Questions about Recycling

George and I have tried very hard to be good at recycling, and 'going green'. Here's some of the ways we try to help the environment (and all of US along the way):
-drive a Toyota Prius
-save energy by driving the speed limit (or under)
-using coupons when buying groceries, etc. (also buying store brands and their specials)
-not using our dryer very often (using racks and lines around the house); NOTE: Our community does not allow outside clothes lines.
-seldom use our air-conditioner in summer or our furnace in winter (use fans in summer for cross-ventilation, and wood fires in our fireplace in winter)
-washing clothes in cold water
-have our own compost ---for rich dirt for our roses and flowers
-purchased triple-paned windows and doors a couple of years ago--which help save energy
-recently, because of SUZANNE (click on her name to see her great blog), we finally started using our own reusable bags when we go shopping
-we have different containers so that we can separate items to take to our county recycling center once a week (plastics, cardboard, cold drink cans, paper, etc.)






NOW---after saying all of that , I know that there is still alot more that we could do.. BUT---we do pretty good compared to many folks these days. One thing that really bothers me is that, just recently, our county recycle center has told us that we can only recycle No. 1 and 2 plastics. Good Gosh.... Have you ever tried to take time to check and see which of your plastics have a No. 1 or 2 on them?????? What a hastle.... George says that our county must have a contract with a plastic company that only takes No. 1 and 2 plastics (the heavier ones).


SO---'they' WANT us to recycle. Right????? How many busy people are going to take time to separate plastics??? And now---we are having to throw away (in our garbage) some great plastic items such as cottage cheese or butter containers, or yogurt containers, etc. etc. etc.... We (I'm sure you do also) use ALOT of plastics. We didn't mind recycling plastics ---but now, we have to throw away more than we can recycle. What's up with that????? Anyone know?????? Makes me so upset!!!!!


IF 'they' (the Powers-that-be in our county/country) want us all to recycle, someone had better come up with a better solution... What say you????


Hugs,

What is her Name????

Oh how we love our Garmin!!!!! When we bought a GPS a year or two ago, I wasn't really sure that we needed one. GEE--was I wrong!!!! The Garmin is fabulous for us --since we love traveling on back roads instead of interstates. AND---it's also great at helping us find waterfalls that may be WAY back in the woods/mountains.

It's great especially when we find short-cuts (since we usually ask the GPS to take us the shortest distance rather than the fastest way). Many times these great short-cuts are not even on maps. Recently, when we were coming from North Georgia to Knoxville, the GPS even took us a new way ---where we could by-pass Chattanooga. That was SO neat---and something we had never done before.

Most of you know that we NAME things around our home. Our car is Mrs. P (Prius); my new laptop is Polly; etc. SO---our GPS is named Miss Barbeak... You are gonna ask where in the world we got THAT name!!!! Right????? So now you know that there's a story unfolding!!!! Here it is!!

The first day or so that we got our GPS, George was busy playing with it and learning about it. He wanted to check it out---so he looked for restaurants in our area listed on the GPS.. One of those restaurants was Buddy's Barbecue.. SO---we got in the car and told the GPS to take us there. We have the GPS programmed to a little lady's voice... She took us exactly the correct way to the restaurant.. But--when we got there, she said this: "Turn right and enter Buddy's BARBEAK"...... George and I laughed and laughed ---that this poor little lady did not know about Bar-be-cue... From that day on, she received that NAME.

Wherever overseas they make these GPS's---I'm sure they try their best to get the pronunciations right, but many times, they do not... Even the name of our street (which definitely is a weird name) is hard for Miss Barbeak to pronounce. Our street name is Baltusrol Road. (It even took me awhile to learn this one!!!)... When we say the word, we run it together and put the emphasis on the 'rol'... When Miss Barbeak says it, she puts the emphasis on the "tus" part.... SO funny!!!


There have been a few times that Miss Barbeak takes us the wrong way. One time, when we were in Georgia, she tried to take us over a mountain on a road that is NO LONGER THERE.... We had driven back-back-back in the mountains --the road gradually getting bumpier and more narrow. Finally, when Miss Barbeak told us to turn left, WELL---there was NO ROAD there.... Maybe at one time there was a road there, but not now. We had to turn around and go back to the main road and tell her to 'detour'....

One time, we were driving on a back road and there was a wreck ahead of us, so they had the road closed. We just told Miss Barbeak to find another way---and she did. WONDERFUL!!!

The best thing for George is when he can tell Miss Barbeak to "SHUT UP"---and she doesn't even get mad. Besides his mother and daughter, George has THREE women in his life: me, Mrs. P, and Miss Barbeak..... There's only one of us who will talk back to him. Wonder which one that is?????? ha ha ha
IF you travel alot --especially if you enjoy the back roads, get a Garmin. Don't waste your money on a cheaper one because they will only tell you enough to get you confused!!!!! Garmin should give us some money for advertising for them---but this really is a GREAT GPS.

Hugs,