A couple of nights ago, I dragged my keyboard out of the closet so I could play a couple of tunes from the Real Book to see what they sound like with the accompanying chords.
Then I embarked on yet another vain attempt to find a place where I could have the keyboard out all the time. In the course of that, I was moving my bed around; though heavy, it actually slides quite readily on the smooth three-inch plastic legs the box spring sits on.
As I moved it, I heard an unmistakable ripping sound—sure enough, I had torn open the corner of the box spring, thanks to a little fixture that sticks out of the baseboard. I don’t think I ever damaged any mattress before (and I know I never damaged any box spring, because I never had one until now); naturally it would happen with this costly one, and only two weeks after buying it!
As for the firmer mattress, I received a call yesterday afternoon saying it was ready to be delivered. The delivery office opens at seven a.m. When the clock struck seven this morning, I called them and said it would be great if they could bring the mattress today first thing, around nine a.m., or last thing, around three p.m.
It arrived at 8:50, before I left for work, which was excellent service. Later I will sleep on it for the first time.
At work (which I don’t mention often here because I do not wish my relationship with my job to be severed before my lavish retirement begins in twenty years, give or take), we receive a newsletter now and then, the latest edition of which had a cover story on caring for the environment.
Some groups have been given re-usable coffee mugs, and the environment-unfriendly polystyrene cups near the tea and coffee removed. Battery-recycling is starting to be available, and probably every area has a means of recycling paper at this point. Motion-sensing light switches are being installed in company locations, which turn off after one minute without activity in the area, saving energy and money.
The story mentioned a fellow who is part of a “Green Team,” so I emailed him and said I’d like to join such a team, and I also emailed the people who put out the newsletter and asked them for a follow-up story on specific steps employees can take to help the environment.
I said I’d like to see the company provide secure bike parking at all locations and encourage employees to cycle to work where feasible, and I’d also like them not to send us little gifts made out of plastic, which is a huge waste. For instance, yearly we receive a plastic calendar/picture frame, which is a whole lot of plastic if all employees are getting them.
The Green Team fellow emailed me back and put me in touch with the Green Team leader for
He said that via a website like TerraPass that provides a means of offsetting emissions via contributions to renewable-energy projects, he paid to offset his personal emissions, receiving a discount of 60 percent because he works for our company, which itself purchases a vast amount of renewable energy, thus earning very high marks from the Environmental Protection Agency. It was great to hear that my employer is doing something so constructive, and it’s encouraging that many companies are heading in the same direction now. (Thanks, Al!)
The Green Team leader also stopped driving his car to work and is sending the money saved to a small community in an African country, which happens to be where his family is from, so they can install solar panels to have electricity for the first time, and cease cutting down trees for energy.
Because of his vast efforts on behalf of this community, the company has given him three months off with pay so he can go to
My own team lead encouraged me to look into this, since I can hardly be in
The Green Team leader said he took his own two children to Africa, kids who have lived in pleasant circumstances in the
“Today! You might not get to take a shower for a week,” replied his father. “See that bucket? See that river? Go to the river, fill the bucket, and ask someone to pour the water over you.”
He left his children there for three months and when they returned home, they had learned the community’s language and their perspective had altered dramatically. Their father said they now refuse to waste the smallest thing.
It was an extremely inspiring conversation.
Today’s haiku:
Thirty-minute soak:
A tremendous luxury
not enjoyed by all.
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