We were only able to buy a two pack this month so no major changes but, it is always a good place to start.

Finally! I added this literally the first day and have been waiting for ages to check it off. I took Amtrak to and from Seattle to Portland, not only was it a great experience for being on a train, but also it was great to see all the people that were using the option for transportation. Not to mention all of the signage and staff that told me about how the train is planning and is already incorporating sustainability and renewable options. Including switches from plastic to paper for most items on board. Small steps but they are appreciated.

I replaced 12 of my existing light bulbs in the Kitchen and 2 bathrooms with LED bulbs. These bulbs work just as well as the regular ones and save me money.

To keep this message brief, as I am a busy bee this morning, I have been following electric and hybrid vehicles for ages. Growing up restoring vintage cars for graffiti weekend sales was a hobby I shared with my dad so it is safe to say I am a fan of vehicles and how they operate. I was in a Kaiser parking garage in Oakland, California waiting for my spouse to grab medication when I saw the Hyundai IONIQ, the 5 I believe, and I loved it instantly. I am not a huge fan of Tesla, for numerous reasons, though I do appreciate the vehicle for what it is and the people who are looking for affordable electric options. There are many reasons to switch, not just the emissions of the severe decrease in oil availability. Cost, comfort, and care are big ones. It is difficult to afford to gas up comparably to charge up and it is easier to fix up a newer standard vehicle instead of searching scrap yards because an odd part of you Jeep broke off.

As TriMet gears up to change the current bus routes in my area once again I decided to walk to a few local stops and see them at their current disrepair. I gathered trash with a grabber tool I borrowed from work and attempted to visualize ways I could better the space. A man was sleeping under the bench and there was cracked glass in the side that allowed soft dribbles of water to pass through. I realized that I could not do as much as I hoped. Adding art would need approval, planting enriching greenery would require availability to grass or planter boxes which would be littered quickly, and one of them would soon be left abandoned once things shifted (from my understanding of the TriMet website anyhow). It was a sort of depressing experience honestly, but I am happy I did. To feel sorrow means I can still feel and to feel at all allows for a plethora of possible responses I could have in the future to change things for the better. For now, I am a student, employee, wife, and child of someone who is tired but will try to do what they can, where they can, until they have the resources and skills to do something about it. A little pink trash bag crammed with cans and wrappers was the reward today.

I consistently walk most everywhere I go outside of using street cars for things less accessible by foot. It can be difficult to walk in some areas due to sidewalk closures or just really messed up walkways. It's also stressful at times to walk past so many businesses and takes a bit of time to get away from the gravitational pull capitalism has on us. Definitely need more parks and pedestrian oriented walkways where cars can't be passing through that have plenty of greenery and smooth pathways. Maybe pathways made of something that's not just more concrete.

I took the Max to PSU Campus Recreational Center all 5 days this week and back. The commute was easy because of Portland's public transit infrastructure.

I went to Cannon Beach this weekend! I saw lots of algae, hermit crabs, barnacles, anemones, seastars, and muscles. I enjoyed looking at the different types of algae and watching the crabs scamper around. I learned a lot about hermit crab behavior. They do not enjoy being held.

Since the ice storm, I've noticed fallen trees around the neighborhood. it makes me a bit worried about the reduced tree canopy we will see in the summer. I also saw lots of songbirds, a robin, and a blue jay. I've been enjoying looking at the Canadian geese in a pond near my house as well.

After reviewing the website for my region (Oregon) there are no active warnings. The only listing that mentions "Buy" for my region for the fish that I eat is wild caught Cod. I've used this website's recommendations, the recommendations from the Monterey Bay Aquarium's database, and sustainable labeled fish in my fish consumption practices for quite some time.