Monday, March 30, 2009

March 30th

Fossil Free Weekend?
Okay, I'd decided to go without any electricityfor Sunday. doing a whole utility, or more than one utility free day or weekend, seemed way too much. butrather than not do any, I decided one day without one utility. It didn't come out as planned but I learned a few things.

To keep myself busy during non-net, TV or other electric distractions, I'd planned to clean up mypatio, trim the overgrown stuff, and report about 15-20 aloes and put someflower cuttings from a neighbor in pots. the aloes stay in the back and theflowers--hearts and flowers is the name I think--were goingn to go mostly ontheh front porch.

BTW, my natural gas heat wasn't coming on except for early morning for a littlewhile since it's not so cold at night anymore.

To make a long story shorter, my sinuses were totally plugged from a change inweather and allergies Sunday so I gave in and made cereal on the stove so thewarmth from the cereal and coffee would make my head feel better. It always does ...I repented :) of my decision to use the electric stove though and stayed awayfrom electricty generally until sundown. I had just picked sunup to sundown formy electricity free hours.

I did get all the outside work done I'd intended! My lower back certainly knows I did something unusual yesterday. I also cleaned out some stuff--boxes--from my shed so there's room for things like water storage containers. I realized I had all kinds of nails in the shed wall already that I could hang things on. There are two wooden brackets already in the wall that I could put some kind of shelf on and put stuff on there.

so, I never got anything in the solar oven yesterday and cooked dinner the regular way but I got some things accomplished. I also learned I need a wind up clock or another battery powered one. and there will be another time to try again going without utilities ...

cheer,sheri in phoenix

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Sat March 28th

I finally got the old analog TV out of the living room where it has been sitting for a little over a month since I got the new digital TV. I took it to Goodwill and then decided to look around inside their store. I found the very model of a battery powered fan that I had viewed online earlier this week at amazon or someplace. It's a good size although it does need 8 D batteries and I got it on a 50% off Satuday.

Also, I got some AAA batteries and found a battery powered clock so I have 2 battery powered clocks now.

Tomorrow I plan on doing the plant repotting on the back patio.

shamba

Friday, March 27, 2009

March 27, 2009

Finished an online class in Adapting In Place from Sharon and Aaron. What a lot of information and overwhelming at times really. Lots of things, and not all happy things to think about but better than not thinking about them. That’s one reason I haven’t been posting here but I haven’t had a lot to say this windy, pollen saturated March.

Had a nasty allergy problem that I had to go to the dr for and get prednisone, antibiotics and antihistamines which did fix it. Citrus blossoms, of course, and a variety of other things blooming did it I guess. I haven’t had an allergy problem like that before in the spring!

I’ve also been busy the past month with estate papers, taxes for Mom and myself and filing, sorting and shredding papers (again!) But next year I won’t be doing anymore taxes for mom/Eleanor and will have much less paperwork to sort and maybe a lot more that I can shred and/or burn.

Work has started on the new fresh water lines for the south side of the complex. In our small complex, two units are now for sale and 2 are for rent. I don’t think anyone has even glanced at the 2 for sale and they have been there for at least 6 months each. I know the people who own the rentals and they are in no big hurry for a resident, when they find one it will be fine. that’s kind of interesting but they are older people and may have the rentals paid off, I don’t know.

Where I used to work for the state has been cut very badly in the past month or so and that’s only for the 2009 budget year. what happens in the 2010 budget?! People let go, half the staff hours slashed in half (those have all been restored to 30 hours a week instead of 20) and threat of each week not knowing what’s coming next week. (S. hours were cut to 20 for a week or so but then she got restored up to 30. the other's whose hours were cut to 20 also got their work time to 30 hours.) And L. has decided to retire!! Party next Tuesday.

Large local food bank sent out info on how in Feb 2009 they had a 90 percent increase of use from Feb of 08. Director hasn’t seen things so bad in 40 some years of being associated with this particular food bank.

DJA has gone up to about 7900 the past two weeks but it was about 7700 Friday Mar 27.

Markets on March 18th.
7,486.58
+90.88
+1.23%
Nasdaq
1,491.22
+29.11
+1.99%

S&P 500
794.35
+16.23
+2.09%