Electronic De-cluttering

I’ve had the same Yahoo account for probably eight or nine years now. Through my job changes, ISP changes, and a notable name change, it’s the only email address that has remained the same. It has also become my inbox-of-choice for website registrations, loyalty programs, e-newsletter subscriptions, and other assorted junk. As you can imagine, after nine years, I get quite a bit of said mail in said inbox.

So, it recently came to my attention that subscription-based emails must include an “Unsubscribe” tag or they are in violation of federal Spam laws. (OK, I’m a little slow!) Sure enough, I noticed that the majority of the emails I had been receiving included an option to unsubscribe. So, last week I began decluttering my email. Weekly specials from Southwest Airlines? Nah – I’ve never flown on Southwest. The newest styles from Urban Outfitters? I haven’t bought anything from them in years. And why does Ticketmaster send me information about shows in Atlanta? Unsubscribe. Yes, I’m sure. Click.

I can’t say that I’ve seen a precipitous drop in the number of emails I’m receiving… at least not yet. But for now, I’m having fun with it. (Where are you, little Unsubscribe buttons?)

A Few of my Favorite Things

Summer is halfway through (or something like that, depending on how you look at the calendar). So, I thought I'd compile a list of my favorite things about summer.

Here's a quick countdown:
5. Thunderstorms
4. Grilling out
3. Cooling off with a swim
2. Flip-flops and bare feet
1. Fresh fruits and vegetables

There's one great consolation in the waning days of summer: Summer is followed by fall, my favorite season!

My Shameless Rant about US Airways

I really don’t like to complain. I mean, I really, really don’t like to complain. But USAirways has – once again – infuriated me.

First, there was the virtual loss of eSavers. (No, USAirways, I don’t consider a $139 flight between Charlotte and Greensboro an eSaver. Who in their right mind would pay that to fly 90 miles when they could drive there in the same amount of time?)

And now, the Charlotte Observer is reporting that Charlotte’s airfares have dropped 30 percent over the last six years! That’s funny, because I used to be able to fly direct to my hometown to visit family for no more than $200 – maybe $230 around the holidays. Now, I can’t get a flight home for less than $300 unless I connect through Detroit on Northwest - thereby adding several hours to the trip. Huh.

Perhaps more infuriating is the fact that I can fly to California (ie, other side of the country) for less money than I can fly to the Northeast.

I don't even like to fly anymore. If it weren't for the unreasonable 13-hour drive, I wouldn't have anything to complain about.

Am I the only one in Charlotte who thinks the lower airfare claim is preposterous?

Quote of the Day

Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight. -- Benjamin Franklin

Just a little something to think about. :)

When the Sidewalk Ends

Fewer than half of U.S. children who live close to school walk or ride their bikes to class, according to a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. In sharp contrast, 90 percent of kids did so in 1969.

This should come as no surprise to me. Suburban sprawl is a 21^st century fact of life, and there aren’t a whole lot of sidewalks connecting subdivisions and schools. Not to mention, the era of school vouchers means that most children don’t live within a mile of their school of choice. But this statistic is sad to me for so many reasons.

I grew up in an older city with sidewalks on every street and, sure enough, I walked or biked to school from Kindergarten through the time I got my first car as a senior in high school. Those daily trips were full of simple little memories – filling up on Gobstoppers at the candy store, trying to avoid the bully who hung out at the corner of Elm and Cleveland, and planning our summer breaks on the last day of school. All part of being a kid.

Today’s youngsters don’t get to enjoy those same experiences. There are no more sidewalks (thanks suburbia), no more candy stores (thanks childhood obesity), and very little free time (thanks Mom for scheduling out the entire summer). Compounding the problem are the safety concerns that weren’t around – or at least weren’t considered – when I was young. Sending your children off on their own takes a new breed of courage.

Having said that, I don’t know whether today’s children know what they’re missing. If given the choice, would they pick fresh air, exercise, and bullies over the climate-controlled ride in Mom’s minivan? (Sigh)

There are at least two organizations in the U.S. that are striving to promote the once-ubiquitous practice of walking to school: the CDC’s KidsWalk-to-School and International Walk to School in the USA. The latter coordinates a national walk-to-school day, this year on October 3; sadly, only one school in North Carolina is registered.

Hopefully, this new statistic about walking rates will get people thinking… and on their feet.

A Healthy (?) Summer Harvest

It's hard enough to plan healthy, nutritious, low-fat meals that are appealing to one's fast-food-favoring husband. But my head is spinning (and my stomach churning) with all this talk about the chemical-laden, contaminated, mislabeled products in our food supply. There's the seafood from China, the green onions from California, and an ever-growing list of pet foods. A new story from the San Francisco Chronicle finds that the problem is worldwide.

Luckily, it's summer, which means prime time for fresh fruits and vegetables from the farmer's market, and even a few from my own backyard. There's nothing like tasting a freshly cut tomato, still warm from the sun, and knowing that the corn you're buying was harvested just down the road, just yesterday. Charlotte's Regional Farmer's Market is a great choice for variety, especially during the week when visitors are sparse.

I'm smart enough to know that some (if not most) of these farmers use pesticides and that local does not necessarily mean unsusceptible-to-contamination. But to me, the fewer hands that touch it and the shorter distance it travels, the better. If only I had that land in the country to sow my own seeds.

Take a Vacation, Already!

