Since I gave up my car in August (it was totaled in a car accident), I have been pretty happy overall. My car had become a burden of sorts that just cost me a lot of money, even though I rarely used it. Not having to pay for a car allowed me to finally replacemy cheap, not so great garage sale bike with a bike that actually fits me, which has made bike riding much more pleasant and fun. I've started becoming more familiar with the buses in my area (previously I pretty much just rode the trains) and I've learned when I need to ask for help.
This past weekend was hard though. It's probably the most frustrating time I've had since getting rid of my car. Friday I took the bus across the valley to my boyfriends house. He picked me up in his car and we did some errands. Hours later when we finished, he wasn't up for driving me anyplace and I didn't know how to get onto public transportation from his home, which would have involved a couple of miles of walking in the early morning, so we both went to sleep.
The next morning I needed to get home to do errands, only I couldn't get anyplace. Boyfriend was asleep and I have one of the worst sense of direction in the world and I plainly had no idea where to walk to get to the orange line or a bus station from his place. If only I had my bike with me, I felt like I would have been able to not feel so trapped and stranded. Instead I had to sit around and wait for him to wake up before continuing on with the day.
Then yesterday I took my bike out on my normal farmers market run. Instead of returning home afterward, I continued on to a friends house. After spending the day with friends and going on an unexpectedly difficult hike, I realized that it would be nearly impossible for me to bike home because I was so exhausted.
I also realized that where on Friday night, the bike would have been the key to be getting home, a couple of days later my bike became a burden I had to deal with. This is definitely something I need to work on. Just because I can get someplace at a given time using a certain method doesn't mean the same method with work coming home. With a car, unless you're drunk, it's easy. With a bike that you forgot lights for a place where you realize you left your Metro pass and all cash at home, it's a bigger problem. I don't know why this weekend was so bad, but hopefully I can learn from it and minimize problems in the future with getting both to and back home.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Human Footprint Review
Yesterday I had a chance to watch the National Geographic program Human Footprint. The idea was interesting and tied into a line of interest I've been exploring: a visual representation of what an American (not a Human) consumes during their average lifetime of 77 years and some odd months.
It follows the life time of a boy and girl, showing what they consume during their entire life at various times in their life. For example, it starts out showing you what raw materials go into make diapers and then how many diapers a child will wear in their lifetime. It's pretty overwhelming and at this point I began wondering if they would then compare other, less wasteful methods to these seemingly wasteful methods. They mention washing cloth diapers and then tell you how much water you use for washing, and nothing else.
At this point I started getting a little confused about what the real message of the movie was. Should we stop wasting? What should we use instead of disposable or cloth diapers? What is an acceptable level of usage? They continue on displaying the total number of various food items you will consume over the average lifespan, but it left me wondering what I should be eating instead of meat, eggs, bread, diary and fruits. I didn't really know what some of the numbers meant and even for someone like me that likes numbers, my eyes kinda glazed over. They overwhelmed you by actually showing you what you consumed ( like the 55 loaves a bread you'll eat each year). It left me wondering what they did with all of those loaves of bread they spread all over the ground to allow me to visualize how many loaves I will consume in my life (they didn't waste them, did they?), meanwhile causing me to ask which bread-like items I consume are included in these numbers. Only real loaves? Rolls? Buns? Croissants? Do these numbers include what people buy or what they actually do use themselves? I don't even know what they movie is trying to say anymore except to overwhelm you massive numbers of things.
I think after seeing Manufactured Landscapes recently, the attempts at using the same imagery of a super close up to a long panning shot to show me plastic ducks representing showers was a little boring. That isn't to say nothing in this movie was interesting. At one point I was completely disgusted to see that maraschino cherries are bleached before being dyed red. They stated that the average American drinks 43,371 cans of soda in their lifetime. That is 556 sodas a year for all 77 years and 8 (or something) months of one's life from birth. That is about 1.5 sodas a day and there are people like me that rarely drink soda. The average American reads 6 books a year.
Eventually, towards the end, they remind you to do things like turn off your lights and unplug appliances and other tips. For the first time my thought that this show has some point appears, but I still wasn't sure what to make of the beginning. I don't know if they wanted to say "hey stop having children" or "eat more vegetables".
It wasn't that the information isn't potentially useful, but the way it is displayed it is difficult to reach many conclusions. I think it would have been better in small parts than as 1 long 90 minute show on dvd. Watched in one stretch it just became overwhelming and lost some of the impact. I wish they explained where these numbers came from because while they were impressive, it sometimes reminded me of the information that comes to you in quick tv news segments or online news stories. It makes a big impact, but taken completely out of context has no meaning.
