Git 'er done!

Sometimes when 'm driving and see a large 4 X 4 truck with camouflage detailing I think about driving into it with my car. Then I can say...

"sorry I didn't see you there!"

Things that should NOT be in the same business establishment

Everyday when I head to work I pass the Gold's Gym and Tan Company complex. I do believe that they are part of the same business -

Why would you bother getting healthy when you are going to turn around and give yourself cancer?

Other things that should not be together:

Gold's Gym and KFC (or Krispy Kreme, or fill in the blank)

Yoga/Pilates studio and Taco Bell

Combination Doctor's office and cigar lounge

The list could go on, but I really should be writing a paper.

The insanity of school

For Church History I we were assigned a ginormous annotated bibliography to help us further along our research. I was having some trouble finding recent enough scholarship on the Early Irish Church, when I found an essay that I really wanted. I checked the library and the book wasn't there, so I made an interlibrary loan request - like you do.

Here is the response I received:

This request has been cancelled by the interlibrary loan staff for the following reason:

Other. Please see note field below.

You have Pius Library's copy of this book checked out. The due date is 1-31-2008.

Many that are better than I

I've decided that I am not a good enviro-blogger. There are many others doing a much better job at saving the world. So I've decided to switch formats - there will still be blogging about how I'm saving the earth, but I'd like this to be more "personal"... And more fun.

So - welcome to Erin Saves the World - in her own special way.

The End.

Ramblings on 'my little failures'...

This summer I went to the local big box lawn and garden center to help me out in the garden. I needed some tools, some seeds, and some plants to pretty up the front yard (at the moment I won't get into how the plants weren't organically grown, and were probably grown by people in a foreign land that were paid squat to grow and tend my new azaleas). I was armed with my new knowledge about saving the earth - I had watched the SOS Concert for the Earth (I wanted to see the Police perform!) and let's face it - you know everything when you watch tv!

I really needed to get rid of some pesky weeds that would not go away no matter how many times I tried to pull their roots from the earth (or rather parking pad). But I did what I had to do. What would you have done in my place?

So, I bought - gasp - Roundup... I literally hid it in my cart and tried not to make eye contact with the cashier. Then to add insult to injury - the cashier place the gallon of Roundup - which had a handle, mind you, into a plastic bag!

This summer I also committed the following offenses:

I traveled over 6500 miles - mostly by car and one long plane ride

I cleaned out the fridge (using a baking soda paste - good)
but I had to throw away a few glass and recyclable plastic containers (bad)... I really couldn't handle trying to tame the black/blue/green/white stuff out of various and sundry containers. Besides - the stuff growing in there was probably toxic. Would you have wanted that in your drinking water?

I used the air conditioner unapologetically! (It's still on!)
I like to pretend that my allergies are the main reason - but let's face it - I LOVE air conditioning. The room should be at a nice comfortable 65 degrees for me to sleep. I think it is the 8th deadly sin: fridgid-ity? Coolness? I'll stop.

I watered the lawn
Really not the most responsible use of water - especially after visiting areas seriously affected by drought. Ed Begley Jr got rid of his lawn altogether - I do like him...

I'm sure I could tell you more about why I'm an Earth-Failure - but then who would you turn to for guidance and support... Besides, we are all bound to mess up once in a while, that's why I am extra-militant about the things that I can do. (I bought Seventh Generation toilet paper - sacrificing comfort for the greater good. Isn't that almost the Jesuit motto?)

Well - Good night - I may be going to go to bed now in my 65 degree bedroom but tomorrow - I... shall... ride my bike... once again!!!

(Triumphant exit music)

I rode my bike to school yesterday...

which also happened to be the hottest day of the week! (way to think ahead)

The whole trek is 4.2 miles (roundtrip) - and I - the coward that I am (or klutz) rode illegally on the sidewalks. Not that anyone was using them to walk on, in fact I'm lucky I didn't bite it a few times due to the sidewalk's lack of upkeep.

This is my new bike: a Schwinn cruiser - Jag - u - ar... oh yeah, the klassy-est of bikes - almost like the Jaguar of bicycles???

Not a classic Schwinn - but still cool none the less.

I hope to use it to run errands, do grocery shopping etc... I wish St Louis didn't have so many slight inclines. Maybe I should see a doctor!

My husband bought the Men's bike - now we match... awww...

And my students think that I'm nuts!

thanks to doodiepants for the heads up...

This guy has a fabulously wonderful blog (it helps that he is a writer - whateva' - yes, I'm hip, I'm down with the cool lingo) and is working on his new book about this crazy experiment he has been living - and dragging his family along with him! He takes a good look at consumption and the impact of one person in and on the world. I am hoping to keep this blog a little less philosophical - only because others can do that much more eloquently than I... Instead I hope to help people take those first baby steps into the greener lifestyle.

no impact man's blog

I wonder how much of this I could get away with here in my home? Hmm my husband without his computer?

As I sit here and watch him trying to reassemble a "vintage" mac laptop that he has ceremoniously taken apart and laid out piece by precious piece over the last couple of days I think: I'll probably try switching the toothpaste with baking soda before I take the computer away.