You Make The Call

What's not to like? Yes, CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Bulbs) are "green". And who can argue over saving $148 in energy over the life of these bulbs? And it was a 25% more-for-your-money pack which is even better! Plus I won't have to change the bulb for 8 years. I like saving money, I like saving the environment, no argument here about global warming, and I have better things to do with my life than do laundry in the dark because the bulb burned out again (Confession: my parents never successfully taught me to turn out the light when I leave the room).

But, seriously, check out that packaging! Nothing "green" about it. Looks to me like someone could have

• put another four bulbs in the space provided
• or found an packaging material that would biodegrade instead of outliving the cockroach.

Opening the pack is completely impossible. I used a very sharp knife to carefully cut away enough of the bubble to gently life the bulb out. I'm not looking forward to getting the others out.

Regular incandescents nest together in those cute little packs and are sooooo easy to store. My cabinet door is currently ajar because this package is too big to fit in the space allotted. Heaven forbid that they eliminate the photo of the well-lit sofa to trim the package size to something more manageable. (I, for one, have always strictly limited my lightbulb choices to ones that would make my sofa look cozy.)

I see in today's news that our lawmakers are considering banning incandescent bulbs permanently by 2012. Hey, help me with something that really would improve my life. How about banning cars with gas mileage less than 40 mpg? Or find just one government accountant that can prove a link between $3/gas and an oil company's highest ever profit. Not only that but perhaps they need to look at the Pandora's box before they open it--CFLs contain mercury and have to be disposed of carefully. (Don't ask me how, I still need to find out myself.) It's minor that CFLs only look good in lamps where you can't see the bulb. They look especially hideous in bathrooms with downfacing fixtures that mirror the bulb so you can feast on twice the ugliness. That's why folks are installing their fixtures upside down. Like me, they'd rather light their ceiling rather than their face if it means looking at an exposed ugly bulb.

I've used these CFLs for a few years now, mostly in places where I burn bulbs out quickly. But they are touchy. One nearly burned down our garage a year ago. Seriously. It melted the ceramic base and spread a lovely ozone odor. It took time to locate the source of the problem and of course we had the bulb on the whole time so we could see. Turns out, you have to grip the base to screw them in, not the spiral top. Otherwise you could weaken the bulb. And the UL label means nothing--you want them to be Energy Star approved.

I'll learn to handle them with kid gloves. I'll figure out how to properly dispose of them and their mercury (more than likely without the help of our garbage company hasn't been helpful with computer disposal to avoid heavy metal contamination).

Can they just package them better?

A Digital World

Here is my first try at Digital Scrapbooking. I have no idea how long it took me, but I have to admit that it was pretty fun. I could not have done it without Shabby Princess dot com. Kudos for the incredible tutorial that pretty much took my hand and guided my steps, as well as the free download that I used as my background paper, photo frames and font.

I'm not throwing out my stash of cardstock, stickers and diecuts because I know I will always enjoy the hands on process. But this is a pretty nice shortcut. I am totally impressed that I even was able to blog my efforts. Hmmm, is this crazyjen's secret to her impressive scrapping output??

I think I'm hooked! I certainly know what I'll be doing this evening...Ctrl O, Ctrl T, drag and layer.

Hookey

I really should be at work. Picture me typing away with a giant grin on my face, because I'm not. (The grin just got larger as I typed that.)

I'm playing hookey, cutting class, being a Bad Girl. And it's kinda fun.

I'm rewarding myself for the angelic patience I've shown post-surgery while waiting for the dressing to come off and the stitches to be removed. And I followed the 11th commandment (Thou Shalt Not Whine) pretty well considering my usual impatience.

The wrist may look like it recently belonged to Dr. Frankenstein with its greenish color and stitches, but the fingers attached to it are fully functional. They move, they type, they feel. Well, mostly. There is still a bit of numbness but it is going away more quickly than I expected (given that I couldn't feel anything with them pre-surgery). There is no more burning, no tingly pins-and-needles.

I can tell I still have plenty of strengthening exercises to do before they can do some simple things like snap fingers, but I think buttons and shoelaces are a definite possibility. The surgeon says lots of massaging the carpal tunnel area to break down scar tissue is a good idea. And I may not be lifting weights for quite some time--maybe 2008?

