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Friday, December 29, 2006

Blog blather

So, Christmas was good. I enjoyed not having to pack up presents or kids (or anything else, for that matter) and travel anywhere. On the other hand, I did much more cleaning and meal preparation than in previous years. It made me feel like a grown up. Can't say I enjoyed that too much.

The toy manufacturers went above and beyond this year in their quest to ensure that children cannot experience the joys of toys on Christmas morning. You know how the twist ties that held your toy in the box have evolved into hard plastic zip ties? Well, this year, the hard plastic zip ties evolved into screws. Not one, but TWO of Noah's toys were screwed into the box. SCREWED INTO THE BOX. Seriously, people. It's a $5 truck. If someone wants it that bad, let 'em have it. I have a few more things I could say about "screw" and "toy companies", but I'll refrain.

In other news, I <3 recycling. Does that translate? I *heart* recycling. There. Now you have no doubt. After a recent post of Jackson's, (and the pursuant comments), I had determined to follow up with the city about a little blue recycling can. It's not really a can, though. Bin? Canister? Container. A little blue recycling container. But before I could call, said container was unceremoniously thrown into my front yard. (I had mixed feelings about this. I was glad to see the container, but a little peeved that it was crushing one of my children's plastic toys.) I have long known about the joys of recycling. My sixth grade science project was on recycling. (I tried to find pictures, but I think they're at my mom's house [look at how BLUE that water is!] Sorry. I know you really wanted to see sixth-grade me.) But since the little blue container showed up on my lawn, I've made a bit of a game of discovering the plethora of things that can be thrown into the Recycling Container That Makes Me Absurdly Giddy. Milk jugs, soda cans, junk mail, cardboard boxes--these are all well and good, and make me happy enough to recycle. But did you know you can also recycle plastic bags? And yogurt cups? And styrofoam cups from Sonic and Jack-in-the Box?! And OLD LEGO CONTAINERS?!? It's spectacular! I realize I'm inordinately pleased by all this, and I should probably try to temper my excitement, but, really, what's the point? At this point in my life, I figure I'm too far gone on the dorkiness dark side to try to work my way back to cool.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

I laughed out loud several times reading this; your last line could go down in history as a famous cult movie quote if it had the chance! I also took inordinate pleasure in seeing "my" beautiful BLUE St. Clair River linked in your blog! And it was delightful to read Jackson's comment: "Amy, are you ever short of perfect honesty?" Hmmm, I wonder where you picked up that trait?
I wonder, too, where could those pictures be?...

Adam said...

Where do you find out what can be recycled and what can't?

Amy said...

I've been using the city's website recycling center info. I'm pretty sure that list is the same stuff you can put in the containers, minus the large appliances.

Geraldine said...

Oh, Amy. The only way to survive these days is to realize that the "dorkiness dark side" of which you speak IS the new cool. It's the only way I get through life, telling myself that. Repeat after me: "I'm not a dork, I'm dorky cool; I'm not a dork, I'm dorky cool." If you say it enough times, it becomes true--I promise.

Mark said...

I'm so jealous. My container has yet to arrive...

mary z said...

I didn't think you could recycle styrofoam. That excites me. :)

Amy said...

Weeelll, it depends on the styrofoam. If it's polystyrene (I think it's plastic recycle symbol 6), then you can recycle it.

Brooke said...

I just bought a cheap Walmart clock for our kitchen (less than $4!) and it, too, is screwed into the box.

Because of that, it's been sitting on the kitchen table for about a week, waiting to be put up. I never feel in the mood to go find a screw driver.

*sigh*

Anonymous said...

Okay, so I'm not usually a blog commentor but I am a huge fan of the new curbside recycling progam in Waco so I'm breaking the silence this once . .

First, Waco has two different recycling programs: curbside recycling and Cobbs Collection Center (where you take it yourself). They do not accept all of the same things. Both places accept plastics #1-7 (yipee!), paper of all kinds, tin, aluminum and steel cans/containers. Curbside, however, does not accept glass. Cobbs Center will accept brown and clear glass but does not take plastic grocery bags (curbside does.) When you put things in your blue container that curbside does not accept those items will end up in the trash.

Second, a call to the City confirmed what I was afraid to be true-- although some styrofoam can be recycled the City of Waco doesn't accept it for recycling at all.

Third, Amy- I'm also loving finding out how many things can be recycled right here in Waco. The bathroom was relatively non-recyclable (except for those cardboard tubes from the toilet paper) until the plastics #1-7, but now all those bottles--shampoo, lotion and even the top of the toothpaste are all possibilities.

Fourth, in my excitement about recycling I don't want to forget that it is a smallest piece of the puzzle. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. The most important is also the most difficult for me: reduce.



Amy, I don't think you'll have to worry about being labled the dork as long as I'm around . .

Anonymous said...

Yep, there it is in black and white on the blog of an grammar/spelling whiz for all the world to see, one of the reasons I don't comment. Labeled.

Anonymous said...

So no posts in 2007?