Monday, May 12, 2008

Stinky.... It’s a wonderfully cool night and I have all my windows open, however, there is a hint of smoke in the air. Today, several wildfires blazed in Palm Bay (about 45 minutes south of here). The report is that 50 homes burnt, and currently the interstate and US1 are closed due to the fires! I’m glad I live in-town. I can’t imagine the terror of running away from a fire. It must be horrible. The news tonight had a report of a smaller brushfire today that the fire department couldn’t respond to right away, so the neighbors got together with buckets and shovels and managed to put it out before it got to a restaurant and a strip mall--very inspiring to see that people can still get involved and work together. Hi to Sailor Boi! She tells me she checks in here every night during work and is disappointed when I don’t write. But what if I don’t have anything to say? Should I just log on and say hi?? (Hi, Sailor Boi!! I hope you’re not working too hard!) 11:02:00 PM    comment []

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Photo Wednesday.... I love a good shower! 9:42:55 PM    comment []

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Much better!! Saturday's event at work went very well....I guess the 80+ hours I put in the week prior was worth it! Was I exhausted!! To unwind, Sunday morning Sailor Boi and I took off to Fort Lauderdale to visit friends, relax and go to the Radiohead concert. We returned this afternoon, and now I feel refreshed and ready to go back to work again. And the concert on Monday....it was great! It was held at the amphitheater in West Palm. The acoustics there suit Radiohead perfectly. And I love the lawn seating, the open sky and the night air....it really enhances the music for me. The last time I saw Radiohead was on the Hail to the Thief tour (also at the West Palm amphitheater), so it was great to see them again....and I really like the In Rainbows songs. It was the first Radiohead concert for Sailor Boi--she loved it. The other highlights of the 'weekend' were an Olive Oil/Wine festival (very different) and some time shopping/drinking in the Wilton Manors gay neighborhood. I love the South Florida weekend scene--I just couldn't handle working and commuting there on weekdays. I also drug Sailor Boi past my childhood home and my high school.....I hope I didn't bore her too much, but I was really curious how much everything had changed. I guess that's a measure of how serious our relationship is getting--we're sharing childhood memories and photos...at least in small doses! 9:56:13 PM    comment []

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

What a weekend! I worked 11 hours yesterday and also today....and it looks like I will have to work 11 hours tomorrow also. (sigh) I'm exhausted. However, I have to tell you that I had a fabulous weekend......Sailor Boi and I are engaged! We've been talking around it for a couple months, but this weekend I finally decided to go with the flow and quit worrying about ten years down the road. We're not in any real hurry to tie the knot....maybe next spring....but right now I'm enjoying the fun of being engaged. Whew! What a weekend! 10:05:16 PM    comment []

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Photo Wednesday   9:20:05 PM    comment []

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Earth Day My 9-5 is in the education department of a renewable energy research center. So, as you probably imagine I am swamped with requests around Earth Day....everything from talking to the kids at an elementary school to powering an Earth Day festival with photovoltaics (solar-electric). It is impossible to participate in a fraction of these, so we focus on events put on by our University. Which means that tomorrow, I will be standing in the sun explaining to college students the current research being done in solar and hydrogen. But do I really believe in Earth Day or the possibility of a sustainable society? Yes, in the same way that I believe in the Golden Rule....I personally will do my best, I know that not everyone else will live this way or even try very hard, and I think that ultimately human nature will spoil everything. To me, it seems that Earth Day is just a way for people to feel good about the small attempts they make to minimize their negative impact on the environment. I really believe that in the not so far away future the Earth will shrug us off like the vermin we are. Now you can see why my friends don’t talk about this much with me.....and why I try not to talk about this at a party. What a way to bring everyone down! However, if you (like me) want to do the right thing for the future, even if it sometimes seems like less than a drop in the bucket....what can you do? I’m assuming that you don’t have thousands of dollars to spend on solar thermal water heaters, photovoltaic electricity generating systems and a new hybrid car. I know that I don’t right now. I also don’t have the time to raise all my own food, and I don’t have the desire to bicycle to work. For me, the best steps are ones that cost the least in time and money, and hopefully save me money in the process. So here’s a few things I've done that work for me: I put a timer on my electric water heater, turning it on only a couple hours each morning. The water in the tank remained warm all day, and it saved me about 15% on my electric bill. (If you live in an apartment and can’t put a timer on your water heater, you can manually turn it on and off at the breaker) I started turning off my computer. Really. I think I went about five years without ever turning my computer off. Now I turn it off if I am going to be away from it for more than an hour. Then the habit spread and I started looking at other things that got left on or plugged in (things with an ‘instant on’ use electricity even when you aren’t using them)....printers, microwave, dvd player. It’s estimated that these ‘vampire loads’ use 10% of a house’s electricity....I think I saved about that much. I quit using paper products (except for toilet paper of course!). I switched to sponges, an assortment of towels for every purpose, and cloth napkins. I love the cloth napkins! So classy....and those paper products were adding to my grocery bill. I changed my bulbs to compact flourescents. The new generation of CFLs have good color and there are even ones that can be put on a dinner switch. Actually, this was one of the first things I did. Currently, I’m starting to replace a few of my bulbs with LEDs–the next generation of bulbs that are even more environmentally friendly. I strung a clothesline in my backyard where it’s not visible to the neighborhood and I dry my towels and jeans on it. They smell great and I don’t have to run a dryer forever to get my clothes dry. I eat meat-free at least three days a week. I feel healthier, and my grocery bill has gone way down. I quit buying bottled water. I filter and bottle my own. Admittedly, our municipal water is rated one of the best in the state, and I’m sure that helps. Sailor Boi bought me ‘green bags’ to use at the grocery store. They still aren’t a habit....half the time I remember them when I’m in line at the store and they are out in the car!! I still have a way to go on this one. New habits can be hard. Where do I want to go from here? I want either an electric motorcycle or an electric scooter to help with my gas bills!! Hope this helps give you a few new ideas......have a great Earth Day! 9:34:02 PM    comment []

