Where I Get My Hippie On

It's Earth Day, y'all.

And I'm celebrating by taking the day off, keeping the jukebox on all day, blogging over at that other blog that I've decided I shall no longer neglect, putting my feet up, drinking a few pots of tea and sending resumes out to job postings all around the country just for kicks.

M and I have also made a big decision today.

We decided there is no way in hell we are going to not go to Euro 2012 in Wroclaw, Poland. Which would be our first trip overseas in ages. Ages! But seriously, how can we not return to the place where we fell in love to see old friends and inhale the atmosphere of one of the biggest sporting events in the world?

I am wistful thinking of beers on the Rynek, walking along the Odra, jumping on the trams ticketless. I can taste the pitas stuffed with cabbage and vegetables from the train station (oh, I just got a mental whiff of the stench of parts of the train station. ewww.) I can hear the din of people laughing and talking (loudly. because there is no other way) in Polish in my ears. I feel ten years younger just thinking of boarding the plane.

If there were ever a time to demand three (well-deserved) weeks off work, it is then. I have already staked my claim on the calendar. There will be no discussion.

Now we just need to get there.

**

My kettle's been working overtime this week, not to keep up with my tea intake, but because we've had a "boil water" advisory going on since Monday. A broken water main left us with trickling or no water off and on all week. State workers were sent home, sent back to work where port-a-potties were set up outside our venerable capitol building, sent back home when the rains started again and it was clear that solution was just. not. happening. Bars and restaurants downtown are semi-functional, relying heavily on canned sodas, bottled water and whatnot. People are looking for people to blame. The usual snarling about how our city is a third-rate backwater with a dysfunctional (and most likely mentally unstable) new mayor has risen several decibels.

But M and I are pretty unfazed by the whole affair. We easily reverted back to what one does when living in a place where a water supply is not to be trusted....

We drink more beer.

We re-use the dishes and plates as often as we can. Same with clothes. We make dinners that will require the least amount of water to prep, or give us water that can then be used to wash the dishes.

I don't think its a bad idea to spend a few days like this. I really don't think its a bad thing to be reminded that potable water is a luxury item in most of the world. I think its a pretty fitting way to spend Earth Day: wearing day-old socks, re-reading old posts from our traveling days, and appreciating every warming sip of my decaf apricot tea.

Happy Earth Day, friends.