Phone Books – From Doorstep to Recycle Bin is a post Scrapped and Stolen from: Tucson Real Estate if you are not reading this in your Reader.

Going Green ?

I read this morning in the Arizona Daily Star that College Yearbooks have fallen out of favor on most campuses.  Why?  Facebook.  No one needs a year book to look back on there classmates any more.  They “Friend” them on Facebook.

But that is just the lead in to my real grip topic of the day.

The Yellow pages Dinosaur

Not only are the flowers beginning to come up and the landscape is going green around Tucson, but we also see the fresh arrival of the Phone books appear on our doorsteps.  Commonly referred to as the “Yellow Pages”.  I refer to them as “A total waste of paper”.

These things go directly from my doorstep to the recycle bin.  I don’t need or want them.

But what about the maps and coupons?

I don’t want or need them.  In the past I’ve done the coupon thing from the Yellow Pages.  Turned out in almost every case I didn’t save a thing.

I had to find the coupon, clip the coupon, remember to take the coupon, remember to show the coupon before ordering.  No thank you.  Please don’t get me wrong, we clip coupons.  We use coupons, but the ones in the yellow pages . . .

The Green Directory

Googled and delivered

I’m not a tree hugger; I used to be growing up, I climbed and hugged them all the time.  But not anymore, however, I don’t think printing multiple directories all of which end up in the recycle bin is a good use of natural resources.  What do I use?  My Berry.  Quick, simple and really easy to use.

See the image to the right.  I didn’t have to go to the yellow pages, (which I don’t carry in my car).  I don’t have to go to “Restaurants” then find “Oregano’s”  Instead, I pull out the berry and search on “Oregano’s Pizza Tucson”  You see what I got on my screen.

The address, the map, the phone number.  If I want to call them I scroll over the phone number and it is dialed.  No need to find scrap paper, find a pen, find the reading glasses, write it down and then find the phone and dial, by which time I’ve forgotten why I wanted to call them in the first place.

The Berry (and Google) help me quickly find what I want and where I want to go.  It is small, compact, and quick.  It looks it up for me.  No wetting my thumb, no two pages stuck together.

With all the emphasis on “Going Green” isn’t it time there was a change in the distribution of “The Yellow Pages”.

I know not everyone has a cell phone (not yet) but I’ll bet less than 10% of the people getting multiple phone books every use them for a phone book.

Door stop, yep;  Booster Seat, yep;  Mini step stool, yep, but not as a phone book.  So why not let people pick them up or have them delivered after they call for one instead of dropping, dropping, dropping these things on doorsteps all over the country.

Rainy Time in Tucson is a post Scrapped and Stolen from: Tucson Real Estate if you are not reading this in your Reader.

The Green one is for Sunday

You would think the monsoon of last summer finally arrived in Tucson.  It was a long hot dry summer last year.  Not once during the Monsoon season did we see any roads around us closed.  The fall wasn’t much better.  But January was the 8th wettest on record.  February is turning out to be very wet.

It isn’t hard to know how many days of rain there have been in a week.  All you have to do is see how many newspaper bags are in the recycle bin.

As you can see we had one Sunday that was very wet.  (Yesterday was another but I had already taken this picture).

One of my better images don't you think

Yesterday was supposed to be a slight chance of rain.  It was more like a slight chance of flooding.  Our entire back yard was underwater and stayed that way till late afternoon.

The rest of this week is supposed to be wet, wet, followed by more wet.

But here’s the good thing.  We aren’t complaining about it.  Saturday was a beautiful day here.  I could have worn shorts (could have, but didn’t).  Much of the rest of the country was still being buried or digging out of a massive blizzard and we had a bright sunny day.

All this rain is going to lead to a beautiful spring in the desert.  The Arizona Daily Star even made it front page news last week one day so we know it’s going to happen, Right?

The annuals are iffy.  The rains came so late there is no way of knowing if they will germinate or not.  But the perennials will soak up this moisture and paint our desert with color in 6 to 8 weeks.

Blue Palo verde bloom Yellow. Go figure

Tucson McDonalds Now has Free WiFi is a post Scrapped and Stolen from: Tucson Real Estate if you are not reading this in your Reader.

It is free! Not real Fast! But Free!

I knew it was coming.  I wondered when would be the first day I dragged took the laptop with me on my daily run to McDs.  Today is the day.

