This past Saturday night/Sunday morning was our first family EARTH NIGHT.
First, from app 6:55pm to 7:55pm we shut the POWER off at the breaker panel. Grant played Rumoli with the boys (complaining it was too dark to see, so I helped them with a coal oil lantern) and Amanda and I did journal writing. It is something I really want to continue, and not just for environmental reasons. It was so relaxing.
Then, at app 11pm (tho I think it was a bit earlier) I shut down the computer systems, and made sure most other things were shut off, then I threw the switch on the POWER. Grant and I didn't wake up til 8ish, so the power was definitely off for a full 8 hours.
I had planned on checking the electricity meter around 5pm on Sunday (because I'd checked it at 5pm on Saturday) to see how much of a difference it made with everything being off overnight, but I forgot. I think this week if I get a reading from app 5pm Thurs to 5pm Saturday, then one from 5pm Saturday to 5pm Monday, that should be a good comparison of two days with power on overnight and two days with the power off overnight. If it makes a big enough difference then I think we will look at replacing electric clock-radios and have battery alarm clocks for everyone, so that we can power down more often. Grant is still concerned as to whether it will do any damage shutting the power off: I do want to get a more defnititive answer....need to ask an electrician on tht I guess.
Friday was Garbage and Recycling Day: when I took out the garbage it could have squeezed into 2/3 small grocery bags. The black bag was only about 1/3 full. And not as much paper recycling, likely because we are not getting as many newspapers. However, after house cleaning on the weekend the garbage got a bit fuller. We skip a week ths time because Friday is the Good Friday holiday: we will definitely have 1 very full or 2 garbage bags next week.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Time flies....!
Monday morning: The boys are actually up and showering before 7! Rod left me a note asking to be up at 6:30, and I woke Richard up at 6:45. Neither one had had a shower for several days, so they really needed to get up early.
After a mixed-up start and leftover stuff from last week, we did get a fair bit done over the weekend. The red car was finished at Steve Marshall on Friday, so it took a bit of juggling to pick it up on Saturday, along with eveything else that needed doing. I drove Grant to work for 8, as all the businesses in the same plaza had a 'Customer Appreciation Day' and all staff had to work. Home, breakfast etc, then Amanda and I went into Nan around 10 to Costco, gas, stop at G's work and look at shower doors, then paid for the car at SM. When they brought the car around to give to me I found they had only done one key...so I went back in and asked that a 2nd key be done before we picked the car up in the afternoon. We just made it back in time for me to pick Richard up for his baseball practice which started at 1. He couldn't find his wallet, and thought he'd left it at Paul's at Spring Break. We went there, no wallet. So when I picked him up after practice we just came home so he could spend time searching for his wallet, rather than going into Nan. so he could go with Grant to buy a jockstrap! I still planned on picking G. up at 4, but he phoned at 3:30 saying he was going to walk over as he was finished work. After a few min. I realized it didn't make much sense for me to drive in and meet him and then both of us drive home in the two vehicles..: so I phoned SM to leave a message for him to phone me; he paid for the car and came home. Before supper he and A. did some driving practice.
I'll do a separate post re some GREEN THINGS, since I can't figure a way to have multiple labels.
Sunday amid much grumbling, especially from Rod, we got the vacuuming done of the whole house, as it hadn't been done for about 3 weeks! I had Rod clean 'his' bathroom, tho it took some coaching to get it done. I put blue toilet cleaner in the tank, and will see what the floor looks like, as he claimed the stain was not him (gross topic, I know). The most obvious project we did was cleaning/tidying the vehicles. Amananda started by getting the vacuum and Grant out at the van, which was horrendously messy and dirty. They also took a back seat out so Grant can bring the tub-shower door home today. I'm not sure if it was cleaned inisde, but it will definitely be an improvement. Thinking of the van, I'm reminded to call wreckers and try to track down seatbelts...the driver's side is dangerously unsafe! Amanda did the red car, then with Richard's help did the s/w. I then went out and did 'my version' of tidying the s/w. I put some more emerg/safety things in zip-bags in the back, put a clear plastic zip-bag of supplies under by MEC supply bag to the right of my seat. I then got the other black travel bag I had bought for the car, put more 'safety' things in it, and 'carabinered it to the loop on the front console. I need to get a few more safety things to put in: I need a multi-driver/pliers(?), but most definitely a tire gauge, which for some reason is missing. I've put it on the list for today (Monday). I windex'd the front window and the dash, and tidied the trunk. Also stashed some things in the cubby under the floor (great feature in the Taurus s/w!).
