Granola Crunchy

It's been quiet around here for a few weeks, hasn't it?

Life in the Real World has been busy - nothing earth shattering, just day-to-day stuff like laundry, getting the grass cut, an endless round of graduations (from pre-school to high school), and things like that.

And, while the 'chick was quietly minding her own business, living her own life, all of a sudden the economy took a turn for the worse and gas went up to almost $4.00 a gallon and all of a sudden there wasn't a whole lot of extra money anymore. The 'chick drives for her job and has to drive TO her job and Rockboy was between jobs and having a hard time keeping gas in his car . . .

Anyway, what is the point, you ask?

The point is this: All of a sudden, it seemed like everything was terrifying and falling apart and OH GOD THE WORLD IS ENDING.

Sound familiar? The mean reds, all over again.

But while everything was swirling around and looking desperate, the 'chick was smacked upside the head not once but twice.

By these:




Sometimes, it takes the equivalent of an anvil falling on her head for the 'chick to realize things. For instance, did you know that most of the food we eat comes from Elsewhere?

Elsewhere is usually Far Away. And takes a lot of fuel in the process of getting to where you are. And when the food gets to Here from Elsewhere, it's been on the road for at least 5 days, if not more. So it is not picked when it's ripe - it's picked when it will ship well.

And, did you know that you are probably eating more corn than you thought? You are. It's in everything. Including things like the hamburger you ate. Because They (large, corporate entities) force cattle to eat corn instead of wandering around pasture, eating grass like God intended. (Did you know that cattle are not supposed to eat corn? If you did, you get bonus points. The 'chick did not know. They are not made for it.) And while you were eating that hamburger, you also got a nice dose of growth hormone and antibiotics.

So, all of that good news made the 'chick panic just a little bit more, because, why worry ONLY about the price of gas when you can worry about a few more things like chemicals and feedlots and NO GAS TO BRING IN THE FOOD BECAUSE DIESEL IS ALMOST $5.00/gallon.

Did you know that if you go to a farmer's market in your town, odds are really good that you can get organic or beyond-organic produce that was grown by someone close to where you live? And meat? And eggs? And milk that is not full of antibiotics and growth hormone? And all kinds of cool stuff like homemade soap and candles and even clothes? And if you buy local, you're helping your neighbor while doing something good for yourself and your family.

Is this all sounding a little granola-crunchy for you and you're wondering if the 'chick has lost her mind?

It's possible. And the 'chick has not thrown out everything that was in her fridge or pantry only to fill it with brown rice and bean sprouts. She will still go out to eat, but maybe not as much and not to McDonald's.

But - the 'chick is going to think a little harder about what she's buying and WHERE it came from and how much it cost to get it here. And what is actually in it. And what that might eventually do to her health.

And she's going to the farmer's market this weekend, to see what the farmers have to offer. According to the list that was emailed - it looks like strawberries (locally grown) are in . . . and about 10 kinds of salad greens . . . and homemade bread . . . and some plants to stick in the ground at home. Heirloom tomatoes, anyone?

Roadchick Hearts Awards

Rules:
This is an experiment devised by a friend (Autrice). Go visit her. Here.

Please feel free to pass this award along to friends that you feel blog with heart (we all love an award or six.)

The rules:

1. Please write a short post explaining why you are giving this award out. You may include up to three people as winners. Provide the rules and the graphic link (you can use your own host or simply use the code that I provide.)

2. Stop by that person’s blog and leave them a short comment that tracks back to your own blog (and these rules.)

3. Make sure that you include the image on your own page. Please do not alter the image! You can save the image to your own computer or picture hosting service.

So, without further ado, the 'chick is presenting the award to:

Heather because she tells it like it is: good, bad, or ugly.

Susan because reading her blog is like living her life, peeking over her shoulder

and, last, but not least

Neilochka because he lets it all hang out.

Go on. Go look. You know you wanna.

Happy Mother's Day?

There are some holidays that the 'chick doesn't believe are worth the effort.

Mother's Day is one of them.

If you would like to do something nice for your mother, do the laundry. Or clean the house. Hell, clean the bathroom or pick up your dirty socks.

Rockboy asked the 'chick forty-eleven times what she wanted for Mother's Day and the 'chick answer was the same every time:

Nothing. Because next you're going to ask to borrow money and that spoils the entire exercise.

So, Rockboy, thinking ahead as always (by 5 minutes) stopped at the gas station on his way home Saturday night and bought 3 dead roses in a cellophane sleeve and then WOKE the 'chick up to present them to her.

Happy Mother's Day, y'all.

Toothless

Redneck had to go in to work very early this morning - he was actually working by 3:00 a.m. He was finished with what he had to do by about 7:30 so he called the 'chick to see if she wanted to go to breakfast before going to work. The 'chick, ever agreeable to eating breakfast, agreed to meet Redneck at a Shoney's not too far from her office.

While Redneck and the 'chick were eating, an elderly lady was seated in the booth directly behind Redneck but was facing the 'chick so she could see what was going on.

The lady got her breakfast from the buffet and sat back down. While she was eating, she was carrying on a conversation the entire time with her finger held up to her left ear. The 'chick figured that the lady had a Bluetooth and couldn't quite hear so was pressing it into her ear a little more tightly to improve the sound.

As Redneck and the 'chick were leaving, they passed by the old lady's booth. Much to Roadchick's amusement, the old lady had her finger plugged into her ear and was speaking into her finger, not a Bluetooth in sight.

Portrait of the 'chick in 50 years.

It's Thursday - Again

Y'all, it's been Thursday for four days.

Ever have a week like that? The 'chick keeps thinking "Oh good, it's almost Friday" . . . and it's not.

Redneck changed jobs a few weeks ago and while the new job is a good one, it's a second/third shift type of thing. Bleah. He likes the job, he likes the people he works for, but he doesn't like the shift.

The 'chick is glad he likes his job and his boss, but she doesn't like the shift either. At all.

Anyway.

There are a few things that have been dragging at the 'chick - Redneck's work situation is one; the other one is the economy.

Now, long-time readers will know that the 'chick rarely ventures into political/economic territory but y'all - the 'chick is seriously nervous about what's going on.

In Tennessee, gas is averaging $3.60/gal (or at least it was 20 minutes ago - it changes so rapidly). Yes, gas IS higher elsewhere and the 'chick's heart goes out to you.

But it's scary. The 'chick's job is based on DRIVING. And it's getting too expensive to do it.

According to the news, Congress is looking into it. How reassuring.

What's your money-saving secret?