Norm Tip #21

Norm says, "Talk is no substitute for action."

Norm's Feeling Green

In honor of Earth Day, Norm has compiled a list of his daily green habits.

1. Norm washes in warm (it's seldom he uses hot) water and hangs his wet clothes in his greenhouse. When he walks this walk, and avoids using his electric dryer, he cuts his electric by about 25%.

2. Norm also installed a sliding glass door into the greenhouse, which allows the house to heat naturally during much of the day. This really cuts down on using the furnace to heat his house.

3. Norm recycles. Like everything.

4. Norm drives used vehicles. A four banger, not a six or eight. (Here is his one indulgence. His car requires high octane juice.)

Norm asks, "How green are you?"

Norm's World #22

Norm wishes this could be a happier post, but unfortunately the crazy weather has taken a hit on the area. There is a large dam on an old road above Norm's house and it broke sometime today. It released thousands of gallons of water with such force, that a portion of the road was washed away, and part of Norm's land will also suffer erosion. There are also numerous washed out roads in the area. It's bound to also have some enviromental impact, and Norm's a bit bummed. Norm first noticed the high volume near him. Even after severe rain it's never this bad. Norm was quite nervous snapping this picture.

Looking out at the river, Norm could plainly see how unusual the flow pattern had become. That distant white horizontal line is a road. Wait a minute . . .

Then Norm realizes water is flowing over the road!!

Norm hikes around the property and up the road to find a big mess. The road is washed out, a section gone.

The water now flows over the road, not under it.. Norm still thinks it's still small potatoes compared to what happened in Virginia today.

Stinky's World #1

Norm, when is the snow gonna stop? This #@*!%# shit is really getting to me.

Norm's World #21

Norm was recently faced with a rather steep tech problem. His beloved iBook's hardrive bit the dust. It wasn't a big surprise. This little machine was put through the paces. He even dropped it a couple of times. But now Norm had a situation. Ditch the laptop and buy a used one. Or rely on only one machine. Buying a new Macbook it simply a dream, and completely out of Norm's budget. Replacing the hardrive at the local (45 minutes away) shop would run around $250. At least.

And then Norm realized his other option. The option that always seems to be his only. Fix it himself. And he did it. It sucked. But he did it. And it sucked.

Norm's World #20

This is what greeted Norm this fine April morning. He has refused to shovel any of it. Although it doesn't seem to be melting very fast. Hmmmmm.