Tuesday Quick Hints

http://scorecard.org/: type in your zip code and see the hazard level for your county. I was shocked to learn that Washoe County is in the 10 percent worse counties in the country. It makes sense because of the horrible inversion we get here. Truckee is among the top ten percent best. All that beautiful mountain air. The website actually lists the chemicals and how many pounds of pollutants and the worst polluters in your area.

Play CDs in your DVD player: If you have a good sound system with your tv, it’s quick and easy to pop a CD in and hit play. Our music system is hooked up to a 400 disc exchanger, which is great, until you just want to listen to one particular CD. Right now, I’m into Louisiana Gumbo by Putumayo Music, a compilation of music from New Orleans.

Bacon drippings: I never could figure out what to do with them, always raiding the recycling, searching for old cans. My sister, Lisa told me to line a bowl with foil, pour in the grease, cool until solid (you can put it in the frig), and then just fold it up and throw it out. Put the clean bowl away.

Cleaning hardwood floors: Usually when people first visit my house, two of the first questions I get is, “What type of flooring is that?” and “is it hard to clean?” The answers are Amendoim (a renewable hardwood from Brazil) and No. I vacuum the edges of the floor every week, clean the kitchen floor every week, but usually don’t bother with the rest of the house except once a month. (You realize, of course, that we no longer have children at home). Bona, Swedish Formula for Hardwood works well. There’s a mop with flat plastic rectangle on the end of a swiveling broomstick. Covering this with a terry cloth wrap, you give the floor a squirt or two of cleaner and then wipe with the mop. Take off the cover and throw it in the wash and it’s done.