Random # 19 - Auschwitz?

Taking my dog for a walk this morning, I carried my camera along with me as I had been meaning to take some pictures of some things I've noticed from our prior walks that are just perfect for this blog...

What I didn't know is that I'd find a Nazi camp!

Nah, just kidding. It's actually some kind of factory. But don't you expect to see ashes of human remains falling from the sky? *shiver*

Stay tuned in the near future, as there are some really creepy things surrounding this factory that I have yet to photograph...

Meanwhile, Dutch thinks he is my husband...

Yes, his paw is around my neck, and yes, I look like crap in the morning.

Ta-ta for now!

Random #4.4 - Dirty Attleboro is catching on!

You all (as if I have more than one reader...lol) know how passionate I am about keeping things "green"...and also how disturbed I've been lately, upon moving to Attleboro, Mass., due to the over-abundance of rubbish lingering everywhere.

Well, I just found this video on WPRI.com, and I have to say I am absolutely THRILLED about it! Volunteers got together and cleaned up the historic burial grounds, not only to honor some of the late influential figures of the city's past, but also to celebrate Earth Day, which was this past Sunday - April 22.

Check it out:

Volunteers clean up burial grounds in Attleboro, Massachusetts: wpri.com

Does your city do anything similar to a "clean-up" day? I do know in Vermont, there is a state-wide "green-up" day, where you simply go to the town/city clerk's office to pick up free green trash bags, then wander your neighborhood to pick up the garbage. When a green bag is full, all you have to do is tie it up and leave it out on the side of the road, and the town/city public works crew comes around the next day to pick all the green bags up and dispose of them in the landfill!

Random # 18 - Furry Frolicking

So, I traveled to Vermont for the past four days.

And I mean I was constantly traveling.

It seemed the only truly calming and peaceful time I had (besides one evening and morning with my parents) was with a dear friend making spring rolls at her new house. Amidst boxes and clutter from her recent move, she and I were just as comfortable around each other as we'd always been...even though it's been nearly ten years since we've gotten to spend any time together! I'm pretty sure I'll have some random topics to blog about from this recent trip in future posts, but today we're gonna focus on the visits to the Dog Park.

My son and I took Dutch on two occasions, as we don't have our hometown dog park up and running yet, so any opportunity to let Dutch run free was taken advantage of! Here are the best pics I could get, as the rest of them are just brown, beige, and black blurs...

They all seemed to gravitate to the center of this park in Burlington, Vermont, where there is a structure for training and playing. Dutch can jump high enough to clear all of these objects, but wasn't ready to get up on the tube or boards. Seriously, Dutch? So, you can go over it but touching on the top is forbidden? Okaaaaaaay...

Typical butt-sniffing action galore.

I also noticed how they stick to playing with dogs their own size. There are moments when a bigger dog trots in and joins a group of "buddies", but they mostly play exclusively, and for an extended amount of time, with similar-sized pooches. Apparently, size does matter...

And the rest of these photos are just random silliness captured on the digicam...

That's my friend's daughter, who had just as much fun playing as the dogs did!
What a gem!

And I shall leave you with an image of Dutch-butt burned into your brain. Who doesn't love a butt that's ALWAYS wiggling? :)

Random #17 - The matters of Middle School

Wow. This was a message many of the parents' of my son's school received on their voicemails a few days before April Vacation started:

"Good afternoon. This is ___, the asst. principle at ____ Middle School. it was reported, at the very end of the day, that there was a threatening message in the girls' bathroom. All students were safely dismissed and the police were immediately contacted. The police are currently investigating this report and will continue to do so tomorrow and next week.

The school's safety plan and protocol were implemented to ensure the safety of its' students and staff, we expect to see your child tomorrow, and have a typical, calm day.

We will keep you informed regarding this incident. Thank you, and have a good evening."

All I wanna know was what was the threatening message? Was it a bomb-threat, or a life-threat to a certain individual? You can't just leave these messages without giving us a little bit more detail!

