In Which I Beg Forgiveness

Poor Tree. I misunderstood you. Texass is a fucked up place, and you have ever right to pick your own seasons.

So yeah, after several days of 65, 70, 80 degree weather, we had a feisty wind and thunderstorm. The next day it snowed, sleeted, and was all around nasty. Today it is 70 degrees.

I am so sorry, you poor poor tree.

Now I'm going to make a tinfoil hat and walk to my voting location.

The Trees Are Confused

There is a very confused tree outside my window. There are, as far as I can tell, four different species of deciduous tree outside my window, which provide me with a nice view. These trees are one of the reasons I am still living in this apartment complex. Its very nice and well maintained, but not "manicured."

So each of these species of tree follow a different timetable for dropping leaves, each has a different idea of when spring has arrived. This I take to be normal. One shed its leaves early, and just this week came alive again. Its bright green leaves are catching the evening sun today. The tree next to it dropped blazing red leaves in three windy weeks in early January. Even so, you can see its buds starting to form this first day of March. To the other side, the tree that dropped leaves without notice in late December has bulbous spongy growth at the tip of each branch.

Then we come to the oddball. As spring springs into action all around, this stubborn plant has yet to drop leaves. Until today.

Then the lazy birdwatching. Its always fun to have a bird join you in birdwatching. He gets very excited about his wild counterparts. Right now there's a dusky pinkish lady cardinal in the crazy tree. She is undoubtedly confused by its behavior.

The weather is a joy right now. I would go running like I did last weekend, but my hot water has gone out for the second time this week. The office is closed, so I won't have a hot shower until Monday afternoon.

Now, I'm off to buy potatoes and pork chops, because I've denied this craving for long enough already.

Rambling About School

So most people can crack their knuckles, pop their back, etc. I can (inadvertently) pop my tailbone. It's not a good sensation by any means, but it never really bothered me until now. This summer, Lab lasts 3 hours, and standing all that time is making my tailbone hurt really badly. I've tried various stretches, even did a little yoga today. Yesterday I took a large dose of OTC pain reliever and an Icy Hot patch. It helped eventually, but nobody likes a "burning sensation" that low on their "back," if you know what I mean.

Speaking of Lab, I spent all day Thursday repeating the same reaction 6 times for no very good reason. That put me a day behind most of the rest of the class. I made up a little today, completing Group 3 in 1 day with time to spare. I used that spare time to finish the paperwork for Group 2 lab. May take a moment I say just how much I hate Redox? Because I HATE REDOX! Also, halfway through Lab today, I realized I was wearing sandals, so I spent the rest of the time carefully angling my feet out of view of others. Oops. I survived, despite being nearby during our daily broken-glass incident. It was just hot boiling water, but sometimes its acidic or very basic solutions.

Side note, a comment I left at Shakesville:
Please consider placing a decorative sticker or ornament on your window to keep the birds from crashing into it.
The biology/chemistry building I have classes in this summer has large plate windows on the 2nd floor. You can see bird carcases in various states on the ledge below the window, a large crack in the glass, and impact “smudges” on the glass. Last week we actually saw it happen and the poor bird was still alive enough to crawl to the ledge and fall to the ground. It was very sad for me to watch. I find it kind of twisted that the biology department wouldn’t take steps to prevent it.

Saving the Environment

This is a summary-comment list I put together from a Time.com article called 51 Ways to Save the Environment. I left out a few that were primarily government or corporate initiatives. Most were about power plants and ways of regulating emissions. I really think they should have separated the two ideas, and most were about regulating power plant emissions and carbon-taxes. They were also redundant. Anyway, my comments follow a short blurb from each entry.

2. Get Blueprints For a Green House If you begin thinking green at the blueprint stage, low-tech, pragmatic techniques will maximize your new home's efficiency.
If I'm ever a homeowner, I probably won't build my own, I would renovate an existing structure.

