so much more. I had all but given up playing video games, at least as much as I had in my youth, because there simply wasn't time to both play real hockey and to play video games. Playing games online is fun and I get pretty riled up with elation and frustration. Wanna go? Downtowndad1203 is my handle. I know - shocking.
For our meals, I am a short-order cook. I know it's not necessarily the right thing to do and isn't necessarily good for the kids' development - giving them whatever they want - but it does give me an opportunity to have some control over what they eat - I insist on a fruit or vegetable at both lunch and dinner - while also giving them some control during a time when we all feel like so much is out of our control.
I've been playing a solitaire game called shisen-sho probably more often than I should. But, I found that it's an amazing way to kill 5 to 10 minutes and keeps me mentally active. My wife and I have also been doing the Sunday Chicago Tribune crossword puzzle every week. And, once we run out of answers, I get on a video call with my mom and she can usually help get me through the rest of the crossword. That makes it a really nice way to keep in touch and have a reason for the call that isn't just a mundane, "How are you?" Because we all know what the answer is.
The answer is that this really sucks. And at the same time, we have so much to be thankful for, or at least for those of us who continue to be healthy. And for those of us who are not in financial dire straits. I am very conscious of how fortunate my family is to have those things going for us. And so, we have our Xbox, we have Netflix and cable TV and Disney Plus. We have high speed internet. We have a smartphone for each of our four family members. Both of our kids have iPads. We all have headphones that also have microphones so that we can stay out of each other's way during the day when we have these live meetings or video chats.
The weather is getting nice, so it's a lot easier to get outside and go for walks, or shoot baskets in the alley, or go for a run. Just last Sunday, we got our bags (or cornhole) set and play as a family. I also bought a similar game called Hockey Sauce which is essentially the same thing but instead you use hockey pucks and hockey sticks and shoot into a miniature net.
I think it's really important that we make sure that we keep getting outside, and not just so that we are being active and not staring at screens all the time, but also so that we have an opportunity to simply see other people and say hello.
I'm trying to do more homemade food items. I made pretzel buns yesterday (Thanks "My Baking Addiction!) and they were fantastic. I've also been making beans from dried beans using my Instant Pot.
I wouldn't say that the house is tons cleaner than usual, but a little bit. I probably should be cleaning the bathrooms more often, and the showers, but those seem like such daunting tasks just as much or maybe even more than usual. And then I get depressed thinking about how lazy I'm feeling. But then I try and give myself a break.
We are all struggling to keep our minds in a positive place. I know that playing video games and watching TV is not always the answer, but at least it's a little something. Making food that tastes delicious and executing something that works out gives us something to have confidence in and to feel some sense of accomplishment.
Maybe that's what we all need to find are not necessarily big ways to feel accomplishment, but small ways. So maybe cleaning the bathroom does not give you a sense of accomplishment; maybe cooking doesn't give you a sense of accomplishment; maybe clearing out your closets doesn't; but maybe one of those does for you. Maybe wood-working projects will make you feel good, or sewing or knitting or learning a new hobby, or picking up the musical instrument you used to play or even a new one; or writing or journaling; or taking a free online class or reading a book or writing to friends.
Should we be more like children and just try lots of different things and not feel bad about starting and stopping things? As long as it doesn't cause clutter, it's okay to start things until we find the thing that we want to stick. Or, we just end up being dabblers where we do one thing one day, and a new thing the next day and never master any of them - at least we've been exposed to lots of things. There just isn't a one-size-fits-all and I don't think we need to make it so.
Today, I'm getting out my Spaghetti Sauces (Biba Caggiano) book and trying the Tomatoes, Pancetta, and Hot Pepper Sauce Roman Style. Because, why not?
I try to get up every morning Monday through Friday around 7 AM. Or at least, that's what my alarm is set for. Usually, my wife is already out of bed and working out. She is training for a full Ironman Triathlon this September and is hoping that it will still happen, although she has reservations about it because she is unable to do any swim training. The unknowns of Corona Life make all of this so much harder.
Anyway, unless I stayed up late the night before playing NHL 20 on Xbox One, I get up at 7 to my alarm clock. 7:00am is because my older son, a 7th grader, starts school at 8:30, so I want to make sure that he is able to get up and have breakfast before checking the morning announcements at 8, then go through his school emails and write down all of the things that he actually has to turn in and when he should do all of it.
