About this time last year, my husband went on a "green" kick. He replaced all of our light bulbs with more energy efficient ones and we did what ever we could think of to get our electricity bill down. We started at $140. a month and our new family activity consisted of gathering together and opening the CMP. After the first month, we had dropped to $98. (insert happy dance here). This inspires us to new actions. We started drying our clothes on a drying rack and only using the dryer to "fluff" them. We also put power strips onto our televisions. The next month, our bill was in the $70. range. (insert high fives). If you drove by our house at night, you might have wondered if we were on vacation or perhaps had moved. On most evenings, nary a light could be seen peaking out of our windows. No, not us! We were energy efficient. If we weren't in a room. we didn't need a light. I got very proficient at walking around in the dark. A few bruised skins but no broken bones in the process. Fast forward a year and we are a little less vigilant about things. We have been known to have a light or two on in the evenings and the drying racks have been folded up and put away. Our electricity bill last month was $63. That is right, it is still low. The only thing that we figure is that the more efficient light bulbs and the power strips on the TVs(DVRs,cable boxes)made the difference. I might just be able to convince my husband to let me turn the Christmas tree lights on more than just on Christmas Day this year.
I have a relatively unusual name and that is probably why I am fascinated by names. I often see an unusual name and I would love to get the story behind it. You know, what were they thinking when they named their kids Sandy, Rocky and Clay? That would be OK except the last name is Beach. You got it. Sandy Beach, etc. A few years ago, I did player registrations for Little League in our small town. There was a boy registered named Blue. Doesn't that make you wonder? Are his siblings Red and Yellow? Apparently, there was a family years ago in the next town over that named their first two kids He and She. True story. The younger sister's name was Yriah. My office pondered that one day until we realized that it was hairy backwards. Can't you just see it? "This baby has a lot of hair! What are we going to name her?" "Gee, Harry won't work. Aha. Lets spell hairy backwards!"
I am really struggling with ideas for Christmas this year. Everything I have come up with for my son has been shot down - first by his father and then by him, I don't want to just buy something to have something, anything under the tree but if this keeps up, it is going to be the quickest Christmas present unwrapping ever. The good news is that I have managed to get the photo taken and the Christmas Card ordered. Yeah for that. Here is what my handsome son looks like.
I hope everyone has a great Monday!
Here's to things that make me go hmmmmm.
The name things gets me too. How some people can do those things to kids!
ReplyDeleteI used all family names for my girls. My oldest is names after her grandmother's and great aunt's middle names, My second daughter has a name my sister would have used if she had a girl and then her middle name, my youngest is after her cousin and aunt for her father's side.
My name??? Drawn from a hat...my parents had no imagination!
I hate the new energy efficient light bulbs...they are not bright enough for reading. I've slowly been replacing them with the old-fashioned (and much cheaper version) over the past year.
ReplyDeleteThe power strips on all electronics is probably the biggest money saver...all those "energy vampires" put to rest!
What a handsome boy! No wonder you are such a proud MOM. I was named after my Irish Grandmother. Her name was Catherine. My parents wanted something similiar, but not the same, so Kathleen it was. I like Kathleen much better than Kathy, which is what all my family calls me. When I was young I wanted four children. I was going to name them, Ruth, Rebecca, Rachael, and Rocky. Well...I never had any kids. Guess they were spared. I hope you have a joyous and peaceful Thanksgiving! Hugs, Kathleen
ReplyDeleteI am named after - my mother's sister's daughter's ex-husband's half sister! Basically my parents liked unusual names.
ReplyDeleteMy son is named Evan. We got double credit on that one. My father was Van and my father-in-law is Edwin. Evan is a combo of the two. His middle name is Joseph after his great grandfather who was still alive when Evan was born.
June - I have a little book light that I got with my Kindle that is AMAZING. If you want details, I will send them to you. It works great.
true story, a friend is a sp ed elem teacher.
ReplyDeleteonce had 2 sisters named...now get this:
Shithead
Asshole
sha-theed'
ah-show'-lee
substitute teachers didn't know whether to poop or go blind.
me, I named my kids after family.
Sonshine's named after hubby's dad and my dad (his first and middle names respectively)
Gator's named after my namesake's son and hubby's middle name
Sugars' named after my dad's mom and my mom's mom.
I don't really understand folks that go "oh this sounds good..." whatever.
I myself have known folks named
Blythe (girl)
Talon (boy)
Happy (boy)
and about the only thing I DON'T like about Sarah Palin is her kids' names....weird!
Then there's the "let's just spell it different" crowd. I knew a Karolayne (carolann)
now my girl has a relatively common name with an uncommon spelling....but that's how grandma spelled it so :-P
but my favs are the ones with a story.
knew a little girl who was born with half her organs on the wrong side. now if all of them were reversed this wouldn't be any big deal....but half right and half wrong meant big trouble for the munchkin. Mom was told she'd never live and to abort.
When I left the Pedi's office where I worked, she was almost 2 and THRIVING.
Her name was Hope. I think about her every time I'm asked to defend my Pro-life beliefs.