Modern Day Tribbles– Beginning the Battle

My house is awash in tribbles. Hundreds, perhaps thousands now roam free through the closets and cupboards of my home. They slide out upon me when I try to open the popcorn cupboard, they fall to my feet in a cascade each time I try and take out the trash. Cats #1, #2, & #3 can be found dragging their prizes under chairs and sofas… the constant gnawing setting teeth on edge, a sound heard only on the sub-level… making the hair on the back of your neck rise. Cat #4 merely orchestrates the massacre, staying above the carnage, but ready to whip out a paw to stop any who escape her hunters. If only the tribbles I meant were the cute furry kind, THOSE I could hock online for enough to settle my debts and build my book collection to truly staggering heights. No, today I speak of the invading forces so many of us confront on a daily basis… hidden in our cars, shoved into cabinets, lurking in our garages.

Plastic grocery bags. They are everywhere now. And I try, really. I do. I own several sporty canvas bags… they just don’t make the trip into the grocery as often as they should. At first I tried to salve my conscious with the claim that I at least used them again. Even with a sword to my throat I couldn’t tell you the last time I bought trash can liners for the small cans. Day after day finds our fuzzy troublemakers “presents” being carried out to the trash can in a double knotted grocery bag. They are my constant companions in trips to the farmer’s market, stay close to my side when I wade through pick-it-yourself groves, and are often my default suitcase on the weekly trip down to my mother’s to work. They have kept my socks dry when canoeing and then kept my wet gym clothes away from my clean jeans after a workout. That’s fine, right? I don’t need to do more….

Frell*. I don’t think that's gonna cut it anymore. Few grocery stores have bag returns in my part of the world. And I have a feeling simply giving them to someone else to deal with isn’t as great an idea as it may seem on the surface. Nope, this is going to take personal action and responsibility. Some effort on my part… a stand against these all surrounding items… a little personal sacrifice of energy….

Quick! To the Nerdmobile – with maybe a quick stop at the bookstore. I heard Terry Pratchett’s new discworld book might be coming out soon.







* Farscape and its television cousins have always been there to save me from a mouthful of soap. To this day, my profanity is innocuous to all but a select few. Yet another reason to join the ranks of natural nerds…. Come on, the nerd side is calling you.