Why I Love Wall-E

This image is courtesy of the movie "Wall-E"

Created by Disney and Pixar.

There are moments where we need to be reminded of why it is so important to promote a healthy lifestyle and to protect the life we have here on Earth. And every time I watch the movie "Wall-E" I'm reminded of that.

As human beings we sometimes become disconnected from society while trying so hard to be connected to it. We think that if we place the entirety of our lives online we'll lead a better one offline. As we spend more and more hours staring at a screen we can forget those that live among us off of one. Yes, sometimes our online lives can help us stay connected to those we otherwise could not, but are we not a society that often indulges just a little too much?

Spoiler alert if you haven't already seen "Wall_E". Don't want anything blown? Don't read on.

In the film, we see that earth has been discarded and abandoned by the human population for a life in outer space. Why, you ask? Because humans have become such a wasteful, overusing society that they have destroyed it to an uninhabitable degree... Or so they thought. Eventually it does become re-inhabitable and thereby creates the basic plot scheme the movie follows.

What is beautiful to me, however, is that this entire plot is made possible by a tiny, sentient robot named "Wall-E" who falls in love. A little tyke who tries his best every step of the way, who is personable and kind. Who just wants to follow his "Directive" and his heart.

When he follows his love interest "Eva" into outer space and onto one of the ships that holds the remains of human life we find that these humans are so fat they all get around in hover chairs and drink their meals out of cups. With a straw. Their entire existance is on this spaceship that most of them have never even taken the time to notice. Why? Because their view is constantly blocked off by a holograph computer screen as they play virtual games or chat it up with someone who may or may not be right next to them.

As you may already have guessed it, it takes Wall-E's not so magical and very common human-like courtesies to enlighten a few wary souls of their plight on the ship. They realize the world around them, wake up to it would be a better way of explaining it.

And these scenes just remind me of how important, how vital it is to remain conscious and invested in what is happening in our world and how we live it. Everything that we do... Everything is connected with everything else. And, whether we like it or not, what we are doing is going to effect everyone else we know or don't know.

There is never a more important time than right now.
 Living for this moment.
And remaining present and active in it, in any way we can.

Photo Friday! - Shadow Self

Tumbleweed Tiny House!

This image is courtesy of the website "Tumbleweed".

Retrieved via the "Press Kit"

If some of you haven't already noticed, I'm a dreamer. I dream big and I dream small. I dream away hours of  free time and I'll get a little dreaming done between whatever else I have going on.

This little house here? Another dream of mine. A bit of an expensive dream!

This tiny house is known as the "Elm"

And one of its brethren is already built and currently up for sale for a measly... $55,000?

Now, before you go all bug-eyed, remember! The Tumbleweed Houses To-Go are certified as recreational vehicles and have quite nearly everything (if not all) a travel trailer might have that you'd see going down the road.

You're not getting something that was slapped together. You're acquiring a piece of hand-crafted artwork that was designed to hold up against the elements much like a real house can. It was built by individuals who aspire for the ideal "Mobile Home" in their creations.

As someone who wants to live a more simplistic and minimalist lifestyle this kind of house calls out to me. It gives me the best of both worlds. A place to call "home" that I never have to leave behind when I'm moving. And after being hit by the travel bug I'd like to see a little bit of this world. Or at least the neighboring states.

And what better way to do it than in one of these? It's small, yes. But that's the way I like a home. I don't want clutter, I don't want a lot of stuff. And I can park this baby 

And when you'd rather rent parking space instead of a room or an apartment, what better way to travel?

Of course, I can't possibly afford this now... But sometime in the future...

Volunteer Work? Heck Yes!

The staff may have changed and the building may have been a teeny bit older, but when I walked into the animal shelter tonight it was just as I remembered it over a year ago.

Bright lights, clean floors and crowds of people, all hovering about the convenience desk awaiting assistance. Some wore a frown and meandered about in a square of four feet, a perpetual state of confusion imprinted upon their faces. Many more had smiles that rose high into their cheekbones, an air of radiance cascading off their very form.

No, not much had changed as I wandered through the glass doorfront with HanaChana. Not too much, anyways.

There we were, the two of us, preparing to dive headfirst into the animal services volunteer brigade! And while Hana took a moment to soak in the constantly shifting atmosphere I let myself fall into the many memories I had left there.

I'd always wanted to volunteer at the animal shelter. And yet I never had the chance... Although I had literally worked right around the block at one point the hours the animal shelter had set for volunteers were never ones that worked on a full time work schedule. I was crestfallen when I had first found this out, but the news never stopped me from visiting almost once a week during my lunch break.

And as I stood there I puffed out my chest just a bit and turned to my "twin" and said "Come on, let's go take a tour."

Having been built as the new county animal shelter only a few years before, the rows of hallways and spacious visiting rooms were a welcomed sight. It was at this shelter that any adoptable dog over a certain age was led by volunteers outside and into play areas. Free to roam and frolic, they would certainly be more personable once someone stopped by for a visit. And a possible adoption.

I led us over to the cat play area first. A clean, happy little glass encased room that allowed light from the afternoon sun to pour in and over the felines. I adored this space because the cats that were docile were allowed to play freely together. Hopping atop scratching posts or crawling through plastic foldable tubes, there wasn't a single place a cat couldn't romp in the enclosure.

"We'll be in there alot, watching the cats..." I remember saying, though my eyes were fixated on the bundles of fur parading about the interior of the playroom.

And then it was over to the cages of cats, taking time to baby talk at them or compliment their fine fur. Some barely moved a muscle at our presence, preferring to finish the nap we'd disturbed them from. Others hopped right up the moment we were in sight, crying out and reaching at us through the bars.

Before long we'd moved over to the dog hallways and looked over the humongous and tiny canines there. Each one batted their pretty eyes up at us or barked with every step we took toward and away from them. I tried my very best not to linger at the puppy enclosures, lest I get any ideas.

"Just so you know, closing time's at five folks..." A voice mildly commented our way

Not too far from us was an officer peeking into one of the enclosures, her gaze gently swaying over the two dogs present there.

"Oh, no worries. We're going to be trying out for the volunteer program. At 5:30." I announced.

"Oh. Okay." She replied, and with no more to comment she slipped off and into another room, leaving Hana and I to our makeshift tour. It would only be a couple hours after that we would meet this woman again and be led through the same corridors during orientation. Our first step towards volunteering!

I Can Drive These!

And did for many years!

: )

Grilled Stuft Nacho Review!

So...over the weekend I may or may not have ingested this delicious, dastardly devil...

And I'd say that... If I did...

It was friggin amazing.

I first came across a commercial for it on Youtube and it immediately hooked my attention. After all, it doesn't have anything nasty in it like lettuce or onions! And there is only one place lettuce should ever be placed.

In a salad where it belongs!! Urgh! Anywhere else and it's just... bleh!

And onions belong in onion rings. Deep fried to perfection. No where else. Ever.

So! Yes, this magical piece of awesome was very tasty and the contents were evenly spread. So I got to enjoy a helping of nacho sauce, meat, sour cream and red strip chips all in a perfect ratio. I'd read up that many people had an issue with this or that their red chips would get soggy before they could even begin eating. Just in case, I had an extra $. 25 cents tacked on to my bill so I could get some on the side.

Turns out I didn't need it. I finished mine just fine and went back for another a day later. It isn't something I see myself eating daily of course... But for a little over a $1 I can get it every now and then if I want something unhealthy, but satisfying... And cheap!

Sometimes a Moment...

Sometimes a moment is more of a reminder...

Of why life is so important to live.