Through the Eyes of a Dog

Casualties of Luna

As I prepare my dinner, Luna, as usual, looks on eagerly. As I'd like to think she's watching intently to be able to some day surprise me by making my chicken casserole recipe from memory, there is a chance she's hoping I drop scraps that she can snarf up. Today, she was extra fascinated with what I was throwing away in the garbage can. As I tossed a bit of enchilada away, she ran over to try to peek inside. Same with the leftover pumpkin pie from Thanksgiving. That made me think--what does she think the garbage can is for? I doubt she knows it's a bin for refuse. The following is an account of what I believe are Luna's definitions for items in my house:

Kitchen garbage can: a large serving bowl filled with a mixture of lots of tasty morsels, all mixed together. A melting pot, if you will of the day's meals. A little hard to reach the food, but in a year or so, it shouldn't be a problem.

Wooden furniture: today I learned that wood makes a great between-meal snack. After getting a nice chunk off a table, something called Bitter Apple was sprayed on it, which ended up not tasting so bad.

The words "Luna, come in the house!": this is usually said with lots of enthusiasm. I have no idea what it means, but the more I run around, the more my owners shout it out, so it must mean I'm doing something good.

Grass: An outdoor treat. I'm very good at pulling it up from the roots.

Ladybugs: Great to watch, terrific to eat.

Stuffed toys: Cotton stuffing wrapped in a tough outer coating. I have gotten good at getting to the goods inside. I'm down to ripping them open within 5 minutes.

My Newest Office Mate

Presenting Luna Miel--my on-task manager.

My husband and I adopted Luna from a DeKalb shelter after seeing her picture on petfinder.com. Having a puppy in the house is like having a newborn baby. My life schedule was put on hold as I needed to be sure I was home to take Luna out every three hours and was pulled every which way as she chased any squirrel we saw on our "walk."

Luna has been a lot of fun, though. She loves to run and hop around the yard, crawl all over us, and play with her toys. She doesn't care if I wear sweatpants all day, "forget" to put on my makeup, or decide to sit at my computer eating a whole bag of candy corn.

But Luna still needs to be watched any time she's out of her kennel, which is how she got assigned the role as my on-task office manager. Often she choses to fall asleep right by my feet as I'm writing. At first this was annoying; if I got up to eat or procrastinate, she would follow me. I was forced to sit there and work if I wanted her to stay asleep and out of trouble. That's when I realized I was actually getting writing done. Regardless to whether I wanted to get up and abandon my computer, it was easier just to sit there and type.

So, two months later, I have a completed novel--a novel that had been stuck in a drawer for a couple of months before I got her. I have no choice than to thank my silly four-legged friend. So, writer friends: are you having trouble sitting down and writing? Adopt a puppy! :)

For those folks that are serious as to wanting to adopt an animal, petfinder.com is a great resource. Something I learned later, however, is that you really should talk with an expert about what kind of dog would be good with your family dynamic.

Environmental Planner: My Second Mission

If you read my last entry, you'll know that I have decided to put in my two cents on how businesses can "green up" their act. My last mission was hotels. Now I'm on to restaurants.


Recently, I was eating at one of my favorite fast food chain restaurants--Chipotle (I can't resist their chips and guacamole). It made me think about how many people must frequent these places every day.


Now, Chipotle is great because their meat is hormone-free. However, they, along with all fast food chains, could use some work on the amount of waste they generate. I think the biggest way to reduce waste would be for them to ask, from the moment they say hello, or in the case of Chipotle, the moment they pull the tortilla out of the tortilla press, "Is this for here or to go?" A "For Here," should require a totally different process of set up.


First, the burrito, burger, sub, etc. would not need to be wrapped up. Instead, it could be put on a reusable plate. Second, any sides of guacamole or salsa could also be put in a little reusable cup instead of one of those plastic cups that's marked that it's recyclable but there's nowhere to recycle it in the store. Same with fries: put it in a reusable dish.


Next, the utensils. We toss so many utensils. And I'll bet sometimes you take a spoon or a knife and never even use it. (Who hasn't?) For eating in the restaurant, metal utensils should be available. (And for To Go'ers, there are those biodegradable utensils made from potatoes.)