It follows the life time of a boy and girl, showing what they consume during their entire life at various times in their life. For example, it starts out showing you what raw materials go into make diapers and then how many diapers a child will wear in their lifetime. It's pretty overwhelming and at this point I began wondering if they would then compare other, less wasteful methods to these seemingly wasteful methods. They mention washing cloth diapers and then tell you how much water you use for washing, and nothing else.
At this point I started getting a little confused about what the real message of the movie was. Should we stop wasting? What should we use instead of disposable or cloth diapers? What is an acceptable level of usage? They continue on displaying the total number of various food items you will consume over the average lifespan, but it left me wondering what I should be eating instead of meat, eggs, bread, diary and fruits. I didn't really know what some of the numbers meant and even for someone like me that likes numbers, my eyes kinda glazed over. They overwhelmed you by actually showing you what you consumed ( like the 55 loaves a bread you'll eat each year). It left me wondering what they did with all of those loaves of bread they spread all over the ground to allow me to visualize how many loaves I will consume in my life (they didn't waste them, did they?), meanwhile causing me to ask which bread-like items I consume are included in these numbers. Only real loaves? Rolls? Buns? Croissants? Do these numbers include what people buy or what they actually do use themselves? I don't even know what they movie is trying to say anymore except to overwhelm you massive numbers of things.
I think after seeing Manufactured Landscapes recently, the attempts at using the same imagery of a super close up to a long panning shot to show me plastic ducks representing showers was a little boring. That isn't to say nothing in this movie was interesting. At one point I was completely disgusted to see that maraschino cherries are bleached before being dyed red. They stated that the average American drinks 43,371 cans of soda in their lifetime. That is 556 sodas a year for all 77 years and 8 (or something) months of one's life from birth. That is about 1.5 sodas a day and there are people like me that rarely drink soda. The average American reads 6 books a year.
Eventually, towards the end, they remind you to do things like turn off your lights and unplug appliances and other tips. For the first time my thought that this show has some point appears, but I still wasn't sure what to make of the beginning. I don't know if they wanted to say "hey stop having children" or "eat more vegetables".
It wasn't that the information isn't potentially useful, but the way it is displayed it is difficult to reach many conclusions. I think it would have been better in small parts than as 1 long 90 minute show on dvd. Watched in one stretch it just became overwhelming and lost some of the impact. I wish they explained where these numbers came from because while they were impressive, it sometimes reminded me of the information that comes to you in quick tv news segments or online news stories. It makes a big impact, but taken completely out of context has no meaning.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Cloth-ing
After being busy with the presidential debates last night and errands earlier in the week, tonight became laundry night. When I opened the washer to transfer clothes to the dryer I quickly noticed the tell tale signs of a stowaway tissue gone through the wash. Argh! As I transferred many of the items I normally don't put in the dryer (because they don't take long to dry and I have space to air dry them) into the dryer to remove minuscule tissue pieces, I thought about how this was only an issue because I've become so accustom to handkerchiefs in the last year. I just accidentally forgot one at home today and so I had to resort to a paper tissue, which was left in my pocket. Then I decided I would make a post about the top reasons to use handkerchiefs instead of paper tissues.
First off: I have issues sewing with sewing machines. I am otherwise pretty good with my hands and even sew items by hand, but sewing machines and I don't mesh well, unless you're a fan of uneven stitches, crazy lines and incorrect thread tension. So I had been planning to ask my mom to help me make some napkins when I went home for Christmas last year. I was surprised when my mom told me she wouldn't help me as she normally takes up any opportunity to sew items. It was because she had already stashed away some cloth napkins and handkerchiefs from sales and family members. I was more than thrilled and took my cloth towers of napkins and handkerchiefs home.
I also have a friend who practices many earth friendly behaviors such as not even having paper towels in the home. While this was admirable, I was always a bit confused about what to do when I needed a napkin. I knew there were cloth towels around, but I had no idea where. I think most of the time her dogs ended up licking up any evidence of my clumsiness from the floor before I found the towels.
Inspired by this reusable handkerchief box and my confusion at my friends' house, I made my own reusable napkin box!
It now hangs under my kitchen counter in the holes drilled by some previous apartment tenant. It makes the cloth napkins easily accessible to everyone. I also have a place to hang up "gently used" napkins for later use to pick up quick messes. The box is made from recycled materials (cardboard, tons of papers) and glue. The napkins are folded like tissues and can be pulled out the same way. I have plans for a tissue box later on.
