It IS easy being Green (or "When it rains it pours""

Did you know that . . .

". . . if only 2% of American households switched from paper to online bills, payments and statements, it would save 15 million pounds of paper, and be equivalent to taking 32,572 cars off the road. If 20% of households switched, it would save 150 million pounds of paper and avoid producing 3.9 billion pounds of greenhouse gases! "

I have been paying bills and doing online banking for over 10 years when the bank I was working for at the time first rolled out the product. I did it because (1) It's free, (2) It's easy (3) I don't have to buy stamps and (4) I can set up reminders so I don't miss paying bills. Today I got the above in an e-mail from my phone company. I never even considered it being green! I thought it was just being lazy and cheap! I love it when slothfulness pays off! (Now if I can just get some documentation saying that clutter reduces household heating and cooling bills, I'll be all set!)

On another note: it was raining today so I went over to my local Wal-Mart and purchased my rain barrel! I was so excited to find them there and for a lot less than other places I found online. Also, they are not the horrid smurf-blue color that most advertised barrels use. They are more of a putty color.

So, after our big downpour, I drive my little Hybrid over to WalMart and wander around looking for my barrel. I went pretty much all over the home and garden area and then finally asked a nice old guy putting together a patio set. He never looked up, but directed me verbally to the outside area, just around the corner. Now, there were two sizes from which to choose. I went with the smaller model mostly because I was pretty sure it would fit into the Prius. There was one display already put together, and then a stack of up-sided-down containers. Because I was in a kind mood, I didn't take the right-side-up completed floor model, but decided to take the "some assembly required" option. Since it had been raining and I didn't want to get my car interior wet, I decided that me - the kindhearted lady with the 143 IQ - would take the 2nd barrel down which would undoubtedly be dryer. I am a self-sufficient woman, of course, so why would I ask a poor underpaid down-trodden WalMart employee to get it down when I can do it myself - right? Five minutes later, after wrestling the blasted contraption into my cart, the ever-so-helpful employee mumbled through his laughter "I see you found your rain barrel." I said, "yeah, apparently they even collect water up-side down" and then went over to the potted plants and wrung out my now soaked t-shirt so that I could, in one more small way, help the world be a greener place. I then walked away with head held high, using all the dignity I could muster - not much - to ignore the wild laughter of the home and garden employees of my neighborhood Wal-Mart. I hope their summer water bills triple!


(bastard)