Day 45 (or: Walk it, Baby, Walk it!)

Yep.  It's valentines day again.  Can't seem to avoid it.  At least once a year, inundated by pink, and red and sugar and mooshy love. 

Meh.  Forget that.  I'm'ona eat steak, drink bloody mary's and shop.

And once again pledge to walk to raise awareness and funds for the National MS society.

In April, darling child and I will be walking in the area "walk" with our friend the who shouldn't be suffering from this terrible illness on the "Sole Sisters" team.  Nobody should be suffering with it.  Least of all, someone who's spunky. 

Day 45 of One Thousand Days, I do exactly what I was doing about a year ago on day 28. I pledge to walk.  Want to join us?  Or fund us?  Or point and laugh at us?  Just click the links below to check out the possibilities.

45 down, 955 to go.  

Day 44 (or: Great Gulping Gargoyles, What IS That?)

Todays thing is mildly disgusting.  And sort of amusing.  And enlightening.  And disgusting. 

It's the fridge, you see, it's a massive vortex which sucks in leftovers and doesn't give them back until they're completely unidentifiable.  Sometimes it sucks in non-leftovers.  Actually, a lot of the time it sucks in non-leftovers.  Something that went into the fridge red, comes out green, something that was yellow is now black.  It's sort of scary.  Really, worse than the results of a few weeks time spent in the fridge, are the statistics about food waste.  According to Next Generation Food, and Jodie Humphreys, the following disturbing food waste statistics are worth a second look:

• In the US, food waste has increased by 50 percent since 1974
• 40 percent of all the food produced in the US is thrown out
• Food waste accounts for more than a quarter of freshwater consumption and 300 million barrels of annually.
• Food is the third largest waste stream after paper and yard waste
• 8.3 million tonnes of food is thrown away by households in the UK annually
• In the UK, city dwellers generally waste the most food, with the worst culprits being single men, aged between 25 and 35

Blech.  Really?  Well of course, really.  Judging by the contents of my fridge, I'd say that all sounds about right.  And is also fairly disturbing.  Especially given the hunger in the world.  What's left out of this nice little list, is the dollar amount associated with these statistics of waste.  Maybe a realization of the hit to the pocket book would help? 

Might help me, anyway, as I have been a horrible, wasteful, mindless and absurd glutton.  And it must stop. 

So here it is:  According to the Stockholm International Water Institute, all that food waste amounts to 43.8 billion bucks in the U.S. alone.  Gack!

So, after recovering from sticker shock, I cleaned the fridge, and now the garbage can is halfway full, even though pick-up day was yesterday.  And today, Day 44 of One Thousand Days, I pledge to not throw any food away for the next 7 days.  I figure this is a good start, and gives me a chance to report back at the end of said days.  I'm well pleased with my progress today, and now my fridge looks like this: 

44 down, 956 to go.

 

Day 43 (Or: Sell All The Things!)

New!  And improved!

Me, that is.  Did you know, that since my last post (in November - wow, does time fly) I began living my 40th year on this planet?  That is to say, I turned 39.  I'll celebrate the 40th anniversary of my arrival on this green and splendiferous earth next December, but in fact, I am now living my 40th year.  Weird. 

What's that got to do with the price of tea in China?  A heck of a lot!  You try turning 40, and tell me that it's not a seriously important and momentous thing, full of yearning, and joy, strife and struggle, excitement and promise. 

The whole tenor of my "Things" has altered.  I'm feeling rather self involved about my "Things."  For example, I've been leaning toward tattoos and piercings, and image issues such as:  Why the heck don't I wear my strappy sandals more often?  or:  Does my hair really need to be the color of a field mouse?   I imagine doing "Things" like taking up sky-diving as a hobby, or running for office, or walking from the West coast to the East coast.  "Things" that are momentous and reputation building, and life affirming and loud and colorful. 

I guess that's what you do when you turn (or at least are looking at turning) 40.  I know, I know, it's really very typical and boring, isn't it.  Would you like a little mid-life crisis?  Yes indeed, I'd love some, thank you.  And if you could throw in some bristly hairs on the chin, a nice crop of crows feet and a gray hair or two, I'd think myself the luckiest woman in the world!

Well, it's not all tragedy.  I finally did something that I've been wanting to do since I turned 18.  I opened a store, and I'm selling vintage, kitsch, retro, interesting, quality, fun things.  And better yet, before I sell said things, I get to SHOP for said things.  Okay, I admit, it's an eBay store, but still!  I get to shop!  And maybe I'll even make money!  Don't let me fool you, true to self, I've planned the heck out of this endeavor, devised several pretty serious mathematical tables and algorithms to ensure success, and I've given myself 3 months to make a go of it or else I'll drop it flat, which is the joy of eBaying (instant start and instant stop!)

Day 43 of One Thousand Days, I'm proud to announce Diamond L Co. Vintage and Eclectic.

May it be fruitful!

43 down, 957 to go.