So annoying...Oh, well. It was worthy of a Random Post, that's for sure...

Random #16 - LINK LOVE ♥

WOW! I've been a apart of this site for a couple months, and I have to say, they really do have some incredible steals!

NoMoreRack.com

So good in fact, that I've made money off of my purchases from the site and resold them on eBay! SWEET! So check it out, it's free to join, and see their new awesome deals every day! If you're like me, you'll love this site, because you like surprises and HUGE DEALS!

Random #15 - Unnatural vs. Natural Beauty: Kim Kardashian

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Okay, the majority of people agree that Kim Kardashian is an attractive woman. Extremely attractive. But did it come naturally? Let's look at all the photos of her before surgery and without makeup:

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She's wearing the same earrings this pic, but she looks like a different person on each side! You can tell she's had work on her nose done here, and possibly her chin...

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Look at that on the left of this image! Personally, she looks most beautiful right there. The lighting is bad, the photo is poor quality, but she's a radiant young woman with exotic features! On the right, she looks, again, like a completely different woman.

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Still very attractive without makeup...of course this is post-surgeries.



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Oh. Ouch. Maybe she wasn't feeling to well in these last two...but at least it shows you that she doesn't walk out of her house looking like she's red-carpet-ready. It must take HOURS in hair and makeup to look the way we commonly see her. Such a shame. I would rather behold her natural untouched beauty, than stare at a plastic/makeup mask...

RANDOM: It was hailing in Attleboro today!

Random #14 - hope you like it...

I changed the layout for this blog. I hope you like it!

And that's the only "random" I've got today.

Well, except for this!

Prepare. For. Addiction.

Ciao!

Random #13 - so fresh and so clean, clean...naturally

After watching this video, I decided to do it, too.



And you know what? It worked AWESOMELY on my hair, and I feel so much better knowing that I'm not only saving money, but the water system as well.

I am slowly trying to wean out the use of chemicals in my home. It's not easy, but it can be done. It takes patience and commitment. It also helps that I have the time to do these things, and understand that many of you may not.

So remember that if you can't DO it, just try to talk about it. You may just inspire someone who HAS the time to make the change!

Most importantly, don't feel guilty. We all live in a world that has been driven by media, advertisements, consumerism & the like, and are used to convenience as well as a busy, overloaded lifestyle. So as long as you're thinking about it (and mentioning it here and there to spark others' minds), you should feel okay with your decisions regarding your "green" actions.

But, washing my hair with baking soda paste, then rinsing with vinegar as a conditioner, took me no longer than it usually takes to wash with shampoo and condition with a rinse! in fact, it was quicker! Of course, you do have to make the paste beforehand, but that's just a five-second project: find a small container or squeeze bottle, put in some baking soda and some water until its pasty and/or able to be squeezed out of a bottle, shake shake shake/mix mix mix, and you're done.

I was totally skeptical, even after I watched the video. But I figured, hey - baking soda and vinegar (I used white vinegar) are a HECK of a lot cheaper than all those organic shampoos and conditioners I've been using...and its just as, if not more, effective than them, too!

Bottom line? I'm satisfied with the results, and although I will keep the toxic hair products I've already paid for, I will use them only for special occasions (which means they'll probably grow mold before I use them up!) and not replace them when they are finally gone. I will, however, re-purpose the bottle they came in! Like, for this lovely tutorial!

Random #4.3 sad, sad Attleboro, MA

When I first moved here I was gun-ho about getting involved locally and maybe making an impact on the community regarding global economic, environmental and ecological conditions. I actually thought, "This place needs me." I couldn't have been more correct. This "city" really is lacking leadership in the form of an experienced activist and event organizer for anything related to the above conditions.

If you don't "believe" in climate change, then save yourself now and stop reading, as this will probably tick you off. But, if you understand what the words "carbon footprint" mean, and you are working on lowering yours, then stick around :)

Technically, Attleboro, MA is a "city". There is a Mayor, a city hall, they have their own police force, etc. Additionally, while Attleboro may not visually represent a typical metro area, such as Boston or New York City, it holds all the filth of one.

