Earth Day 2007 Recycling

This morning, after doing housework and and a workout at the gym, I loaded two TVs, a computer, monitor and VCR into my car and took them to a recycling event in 4S Ranch. One television was from 1981, and the bigger one I bought in 1993. Both TVs and the computer monitor still worked just fine, but have been replaced with flat panels. Old electronics are hard to get rid of. You can't give them away and some places even charge you a recycling fee. Today, I just drove up, opened my car's doors and volunteers took all the "junk" out within seconds. I feel better having done this, as it frees up space in my house and garage, and I have done my part to help, or at least not hurt, the environment.

From there, I drove to the coast to buy two They Might Be Giants tickets at the Belly Up Tavern in Solona Beach. It was warmer and sunnier along the coast, so I drove back through Del Mar before heading back home.

Today and this week brought back both good and bad memories from eight years ago. I flew to New York for a work trip, and when I got off the plane, I saw everybody watching the TVs. I wondered what they were looking at and soon saw the news of what had happened at Columbine while I was in flight. That anniversary just passed, and of course, what happened at Virginia Tech has been in the news. On that same trip to New York, I spent my free Saturday in Manhattan. I took the train there from Long Island, and rode the subway to the World Trade Center where I took the elevator to the top. From there, I had lunch near Greenwich Village, and then ended up walking across Central Park. It was also Earth Day that weekend, and I was amazed at all the people enjoying different outdoor activities on that sunny April day. People were playing softball, riding bikes and reading books under a shady tree. That really was a nice day for me, and driving around today reminded me of it.

Tomorrow I'll be up at Knott's Berry Farm for the Fabulous Ford Auto Show. It won't be anything like walking around Central Park, but should make for a nice day.