...green alert.

We have been running around a lot lately. A lot.

Unfortunately, that has meant a lot of meals at places that we really should not be eating. Today, however, we decided to stop sprinting about for a bit and actually sit down to eat. Not in a car, either.

It was during our loverly, leisurely lunch that I had an idea. Sitting in the lounge area of our local Chili's provided just the opportunity I've been hoping for. I recently started harassing my friends to gather wine and liquor bottles for me. I plan to use the bottles to edge a huge flower bed I'm working on in the backyard (to disguise the dog poo composter!).

The problem is, I'm very much an instant gratification kind of girl (I know, I know. I'm working on it! I promise.), and the idea of having to work on this project bit by bit is killing me. Do you see where I'm going with this? Maybe Chili's will let me take some of the bottles they otherwise send to the recycler!

There was just one problem with my perfect plan: Chili's doesn't recycle their glass. I found out after talking to the manager on site that although they collect the glass bottles seperately, they're thrown into the dumpster with all of the restaurant's other trash.

The good news in this is that even though he's "not supposed to" save bottles for me, he will. He just asked me if I could come up on both Saturday and Sunday mornings to collect the weekend party crowd's castoffs, which of course I am more than willing to do.

What's bunching my panties right now though is the thought that this is just one little restaurant, in a huge chain of restaurants, in a massive industry of waste. The idea that these companies are not recycling on even a minimal level is jaw-droppingly shocking to me.

I plan to do something about this. As soon as my garden bed is complete.