Going Green

Most days I love that we are living more green than we do in the US. It makes me feel like we are doing our part without really having to do our part, because we have no other choice. I am not sure what is easier: 1. choosing to be green and working at living it, OR 2. being forced to be green and having no other choice. I fall into the later category because at home I am not green at all...Here, in Japan, I am reducing my already huge carbon footprint one little day at a time, only to be made up for, when I come home in the summer...We currently are being green by: 1. having one car...it is a pain, especially when your husband leaves for a 4 day road trip with both sets of keys during a rain storm...2. no garbage disposal..at least we know how to empty it...most disgusting thing about living here...imagine little bits of breakfast, lunch, and dinner caught in a metal cage just sitting there, YUCK..3. No dryer...well, we have a dryer but it takes about 6 hours to dry 4 t-shirts...that does not work for us, so everything is hung to dry. ...4. my car...a beautiful yellow bike that does indeed have a baby seat on the back that I take pretty much everywhere...grocery shopping is becoming a nightmare having to ride with a 33 pound toddler on the back, with flat tires all the time..5. not sure if this is green, but literally moving to Japan with two suitcases of stuff and that is it...everything else we have, we have found on craigslist here, otherwise known as Okinawa Yard Sales, so that counts as recycling, right? This may fit more into the "fighting consumerism" category but hey, we, in general, reduce our "stuff" by at least 70% when we are overseas....Moving every 3-9 months also keeps you in constant state of purging. 6. Lastly, using water and vinegar to clean everything..it works like a charm and Preston can chug it or lick it for all I care because it will not tear up his insides like 409 :).

This little post does lead to a little complaint that maybe just I have....Yesterday, I was on a laundry mission with David leaving soon. I had about 3 loads of laundry hanging outside. David came in and said, "oh good, the laundry should be dry in about 5 minutes." Not sure if it was even 5 minutes after those words left his mouth then did the sky open up and just let it all out...Our wonderful, almost dry 3 loads of laundry were soaking by the time I rescued them...I wanted to cry, seriously.....So, going green is good and all, but sometimes it makes me soooooo irritated!!!