Around our house we call Sunday, “Fat Paper” day.  The days of the week tend to run together in this business where there is no clearly delineated “weekend”.  But every 7 days a really big newspaper lands in the driveway.  That’s what today is, “Fat Paper Day”.

I decided after a quick read of the paper I would see how the connection speed and setup went for the free WiFi.  It wasn’t to bad.  It took about 4 minutes from the time I clicked on the browser for it to get me to the connections screen where i clicked I agreed to the terms of service and I was able to navigate to the home page.

A quick snap with the berry of the wifi poster in the window and sent that to myself by email.  That arrived while I was getting into the blog and starting this post.

Did a quick crop of the image and resize; then import into the post.  So far so good.

Observations on the Free Wifi

• It is easy to get online
• It is a little slower than I would like (most coffee shops are faster, but it is AT&T)
• It is stable (at least so far)
• It really could be faster

I’ll check at a few other McDs around town and see if the connection is any better, or the speed faster.  I hope so.  The addition of free WiFi is great marketing.  But if it is just a little better than a dial-up for speed . . .

Have a Great day all, I’ve got a lttle more paper to read.

Winter Storm of 2010 on the Way is a post Scrapped and Stolen from: Tucson Real Estate if you are not reading this in your Reader.

Are you ready for the storm

We have been hearing warnings for the past three days that a big winter storm was blowing in today.  We have also been told not to blow this off.  It will be big.  Okay, we shall see.  If it is are you ready.  One thing that can easily be overlooked here in Tucson is the stuff we have in the backyard.  Are you ready for the storm;  Lawn chairs put away, and umbrella closed?

I’m hoping to see some more snow on the mountains.  (Never thought I’d say I wanted to see snow).

We could receive up to 2 inches of rain here in Tucson.  We didn’t have much of a monsoon season this past summer.  I didn’t even see a single road closure this summer.  We could easily have flash flooding, especially since we have been having soaker rains for the past three days.

Enjoy the rain, but be safe.  I hope these rains aren’t too late for a good wildflower season.  Would love to see a very colorful spring here this year.

Tucson 12 Minute Makeover is a post Scrapped and Stolen from: Tucson Real Estate if you are not reading this in your Reader.

This is a great idea. One I think that should be done each month not just once a year.

Tomorrow, January 12, 2010, has been designated as the day for the 12 minute makeover to take place at 12 Noon.  Get it, 12 minutes at 12 o’clock on the 12th.

The original idea came from Flagstaff.  They have been doing it for the past 2 years.  But I think we could use a 12 minute makeover on the 12th of each month at noon.

How We Participate in the 12 Minute Makeover

It isn’t complicated and there is no sign-up sheet or organizer to report to.  Here is what you do.

At Noon Tomorrow, you grab a garbage bag and some gloves, (and one of those pick stuff up sticks if you have one) and you go outside and pickup litter.  Make the area around you prettier, cleaner, safer.  Put the garbage bag in the trash and tell everyone you know you took part in the Tucson 12 minute makeover.

Here is the Public Safety Announcement

Use caution near public streets, limit crossing, face traffic, wear a safety vest (if you have one) or at least bright colored clothing.  Avoid storm drains and culverts. Don’t trespass.  Be careful around construction debris, insects, reptiles, steep slopes and sharp rocks.  Do not pickup medical waste, hazardous materials or dead animals.  Supervise your children.  Wear a hat, gloves, closed toed shoes and sunscreen, and drink water frequently, Recycle.

For more details go to: www.tucsonaz.gov/12minutemakeover/

36 Hours in Tucson Arizona – Intersting Perspectives is a post Scrapped and Stolen from: Tucson Real Estate if you are not reading this in your Reader.

36 Hours isn't long enough

Thanks to Bobby Rich @mixfmbobby for sending out a RT (ReTweet) of the Tucson Visitor and Convention Bureau @TucsonCVB about an article that appeared in the New York Times “36 Hours in Tucson Ariz“.  I read the article and had to smile through the entire article.  Everything they say is true but it isn’t exactly the Tucson we who live here all know.  And for anyone reading the New York Times thinking this is Tucson, well . . .

Tucson Cow Girl Perspective

For the Local Perspective we have The @Tucson Cowgirl writing a similar style post with a local twist. With Apologies to the New York Times . . .

This is more like the Tucson we know.  Monica is a great writer and really captures the Local spirit of Tucson.  If you want a weekend road map of some fun stuff to see and do, print out her post and have some fun.