Last, so many napkins and condiments get wasted at restaurants. Since most people won't want to get up mid-meal, they "stock up" for the family on supplies before sitting down, taking enough napkins for an army and enough ketchup and salt packets to cover twenty hot dogs and thirty bags of popcorn respectively. Once they've finished their meal, having used four napkins, only two ketchup packets and three salts, they usually toss the rest (what else could you do--take them home in your purse?). Restaurants can solve this problem by having everything on the tables: a napkin dispenser, salt and pepper shakers, and condiments. Now I'm not one for those nasty ketchup bottles; they're the best environmentally but probably not the most sanitary. So I'll let restaurants keep the little packets. Just think, though, how many wouldn't be wasted if they were in a little basket on the table? You use one. It turns out you need a second one--there it is, right there. Same with the salt and napkins.


So, as you can see, there's lots of room for improvement out there. I wonder which fast food chain will be the first to think of this.

Environmental Planner--My First Mission

Now that I am no longer teaching, I thought it was time to take on a new career. I have no training or schooling, and my title is self-appointed, but I am now, unofficially, an environmental planner! My job is to inform the public (or anyone reading my blog) of ways public places can reduce their amount of wastefulness. My first assignment…hotels.

Hotels are great. They allow me to have everything I need within a ten foot radius. I can watch tv in bed and possibly reach for a cold beverage from the mini fridge a couple feet away. I recently spent the weekend at the plush four-star Hyatt in Los Angeles, making me ponder hotels environmental awareness.

I have been impressed with many hotels recent plunge into waste reduction. Within the last five years or so, hotel beds have begun sporting signs stating that, unless a note is left on the bed, the linens will not be changed. Yay! Why it took over two hundred years for American hotels to realize that bed sheets don’t need to be changed daily, I don’t know, but better late than never. Hotels are realizing that the same is true with bath towels—guests can actually reuse them!
As I was staying at a hotel this last time, I figured out some of my own hotel improvements. Here are a few.

• Install more towel racks/bars. I think the reason hotel patrons don’t reuse towels in their rooms is because there’s nowhere to hang them. If a towel is still wet or I can’t figure out which one is mine sitting on the bathroom counter, I’m less likely to want to use it again. Add a couple pegs to the wall and voilà!—people will be more willing to reuse their towel.
• Have dispensers in the bathtub for liquid body wash, shampoo, and conditioner. [Side note: and conditioner should be standard in hotel rooms now—who doesn’t use it?] Instead of wasting half a bar of soap each hotel visit, hotels should have liquid body wash. The best way to store it would if they attached it to the tub wall where it can be refilled by the hotel staff. Same goes for the shampoo and conditioner. I’m guessing that left behind partially-used bottles of shampoo are tossed by the staff. Even if you’re one to take your half-used miniature bottles home with you not to be wasteful, are you really in need of another one--don’t you already have a closetful?
• Have liquid hand soap by the sink. I grew up in the ‘70s and ‘80s, before liquid hand soap was a staple in American households, but now, the thought of sharing a slimy waterlogged bar makes me want to gag. And, again, either you leave your stay with leftover soap that you toss, or you run out a day early and open a fresh bar.
• Hotels should continue to use glass drinking cups and ceramic mugs versus the disposable variety. Switching to the kind you can pitch was a step in the wrong direction for hotels.
• Create a sign for the hotel room door reading No Cleaning Needed Today. I don’t clean my house daily—why do I need my hotel room to be? This new sign would let the hotel staff know that you won’t need their services at all that day. When you put the Privacy sign on the door to avoid the room being cleaned (which is what I do), I’m guessing they need to keep checking when they can clean your room.

Until hotels listen to me, I am taking actions into my own hands:

• bringing my own hand soap for the sink
• bringing my own body wash (or bar soap in a plastic container), shampoo, and conditioner for the shower
• finding a spot to hang my towel, even if it’s outside on the balcony chair
• using the same lousy paper cup during my stay
• putting the privacy sign up my whole hotel visit so none of my linens are changed or unneeded chemicals sprayed in the bathroom

What do you do?

Join me next week, as I take on restaurants...

The Name Game--Writers' Edition

From top down: Droopy Drawers, Mozzarella, Muddy Waters


I wonder what percentage of parents wait to name a baby until after they first see him or her versus deciding on a baby name before going into labor). I've heard many parents say that once they saw their baby for the first time, they could tell "she was a Sophie" or "he was a Sammy." Names make a huge difference! Think of a name you find ridiculous-sounding; now image if that had been your name your whole life. Do you think you would have lived a different life?

