This afternoon, I went to the bookstore to pick-up My Empire of Dirt: How One Man Turned His Big-City Backyard into a Farm
One of the decisions I have made about minimal living is that I am not going to fall into a trap of going on a gadget buying spree just to simplify my life. When I go to visit family in Iowa, I’m generally dragging my work computer, my personal Netbook, a cell phone, my iTouch, a digital SLR with all my lens and all the cords and chagers that make it work. It can be a real hassle and I can’t see adding an iPad, a Kindle or a Nook to the travel load. Luckily Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com have both had the good sense to create apps that can be downloaded for free. I get the features, without all the extra stuff to carry. So this evening, I’m going to download the Kindle version of My Empire of Dirt: How One Man Turned His Big-City Backyard into a Farm
As crazy as this sounds, I went and talked to my apartment complex about getting a two bedroom this morning. However after talking to them, I realized:
So with my overall goal for this weekend in mind – getting rid of some of the surface clutter, culling the stuff I have to get rid of broken crap, or stuff that I should have never kept in the first place – the work has begun.
Today’s big goals are getting the recycling to the recycling center and culling electronic files. Since I don’t live in an area of town where there’s curbside recycling, I have to sort all that stuff myself, load it into the car and take it up to one of the nearby recycling centers. I’m combing trips do I don’t waste gas and I’m going to go work in the garden after I get done at the recycling center. When I’m taking a break from the physical stuff, I’m actually working on culling my inbox and my photography files for duds.
Probably not the most exciting way to spend a holiday weekend, but I’ll feel better when it’s done.
A couple weeks ago, my cousin Justin got me thinking when he posted a link to a BBC News Article about Minimalist Living. The article coupled with his avatar on facebook that says
really made me stop and think about all the stuff I’ve accumulated and what it would be like to live a minimalist lifestyle. How would my spending habits change? What would would it be like to only purchase books that I would read online or on my itouch? What if I streamed movies instead of buying DVDs or blu-ray discs?
The thought of not having my “stuff” scared the crap out of me at a very basic level when I first thought about it. But the intrigue was still there. I went and checked out an iPad. I tried reading on it, but wasn’t really happy with the results I saw on various news media sites. Then, when I was travelling to Nashville, I had a really interesting conversation with two gentlemen about sustainability and our resources. The conversation started because one gentleman was reading on his iPad and I was curious about how he liked it. He talked very positively about his experiences of reading on the iPad and said that most of his music at home was digital. He also mentioned that he and his wife were looking at downsizing as soon as their last child went to college in the next year or so.
So I’ve decided that starting September 1, I’m going to start moving towards a minimalist lifestyle and see where it takes me. Stay tuned because there’s more to come!
Synchroncity worked at her very best this morning when I was checking in with Facebook. One of the ads that popped up was for Texas Art Asylum, the first art store in Houston that features recycles, gently used, and reclaimed materials. Since I’ve been working my way through The Artist’s Way (you can see the details on my personal blog), and I needed an Artist date that would beat the heat, I decided to stop by and check it out.
Owner Ramona Brady founded Texas Art Asylum after leaving a security monitoring company. Ramona hadn’t decided what she wanted to do after leaving the security company and decided to do some creative projects of her own. While searching for supplies for her projects, Ramon found a online site for a similar shop in another city. She liked the idea and when she found Houston didn’t have such a shop, she decided to research what it would take to open one (you can read about her journey here). An idea was born and in May a dream came true. Ramona’s former co-worker, Jennifer McCormick, joined her and now works with her.
The description on the web site that Texas Art Asylum is part craft store, part thrift store, part antique store, and part salvage store is right on the mark. Inventory in the store is from individuals and businesses across the Houston Metroplex. I saw dolls, appliances, law books, sewing supplies, embroidery supplies, dice, jewelry, and lots of other items available for sale. Some things are 5 cents, many things are $1-$5, and there are some more expensive items as well. Check out the pictures below to see just a few of the items they have.
Texas Art Asylum is located at 1203 Houston St. Houston, TX 77007.
Recently, I’ve seen some alarmist rumors about large methane gas bubbles and cracked sea beds in the Gulf that are going to destroy the Gulf Coast area (particularly West Florida) and that the U.S. Government is hiding it from us. The coast’s destruction happens when tsunamis are generated by a) the gas bubble exploding or b) the seabed collapsing. After reading a few of these posts on Facebook and checking out the linked video’s on YouTube, my researcher’s brain was writhing in agony, because the arguments being presented didn’t make sense.
1) If there was a massive problem with the seabed or a giant methane bubble under the Gulf, there’s no real way to hide that from all the producers are mapping/have mapped the geology in the area. They have too many people who are looking at the data and someone would spill the beans because 2) in this age of the internet, there is no such thing as a secret. So I went searching for answers. My search lead me to The Oil Drum, a site devoted to the discussion of peak oil, sustainability and a whole host of other Oil and Gas Industry-related topics from around the world.
The Oil Drum is published by the Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Its mission is to facilitate civil, evidence-based discussions about energy and its impact on our future by raising awareness, hosting a civil discussion, conducting original research in a transparent manner by using the internet and peer review, and to create a global community working towards a common goal of resolving issues around peak energy.