I've written on this topic before, but I've finally got some photos of what I was desperately attempting to convey through some other shots of rubbish around the neighborhood.

If this doesn't sum up what I see everyday in this place, nothing will:


This is the usual sight, everywhere. This happens to be on one of the ONLY untouched areas by commerce and business (as its right below the commuter rail).



I mean, look at that, the dumpster is RIGHT THERE! They can't put it in the dumpster? They really are that incredibly lazy here, that they can't lift a plastic lid to a designated receptacle? AND WORSE, the garbage collectors see this trash at least once a week and they can't even make a slight impact on it, by, oh, I dunno, maybe picking up a few pieces at a time?!


There sits the insane amount of rubbish within the shadow of the dumpster. How can so many people turn their cheeks at this? And how can they knowingly add to it by carelessly throwing trash out of their car windows, in order for it to accumulate here?

In my own block alone, I'm sure it would take at least 12 hours nonstop to clean up all four sides of it.

Do you think I should take this on myself? At least around my block? I already take care of the yard as much as possible, but every day I find new stray rubbish...

Random #12 - Happy friggen' Easter

You know how I'm always blogging about what a wonderful dog I have?


Well, he's not so wonderful right now, after waking up to his Easter egg CARNAGE.

Dammit.

Then, my son pointed out that the peeps were crying.


Awe! Poor wittle peeps...we're gonna eat you and make it all better, k?

So, okay, before anything else ruined this Easter (my mom always said bad things happen in threes - and we were already up to two), I decided to drop the bomb on him about how jelly beans are shiny because of shellac (also known as Confectioner's Glaze, Resinous Glaze, Pharmaceutical Glaze, Pure Food Glaze, Natural Glaze, Beetle Juice, and Lac-Resin). If it was out of my control to have a nice Easter, then I was going to join in and ruin it, too!

"Shellac (commonly used as wood primer and varnish) is a resin which is secreted by the female Lac insect after it consumes tree bark. This scale insect is in the same family as the cochineal bug and lives on a variety of trees in Southeast Asia and Mexico. The raw resin is collected, heated, filtered. and mixed with an alcohol solution to create the food glaze." (-source)

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Gross. And that's exactly what he said, while continuing to chew away on a mouthful of those colorful morsels of sweetness...

On the brighter side...


I was able to upcycle some cool pyramid-shaped teabag boxes into jelly-bean containing Easter basket carrots. The tea bags are so cute (in the above picture, you can see they have tiny green leaves at the end of the string, instead of the usual monotonous tag)!


My son thought they were "genius" (really, it's just about seeing things as they relate to other things, through their shape and possible re-use, mainly because I'm broke).

So, happy friggen' Easter!

Random #11.1 - As you wish

Okay okay. I have to admit that I was hinting in my prior post that I'd actually like someone to request pics. My dear friend Rachel answered the call...which I have to say she is quite gifted at, little does she know...

So, now you get to see my choppings:




Also, recently Abe's Market online ran a promotion for a FREE three item sample package with only a $2.00 shipping charge to pay. I was ALL about it and sampled some aged cheddar flavored Pirate's booty (kinda like cheese puffs but on the healthier side and far tastier), organic quinoa pumpkin treats for my canine companion, and Wembé's Black Clay "natural/vegan/ecofriendly/wild" soap bar. The latter of the three made it FAR beyond worth just the $2.00 shipping fee. I don't think they are having the promotion anymore over at Abe's, but this soap gave a whole new meaning to "taking a shower." I highly recommend the product, and would love if someone could direct me to a more wallet friendly alternative.



P.S. - Sorry, but I really have a hard time posting pics of myself, so they're "half-a$$"...

Random #11 - Hi. I'm buzzing.

What? A lady can't have a drink once in awhile? I'm drinking cheap gin, mixed with diet tonic water and all natural cherry juice. R.W. Knudsen makes fantastic pure juice, in so many flavors, and because they aren't watered down, they make for a great mixer.