Characters are no different. Your readers can make some assumptions about a character from his or her name alone. If you have a serious story, chances are, you don't want to name your main character something like, say Pickle Snodgrassen, unless you're trying to lighten the mood. I wrote a whole novel based on a name I saw on a gravestone from the late 1800s.

Naming pets in novels or anthropomorphized animals in picture books can be a blast! You can either do the alliteration thing (Gary the guinea pig) or come up with something silly (Droopy Drawers). I prefer the latter. The woman that owns the rescue I got both of my guinea pigs from comes up with great ones for all the guinea pigs that come to her. Sometimes she'll name them after celebrities (Angelina and Brad), others she'll name desserts (Brownie), cheeses, or sophosticated human names (Sven). She's even adopted out two guinea pigs by the names of Wrigley and Comiskey. Check out these adoptables for their names (or to adopt!):

http://search.petfinder.com/shelterSearch/shelterSearch.cgi?animal=&breed=&age=&size=&specialNeeds=&declawedPets=&children=&status=&id=&internal=&contact=&name=&shelterid=IL98&sort=&preview=1

Now it's time to exercise. Below are descriptions of characters. Next to them, I brainstormed possible names I came up with (some make no sense, but just worked for me). Try to come up with your own names.

A lazy black cat: Flipflop, Ted, Meow

A brown and white curious puppy: Chubs, Itchy, Noodles

A white rat: Mozzarella, Gladys, Vanilla Bean

A grumpy five year old boy: Fred Finklestein

Becoming an Unsubscriber

How many catalogs do you receive a week? I would guess that I get about 4 or 5. That's 4 or 5 more than I would like to! This past week, the catalogs I received were between 31 and 146 pages--the three I'm looking at right now totaled 275 glossy pages that normally would end up being flipped through while watching a sitcom with no intention of buying anything and then be tossed in the recycling bin. No more!

Today I took action. I called all three catalog companies--waiting on hold for one for 20 min. (Luckily, my phone could be put on speaker, allowing me to hang dry my clothes outside while listening to muzak. ) I told each company I no longer wanted to receive their catalog (or emails) and asked to be taken off their mailing list. J Crew still kept my account open, but removed me from their catalog list. I think that means I still can get discounts or free online shipping around the holidays.

I was curious how much paper comes from one tree. Browsing the Internet, it sounds like it takes around .6 of a tree for 10 reams of paper--that would mean one tree gives us around 8,300 sheets of paper. But think of how many people receive catalogs in the mail. I'm sure a good percentage of those catalogs aren't even read and are tossed right in the recycling bin, or (gasp) the garbage can.

I am happy to report that some catalogs, such as the above mentioned J Crew, are printed on 10% post-consumer recycled paper. That's definitely a step up, but not good enough for me. I will continue my quest at reducing the amount of catalogs I receive. As of today, I have taken care of three. Who else is willing to become an unsubscriber?

A Few of My Favorite Things

It's Green Tuesday. Since I haven't written in a while, I thought I'd make up for it with a list of great environmentally-conscious products. Here are my top 10 products for helping the environment:

• Crate & Barrel cloth napkins--come in a set of 12 Crayola colors: http://www.crateandbarrel.com/ SKU 214582 .
  
• World Market recycled plastic grocery bags--huge and sturdy.
  
• Rice Dream rice milk--a yummy alternative to cow's milk.
  
• DVR--no more need for mountains of VHS tapes.
  
• Method brand cleaners--both for the body and to clean with--they're biodegradable: http://www.methodhome.com/.
  
• Seventh Generation--Found at Target and, of course, World Market, they sell cleaning and personal products. I use their dishwasher powder and laundry detergent, but they also carry household cleaners and, get this, eco-friendlier disposable diapers: http://www.seventhgeneration.com/.
  
• Toyota Prius--I love my car--I am ecstatic that I get 43 miles per gallon.
  
• Sappos Natural Shampoo Bar--I containerless shampoo in a bar! I got mine at a little shop in Benzonia, Michigan called Bee Dazzled.
  
