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October 2007
What should we collect?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Have you ever driven past the American Legion Post 105 log cabin in Fayetteville and noticed what looks like an old mailbox?
I believe it’s red, white and blue and looks a bit weathered. If you’ve taken a good look at it, it’s actually a collection box for worn out flags.
What a great idea. I mean, if I had an old worn out flag, it just wouldn’t seem right to throw it in the trash can. That sort of receptacle just seems like a respectable place to put something like a flag.
Driving by that mailbox on a regular basis gave me something to ponder. If I was in charge of putting up a public collection box, what kind of used, worn out or broken stuff would I use it for?
Well, since I seem to have what appears to be a convoy of broken down printers here in my office, I think a collection box for something like that would serve me well. I know it’s not a patriotic sort of item, like the flag, but I think there are plenty of people like me with dead printers just taking up valuable space.
So if you were in charge of erecting a collection box, what would be in your stuff of choice?
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What’s your H20 footprint?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Unless you’re hiding under a rock you know the seriousness of the drought. But what you may not know is just how much water you consume on a monthly basis.
Check out your last water bill or call your local water department, which is what I did. I was really curious to know whether my water-conserving efforts were paying off. Specifically, I called to find out how many gallons of water our family is using on a monthly basis.
I’m pretty conscientious these days about my water usage.
I turn off the water when I’m brushing my teeth. I only do full loads of laundry and dishes. I don’t flush the toilet every single time. I water plants with water recovered from the dehumidifier. I turn off the shower when I’m actually shampooing my hair or washing my body.
So, I was hoping to hear a number that would make me proud - a number that revealed my efforts were paying off. As it turns out, the number of gallons consumed for the month of September was (drum roll please) 3,650 for a family of three (one daughter is away at college).
Yippee!
I called Tony Parrott, Director of Fayette County’s Water System, to make sure I was on par with the national average. “The average is approximately 100 gallons per day, per person,” Parrott said. “You are doing a great job.”
So that works out to about 3000 gallons per person, per month. And considering my family of three was just a little over that by 650 gallons I was very pleased. So now I’m on a new quest. How can I lower my water consumption even more?
One thing my husband suggested is that we run the dishwasher on the short cycle. I’ll try that. I’ll start collecting the water from the shower as it warms up. I’ll try that too.
What about you? Have you ever looked into how much water you use on a monthly basis? And what will you do to go that extra mile? Check your last water bill and see if the total gallons used that month is a number you’re happy with.
Water-conserving minds want to know.
Permalink | | Categories: Abby Brunks
Fayetteville post office closing Saturdays
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Hey Fayetteville-ians, did you hear this one? The Fayetteville post office is now closed on Saturdays until further notice.
Yep, it’s true, and last Saturday marked the first time the doors were closed.
A good friend of mine who happened to go not knowing of the closing, said there were plenty of irritated customers. The Saturday closing is for financial reasons, at least that’s what I was told by an employee.
So if you’re a Fayetteville resident and you need a regular old post office, you’ll have to take a ride down to Ga. 74 in Peachtree City, where another one exists.
There is one on Ga. 54 in Fayetteville near Huiet Road where you can purchase stamps, drop off letters and pick up mail. But it’s not a regular old post office. For instance, you can’t take packages to that location unless the postage has already been paid.
Like anything else, things could change and the Fayetteville location might re-open in the future. But in the meantime, those of us in Fayetteville will be a little inconvenienced. On the irritation scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the most irritating, how would you rate the closing of the local post office on Saturdays? I’ll go with a 3.
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Taking the kids to George Carlin
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This past Saturday I set out to test a very personal hypothesis regarding how well I think I know my daughters, one 15 year-old and the other 19-years old. I’d like to think I know them fairly well, including what annoys them as well as what makes them laugh.
And it was the latter, the one about laughter, that I was testing. I wanted to see if they would enjoy the same kind of humor I enjoy. So here’s what we (my husband was in on this too) did: We took them to see the comedian, George Carlin, perform at the Fox Theater.
Are you all in shock? Total disbelief that seemingly responsible parents would do this? Well you know what? They got it and laughed just as hard as we did and we all had a blast.
“As a teenager you’re around that stuff all the time,” my 15 year-old said. “So seeing a 70 year-old man do that in front of thousands of people was freakin’ hilarious. I loved his ability to express his thoughts without caring what everyone else thought. And I wasn’t embarrassed at all to be with my parents because we are able to openly discuss things that might be uncomfortable in other families.”
Those of you who know Carlin and his style of humor know that he can be rude, crude, and lewd. I really wish I could be more specific about some of the things he said, but I can’t. You just had to be there.
