Wednesday, February 11, 2009

IT’S NOT EASY BEING GREEN


Everyone is trying to be GREENER these days. I'm no exception. I really want to be green. A nice Forest green would be desirable or at least a perfect, Kelly green. Instead I think I wind up being more of a weak, pastel, mint green. It's not for lack of trying, believe me.

We recycle. Palm Beach County provides us with recycling bins. One is for paper and another for cans and plastic. We've done our best to recycle every acceptable item since we moved to this county. I turn off the water when I brush my teeth. We have energy and water efficient appliances. I've become completely neurotic about turning off the lights and ceiling fans when I leave the room.

My newest effort to become a darker shade of green is to use shopping bags instead of paper or plastic. Here's the problem. I forget to bring them into the store with me. So I buy another one. Then I forget the next time and I buy another one. My trunk is filled with shopping bags. I'm pretty sure this defeats the purpose. At least I'm boosting the economy, right?

Publix, the local supermarket has even put up a banner outside the store to remind shoppers to bring in their bags. I never see it. I'm probably twittering and trying not to walk into cars. Publix also gave out a little disk to put in your cup holder as a reminder too. Yeah, that one didn't work for me either.

I can hardly be blamed though. I mean…… really. I'm a peri-menopausal woman losing estrogen at the speed of light. I can't be expected to remember everything!

I wish I could say that shopping bags were all I'm forgetting these days. *sigh*

I will go to the mall specifically to return an item. I will walk into the mall and into the store and only realize I left the item in the car once I reach the counter.

My good friend, Miss Lolly's birthday is Christmas Eve. It has become somewhat of a tradition for Daughter #1, Daughter #2 and I to dress up in our best Christmas t-shirts and Santa hats and drive over to her house early on the 24th to sing her our special birthday song. This past year, we arrived just as they were getting all gussied up to go out to lunch to celebrate. The whole family looked great and we used the opportunity to take a family photo of them in front of their Christmas tree.

**Bear with me people, I do have a point here***

A little over a week later, we received a photo card of the Miss Lolly family wishing us a very happy New Year. MHS commented that he wondered who had taken the picture. I said, "Oh you know Wolfgang, he probably photo-shopped himself in. He does that all the time." At that point, D2 who had overheard our conversation walked over to see the picture. She looked at me like I had two heads and said, "YOU took that picture!" And she was right. *sigh*

As you can plainly see, I am a woman who is suffering from severe midlife distraction. The ability to focus on one idea has become all but impossible. Multi-tasking has become a joke. I can barely single task. But this much is true: I really want to be green.

So if you see me wandering around the parking lot at Publix, dodging cars, all while texting and twittering, please remind me to go back to the car and get the bags out of my trunk.


18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hahaha.....I love it but only because I do all of these things too. Plus, today I put my cell phone in the refrigerator. *sigh* I would be more worried about that if I'd just walked over and stuck it in there, but I have an excuse. I had the phone in one hand and was trying to get a Jello sugar-free pudding out of those darn packages with the other hand so I laid my phone down to free up another hand and then closed the door and took off with my pudding. Imagine my surprise when I went back a little later and saw my iphone chillin in the fridge. :)

JeanMac said...

Great post - sounds like my life!

Lori said...

LOL! I do these same things...drives me crazy! I swear to god I am losing my mind! Great post...thanks for making me laugh tonight, when really I should be in bed but can't sleep!

Reader Wil said...

What a great post! I recognize the situation. I often buy food at the greengrocer's that has to be put in little plastic containers. At home I wash the containers and promise myself to take them back to the shop to be refilled with the salads or the fruit I want. But I keep forgetting them and now I have dozens of those boxes.

Anonymous said...

"I'm a peri-menopausal woman losing estrogen at the speed of light. I can't be expected to remember everything!"

I completely relate to this! You know it's all true when...

Oh, shit. I forgot what I was going to say.

Hmm, well, I'm right there with you - I can't remember anything!

cheatymoon said...

Right there with you, lady. My brain is estrogen deprived mush.

Anonymous said...

These days, it's difficult to form a sentence in my head and when I attempt to verbalize it, it usually comes out jumbled.

