Matt's Blog (Green Desert) and Dogs

Matt has started a blog at http://mnbinnm.blogspot.com (I know - the website name is so un-original.) He posts about all things politically stupid, so check it out. Apparently he is simul-posting in myspace.

In addition, my thoughts go out to Erin, whose dog died unexpectedly earlier this week, and to Liz and Glenn, whose dog recently went missing.

Democrats in Office

I am, of course, as big a proponent as anyone to elect Democrats to office. Although to many it is a bit of an "Anyone but the Republicans" strategy right now, they definitely stand for some nice things. However, apparently one of the first things they did when they came into control of Congress this year was to cut earmarks. Now earmarks are not the greatest thing ever, but they were the source of my income. My lab suddenly has lost $2 million/year funding. Needless to stay, this puts all of our jobs on the line. Though other money will come trickling in, it will be hard to match that earmark. I am now in the position of not having any idea what my future holds (and it was secure for such a short time).

My boss suggested that perhaps I shouldn't have voted for so many Democrats, but to that I say, although it is not good for us, it will be better for the world. I will accept this sacrifice that I helped create on election day. I will continue to vote for Democrats. The Governor of my state, Bill Richardson, recently formed an exploratory committee. I am whole-heartedly behind Bill in his quest for Presidency. New Mexico is last in a lot of things, but in his four years of office, Bill has done more to bring it out of the depths than probably anyone in history. He is also an outstanding international diplomat, and recently arranged a 60 day ceasefire in Darfur. Check him out at http://www.richardsonforpresident.com/

I will forge ahead in search of the best direction for my life. May the Democrats improve the direction of this country.

Karen's visit and Mamma Mia

Yesterday afternoon my sister, Karen, flew into Albuquerque to visit Matt and me for a few days. The first exciting stop - Whole Foods. Believe it or not, this was a crazy car ride half way across the city and there was soooo much traffic. Next we went to see Mamma Mia at Popejoy Hall. I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting, but the show was fabulous - so much fun. I was smiling nearly the entire time. And the two guys next to us loved it even more than we did. They could not contain their excitement. This is a story about a girl with 3 possible dads, and she invites them all to her wedding on a Greek Island. It is set to a bunch of ABBA tunes. I'm a little young to have been an ABBA fan, so I only knew two of the songs, but the music and the choreography and the storyline were just enrapturing. I'm pretty sure Matt would have hated it, but luckily he was not there. Everyone should go!

Speaking of plays, Rent is coming May 18-20. Anyone want to come see it with me?

Unfortunately I had to work today, so Karen has been busily working on her French lessons. Tomorrow we will head to the Plaza, San Lorenzo Canyon, and the Bosque, where hopefully there will still be birds at fly-in. Tonight we will go Pursue Happyness.

16 days!

Snow Again!

Okay, so I left Arizona for New Mexico and found that it snows here. And then I found that apparently it snows in Tucson and Phoenix as well. Who knew? I remember one time from my childhood that there was snow on the ground in Tucson. At any rate, for those of you who may be worried about temperature and precipitation for the upcoming nuptials, DO NOT DESPAIR! There is no possible way that it can still be cold and snowy in Phoenix in 19 days. That would mean that the climate is changing in a ridiculously fast paced manner. Oh wait...

At any rate, there is an indoor location in case everything else fails. This is not a problem. :)

Rio Film Fest Part Two

Well, it appears Matt has beaten me to this blog. You can check it out at http://blog.myspace.com/32688197.

The Film Fest ended yesterday, so today I tried to inspre Matt into reducing our belongings. Sadly enough, I think I got rid of as much stuff as he did and yet I don't have nearly as much to start with. Anyway, I used to be a believer in only having as much stuff as will fit in your car, but needless to say I have recently surpassed this. As Matt and I will probably be downsizing soon (into a smaller place), but we will also be getting things for the wedding, it only make sense to get rid of stuff. Yet Matt claims his stuff makes him happy. I'm not sure what that says about me. It is probably a fight we will never resolve, but I will at least try to hold up my end. I think about this every birthday and Christmas, because I just keep getting more stuff. I think the answer to this consumerism is to give donations, buy people trees and alligators and carbon offsets - somewhat intangible things. I for one don't really need more stuff. And charity registries are really cool!

Rio Film Fest

Something's finally happening in Socorro! Tonight and tomorrow the 1st Annual Rio Film Fest, about environmenal awareness and appreciation, is playing on campus. This evening Matt and I went to see Killowatt Ours, by Jeff Barrie (see online at killowattours.org). It is on a much smaller scale than An Inconvenient Truth, but it might resonate more with local folks who see Al Gore on a whole other level than the rest of us. Check out the website and learn what you can do to improve energy efficiency and increase green power.

Things I recommend:

• Repace your light bulbs with CFLs. These cost a bit more but are cheaper to run and last thousands of hours longer, so you save money in the long run.
• Turn down your thermostat in the the winter and up in the summer. There is nothing wrong with wearing sweater (or two) in your house.
• Buy Energy Star appliances. Apparently you can find these at used appliance shops for a pretty good bargain.
• Drive less. Although I drive a lot, to Albuquerque about once a week and to the Bosque a few times a month, Matt and I have made a pact not to drive in town. Today I walked to campus to meet him for lunch, then we walked to the Post Office on the Plaza, later that night to the supermarket, and then again to the film festival. The snow just made i that more exciting.
• When you do drive, drive a fuel-efficient car. My Echo gets 40-45mpg.
• Buy green power from your utility company. If you reduce your energy usage through CFLs and other conservation, you can put the money saved towards green power. If your Electric Company is not quite sure what Green Power is (welcome to Socorro), try offsetting your use through Terrapass, carbonfund, or nativeenergy. Terrapass will even send you a CFL.
• If you can afford it, install solar panels or mini-wind turbines and break free from the energy grid. Someday we hope to do this as well.
• Live in as little space as you can. Matt and I made the mistake of renting a large 3 bedroom home which we can neither heat nor cool adequately. The temperature in our bedroom is often 63 degrees, but our gas bil last month was $85. We certainly do not need this much space and have found ourselves living in the two warmest rooms with no problems. We plan to downsize when our lease is up.

I will update the remainder of the Film Fest tomorrow. They are also showing An Inconvenient Truth for free tomorrow evening. What a great idea.

Here's to future generations - may they enjoy some unspoiled nature and clean air.

Bosque

Tomorrow I do my very first school-group tour! Just me, no one to fill in additional information. And it is bound to be freezing. We will see how it goes.