And trust me, I warned my girls about virtually everything they might hear and see. I also told them they obviously didn’t have to attend, I just thought it be a fun night and something different.
True to form, Carlin didn’t let me down. His monologue was filled with the usual expletives, hand gestures,observations about our country, the crazy bumper stickers he sees and more. One thing that confirmed my belief that he still hits the nail on the head is that during the our hour and twenty minute performance there were some people who walked out. Maybe they left because they found his material offensive or he just wasn’t funny to them. Regardless, my informal little experiment worked, my girls proved me right, and everyone had a blast.
Now it’s your turn. Be honest. Do you think I was wrong to take my kids to a George Carlin concert? Would you take a teen to see a comedian who uses rude, crude and lewd language?
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Pray for Riverdale
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Every once in a while I see bumper stickers that give me something to think about. I’m not referring to the ones that I find offensive or funny, but rather the ones that make me think about them long after I’ve seen them.
And the one I see occasionally that catches my eye and makes me pause reads: Pray for Riverdale.
Lots of thoughts come to my mind. I think “Ah yes. Poor Riverdale. We always hear about murder and destruction in your city and you need our prayers.”
Sometimes I think “Will prayers help? And shouldn’t we say a little prayer for all of our cities? Or rather the people that fill their confines?
What would you think if you saw a bumper sticker that said: Pray for … fill in the name of your city? I think it conjures up thoughts in a lots of directions.
So give me your opinion on this one.
Permalink | Comments (13) | Categories: Abby Brunks
Water guilt
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I don’t know about the rest of you, but every single time I turn on a water faucet, I feel a twinge of guilt.
Of course I know I have to use it, whether it’s for brushing my teeth or cleaning dishes, but I still can’t help but wonder, what if the amount of water we used was doled out in very limited amounts?
Who knows, maybe it will come to that. And maybe we will all be forced to be extremely conservative regarding when, how and how much we use water.
I’ve heard different ideas regarding consequences on using too much water. The one idea that sticks out in my mind is the one where the water company figures out how much you use during an average month. Then, that becomes the amount you are allotted. If you go over that number, you are fined something outrageous.
Since I have some strange obsession with the whole idea of consequences, no matter what it’s for, do you think that being charged lots of money would make you a more responsible water conserver?
Or do you have a better idea for a consequence that would make people learn the lesson of saving water?
Whatever happens, we all need to be a little more respectful of what could be a very limited resource.
Permalink | Comments (40) | Categories: Abby Brunks
PTC envy
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’ll admit I have a few jealous bones in my body. So as a Fayetteville-ian, when I read the story about Peachtree City making news in U.S. News & World Report on the AJC website yesterday, I felt a little twinge.
Kind of like, well, you know, gee, why couldn’t Fayetteville make the list, too? Don’t we count?. I mean, we’re right next door in the same county?
Here’s a little excerpt from the story: “Peachtree City’s in the limelight as a top-ranked place to retire. Golf cart paths, nearness to Atlanta, natural beauty and development controls are among the things that give the city its attractive character, U.S. News & World Report says.”
I know Fayetteville doesn’t have miles of golf cart paths. But we’re working on it. And I’d like to think we have some “natural beauty” and “attractive character.”
All I’m trying to say is I really do like Peachtree City, but I’m glad to live in Fayetteville, even if we didn’t get considered for the U.S. News & World Report story. What about you? Does it bother you at all that Peachtree City made the big league and Fayetteville didn’t? Or did you just say to yourself “blah, blah, blah who cares?”
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Breakfast, dinner
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
While driving through Fayetteville one evening I couldn’t help but notice the crowded parking lot at IHOP. As a matter of fact, I’ve noticed that most evenings I drive by there are tons of cars in the popular establishment on Ga. 85.
I realize they have more than breakfast food, but I’m curious about what makes people think about going to IHOP, a place better known for breakfast food, for dinner. I know there are plenty of folks who enjoy a bowl of cereal for an evening snack. And there are those people who whip up a batch of scrambled eggs and bacon for dinner.
Hey, who am I to judge? I’m just not a big fan of breakfast food any time of day. So diving into a bowl of Crispix for dinner just doesn’t appeal to me.
My husband told me when he was a kid, his mom fixed ham and eggs for dinner once a month for the family of six.
If there are people that eat breakfast food for dinner, are there others that eat dinner food for breakfast?
Let me know. Are you one of those people that enjoys a bowl of cereal at night on a regular basis?Or do you go out to a restaurant that traditionally serves breakfast for dinner?
What do you enjoy about eating breakfast food for dinner or vice versa?
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