Cleaning Up and Out

Don't toss those alkaline batteries in the trash! While they contain considerably less mercury than in previous years, it's still a good idea to collect them and dispose of them at one of Sammamish's Recycling Collection Events.

If you've already got a collection, don't forget to drop them off at tomorrow's event at Eastlake High School from 9 am to 3 pm. Among other things, they will be collecting AAAA, AAA, AA, A, B, C and D cell batteries.

This is not a hazardous waste event (that's another event), so don't bring your old paint, pesticides, flourescent lights or any other household chemicals. You can wait for the Wastemobile to come to Sammamish or bring them to the hazardous waste collection sites in Seattle and Factoria.

Tomorrow, bring down your old batteries, household goods and clothing, flattened cardboard, motor oil, filters and antifreeze. There are fees to drop off old tires, propane tanks, porcelain toilets, appliances and electronic equipment. Check out their flyer for details.

If you don't want to haul or pay for removal of old items, consider giving them away on Freecycle. The Freecycle Network mission is "to build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources, and eases the burden on our landfills, while enabling our members to benefit from the strength of a larger community." It is a project of RISE, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. While it is a national group, it is divided into local yahoo groups. Check out the East King County group on Yahoo! You may even be able to score something you've been looking for.


Don't forget Craig's List. Last weekend I was trying to give away an old 36" tube TV and an unused TiVo in my neighborhood with no takers. I posted it Sunday morning on craigslist.org, a simple, free, online classified directory, at a low price. Before noon (you know, before the football game) it was picked up and we had some cash in our pockets.

So, this weekend, consider moving out some of that old stuff (come on, you know you aren't going to use it again). You'll feel better about a cleaner space--especially with the holidays around the corner!

Sippin' the Spice

Okay, they got me. I'm addicted to Starbuck's Pumpkin Spice Latte, and apparently I'm not the only one. When it debuted in 2004, sales went up 11% during that same period.

The baristas I talk to as I pick up my daily fix (short, 2%, no whip, full on caffeine) say that people love them and they are selling lots. There's even a Frappuccino version, which I have yet to try.

They sound kind of gross though, don't they? I don't even like pumpkin pie! To be truthful, I can't taste pumpkin in this drink..it's kind of like a cross between a vanilla and a chai, not as spicy and not as sweet..just perfection. Sipping this warm delight is heavenly on a cloudy, cool fall day. I didn't like it when they mistakenly put the whipped cream on when I asked not to (that's the Issaquah Starbucks for you)--the flavor seemed off to me.

I came across a recipe for a mock pumpkin spice latte that seems far more complex and involved than the subtle flavors I'm sipping. Or, I wonder if they are using the Torini Pumpkin Spice Syrup. You can buy a huge bottle of that stuff for the price of two lattes. But then I'd probably drink them all day...perhaps the price is helping me curb my addiction!

Talking the Walk

What's your neighborhood's walk score? Whether you are looking to move or curious what's around to walk to, check out http://www.walkscore.com/.

The tool calculates how many stores, schools, parks, etc. are within walking distance to whatever address you enter. It does not, however, take into consideration the safety of the walk, such as sidewalks.

Speaking of which, I've been reading with great interest the controversy of reducing bus service to Inglewood Junior High students in some neighborhoods due to new sidewalks. My neighborhood, in particular, is affected.

Many parents I've talked to are simply driving their 12-14 year olds to school rather then let them walk alone over a mile and a half each way. Kids in my neighborhood have to either meander through residential neighborhoods and a walking path or try to maneuver down 228th. During the sunny autumn and spring days, it may be fun, but as the mornings get darker and wetter, this is ridiculous to ask our students to walk 30-40 minutes in the rain and dark to get to school.

Oh, I know, I've heard it all...when we were young, we had to walk barefoot, up hill, in the snow and on rusty nails ten miles to get an education. Actually, I remember that my high school pegged me as a walker because I lived just under two miles from the school. It was about a 45 minute walk and not too attractive during a New England winter. I opted to walk .6 miles to a bus stop in the other direction. It was still scary in the dark mornings and I got drenched when it rained. We'd beg the bus driver to add a stop on the way home as she cruised past our street--sometimes she obliged.

So, the result of the decision is more cars dropping off kids--not something we want in this era of trying to reduce our carbon emissions. I hope the school district reinstates the busses to these neighborhoods or comes up with some sort of compromise? Perhaps the district can offer bus service only during the really rainy dark season--say, November to March. Or maybe parents can subsidize the bus--not ideal, I know, but it may be worth it to some on those cold, rainy, dark days coming up.

Walking in the cold and rain is not that huge of a deal. Really, I'm not that big of a whimp. But, keeping our students safe and healthy is a big deal.