But I can post on my blog again, I can wear normal long-sleeves on our cooler days, and I am grateful beyond belief that I can wash my hands when a sick kindergartner hurls right next to me.

Flitting away now to enjoy more this playing hookey stuff.

Deal or No?

I'm grateful that Grammy is taking care of me. Cooking meals, etc.

But I'm stuck with Basic Cable and worse yet, she watches Deal or No Deal. Good thing I can entertain myself with blogs while it blasts away in the background, And my gramma used to watch Lawrence Welk so it could be worse.

Veggie Soup a la Fridge

Due to Popular Demand (thanks, Amber!) here is the super simple recipe for quick and easy vegetable soup that not only warms the cockles, but cleans out the fridge too. I learned from my boss' wife to just open a can of Campbell's and then tinker with it. So...

A can of Vegetarian Vegetable (or Minestrone or Vegetable Beef...you get the idea)...open and pour into your soup pot with the requisite can of water.

Open your fridge and look over the leftover containers. Mine happened to contain a can of refried beans, slightly dried out, but still usable. Sometimes there is leftover rice, or a smidge of yesterday's meat, or some spaghetti remnants. Dump in a judicious amount, you don't want to overwhelm the Campbell's, just dress it up. I had about 2 Tbs of refritos added to my can of soup the other day. Dried out beans don't sound too appetizing, right? but put them in and your soup suddenly has some texture and body.

I love fresh veggies in my soup! I grab the bag of frozen peas and another of sweet corn and dump a quarter cup or so into the soup pot. Hey! The soup is looking more colorful already.

My sweetie had some of those little bitty carrots leftover from a trip that were just drying out in the veggie drawer so I just chopped some up, added some water, nuked them in the microwave for about 8 minutes and dumped the result in the soup pot.

Somehow my spice rack came into view at this point and I chose to add a sprinkle of cumin and another of garlic powder, but I frequently choose some oregano or basil, it just depends on my mood.

Grammy had just dug her potatoes--little bitty guys--so I cooked them in my trusty microwave and chopped them up, skins and all, and added them to my bubbling pot. She and I both planted zucchini this year and while she is willing to add them to her cookie dough I believe you have to draw the line somewhere. Zucchini, after all is a vegetable. I love to grate my zucchini and microwave it with a little water, so I added a couple spoonfuls to my soup pot.

If I'm in the right mood, I'll start dinner early and let things simmer on the stove for ages. This was not one of those times...so I just ladled it into our biggest bowls, sprinkled some parmesan cheese on top and set them on the table. I put some whole wheat bread in the toaster for me and my sweetie grabbed the saltines for himself.

Twenty minutes, folks, start to finish. Savory, hearty, delicious, healthy and easy. We've been known to call it Kitchen Sink Minestrone because the best minestrone I've ever had (in a little restaurant along the Russian River in northern California) was constructed along those lines. This is one to play with and the ever-changing contents of the fridge make it fun. Remember, it's not brain surgery and Martha Stewart isn't gonna grade the end result. Enjoy!

Soup

Made some.

Yummy!

No complaints because the weather is cooler and rainy or because it's really officially Autumn and summer is already a distant memory or that the garden has slowed to a crawl with fewer flowers and veggies that ripen in geologic time.

Why? Cause I actually get to cook something different! Farewell to the summer menu of dinners whose primary requirement is that they don't heat up the kitchen. Hello to pots of apples transforming into sauce, to soups simmering on the burner, to chili from scratch and stew and...and...comfort foods.

Love change, hate boredom.

By the way, the veggie soup had leftover refried beans, grated zucchini, white corn, peas, fresh potatoes skin and all, and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese. It's still sticking to my bones and warming my marrow.

Spoiled

This is my car. It sparkles. It shines. It is clean inside and out. Even the tires shine.

I did not wash, wipe or vacuum one square inch to get it that way. I'm the one with carpal tunnel, remember. I am not allowed to clean because that would mean using my fingers, hands and wrists. That would be very very bad and my OT would not be happy.

Those two lovely men were a gift. They came to me. They brought a trailer filled with lovely cleaning juices and magical potions. (For the car, people; what would I do with car shampoo, wax and Armor-all? No, wait, don't answer.) They had their work cut out for them and worked for well over an hour removing dirt, dust, garden soil, rock chips, dried soccer grass, pollen, and a year of puppy.

It's called Detailing (courtesy of last year's morning class) and I love it.