Big Weekend

Wow…it’s a busy weekend. I guess the only real way to end a busy week is with a busy weekend, but I’m going to be totally exhausted by Monday. Friday the PAL (Program and Adult Learning Guide) was due. Our goal was to get 10,000 program slots, but if two weeks ago, we thought we had no shot…we were wrong. We got 15,000 slots. It was a nightmare to type up all those programs though.

Then, due to poor planning on my part, I hosted a wine and chocolate tasting party Friday evening. Even though we had some road closure issues for people trying to get here it was AWESOME. I pulled out all the wine tasting stops with little spit/pour buckets, pairing lists, and wine biscuits (which my dad sometimes eats like bar snacks). I think it was lots of fun though now I had a lot of wine/chocolate left over so if anyone would like to come help me finish them off let me know. Or if someone would like to do their own tasting, I’d be happy to share my knowledge.

A few people stayed late to chat and holy crap next thing we knew it was midnight and oh shit, Kate and I had a fishing derby program the next morning. Next morning, I wake up at 6, not because I have to, but I just do. I go to the fishing derby place and get there at like 8:15. (The program starts at 9). At around 8:20 a whole troop of girls shows up and is like what do we do? This annoys the hell out of me. Hello? You’re 40 minutes early. You’re going to figure out how to entertain your 11 girls, that’s what you are going to do.

The fishing derby went fine. We had a troop show up that was wait listed, but apparently didn’t know they were wait listed. Only trees, hair and rocks got hooked, no flesh wounds so that was good. They actually caught some fish which is always a plus. I was in charge of craft, since I have no idea how to fish. We made little aquarium shadow boxes (mostly because we had a surplus of shoe boxes that some lady had dropped off at our office). Here’s my example.

Shut up! It’s cute. Kate likes my hypodermic needle fish. And yes, I get paid for things like that. Then I went home and slept for two hours. Woke up. Went to dance. Baked some muffins for this baby shower at church. Watched the draft and had my own wine and chocolate party. Since I had been hostessing, I didn’t have a chance to taste anything the night before and wanted to see how I did for my first time (pretty good, I must admit).

Up for tomorrow is church baby shower thing, party clean up (maybe), volunteer banquet and then Arooga’s with Amanda. It’s so tough being popular!

Happy Earth Day!

I started this last year and know that some people have actually used my tips, so here's 25 more simple ways to help save the Earth.

1) Shop for a cause. Many websites sell eco-friendly products or help contribute to the environment. One of my favorite places to shop is the Greater Good Network because not only can you help purchase rainforest with all your shopping, but if the environment isn't your thing, you can also help contribute to literacy or animal rescue or several other causes.

2) Buy bamboo. Bamboo grows really quickly. Today you can buy everything from pajamas to furniture to bowls made out of it. I have a pair of bamboo socks and they're really soft and nice.

3) Keep the refrigerator door closed! This is one of my pet peeves. At work people open the refrigerator, make themselves a sandwich, then ten minutes later put the mustard or whatever back and finally close the door. Do you know how much energy you just wasted!

4) Choose matches over lighters and cardboard matches over wooden matches. If all the cigarettes smoked every day around the world were lit with cardboard matches instead of wood, 5.5 million trees could be saved.

5) If you use dry cleaning, take your hangers back. Most dry cleaners will reuse or recycle the hangers.

6) Borrow instead of buying. Having a party and don't have enough chairs? Borrow some from a neighbor rather than buying some that you will probably never use again.

7) Use fewer paper napkins. I just bought really cute cloth napkins that I use at home. But you don't have to go that far, just don't grab a whole stack next time you're eating out.

8) Subscribe to your favorite magazines rather than purchasing them at a newsstand. 60% of most magazines at a newsstand aren't sold and are hauled off to the landfill.

9) Get high speed Internet! This save time and ultimately gets your computer turned off that much faster.

10) Put your lunch items in reusable containers rather than plastic bags or foil.

11) Use both sides of the paper. I keep all my fliers, etc. that I get in the mail in a pile so that I have scrap paper available whenever.

12) STOP SMOKING! Not only is it bad for you, all those cigarette butts are bad for the earth.

13) Eat vegetarian every once in a while. I like meat as much as the next person, but every once in a while skip the meat on the salad or in the burrito or whatever. Not only will it be cheaper, but it saves an enormous amount of water. It takes about 2500 gallons of water to make one pound of beef!

14) Skip the plastic stirrer. Pour your sugar and milk in first and then add your coffee. Magic! It stirs itself.

15) While on the note of sugar, use containers of loose sugar rather than individual packets.

16) When faxing stuff at work, avoid using the cover page wherever possible. If they know the fax is coming, do they really need that extra sheet of paper?

17) Buy fresh fruit rather than canned. The canning process is at least 10 times more energy intensive than picking fresh fruit.

18) Use old shopping bags for trash rather than buying trash bags. Your spending money on something that's purpose is to be thrown away, does that seem weird to anyone else?

19) At parties, use actual plates, silverware, and cups rather than disposable. Because honestly, how difficult is it to throw that stuff in the dishwasher.

20) Rechargeable batteries. Nuff said.