My son loves to have waffles or chocolate chip pancakes and bacon for breakfast. So, that actually helps motivate me to get up and start cooking. As I did before Corona Life, I make enough so there are usually leftovers. He's eating and growing so much (it's the age you know,) that he often will eat a double batch. I use Klondike Cakes pancake mix, which is higher protein than regular homemade or Bisquick, and also add protein powder. I only buy uncured bacon (Coleman's from Costco is really good, as is the house-made from Whole Foods at the meat counter) and serve it typically once or twice a week, as it's expensive and not the healthiest thing in the world. And, again pointing to the age, he'll down a pound no problem.
(My recipe, because the box recipe is WAY too thin: put a mixing bowl on a scale. 2 scoops of Vega protein powder is around 50g, then I add enough mix to get to 240g. Whisk in 2 cups of milk until just combined (don't go crazy whisking.) If you don't have a scale, the ratio is 3/4c. milk for every 1c powder. The batter should stream, not drip, from the whisk. If dripping, add a tablespoon of powder at a time until it does stream and not drip. I transfer it to a measuring cup because I find it easier to pour than scoop then sprinkle chips on the cakes on the griddle, but a 3oz ice cream scoop does a good job for dollar cakes and a 1/2c ladle does a good job for larger cakes, in which case you'd fold 1/4-1/2c chocolate chips into the bowl.)
After he gets going for his day, I wake my daughter up at 8:45. My son's morning wake up is borderline miraculous. The moment I say, "hey hey it's time to get up," he sits up, gets out of bed, gets dressed, and gets to the kitchen in less than 5 minutes. My daughter, on the other hand, is not quite so quick. It is all I can do to keep from going crazy every few minutes saying, okay! Time to get dressed! Time to get dressed! Time to get dressed!
By the time I'm done with her, it's around 9:15 or 9:30 and her day begins at 9:40. Being in fifth grade, she has less to do during the day. She usually has a read-aloud, read by one of the fifth grade teachers, from 9:40 to 10, then a live meeting at 10, and then usually one more live meeting and focuses on two subjects during that day. Once she's going, she is actually more independent than my son.
For both of them, I definitely need to check in on their work to make sure it's being done to completion, with comprehension, and giving more than 50% effort. Just like any of us, they can try to skate by doing the bare minimum, or, need a little help seeing the full scope of what can be done. I'm trying to continue to hold them to a high standard even though Corona life makes that difficult.
When I'm not checking in with them, I'm doing laundry, preparing our meals, cleaning the kitchen, going shopping once or twice a week, and trying not to go crazy. It's hard to not be depressed as I don't have my usual outlets, just as everybody else is feeling. I'm usually on two hockey teams and sub on a third, so I usually have one or two and sometimes even four hockey games in a week.
Now there's none of that which is why I've been playing Xbox so much more. I had all but given up playing video games, at least as much as I had in my youth, because there simply wasn't time to both play real hockey and to play video games. Playing games online is fun and I get pretty riled up with elation and frustration. Wanna go? Downtowndad1203 is my handle. I know - shocking.
For our meals, I am a short-order cook. I know it's not necessarily the right thing to do and isn't necessarily good for the kids' development - giving them whatever they want - but it does give me an opportunity to have some control over what they eat - I insist on a fruit or vegetable at both lunch and dinner - while also giving them some control during a time when we all feel like so much is out of our control.
I've been playing a solitaire game called shisen-sho probably more often than I should. But, I found that it's an amazing way to kill 5 to 10 minutes and keeps me mentally active. My wife and I have also been doing the Sunday Chicago Tribune crossword puzzle every week. And, once we run out of answers, I get on a video call with my mom and she can usually help get me through the rest of the crossword. That makes it a really nice way to keep in touch and have a reason for the call that isn't just a mundane, "How are you?" Because we all know what the answer is.
The answer is that this really sucks. And at the same time, we have so much to be thankful for, or at least for those of us who continue to be healthy. And for those of us who are not in financial dire straits. I am very conscious of how fortunate my family is to have those things going for us. And so, we have our Xbox, we have Netflix and cable TV and Disney Plus. We have high speed internet. We have a smartphone for each of our four family members. Both of our kids have iPads. We all have headphones that also have microphones so that we can stay out of each other's way during the day when we have these live meetings or video chats.
