Stop Wasting Food! - Step 1 - Save the Fruits and Veggies!

I never spent much time trying to figure all of this out on my own, but it turns out that there are Ethylene-producing and Ethylene-sensitive fruits and vegetables.  Some emit ethylene, a gas that can cause other produce to become spotted, soft, or mealy; while others are particularly sensitive to it. To prolong the life of those that are more sensitive, keep them away from those that emit. (There are products available to help - see below).  Here are lists of both:

Ethylene-producing

• Apricots
• Avocados
• Bananas
• Cantaloupes
• Honeydew melons
• Kiwis
• Mangoes
• Nectarines
• Papayas
• Peaches
• Pears
• Plums
• Tomatoes

Ethylene-sensitive

• Apples
• Asparagus
• Broccoli
• Carrots
• Cucumbers
• Eggplants
• Green beans
• Lettuce and other greens
• Potatoes
• Summer squash
• Watermelons

Reduction 100

I'm shamelessly taking an idea I saw elsewhere and tweaking into my own thing.  That's the ultimate form of flattery, right?

Here's the concept.  It's a new year.  A time for clearing things out, shaking off the dust, decluttering your life.  Get rid of 100 things that you no longer need.  The original idea was to throw things away, but that seems a bit short-sighted.  I plan to get rid of things in this order:  Sell, Donate/Give, and lastly, Toss.

Sell
You're cleaning out the closet/basement/attic.  Why not walk away with a little cash as a reward for a job well done?  Perhaps you can get rid of a little credit card debt, as well. I plan to list items on eBay, Craigslist, and a virtual yard sale group on Facebook.

Donate/Give
In these hard economic times, there are a lot of folks out there who are in need.  We plan to donate to the various goodwill shops, libraries, and even list things on Freecycle or in the free section of Craigslist.  Someone will benefit down the line and that can't be a bad thing.

Toss
Sometimes what you've been hoarding just isn't of value to anyone.  It's time to put it to rest. Be sure to recycle what parts you can and follow any ordinances about what can be thrown in the trash.  (Last I heard, Radio Shack was still accepting batteries).  On January, 24, 2013, the Covered Device Recycling Act goes into effect in Pennsylvania and prohibits many electronics from being thrown in the garbage.

I hope this inspires you to perform your own Reduction 100 (2013 Edition).  I'll try to post updates on our progress.  Good luck and Happy New Year!

Climbing Tower - The Next Level

Well, it certainly took a while, but a couple of weeks ago, I added a new surface - much steeper and of different material. After seeing the gaps that opened up on the first wall when I used 5/4 x 6 decking, I opted to try some treated plywood.  This wall is installed at a much steeper angle. After securing the wood, I let it sit for a couple of weeks.  As it dried out or aged or whatever, I noticed that it became rather rough and splintery. I certainly didn't want the girls to be brushing up against that. So, a trip out with the power sander and we're all good.  The girls helped me to select and connect the holds and now they have a much more advanced wall to scale.

Up next, the cargo net!

Building A Climbing Wall - Day 5

Okay, the "Day" numbering in the titles are probably a little confusing.  Basically, they indicate any actual day I was able to make some headway on the tower (not necessarily sequential days).

Last Thursday the climbing holds arrived via UPS.  I went with the Metolius Mega Pack (40 pieces) since it offered a lot of flexibility, a pretty good price-per-hold, and has decent ratings. Here's one of their stock photos - I believe this one is the 30-pack since we have some holds that I don't see in the photo.

I took an hour today to start attaching holds.  The one wall that is in place now will be the easiest of the eventual four.  I wasn't too creative in placement of the holds, but really wanted to get something installed.  The girls had a blast!

  

I installed about a dozen of the 40 I ordered. There is room on the right side of the wall for a few more holds.  I'm hoping to make it a little more difficult to climb over there. I suppose all that is left is to save a couple of bucks up so I can buy the lumber to make another wall :-)

Building A Climbing Wall - Day 4

I realized that I hadn't posted an update.  A couple of weeks ago, I finished installation of the wood for the first wall. Here's a photo as it appears today.  As you can see, some "chalk vandals" have been at it.  ;-)

The only thing left to do on this first wall is to install the climbing holds.  However, I need a couple more paychecks to come in before this will be possible.  I have a couple of sets in mind, but haven't settle on the "perfect one" yet.  When I find it, I'll post here.

Building A Climbing Wall - Day 3

Well, it took a while to get some more materials and some time to work on the tower, but today was the day. A quick run to the lumber yard and I had almost everything I needed to really get some work done.  With the help of my friend Kris, we were able to finish off the second platform, the third platform and the supports for what may or may not be the fourth platform.  We also placed the angled beams that will be the first wall.  This one is intended to be the "easy" wall with each subsequent wall being a little steeper.  I need a couple more 5/4 deck boards and then to actually order the climbing holds.

The general concensus is that the space under each wall will be as much fun as the wall itself.  My girls, Piper and Lily, and Kris' and Charity's daughter, Willow, had a blast climbing on it today even as we were building.

Stay tuned...

Building A Climbing Wall - Day 2

After making such strides yesterday, it almost seemed a little anti-climactic to only get a few more supports in place today.  But, I suppose that's to be expected when you only have so much building material on hand.

You can see here that two more cross beams have been installed.  I still have enough to finish level two and get half of level three done, but I need hardware.  Looks like a trip to my local hardware store is in my future.

The girls are excited and have made use of what exists to climb already.  When it is all done, there will be four levels - each two feet above the one below it.  That will leave about two feet of 4x4 sticking up at the top onto which I will attach a safety railing.  Then, one-by-one each side can be constructed and connected.  They will vary in length so their angles will be different, thus their difficulty to climb.  I'm shopping for hand holds and finding they can be quite pricey.  Their quality varies, as well.  My initial research shows an amazing number of people who dedicate a basement or garage wall (and sometimes ceiling!) to climbing.  Fun times ahead!