This week has been a whirlwind of activity, plans (long term life kind alongside when to pee kind) and high pollen counts. I can't fucking believe its only Wednesday. It is shocking my brain right now!
In my old job I was definitely the girl that got shit done when shit needed to get done and this week put me back into that zone. Shit needs to get done? Choose me choose me!! Or in reality it 'heeeey you! come here and get shit done!', which works just as well. Monday morning I thought I would have a nice week catching up and then a relaxing weekend hiking in west virginia or pennsylvania and maybe a long bike ride and a good brunch. Turns out I'm flying to Florida, sorting shit out, taking a train to Fort Lauderdale, sorting shit out, touring toxic school sites, sorting shit out, waking up at 4am, flying back to DC, sorting shit out, taking a bus to NYC, sorting shit out, busing my way back to DC, sorting shit out, and then maybe when next Friday comes around I'll take a short nap, before I have to sort some more shit out.
Earlier in the week I was having some mini-panic attacks about it all, but then I realized this is how I live. This is actually my life. For better or for worse. And I kind of like it. In fact, I've gotten more done in the past three days, then I've gotten done in weeks. I've even been going to the gym and taking vitamins. I mean, I never do those things. Ever. This is my life. All or nothing.
I also recently subscribed to a bunch of EPA and HHS and US.gov email lists. Those bitches send a whole lot of emails. But they are really interesting too. They are all sending out updates on how they are using the recovery money and it's really helpful to keep track of what's going on, including what companies are being fined and what toxic sites are being listed as superfund sites and what states are using recovery money for green jobs and water conservation project. I just got an email from HHS. Here is where it sent me.
Not bad. I like how it has the person that submitted the activity and her phone number as well as latest activity with recovery money.
What are you using the recovery money for?
Renee
p.s. the tree pollen count is extremely high today and my eyes itch.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Bodega's, Fake News, and I Wish I Was A Little Bit Taller
I've been hanging out in Brooklyn (specifically greenpoint) since last Sunday. Mostly for the boy, mostly for the naps, and little for the extra small overpriced apartment search.
I'm searching for a new place to lay my head and a new city to discover and get bored with in a few years. This time in Brooklyn (again). I'm hoping to get up there sometime this summer. So, I hung around off the G train in an effort to see how I would like it and if it was the right thing to do. I think I would and I think it is. The district will be a large piece of the past seven years for me. I feel like I came of age in this tiny town. 22-29 ain't no small feat to get out alive. Let me tell you, little darling.
This morning the boy and I stopped by this great little bodega that just opened up on Nassau. , called the Brooklyn Standard. It is an organic, slow food high hipster content bodega. Even with all that thrown in, I like it. The best coffee with milk that takes only 72 hours from teet to lips. When my new girlfriend (I have a crush on the barista, cute, tattooed, pours a damn good skim latte) told me that, I became a little concerned. Do I want to be that close to food sources? Doesn't milk need to sit around and go through a process for a little bit? 72 hours is a very long partying time, but just a hop, skip and jump for something that was squeezed out of a bovine's nipple. The boy and I had a moment of 'whooaaa that's intense'. And the girlfriend said 'yeah. i know. Enjoy, sweets!'. But it was one of the best damn latte's I've ever had, so I think I'm cool with it. Was it the hot girl making it or the freshly lactated milk? Not sure. But if you ever find yourself wandering around Greenpoint, you should stop in for a taste.
This brings me to some new topics I've recently found myself drawn to. Slow food. Community gardens. And my desperate need for a hobby. Work. Sleep. Eat. Walk. Metro. Work. Sleep. Eat. Walk. Metro. is starting to bring me down and bore me terribly. My brain needs to be challenged in ways that do not involve the chemical industry and upward managing.