The weather is getting nice, so it's a lot easier to get outside and go for walks, or shoot baskets in the alley, or go for a run. Just last Sunday, we got our bags (or cornhole) set and play as a family. I also bought a similar game called Hockey Sauce which is essentially the same thing but instead you use hockey pucks and hockey sticks and shoot into a miniature net.
I think it's really important that we make sure that we keep getting outside, and not just so that we are being active and not staring at screens all the time, but also so that we have an opportunity to simply see other people and say hello.
I'm trying to do more homemade food items. I made pretzel buns yesterday (Thanks "My Baking Addiction!) and they were fantastic. I've also been making beans from dried beans using my Instant Pot.
I wouldn't say that the house is tons cleaner than usual, but a little bit. I probably should be cleaning the bathrooms more often, and the showers, but those seem like such daunting tasks just as much or maybe even more than usual. And then I get depressed thinking about how lazy I'm feeling. But then I try and give myself a break.
We are all struggling to keep our minds in a positive place. I know that playing video games and watching TV is not always the answer, but at least it's a little something. Making food that tastes delicious and executing something that works out gives us something to have confidence in and to feel some sense of accomplishment.
Maybe that's what we all need to find are not necessarily big ways to feel accomplishment, but small ways. So maybe cleaning the bathroom does not give you a sense of accomplishment; maybe cooking doesn't give you a sense of accomplishment; maybe clearing out your closets doesn't; but maybe one of those does for you. Maybe wood-working projects will make you feel good, or sewing or knitting or learning a new hobby, or picking up the musical instrument you used to play or even a new one; or writing or journaling; or taking a free online class or reading a book or writing to friends.
Should we be more like children and just try lots of different things and not feel bad about starting and stopping things? As long as it doesn't cause clutter, it's okay to start things until we find the thing that we want to stick. Or, we just end up being dabblers where we do one thing one day, and a new thing the next day and never master any of them - at least we've been exposed to lots of things. There just isn't a one-size-fits-all and I don't think we need to make it so.
Today, I'm getting out my Spaghetti Sauces (Biba Caggiano) book and trying the Tomatoes, Pancetta, and Hot Pepper Sauce Roman Style. Because, why not?
Wednesday, April 22, 2020
Earth Day - Why I'm not turning off the lights
Earth Day is a great idea. It's a reminder that the small things we can do as individuals can make a big impact when those small efforts are done collectively by a large group or portion of the population.
I consider this a sort of Hallmark Holiday. For example, I'm not a big fan of Valentine's Day 💔. I do not need a day of the year to tell my wife that I love her and just how much. It's a lot of pressure from within and societal pressure. Not just for the giver, but also for the receiver: was your ring / flowers / chocolates / other display as big as the other person's?
Before I go wildly off into that tangent, the point is that I prefer to rely on what I do on a day-to-day basis. I tell my wife that she's hot regularly 😍 and I do things to reduce my impact on the environment on a daily basis.
Here are some pictures of things that we do to be more sustainable.
This is my Instant Pot. While we aren't big "one-pot-meals" kind of people, I do love the results I get when I make beans from dried. Why make them from dried?
Price: Organic bulk beans at whole foods range $1.99 - 3.49 per pound. Each pound yields approximately 6 cups of beans. You get 2 cups of beans per can at the store, and organics can run $2-$4 per can.
Using Dry: I read the back of a can of powder laundry detergent recently. It talked about the effects of transporting water. First, it reduces the number of units that can be transported because of the volume of water that the container includes. Second, you're burning fossil fuels to transport water.
Cans: Now I don't throw away all of those cans! When it's not COVID-19 time, I reuse the paper bags from the bulk section to purchase the next bulk thing, like beans and oats.
Oh, and I NEVER EVER use plastic bags to hold my produce. I'm going to wash it and for a lot of it, cook it.
I buy as much as I can in bulk: beans, oats, spices, oils. Yes - it's nice to have the space to store the large bags and bottles. If you don't have the space for it all, then this isn't a solution for you.
