I have been baking bread recently. After doing the math, I found that it is not cost-effective to bake your own bread. At least if you buy the ingredients in small quantities. Unfortunately, the selection is limited at the local grocery store. But fortunately, there are a few warehouses and wholesale clubs. So, this weekend I picked up ten pounds of sugar, twenty-five pounds of flour, and a brick of yeast.

Not to be outdone by my recent bakery prowess (all of four loaves of bread), Rachel made some cornbread last night. It was very good. We have been trying to eat healthier. This means that now we actually have to make a concerted effort to plan and build meals. Rachel has spearheaded this initiative by selecting recipes and building an ingredient list.

Lately, I have wanted to make some bread. Rachel and I used to own a bread machine. However, I did not like having a gaping hole in one end of the loaf. As such, we sold the machine around the time we moved from California to Ohio.

Several weeks ago, I received notice from my school that they would be holding a programming competition. Yes, I enjoy writing code. But, in a competition? I was dubious. I know I can code. But, could I code within the required time frame? Eventually, I signed up. I figured that the worse thing that could happen is that I would lose; if nothing else, it would be a good experience.

Last Wednesday, I took the Microsoft 70-536: .NET Framework 2.0 Application Development Foundation exam. I was a bit nervous. The testing center is located at the Lorain County Community College. I had driven by the LCCC numerous times but had never ventured on campus. Since Rachel is more familiar with the area (and because I wanted some moral support) she came with me.

I switched to Vonage several months ago. It is about half the cost of using the local land line provider. Since voice mail is a free feature, I no longer have to use an answering machine. Of course, since my cell phone now rings simultaneously, I can answer calls that I would have otherwise missed. I also like that my monthly bill amount is fixed. In addition, as it is extremely easy to view my call history online, I do not even receive a paper bill.

I know that gas prices are steadily increasing. The only solution is to stop using gas. One could use a vehicle that uses an alternative energy source (such as electricity or human power).

While filling up my vehicle, I made the hard decision to stop driving. It is costing too much not to mention the damage it is doing to the environment. When I completed the fill up, I could not even get back into my vehicle. I know that seems a bit drastic. However, as the saying goes, desperate times call for desperate measures.

As Kermit the Frog often said, "it ain't easy being green." Isn't that the truth? Yes, I try to recycle and such, but it is not enough. A blogger mentioned that her calculated carbon footprint is around 20 tons of carbon dioxide. I was only a bit surprised that when I calculated mine, it was at 100 tons.

Rachel and I have been trying to get out of debt for a long time. It seems that every time we get closer to getting our head above water, something strikes us down. On my way home from work on Monday, the Check Engine light came on. I know that sometimes the light will illuminate if the gas cap is loose. And, as I am perpetually filling up the vehicle, I was hoping that was the cause.

It is officially the start of the cold season. On the way to work this morning, the temperature dipped just below the freezing point. Unfortunately, I was outside, without a jacket, trying to find a credit card that the gas pump would take.