Monthly Archives: June 2010

Catching Up

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Around Summer last year my life became insanely crazy or crazy insane – whichever comes first. We had the wedding, which was amazing and beautiful and magical – ugh, that reminds me…I still haven’t gotten pictures up and I don’t even want to think about thank you cards. Yikes. After the wedding, we had an amazing, beautiful, and magical honeymoon in Paris – When I think about it, it’s like it happened to someone else. Did I actually have my honeymoon in Paris like people do in movies? Yes. Yes, I did. Almost the exact second we came home, we dove into the holidays and the New Year. It’s all a blur. By December, we’d decided to sell the house and here we are knee deep in open houses, showings, inspections, and organized chaos. And because we’re selling the house, I suppose we should buy a new one, so we’re looking. Somewhere in the middle of all that, I’m working and doing a whole lot better than I did last year. I’ve already got 8 weddings booked and some of them are even paid gigs.

When I remind myself of all the things that are going on, it’s no wonder I’m tired all the time. The good news is I have my loving husband around, who despite any irrational girl behavior I might display, loves me and comforts me. He’s a pretty sweet guy and I am so lucky to have him in my life. He really is the only guy who could handle my craziness – he handles it so well, I should probably marry him…oh wait.

Oh, did I mention the car crash? About 2 weeks ago, I was driving the kids to their mom’s house when all of a sudden….BAM! Crashed. The kids were fine, but I got a nice case of whiplash and slammed my chest into the steering wheel. The bags didn’t go off because we weren’t going fast enough. Regardless, the car is totaled. I’ve currently got a rental and am doing my research for a hybrid. What’s funny about the crash is that just a few days prior, I wrote a blog post about not wanting to drive so much, about how I was riding my bike more. Suddenly, no car. Makes you wonder. I’m not saying I did it on purpose, but it’s a strange coincidence. It’s great for the environment not having a car, but I still need one. I have to work and buy groceries. The good news is, our insurance company is paying me fair market value for the car and it’ll be a good down payment on a used Prius or something.

As for the Prius, ok, look, I know douche bags drive them. Ok, so maybe they’re not douche bags, but they’re those hippies – the ones that replaced yuppies with their designer-eco-friendly clothes, making above average income, drinking 2% lattes, and bragging about their recycling bins, converting to veganism, doing Yoga, and taking all the good parking at the farmer’s market. I know, it sounds a lot like me. I just hope I’m cooler than that. Oh wait, I’ve got it! I shall call them Eco-Yuppies! I’m a genius. Remember, you heard it here first. Alright, so since I married AJB I’m kind of an eco-yuppie myself, but only by default and not really by choice. Part of that label comes from this house and this neighborhood. This whitey white neighborhood, where sure, everyone is nice, but they’re rich and they know it, it’s a bit too Stepford for me. If this is the Stepford Wives, I’m Joanna Eberhart – aw shit, she was a photographer too. Damn. Good thing I never answered that “Ladies Who Lunch” invitation. I take two steps and I’m in the golf course. I can’t wait to move. I grew up in a neighborhood with one tree and that fell over one day in an amazing crash. Then? No more trees. The kind of street where Dads egged their kids on in fights, where if you weren’t friends with the gang-bangers, you were asking for trouble. I hated it. I don’t fit in with high-society and I certainly don’t fit in with low-society. I’m looking for a happy medium.

I kind of trailed off at the end there. That about catches us up.

Lacto-Fermented Soda is Delicious Healthy Soda

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Last week my sister turned me onto this amazing thing called “Lacto-Fermented Soda”. Sounds delicious, right? No, it doesn’t, but it’s supposed to be amazing. It’s like how you wish things weren’t named Vagisil or Fuddruckers – what can you do? Things aren’t always named the way the should be. This recipe should be called Delicious Healthy Soda. Alright, so let’s call it that.

What is Delicious Healthy Soda? It’s soda, made in your very own kitchen with several basic ingredients. DHS, as we’ll call it, is apparently how the old timee peoples of yore made sodas. Alright, so I don’t know the history of it, but all you need to know is that it’s made at home, it’s easy to make, and it’s about a thousand times better for you than regular soda. Does it have carbonation? Yes. Yes it does.

The big question is, why make soda when you can just buy it? That’s a silly question, but read “8 Ways Soda Fizzles Your Health” Besides the 8 reasons given in the link, anything made at home is always better for you and the environment. It’s a win/win situation. It’s also fun.

For a long time, I’ve worried about the health and teeth of my husband and family at the hands of disastrous sodas. But sodas are GOOD! Yes. Yes they are. I used to be a hard-core Pepsi fiend. I used to drink more Pepsi than water and a 24 pack was always on my shopping list. Then I began learning how bad it is for you so I chose to abstain from it. It wasn’t easy, but the more I thought about it, the more I began to hate store brand soda. Furthermore, as I got older, I realized that getting old sucks…why make things worse? Why be old and sick? Isn’t it bad enough being old? Sure it is. I figure, maybe it’s not about living forever, but living well in the time you have. Besides, being healthy is pretty great. There’s no quick fix and it’s a long journey to toss aside the bad habits we grew up with. We must unlearn what we have learned. Part of that involves doing things like making Delicious Healthy Soda. It’s a small thing you can do at home, improve your health, make the world a better place by not buying from huge corporations that destroy the planet, and like I said, it’s fun. The best part is, you get to drink sodas without actually drinking sodas!

