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Carbon Footprint Challenge, etc.
Nov. 25th, 2006 11:42 pmToday I saw "Flushed Away," an Aardman film, which I hoped I would like as much as Wallace and Gromit. But no. I didn't really like anyone except the mime. I also may have liked some of the other French frogs and the slugs, but I didn't really get to know any of them. Our hero was fun at first, but as soon as the second big character appeared, ick.
R. liked both of the main characters, especially that they weren't helpless or idiotic. True.
I also did some "gardening." I watered my newish plants and yanked over two hundred helpless baby plants out of the ground.
I also started the Carbon Footprint Challenge. I don't really like the timing--I should be spending my time on fixing the house, the weight, and the job, but this looks really cool.
You start off with a pretest of the carbon emissions you use. My results show me using only about half as much as the average American, which isn't saying much. For example, I still use half again as much as the average French person.
Then there are suggestions for each week for ten weeks. I got through the automobile ones and promised to check my tire pressure monthly. All my tires have 25 pounds per square inch right now. I looked up the pressure I'm supposed to have in the car repair book I bought for my car, but it just said to look in the manual. I don't have a manual. So I looked in the driver's side door jamb and on the tires. Nothing. But since I just got new tires and they all are at 25 psi, then that must be right. Right?
Wrong. R. said cars like mine usually want 32 psi. He found the specs inside my glove compartment. Brother. So I'll be filling those up soon.
I wouldn't promise to check my air filter monthly. I just change it when I change my oil. (Actually R. does.) But I did get R. to show me where it was. It's a tiny rectangular thing on this car with three screws on the sides of the compartment rather than the big round thing with the big butterfly nut I'm used to.
I also wouldn't promise to drive 25 fewer miles per month. I've actually decided that since my car gets better mileage, when R. and I go somewhere, we should take my car. Now that we don't need AC so much, R. can stand it. And since he loves his truck and I really don't like me car, it means my car will wear out quicker, and that's good, right?
I'm sure I can learn to like my car more as I get to know it. I've had it a while now (2 years?) but haven't driven it much. We'll see.
Next on the Carbon Footprint Challenge is home energy use. Actually, I think the Challenge is in its fourth week or so now. I'll catch up.
Meanwhile I'm still reading the archives of the Questionable Content cartoon I linked to earlier.
And we also went and visited a friend and had another wonderful Thanksgiving dinner outside on the porch with candles. And watched "Zatoichi" which I remember really liking but which is really just another bloodbath swordfight movie. It's just that the hero is an old, decrepit-looking blind guy (I love that) and there's lots of superfluous (to me--I'm probably missing some important cultural symbolism) percussion that I really like.
R. liked both of the main characters, especially that they weren't helpless or idiotic. True.
I also did some "gardening." I watered my newish plants and yanked over two hundred helpless baby plants out of the ground.
I also started the Carbon Footprint Challenge. I don't really like the timing--I should be spending my time on fixing the house, the weight, and the job, but this looks really cool.
You start off with a pretest of the carbon emissions you use. My results show me using only about half as much as the average American, which isn't saying much. For example, I still use half again as much as the average French person.
Then there are suggestions for each week for ten weeks. I got through the automobile ones and promised to check my tire pressure monthly. All my tires have 25 pounds per square inch right now. I looked up the pressure I'm supposed to have in the car repair book I bought for my car, but it just said to look in the manual. I don't have a manual. So I looked in the driver's side door jamb and on the tires. Nothing. But since I just got new tires and they all are at 25 psi, then that must be right. Right?
Wrong. R. said cars like mine usually want 32 psi. He found the specs inside my glove compartment. Brother. So I'll be filling those up soon.
I wouldn't promise to check my air filter monthly. I just change it when I change my oil. (Actually R. does.) But I did get R. to show me where it was. It's a tiny rectangular thing on this car with three screws on the sides of the compartment rather than the big round thing with the big butterfly nut I'm used to.
I also wouldn't promise to drive 25 fewer miles per month. I've actually decided that since my car gets better mileage, when R. and I go somewhere, we should take my car. Now that we don't need AC so much, R. can stand it. And since he loves his truck and I really don't like me car, it means my car will wear out quicker, and that's good, right?
I'm sure I can learn to like my car more as I get to know it. I've had it a while now (2 years?) but haven't driven it much. We'll see.
Next on the Carbon Footprint Challenge is home energy use. Actually, I think the Challenge is in its fourth week or so now. I'll catch up.
Meanwhile I'm still reading the archives of the Questionable Content cartoon I linked to earlier.
And we also went and visited a friend and had another wonderful Thanksgiving dinner outside on the porch with candles. And watched "Zatoichi" which I remember really liking but which is really just another bloodbath swordfight movie. It's just that the hero is an old, decrepit-looking blind guy (I love that) and there's lots of superfluous (to me--I'm probably missing some important cultural symbolism) percussion that I really like.