3. Change Your Lightbulbs - CFLs cost three to five times as much as conventional incandescent bulbs yet use one-quarter the electricity and last several years longer.
I replaced all the burnt-out bulbs in the apartment with CFL's, but I'm waiting for the rest to burn out before replacing them, otherwise its just another form of waste IMHO.

6. Ditch the Mansion - A typical new single-family home in the U.S. is nearly 2,500 square feet today, up from about 1,000 square feet in 1950, even as the average household has shrunk from 3.4 to 2.6 people.
This is one I feel pretty strongly about. STOP BUILDING OR MOVING TO HUGE HOUSES YOU GREEDY OVERPAID BASTARDS!

7. Hang Up a Clothes Line - [also] wash your clothes in warm water instead of hot, and save up to launder a few big loads instead of many smaller ones.
The clothes line option is out, as we live in an apartment. I do all my washing in cold water. I don't sort, so I can have a full load per week. Also, you (and I) should switch to powder detergents from liquid (oil product). I will once I've used up the giant 9 Liter I got on sale. Maybe in 2010 then.

8. Give New Life to Your Old Fleece - [They] melt [it] and make into new fabric and clothes. Some of that fleece is especially virtuous, starting out as fabric made from recycled plastic.
I had no idea what fleece was made of. Wow. Also, I don't own any, so moot point.

9. Build a Skyscraper - Bank of America...When it's finished next year, the tower will be the second highest in the city, but it stands alone as the greenest building in New York.
See #15
10. Turn Up the Geothermal Heat - This geothermal system taps into water that is a relatively stable 55 degrees F and transfers that heat to warm the building in the winter and cool it in the summer. The building's roof is covered in easy-to-maintain plants and grasses, and has two heliostat mirrors, which track the sun and direct its rays into the building, reducing the use of artificial lights during the day.
The first part is just pretty cool. The second part includes things I suppose a upper-middle class person could do with their house.

11. Take Another Look at Vintage Clothes - Buying a shirt the second time around means you avoid consuming all the energy used in producing and shipping a new one and, therefore, the carbon emissions associated with it. Every item of clothing you own has an impact on the environment.
Sadly, the second-hand shops here don't carry much that's worth the drive to downtown. I pretty much grew up on thrift store clothes though, so maybe I get a pass on this one for awhile.

12. Capture the Carbon - What if coal-fired plants stopped spewing their carbon dioxide fumes into the air and instead sequestered them—pumped them deep into the ground for storage?
Makes me think of those tires they "recycled" for use as coral-reef builders, that actually created an ecological disaster by destroying coral. Hopefully long-term consequences are in the forefront here.

13. Let Employees Work Close to Home - a program that helps firms slash the time employees spend driving by matching them with work closer to home.
Better yet, work from home, depending on the type of work you do. I think its pretty nuts to commute more than 20 minutes to work, hopefully I never will have to.

14. Ride the Bus - Public transit saves an estimated 1.4 billion gal. of gas annually, which translates into about 14 million tons of CO2.
I don't think I've seen a public bus in San Angelo. There are these tourist trolleys, like in St. Joe. I rode the city bus throughout High School, it was a pretty miserable experience taking 2 hours to go 15 minutes across town.

15. Move to a High-Rise - The Big Apple is home to the greenest citizens in the U.S. Relatively few New Yorkers own cars. Eight million New Yorkers are squeezed into 301 sq. mi.—less than a fortieth of an acre per person.
I would hate living in such a major city as they are now, but I am really optimistic about http://nymag.com/news/features/30020/ and also about making a whole city within one huge skyscraper. Yeah yeah yeah, you think I'm crazy.

16. Pay Your Bills Online - [and] direct-deposit your paycheck.
I do both, and all my bills are automatically paid. Learned to do that the hard way. The only bill that isn't online now is the rent/water, and I walk 20 feet or so to pay it.