Honestly, I wasn’t quite sure what I would find when I got there, but I was pleasantly surprised. The first article I read was detailed analysis of why the top kill procedure and the junk shot didn’t work. While I am familiar with some aspects of the Oil and Gas industry, I’m not well-versed in the procedures relating to deep water drilling. This article along with all the other articles on the site are clearly written so that a lay person can understand what is being discussed.
Over the past few weeks I’ve found myself going back to this site repeatedly to get more insight about drilling and peak oil. I haven’t jumped into any of discussions yet, but I’m looking forward to doing so because the discussions are civil and based in fact.
The heat and humidity of summer are upon us and air conditioners all over Houston are working overtime to 
keep things cool. There’s lots of little things that you can do make sure your electric bill doesn’t go through the roof as the temperatures climb.
1. Clean air filters regularly. Air conditioners not only cool the air, they filter it as well. If you have a small window unit, take the front of the air conditioner off regularly and clean the filter. If you have central air, change the filter (usually every 60 to 90 days). Cleaning the A/C means that it’s not having to work harder to cool the air because the air flow isn’t impeded.
2. Keep blinds and pull curtains and window shades during the day. Doing these things will help block the sun and keep it from warming up the inside of your home.
3. Use a ceiling or box fan to help keep air moving. The moving air will help keep you cool by creating cross breezes. If it’s a nice evening, open doors and windows to allow for cross breezes and cross ventilation to cool your place.
4. Do not turn the A/C off during the day. Instead turn the A/C up to 80 degrees. When you turn off the A/C, latent heat builds up in your home and it takes many hours of continuous work by your A/C to get the air in your home cooled off again. Turning the A/C up keeps the inside of your house cool enough that it still feels good when you come home, but it won’t take hours to get cool.
5. Tune up your A/C. Have central A/C ducts checked for leaks. And if it is more than 10 years old, a new high-efficiency unit can be up to 40% more efficient. When the A/C is running, don’t forget to latch your windows and keep the door closed. If you have a fire place, double check to make sure that the damper is closed. In an older apartment, you can get a high efficency window unit with a timer to help augment the main unit and only run the window unit when you are home and using the room.
6. Plant trees, use awnings, and plan exposures of windows and doors. Trees can shade your home or yard and keep things considerably cooler. Deciduous trees, those that lose their leaves in winter, will let sunlight through in winter when it’s desired and create shade in summer. Awnings and planning the exposure of windows and doors in a home you are building can also provide shade. The south and west sides of your home will generally be the hottest and most in need of shade.
7. Make sure that rocks, concrete, or brick patios aren’t right against the house — especially on south and west exposures. These items reflect heat onto walls or windows. If you already have such a feature in your landscape, plant a tree so that the feature and that side of the building are shaded, especially during the hot parts of the day. Rocks, concrete, and the like also retain heat longer than planted areas after the sun goes down.
One of our followers on Twitter is 7thUp7. His idea – pick up 7 pieces of trash on the 7th day of the month. According to the message sent out on Facebook this morning the goal for this month is 40,000 pieces of trash with a goal of 1 Million pieces by the end of the year.
And since tomorrow is the 7th, we thought it would be something fun and easy to do to make the world a little better place to be. Join 7 Up on the 7th – World Clean Up Day and let them know how many pieces of trash you picked up!
Wondering how you can save on your water usage and your water bill? How about turning off water when you aren’t actively using it?
When I read No Impact Man
The biggest thing you can do? Turn off the water when you are not using it. Often we let water and the money we spend on water go down the drain while washing or rinsing something.
If you are brushing your teeth, you have two options. Option 1 is turn off the flow of water into your sink when you are actively brushing and turn it back on when rinsing the toothbrush brush and your mouth. Option 2 is to get a cup and fill it with water and use the water in the cup to clean off the brush and then to rinse out your mouth.
While showering you’ve got a couple of options to decrease water usage. You can get a shower head that allows you to turn the water to a trickle for about $10-$12 at your local hardware store. These showerhead a have a little button or lever that you flip to slow the water to a trickle while you soap up. You can also just turn off the water while you soap up.
If you’re rinsing something (veggies) fill the sink part way with water and rinse the items. Once you are done, let the water go down the drain. If you have plants, add a dishpan to the sink before you do your rinsing and then use the rinse water to water your plants.
These are just a few ways that you can save tap water and not only add to your bottom line, but the earth’s as well.
I’m a fan of quick and easy. So a couple weeks ago when I was running low on space in the homemade compost bin R. put together for me. I decided to take something I saw online and try it. Viola! 2 more compost bins. Here’s what you need for each compost bin:
32 Gallon Trash Bin (~$10 each) with lid
Drill with 5/16″ bit
Lay trash can on its side and start drilling. Drill a hole every 3-4 inches. Once you’ve completed the first row, start the next row 3-4 from the first, with the first hole about halfway between the holes in the first row. Continue to work your way around the trash can, staggering the rows as you go until you’ve gone all the way around the can. It’ll end up looking like this:
Add your compost materials, wet it is a bit, and put the lid on. Turn the bin every few days. And you’ll be on your way to adding organic material into your garden.