Throwing things away that have the potential to be reused hurts me.
Every time.
Growing my own herbs.
Buying parsley and cilantro week after week is a bit ridiculous. $2 or so each every week or so. It doesn't break that bank, but it's stupid. And, after getting this awesome south-facing picture window with a nice ledge, I can fit some plants.
Now, we're not transporting produce from all over the place - specifically produce that I can easily grow, unlike the rest of the things that I can't possibly grow, like lettuces, berries, etc. (Well, some of it I could grow, but a lot of that becomes impractical with a 25x150' lot in Chicago.)
Using towels instead of paper towels.
Washcloths, too. You know, keep a stash in the bathroom for when you've got that not-so-fresh feeling! A lot better than throwing those wet-wipes down the toilet that claim to be safe for the system.
If you have access to Costco, you can get a pack of cotton terry towels and a pack of the yellow microfiber towels. They'll last years. I think we go through a Costco case of paper towels every year or so.
Making hand and dish soap from concentrates. I like Dr. Bronner products, but you can find what you like. We've been using them for quite a while with success.
Hand soap: 2/3 water : 1/3 Dr Bronner's Castile Soap (Costco only sells the peppermint, but Whole Foods has more varieties.) Works well in both regular and foaming dispensers.
Dry Laundry Detergent: for the water transport reason I mentioned in the dry beans section.
Window wash? Use 1:1 vinegar and water.
Bleach for the bathroom? 16oz water : 1 Tbls bleach.
Sal Suds All Purpose spray: 32oz water : 1 Tbls Sal Suds
While we're in the laundry room, let's hang some of our laundry.
First, your athletic and most athleisure wear should almost exclusively be hung to dry. When you put it in the dryer, you're baking in leftover oils and other stuff that inevitably didn't get washed out in the laundry, which leads to premature stinking. You're also ruining the synthetic fibers that don't do well in heat and will inevitably lost their elasticity over time and much faster in the dryer.
Hanging your clothes will make them last longer and keep their shape. You'll find out which items prefer the dryer (end up like cardboard on the line) and the ones that prefer being hung to dry (come out soft.) Most of our t-shirts are so much nicer to wear after being hung.
One clue to what should just be hung - if it's soft and semi dry out of the washer, just hang it up.
Jeans, sweaters - duh.
I even hang stuff that's done washing if the dryer is still going. Yeah, I'm a little nuts.
Also, during the winter, we're fighting to keep our houses humidified. While this isn't the definitive answer, better to use the dry air to dry and the moisture to contribute even a minuscule amount to the humidity of the house.
Composting is something that I'm not entirely sure I've got the hang of, but we do have a garbage can with holes drilled that I throw things into. However, I've found that I can just chop up a lot of what's left over and just throw it in the grass.
Take coffee, for example. I do grind whole beans with a burr grinder (yes - electric. I have a manual, but it was just taking too long every morning.) We use an electric kettle (more energy efficient than using the stove.) After I'm done pouring the finished product, I put some water in the press, swish the grounds, and toss it into the grass. I also water my plants with it - grounds are great for soil. (I'm sure someone much smarter with gardening will be able to tell us what plants like the grounds and which don't.)
The best part - the coffee is so much better.
The other best part - nothing goes in the garbage.
(Side note on the kettle - I use it to boil water for pasta and the like, as it's much faster and more energy efficient than the stove.)
But, yes, I take leftover stems, peels, and ends, chop them up, and toss them into the grass out back. The birds get to it or it decomposes. I'll run it over with the mower once the grass grows and it'll be healthier for it. Healthier than throwing it in the garbage and sending it to the dump.
Yes, we use LED lights throughout the house. Yes, we turn them off when we leave the room.
I run the dishwasher at night when the electric company has an overage of electricity that it needs to output.
I also drive a 2009 Honda Pilot. At around 15-18 MPG combined, it's not the greenest vehicle out there. Sometimes I even drive to the grocery store that's 2 blocks away because I don't want to go to the store extra times in the week and can't carry everything home (especially now in the COVID-19 days.)
We can't all do everything without moving away from urban society and away from populated areas. Gone are any towns in America that function without energy, water, and waste infrastructure of some kind (outside a handful of religious-based areas.)
