The City Chicken

So.

My little tomato plants are doing okay. I haven't killed them yet, which is a sign that they're very robust, perhaps even Super Tomatoes. Hopefully not Killer Tomatoes, just plants that can survive my flakiness.

As the condo is still on the market, my daydreams of being greener by growing my own veggies and hanging clothes on a line instead of using the dryer are still just daydreams. Still and all, the way I'm living now seems itself an interesting experiment in being green. Living so minimally - no cable, minimum wardrobe/makeup/accessories, being strapped for cash - is really not that bad. Not to say that I don't sort of lust over the thought of watching the History Channel now and then... or actually putting on eyeliner... or being able to participate in NPR's summer e-pledge day (I've been wanting to do the $5/month thing since Jeff did it last year but I keep thinking "it's dumb to do that when you're eating off-brand mac'n'cheese...").

Anyway, my daydreaming of tomatoes has been amdended, now, to include chickens. Chickens and tomatoes. I think I could subsist off of tomatoes, fresh monzarella and eggs for the rest of my life. Why? Because I was thinking about having one chicken. I mean, you can keep chickens as domestic pets as far as I know.

What happened is that I was reading on Slate.com and found my way to this site, called The City Chicken, about keeping your own chickens in urban areas. While i don't think it's feasible to have a chicken right now (or maybe ever, if I'm going to be renting somewhere), I was thinking that it might be possible to have one down at mom and dad's when they move here. That would also mean I could just make them raise the chicken! Brilliant!

good vs. evil

So, I've run into two products today, both of which deserve a mention.
First, Brunswick Beeworks
is a new local honey supplier! The closest local honey they have at Whole Foods is from Goodlettsville - and Brunswick makes candles and skin stuff!
Whoohoo!

Second, there's a Slate article about Proctor & Gamble's Olay Body Wash Plus Spa Exfoliating Ribbons. YUCK. I read a while back about the Giant Sea of Plastic and was freaked out, but this Olay stuff is actually DELIBERATELY putting microplastic out there! We're not talking about plastic trash that's breaking down, this stuff is MADE like this and put in something that we're using to wash our bodies and then flushing "away".
Yuck yuck yuck.

E2A: I sent that article over to Beth at Fake Plastic Fish, and lo and behold, she already knew about it! Check out her blog post on it, from nearly a year ago!, because it's got some great resources.

"I hit a dog..."

While I'm mildly ashamed to admit that I watched Jackass, I will staunchly and loudly proclaim that the one scene where they rent a car, modify it and then crash it was hysterical - mostly because when they return it, they say "I hit a dog." Not that hitting a dog is funny, but, you know.

Anyway, thanks to xkcd.com for another idea of what to do with a rental car...

I want some of these

Ideal Bite, an enewsletter I subscribe to, is selling bags with their logo.
They are super-cute... when i have some cash to throw at those folks, I'm going to buy some.

For now, go subscribe to their newsletter - my designer friend Molly put me onto them and they are sassy and funny and ALWAYS topical! Love 'em!

Green remodel follow-up

I've been enjoying the bamboo floors for 6 months now, and stumbled upon an article on Slate.com today that had me revisit the decision.

If I'm remembering properly, this is the flooring that we bought.
I have searched and searched but I can't find anything about this company on the internet. Next time I'm at HD, I'm going to look for the company's number on the box... although it's possible i'll have to call HD instead.

I'm still pretty happy with the floors. They're easy to clean and haven't undergone any real damage since I've been using them daily. I wonder, though, about the points cited in the Slate article.
What kind of sealant is on there? what kind of growing practices were used on that bamboo?

In the end, i guess, there's only so much we can do. There are only so many hours in the day. I hope that, like my Prius purchase, my buy will spur others to also buy bamboo products and make them more popular and prevalent. But I can't spend all day, every day researching the minutae of different companies. It feels exhausting.

I'm doing the best I can, I guess, and ultimately I'm happy with those floors b/c they were the best decision I felt I could make.

And they are just so pretty...

Greenius at Cafe Coco

So last Wednesday I went to see the awesome Stacy Allyn Baker (Boatman) at Cafe Coco and couldn't believe I hadn't seen any sets there before. Their back room is kick-ass... there's a bench built in along the back wall where we sat and I am totally going back again.

I really want to go this Thursday (alas, I have to go down to the ATL to talk to some quilty-ladies about their website plans for the next year), because Greenius is playing at 9 PM. My friend Melanie (who just got married! yay!) says it's "organic music designed to make society grow."

I love it! I can't believe I'm out of town for it, but I'm going to hit them up next time. Of course, me having to guzzle gas doesn't mean you can't go! Go check 'em out and let me know how it was!