Delicious Healthy Sodas are made from several basic ingredients: Ginger, water, sugar, and fruit. Wait! Sugar? I thought you said sugar was bad!? Yes, but you need to start by making the soda culture, which is a living micro-organism that consumes the sugar so you’re actually getting very little sugar. Wait! It’s alive? I’m making a living thing and then I’m going to drink it? What the hell? It’s bacteria, like in yogurt. Good bacteria that your body needs to stay fit. Read more about lacto-fermentation here. If you’re grossed out by eating living organisms such as those found in any yogurt, then perhaps Delicious Healthy Sodas aren’t for you, but they should be and you should get over it.

It takes 2 weeks to create Delicious Healthy Sodas. 2 weeks?!! I don’t have that kind of time! Yes you do. It takes very little time to care for the soda culture and you only need to hassle with it twice a day – once in the morning and once at night. I tend to it as I’m making my morning coffee and then give it a quick stir before I go to bed at night. Simple. Honestly, when I heard it took 2 weeks to make, I was like, what’s the point? It turns out, it’s very little work. The majority of the work comes after week 1 when you’re making the fruit flavoring; which takes maybe half an hour.

Convinced? I probably don’t make a good case, but check out these videos: Part 1 and Part 2.

So now that I’ve sold you on Delicious Healthy Sodas, I have to admit, I’ve never tried them. I’m currently in the process of fermenting my first batch. I’m about 3 days away from making the fruit flavoring and am still awaiting my shipment of reusable amber glass bottles. How can you sell me on something you’ve never tried? Well, after 4 days of brewing the soda culture, I can already tell it’s going to be awesome. It already smells good and I’ve read amazing accounts of how awesome they taste. Also, I believe my sister when she tells me she and her wife can’t get enough of the stuff. Besides, I’ve banned regular sodas and diet drinks from the house…I need to figure out a way to satisfy my family’s addiction to soda in a healthy, environmentally friendly way. This seems like the best way to do it.

I’ll post my continuing experiences when the sodas are finally bottled and ready to drink.

I got so mad I bought a bike.

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The Gulf spill has me so angry, I often can’t articulate passed “I’m really fucking pissed!” followed by grunting and a tightening of my stomach. I was thinking about how mad I was at BP, but then it occurred to me: Who’s really to blame? Who keeps BP in business? We do. Everyone who buys their gas or products is to blame. Our sickening dependence on oil is why this happened. Blame BP all you want, but the truth is that while yes, they are indeed hell bent on destroying the planet, we most certainly give them the money to do it. Even I, friend to the Earth, buy my gasoline at ARCO. No more.

As with all these situations of planetary crisis, I ask myself what I can do. What can I change? First off, I’m boycotting BP and all their brands: BP, AMPM, Aral, ARCO, BP Travel Centre, BP Connect, BP Shop, BP 2go, and Castrol. Anything with BP in it…boycotted.

Secondly, I used this disaster as the final push to get that bike I’ve been dreaming about for ages. My master plan includes two bikes: My 3-wheeler with a basket for shopping and my 1974 Schwinn Breeze for getting around town. Right. Excellent. I’ve got the bikes, now what? I haven’t rode a bike since I was 12. While I’ve never been totally out of shape, I’ve never been in great shape. Turns out, riding a bike is hard work – especially around Pasadena which is incline-city. I found out on Friday how a minor incline doesn’t even occur to you in a car, but it really kicks your ass on a bike. The good news is, it gets easier.

Day One I just about died, but I hit it again the next day and the next and the next, going further and further each day. Sure my knees are now more apparent to me and my ass is complaining, but you know what? Riding a bike is damned fun! Holy crap is it fun! I feel free, the breeze on my face, working up a sweat on those baby inclines and then gliding all the way back home. The best part is, BP can suck it.

In the real world, I don’t actually live in riding or walking distance of all the places I need or want to go. For work, I need my car and will use it for out of town excursions and trips I don’t have time to bike to. What I figure is that I can cut my driving by half which means I buy half as much gasoline. I’ll save money, I’m pretty sure I’ve already lost some weight, I’ll get healthy, and I feel pretty darned good about myself. I’m gonna pat myself on the back…hang on. OK. Dude, I seriously deserve it. I’m putting my money where my mouth is and in my own way, I’m sending BP et al. a message: “Fuck off“.

Biking half the time doesn’t solve the problem. It does a bit and I feel pretty great about it, but one person biking half the time doesn’t make a big enough dent. We all need to figure out ways to drive less, walk more, bike more, save ourselves, save the planet, and send a real message to these assholes who are cashing in by killing our home.

Some tips:

1. Google has walking, biking, and public transit directions for just about everywhere now. Use it. I’ve been charting my bike routes with it and it’s great.
2. Buy a bike. I got both of mine on Craigslist – sweet little vintage numbers that need a little TLC, but work great for under $200.00.
3. Don’t drive if it’s a mile or less. A mile is less than you think. Walk or bike.
4. Read this: No Excuses! Ride a bike.

You’re pissed about the oil spill too. So what are you gonna do about it?