I decided (with the understanding that I kill green things) that I want a hobby that involves community gardens. I'm obsessed with food. You can check out my little tummy, but I beg you not to, as proof. I also want to one day open a community center for neighborhood children to become part of a real community and experience the arts and creative endeavors as a way to make a community better and productive and peaceful. So I think getting my hands dirty a couple times a week, might be just what I need. I seriously think I also suffer from seasonial depression-like feelings. Winter be gone! I often drink and eat and sleep way more during the winter, which makes Spring ever the more delightful. Maybe it's just a mix of that and boredom and a little of wanting to be better intuned with where my food comes from. My body is very sensitive so I am often affected by the food I eat. Whether it is stomach pains for two days or allergic reactions to papaya skins or intense satisfaction from the perfect burrito, food is a big part of my life (I'm also southern) so I should know something about it. Yes, Liz you are helping move forward on this too! My little foodie! What are friends for if they don't move in the right direction? I guess getting drunk and swapping clothes, maybe.
Anyways, though I'm hoping to hop into this newly renovated apartment with awesome hardwood floors and the most amazing built in closets I just found near Franklin Avenue in Greenpoint May 1 (send good luck apartment wishes to me - the dude needs to put me at the top of the list) I am going to check out some of the community gardens in DC this month. There are a few. It seems like there are small amounts of everything in DC, but I guess it's because the city is actually quite small itself. 7 square miles. I also want to check out the community gardens in Brooklyn. There is also a co-op in Park Slope that I would like to join. You have to work like 3 or 4 hours a month. That would be a good hobby too and a nice way to meet like minded people. Though I'm not the biggest fan of the h.i.p.p.i.e.s.
So, the landlord, who served mimosas, fruit and cheese at the open house this afternoon, lived in the district for 5 years and his girlfriend is moving from DC to NYC to work for The Onion. I think we bonded over DC and working in VA. Yeah, I totally have a inside track to The Onion. Two degrees to fake news! Fuck yeah!
The room is pretty small. I'm going to have to sell most of my trash, which I'm happy about. I need to purge all the crap I never use/look at/have seen in years anyway. I'm thinking of taking pictures of most of my stuff and putting it on my flickr account then holding a open house for people to come visit. I was also thinking of serving Miller High Life and hummus. Could work in DC. I have soooo much stuff. Need to get rid of it. Maybe you want some of my stuff. Think about it.
Anyways, the neighborhood I want to move in Greenpoint is super cute. It's right next to the water. So I can walk two blocks and contemplate life choices near the waves, like I use to Florida. And visit adorable dark wood and red light cafe's and libraries. I can take pictures of warehouses and industry and even the sewage treatment plant located just blocks from my apartment. Evidentally a very talented light specialist designed the exterior lighting, making it all very pleasing to view at night. Though my room will most likely face a brick wall, the thought of the beautiful lighting seems good to me!
Well, that brings me to right now. In the second row of a chinatown bus back to the district. Just near ext 7A on the Jersey Turnpike. The dude next me to is snoring and my bright lit Mac is annoying my eyes, so I'm heading out to send good luck wishes for a good apartment to myself. And maybe a small nap.
Later,
Renee
I'm searching for a new place to lay my head and a new city to discover and get bored with in a few years. This time in Brooklyn (again). I'm hoping to get up there sometime this summer. So, I hung around off the G train in an effort to see how I would like it and if it was the right thing to do. I think I would and I think it is. The district will be a large piece of the past seven years for me. I feel like I came of age in this tiny town. 22-29 ain't no small feat to get out alive. Let me tell you, little darling.
This morning the boy and I stopped by this great little bodega that just opened up on Nassau. , called the Brooklyn Standard. It is an organic, slow food high hipster content bodega. Even with all that thrown in, I like it. The best coffee with milk that takes only 72 hours from teet to lips. When my new girlfriend (I have a crush on the barista, cute, tattooed, pours a damn good skim latte) told me that, I became a little concerned. Do I want to be that close to food sources? Doesn't milk need to sit around and go through a process for a little bit? 72 hours is a very long partying time, but just a hop, skip and jump for something that was squeezed out of a bovine's nipple. The boy and I had a moment of 'whooaaa that's intense'. And the girlfriend said 'yeah. i know. Enjoy, sweets!'. But it was one of the best damn latte's I've ever had, so I think I'm cool with it. Was it the hot girl making it or the freshly lactated milk? Not sure. But if you ever find yourself wandering around Greenpoint, you should stop in for a taste.
