Changing my ways!

I have noticed that many of you whose blogs I read, have gone back from using a dishwasher to washing dishes by hand.  I try to be very careful of my electric usage and am seriously considering joining you.  My problem that I recall from the past, is that when I wash dishes by hand I end up letting them sit on the countertop to dry, and then when I need something I take it out of the rack, leaving the rest of the dishes there until I need something else.  In other words, I always have a cluttered countertop.   I'd like to know how you manage that:  do you let them air dry, or dry them by hand and put them away.

Another usage of electric that I wonder about is my washing machine.  I don't have a dryer, so I wash the load at home and carry it across the street to the Park's laundry center, where I use their dryers.  It usually costs me 75 cents to dry an oversize load.  I used to put most of it in the dryer for 10 minutes to remove wrinkles (25 cents) and then dry everything on the clothesline in the courtyard of the laundry building.  Since the planes are spraying whatever they are spraying every day, everywhere, I no longer use the clothesline.

To cut my electric use I also unplug things such as floor lamps, computer, etc. at night when I go to bed as they say the electric use doesn't drop to zero as long as the item is plugged in. 

I would love to hear of any utility cost saving tips you may have.  As costs are continually rising it makes sense to reduce our usage when we can.

Jeannie and family took me to Costco yesterday afternoon to return the computer and backup device; I have several things I need from Costco, but instead, Donald bought a big pizza from Costco's food service which we took to our favorite local craft brewery to go with the beer.    We had maps of the southwest and went over the possible routes to the dog breeder in Arizona in the event I decide to get a puppy after my surgery.  This trip is growing a little at a time - now we are thinking about taking the cutoff to visit the South Rim of the Grand Canyon on the way.  

I will probably go back to Costco this afternoon to get the things on my list.

I'm still undecided about the puppy, or puppy vs. older dog.  I am looking ahead to the possibility that I might need to train (or have a trainer) work with a young dog to be an assistance dog (or god forbid, a seeing-eye dog).  I haven't made a decision yet but am examining possibilities.  I would never get another puppy if I went out a lot and had to leave it at home alone, as I did when I was still working and got my first black lab, Smoky.  But I don't go out often that I couldn't take the dog, and I have the convenience of walking across the street to the dog park should I need to.   Many establishments here allow people to bring their dogs, although common sense dictates that they need to be well trained and well behaved, and there are some places I just wouldn't take a dog.

It gives me something to think about and to argue the pros and cons in my head.  My health has been so unsteady for the past few years I just wanted to be alone, but I didn't exactly feel lonely.  Now I'm improving at a rate where I realize I am lonely, and I am going to do something about it .   Since I'm not driving it means I am mostly at home, and I'm not really a "joiner" anyway.   So having another living, breathing creature to look after seems like a grand idea!

Enjoy the last day of the weekend, and I may try to post again before surgery, but if I don't I want to thank all who send good thoughts my way.