Funny text message from my fabulous friend Jeremy (inspired by a previous conversation)

"So I went for a walk around the block last night, and I think I'm going to need a pretty big wagon. Maybe some reinforcements.... A tornado may help things."

Love you dude!

Got a minute?

I went to Wayne's Pizza to pick up a small ham & cheese. I've been so busy, I live on take-out. My thighs are loving it. Anyway, the point...

I need to take a minute to give Wayne's Pizza a pat on the back.
When I walked in the first thing he said was "I cleaned in front for you today." I thanked him and told him what a difference it really makes. And I was thinking as I left, imagine if everyone just cleaned up the front of their property. What a wonderful world it would be.......

I haven't had a chance to take my walk in weeks and I was just telling Ian you'd never know I was ever there. It kills me to see all the litter, but the unfortunate reality is I can't be out there every day. I might not have time to clean the entire neighborhood every day but I can take a minute to clean in front of my apartment.

Some day we won't need to pat people on the back because it will just be the normal expected thing to do......

Shepard's Place Clean-Up with the JLW

Since 1991, the Willis Center http://www.williscenter.org/ Shepherd’s Place programs have provided a temporary place to live and a continuum of care and support to families who are homeless. The shelters can accommodate up to thirteen families at one time. Shepherd’s Place offers additional services, from life-skills classes to support in family treatment, substance recovery and job training. These services help families identify solutions to issues, which may have contributed to their homelessness. These vital services help individuals discover effective strategies for growth and healthy living.

I spent the morning with other members of the Junior League of Worcester doing a clean-up at Shepard's Place. It was cold and wet, but what a great day. People may argue, but I think, without a doubt, there's no better feeling than the feeling you get from volunteering and helping others.

Saving Grace

I didn't have time to go for a walk this evening, but I told Gracie Goo about some of the things I find on the side of the road. She was amazed that people could be that thoughtless.

She started to make a list of ways people could help her Auntie Christina.

1. If you absolutely must throw a piece of paper on the ground, please don't rip it into twenty pieces first. It can still be put back together, and yes, Auntie Christina knows how much you owe in child support.

2. If you have a dog, clean up after it properly. Take the poo back to your house. If you absolutely must, just let it poo on the ground and leave it. Please don't pick up the poo, put it in a plastic bag, tie it in a knot, and then leave it on the side of the road. That's just weird. Auntie Christina wastes too much precious time standing over the bagged poo, deciding whether or not to pick it up.

3. If you absolutely must throw a glass bottle out your car window, try a gentle lob to a soft grassy area, so it doesn't shatter and break into a million pieces.

4.Remember the poo thing

Still pickled

The black pickup in front is gone, but now another car -looks like a Blazer?-is on the end.
I don't know why I find this so amusing.

In a Pickle

Ok, I'm taking bets. How long is it going to take for them to work this out, so the middle guy can use his truck again??

Yes, That's an entire row of cars, bumper to bumper. How exactly does that happen?
It's fun walking around my neighborhood. An adventure every day.

I swear I'm going to have nightmares tonight. Attack of the killer Styrofoam Packing Popcorn.

Special thanks to the wonderful person who thought it was a good idea to dump all those on the sidewalk. I think I lost a few pounds today, and got quite an ab workout.

Trash Day

This week the garbage truck will be picking up 10 Large City of Worcester trash bags filled with litter from my neighborhood. That doesn't include the 25+ bags at Strands.
It's a bitter sweet sight to see them all lined up outside my apartment. I wish it wasn't necessary.

Poisoned

Time out.
Poison Ivy? Poison something. Some weird bacterial infection?
I don't know what it is. Can someone please cut my arms and neck off?
AAAAAAAAAAAhhhhhhhhhhhhh it's so itchy!!!!!!!!
sON OF A (*&^%$#

Indian Lake Watershed Association

I met Herb Adams today. He was busy beautifying the Frostholm Memorial island while I finished cleaning up around Strands. This is just one of the many wonderful things ILWA is doing.

ILWA’s ongoing projects include:

Parks improvements and maintenance at Morgan Park, Frostholm Memorial, Hapgood-Brooks Memorial and Shore Park.
Semi-annual cleanups and plantings throughout the watershed.
Educational outreach through semi-annual newsletters, membership drives and presentations.
Partnering with other neighborhood, business and environmental groups to make our city a better place for residents and visitors..

These are my kind of people!! http://www.ilwa.org/
Herb, we really appreciate everything you do for the neighborhood. Thanks!
And thanks for the KitKat and sodas.

Life is Beautiful

Thursday night, towards the end of my 'walk', I ran into a couple who had just gone shopping at Price Rite. They brought their shopping cart up to W.B Street and were waiting for the bus. I asked if they planned on leaving the cart there and they said yes. I asked why they would do that and they said I shouldn't worry because Price Rite would come by and pick it up later. Their shopping bags were too heavy to carry all the way to the bus stop. okay. whatever.
I explained that we were working really hard to keep our neighborhood clean and I hoped this cart wouldn't end up like the other cart down the street that has been there for weeks, collecting all sorts of random trash.