17. Open a Window - Open a window instead of running the AC. Adjust the thermostat a couple of degrees higher in the summer and lower in the winter. Caulk and weatherstrip all your doors and windows. Insulate your walls and ceilings. Use the dishwasher only when it's full. Install low-flow showerheads. Wash your clothes in warm or cold water. Turn down the thermostat on the water heater.
I love open windows in the spring, but Michael complains. Now that it's summer, our thermostat is set at around 79 degrees, and you'd think I was locking him in a sauna. Buying the bird pretty much set things now, because he needs a temp of around 79-82 (i think, can't find a reference). We should get low-flow showerheads, and the front door really needs to be sealed better from drafts.

18. Ask the Experts For An Energy Audit of Your Home - A home energy audit, which most utility providers will do free of charge, will tell you the amount of power your household consumes and what you can do to reduce it.
Interesting, but I doubt they would do it for free. I guess I'm cynical like that.

19. Buy Green Power, At Home or Away - More than 600 utilities in 37 states offer green energy, but unless you read the fine print on your bill, you may not know if your power company is one of them.
I know we researched power companies for this when we moved here, but then I think we switched companies later and didn't check. I know this company indicates clearly on our bill what percent comes from what source. I admit to not checking it in a very long time. (hey, its automated online billing, I don't look at my bills anymore)

20. Check the Label - Energy Star, a rating system by the Environmental Protection Agency. Approved products can be pricier, but they cost less to power.
Our old fridge was Energy Star, and the washer, dryer and microwave are too.

21. Cozy Up to Your Water Heater - Wrapping your heater in an insulated blanket—one costs about $10 to $20 at home centers—could save your household about 250 lbs. in CO2 emissions annually. If the surface feels warm to the touch, get your heater an extra blankie.
Mine's not hot to touch, and I would have to get maintenance to adjust the temp because there is no simple knob on this one. The water is a bit warmer than necessary in the morning.

22. Skip the Steak - Which is responsible for more global warming: your BMW or your Big Mac? Believe it or not, it's the burger. Cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, etc.
We had burgers just tonight. I am trying to cut down, but its hard to decide what to eat when really everything has a different kind of ecological impact. Shrimp are out forever because they can only be caught by bottom-trawling which is super-bad. Other forms of fish are being caught to extinction. Vegetarians don't get "complete" proteins...what to do? Bender says "Kill all humans..."

24. Just Say No to Plastic Bags - Reducing your contribution to plastic-bag pollution is as simple as using a cloth bag.
I have two large and three small cloth bags. I forget them almost every time I go to the store. Bad TJ! Seriously, many places are starting to outlaw/discourage plastic bags also because they are made from oil and the cost is becoming prohibitive for stores. Its an all-around good thing to do anyway.

25. Support your local farmer - How do you find them? Search localharvest.org by ZIP code for farmers' markets, greengrocers and food co-ops in your area.
Here in a West Texass town, we have all of one listed on that site. They aren't even a real farmer's market, just some people who park on a street corner to sell watermelons. I find this both odd and annoying.

26. Plant a bamboo fence - Bamboo makes a beautiful fence, and because it grows so quickly (as much as 1 ft. a day or more, depending on the species), it absorbs more CO2 than, say, a rosebush.
No house, no yard, no bamboo fence. I do have a small bamboo plant inside though. I should water it sometime this month.

28. Have a green wedding - For example, if your guests are traveling long distances, offset the carbon emissions from their trips with a donation to renewable—energy projects.
Isn't that nice? Not sure why this is a separate item, since carbon-offsets are already addressed.

29. Remove the tie - If U.S. businesses eased off on their arctic-level air-conditioning, the gains could be significant. Time to make every summer day casual Friday?
Women in the office would appreciate that as well, as they wear those hideous dresses and open-toed shoes and maybe have poor circulation to their hands. But then, nobody cares about women who work.