Around 1pm Grant and Rod took the canoe and headed out fishing...I forgot to ask where!..but they came home around 5:30 with FISH! Rod said they had caught several more but they were too small. Grant helped Rod clean them: I think it must have been his first time cleaning fish, as I heard a lot of 'eeeeeh' and 'yuck'..and this from a kid who says he wants to be a doctor! Supper was mashed potatoes, honey-garlic sausages and green beans. I'm really not very interested in sausages, and last night I just couldn't. So I made a grilled-cheese croissant and a 1/2 plate full of green beans.
Once the cleaning was done Richard was BORED again...I think that is why he helped A. with the cars: out of boredom. They played cards out on the deck while I was cleaning the car.
After a mixed-up start and leftover stuff from last week, we did get a fair bit done over the weekend. The red car was finished at Steve Marshall on Friday, so it took a bit of juggling to pick it up on Saturday, along with eveything else that needed doing. I drove Grant to work for 8, as all the businesses in the same plaza had a 'Customer Appreciation Day' and all staff had to work. Home, breakfast etc, then Amanda and I went into Nan around 10 to Costco, gas, stop at G's work and look at shower doors, then paid for the car at SM. When they brought the car around to give to me I found they had only done one key...so I went back in and asked that a 2nd key be done before we picked the car up in the afternoon. We just made it back in time for me to pick Richard up for his baseball practice which started at 1. He couldn't find his wallet, and thought he'd left it at Paul's at Spring Break. We went there, no wallet. So when I picked him up after practice we just came home so he could spend time searching for his wallet, rather than going into Nan. so he could go with Grant to buy a jockstrap! I still planned on picking G. up at 4, but he phoned at 3:30 saying he was going to walk over as he was finished work. After a few min. I realized it didn't make much sense for me to drive in and meet him and then both of us drive home in the two vehicles..: so I phoned SM to leave a message for him to phone me; he paid for the car and came home. Before supper he and A. did some driving practice.
I'll do a separate post re some GREEN THINGS, since I can't figure a way to have multiple labels.
Sunday amid much grumbling, especially from Rod, we got the vacuuming done of the whole house, as it hadn't been done for about 3 weeks! I had Rod clean 'his' bathroom, tho it took some coaching to get it done. I put blue toilet cleaner in the tank, and will see what the floor looks like, as he claimed the stain was not him (gross topic, I know). The most obvious project we did was cleaning/tidying the vehicles. Amananda started by getting the vacuum and Grant out at the van, which was horrendously messy and dirty. They also took a back seat out so Grant can bring the tub-shower door home today. I'm not sure if it was cleaned inisde, but it will definitely be an improvement. Thinking of the van, I'm reminded to call wreckers and try to track down seatbelts...the driver's side is dangerously unsafe! Amanda did the red car, then with Richard's help did the s/w. I then went out and did 'my version' of tidying the s/w. I put some more emerg/safety things in zip-bags in the back, put a clear plastic zip-bag of supplies under by MEC supply bag to the right of my seat. I then got the other black travel bag I had bought for the car, put more 'safety' things in it, and 'carabinered it to the loop on the front console. I need to get a few more safety things to put in: I need a multi-driver/pliers(?), but most definitely a tire gauge, which for some reason is missing. I've put it on the list for today (Monday). I windex'd the front window and the dash, and tidied the trunk. Also stashed some things in the cubby under the floor (great feature in the Taurus s/w!).
Around 1pm Grant and Rod took the canoe and headed out fishing...I forgot to ask where!..but they came home around 5:30 with FISH! Rod said they had caught several more but they were too small. Grant helped Rod clean them: I think it must have been his first time cleaning fish, as I heard a lot of 'eeeeeh' and 'yuck'..and this from a kid who says he wants to be a doctor! Supper was mashed potatoes, honey-garlic sausages and green beans. I'm really not very interested in sausages, and last night I just couldn't. So I made a grilled-cheese croissant and a 1/2 plate full of green beans.
Once the cleaning was done Richard was BORED again...I think that is why he helped A. with the cars: out of boredom. They played cards out on the deck while I was cleaning the car.
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