So I continued on. I walked up Huntington and a neighbor came out and gave me a new pack of trash bags. He had done the same thing a few times last summer. Just when I start losing all hope...someone goes and does something really beautiful. Thank you. I still didn't get your name. But, Thank you!



Friday I was on Boardman Street, picking up trash, and I met a new friend. Marta Maria. (Roll the R's.) Sweet sweet woman. She said she had just gotten home from work after a 13 hour shift. She's seen me walking around the neighborhood the last few days and as much as she wanted to go right to bed she had to at least help me clean her front yard. We chatted for a while as we picked up all the litter together and when it was time for me to move on she gave me her glove. I promised I'd have a beer with her one of these days.



Saturday I tackled Strands, or rather, if you're facing Strands Ski Shop, the area to the left. I've been debating for days how to deal with this area. It's so bad that I normally just pick up a few things and keep going. I've thought about involving the City, or maybe sending threatening letters to the owners. I imagined collecting all the trash and piling it in front of their door.

Finally, I decided that I needed to change my attitude. I stopped looking at them like they were the enemy. I don't know why they've stopped caring, or if they ever did care... but I think, like Recks mentioned, their not cleaning their property could be a silent protest, a big FU to the city. I think, after years and years of people throwing trash on their property, they've just given up.
I figured instead of attacking them I would help them. Sometimes, if you want something done, you need to just do it yourself. So I did.

I was working away, filling bag after bag. I turned and saw this man who looked like Santa Claus, standing, watching me. I asked if he lived there and he said yes. I introduced myself and apologized on behalf of all the people who have thrown their shit on his property. We talked for a while and he helped by carrying the bags over to the dumpster. He worked till the dumpster was full. I had to stop, only because it started getting dark. But I'll be back ....

Why? Why not?

More than one person has asked me "Christina, why don't you just move to a 'better' neighborhood? Now is a great time to buy a house here or there. Even right outside of Worcester."

But I say, why don't I just stay here and make this neighborhood a 'better' neighborhood.

Do you think businesses in the city should be required to keep their property clean?
Is that too much to ask?

Does anyone know if there are laws in place? Regulations? Penalties? Can anyone point me in the right direction to find out more about this?

I would like to see local businesses doing more to help keep litter to a minimum. You would hope this would be a voluntary action, but clearly, some businesses need a kick in the butt.

How hard is it to go out once or twice a day and pick up? It would take a few minutes at most if done regularly.

My targets this week are Strands Ski Shop and Price Rite. Beware, I'm going to be on your ass like a bum on a bologna sandwich - sorry, it's late, I'm tired, and I love that saying. I'll probably erase it later.

Happy Earth Day!

I feel kind of bad, like when you forget a good friend's birthday. I did not do a single special thing to help the earth today.
I did however, sign up to volunteer at an Earth Day cleanup May 3. You should too :)

Earth Day

*****2008 Earth Day Cleanups*****

May 3rd until noon

Various sites throughout the city

Rain or Shine!

http://recworcester.org/eday/index.html

Good News

I'm happy to report that the City of Worcester responded promptly to the complaint of litter on Boardman street. No more white trash.

And even better:

I must gladly remove the title from our previous "Infamous PIG Award" recipient as the property looks rather respectable now.

A neighbor stopped me today. I asked if he could explain why people litter and he suggested that it was a cultural difference. I don't think that's the case. I'm leaning towards the theory that people need to save money to support their crack habit and can't afford to pay for City of Worcester trash bags.

Edited to add: I don't really think drugs are the cause of litter. I just, in jest, think people have got to be on some serious drugs to not care.

I do wonder though, is there some kind of program that helps people, who otherwise couldn't afford to, get City of Worcester trash bags?

Not in my neighborhood

"God Bless Our Home"

This made me think of that bumper sticker "Jesus loves you. Everyone else thinks you're an asshole."

White Trash

I wonder who left this present. Can someone explain to me why this happens?
I could understand it better if they were yellow trash bags and it was Tuesday afternoon. I would assume the person had to work early in the morning. They put their trash bags out the night before trash day and our gang of crazy neighborhood skunks had a field day. The person worked all day and hasn't had a chance yet to pick up the mess.
But WHITE trash bags? White? What the hell do you think is going to happen when you put your trash on the side of the road in WHITE TRASH BAGS??

Spring is in the air

What a beautiful day! The city swept our street yesterday. The birds are singing. The sun is shining. Life is good.
I dusted off my little wagon. Grabbed a couple of trash bags. And hit the streets.
In no time at all I filled the two bags with Dunkin Donuts cups and bags, soda cans, beer cans, cigarette boxes and wrappers, candy wrappers, empty potato chip bags, Nips, etc. I walked down Tower to Huntington, to West Boylston and back up Boardman. My wagon was heavy. My feet were dirty. I must have torn a small hole in my plastic glove but tried convincing myself that the liquid covering my hand was my own sweat and not the random liquids found in the numerous bottles and bags of God knows what that I had picked up.
As I made my way up Boardman I realized that that is where I really should have started.
I walked up the hill feeling defeated. Wishing there was some kind of magical vacuum that would suck up all this trash.
A lady stopped to say she recognized me from last summer, and that she really does appreciate what I do. That was nice.
Tomorrow I'll start on Boardman.