This and that.

My intention was for my next post to be about the third peak oil book I bought, but I still haven't finished it. First there was all the chaos surrounding Christmas, then New Years', then M's birthday. While trying to read this book, I've also been trying (unsuccessfully) to determine a name for this little girl I'm hauling around, plus read up on birth preparation, deal with unpleasant pregnancy side effects, not to mention the usual insanity that goes on here. (I've also been reading up on more digital cameras, which seems to be a weird obsession of mine). I'm tired, a bit depressed, and just have not gotten very far with the book. I think I'm a little over halfway done. I might also add that this book has been the most difficult of the three to read, in part because the author focuses a lot on towns and activities in the UK. Sometimes I really don't know what he's talking about. (Usually this is just due to some word that isn't used in American English). At other times, I think what he's saying sounds good but that it probably would not translate well to cities here in the US. Maybe that's pessimistic of me. Supposedly there are towns and cities in the US who have signed on with his cause. I would love to be a part of a town that makes the changes he suggests. I think it sounds cool. But I'm not the type of person that can run a project this big and get people motivated. I'm not even sure if some people in this country can be motivated in such a way. They're too defensive of their current lifestyle and/or think that technological advances are going to save everything. *sigh*


Since reading these books, I find myself thinking about post-oil life a lot. I look at the many products around me that will likely not be produced, or will have to be produced differently. I debate buying things (like a cool coffee or espresso machine, for example), and then wonder if it's really worth it, since it takes so much energy and materials to make it - and is dependent on electricity to run. I ask myself if I shouldn't just get used to the coffee from my moka pot instead, since it's a relatively simple product that could be used on a woodstove. It's not as fun and exciting though. It's tempting to buy expensive electrical toys, since we have no idea how long it will be until such things are unaffordable to run. Of course, this doesn't even address how expensive or available coffee will be when transportation is significantly reduced - but why go there. ;)