30. Shut off your computer - A screen saver is not an energy saver.
I usually shut my laptop off, but if I forget its okay. I participate in SETI@home, currently residing at http://boinc.berkeley.edu/ which also lets you help with various projects for universities, corporations, or individuals.

31. Wear green eye shadow - Cargo Cosmetics launched PlantLove, a botanical lipstick packaged in a 100% biodegradable tube made of...a corn-based renewable resource. When the tube is empty, plant it in the ground, and it sprouts flowers.
First, that's neat. Second, no amount of neat will get me to wear makeup.

32. Kill the Lights At Quitting Time - could cut carbon emissions by reducing electricity use, not to mention extending equipment life and lowering maintenance costs.
I used to do this at work, but now I don't work so nanananana! *ahem*

34. Rake in the Fall Colors - using that motorized hurricane for just an hour still sucks down 1 pt. of gas and oil. With more than 30 million acres of lawn in the U.S., it's a high price to pay for a job that can be done almost as well, if somewhat more slowly, with a rake.
The apartment maintenance uses these damn things for clearing the walkways, presumably. To me they just make noise when I want to sleep in and blow debris onto my car window.

35. End the Paper Chase - It [recycled paper] uses 60% less energy than virgin paper. Each ton purchased saves 4,000 kW-h of energy, 7,000 gal. of water and 17 trees, and a tree has the capacity to filter up to 60 lbs. of pollutants from the air.
I use lots of paper because I'm a student and I screw up lots of print jobs and take lots of notes. I don't recycle paper. I know, I know...

37. Think Outside the Packaging - You can reduce the amount of packaging with a little consumer vigilance. Give back the extra napkins or unwanted sugar packets; carry that gallon of milk by its handle
I feel like I throw away so much excessive crap even when I buy from the grocery store. But then I bought Steak Express meals the other day and I swear 3/4 of it was packaging for the food and condiments and it was sooo incredibly wasteful. Never ordering there again.

39. Make Your Garden Grow - Use non-fossil-fuel-derived fertilizers in home gardens.
No yard, no garden. I'm not very good at growing things anyway.

41. Fill'er Up With Passengers - carpool, ride the bus, walk or bike to work, or work a compressed workweek.
Not exactly practical for me. Have I ever mentioned how I tried riding a bike to work. 1 mile, and I couldn't sit right for a week. Also, I have no friends to ride to school with, and I have a problem trusting people to carpool with. So I'm hoping to buy a smaller, more efficient car someday.

42. Pay For Your Carbon Sins - Unlike mandatory allowances, offsets allow consumers to pay voluntarily to reduce carbon emissions by a quantity equal to their estimated contribution.
Its iffy on whether these offsets actually go to a good cause, and it just shifts the problem without solving it.

43. Move to London's New Green Zone
Inviting, but impossible at this time.

44. Check Your Tires - Just giving your engine a tune-up can improve gas mileage 4% and often much more.
My car is serviced on a regular basis. However, I don't check my own tires' air pressure. I'm never sure if I'm doing it right, and it doesn't seem worth the hassle, despite the fact that all my uncles have been mechanics at some point.

45. Make One Right Turn After Another - The time spent idling while waiting to turn against oncoming traffic burns fuel and costs millions each year. A software program maps a customized route for every (UPS) driver to minimize lefts.
Doing this would require that I drive even more, and I don't drive much. My daily route has me waiting for a left turn once each way.

46. Plant a Tree in the Tropics - Recent studies have shown that trees in temperate latitudes...actually have a net warming effect on the climate. The heat that dark leaves absorb outweighs the carbon they soak up.
Well that's more of a negative than helpful advice. I guess they mean give to charities that plant trees in the tropics, because otherwise we would dump CO2 in the air by flying down there to do it ourselves.

