The Opposite of Green

So today is Earth Day. And leading up to Earth Day, I've been focusing on making changes to my life to be more environmentally responsible. I've got 3 reusable bags that I keep in my car and take whenever I go shopping. Just last week alone, I probably used 30 less bags than I would have by using these bags. Mind you, that probably means I've been shopping too much, but anyhow. I use the bags not only at the grocery store, but also when I shop anywhere else - Office Max, WalMart, even Ann Taylor, Gap, and a couple other clothing stores. I bought two of the bags at Whole Foods (one of the few items that are actually cheaper there than elsewhere - $1). I've been looking into composting, trying to waste less, and recycling even more.

So I figured Earth Day would be a no-brainer, right? Wrong. First of all, I drove to the boys' school to pick them up. On Earth Day. On a beautiful, sunny, 75 degree day! Of course, it's because my eldest had Fencing after school and I wouldn't have enough time to walk home with 2 kids then turn around and pick up the eldest. It just logically wouldn't work out. So I forgave myself. By the time it was time to pick up the eldest, though, my husband came home and went for a walk with the younger two and the dog. They headed to the playground, and so suggested that I drop off #1 on my way home. Well, since he had to go to the bathroom, I drove home, let him use the facilities, then drove down the street - 1 1/2 blocks - to drop him off. In my defense, I had to start dinner, and spent the entire time that they were playing at the playground cooking up a three-course meal (not particularly environmental either, is it?).

But, all was not lost. After putting the boys to bed, my husband and I sat outside and read. We used natural lighting, didn't watch television like we normally would have, and we enjoyed nature. No carbon footprints for that one hour.

But now, we're in the basement, pot lights on, television on, dryer running, computer on. Oh well.

I guess since I've been making strides at being more green in general, I can't be too hard on myself for one particular day. Just like with exercise. What matters is the direction in which I travel.

Summer Goals

I had mentioned earlier that my husband's New Year's Resolution this year was to do nothing. Well, he seems to have modified that somewhat. After a too-busy-to-have-been-doing-nothing winter (I took my son skiing every week, and I got totally into skiing, so that in Park City, when I went for my one day of skiing, I had a blast and was actually bummed that it didn't snow enough after that for me to go out again! I then took on a project for work that took three weeks, including quite a few nights where I stayed up past 1am), my husband and I discussed plans to renovate our kitchen.

Now, those of you who know us may start referring to the kitchen as the Godot room, as in Waiting For Godot. I've never read it (or seen it), but I understand it's all about people waiting for someone to arrive - who never does. For a quick history on our kitchen, here goes. We bought this house despite the kitchen. People reassure us it's nice, it's fine, it's not so bad. Well, I hate it. I hate the wallpaper, the soffits, the laminate countertops, the oak cabinets, the layout, the windows, everything. But, we still bought the house.

We moved in summer 2001. A month later, I had a baby.

Flash forward to Spring 2002. We met with an architect to discuss renovating the kitchen. He went all out on his plan, came up with an awesome design that cost 1/3 the value of the house, and we had to say no. It moved the bathroom, added a hall closet, expanded the kitchen, added a hall to the family room (now office), and redid the steps on the back of the house. It was sweet, but way too expensive. So we said no. We paid the architect, and dropped the idea.

Until the next summer (2003), when we spent less money meeting with Home Depot Expo Design Center. We came up with a design - one that didn't include tearing down any exterior walls - and picked out all the materials and appliances. Then the final quote came in. The labor cost was 2/3 more than the designer had estimated, and pushed the project out of our budget. Instead, we (which includes the awesome Ketan) began finishing our basement. It took a year and a half (during which I was less than fully productive - being pregnant and then on bedrest because of pre-term contractions, probably caused by tearing down lathe-and-plaster ceiling chunks in the basement) but by Thanksgiving 2004, our awesome basement was complete.

2005, we had a choice: we could renovate the kitchen, or, we could build a master bathroom. We had a beautiful wood-floored sunroom off our bedroom, but we rarely used it. It seemed a tragic shame to waste all the windows, and to get rid of such a beautiful room, but with one kid potty-trained and another baby, I foresaw painful days having to share one second-floor bathroom with two children. And, as I like to say, you can cook in an ugly kitchen, but you can't shower in a den. So we got the master bath.

2006. I was pregnant, and on bedrest all summer long (look at my previous entries titled "The Bed-Rest Chronicles" for more about those days). Not a great time to start a big renovation project. By now, we had decided that we would cut out much of the cost by doing the work ourselves (and feeling quite proud of the work we had done in the basement). But clearly, that wasn't going to happen when I was pregnant. So another year bit the dust (kitchen-wise).

2007: I know I've written ad-nauseum about this year (or perhaps you were spared because I was too busy to write) but my sister got married at the end of summer, and my brother got married in October, so we were way too busy to even contemplate the kitchen. Oh yeah, and we considered moving. So we put in a new floor (that used to be one of the things I hated) and replaced the old plain-white refrigerator with a cool side-by-side pseudo-stainless steel one - to help sell the place, but also for us.

So now that we have no weddings this summer (last year, I made my brother-in-law promise not to get married for at least 2 years. He agreed, and I'm holding him to it!), we started discussing kitchen plans. How should we change the layout? Do we gut the kitchen or just replace the countertops and appliances (range and microwave)? What are we doing with the breakfast nook that's totally under-utilized right now? Do we add counter and storage space or turn it into a mudroom? So many questions, so many ideas.


Well, we've all but scrapped those ideas again this year. We're still discussing the mudroom idea, because functionally, we just need one. But the kitchen renovation is on hold, again. Instead, my husband is in training. He's going to do a bike tour. He originally wanted to do a triathlon (and perhaps he still does), but there's nowhere around here to really prepare for the swimming portion, and he really just likes biking. So my spring and summer will be spent occupying the kids so he can ride and finding ways to exercise with them (the elder two are totally into riding their bikes, so maybe I just get a jogging stroller and go with it).

Meanwhile, I've taken on another goal. My kids' school is very Green (check out their website http://www.ruffingmontessori.net to learn more), and I want to be too. I've always been interested in all that saving the earth business, and try to do my part, but it's only been what I can do while maintaining my lazy ways. Well, this summer, I'm going to start composting. Again, in as lazy a way as possible, but nonetheless, the boys learn it at school, and they can certainly help me bring it home.

I'll report back later to let you know how it's going.

Green Bean Butter

So a peanut is a legume, and not a nut, right? So then why can we find almond butter and cashew butter but not green bean butter?

(Incidentally, peabutter does exist, and is touted as "the best tasting alternative to peanut butter")