This brings me to some new topics I've recently found myself drawn to. Slow food. Community gardens. And my desperate need for a hobby. Work. Sleep. Eat. Walk. Metro. Work. Sleep. Eat. Walk. Metro. is starting to bring me down and bore me terribly. My brain needs to be challenged in ways that do not involve the chemical industry and upward managing.
I decided (with the understanding that I kill green things) that I want a hobby that involves community gardens. I'm obsessed with food. You can check out my little tummy, but I beg you not to, as proof. I also want to one day open a community center for neighborhood children to become part of a real community and experience the arts and creative endeavors as a way to make a community better and productive and peaceful. So I think getting my hands dirty a couple times a week, might be just what I need. I seriously think I also suffer from seasonial depression-like feelings. Winter be gone! I often drink and eat and sleep way more during the winter, which makes Spring ever the more delightful. Maybe it's just a mix of that and boredom and a little of wanting to be better intuned with where my food comes from. My body is very sensitive so I am often affected by the food I eat. Whether it is stomach pains for two days or allergic reactions to papaya skins or intense satisfaction from the perfect burrito, food is a big part of my life (I'm also southern) so I should know something about it. Yes, Liz you are helping move forward on this too! My little foodie! What are friends for if they don't move in the right direction? I guess getting drunk and swapping clothes, maybe.
Anyways, though I'm hoping to hop into this newly renovated apartment with awesome hardwood floors and the most amazing built in closets I just found near Franklin Avenue in Greenpoint May 1 (send good luck apartment wishes to me - the dude needs to put me at the top of the list) I am going to check out some of the community gardens in DC this month. There are a few. It seems like there are small amounts of everything in DC, but I guess it's because the city is actually quite small itself. 7 square miles. I also want to check out the community gardens in Brooklyn. There is also a co-op in Park Slope that I would like to join. You have to work like 3 or 4 hours a month. That would be a good hobby too and a nice way to meet like minded people. Though I'm not the biggest fan of the h.i.p.p.i.e.s.
So, the landlord, who served mimosas, fruit and cheese at the open house this afternoon, lived in the district for 5 years and his girlfriend is moving from DC to NYC to work for The Onion. I think we bonded over DC and working in VA. Yeah, I totally have a inside track to The Onion. Two degrees to fake news! Fuck yeah!
The room is pretty small. I'm going to have to sell most of my trash, which I'm happy about. I need to purge all the crap I never use/look at/have seen in years anyway. I'm thinking of taking pictures of most of my stuff and putting it on my flickr account then holding a open house for people to come visit. I was also thinking of serving Miller High Life and hummus. Could work in DC. I have soooo much stuff. Need to get rid of it. Maybe you want some of my stuff. Think about it.
Anyways, the neighborhood I want to move in Greenpoint is super cute. It's right next to the water. So I can walk two blocks and contemplate life choices near the waves, like I use to Florida. And visit adorable dark wood and red light cafe's and libraries. I can take pictures of warehouses and industry and even the sewage treatment plant located just blocks from my apartment. Evidentally a very talented light specialist designed the exterior lighting, making it all very pleasing to view at night. Though my room will most likely face a brick wall, the thought of the beautiful lighting seems good to me!
Well, that brings me to right now. In the second row of a chinatown bus back to the district. Just near ext 7A on the Jersey Turnpike. The dude next me to is snoring and my bright lit Mac is annoying my eyes, so I'm heading out to send good luck wishes for a good apartment to myself. And maybe a small nap.
Later,
Renee
Thursday, April 2, 2009
EPA is Back on the Job
I went to a conference at Columbia University called Translating Science to Policy on Monday. It was about children's health science and how our movement (called the toxics movement internally - though I wonder what the chemical industry calls us - probably something that you can be fined for on tv) can use recent science to get good laws passed for a more precautionary approach to protecting health instead of regulating chemicals. is that enough jargon for you this early in the morning?