21) Burn 100% beeswax or soy candles. They burn cleaner and last longer. Plus the crude oil used to make a 16 ounce paraffin candle contains enough energy to power a 60 watt light bulb for 100 hours.

22) Skip the disposable razors. Not only do they tend to rip your skin to shreds, but they're not eco-friendly. Buy a quality razor with refillable blades.

23) Don't ask for a receipt. Whether getting gas or at an ATM, when it says would you like a receipt, hit no.

24) Visit an eco-friendly website for more tips. One of my favorites is treehugger.

25) Spread the word. Now, I'm not talking about being obnoxious about it, but maybe mention why you bring your own lunch bag to work and where you got it to help others out.

A lot of the tips and facts that I've included I took from The Green Book. A great book that had tips in it that I never even thought about before. Highly recommended. Let me know if you want to borrow it.

Letters From Prison (Edition 2)

As I said, I had a request for another edition of letters from prison from my cousin. I will put my comments again in {}. and I will skip over the boring parts. Though all the random jumping around is not me cutting out parts, that's actually how she is writing though most of it is in response to stuff I wrote her.

"You'll have to tell me what you did for Easter, and did eat lots of ham? I could really use some ham right now {and by ham I mean meth}. Well, I do have a radio, but I can't listen to it now because I'm in the hole {ha...she said she's in the hole} but when I get out May 25th {holy crap, you must've done something really shitty to be thrown in there for that long. Did you shank someone? Please let me believe you shanked someone} I'll be able too."

"Did Danielle ever go to college? {yes, but not a 'real' school..jk danielle} Remember that restaurant that was like all shark meat? {uh, no} I still want to go there really bad and to Captain Franks. I really miss going to NC every year {and too bad you don't know we're going back this summer and you can't go cause you're in jail} I'm gonna do that with my family in the future. Isn't Japan in China? {Oh, I'm sorry, that is incorrect, but we have some lovely parting gifts for you.}"

"So how is Molly and Aubrey doing? {those are our other cousins, just to fill you in} I bet they're getting big {they're like 15 and 13. I like how she says they must be getting big like they're 2 months old}. I can't believe how time is flying {yep, time flies when you're in prison} I still feel like I'm 16 {because I don't have my driver's license yet...side note: she's 21}. I wish I could go back to that age I'd do a lot of things different {well, I'd hope so}. I learned a lot since then {obviously not proper verb tenses}."

"I was thinking maybe I'll have to get {steal} a MP3 player or IPOD so I can just download ALL my music instead of worring {yes, she put worring} about burning CDs! Plus I'm so out of date with all that stuff I'm like gramma haha. I don't even know the differance between a IPOD and a MP3 player? And I really want to get {steal} a Wii when I come home to exercise and play games. {oh so many snide comments. so little space}"

"I was wondering if you have any spare time can ya look up somethings {yes, no space there} for me on the Internet? {not a chance in hell} If you can, here's what I'd like: {wow, a colon!} I'm looking for a school in the surrounding PA States (WV,VA,MD,DE,Ohio,RI or PHG) {good job with the state abbreviations until we got to Ohio and what the hell is PHG} that has photography chorse {I think this is supposed to be course} I can take and campus living? and if they don't have any in them areas then anywhere will be fine! and give me about top 3 schools with name, address, location, how long, how much...{someone's getting a little demanding aren't they?} So I can write to them and ask them to send me there info because you can't have Internet printouts here. And I'd like to go stright there after I get out of jail cause I need to further my education {did the fact that you thought Japan was in China tip you off to that} and I think I'd really enjoy photography and won't have to worry about my felonys getting in the way! {really? you think some photo studio is going to just give you thousand dollar photography equipment...or do you just think you're just going to snap a bunch of random pictures and put together a coffee table book.} Please do this for me, thank you so much! {no} as soon as possible will be great! {as soon as never will be better} Do you have an Internet camera that you can print pictures? I want to get {steal} that camera that Ashton Kucher always advertise's! {good to see those marketing people are earning their money. Though I'm not sure young felons was the niche they were going for} Well, I can't wait to hear back from ya! {ditto}"

I'm Super Paranoid

Wow, it's been a long time since I've blogged. Nothing too exciting has been going on in my life. I was sideswiped by my grandma but that's about it. My mom was in town, so that ate up a bunch of my free time.

Anyway, when my mom was in town she purchased a set of 6 antique sundae glasses to give my grandma for Mother's Day and has entrusted them to the care of her trustworthy and loving daughter....me. I guess my mom doesn't realize what a total klutz I am. I mean I've tripped myself on my own pajamas one night. While I was taking the box of glasses out of my car, where my mom had left them. I picked up the gift bag that she had left on top of it, not realizing that the tape securing the newsprint around the one glass was stuck to the bag. So the glass was briefly dangling in mid air in a nest of newsprint until my heart stopped and I grabbed it.

I'm now paranoid about where to put the box of glasses. If I put it on a table or shelf somewhere, I'm scared I'll knock it off. If I put it in a corner on the floor, I'm scared I'll step on it. Also, I have a wine and chocolate party coming up, so I'll have to find a place for it somewhere slightly out of the way. It will be a miracle if all these glasses make it intact to May.

PS I've received a request to continue my letter's from prison series, so hopefully I'll get that up sometime this week.