When I was with B, I learned that she could not easily recycle her paper board. Since I can, I flattened all that I could find and brought it back with me.

I swaggered a bit with her about my recycling efforts, even knowing that she composts. I wondered this morning if perhaps I had no ground to stand upon. You tell me...

Every other week, I put out a bin stuffed with recyclable materials: glass, plastic, aluminum, newspaper, cardboard, and paperboard. I have gotten to the point where I put out my trash can every 6 to 8 weeks. The time extended from 4-6 weeks because I started saving all my junk mail and paper to take to work since there is a big shredder there and the paper is recycled. So, where trash goes, I have about one kitchen-sized bag a week. Is that still too much? Should I have so much recyclables? The Gatorade I enjoy so much comes in big plastic bottles. Should I give it up? Should I be trying to reduce my recyclables?

But, I wonder if I am not doing enough. I do not throw out my scraps; they go down the disposal. Should I try to compost them? I do not have very many. Would it make a difference?

I teased B about how much she stuffs in her dishwasher. Frankly, I think it is too much for cleanliness. My dishwasher is a small one to fit in my microscopic kitchen. I do not always use it, since I pretty much use the same dishes again and again. But...should I be stuffing it more?

My quarterly water bill averages about $25. There is only me to shower. And, since I prefer to blanch myself while bathing which is hazardous to my health, those showers tend to be around 5 minutes. I do tend to wait until I have large loads of laundry before I set out to clean my clothes. But is that enough?

I use CFL bulbs, but B unplugs her appliances and electronics. I don't really do that. She also turns off lights when she leaves the room and rarely uses her porch light. I leave my porch lights on all night. But then again, she has G. I am alone. I should do more.

I thought I was green enough to brag, but perhaps not. Are you?