• Recycled materials made from foods--I have paper made from bananas (http://www.ecopaper.com/ they also have lemon, mango, and coffee papers) and biodegradable eating utensils made from potatoes (here's one source: http://greenearthofficesupply.stores.yahoo.net/pocuasboxof2.html)
  
• A Fresh Squeeze--this online newsletter comes twice a week by email (free to sign up) and gives tips and info about the environment, especially pertaining to Chicago (and Seattle): http://afreshsqueeze.com/

So, that's just the tip of the iceberg of what's out there. What is your favorite green product?

A Green Wedding

I know, I'm late on blogging, but I have a good reason...I got married this past Saturday! As we did our wedding planning, I looked into ways to make our wedding green. They sell invitations on recycled paper, as well as ones that contain seeds which you plant afterward. I was game, until I noticed the cost. Instead, I had to find my own ways of being green.

Although Save the Date cards, invitations, and ceremony programs with bows look great, I figured ones without could easily be thrown in the recyling bin after the event. We ended up purchasing the Save the Date cards and invitations at Office Max on plain paper with a simple design on the top. The ceremony programs were also on plain paper that I had professionally printed, but could definitely be recycled afterward. We also tried to cut down on how many copies we had printed, assuming couples would share one program.

Originally, I pictured beautiful centerpieces at our reception tables. However, I didn't want to buy a bunch of things I'd never use again and would go to waste, such as artificial flowers or twenty pillar candles. We decided to have a simple piece of cardstock with a memory of the two of us written on it at each table. These also doubled as the table name.

Last, my husband and I didn't want to give out wedding favors at the place settings that not everyone would enjoy and would end up wasted. Instead, I created a candy table. After dinner was served, a tablecloth was lifted to reveal five large glass bowls of various candies. Guests were encouraged to fill a bag with their favorite treats, including M & Ms, frosted cookies, and Laffy Taffy.

We had a blast at our wedding. And I feel good that we made an effort not to be wasteful.

The Paper Problem

The school year is coming to an end. As a teacher, I watch a lot of supplies get tossed without so much as a blink from my students. One of my biggest pet peeves: those spiral-bound notebooks. I wonder what the probability is that a student will actually end the school year on the very last page in their spiral...What does happen is that students end up with a bunch of half-used spiral notebooks by the end of the year: one for math, reading, maybe social studies. So on the last day of school, the notebooks get pitched, along with about 100 sheets of unused paper.

Okay, first: waste prevention. If possible, don't use spiral notebooks. Instead, buy loose-leaf paper and use a clipboard or a binder. Not only will you have exactly the right amount of pages, but you're not wasting that piece of spirally metal. In college, using a clipboard in lectures was handy. When I got back to the dorm, I just put the notes I took in each class in the appropriate binder.

For old half-used spirals you have laying around...What I've done is actually take the time to snip away the metal spiral. I used metal cutters and removed the spiral piece. Then I used the paper in my clipboard. This avoids tearing out all the pages and having the paper bits everywhere.

Do you have a great end of the school year green tip?

Have Garbage, Will Travel (with it)

Recycling can sound so easy. But what keeps people from doing it? I think it's convenience--or lack of it. Just the other day I was eating a sample at Jamba Juice that came in a tiny plastic cup. When I finished, I asked if they recycled--they didn't. Here's where I think people feel they have no choice but to toss that piece of plastic in the garbage: when there's no recycling bin in site. There is another option--take it with you. The container I had was just a tiny one intended for condiments and only had a soft pretzel in it. I easily set it on the floor of my car and drove off with it. Sounds silly? Sure, but I've done it many times. Once I'm at home, I drop my recyclable trash in my recycling bin--easy as that.

Is it always possible to recycle everything? No. If I've eaten something especially messy, I might not want to have it in my car and do end up tossing it in a garbage, but most times, it's definitely doable.

This is not only true for food containers, but papers as well: shopping lists, MapQuests, etc. So next time you're out and about and see no recycling bin in site, think about whether you can take it with you.

Hamburger, Hold Everything I Won't Eat

Happy Earth day. As a teacher, I've been asked what I plan to do with my class. Although we won't ignore it, I don't consider earth day a one day a year phenomenon. That's like saying today is math day. We'll learn math today and not worry about it the rest of the year. Instead, I hope that my class has been learning how to cut down on the waste we produce and sometimes reuse it or recycle it. Here's my tip this week...