According to a new poll released by Harris Interactive, only half of Americans will be taking a summer vacation this year. Half of those vacationers will be visiting family and friends, whereas 35% will take a scenic trip and only 30% will visit the beach.

We’ve all heard that American workers receive fewer paid vacation days from their employers than do workers in other countries. Apparently, however, many Americans don’t take advantage of the small amount of vacation days they are granted. Thirty-five percent of respondents to an Orbitz poll said they take 0-5 vacation days per year. And nearly one in five workers said it has been three years or more since they took a weeklong vacation.

What’s the deterrent? Cost seems to a be a frequently cited reason. But a vacation need not be expensive to be enjoyable. This morning, The Today Show began a new series called America the Beautiful. They’re counting down the most beautiful destinations in the US of A, and I’m guessing there will be one not too far from the backyards of all those non-vacationers.

Okay people - you know who you are - turn off those CrackBerrys, take a couple days off, and get out there!

Simplicity Meets Perspective

What exactly does it mean to simplify one’s life? I Google-d “simple life” and came up with more references to Paris Hilton than I care to mention. Ahhh, the irony. A subsequent “simplify your life” search at Amazon.com netted 1,219 self-help books: instruction manuals, if you will, authored by Mary, Mary’s mother-in-law, and Mary’s mother-in-law’s neighbor’s dentist. The variety of available titles would suggest that Americans are eager to embrace the concept of simplification and that publishers are happy to oblige.

I admit that I haven’t read any of these books, but they seem to focus on two primary themes. The first is prioritization: Lighten your schedule, get rid of your debt, stop trying to be perfect, change your life! The second theme is organization: De-clutter your desk, clean out your closets, plan your meals for the week, change your life!

My own quest for simplicity is… excuse the pun… a little more simple and lot less organized. To me, simplifying is about worrying less and taking the time to appreciate the people and things around me more. This life directive was ingrained in me quite possibly from the time I was a child: My parents had a plaque posted in the sunroom that said, “Don’t hurry, don’t worry, and don’t forget to smell the flowers.” As I got older, I gained the perspective to realize just how important this mantra really was and how simple it was to adopt.

Perspective. Knowing how to separate what is important from what is unimportant in your own life. Isn’t that the key? Perspective is something you can only acquire with age and life experience. And for most people, it’s not something that Mary and her mother-in-law can decide for you.

Like Nothing Else

So, I’m driving to work this morning, and in front of me is a shiny new Hummer. These vehicles have been on the streets of Charlotte for years now, but every time I see one, I have to wonder what in the world the driver was thinking.

This monster weighs in at 6400 lbs, and is designed to maneuver over rocks and through water, which makes sense given its original use as a military vehicle. But, are the people who are driving these things around suburbia and over the interstate for their daily work commute getting a whole lot of off-road use? I’m thinking not…

Instead, their gas mileage will hover around 10 mpg at best. On a 32-gallon tank, they’ll shell out $100 every time they fill up… not to mention the high cost they paid for the Hummer in the first place.

So, what exactly is the appeal?

The Hummer’s motto is, “Like nothing else,” and I have to agree. These vehicles clearly stand out, as do their owners. They’re quite obviously nuts!

Fourth of July -- Small-Town Style

Is it just me, or do spontaneous trips often turn out to be the most memorable?

Earlier this week, CJ and I pointed the car east and headed for Brunswick County, home of our favorite beaches and Southport’s North Carolina 4^th of July Festival. The festival is billed as North Carolina’s biggest, and includes a nearly weeklong series of events. As we drove into town Wednesday at 8:30am, residents and visitors had already lined both sides of Howe Street with their lawn chairs in preparation for the parade, which started at 11:00am.

We had bypassed the free preservative-laden continental breakfast at our hotel in favor of the pancake breakfast at Trinity Methodist Church. The line there was long, but I found myself smiling, regardless. Young and old were dressed in various combinations of red, white, and blue. Lion’s Club volunteers sold raffle tickets. Neighbors greeted each other with hugs. A sea breeze rustled through the live oaks.

Southport is everything that is wonderful about a small town. The historic area is devoid of chain restaurants, chain motels, and crass commercialism. Even on a day when the town is crowded with festival-goers, it still feels like the quaint fishing village it has been for 200+ years.

After breakfast, we took a slow walk through the arts and crafts booths at Franklin Square Park and then down to the banks of the Cape Fear River, where a lone sailboat drifted across the sparkling water.

It probably goes without saying, but I would definitely recommend a visit to Southport – preferably a slow, spontaneous visit. Just make sure you don’t tell too many people about this little treasure by the sea.

No Phone, No Internet, No Problem?

56 hours and counting. Our phone and Internet have decided to completely stop working. After several tense cell-phone calls with our provider, which shall remain nameless, I am at my wit’s end. My sanity is in the hands of Time Warner (oops!), and I don’t like it.

Wait a minute. Shouldn’t I be grateful for this? Am I not the one who is trying to simplify my life? Am I being tested?

Take a deep breath, Jennifer. The world will not come to an end if you can’t get online for a few days.

But it does make me wonder, when did we become so dependent on – and even addicted to – having this instant access to information? There are other ways… knowledgeable friends, daily newspapers, reference librarians… but they’re just not as convenient. (Reference librarians still exist, don’t they?)

Time Warner will be happy to know that I’m not remotely ready to give up the “blazing fast speed” of my cable modem. And if said modem acts up again, I’ll gladly take a short vacation from my need-information-now addiction. At least, I hope I will.