Thursday, April 17, 2008

In the news.... Or not. Personally, I haven’t been too keen on news stories lately–or television for that matter. But that’s a rant for another day. I know that I’m not the only one that is tired of the political minutiae being examined, discussed, analyzed, polled and then re-analyzed and polled again. Snore...... By the time the election gets here we’ll probably know every candidate’s bigoted second grade teacher, what they said to their barber/hairdresser ten years ago, and even whether they like brussel sprouts or not. All this irrelevant crap puts me to sleep. I also don’t need to hear everyday how bad the economy is. I can see it myself....when I go to a store, the gas station, or even when I get my paycheck! Yes, things are screwed right now....so why can’t we have intelligent discussions on what we can do–individually and collectively--to turn things around. And the price of oil? I don’t need to hear everyday that a barrel of oil has broken another record......demand is up, supply is down and the dollar is also down. Of course oil is going up–and it will continue to go up until we can cut our demand. Bad news, yes....but aren’t we adult enough to handle it and do something to change things? And then there is the heart breaking story of the FLDS children. This seems headed for disaster. Why does our society think that ripping a child away (against their will) from their mother and the only life they’ve known is not also child abuse?? How can our society be so self-righteous? Of course we should step in when a child cries out for help and also when there is evidence of abuse. But personally, I can’t see how they have enough evidence to pull 400 children away from their mothers. It seems barbaric to me–like trying to pound in a nail with a rock. So today, when I received a couple feel good pet videos in my mail I watched them with my morning coffee instead of reading the news. And you know, they put a smile on my face instead of making me fume! In case you didn’t receive these, check out An Engineer’s Guide to Cats and these talented bunnies....Wow! 9:07:08 PM    comment []

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

I'm back!! I finished my federal income and business taxes (and my quarterly sales tax), and I feel so good.......a large weight has been removed (at least until next year!) I'm planning on celebrating this weekend. But first I think you deserve a new photo....you've all waited soooo long. So here's one for my horse-loving readers--and I know there are quite a few of you out there! Personally, I can't imagine riding bare bottomed. If any of you have tried it, let me know. I'm curious if it's possible. And here's one for my artsy readers......I know you love black and white beauties! And one more so you'll forgive me for being gone so long!! It's great to be back!   9:42:56 PM    comment []

Monday, April 07, 2008

I’m swamped..... As you’ve noticed, I haven’t posted in a few days, and I’m sorry to say that I also probably won’t be able to post for the next couple of days. This week is tax prep week for my 2 Grrlz business, and my regular 9-5:00 is also in its crazy time of the year. I hate tax filing!! 8:55:58 PM    comment []

Thursday, March 27, 2008

A difficult pregnancy In case you haven’t read it yet, this month’s issue of the Advocate includes an article, “Labor of Love”, by Thomas Beatie about his experience of being a pregnant transman. Thomas, who was born female, is now legally a male and legally married to Nancy, who is unable to become pregnant due to previous medical problems. They wanted children, so they made the decision that Thomas would carry their child. The photo of Thomas with his bulging belly (he’s due in July) is striking. I couldn’t take my eyes off of it. (Check it out) Personally, I believe that every sane, loving person has the right to be a parent if they choose, and it would be wonderful if everyone that wanted to biologically conceive and carry a child could do so. That part is wonderful and causes the sense of awe I feel when I look at Thomas’ pregnant belly. But I also feel for him. It can’t be easy–the discrimination, stares and whispers, and possible threat at the hands of some crazy close-minded person. If it was me, I couldn’t go out in public....I’d lock myself away in my home and live in my loving, rainbow hued world. I wouldn’t be brave enough or secure enough in my own rights to go public. And yet he is....there he is in the Advocate, and now he is being talked about all over the internet. I’m glad I didn’t have to go through all of that to be a mother.....I know I wouldn’t have done it. 9:00:36 PM    comment []