Think about a meal you often order when eating out. Imagine what your plate looks like at the end of the meal--what's still left on the plate, week after week: the tomato on your cheeseburger? the lettuce from your buffalo chicken sandwich? the tartar sauce from your fish sticks? For the most part, we know what we'll like and won't like from a restaurant, especially if you order the same dish repeatedly. How about requesting the items you know you won't eat be left off the plate?


If you're trying a new dish or restaurant, you can also ask what comes with the dish or as a garnish. Although it might take the cook an extra millisecond to read the order, really, having them hold the side of sour cream is also saving them money.

Animal Rescues

How many of you watched Oprah on puppy mills this last Friday? Very sad and eye opening. As you may have gathered, I have a pet guinea pig. Did you know that in addition to shelters and rescues for dogs and cats, there are guinea pig and bunny rescues?

About five years ago I heard about Critter Corral, a local rescue for guinea pigs. This non-profit organization takes in guinea pigs people don't or can't keep and ones that have been abandoned. Believe it or not, some people think domestic animals can just be left loose in the wild. I adopted two guinea pigs from Critter Corral: Melba Toast and B.B. Joe. Melba came from owners that got rid of her because they had too many. B.B.'s family moved and didn't want to take him with them.

It is surprising how many guinea pigs don't have homes and end up in shelters. What makes me sad is that pet stores continue to buy small animals, such as guinea pigs, rats, hamsters, etc., from breeders. Unfortunately, not all of them sell and then end up at shelters (or worse). This is especially true for guinea pigs (and probably other small mammals) that are all one color (especially albinos) and ones that are older and bigger.

What can we do to make a difference? Adopt animals from shelters/rescues instead of pet stores. If pet stores aren't selling many animals, maybe they'll stop carrying them. You can also help by having your pet spade or neutered. If you're interested in seeing or having a puppy, kitten, or baby guinea pig, you'll find plenty of those at the shelter as well. Many organizations also allow you to sponsor a pet. At the Critter Corral, by giving a donation, you are sent a picture of a guinea pig you sponsor. This would be great for children who aren't ready to have a pet of their own.

A terrific animal website to peruse is petfinder.com. It allows you to search for an adoptable pet by location, animal, size of animal, etc.

DeJunktify Your Home

So I just had a dentist appointment yesterday (and no cavities--yay!). As a child, at the end of your dentist appt. you get to pull something fun (but junky) from the treasure chest. As an adult, you get a bag of goodies: a toothbrush, maybe a tiny tube of toothpaste, and a thing of floss. As you leave the dentist's office (or any dr.'s office), there is also usually a little basket of free samples. How many times did you take some of the samples? How many times did you really use those samples vs. letting them rot on a shelf full of other mini toiletries? Right now I'm going to count what I can find on my shelf within one minute--be right back...

...I'm back. So, what I found were 10 toothbrushes (I might have purchased 2 or so but the rest were free) .

So this time I took a stand: as the dental hygienist began to hand me my bag of free stuff, I flipped through it and took the only thing I really saw as valuable--the floss (they have the absolute best and is pretty much the only reason I agree to have my teeth cleaned twice a year). Since I own an electric toothbrush, do I really need a regular toothbrush EVERY time I visit the dentist? That goes for free samples at "checkout time" as well. I already like the toothpaste I use--I don't need some new funky flavor to try.

By refusing free stuff, not only am I helping reduce the waste that's produced in the world, but I'm also clearing the clutter in my house. Anyone need an extra toothbrush?

The Plane as the Plot

Did you realize how many different microcosms there are at the airport? Think back to your last trip and all the different situations you face at the airport. Waiting in line behind a family that is cranky, balancing a bagel on your lap as you try to butter it and your flight is called, the bathrooms.
Now imagine all the stories (or nonfiction articles) you could write based on those situations:
a child's first plane ride
how to eat healthy at the airport

Add to that any "What if..." scenarios you can and you have enough ideas for a year:
What if a dog was flying alone--as a passenger
What if you got on the wrong flight and ended up on the moon

Here's your exercise: Make a list of as many different possible stories you can think of that could happen at an airport or on an airplane. Or, if you're not in the mood for plots, make a list of as many different settings at an airport or character ideas as you can.