Lisa Jackson, the new EPA Administrator, was there to discuss the agency's priorities. She gave some bold statements, such as EPA is back on the job. She also talked about the USAToday articles on air pollution and schools. She didn't mention that the EPA just announced 100 schools that are being monitored for the next 60 days for air pollution. The extent of this project can be found here.
On this issue, which I spend most of my time working on, EPA has been back on the job. In January, the agency announced that a working group had been formed to develop national guidelines on school siting. Though this announcement should have happened the January prior because now they are it looks like a sure thing they will miss yet another deadline which for this project is June 2009. (though I was told that I should be happy that their goal isn't 3 or 4 years) She gave a pretty good speech that allowed us in the room to feel that maybe our concerns will be looked at and examined in a thoughtful manner. Of course all this makes me nervous. Because it means that the public might become too complacent. Might think that because we don't have an environmental agency who fires scientists for speaking out against chemicals/corrupt corporations or dozens of staff quitting because they can't take having their science replaced with political favors and stymied any longer, that we all don't have a part in keeping the pressure up on our government.
They may be better than that past 8 years, but a democracy only works when people make it work. It doesn't exist in isolation or without arguments or without corruption. Democracy only works when the people watchdog and complain and FOIA the shit out of it. It only works when we are engaged and read the newspapers/blog/twitter/whathaveyounewssource and then discuss what you read with your neighbors and children and cubicle mates.
So even though Jackson gave this speech where she outlined a better regulatory system, children's health, cleaner water, cleaner air, and the precautionary principle as her priorities, that doesn't mean that today I'm not going to try to convince people and organizations to sign on to school siting principles that will then be used in local school districts to sign on letters to Jackson herself about how if these guidelines really do take 18 months longer than they were mandated to take, that the EPA isn't putting children's health first. That they will be failing in being back on the job.
Renee Claire
ps. I'm trying to come up with a project to highlight the 100 schools that are being air monitored, but I'm not sure what to do. Got any ideas?
Lisa Jackson, the new EPA Administrator, was there to discuss the agency's priorities. She gave some bold statements, such as EPA is back on the job. She also talked about the USAToday articles on air pollution and schools. She didn't mention that the EPA just announced 100 schools that are being monitored for the next 60 days for air pollution. The extent of this project can be found here.
On this issue, which I spend most of my time working on, EPA has been back on the job. In January, the agency announced that a working group had been formed to develop national guidelines on school siting. Though this announcement should have happened the January prior because now they are it looks like a sure thing they will miss yet another deadline which for this project is June 2009. (though I was told that I should be happy that their goal isn't 3 or 4 years) She gave a pretty good speech that allowed us in the room to feel that maybe our concerns will be looked at and examined in a thoughtful manner. Of course all this makes me nervous. Because it means that the public might become too complacent. Might think that because we don't have an environmental agency who fires scientists for speaking out against chemicals/corrupt corporations or dozens of staff quitting because they can't take having their science replaced with political favors and stymied any longer, that we all don't have a part in keeping the pressure up on our government.
They may be better than that past 8 years, but a democracy only works when people make it work. It doesn't exist in isolation or without arguments or without corruption. Democracy only works when the people watchdog and complain and FOIA the shit out of it. It only works when we are engaged and read the newspapers/blog/twitter/whathaveyounewssource and then discuss what you read with your neighbors and children and cubicle mates.
So even though Jackson gave this speech where she outlined a better regulatory system, children's health, cleaner water, cleaner air, and the precautionary principle as her priorities, that doesn't mean that today I'm not going to try to convince people and organizations to sign on to school siting principles that will then be used in local school districts to sign on letters to Jackson herself about how if these guidelines really do take 18 months longer than they were mandated to take, that the EPA isn't putting children's health first. That they will be failing in being back on the job.
Renee Claire
ps. I'm trying to come up with a project to highlight the 100 schools that are being air monitored, but I'm not sure what to do. Got any ideas?
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