Carbon Footprints in the Sand

Skype on the T-Mobile Wing
My previous post was a glowing and optimistic endorsement of Skype for Windows Mobile on T-Mobile's GPRS network. It is possible that I was a little premature in my excitement. The data network on the island does not have the heft for VOIP. Also, it seems my little HTC is a bit sluggish at the best of times.

But the truth is, I call far more often than I am called, so phoning from home on my PC is pretty convenient (still only $5 a month for unlimited land line and cellphone service in the US with Skype). Plus, when I am away, calls divert to my cell phone number.

Feces Bucket Changes
As you probably know, we are doing cloth nappies for Edith (and Frances, when she arrives). Why? To save money and help the environment, mostly. Also, I figured (rather cheekily, I might add) that if previous generations could do it, so could I!

I posted previously about my adventures in cloth diapering and how I felt I had devised the optimal cleaning system. Things have changed.

I've tried many bucket systems, including a dry bucket system, feeling that the stewing diapers were too stinky. As it turns out, only one thing reduces the fecal odor in freshly laundered nappies: pre-soaking them in the bucket and then wringing them out by hand before washing.

Look, being a parent means you are going to deal with a lot of feces and urine and, while it is still not pleasant, wringing out wet diapers is far more pleasant than dealing with a particularly rancid nappy. Plus, the dry bucket and "wet net" techniques often called for second wash cycles to get rid of the smell. No longer!

Getting Back to Food Basics
Kristina just read "The Omnivore's Dilemma" and I watched a documentary on Hulu that dealt with similar material. Back in South Africa vegetables taste much better. Why? Well, the country is only twice the size of Texas so food doesn't have to travel very far. Also, our farms employ more traditional systems. America's industrialized farms are just that, industrial.

We've started making everything from scratch (including muesli, frozen dinners and even bread and jam, thanks for a recent purchase) and buying as much as we can from local, independent farmers. This means going to farmers markets and all that, but - as many will claim - fresh farm produce is the BEST.

We haven't been disappointed. The local veg is GREAT. Far better than Wal*Mart greens, that's for sure. Also, many local grocery stores have sections with local farmers' wares. Take that, Monsanto!

Waste Free Future
I am excited about the prospect of a waste free future. I am not super diligent with my recycling, but I take my own bags when I go shopping and all that. Also, Hulu, Netflix and Napster are great. I don't need to buy DVDs or CDs anymore. That is a huge savings on plastic.

Architect Mitchell Joachim appeared on the Colbert Report last week showing us his ideas for buses and housing in the future. He also spoke about the prospect of a an intelligent "nerf" car. Exciting!