After looking for quite some time–none of my usual haunts seemed to stock them–I finally found some BioBags for my kitchen. They’re fully compostable, which means I feel better about throwing them away.
I also bought BioBags for dog waste. Same concept–why not leave less plastic behind?
Problem: both were disappointing. The pet waste bags had instructions that were totally confusing and resulted in a bag that couldn’t really be tied shut. Need I point out that this is nasty?
Then we found that the kitchen bags (a) barely fit our trashcan; (b) tear easily; and (c) need a twist tie to stay closed.
So we’re back to square one. I’m sure there’s a product that will have the advantages we seek and work the way we want. But this isn’t it.
Down the middle of the driveway is a strip of dirt–probably intended to be a strip of grass, but you try growing grass in a space often covered by a car.
Plus: The driveway is not a solid sheet of concrete, which means that runoff during rainstorms is mitigated.
Minus: It’s hard to get groceries out of the back of the car without stomping through the mud.
Solution: John has spent several days placing bricks in the space, which should help cut down on the mudbaths. Additionally, since he isn’t mortaring in the bricks, rainwater should still be able to percolate down through the surface to the soil beneath. Also, it looks nice.
So where did the bricks come from? Well, that’s another post.
The dog is very good-natured and affectionate, and seems to have been well-trained and well-loved. Found in the San Fernando Valley at White Oak & Vanowen, on the border of Reseda and Lake Balboa/Van Nuys. Contact founddogla@yahoo.com to help identify the owner.
Christopher Thomas Thompson, the Brentwood doctor accused of deliberately causing a car crash involving–and resulting in serious injury for–two cyclists on July 4, 2008, has been found guilty on all charges. Day-by-day coverage of testimony can be found at Velonews.
Moral of the story? Don’t be a vicious idiot with no sense of irony.
Annoyed by traffic? Don’t like all those other cars in your way? Then support cycling. It means fewer cars between yours and your destination.
I’m joking. Except I’m kind of not. Because plenty of people are never going to give up their cars. But wouldn’t it benefit them if others did, at least some of the time?
It’s that time: Blog Action Day 2009. This year’s topic? Climate change. So what are we doing to try to reduce our impact? Here’s one thing:
We collect rainwater and greywater–the latter from the washing machine. This way we’re reducing the amount of water that is used only for watering ornamentals like the bougainvillea that came with the house and the flowers I’m trying to grow in the front planters (seeds carefully selected to match the soil and growing conditions–these will be annuals that shouldn’t require regular watering anyhow, if I’ve made the right choices). Some of the barrels are new, and others are repurposed–much like the wood that John used to make the platform they stand on.
It’s not like water is going to become cheaper or more plentiful in Southern California, and we want to do our part to use less.
The fires are nowhere near us, but the smoke and ash are everywhere. We haven’t been spending a lot of time outdoors; when you can taste the air, you know you don’t want to be breathing it.
But it’s worse for anyone who’s been injured or lost property, clearly. And here’s hoping all of the firefighters remain safe.
Update: I am very sorry to see this post from LAist, about the deaths of two firefighters working the Station fire.
I do like seeing environmental issues and practices getting more attention. But being a celebrity doesn’t make you an expert in how to make that a reality. It’s nice to see someone who gets that, and can see the humor in people who don’t.
Bike Girl Blog
Bike Girl is both the femme fatale and the protagonist, taking back her share of the sometimes mean streets of Los Angeles one trip at a time.
