It's not easy being green

This is an absolutely brilliant invention. I totally love the idea of collecting rainwater and putting it to good use. Why should we use perfectly fresh drinkable water for our loo’s? Americans can really be quite wasteful with natural resources, it can be so gluttonous, and it seems that the general public never really realizes the impact they are having on their environment, or how simple it can be to affect change. The design is so good, and such a perfectly reasonable idea. Why is this not used in modern building practices? It seems so common sense to me, but then again, so does recycling, and green building techniques. There seems to be a lot of perfectly good and reasonable technology going to waste due to some reluctance to change, and it is so frustrating to witness this. We have these amazing capabilities as humans to live green, efficient, resourceful and responsible lives, to be progressive and minimize the worsening effect we have on this earth, and yet we continue to ignore these technologies, these brilliant inventions created from the brilliant human mind. I will always remain baffled by this. I just can’t wait until I have real adult income, and build a home which is green and responsible, put my money where my mouth is, and maybe influence others as well.

Klondike bars in heaven

Yes indeed, Best Summer Ever! After spending the most delicious weekend with the most amazing man, whom I happen to be quite smitten on; I am wrapping up one fantastic summer. The weather in Chicago was just sublime this weekend, perfect for farmers market going, flower shop exploring, film festival bicycling, and fantastic food eating adventures. This week has provided just the most glorious August days in Chicago a girl could hope for. After finishing loads of good productive work, I have been spending the afternoons riding all through the lake, park and city, taking in these fantastic sunny days. I can, with most certainty, say that the Who’s “Eminence Front” is the best song to listen to while navigating through crazy traffic in the city. When that bass line is pumping through your ears, it feels empowering and flowing. It seems the whole city is in the best mood as well. I have been witnessing the most humble acts of kindness and everyone has been so damn happy. Its great, I don’t want to come to an end. I am so stoked about all of the fantastic pending end-of-summer plans! I am heading down to Champaign this weekend for some apple-picking pie making fun with the most outrageously fun people, it will rock the house yo. And how can you beat not 1 but 2 stellar camping trips planned for September, and one involving a champ car race. Totally perfect. I am long over due for a good camping trip, I hope the weather cooperates and stays this perfect through October, but I am sure that I have just jinxed that. It’s funny how sometimes everything is just so good that it overlaps in all other areas of life, just amazing.

Death does not become her

I have always wondered, if placed in a life or death situation, whether or not my non-violent self would be a fight or flight kind of girl. I think I have discovered that I might have some fight in me. Since I have been biking as my primary source of transport I am really getting fed up with cars trying to kill me! I am a safe biker, I stay in the bike lane, or to the far right, obey the traffic rules, and try to avoid being run over. But it’s the cars that don’t seem to pay any attention to the awesome people biking. Recently a cab, whom I know saw me, drove right into the bike lane, squishing me into a parked car. How did I get my justice? I punched the cab, and spewed out a rant that would make a truck driver blush. Not that the driver noticed, but it felt good. Nothing like an attempt to kill you to cause a pacifist to rage! I know it’s totally cliché, but those damn SUV drivers are the worst. Who the hell even needs a Hummer in the city? I know they can’t see me, and they for sure aren’t paying any attention to anything but their cell phone. Karma must manifest itself at the gas station. It can’t be fun, filling up your man-killing vehicle at $500 a tank! I know there is a lot to pay attention to while driving in the city, but is it really so hard to not kill the bikers? It’s not as if we are trying to hide from traffic. I think what it all comes down to is this: four wheels bad, two wheels good!

On an unrelated note…I must vent about a behavior of pedestrians that really irritates me. When you are at the airport and you hop on the moving walkway, there is a lovely little voice that reminds you if you want to stand, move to the right, so as not to block the people that wish to walk past you. The same thing applies when you are on an escalator. It’s a moving walkway, meant for climbing the stairs, not a ride! It seems the rest of the world is aware of this, but for some reason, self obsessed, lazy Americans seem to think escalators are some subway/mall ride they can hog up and relax on! If you want to ride, take the elevator, if you want to stand on the escalator, move, single file to the right, and let people that are actually going somewhere walk by on the left.

I apologize for the big rant, now I can go back to being all about the love & summer breeze.