This box has been pretty instrumental in getting myself to regularly use cloth napkins as it allowed me to store my napkins in a place that was easier to get to than paper towels or paper napkins and left my limited counter space open. Plus it was awesomely fun and makes everyone feel like a kid again as you yank out napkin after napkin only to have it replaced by a new one (and no one is going to yell at you for taking more than your needed share).
Reasons to Use Fabric Tissues/Napkins instead of Paper (in no particular order)
-Less trash/waste created
-You never have to worry about accidentally shredding tissues in the wash
-They don't make your nose raw and red like tissues
-They won't shred apart in your hand when wet or when blowing your nose
-You never have to worry about trying to find tissues, napkins or paper towels
-You don't have to worry about buying new ones all of the time. Just drop them in with your other laundry and you're set.
-They can be obtained with a relatively small up front cost. Ask around (the handkerchiefs I got from a family member had been sitting in a box, never used for probably at least 40 years), look at thrift stores and garage sales, check out sites online. If you have old soft cloth (flannel) you can simply cut it up and hem the edges for better wear.
-Whatever your style is, you can probably find some handkerchief or cloth napkin for you. Vintage, organic, brand new, white, colored, plain, decorated, handmade. Just not disposable.
-Cloth napkins are useful to carry fruit and other foods to work and school. You also already have a napkin for yourself and in some instances can be used as a plate/eating surface.
I'd recommend having at least 1 handkerchief per a day in a laundry cycle, depending on your own needs. I usually can get away with fewer napkins. Having a couple of extras also helps for times when you have others over at your home or when experiencing allergies. Keeping random rags around can help take up some of the slack as well. I still keep a roll of paper towels around for some emergencies, but I go through about one small roll in a few months. I never buy paper napkins or tissues.
First off: I have issues sewing with sewing machines. I am otherwise pretty good with my hands and even sew items by hand, but sewing machines and I don't mesh well, unless you're a fan of uneven stitches, crazy lines and incorrect thread tension. So I had been planning to ask my mom to help me make some napkins when I went home for Christmas last year. I was surprised when my mom told me she wouldn't help me as she normally takes up any opportunity to sew items. It was because she had already stashed away some cloth napkins and handkerchiefs from sales and family members. I was more than thrilled and took my cloth towers of napkins and handkerchiefs home.
I also have a friend who practices many earth friendly behaviors such as not even having paper towels in the home. While this was admirable, I was always a bit confused about what to do when I needed a napkin. I knew there were cloth towels around, but I had no idea where. I think most of the time her dogs ended up licking up any evidence of my clumsiness from the floor before I found the towels.
Inspired by this reusable handkerchief box and my confusion at my friends' house, I made my own reusable napkin box!
It now hangs under my kitchen counter in the holes drilled by some previous apartment tenant. It makes the cloth napkins easily accessible to everyone. I also have a place to hang up "gently used" napkins for later use to pick up quick messes. The box is made from recycled materials (cardboard, tons of papers) and glue. The napkins are folded like tissues and can be pulled out the same way. I have plans for a tissue box later on.
This box has been pretty instrumental in getting myself to regularly use cloth napkins as it allowed me to store my napkins in a place that was easier to get to than paper towels or paper napkins and left my limited counter space open. Plus it was awesomely fun and makes everyone feel like a kid again as you yank out napkin after napkin only to have it replaced by a new one (and no one is going to yell at you for taking more than your needed share).
Reasons to Use Fabric Tissues/Napkins instead of Paper (in no particular order)
-Less trash/waste created
-You never have to worry about accidentally shredding tissues in the wash
-They don't make your nose raw and red like tissues
-They won't shred apart in your hand when wet or when blowing your nose
-You never have to worry about trying to find tissues, napkins or paper towels
-You don't have to worry about buying new ones all of the time. Just drop them in with your other laundry and you're set.
-They can be obtained with a relatively small up front cost. Ask around (the handkerchiefs I got from a family member had been sitting in a box, never used for probably at least 40 years), look at thrift stores and garage sales, check out sites online. If you have old soft cloth (flannel) you can simply cut it up and hem the edges for better wear.
-Whatever your style is, you can probably find some handkerchief or cloth napkin for you. Vintage, organic, brand new, white, colored, plain, decorated, handmade. Just not disposable.
