It's been about a month since I've posted. Have I had writer's block? Did I run out of interesting things to say? On the contrary. I've had so many interesting experiences, I couldn't even keep up with them all.

First, we moved into Corvallis from Albany, OR. I had been riding the bus or working from home, since I sold my car in July. Now, I live just 3.6 miles from work. It's a five minute bus ride with a 15 minute walk or a 20 minute bike ride. My husband still has his car, which is new, small and gets great gas mileage. He feels like he almost never has to get gas unless we take a trip to Portland or something.

The really awesome thing is that there is a co-op grocery store within biking distance of my house, and another within walking distance from my office! I can ride or walk to get local organic and bulk foods. I keep reusable containers in my backpack and mesh produce bags in my purse, and I can stop by the co-op on my way home from work, or just take a ride there with my husband or kid and get whatever we need - without buying any plastic! People often come up and ask me how to use the bulk foods and reusable container system and whether or not they should invest in the mesh bags for their produce. I show them how to get cheese, tofu, peanut butter, cereal, frozen fruit - just about everything all in reusable containers.

So, the thing is that I'm feeling in a little bit of a bubble now. I can sort of tune out the rest of the community who doesn't shop local, organic and non-plastic. Until I go to Albertson's or K-Mart or something. Then, I get a little depressed. It's in places like that where I think, "This is what it's like in the rest of the country, or even the rest of my town. People are clueless - just buying up crap, because it's what's there." It's not even cheaper. We've been shocked how much money we save now that we don't pay for packaging. And, my idea of buying reusable bags from each store and passing them out to customers has developed a hitch, because the only store with a reasonably-sized reusable bag is Fred Meyer. Theirs are awesome, and many of their customers are using them. Safeway, Albertson's and K-mart just have wimpy little bags that are like a vague nod at being environmentally friendly. I'm contemplating buying Fred Meyer bags and handing them out at the other stores. I didn't want to do that, because I wanted the stores to feel like I was advertising for them, but they're making it pretty impossible to get behind any of their choices. I don't think people would accept home-made bags, but I might try that. I'm going to have to start writing letters to the stores, I guess.

Advocating for a cleaner life is becoming a second - oh wait third, oh wait fourth job. I feel like so many people in Corvallis are conscientious and "green" that it's almost harder to get things done for those who aren't.