Pets and pesticides

So as I was looking at my pets recently and thinking about how I need to flea-treat them pretty soon, i started thinking about the products i use to flea treat. we have done a lot of work as a family to eliminate toxins from our lives. we garden organically, we no longer use chemicals in our house, I buy organic, non-toxic sunscreen, and i even make sure the cups we drink out of are safe non-leaching plastic, glass or metal. I've gotten rid of all cookware that contains aluminum or teflon. We don't use commerical shampoos or laundry soap. We wont use deet or chemical bug repellent. Not only do I worry about the effects these kinds of things would have on our family's health, but I worry about the way they are produced, the by-products of their making, and the packaging they use, and the impact all of these things have on the environment.
And yet, i was not hesitant to buy a very potent toxic flea-killer to place directly on my pet's skin. A chemical that is absorbed in their body, and then released through their pores for over a month. What effect does this have on my pets? or my children as they lay on them, or ingest their hairs? How are these chemicals produced? I'm sure the answers to these questions are disturbing.
I found an article that scared the crap out of me:
http://www.apnm.org/publications/resources/fleachemfin.pdf
and made me think that I might not want to use these products any longer. I'm now on the hunt for non-toxic alternatives that actually work.

One small step

We are now a one car family. the ol' toyota, with only 200 miles to go until 200k miles, is getting donated to charity today. jay is taking the bus to work every day now, which is awesome. his work will buy him a monthly bus pass, which is also awesome. i feel much better about this, and we can really minimize our driving now.

i need to get pictures of our garden on here, complete with crazy scrap-wood scarecrow jay and elsie built. the garden is doing amazing once again this year.

Finally, a blog that lives up to its name

I feel like nobody actually reads this blog, but what the hell. I'll update it anyway. [If you are actually reading this, would you mind commenting? i'm just curious.]

Jay got offered TWO, yes two jobs within a 24 hour period. We thought the choice would be rather tough, but it was made easier by a large difference in the amount of money (ah, money, the great decider) as both jobs had plusses and minuses.

Nothing is happening on my job front, but I think I've decided that I will work part time next year. Because I now have a choice (which is very nice) I don't see the reason to stress myself out while working full time, when I could spend the last year home with Elsie before she goes to school. Emmett is growing up fast, too. I'd like to be around more for them, so this is what I'll do. If I cant find a part time teaching job, I guess I'll just sub again, although I'd rather not, I guess. Its easy, just not very fufilling.

So Jay starts his new, high paying, high responsiblity job on Monday. He is very excited to get his career back on track after almost 9 months of un- or semi-employment.

so...YAY!

Statistics

Laura's job interviews offered: 8
Laura's Job Interviews completed to date: 5
Laura's jobs not offered: 4
Jobs Laura was told she was the second choice candidate: 3
Always a bridesmaid, never a bride: yes
Job interviews pending decision as of 6/16: 1
Feeling jerked around: yes

Jay's job interviews: 2
Jay's job interviews pending decision as of 6/16: 2
Looking good so far: yes

Moving from Portland area: no
staying in current house: yes

And yes, i am a bitch...

I think its funny that gas is almost $4.50 a gallon. Bring it on. I dont care how callous that sounds. Americans need to suck it up and change their lifestyle and stop driving everywhere and this is the only way that is going to happen.

The waiting game...

There is a lot coming up in the next couple of weeks.

June 16: the date of jay's upcoming job interview

next week: i find out if I get a second interview for a job I'm trying to get (teaching middle school science, Gladstone School District)

June 9: I turn 30 :( I feel so old.

We have figured out how to make it through the summer. Jay has a few jobs lined up doing work for the companies he works for part time (one of which told him they were reluctant to hire him on full time because what if work wasn't steady enough? they want to keep him "on contract" which means they pay him to work, and let him go for weeks with no work and no pay. Whatever. I hope they understand that he is going to have absolutely no qualms about leaving them for a regular job if he gets it). One of those jobs involves going to Idaho for 2 weeks straight, which will really suck, but its good money.
Then I will be teaching more juvenile delinquents at Summer School. Its only three weeks, but again, good money.
So we wont starve or have to move in with our parents this summer. Hopefully we can hold out until I start a "real" job in September.

Oh, and someone got into our car last night. Upon finding nothing worth stealing, they took a cinder block and smashed our windshield. What the hell? thanks a lot, scumbag.

I'm trying not to get bitter about the whole job searching process, jay's and mine. It just feels like a cattle-call so much of the time (especially the stupid 3 hour "group" interview i went to). I know something will come up, but i'm just so tired of everything sucking so bad.