Also, I cut my hair today. And because I wanted to take pictures of the haircut, I decided to put on makeup. I don't like pictures of myself, I'd rather just walk around thinking I'm pretty instead of seeing the horrible truth in a photo. Are you with me? So, I caked on the eyeliner, eyeshadow, and mascara with experimental colors, in order to take a halfway-decent shot. I will probably still Photoshop it, though.

I am SUCH a girl.
And OMG it was SOOOO much FUN! Like, OMG! TOTALLY!

So yes, I'm celebrating a new haircut with gin, tonic, & cherry juice (even though it was just a little trim, really)!

Oh, and...no, I won't post any pics along with this post...




...unless they get requested... :P

Random #10 - Pay phones

Remember these things? I hardly EVER see them since the convenience and affordability of cell phones have become so widely available. Pay phones like this littered the street I used to hang out on in Burlington, VT, when I was a teenager. We even had gadgets that made noises into the mouth piece, which the phone interpreted as accepting coins...I guess they found out about that, and it's probably another reason they seldom exist anymore.

This is the only one I could find within a few miles from where I live and, obviously, it's no longer in service.



Isn't is weird that they left the sign and the framing up, whilst they ripped out the payphone?

I wonder what they do with the payphones they pull out?

Do you have any payphones near you? How many and what company provides service to them? OH! and HOW MUCH do they cost??

Random #3.2 - Dump Spot (in a new spot?)

Ugh. I had a rough emotional time as of late, and didn't leave my bed much. Therefore, the "Dump Spot" became my bed. I guess that means I am more guilty of the "dumping" than my son is...

The List:

1. I pulled out my stamp collection in hopes to get some of the more rare ones appraised via Google research. Never happened, and the stamps (in the binder) have moved to the ottoman at the end of the bed. Hmm...maybe I should go - wait, I'll finish this post first!

2. There's my MacBook - I LOVE YOU, MacBook! Note the stickers for 350.org plastered on the top of it, as well as a hot pink sticker that says, "Make out, Not War". Love that.

3. Not sure why the cords got all tangled and ended up semi-topping the MacBook, but again you can see the camera connector amidst the telltale Apple power cord.

4. The upside-down box is actually homemade. Inside it there is a diorama of a garden full of flowers and blossoming trees, vines and bushes. I wanted to thank my Landlady and friend for thinking of me on my birthday, and so I gave her her own little "happy place" inside this box. :)

5. There's a paper cutter to the right side of the image, but it's upside-down as well. I don't know?

6. Scissors and the corner of a purple folder which holds a bunch of half-used scrapbooking paper, which I utilized for the box.

7. SHARPIES! Who doesn't LOVE Sharpies? They will go back to their home in the black case which is also on the right side of the pic, just lower. I have had them for SO long, the mere fact that I sometimes have to throw one or two out from dry-out scares me to death. They are my friends!

8. I also love gluesticks, such as the purple and clear one shown above. Oh, I just NEVER have enough of these things!

9. That black round thing is the top to my water bottle.

10. Lastly, a piece of paper with some old love notes printed on it. I certainly won't be using those, so they will also go home, into the purple folder.

What's in your dump spot today?

Random #4.2 - Attleboro IS a dump

Yes, Attleboro is SUCH a dump.

I promised little while back that I'd get around to photographing the evidence supporting the above statement, and while I still haven't gotten the worst images available (forgot my camera...oops), here are some that give you an idea.






^^Looks like somebody ELSE made an oops, too. Yes, they paint the fencing here. I'm from Vermont, and we just don't see this kinds stuff up there, so if you live in a filthy city and this doesn't surprise you, I'm really sorry to have bored you today with my doldrums regarding the mess of this place!

On the bright side of this dump, little T took me on a walk on Sunday, to a very nice little wooded area, not too far away from our house. :)


AWE! If you are one of the unlucky folks who live in a filthy city, have you found any special places that are really nice within the filth? Do share!