48. Drive Green on the Scenic Route - rent hybrids and bio-fuel cars when on vacation
Only really available in major major cities like London and LA. I've never been there but it sounds good for frequent travellers. I've gone on vacation once in my adult life, so...
50. Be aggressive about passive - Extra insulation and state-of-the-art ventilation recycle the energy from passive sources such as body heat, the sun and household appliances to warm the air.
The day I have the money to build my own home. Besides, didn't they say we're all supposed to live in New York high-rises?

Home

I just cannot fully describe how good it feels to be home. Just crossing the TX/OK border gave an instant feeling that everything was greener, fuller, beautiful. Driving through Kansas was amazing, and all you people who say Kansas is boring and flat can go stick their fingers in their eyes. I got South End's typical less than rosy welcome, and I know alot has changed. I just felt so strange driving into a hometown that I can't remember how to get around.

If I hadn't been driving, I would have taken pictures. Maybe Traci can drive the turnpike on the way back.

Oh man, how I dread going back to shabby Texass.

Thunk

Because blogging is no fun unless you post 3 times a day.

I mentioned the hummingbirds earlier today, cute little inch-long things that I originally mistook for freakishly large bugs. I almost died for a second.

Anyway, they're wonderful, and mightily attracted to the 12-foot tall bush that has been perfuming my house. You may recall.

All day long, I've been hearing these random thunks against the window. Didn't really think anything of it. Didn't connect it with the birds. I'm an idiot sometimes. I've had the blinds and curtains all the way open all day to better enjoy the beautiful day, and the poor little things...

Anyway, I lowered the blinds. I feel so bad.

Another Day In The Life

So, I've spent a pleasant day lounging in the sun, enjoying the flower smell. Watching the hummingbirds, finishing a book, watching Outer Limits. *Sigh.

I had to be at the clinic at 7:30 this morning though. They acted like it was supposed to be an actual physical, but no, just a records review. Waste of time. Not that I minded not having to strip and all, because they kept asking me what this or that meant on my records. Ummm aren't you supposed to know that?? Idiots.

Currently reading : Cosmic Cocktails By Denise Little Release date: By 05 December, 2006

Recipe Ideas

I found this site that sells edible flowers, but it doesn't say what some of them taste like. I was hoping to find something local. Maybe that tiny farmers market downtown will have some.

These recipe ideas are based on the lovely fragrance wafting through my house. This afternoon after school, I walked into the apartment and detected a faint floral scent. At first I thought of my birthday bouquet, but it wilted and I threw it out yesterday. Later, I opened the front room window, and it was wonderful. There's some sort of bush with glossy dark leaves and clusters of fragrant white blooms. I'm inspired to bake something with a floral scent. Not now of course, because I'm trudging through some more Related Rates problems, but soon. Soon, my friends.

Rose-Lemon Glazed Cake
Plus a recipe for candied rose petals. Mmmmm.

Edible Flower Recipes
Has several recipes including: FLORAL LIQUEUR, FLOWER BUTTER(good for making butter cookies!), FLOWER SYRUP...

Lavendar Recipes
Lavender Cookies

2 eggs
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lavender leaves
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
confectioner's sugar
rosewater

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Put eggs, margarine, sugar and lavender into blender and run on low until well mixed. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl. Add other ingredients and stir until well blended. Drop dough a teaspoon at a time onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake until lightly browned. Blend enough rosewater into the confectioners sugar to make a smooth frosting. Ice the cookies and let them set until frosting is firm.

Ahh! A Bat!

In my apartment. I'm pretty sure he squeesed himself through a bend in the window's screen frame. First thing I know is a *squeek squeek squeek* but its dark except for the tv. Then I see the little guy flying around the living room. He flew off down the hall and into the bedroom, I think. I turned off the fan so he wouldn't get hit with the blades, turned on the light, and as he flew back down the hallway I opened the door. He took another lap around the living room and flew out.

Freaky but cool. I was watching Planet Earth.