At the Airport

On Tuesday I was unable to write as I was at the airport--and what a topic to think about environmentally...
First stop: bag check-in: When you receive your printed ticket, you receive an envelope to "store" it in. How long do you actually need to store it? Until you get on the plane. Then you toss it. My question is whether they need to give the ticket in that envelope. Think of how many they must go through in a day or even an hour! On my return flight home, I will ask not to have one.
Next stop: getting through security: With the new no-liquids-law, people are having to dump their half drunken bottles of water and brand new bottles of shampoo. Okay, it's their fault for not knowing they can't make it through security with these things, but have you seen what you're supposed to do with your containers? Throw them in the trash, liquid and all. To my knowledge, there is not an area to empty liquids and there is not a trash sorter bin for recyclable, which almost 100% of those liquid-containing containers are.
Last stop (for now): on the airplane: cups, cups, and more cups. Yes, I'm back to my lecture on plastic cups. On the airplane, you are offered a drink (about 1 sip) of pop in a cup with ice. Afterward (aka an hour after you've finished your beverage and are sitting there holding it waiting for the flight attendant to come around with a trash bag), your cup gets tossed away with a random assortment of other recyclables as well as banana peels, half eaten sandwiches, and possibly a barf bag or two. Do you think they spend the time to sort through the trash? I will ask on my flight home because, again, there are hundreds of flights a day 365 days a year. That's a lot of those little cups being flown across the world to be dumped in a landfill hundreds of miles away. What I like to do is buy my own beverage from a newspaper store at the airport (yes, it's about $4) and then I have the power both to recycle it once I reach my destination, as well as to take sips from it whenever I'm thirsty and stow it away under my seat when I'm not.
Happy flying!

All About Cups

How do you like your coffee? Personally, my drink of choice is a café mocha, decaf, soy, no whip. Think of all the times you have gone to a Starbucks, Panera, Caribou Coffee, etc.: how often have them given you your hot java in a disposable cup? Out of those times, how many did you intend to have your coffee right there?

After thinking about all the cups that get tossed in the landfill daily, I began to become more proactive. When I go to a coffee house and know I plan to drink it there, I will request my beverage in a reusable mug. They do actually have mugs! Of course, they will have more work of washing the mugs, and washing takes water, but recycling takes tons of water and other resources. Better yet, I believe they will often fill your own take-and-go container. No hassle for them.

To take it a step further, I now also request a plastic (versus paper) cup for my cold drink when I go to chains like Panera and Noodles & Company. Again, if you take a look around any of these places, people are sipping away on their drinks, only to toss the paper cup in a trash can where it will sit for who knows how long. Not all places have plastic cups, as I have learned. But, regardless, I will sit, working away on my novel, while drinking a cold glass of water in a large ceramic mug.

Invasion of the Gremlin Grocery Bags

Which do you think there are more of on this planet: people or plastic grocery bags? The way the baggers at my grocery store use them, I'd think the bags outweigh the people two to one.

Does anyone else absolutely hate the amount of bags used for groceries? By the time I get home and start unpacking, the bags have managed to multiply like gremlins. I know stores have a spot to return your used bags, but who ever really does it? I'm lucky if I remember to bring my shopping list with me.

So I've found a solution. Most stores are now offering reusuable heavier duty plastic bags. In my opinion, the Whole Foods ones are the best. They're made from 80% post-consumer waste and are fairly large--I believe I bought them for a dollar a piece. I keep these bags in my car since I usually go grocery shopping last minute. I throw them in my shopping cart or the underneath section and then just ask the bagger to use them instead of the gremlin ones. (It probably is good for meats to be put in old school bags, though, since sometimes the packages leak.)

Recently, I began to take my anti-gremlin bag lifestyle a step further. I found that I also hated getting plastic bags when I went to Kohls and Walmart and, well, anywhere--even my mom will give me stuff in a plastic bag when I visit her (a ploy to lower her own stash of gremlins). Now I bring my Whole Foods bags in with me to any shopping store. I'm sure the cashiers snicker as I walk away after asking for my new pair of expensive jeans to be thrown into a bag where potatoes and brown rice just were, but I can feel good about myself. And soon, hopefully, I'm not the only one.