So right there with you. So not fun.

Anonymous said...

Hubby finds full cups of coffee on the top shelf in our closet.... I put them there while getting dressed and then forget they are there. DOH... makes for a pretty foggy headed day when I can't even remember where I sat my coffee or if I even drank it...

Yes, considered buying 'green' grocery toting bags yesterday when at the store, but already have a drawer full of them at home... You are definitely not in a sinking boat alone! We're all going down with you... lol

Di
The Blue Ridge Gal

Debbie said...

You are living my life! Are you enjoying it? My mind is toast. Well, more like just bread because I forgot to toast it.

Anonymous said...

Too funny! I laugh because I AM! I'm famous for stopping in at the grocery store to pick up a book of stamps. I walk out with several bags of stuff...and NO stamps.

Wsprsweetly Of Cottages said...

ROFL at some of the stuff you wrote!! :)
Sweet cakes, you are as green as the rest of us. I promise you! Actually, you are MUCH greener than a lot of us I'll wager!!! As far as the being Peri-menopausal (I HATED going though that!) all I can say is "and this too shall pass.." But then you already know that! The forgetfulness, wellllll, that's just going to get worse..and worse..and worse. :) I hope this little note made you feel UP and have hope for the future!
What is that old saying...oh..I KNOW you've heard it. Everyone has. They said "Cheer up! Things could be worse! So I cheered up..and sure enough..things got worse!!"
Anyway..a big old hug from one who has been there. I mean, look at me! Don't I give you hope?? :)
Mona

MsMVNJ said...

I forget the bags all the time too! I also suffer from CRS syndrome - I always blame it having too much to do, but we all know it's age. I'm new to your blog, but I already consider myself a fan!

Smart Mouth Broad said...

MLS-Now that's one I haven't done.........yet. Too funny. I wish I could have seen your face when you saw your phone in the fridge.

JM-Thanks.

Smiles-Me too. Sometimes it makes me so mad, I could just spit. Other times, I just have to laugh.

RW-I know just what you mean. We also recycle the plastic grocery bags back to the grocer. I have oodles of them just waiting to be returned.

Jan-I really did laugh out loud at your comment.

Movie-Well at least we're all in this together.

Lisa-That happens to me on the phone in the office. I sound like a complete idiot.

BRG-Sorry but somehow you leaving your coffee in the closet makes me feel better. We ARE definitely in the same boat.

Debbie-Yes, I'm having a grand time with your life. LOL

Fancy-Oh that happens to me too. Every.single.time!

Mona-Thanks so much. You somehow were able to make me feel better and then worse and then better and then worse and then better. LOL
And as a matter of fact, YES, you do give me hope.

MSMVNJ-Thanks so much for stopping by and for the follow. I checked out your site quickly while on hold at work today. I'll be back. I think we have a lot in common.

K Dubs said...

I ride the stutter bus daily. I completely forget who I am, what I'm doing - and why the hell do you people keep waking me up?

Maybe if you add some caffeine to that coke in your trunk, that might help? LOL

Anonymous said...

I'm not peri-menopausal, I'm plenty menopausal. I can totally relate to forgetting to take the reusable bags with me. So my Devoted Spouse simply moved them from the kitchen pantry shelf to the front seat (not trunk) of my car. The first time he did that and I went for groceries I still didn't remember them until I was in the checkout ready to pay! Love your blog & I'm adding you to my blogroll. Cheers!

Smart Mouth Broad said...

Kathy-ROFL @ "Why the hell do you people keep waking me up?"

The caffeine free diet coke was for my office. I'm a tea drinker, myself.

Croneandbearit-I did try the front seat but then someone sits there, puts them on the floor or in the back seat and out of sight, out of mind. *sigh*

Pseudo said...

I have teh same problemo with not having the shopping bags with me. so we keep a couple in each car to help.

Hawaii, if you can believe this, makes recycling very difficult. No curbside recycling....

binks said...

My husband forbids me to buy another bag! I have at least 10 bags and they are strewn throughout the house & cars. I even have one hanging with my purse. Do I remember ANY of them? No. Mental pause, sister. We are in the same damn boat and we've forgotten the paddles.