Day 42 (or: Garden Party with The Soprano's)

I have a brand new obsession:  The Soprano's.  I'm currently beginning season 5, and haven't been able to put a finger directly on the appeal of it.  But boy is it appealing.  Goombas...Goomas...Italian food and a whole heck of a lot of moral ambiguity.  Or straight up moral ineptitude.  Take your pick.  Either way, I'm loving it, and am relishing spending the Holy Day immersed in the disgusting under-belly of New Jersey in my own living room, no less.  Heaven.

But the REAL good things that were the bulk of my work today, involved coordining soccer snacks, hot drinks, canopy for a cold game, coach gifts, kid gifts, and working on a gift certificate for my church's annual service auction and dinner.  My "service" being a garden party hosted in the gorgeous garden made possible by said church.  My beautiful yard was made possible by my fellows at church (more than 30 of them) who, 2 1/2 years ago, came to the house with cuttings, clippings, snippings, bulbs, seeds and divisions from their own yards. 

My first spring in this home was a constant surprise, watching things I didn't know were there coming out of the ground, watching cuttings grow by leaps and bounds.  My yard, which is one of my very favorite things in my life, is entirely the result of the love from my church.

Day 42 of One Thousand Days, I made my pledge of $200.00 in service to my fellows.  Lovely fellows.

42 down, 958 to go.

Day 41 (or: 'Nough Said)

Last day of 24 weeks of chemotherapy treatment.  Today.  'Nough said.

Day 41 of One Thousand Days:  Yellow roses of joy for you, Mom.

41 down, 959 to go.



Day 40 (or: Vitamin D, I need It)

February of 2010 was a very satisfying month in blogging terms.  In One Thousand Days blog terms, at any rate.  Don't believe me?  Take a look back at it and check out what I was up to.

Funny to realize that only 9 months ago I was still trying to recover from the badness of the Bad Relationship.  Happy to report that that's over (thank goodness...it only took One Thousand Days and nine months, but I finally shrugged him off). 

Today's a new day, as is every day, and what a lovely day it is!  After the Great Monsoon of November 9, 2010 (Garfields and Marmadukes), today is a crisp, sun-shiny, lovely day which more than makes up for yesterday.  Much like these One Thousand Days more than make up for the previous One Thousand Days.

I realize that I haven't checked with Holly about the appropriateness of my "good"-ing in quite some time.  I'm sure that I can fairly well guess that her response to any questions about recent posts would be to say:  "Boring."  She's right.  Or she would be if I actually asked for her opinion.  Especially in comparison to last February.  All I can say in remedy is:  Wait for it...wait for it. 

Now, I should say, that several people have doubted me when I say "wait for it", but that's to their detriment.  I do tend to pull out the stops and make things happen when I actually set my mind to it.  And usually the results are worth waiting for.  Not always.  But usually. 

I must say that I'm appreciating my own mental transitions about this blogging business.  In 9 months (and in only 40 days of the possible 180), I've gone from overzealous dedication, to dismayed detachment, to resentment (yes, I resented this blog for a while), to...well...today I find it interesting to realize that in reality, every day I DO do something "good" regardless of my willingness or intention, and regardless of whether I blog it or not.  I can only report that this realization is an important one.  Sometimes, just when we feel that there's just no good in our lives, it's nice to truly analyze and be able to say that...yes there is.  Even if it's not grand.  I'm rambling, and Holly wouldn't approve, so I'll just say this: 

Day 40 of One Thousand Days (which should be more in the 180 range) is a sparkly, warmish November day, and if nothing else, the vitamin D production should be up for the day.  Maybe I'll even produce enough of it to last me for a week.  And stave of the inevitable Seasonal Affective Disorder and the accompanying crankiness for a bit longer.

40 down, 960 to go.

Day 39 (or: Cats and Dogs)

Oh man, am I a saint, or what?  WHAT?  No.  Really, I'm a saint, and here's why:  I woke up at 7:00 (oh, unholy hour),  cleaned the car, threw the child in the backseat, and headed off for a 2 1/2 hour long ride in the wretched rain (cats and dogs) down the windy and perilous Highway 101 all the way to Tenino. 

You're wondering why?  Alright.  I'll tell you.  The five hours of driving that I did (in total) today, netted me four hours with a favorite sister (okay, maybe all three of them are my favorite sisters) and her family.  Oh how I do love the sisters!

I have discovered, after careful experimentation, and upon critical examination, that I am bound to be in the car, driving on unkown and dangerous roads when the WORST rain EVER isn't so much falling as it is pelting at the car.  The kind of deluge where you can't see a car-length in front of you.  Where the windshield wipers can't keep up.  Cats and dogs (NOT kittens and puppies, but full grown Garfields and Marmadukes).  It's a gift.

Day 39 of One Thousand Days, I cooly navigated the buckets falling from the heavens and ate a lovely barbeque lunch/dinner with family (and then returned to the car to cooly navigate the swimming pools of water falling from the heavens).  Lovely.

39 down, 961 to go.