Ma and Pa's Blog

We went to COSI (Center of Science and Industry in Columbus) today with Mike, Caleb and Owen.   It was a lot of fun for them and us.   Ohio was threatened by thunderstorms, but we were spared all but some refreshing sprinkles during lunch and walking to the car for the ride home.   I can’t begin to recount the exhibits, but here are a few photos.

It’s been many years (35? 38?) since we owned just one car, but after due consideration, we decided it was time to downsize our fleet.  The Taurus (the AuntHelenMobile) was just sold to a lovely lady from several blocks away, who is thrilled to have my white baby and will take good care of her.

So:  one car again.   Full circle.

While Larry & I were shopping at The Evil Retail Empire Walmart yesterday, I mentioned an article I’d read that stated  the toilet paper most Americans use in a year is worse for the environment than driving a Hummer.   Americans are toilet paper hogs, y’all: we use like 3 times as much TP as our European and Asian brethren.    Do we use the loo more often?  Sport dryer tushies?  I dunno.  Plus, we insist on planet-polluting, soft, fluffy stuff.  Not cool.   The article  listed the eco-friendly brands (the only one of which I recalled was Trader Joe’s) and the planet-ravaging brands (the only one of which I remembered was my fave, Charmin).  And toilet paper was on our shopping  list.  Because dry tushies are a priority around here.

Well, all Larry had to hear was “…worse than driving a Hummer”.  If there’s one thing that gets his liberal heart a-bleeding, it’s seeing a big honkin’ Hummer (ALWAYS with only one person inside–what’s up with that?) driving along the street or taking up two parking places.  He reasoned that if  the fluffy, foo-foo stuff was a no-no, then HIS fave, Scott’s, should be the solution.  (Some of you may recall Larry’s Scott Toilet Paper Philosophy: “When you use Scott’s, you KNOW you’ve been wiped”).  So into the cart goes a king-sized pack of  Scotts.

When we got home, I checked the article.  Damned if Scott’s isn’t  just as bad as my Charmin!  So I figure that third-world toilet paper is the way the environmentalists want us to go.  But if scratchy-butt Scott’s is too decadent, the other stuff must leave splinters.  This ecology stuff hurts.

OK. In a grand gesture, in honor of Earth Day, we have turned off unnecessary all lights. Larry even unplugged the tiny light in the bathroom. I’d feel Amish if I didn’t have my laptop — and the t.v. tuned to “Nova”. (T.V. doesn’t count if it’s educational). So, we’ve shown our solidarity with the Sierra Club and all the tree-hugging liberals who believe in global warming. My question is, did anyone else?

I’m going to light a candle. Wish I still smoked–it was easier to score matches.