What we can do is the little things that, collectively, can minimize our impact.
Reduce, reuse, repurpose, recycle.
I consider this a sort of Hallmark Holiday. For example, I'm not a big fan of Valentine's Day 💔. I do not need a day of the year to tell my wife that I love her and just how much. It's a lot of pressure from within and societal pressure. Not just for the giver, but also for the receiver: was your ring / flowers / chocolates / other display as big as the other person's?
Before I go wildly off into that tangent, the point is that I prefer to rely on what I do on a day-to-day basis. I tell my wife that she's hot regularly 😍 and I do things to reduce my impact on the environment on a daily basis.
Here are some pictures of things that we do to be more sustainable.
 |
| Instant Pot and 2-cup mason jars with chickpeas. I don't know why I put the cooking liquid in the shot. |
Price: Organic bulk beans at whole foods range $1.99 - 3.49 per pound. Each pound yields approximately 6 cups of beans. You get 2 cups of beans per can at the store, and organics can run $2-$4 per can.
Using Dry: I read the back of a can of powder laundry detergent recently. It talked about the effects of transporting water. First, it reduces the number of units that can be transported because of the volume of water that the container includes. Second, you're burning fossil fuels to transport water.
Cans: Now I don't throw away all of those cans! When it's not COVID-19 time, I reuse the paper bags from the bulk section to purchase the next bulk thing, like beans and oats.
Oh, and I NEVER EVER use plastic bags to hold my produce. I'm going to wash it and for a lot of it, cook it.
I buy as much as I can in bulk: beans, oats, spices, oils. Yes - it's nice to have the space to store the large bags and bottles. If you don't have the space for it all, then this isn't a solution for you.
Throwing things away that have the potential to be reused hurts me.
Every time.
 |
| My bulk drawer. The jar with the bronze top was marinated artichoke hearts from Costco. Now, it stores our quinoa. Bought in bulk from Costco. |
 |
| Bottles of oil, hot sauces, vinegars. Okay, so I don't make and bottle my own hot sauce. Or make my own vinegar. |
 |
| Spices - I make my own seasonings from raw spices, such as SPG. Not pictured: mortar and pestle, mostly for crushing peppercorns because grinding any more than 1/2 tsp of pepper is a chore. And if you're not using freshly ground seeds, you're not really cooking. |
 |
| Parsley, mint, and what I think is an orchid that I've managed to keep alive. Soon I'll add basil and cilantro. Perhaps I'll eventually make my own CBD oil? |
Buying parsley and cilantro week after week is a bit ridiculous. $2 or so each every week or so. It doesn't break that bank, but it's stupid. And, after getting this awesome south-facing picture window with a nice ledge, I can fit some plants.
Now, we're not transporting produce from all over the place - specifically produce that I can easily grow, unlike the rest of the things that I can't possibly grow, like lettuces, berries, etc. (Well, some of it I could grow, but a lot of that becomes impractical with a 25x150' lot in Chicago.)
 |
| Towels drawer. I probably should have put my cleanest-looking ones on top. And perhaps make the drawer look nice and neat. I guess I'm keeping it real. |
Washcloths, too. You know, keep a stash in the bathroom for when you've got that not-so-fresh feeling! A lot better than throwing those wet-wipes down the toilet that claim to be safe for the system.
If you have access to Costco, you can get a pack of cotton terry towels and a pack of the yellow microfiber towels. They'll last years. I think we go through a Costco case of paper towels every year or so.
 |
| Left: Hand soap with Dr. Bronner's Castile Peppermint Right: All Purpose Spray with Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds |
Hand soap: 2/3 water : 1/3 Dr Bronner's Castile Soap (Costco only sells the peppermint, but Whole Foods has more varieties.) Works well in both regular and foaming dispensers.
 |
| My cleaning supplies |
Window wash? Use 1:1 vinegar and water.
Bleach for the bathroom? 16oz water : 1 Tbls bleach.
Sal Suds All Purpose spray: 32oz water : 1 Tbls Sal Suds
 |
| Laundry drying rack hung in the laundry room. I think it was like $25 from Container Store. Hanging a linen towel that didn't come completely dry in the dryer. |
First, your athletic and most athleisure wear should almost exclusively be hung to dry. When you put it in the dryer, you're baking in leftover oils and other stuff that inevitably didn't get washed out in the laundry, which leads to premature stinking. You're also ruining the synthetic fibers that don't do well in heat and will inevitably lost their elasticity over time and much faster in the dryer.
