Pughville

So, being married to an engineer has its perks and drawbacks. Perk--whenever we have an important purchase to make, research is done, spreadsheets are drawn up and months later a decision is made. Perk--we live in an area of the world where there is a particularly high demand for engineers so he is able to secure a job that affords us a high quality of life where I can stay at home with our kids(and our computer!). Drawback--he can actually understand scientific ramblings to which most of us have little interest of even attempting to decipher. It is this ability that often leaves me feeling iritated when attending a 'thriller' type movie with him. I can't tell you how many times when I am on the edge of my seat Bob leans over and whispers things like, "That is totally impossible" or "There is no fire in space". I am completely unable to get him to put this knowledge aside and simply enjoy a movie. Perhaps, if he could, I would suggest less 'chick flicks'. Perhaps, too, he would have less sleepless nights as it is this ability that has him up late at night worrying.
I can't tell you how many mornings when we wake up I ask Bob how he has slept and he replies, "Awful". When pressed, he will admit that he is worried...worried about the state of the planet and our children's place in it. To be sure, in the past, I have easily brushed these concerns aside. Too busy attending to the needs of my family to worry myself with these boring scientific facts that keep him up at night. Also, I had convinced myself that the need for deep concern had yet to arrive--the negative effects of global warming were many years away. We could deal with them then. And, then, I made the mistake of asking him to educate me. Now, I too, have had sleepless nights worrying about what we have already done to our one and only home, but I also have a more positive outlook and firmly believe that it is not too late. We have the technical know how to fix this thing now all we need is the political will...but, how does one achieve that? In a world that is so fast paced, so busy with day to day living, it is hard to find time to worry about the little things not to mention something as gigantic as this? Well, I have been thinking a lot about it and I have decided that it is going to have to be us consumers who make the changes. If we wait for politicians to do it, we will definitely have reached the point of no return before anything is actually accomplished. I also have come to the understanding that so much of what is wrong with our society...no our culture...is linked together. Just like they say on all the talk shows when talking about your weight or other concern, we are going to have to change our thinking while we change our lives in order to achieve our goals.
I really don't want to get all political on this site as politics...like I said earlier...really play no part in all of this. Or, really, it is way to big a part for me to even begin with, so for now, I won't. What I do want to do is put out there small things we CAN do(above recycling--because I already assume that we all do this and if you don't...I can help so give me a shout). So, the first thing I am going to put out there is an easy one. Change your lightbulbs. Go on...you can do it...run out to Home Depot or Costco or the corner hardware store and buy yourselves some Phillips Marathon bulbs(Compact Fluorescents) and replace the yucky old fashioned, low tech ones that you currently have. Even Oprah has encouraged us all to do it. You know, I read somewhere that if they changed all the lightbulbs in public buildings in California there would be no need for rolling black outs. We like the Phillips ones as they cast the best color...like I said one of the perks of living with an engineer is before he makes a purchase he does all the research...well, some of the bulbs out there are shit. The color sucks. These ones are our favorites. And, now you can even buy specialty type bulbs for your potlights, your chandeliers, etc...buy them...quick! And, then check back because I will have another challenge soon!