One thing for sure, I’m glad I get to spend more than 36 hours in Tucson.  The next few months around here are my favorite of time of year.  My favorite time of year runs for about 9 months.  My next most favorite time of year is 3 months.

Arizona State Home Show 2010 is a post Scrapped and Stolen from: Tucson Real Estate if you are not reading this in your Reader.

Just around the corner (That’s Tomorrow) is the Arizona State Home Show held at the Tucson Convention Center.

We don’t get very many events in Tucson billed as “Arizona” that distinction often goes to Phoenix; Which is in Arizona.

When:

January 8, 9 & 10 2010

Times:

Friday 12pm – 7 pm, Saturday 10am- 7pm, Sunday 10am – 5pm

Where: The Tucson Convention Center

map this location

How Much:

General Admission: $8.00, Children 16 & under Free, Friday – Seniors 2 for 1

Discount coupons can be found in the Arizona Daily Star, The Tucson Citizen
or you can simply print out this coupon.

Going Green Still The Theme 2010

Going Green was big in 2009.  That’s not changed for 2010, so you should be able to find better and cheaper ways of reducing your carbon footprint at this years Arizona Home Show.

There are more details on who is attending at the Arizona Home Show web site.

Ribb Hillis from Extreme Home Makeover will be at the show.  The photo of Ribb looks like he had a rough night, or needs an Extreme Makeover himself.  I’ve got a hunch that gritty photo is on purpose.  Trying to attract a certain age and gender to the home show.  See for yourself, click the link above and scroll down.  He looked better in January last year when he was here for the Extreme Home Makeover Tucson event.

Tucson Christmas 2009 is a post Scrapped and Stolen from: Tucson Real Estate if you are not reading this in your Reader.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

While 1/3 of the country is dealing with a major blizzard and high winds, here in Tucson it is just a bit cold. But for our family members here from the Midwest it is like spring. Fifty degrees might seem cold to we desert rats but to those from much of the country it is warm and there is no snow.

And this year if they want we hand them a pair of binoculars and let them take a look at the top of the Catalinas.

Here is to a wonderful day filled with joyous activity, friends, family and food.

Tucson 4th Avenue Winter Street Fair 2009 is a post Scrapped and Stolen from: Tucson Real Estate if you are not reading this in your Reader.

December 11-13, 2009

Come On Down Take the Trolley

It’s time again for the Tucson Forth Ave winter street fair.  What a difference a couple of years make.  I wrote about the street fair a couple of year back and it was not easy to find information about the event.  That has all changed dramatically.

There is no need for me to reinvent the wheel when there forthave.org site has done a great job of providing information, maps, where to park, you name it they have it for you.

Parking for the Winter Street Fair

There has been a lot in the news about parking for the street fair this winter. BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU PARK.

The City of Tucson Parking Enforcement Officers will be on the lookout for safety and other parking violations. Do not park in Red Zones (painted curbs), within 5′ feet of a driveways and in marked Fire Lanes.

The Parking Enforcement Officers will be out in Force so don’t think you can get away with parking “Like you have in the past”.

The Street Fair organizers have gone out of their way to provide maps and information on parking for the street fair.  Take advantage of those resources and plan your day at the fair wisely.

Foursquare for Fun in Tucson is a post Scrapped and Stolen from: Tucson Real Estate if you are not reading this in your Reader.

Mayor Dave

Foursquare has been around for awhile, but not in Tucson. However, that all changed this week, (at least I think it was this week).

You can now go to Foursquare.com and sign up for an account. Add an app to your mobile phone or log into the mobile website.

You play by checking in where ever you are in town. If the location doesn’t exist in the database, add it. Collect Badges and see where you are each week on “The Leaderboard”. Going on vacation. Switch locations and start checking in where you are.

As Foursquare grows you might find when you check in there is a coupon waiting for you there. All in all it is for fun.

Foursquare is an on the go Techno Geek game. Those that have been playing it for awhile enjoy being the “mayor” of their local Starbucks or grocery store. Of course I’m already the mayor of McDonalds at Thonydale and Tangerine.

Tucson is the smallest metropolitan area to be included in the game. (I’m guessing on this but think it is so).  While it is a game it is also another way to be involved in community, meet new people and expand those growing online friendships started with Facebook and Twitter.

Want to be the Mayor of Starbucks at Grant and Swan?  Go for it.

Speaking of which, I could use a cup of Pike Place myself.  Think I’ll go check in.  See you later.

(Oh, and this is post #800)