and speaking of eco friendly ideas...

here's one we've done for years...reusable bottles for water. so many people drink bottled water now that companies have started to make bottles that can be reused without the plastic breaking down. much safer and longer lasting that reusing a dasani bottle (or whatever brand you prefer). you can buy these safer bottles at whole foods (austin), wheatsville (austin), new pioneer (iowa city), tidal creek coop (wilmington), and i'm sure many other places in your area.

we refill ours with our brita filtered water before we leave the house and we've got 34 ounces to go. you'll spend $40 initially ($8 bottle, $30 brita filter) but it saves tons in bottled water in the end. that stuffs expensive!

Global Warming = Bad; Ideas = Good

Alright, we're still working on our list, but here's a few things Andre and I are going to do...

1) Change all our light bulbs to energy star. Yes, they are more white than yellow light, but we've thrown a warm colored lamp shade over them, saved tons of energy and called it a day.
2) No more using plastic bags or even brown sacks for grocery shopping. Instead we have five canvas totes (ones that I've collected over the years from film festivals, writing conferences and pledge drives at KMFA - but you can also buy hip ones at Whole Foods or your local coop or hell, Target for that matter...) and we're keeping them in our trunk for grocery shopping days.
3) We currently drive a vehicle that gets 37 miles to the gallon on the interstate (which isn't bad), but next summer we're going hybrid (50-60mpg!)
4) We're going to start a campaign in Wilmington for more bike trails and bike racks around town.
5) We've started taking a reusable container from home when we eat out and instead of getting their styro-foam to-go containers we get our leftovers in our own take home container.

What about you? Leave comments and let me know what easy everyday ideas you are putting into action that we might be able to incorporate.

An Inconvenient, but well worth it, Weekend

We're back in Wilmington for two days before heading to Texas. Our weekend trip was fun, but oh boy hectic. We left Friday and had a really lovely drive to Durham. Good conversation, nice weather, fast driving. All things I love. We cut the timing close for the 9pm show, but figured we'de drop off our luggage, check into the hotel and then get to the outdoor screening just a few minutes late. HOWEVER, when we got to the hotel there was a snag. It went something like this.

"Can you grab the suitcase from the trunk?"
"What suitcase?"
"Oh crap..."

And thus began our five day trip with only one outfit each....Luckily Kohl's was open till 10pm and we were able to buy two t-shirts for $4 each and some underwear and socks to get through the week. Disaster avoided.

So then off to Hi Mom! for the midnight show where we caught a screening of about a dozen very scrappy, very fun shorts. In particular I enjoyed "Every Boy I've Fucked" by Jennifer Matotek. This one cut to the quick. It's raw and honest and something I wish I would have made myself. I like when a film evens the playing field by just saying what we all know but avoid talking about. Afterwards Andre asked, "If we broke up what would my generic boyfriend name have been?" To which I replied, "Organic, Bicycle, Factoid Boy" His smile let me know that he approved.

The next morning we went to the Varsity Theatre for a screening of An Inconvenient Truth (hosted by UNC's Public Health Dept.) All I can say is, "Go see this movie. And take a friend." We're already organic junkies and do small things that were on Gore's list, but we left the screening ready to really change our lives and the lives of others as much as we can. I really hope Gore will consider running in 2008. The world has been Bushwacked until its bleeding.

After seeing the movie Andre and I took some time to make a list of things we can do to do our part. Our first goal is to get the owners of our apartment building to install a bike rack on the property. There are quite a few people that already ride bike's in our building, but we figure if there were a bike rack then it might encourage even more people to do so. Our second goal is to create and distribute (or post) an "easy to do" list of things that can be done in our everyday lives to help stop global warming (so be sure to check back in.) For now you can go to the films website at www.climatecrisis.org for ways to do your part.

Post screening high we drove to VA and visited the family. Stayed at my dad's on Father's Day (first time I've spent the night at his house in 30 years! - went very smoothly). The next day was spent with my cousins and their kids (who I absolutely adore and want to steal!). The next day we packed grandma into the car and visited my mom's sisters in Hampton. Three days of hanging out and catching up.

Now we're home for two days. Lots to do before we leave. Have no idea how to prepare the apartment for a hurricane season that we will largely be absent from. Guess its time to meet the neighbors...

Carolina, Virginia, Texas - Oh my!

All done with Iowa? Yeah buddy! Thesis? Check. MFA? Check. Moved to Carolina with boxes unpacked? Check.

Now the fun summer begins. After three weeks of exploring Wilmington (which we love!) we're off to Chapel Hill for the Hi Mom! Film Fest and a special screening of An Inconvenient Truth (hosted by UNC's Public Health Department) this weekend. Then we are going to take a few days in Virginia to visit my dad, grandma, aunts and cousins. Figure we'll be back home by next Wednesday, stay a few days to rest and catch the films at Cucaloris and then we'll be off to Texas for my sister's wedding. Planning to hang out there for about a month.

Hope to see many of you along the way!