I'm trying to go green. Kind of. Actually, I guess I'm really just trying to make the switch to the good-for-you, curly light bulbs.
But I'm finding it to be a difficult transition. Mostly because I never really realized how hard it is to change a light bulb in my loft. My overhead lights are all the kinds with the cages that screw around the light bulbs. And I think they are painted shut. And you can't use one of those rods with the suction cup to unscrew the light bulbs in really tall light fixtures. So right now I'm just trying to use my desk chair, but you have to be pretty cat-like to safely do that. Why? Because my chair rolls around on my concrete floors, so every time I get close to the light bulb the chair starts rolling across the room and spinning. I probably just need a ladder, but I'm going to try it my way a few more times before I cave and buy one. Or until I slip off the chair and sprain something.
I'm also finding that the switch to eco/curly light bulbs is costing me in two ways. 1) Curly bulbs are literally costing me because those curls are pricey. But I know the logic is that they last so much longer, so it's ultimately a good investment. And they help keep the earth from eating itself, so I guess that's a plus. 2) Curly bulbs are costing me a little bit of my eyesight. They're much dimmer, so right now they're not stellar to use as reading lights. But I'm not ready to throw that curly baby out with the bath water just yet. (And speaking of bath water, here's an eco fact that is well known and also in the Gorgeously Green book ... taking a bath uses up 20 gallons of water while a shower only uses three. Good to know. Not as helpful is the book's suggestion "don't be in a rush to flush." Um, gross.)
On another green note, I'm about two years into my green tea obsession. My favorites are by Tazo (Giant Diet Peach and Zen) and Bigelow (Lemon and Constant Comment). And because I drink it everyday, the Starbucks downstairs now knows my tea order. And that's really all I've ever wanted from a coffee shop ... other than the hope that one day they'll build a Central Perk in Dallas and Matthew Perry will be a regular there. And maybe he'll have coffee breath and I'll ask him if he wants some gum. To which he'll say "gum would be perfection."
Yep, one way or another good things will come from going green.