-Cloth napkins are useful to carry fruit and other foods to work and school. You also already have a napkin for yourself and in some instances can be used as a plate/eating surface.
I'd recommend having at least 1 handkerchief per a day in a laundry cycle, depending on your own needs. I usually can get away with fewer napkins. Having a couple of extras also helps for times when you have others over at your home or when experiencing allergies. Keeping random rags around can help take up some of the slack as well. I still keep a roll of paper towels around for some emergencies, but I go through about one small roll in a few months. I never buy paper napkins or tissues.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Manufactured Landscapes Review
Earlier this week I finally had an opportunity to watch another of my library finds, Manufactured Landscapes. I would quickly recommend it to anyone. I think one of the reasons I was so drawn to this movie was how much it reminded me of the Salton Sea at times. It's beautiful yet a disaster.
The first thing I was struck by was the method of photography and how it creates so much space that is simultaneously claustrophobic. The opening shot of row after row of boxes and people working at stations in a Chinese factory seems endless. I can't even tell what the people are working on and it's strangely quiet. I don't think I realized and thought about how much is hand assembled.
I thought I could maybe finish cooking dinner while watching this movie, but I quickly discovered that wouldn't be possible. This movie demands too much attention.
This movie looks at various man made and man destroyed areas in Asia. It helps complete the story of what happens to all of those hazardous waste items when they are recycled. We have to take them to special places and not dump it in the normal trash, yet they end up being dismembered and recovered by people, not some crazy technology. It shows people paid to destroy their own villages in preparation for large dam construction. This is primarily done through images rather than words. The photography alone is worth watching and for once I wished I had a larger tv.
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The first thing I was struck by was the method of photography and how it creates so much space that is simultaneously claustrophobic. The opening shot of row after row of boxes and people working at stations in a Chinese factory seems endless. I can't even tell what the people are working on and it's strangely quiet. I don't think I realized and thought about how much is hand assembled.
I thought I could maybe finish cooking dinner while watching this movie, but I quickly discovered that wouldn't be possible. This movie demands too much attention.
This movie looks at various man made and man destroyed areas in Asia. It helps complete the story of what happens to all of those hazardous waste items when they are recycled. We have to take them to special places and not dump it in the normal trash, yet they end up being dismembered and recovered by people, not some crazy technology. It shows people paid to destroy their own villages in preparation for large dam construction. This is primarily done through images rather than words. The photography alone is worth watching and for once I wished I had a larger tv.
-------------------------------------------
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Lock Registrations
I bought a new lock for my bike a while ago, but I never got around to reading the documentation that came with the lock. Today I was cleaning up and decided to look through it the papers to put them away. When reading on paper I found out that I should register my lock in case I ever need replacement keys! If you have a Kryptonite brand lock, I'd recommend doing the same. The first time you need replacement keys, they'll send you a set for free. Afterward they will charge you $3 or $6 depending on the lock type.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
the beginning
For the past 8 years I've lived in Southern California. The first 4 in the Inland Empire, 3 of those without a car. The last 4 in the San Fernando Valley with a car, but used minimally in the last 3 years after trading my car for the LA Metro Rail System. Recently, liberated of car ownership. I grew up in Texas where there wasn't much to walk to, but there was a great deal of space and large mammals on farms all around. Living in an urban area and walking around as part of your transportation allows you to notice different things, like that the only animals I really see outside are birds. There are squirrels and lizards and the occasional opossum, mouse, rat or coyote, but most species of animals I see are birds. There are the expected pigeons, doves and crows. There are also seagulls, finches, various hawks, hummingbirds, kingfishers, weird little birds with black mohawks and random flocks of parrots and who knows what else.
Hence the name, flapflap and the address of dribpalf.blogspot.com (flapbird, backward).
As for the blog, I'll probably focus on more of the environmentally friendly decisions I make and life as I am living it. I hope to gather a lot of the information I've picked up and observed about some of these things over the years into one place. I hope to motivate myself to do some of the projects I've been thinking about for a while. I hope it is useful to someone else and if nothing else, I hope the pictures are enjoyable some of the time.
Hence the name, flapflap and the address of dribpalf.blogspot.com (flapbird, backward).
As for the blog, I'll probably focus on more of the environmentally friendly decisions I make and life as I am living it. I hope to gather a lot of the information I've picked up and observed about some of these things over the years into one place. I hope to motivate myself to do some of the projects I've been thinking about for a while. I hope it is useful to someone else and if nothing else, I hope the pictures are enjoyable some of the time.
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