Pet Peeves

If you asked me my top ten pet peeves (at the moment), they would probably be:

• the smell and sound of gum (as well as looking at chewed gum, which makes me gag)
• when people don't use turn signals
• when I can't find my cell phone in my purse before it goes to VM
• that my computer gives me an error message whenever I go to shut down
• that every TV show now incorporates a scene where one of the characters is brushing his or her teeth (I hate seeing toothpaste foam and watching people spit)
• getting a bazillion plastic grocery bags when I grocery shop (see my Green Tuesday entry)
• Daylight Savings Time (I'm not a morning person and, for six months, I know I'm getting up an hour earlier than I did from Oct.-March)
• opening an avocado and finding it's either not ripe or spoiled
• snow in March (and April, and May, for that matter)
• noticing my clothes are wrinkled after I've ironed
• that there are no good TV shows on on Sundays

I'm guessing you can learn a lot about me from my list. Looking back at it, I noticed I made two references to TV. Hmmm, am I an avid watcher? I think so. I also revealed my need for technology, that I'm not a morning person, and that I must be over 16, since I drive. (The only thing it doesn't include that it should have is my love of candy. Let me add a number eleven pet peeve: how unrealistic the serving size is on movie candy boxes--has anyone ever really gotten the box to last more than two servings?!)

What's on your list? Does it give a snapshot into your personality? (Send as your comment if you like)

Now it's time for an exercise: think of a character in a book you're writing. What would their top ten (or five) pet peeves be? Are there certain foods they have quirks about? What things about other people bother your character? Don't forget to think about peeves that relate to your character's age: A sixth grader will have different pet peeves than someone that is in high school. For instance, I said that people not using turn signals bothers me--that wouldn't bother a sixth grader, but their mom singing a Britney Spears song along with the car radio probably would.

Do Not Disturb--I'm Green

Happy Green Tuesday! My news of my greenness comes from my weekend trip to Champaign, IL. As many of you may have noticed, hotels are beginning to green-up--displaying signs in the room that unless the sheets are stripped from the bed or the towels left in a pile on the floor, they will not be replaced. At home we don't change the sheets daily or use a new towel every time we shower--do we need to do this when we stay at hotels?

Unfortunately, the hotel where I stayed didn't display these signs in the rooms. So I asked, "Do you replace the sheets and towels daily?" The man behind the counter PROUDLY said they do. I asked "What if you don't want them changed daily?" He looked at me funny. He finally suggested I put a sign on the things I don't want changed.

As I shared this with other conference attendants, it was suggested to just put the "Do Not Disturb" sign up. Genius! Not only would the towels and sheets not be unnecessarily cleaned, but the bathroom wouldn't be cleaned either. Again, at home I don't scrub down my bathroom daily. And...with the "Do Not Disturb" sign on, I wouldn't have to straighten up my hotel room--I could be a slob and no one would know!

Curing Writer's Block

Everybody gets it. It causes people to vacuum their houses or try to find the numerical value of pi. It has caused me to eat two packs of TicTacs in one sitting. But it is curable. The dreaded WRITER'S BLOCK. On Thursdays, I will dish out my medicine--a writing exercise for you to try. Maybe it will get your creative juices going. One writer once compared writing to playing a sport. There aren't too many athletes who don't stretch out or do drills before the game. Writing's no different. Your mind needs to warm up before the brilliance can begin.

Today isn't Thursday, it's Sunday, but I'm very excited about the workshop I just got back from. The speaker was the one and only Newbery-award winning Richard Peck. It was an amazing workshop that made me come back totally refreshed. It also gave me the power to think I MAY be able to cut some scenes from my latest novel.

So, this workshop was down south, way south--yes Champaign, IL. As I hid my computer in the hotel room, I wondered, what kind of conclusions does the maid service make about each of the hotel guests? They must see some weird stuff in the rooms. What do people bring with them on trips? My weirdest item, hmmm...maybe my candy bag: complete with 2 bags of Cadbury's Mini Eggs, a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, and Sweettarts. Otherwise, I think I was a pretty normal guest.

So here's your first writing prompt: Pretend you're a hotel maid. Describe the room of a clown (male or female). Does he hang up his clothes? What is her wardrobe like? What does his suitcase look like? Does she have only one pair of clown shoes and actually wear flipflops on her off days? Post your answers if you like.

A Green Dream

Welcome to my personal attempt to green the world. After reading The Green Book by Elizabeth Rogers & Thomas M. Kostigen, I realized that I could make changes in what I do to help "save the planet." Since then, I have been finding ways I can do that cut down on the amount of trash I create.

Look for my blog on helping the environment every Tuesday.