Currently watching : Planet Earth - The Complete BBC Series Release date: By 24 April, 2007

Let Me Eat Cake

I'm sure you're all sick of hearing from me. Bla-bla-frickitey-blog. Oh well, I'm sure you will learn to cope.

The Summer/Fall course schedule dropped Friday, but it wasn't supposed to until tomorrow, so I didn't realize until I randomly logged in. I think I just spent 2 hours deciding on my schedule. I fear it will be drastically changed upon academic advising. Oh well, at least I feel like I've accomplished something tonight.

Did I tell you about the bat? There was a bat.

I made Tiramisu last night, and had it for dessert today.
PKW is on. To sleep or not to sleep? I need to meet with my Cal1 teacher tomorrow at 10am. But the moooviieeee!!!! We have it on dvd anyway, why am I watching this with commercials?? I'm going to snack on another piece of Tiramisu and then go to bed. For Real. Goodnight.

Currently watching : Farscape - The Peacekeeper Wars Release date: By 18 January, 2005

Sharks

I found this interesting because we went to the Okinawa Expo Aquarium in about 2003 or 2004. They had recently renovated the main tank. It was absolutely enormous, 3 stories tall. It contained a multitude of large and small species, including a whale shark and a large ray. I have a picture here, but not of the whale shark. The tank was so big, you can't see everything inside at once.



Science Blogs' Frontal Cortex
When we have to force feed our enclosed animals, something has gone very wrong. But the Atlanta aquarium isn't the first place to struggle with keeping whale sharks alive in captivity.

A study of 16 whale sharks kept at the Okinawa Expo Aquarium from 1980 to 1998 found they survived, on average, 502 days in captivity.

"We don't know enough about whale sharks to say we can keep them alive for long periods of time in a captive environment," said Jason A. Holmberg, a scientist with the Earthwatch Institute who is studying whale sharks in the Ningaloo Reef in Australia. "The expectation is that if you put a whale shark in an aquarium, it's a death sentence."

In response to Chloe:

Is Goonies the one with the big dog? I dunno, I'm a complete outcast on 'classic' movies like that.

I've had volunteer work that made me feel bad, especially visiting old people, especially vets, especially during the holidays. But some makes me feel good, like tutoring kids, which is weird, because I despise other people's offspring.

I hate dogs. Destructive disgusting beasts.
Also hate cats. Evil disgusting beasts.

When I eventually live a settled life, I want to get an African Gray Parrot.

I was at a public bathroom an hour ago that smelled like maybe the sanitary napkin trash hadn't been taken out. Rotten un-ladylike odor...

I've only eaten (i originally typed eated) Thai food twice, because even the 'not spicy' food burns my tongue off.

Random, completely unrelated information:
I didn't eat any lunch today, but I did take a lunch break.
My arms hurt.
I have 3 homework assignments due on Monday, and 2 due on Tuesday.
Today is Sci-Fi Friday.
Micheal and I are looking for an apartment to move into in December.
Ants. Fucking Ants.
There are no curry restaurants in San Angelo.
Scratch- There are no good restaurants in San Angelo.

The Ants Go Marching...

As the vaccum roars to life and the horrific tube of death approaches, the ants struggle as fast as their little legs can carry them. Their tiny minds are overwhelmed with the idea that such a vile machine can even exist. "I don't want to believe in a universe that contains this horrible thing!!"

*Shwoop...*

Yeah, well I don't want to live in Texas. I guess you should've thought of that before you walked into my damn house and bit me. Fukkers.

Okay, while there are actually ants swarming about my feet, I'm starting to think some of this is in my head. Now that I know they're there and I've been bit a few times, I'm getting these creapy-crawly feelings all the time. Maybe its the ants, but maybe my husband has been gone for 3 weeks and I havn't had a reason to shave my legs...

11:15pm, Homework Status: 45%

Wow

Jackalopes are REAL??!!
And Wake Island is real too, but not for long.

I read most of this last night before I went to bed. Thought provoking.