Also, I Plan to Start Wearing a Trenchcoat, Sunglasses, and Fedora in Public.

Hello, faithful readers. (By which I mean, Hi Phil.)

I'm having some internet privacy issues of late, so I'm going to lock down this Blog so that only people whom I approve can read it. It's probably something I should have done a long time ago, but I hate the feeling that I have to become all paranoid and hide my identity online. Mainly because I'm not all that interesting--I'd always thought that no one would really be interested in anything I post online. Not interested enough to stress about it, anyway.

So... in the next little while I'll be locking down this site. I've already locked down my Facebook page. If you want access to either, just drop me an email: becca {aaattt} cargoandjames {dottttt} com. (My hotmail account is too spammy.)

See ya undercover.

I'm Fessin' Up

Here it is--my confession: I am probably the only person in all of North America who wasn't glued to the TV today. Just after 1 (Halifax time), I made myself a tea, then walked down the hall and peered into all the offices where people were crowded around computer screen, watching the CNN live feed of the inauguration. And when I got back to my office, I cracked a browser window myself. But here's the confession: I wasn't enthralled. I didn't cry.
Before I start getting hate mail, I should clarify: I think Obama is awesome. Wish we could replace Sweatervest with an Obama of our own. I cried when I heard the election results. I feel pretty hopeful when I think of what the next eight (yes, eight) years will be like in the world. But I just subjected Nicole, my friend, colleage and officemate to a tyrade of cynical curmudgeonliness about the obsessive attention to the inauguration. Why? Honestly, I'm not really sure. Except that I feel generally suspicious of ceremonies. I guess what I'm most looking forward to is opening the newspaper over the next few weeks and months and seeing the kinds of things he does as President. Don't get me wrong: the English grad student in me really admires him as an orator. It's exciting (in a very nerdy way) to see rhetoric used so expressively and effectively in public. Especially after eight simultaneously hilarious and appalling George W years. (What? women putting food on their families?) I guess maybe, too, I think it's a little sad that we won't have such an obvious source of humour for the next few years. But what I think it comes down to is that I feel a little sorry for Obama. I mean, the man could be Jesus or Dumbledore himself and still not live up to all that we want him to live up to. Also, he's inheriting a huge crap pile, and everyone's trusting him to clean it all up: the economy, Iraq, Afghanistan, and more than three hundred years of racism and oppression--the whole shebang. Honestly, does anyone envy this man the task ahead of him? Still, I think we're all hopeful. I guess it's an exciting time--especially after eight years of terror and paranoia. So why am I being so curmudgeonly about the whole inauguration speech? Maybe I'm just a jerk. Or maybe I'm hoping that we're going to see real and meaningful change. And as much as I love a well-crafted, effectively delivered speech, I think that what excites me most is not the speech, but the action that, I hope, will follow.
Or maybe I'm just curmudgeonly.

Let's Act Green!

As usual, I'm probably the last to hear about this, but I like the One Million Acts of Green thing. I like that it gives me easy tips, so I don't feel all overwhelmed, like I have to undergo a major change and save the planet all by myself. I like that it tells me I'm a good girl for the things I've already figured out on my own--like that I should stop using my dryer and air-dry my clothes instead (I love my outdoor clothes line in the summer! I particularly like hanging out Trent's gynch with the yeti!) and that cold water is better than hot for doing laundry. I like that it's giving me new tips to try. I think you guys should join. Unless, of course, I'm the last to get on board and you all know already. Either way, here are a few things I've figured out already:

• Vinegar makes the best cleaning product. Buy a tiny jar of a nice-smelling essential oil (pine and bergamot are nice) and mix pickling vinegar (it's stronger) with a few drops of the essential oil in a spray bottle for cleaning counters, bathrooms, sinks, and toilets. Add a little baking soda to clean the bathtub. Dilute in hot water to wash floors. By the way, vinegar is dirt cheap--cheaper than ordinary cleaners and way, way cheaper than enviro cleaners!
• Eat vegetarian once a week. If you don't like tofu, add lentils to your pasta, or put almonds on your salad. Meat production and processing also produces a lot of greenhouse gasses. Come on--one supper a week isn't all that hard. Just ask Trent!
• Clothes lines are awesome! They make your clothes smell so nice, and wind is a natural fabric softener. Except in the winter. In winter, it's just a freeze-solid-crunchifier.
• Nellie's All-Natural and Watkins make awesome natural laundry detergents. Nellie's even makes a great bleach substitute. Add a tablespoon each of vinegar and baking soda to your laundry for extra cleaning power. Buy powders, not liquids, and always wash on cold.

Okay, now your turn: tell me the ones I've been missing. Oh, and click on the link in my first paragraph and join the challenge!