Up North (& Out There doing it)

Eco-Win for me

I really dislikee throwing things out. Especially since living in a house, rather than an APT, I'm really conscious about how much we're putting out on the curb.

I'm not a extreme environmentalist. If I use something and enjoy it (assuming that its not terrible for the env,), I'm OK with some trash. I hate throwing things out unused.

Also dislike putting big ticket items out on the curb that really could have a 2nd life. This weekend, I finally got around to pulling out these very heavy, almost commercial grade window AC units out of the windows that came with our house. We got these incredible cool mini split units that are quiet, efficient and really cool. (Pun intended). 

My Dad and I took one out to the curb and I put a sign on it that said 'WORKS' and then started working on removing the other one (a much simpler task after learning on the first one). By the time we were walking the other one out to the curb, the first one, at least the mechanics of it were gone!

By the time I went back into the house to make another sign 'WORKS' for the other one, the same guy had come back. Not sure if he saw the other window unit and just had a hunch that the other one was heading to the curb as well.

Next up, a set of couches that we bought with the house and have been doing not much more than 'taking up space,'. The matching set heading to the curb that night as well (Sat).

 Sure enough, half way through a beautiful Sunday afternoon, a woman got out of the car and sat down to check them out. 

15 minutes later, she's still sitting there and has been joined by a friend.

15 minutes more, the car is gone but she's still there. 

I'm thrilled! More stuff not going to the landfill. 10 minutes more, and she's gone, but the couches were still there.

I'm was so bummed! But it was short lived. 10 minutes more, they were  back with a car they borrowed and this time I wasn't missing the eco saving moment. I walked out, helped them get the first one in the car and the 2nd when they showed up for it.

Yeah me!

Man..can I pick 'em

Man. Can I pick 'em. I was supposed to be out of town this weekend for work, but due to D and S being so sick, I ended up postponing the trip(s) to Roch-cha-cha and SF. But I decided to still have my parents come to visit because I'm flying solo this week and work is heating up like a crazy at burning man. Well, last night, when I potentially shouldn't have been there... the cops stopped by my neighbors pad. If you recall, the last time my 'rents were here and babysitting, a power line fell down and was spewing sparks. So not as bad but still an incident.

Holy Smoke Batman

Holy Cow – some times your gut is just so right. We were supposed to be out of town for a wedding this past weekend and my parents were supposed to babysit D. He was really, really sick so I ended up sticking around to make sure he was on the up and up. Then I was about to take off and again, something just didn’t feel right so I ended up sticking around even longer. Well, good thing I did. That night we have a tornado watch, which is always a little alarming, but then the power went out three times, setting off our only working when the power comes back on after being turned on house alarm. And a tree in the back of our neighborhood knocked down a power line that threw 30,000 volts around the street for several hours, lighting it up like a huge welders torch. It was insane.

My Mom was really pleased that I stuck around because she said that she would have been freaking out without me there. Not exactly sure that I was that much more responsible but it was at least a good thing that I could help out.

It's coming...

It's coming. A year in our new pad and I can't believe it.

Best $$$ ever spent

We had the former landscaper stop by the other day and ask if we were interested in a spring cleaning. After my little test run in the yard a couple of weeks ago, it couldn't have been better timing. I was absolutely into it and decided that a bit of $$$$ was worth throwing at the problem. AFter it was done, two full days of a crew of guys working (and hauling the stuff away because apparently Ossining doesn't do yard waste pick up in the Spring anymore (are you kidding? --that's a negative) it was SO FREAKING worth it. There would be no way that the yard would look like this and by the time you finally got the back to look like this the front would be a disaster. So it totally money well spent.

I'm figuring this was the right move

I had a twang of 'what am I doing here?' on the way into work today. Late nights, working on painting the trim in the baby's room has really caught up with me. I'm just wiped out. So as I'm getting to the train, I was suffering from a little 'WTF.' But here's how I know that it's the right move. Every night on the way home on the train, even when I'm not making into the house until nearly 9 pm, I feel really good about it. Really good about the house, the views from the train etc.

This is Sat. Morning -- Where's Brunch?

OK, It's Saturday morning. I should be waiting at a cafe for a late morning brunch with a bunch of friends and be considering whether or not to order a mimosa, but deciding not to because I've got to do some random shopping/walking around/being cool in the city. Instead, it's freezing cold outside and I'm up on a 25' extension ladder, with my arm about to fall off because I'm trying to saw through this limb of a tree that the movers knocked down while unloading our stuff last week.

Like the Talking Heads used to say 'Well, How did I get here?