Hanging your clothes will make them last longer and keep their shape. You'll find out which items prefer the dryer (end up like cardboard on the line) and the ones that prefer being hung to dry (come out soft.) Most of our t-shirts are so much nicer to wear after being hung.
One clue to what should just be hung - if it's soft and semi dry out of the washer, just hang it up.
Jeans, sweaters - duh.
I even hang stuff that's done washing if the dryer is still going. Yeah, I'm a little nuts.
Also, during the winter, we're fighting to keep our houses humidified. While this isn't the definitive answer, better to use the dry air to dry and the moisture to contribute even a minuscule amount to the humidity of the house.
Composting is something that I'm not entirely sure I've got the hang of, but we do have a garbage can with holes drilled that I throw things into. However, I've found that I can just chop up a lot of what's left over and just throw it in the grass.
 |
| Cuisinart Burr Grinder Veken Stainless Steel French Press Miroco Electic Kettle |
The best part - the coffee is so much better.
The other best part - nothing goes in the garbage.
(Side note on the kettle - I use it to boil water for pasta and the like, as it's much faster and more energy efficient than the stove.)
But, yes, I take leftover stems, peels, and ends, chop them up, and toss them into the grass out back. The birds get to it or it decomposes. I'll run it over with the mower once the grass grows and it'll be healthier for it. Healthier than throwing it in the garbage and sending it to the dump.
Yes, we use LED lights throughout the house. Yes, we turn them off when we leave the room.
I run the dishwasher at night when the electric company has an overage of electricity that it needs to output.
I also drive a 2009 Honda Pilot. At around 15-18 MPG combined, it's not the greenest vehicle out there. Sometimes I even drive to the grocery store that's 2 blocks away because I don't want to go to the store extra times in the week and can't carry everything home (especially now in the COVID-19 days.)
We can't all do everything without moving away from urban society and away from populated areas. Gone are any towns in America that function without energy, water, and waste infrastructure of some kind (outside a handful of religious-based areas.)
What we can do is the little things that, collectively, can minimize our impact.
Reduce, reuse, repurpose, recycle.
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
News Flash: Sleep is good!
I have to admit it - I funtion better on a full night of sleep.
I have to admit a second thing - I function better with coffee.
Putting those two things together, plus some planning, results in actually feel motivated to get things done.
A full night of sleep beats short sleep plus coffee.
Some days, though, are simply fueled by coffee.
Yes, Master of the Obvious! Welcome to this realization that everyone else knew!
I hear you, O wise crowd, the party that has been raging to which I am late (albeit fashionably.)
What am I doing with this magical formula?
That's about it. Perhaps I'll post some pics. Why not?!
Is your neck of the woods under shelter-in-place?
What are you doing to keep from going nuts?
I have to admit a second thing - I function better with coffee.
Putting those two things together, plus some planning, results in actually feel motivated to get things done.
A full night of sleep beats short sleep plus coffee.
Some days, though, are simply fueled by coffee.
Yes, Master of the Obvious! Welcome to this realization that everyone else knew!
I hear you, O wise crowd, the party that has been raging to which I am late (albeit fashionably.)
What am I doing with this magical formula?
- Not getting sucked into the void that could be caused by sheltering-in-place.
- Monitoring the kids' daily school schedules.
- The kitchen has never been cleaner on a regular basis.
- The laundry is always done.
- My corners of disarray are shrinking.
- I am getting better at NHL 20, though painfully slowly.
- I am getting better at crossword puzzles.
- I have learned backgammon.
- Reading some books that have been collecting dust. Currently, working on Harvard Classics, specifically, Philip Sidney's, "Poesy," (pronounced: PO-eh-see.)
- Some baking. Made chocolate chip cookies. Wife has been asking for scones for a week or so. Perhaps I will finally fulfill that request, even though she's the only one who really likes scones in the house.
That's about it. Perhaps I'll post some pics. Why not?!
Is your neck of the woods under shelter-in-place?
What are you doing to keep from going nuts?
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