I have a question for those of you who have fully stopped using plastic grocery sacks: what do you use for garbage?

We buy the 13-gallon kitchen garbage bags, but it takes us a while to fill the garbage because we have recycling and composting pick-up here.

FYI, they haven't banned the sale of plastic bags, it's just that the bigger groceries stores can't give them out anymore. Given their tendency to use 8 plastic bags to pack what would fit in 2 paper bags, I think this is a good idea. For chain pharmacy and stores like that, the ban goes into effect in a couple of months. I think smaller stores will be exempt, at least for a while.

Given their tendency to use 8 plastic bags to pack what would fit in 2 paper bags, I think this is a good idea.

I so do not understand why they put like two things in each bag. It happens at Safeway when I bring my own bags, too -- I've got some bags that are shaped essentially like regular paper grocery bags, and at Safeway, they'll always fill them maybe 1/3 full before going for the plastic bags. (At Trader Joe's, on the other hand, they're really good at managing to get everything to fit in. Also, the Trader Joe's people tend to actually know how to pack a grocery bag -- heavy stuff, then fragile stuff, then squishy stuff. The Safeway people just throw stuff in however.)

I generally always bag myself, even when I don't bring my own. Except at TJ's where they are indeed great baggers.

At Trader Joe's, on the other hand, they're really good at managing to get everything to fit in. Also, the Trader Joe's people tend to actually know how to pack a grocery bag

Right? I always want to thank them and ask them if they can teach the Kroger baggers how to properly bag my damn produce.

Hmm. They generally bag pretty full here. The store I usually shop at usually does pretty well, but when I hate going to other stores and getting cans on top of bread and the like.

violent video game saves lives

I was all good today and bought lots of fresh veggies at the grocery store so that I could have real food rather than processed crap. Then I ended up sleeping on and off all afternoon. Dinner, rather than my planned whole wheat pasta with tomatoes, asparagus, and beans, ended up being canned chickpeas with nutritional yeast. Which is reasonably healthy, I suppose, but not quite qualifying as cooking.

Anybody have any experience with Diet to Go [link] ? I'm thinking about doing it, at least until my doctor and I can get this sleeping-16-hours problem worked out. Because I want to cook, but lately I really can't.

You were on my mind all night last night, incidentally. JZ was watching her My So Called Life extras on the DVD set, and the creator of the show, Winnie Holzman, looks a lot like you.

Cool! MSCL creator? Excellent...

Yep; I’ve never seen her before, but I think it’s the eyes. And the um…chin.

Though you are way more stylish and prettier. Thanks! Just what me and my bathrobe and Rudolph nose needed to hear tonight!

The Draconian Dictator principal actually asked me that at my evaluation last year. He then went on to tell me that I didn't want to be at the school. He commented that I "seemed to get sick a lot" and that he felt I got sick because I didn't want to be at the school or teaching.

Oh, I LOVE that accurate language! “Seems?” “Feel?” What an ass. Sox is absolutely right – numbers are your friend. Or a nice “Well, I SEEM to FEEL that you’re an ass. Would you like to see my timesheets?” Ugh.

While it is true that I get bronchitis at least once a year, it has been the case for over 20 years! I have allergies and asthma. It is also true that I have missed less that 5 days of work because of illness in the 9 years I've been at this school.

Heh. I don’t understand how he’s not on his knees thanking god for you. I am a good teacher, and I take all my sick days. Either for actual caught-from-the-kiddos sicknesses or Oh-my-god-I’m-gonna-strangle-them mental days. All teachers at my school do this…granted, some more than others, but still. We’re in absolute AWE of the one teacher who hasn’t had a sick day in 2 years (and honestly, think he needs to stay home once in a great while. Dude, you’re FUCKIN’ SICK! Drink some SOUP. Stay in BED!)

Sounds like one of my college professors. She also said that migraine headaches and PMS were in the same category.

BWAHAHAHAHHAAHAHAAAAA! Er. Sorry. I get both, and it’s very safe to say they are not psychosomatic. Although both ARE made exacerbated by stress. Like stupid people.

I just watched the last ep of TAR, and I'm so tickled that it ended up in and around Anchorage. It was so fun to see places where I had been and shopped and swam. I even hoped to see someone I knew , but no luck there.