Dinner with Aunt Ivy

Aunt Ivy lives in Ontario (I can't remember exactly where) and has come to BC for a visit. I have never met Trevor's aunt, but she seems like a lovely lady - one who sends hand-made gifts for special occasions (Elianna's birth, our wedding).

Aunt Ivy is in town tonight and Mike and Hilary (father and step-mother in-law) have invited us to dine with her. Trevor has informed me that they are ordering Asian food for delivery... great, I don't have to cook. But what about the waste? Technically it isn't our waste (and I can't say for sure whether it will be recyclable or not), but I can't help myself...

"Umm, sweetie, do you think it would be alright if we bring reusable containers to the restaurant and ask them to put our order in the containers?" I look at Trevor as if to say, 'am I taking this too far?'

Trevor rolls his eyes and looks at me as if to confirm 'yes, you are pushing it a little'.  I was not shocked by the his reaction, Trevor is the type of person who doesn't like to impose on anyone. "You can talk to my Dad about it," was his response.

I phone Grandpa Dick (Mike) and ask if it would be alright if we brought containers for the take-away food he was planning to order.  He is so much like Trevor that I knew he would try to appease me, as long as it didn't put anyone else out.  No problem, in fact, we could pick up the food on our way over.

I called Chilli King to make sure that they wouldn't have a problem bringing our own containers for take-away.   I'm not sure if the lady who answered understood what I had asked, but we will find out soon enough.

On the topic of appeasement, I am also the type of person who doesn't like to impose on anyone, or make anyone feel uncomfortable. I think I try too hard to make other people happy, and often at my own expense. I consider myself to be environmentally conscious and responsible (most of the time, although hard-core greenies would find many flaws), but many times I act contrary to my beliefs, to make other people happy.

How stupid is that?  I am sure there is innate rationale for conformity, but why should I feel bad about doing the things that I think are right? Things that have a lesser impact on the environment, like saving a few resources.

This challenge is a good excuse to not conform. This challenge is my scape goat, my expressed justification for putting food in containers at the grocery store, or for asking my father-in-law if we could pick up the food from the restaurant in reusable containers.  I just wish that someday I won't feel guilty for being the person I am. I wish that someday I won't be frowned upon for asking someone to make a little extra effort, for the sake of our children's future.

Is it too much to ask to look beyond our immediate needs (wants) and to think about the consequences of our actions?

Waste free trip to the Butcher Shop

I invited my friend Keith and his new girlfriend over for lunch on Saturday. Wondering what I should cook, I thought hmmm, guys like steak right?  Not knowing that steak isn't something that people generally eat for lunch (I plead ignorant because I don't eat meat), I set off to the butcher shop.

Trevor, being the wonderful husband
he is, appeased me by posing for this shot.

Even though we haven't officially started the challenge, I just couldn't wait to try out this new way of shopping.  I proudly walked into Summit Gourmet Meats with my containers and shopping bag and asked the clerk if she would put the meat in my container? She replied that she would.

It felt so good when they filled my containers and said "Everyone should bring their own containers."  When I explained what I was doing, the guy behind the counter repeated "Everyone should do that (go waste free)." Hmm, I wonder if this guy working at the butcher will spread the word about our challenge?  I wonder if he will start taking his own containers shopping?

It is so easy to bring a container to the shop and makes me wonder why I never did it before? And why is our society so obsessed with packaging?

Which reminds me of this story that my friend Emma has told me.  It is a bit off topic but makes me laugh every time I hear it so I think I will share.  Emma and I lived together in Thailand for a couple of years. If you have ever been to Thailand you will be able to relate.  Thais put everything in a plastic bag, even soda and coffee! Anyways, I digress.

Emma used to buy a bagel-like breakfast sandwich on her way to work everyday from the same street vendor.  Every time she would ask the lady to just hand it to her without the wrapper or bag because she was just going to eat it.  But the lady would wrap it anyways and put it in a bag.  Emma would try to grab the bagel from the lady and say in her posh English accent, "Just give it to me, I just want to eat it!"

It got to the point where the lady would see Emma coming down the street and have the bagel wrapped and bagged before Emma could even get close. I don't know why Emma didn't just find another vendor,  I imagine that it was probably the only one she passed on the way to work.

Emma is a great storyteller so you really must hear it from her to appreciate the humour.  But the point I want to make is that we can all make choices that leave less of a footprint on our Earth.  I will eliminate our family's waste to landfill by shopping at the places that will allow me to, like Summit Gourmet Meats and Fratelli Foods.  I won't buy the bagel from the street vendor who insists on double bagging the sandwich because that is her 'policy'.  Sooner or later things are going to change. They have to. For Eli's sake. ;)