Thursday, June 5, 2008

I'm not a real greenie, but...

Check out my latest site that I've added to the right, EcoSalon.

I've recently discovered it, via one of my fave catalogs, Viva Terra, and it's not too heavy-handed about the whole green thing, which I like.

I can't be guilted into motivation. That is an enormous truth with me. But if it's cool stuff anyhow, given the option, I'll go green.

When "they" say that "if we only got every person to change one light bulb, we're saving an iceberg from melting (or whatever the reasoning)"...I figure lots of little different efforts add up over a lifetime. So that's my goal. And the strategy I try to impart to my family, too.

Have I mentioned that both C and I drive a Prius? It was a recent decision when we realized how pricey the Hybrid Highlander was going to be. So we flipped my 2004 Highlander and his 2003 Corolla and got two 2008 Priuses. (Is Priuses the proper plural? Is it Pria?)

Anyhow, we own them...we always own our cars, we're the sort that doesn't understand the concept of leasing...and we have the exact same car payments we used to, two brand-new cars, and we're totally saving on gas. C gets 48 miles to the gallon and I get around 39-40 (Freshchester has a lot of hills, and I take lots of short trips during the week).

And simply buying that car made me feel really good. I know it's not perfect, but it's better than what I was driving. Having it has actually motivated me to do more that's green, make more of an effort every day. Funny, eh?

4 comments:

pve design said...

We are car owners too, I do not get the lease thing unless of course it is a company car. Now I want a small mini-cooper or something like yours! Next purchase will be a green car! I do love the color green and also making an effort to be green too!

Kwana said...

You're such an inspiration. I love your Pria!

Anonymous said...

Your ruminations on Prius plurality inspired me, and so it was that I learned the following odd tidbits:

- Prius is a 4th declension neuter adjective. (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_declension)

- The actual Latin plural of the adjective is priora, and there isn’t really any modern corporate translation because Toyota has turned Prius into a noun. (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Prius ). Toyota says that Prius is both the singular and the plural, but that “their customers can call the cars whatever they want”. So ... Prius? Priuses? Prii?

BTW ... Do check the Wikipedia links as both are way too arcane to miss and way too lengthy to quote.

So, it seems you and C. can call them whatever you like. Better yet, why not give the riddle to O. for a priceless answer we can all move forward with?

When you have two or more, is there a grouping term as well? If we have gaggles of geese, swarms of bees, and herds of cows, do we have P___ of Prius(es)? I saw the word passel and thought that might be a good short-list entry. Again, I need to know O's thoughts on this.

Other must-see articles on the Great Question of the Plural of Prius:

- International Herald Tribune at http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/12/30/opinion/edfreeman.php

- Toyota's blog at http://blog.toyota.com/2008/02/the-plural-of-p.html

- WIRED at http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/01/what-is-the-plu.html

And randomly, this journey brought me to a great online page from the U.K.’s Guardian on semantic enigmas at http://www.guardian.co.uk/notesandqueries/category/0,,-13,00.html ... some solved, some not.

Enjoy! And keep 'em coming!

N said...

Cheers on the Prius-pride! More than happy to endorse.

And please let me introduce you to my dear H1202. With a characteristic, eloquent entry on the plural of Prius. I'll do a little post on your question when posted to O, H.

xo