Energy. Oil. The 3 C’s…

Consumption. Consumerism. Capitalism.

And the title of the blog fits as well. I’m on the fence about changing my habits as, like many, I tend to take the easy route. That means taking the path with least resistance.

In a way, we as a species are like Thundercleese, Andi and my big fat white cat. If we could, we’d lounge around all day doing nothing, laying in the sun, over grooming ourselves and spending a fair share of time eating. In fact, many of us are probably already guilty of this. I know I am.

So, given my recent penchant for documentaries on Peak Oil, my attempt at training for the STP (Seattle to Portland bike ride), and my desire to reach the Suze Orman eight-month security fund, I want to challenge myself to consume less.

This means I need to think more about my purchases, where they come from, and how much they cost. It means I need to be smarter about how I commute and where I go. And the Boy Scout in me says it’s also about being prepared for the inevitable and the unexpected.

I have a few goals with this life project. Unfortunately, some may impact the environment more than I’d ultimately like. But it should ultimately balance out.

1. Assist Andi in refurbishing a 1920′s (we assume) Ice Box.

2. Begin growing some of our own food.

3. Eat better, eat less, and cook more using local and organic foods.

4. Learn how to use less energy.

5. Find ways to curb spending.

6. Live, as best as possible, locally.

Of particular note are numbers 1 and 5.

Refurbishing the Ice Box will be a fun project, but it will likely use paints from great distances and nasty paint removing materials.

As for the fifth one, this is difficult as I’ve already set myself on a fairly minimal budget. If you read back a ways, you’ll see posts on my 1968 BMW 1600 and possibly even my 1969 BMW 2002. Project cars take an unbelievable amount of money.

The update: last weekend I sold the 1600 for about half of what I paid for it. The car went to a young man who’s rebuilding it for his girlfriend, so at least it will live again. I look not at how much I lost price-wise, but how much I gained in knowledge. I learned a lot about cars and taking them apart. And I discovered what I want and what I do not want.

As for the 2002, A seemingly nice couple is coming out from Spokane tomorrow to check it out. I have a pretty good feeling they’ll leave with it. And the money I get from both, along with an extra grand or so will hopefully go toward purchasing one that’s ready to be a daily driver.

Enough of that. Back to the new direction.

It starts tonight. I could use a pizza. You know, one of those take and bake ones from the chain grocer freezer aisle. But that wouldn’t be the smart thing to do. No, I’m going to go make myself a sandwich.

In Mount Vernon, there are a few good spots to get coffee, most downtown. I prefer the Skagit Valley Food Co-op, as their drip is supreme. Bring your own mug and it’s only $0.97 making it even more appealing when in need of a quick fix.

If I’ll be sitting, I’ll hit Ristretto a few blocks down, which is your typical coffee shop with free internet if you make a purchase. It’s a bit more expensive, but it has the right atmosphere. The bonus there is that come next week they’ll be serving beer and wine, making it an ideal after work spot. More on this business later (got a review started but want to hit the wine and beer first, and take a few photos).

There has to be a point here, right? There is. It all surrounds a mug. Mine is green and I bought it with a $20 Starbucks gift certificate someone gave me a few years back. Somewhat like this one in appearance and size (albeit a bit stockier), mine will keep hot coffee hot for a solid 12 hours.

I hit the Co-op this morning around 9:15, and at 3:45 my coffee tastes just as good as it did six and a half hours ago.

In unrelated news, I heard back regarding the BMW. All goes well, it’ll be in my garage come tomorrow noon.