After researching the matter for a couple of weeks, I decided to make a change in my home . . . a lighting change.

5 minutes on any “green” website will tell you that switching from incandescent light bulbs to fluorescent light bulbs is a VERY smart move. Fluorescent light bulbs use significantly less wattage which means that they use a lot less energy. Less energy usage = fewer resources (which is better for the environment) and smaller costs to you on your monthly power bill. Sounds perfect, eh?

The complaint has always been that the light they provide looks garish, because it is still a fluorescent light. However, after reading on websites that the lighting had improved significantly, I decided to go to the store to look for the squiggly light bulbs.

Imagine my surprise when I happened upon the light bulbs in Harris Teeter. Yes, regular grocery store. And while there were some squiggly light bulbs, I was delighted to discover a bulb that looked just like a regular light bulb. 16 watt bulb that has the appearance of a 60 watt bulb. Cost - $8.50. I bought three and scampered home.

Imagine my delight and wonderment when I turned on my lamps in my room AND COULDN’T TELL THE DIFFERENCE!!!!! I called my roommates into my room, individually, and they couldn’t tell a difference either! These light bulbs create light that looks just like regular light bulbs, and they are supposed to last 6 years!!!!!!!

According to the website, my new Philips Marathon Classic 60 light bulbs:

* Philips Marathon Classic energy savers feature advanced SmartBase Technology™ and ALTO® Lamp Technology to create smaller compact fluorescent light bulbs that are better for the environment
* Use up to 70% less energy than standard incandescent light bulbs, saving you money on your utility bills
* Provide a soft white light ideal for any room in your home
* Last up to 6 years, saving you the hassle of replacing burnt out light bulbs
* Are Energy Star qualified

I’m in absolute awe over here! And I’m going to go back to the store and get more to replace the other light bulbs in the apartment. I mean, seriously, these are amazing. And supposedly Wal-Mart is starting to sell them, so they’re available everywhere.

If helping save our planet isn’t enough of an incentive, think about how much money you could save on your power bill, and PLEASE go out and buy these for your home! Just replacing one light bulb will make a big difference!

Better for the environment, cheaper monthly bills, AND you can’t tell a difference?! Works for me!

Received from Laura:

A - Available/Single? Single AND available
B - Best Friend? I have so many! I guess in real life it would be my roommates, Matt and Ben, my best girlfriends, Stephanie and Brittany, and online, Mouse!
C- Cake or Pie? Mmmm, what a question! Both, as long as they’re chocolate, LOL! Actually, probably pie.
D - Drink Of Choice? Coffee or hot chocolate!
E - Essential Item You Use Everyday? Does my computer count?
F - Favorite Color? Blue, hands down, no questions asked!
G - Gummy Bears Or Worms? Ooo, tough one! Probably bears . . . because you can make them dance
H - Hometown? Born and raised in Georgia, but currently live in Florida . . . as far as a hometown goes, I guess it would be Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, but I really feel like a Georgia girl at heart.
I - Indulgence? Starbucks . . . or something chocolate-y and sinful!
J - January Or February? January . . . you get to start with a new year!
K - Kids & Their Names? Matt and Ben. Oh wait, you meant real children, not my 23 year old roommates that act like children that I have to take care of ;-). None.
L - Life Is Incomplete Without? Christmas. Sorry, I LOVE Christmas
M - Marriage date? none
N- Number Of Siblings? 1 - my younger brother Bo, with whom I have an excellent relationship
O - Oranges Or Apples? apples!
P - Phobias/Fears? heights - don’t get me started
Q - Favorite Quote? Something my mother said to me that has stuck with me for a long time, and I think about it almost daily “If you ask someone to do a job for you or to help you, you have to accept the way that they do it. Don’t yell at them because they didn’t do it your perfect way - be glad that they helped at all!”
R - Reason to Smile – my family
S - Season? Summer! But the past couple of years I’ve been liking spring a lot too.
T - Tag 3 or 4 people? Tagging Brittany and Bug!
U - Unknown Fact About Me - The past few months I’ve grown to where I HAVE to make my bed in my apartment or I feel like I haven’t accomplished anything that day. However, this is not a trait that has come home with me. Hmm . . .
V - Vegetable you don’t like? If you know me in real life, you know that this is a funny question - I am a very picky eater. I’m gonna go with broccoli, but know that there are many more.
W - Worst Habit? I’ve been trying for 10 years to quit biting my fingernails . . . no success yet.
X - X-rays You’ve Had? Is a mammogram an x-ray? If not, then none. Well, my teeth, they do do that at the dentist office . . .
Y - Your Favorite Food? Give me chicken, cheese, and chocolate and I’m good for life!
Z - Zodiac Sign? I’m a Gemini, but I’m not really into horoscopes . . . like Laura, God’s got me covered.

Man it’s been busy!

On Thursday, Matt arrived right after lunch, so I now have both of my roommates - YAY! Then, around 7, my parents, brother, and the puppies arrived. Bo spent the night at my apartment that night, and Mama and Daddy went on to thier hotel.

On Friday, Bo left eaaaaarly to go to Elon and move in. He was super excited, though he would NEVER have showed it, LOL! They were busy moving him in all day, and I stayed at home and helped Matt get settled. And that night was a theatre party.

On Saturday, I drove to Elon to see Bo’s room and go to the family picnic. It was so crowded - parking was a nightmare. But he seems to have all of his stuff ready to go, and he’s gettng along fine with his roommate and suitemates. After that, all the parents were supposed to leave, so Mama and Daddy headed back to Winston-Salem to my apartment. Mama got to hang out with the puppies while Daddy and I had an accounting lesson (good thing about a father who is a CPA - he can help you with your homework for business school). After they left, we had a bunch of people over for the NASCAR race, we went to a concert, then we came back to watch Alien (which I had never seen). Phew.

On Sunday, Mama and Daddy came to pick up the puppies (:-() and then they left to go back to Florida. In the apartment, we cleaned some, and then we had a business meeting for something called IBO (more on that in another post). Next - homework. Boo. Then I fixed supper for everyone, which was delicious because we had zipper peas that Mama brought me :-)!!! And after that, we had a much-needed business meeting for MagicMouth, and we have so many cool things in the works for this year! It’s just super exciting!!!

So now I’m exhausted, and it’s Monday, LOL!!! Oh well . . .

So I’ve been living here all alone for a month now. Nice apartment, I can do whatever I want, there is no one here to bother me. It’s been lonely at times, and I’m kind of sick of cooking for 1 (I never cook good stuff because I don’t want to eat it for a week).

However, today, when I checked the mail, there was something in it for Ben. And it hit me - in a week, I will have a roommate. And in another week, I’ll have a second roommate. AND THEY’RE BOTH BOYS.

How weird! I mean, Matt and Ben are two of my favorite people ever, and I am super excited about living with my best friends. But . . . they’re boys. And as cool as they are and as much as I love them, they’re still boys. I mean, they’ll get icky. And they’ll act all boyish. And I won’t be able to walk around the apartment all nekkid (admit it, you do it too).

Anybody got tips on having a roommate of the opposite sex in a VERY nonsexual way?