Laundry List

1. So here is the deal.  I live in a place where the summers get pretty darn hot.  Not only hot, but humid too. Now this is not a good combination for us mortal humans, as we seem to melt in this kind of weather.  But all that being said, suck it up you pansies and stop sitting in an idling car.  Sorry to be such a meanie pants, but there is nothing that annoys me more than seeing people in a parking lot reading their text messages or whatever they are doing running the car and A/C on full blast.  Turn your car off, open the windows, and get over yourself.
2.  My second list item is really two things wrapped up under the plastic bag issue.  So I am so really very tired of hearing excuses for the need for plastic bags or for how reusable bags are so hard to remember.  AAAAAHHHHH, I will say it again, get over yourself you pansies.  If you need a plastic bag to pick up your dog poop then you have problems, plain and simple.  Here is an idea use some news paper.  Or if that thought upsets you try using the plastic food bags that cannot be recycled.  Like an empty chip bag, or those bags that crackers come in.  I mean get creative.  If you have, and this is of course if you are still buying bread, use an old bread bag.  Even though they are a recyclable plastic bag, they are smaller than the grocery bags and it least they are getting a second use (please do not see this as me making excuses for plastic bags, just trying to think outside the box a little).  The other whiny excuse I keep hearing re: plastic bags is that reusable bags are so hard to remember.  And I heard this rebuttal to this "argument" aka excuse the other day, do you remember to take your keys and wallet places?  Oh you do, wow can you add one more thing to your list.  And the second part of that argument was for all those who take the bags back to the grocery store to recycle, um well do I need to finish, you just took a bunch of bags to the store, reuse those or freaking just remember to take reusable bags.  BAM!  This is not an impossible task, it actually can be done.  And if I can do it so can the rest of planet.  And even if I cannot get a bag ban passed, I hope that a few more people will stop with the excuses and take a bag with you.
So there it is, my Monday morning venting session.  I apologize if it was too much, but I really thought my head would explode if I saw one more idling car and didn't say something.  Hope the rest of everyone's week is amazing.

Soap Scum

OK so for most I am sure what I am about to tell you is old news.  As I have said many times I am slow learner and there are so many brilliant people out there already doing these wonderful awesome things.  But I still felt my "discovery" was worth sharing.  Now I would like to preface with the fact that I have a disease, and no the cure is not more cowbell (insert loud laughter here), but rather my cure is cleaning (I told you I was sick).  Now while I was trying to clean the other day I was also trying to entertain a small and wonderful little being that I live with.  This little creature loves bubbles and things that give off some sort of reaction.  So honestly without cleaning in mind I thought we could do a "science experiment" (using that term loosely since there was no formal plan involved in this last minute adventure) I poured some baking soda on the shower floor (this surface was the easiest for my audience to observe and where I thought cleanup would be the most minimal) and then proceeded to wow my audience by pouring white vinegar on the baking soda.  Now again I knew what was going to happen as I am sure everyone else on the planet does as well.  It started to bubble and fizz.  And although this captivated my audience for only a short while, what I discovered next really wowed me.  When I started to wipe/clean up my "science experiment" I noticed that my shower floor was sparkling and looked brand new.  So I poured a bit more of bot ingredients on, and with very little effort all the soap scum was gone.  Now I know I have talked about the power of vinegar before, but this made me a true and lifelong believer.  So if you have soap scum, try it (this is of course if have not already done so, which I am guessing the majority already has) it will amaze you, and so will your clean shower/tub.  And now when I see those adverts for harsh chemical bathroom cleaners I laugh and mock them (the way I did before, but now I have something to back up my mockery).
Now as I have said, I am sure for most this post was very obvious, as there are so many more people out there who are more knowledgeable than I in the area of awesome environmentally friendly home cleaning solutions.  But lets always remember I am a bit slow on the uptake.  And secondly I would like acknowledge that there are some out there who may think that some of things I discuss are trivial, which soap scum surely is.  And to them I say understand.  I know that most people face much larger problems than soap scum on a daily basis, and I am not trying to belittle those issues, or make greater mine (I have a lot trust me, stop laughing).  What I am saying is isn't it nice to know that there are some cool solutions for some of our worlds' smaller problems.  And this one solution is not more harsh chemicals being dumped down a drain.  And with all that said I would like to end with a sincere thanks for all that I have, including my problems (yes even you soap scum) because I know I have baking soda and vinegar to help me through another day (too dramatic?, maybe but I meant it).

PS if you are interested in a real baking soda/vinegar experiment there are lots of ideas out there.  But one I found and liked, especially for small kids was http://inspirationlaboratories.com/b-is-for-baking-soda-and-vinegar-bubbles/

Now wait till we discuss how boiling water helps kill weeds, get excited!

I want

I want more environmentally friendly plastic legislation in my town, I want to end animal cruelty, I want world peace.  Damn I have a pretty long list of things I want.  The trouble with all those things is I seem to be having some trouble making them happen.  Oh and also I hate the words "I want" in front of each item.  Once again I am sure you are asking, Charlotte what the frick are you talking about?  Well I am glad you (the voices in my head) asked.  This all comes to the blog because I was "discussing" this topic with a small person in my home the other day.  I just happened to mention that I did not want (ah crap I did it right there), I mean wish to hear the words "I want" anymore.  I mentioned to this small and wonderful little being that it sounds terribly selfish and and self centered to repeat it so many times.  So instead we came up with the alternative "I would like".  So since sometimes it takes a while for my own words to sink in I thought the blog would be a good place to practice.  Here we go, I would like more environmentally friendly plastic legislation in my town, I would like to end animal cruelty, and I would really really appreciate world peace.  Sounds so much nicer, but still have not made any of them happen.  But I know it is possible.
The thing is I think there are enough other people out there who want, ah that was an honest mistake, would like to see the same things happen.  Why do I think this?  Because I did very small scale reusable bag give away day at a local health food store recently.  There I had my plastic bag petition for people to sign (please feel free to keep signing http://www.randomcharlotte.com/2013/05/loading.html).  And although most people thought I was insane person sitting outside of their grocery store (and rightly so) and were reluctant to sign the piece of paper, I did see a real interest in plastic waste reduction.  And I really felt like this bag ban was doable, and made me not want but wish to see it happen even more.
Now maybe I have been doing too much yoga or reading too many inspirational quotes online, but I wish (did not say want) to end with a quote from Mahatma Gandhi which says "as a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him".  So go out there, stop wanting, start being the change and lets make all these things happen.  It would really help me out if I could check off some items on this list.  Thanks a bunch.

This image has nothing to do with the date