Comments Steaming Pile has made
We've considered this long ago.
Christmas is just an excuse to go out and buy a bunch of USELESS crap just to be buying it. Anyone who doesn't believe me is invited to go visit their local shopping mall and prove otherwise. We made up our minds a long time ago that Christmas at our house was getting downsized.
Not having little kids helps. That means we no longer have to spend money on cheap plastic crap. Since the price of heating oil has gone up, and the default thermostat setting down in response, we've been seeing a lot more sweaters and hoodies under the tree than anything else. I think overall, we probably spend something like $500 on Christmas, and I suspect that's far below the national average.
Now if we can just get other people to dial their thermostats back to the low 60's (conspicuously green Wal-Mart is a big offender here), I'll be happy.On Are you brave enough to say no to a high-stress holiday? posted 2 years ago 51 Responses
Warmed-over coffee sucks the big one.
I like the Thermos idea. I have a nice one from when I was on crutches earlier this year and couldn't carry a cup of coffee across the room without making a huge mess. Perhaps I will resurrect it, although to be honest, a pot of coffee tends not to go to waste at our house.On Umbra on reheating coffee posted 2 years ago 20 Responses
Cats are better than pesticides.
I'm sure you all would rather I add to the ecological problem of hazardous materials in the environment - pesticides in this instance, but I prefer a more natural solution, hence our two cats.On Umbra on cats and birds posted 2 years ago 72 Responses
So I'm lucky to have vermin in my basement?
Of what benefit to mankind is an overabundance of vermin in our environment? Please enlighten me.On Umbra on cats and birds posted 2 years ago 72 Responses
Small mammals means mice, right?
Good weather after a couple of hard winters that reduced the number of predators has resulted in an overpopulation of mice in the Northeastern United States. Maybe you all just love the little critters, but I do not. I'd just as soon let our little monster kill the buggers to their hearts' content. I don't see many dead birds, but they average something like three or four mice a week between them (that they bring around for me to find), and that's a good thing.On Umbra on cats and birds posted 2 years ago 72 Responses
No more 10 MPG land yachts.
As much as people malign SUVs, only the largest, most expensive, and most ridiculous of them equal the gas wastage of the typical 70's family car. Ever see one of those old land barges? The 1973 Buick Electra 225 (for example) weighed in at nearly three tons and had an engine with over eight liters' displacement. That thing was frickin' HUGE. My late German father in law used to joke that Americans put truck engines in their cars. Heck, even a more reasonable vehicle, like a Dodge Dart with the slant-six, got only around 17 MPG. That's it. They all guzzled gas by today's standards.
Our beat up '99 Accord, by contrast, gets around 28 MPG. Those three-dollar gallons of gas simply go farther than in the era of odd-even days and lines around the block.On Why we're not conserving like it's 1980 posted 2 years ago 13 Responses
How does Scott stack up?
I kinda assumed most TP was made from recycled fibers. No sense in cutting down trees for something that ends up in the septic tank (the reason we use Scott), right? Nice to know, and thanks for the 411.On A review of recycled toilet-paper brands posted 2 years ago 21 Responses
Shaving. Sheesh!
I don't really enjoy it, but my spouse insists upon it. She doesn't like my stubbly face, and I never seem to get past that part without the hair driving me nuts.
Hannaford store-brand three-blade Sensor clones for me. $3 for five. Screw Gillette and their planned obsolescence. I'm curious to find out what the replacement for the Fusion system ($18 for four catridges!) will be.On Umbra on shaving posted 2 years ago 28 Responses