If my whole body was a toilet I would give myself a flush right about now. I don't usually hang on to colds for very long but I feel like I have been sort of sick for the past three weeks. It's been draining and it has robbed me of all motivation and creativity.
And so today I bring you a video. After seeing my friend Olivia's blog about the local news, I came across this gem...Did you ever wonder how newscasters spend commercial breaks?
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Gym Confessions
1. I did not go to the gym last week.
2. I told myself that I would go to the gym today. I got to the stoplight down the block from it where I have to make a u-turn and waited for a few minutes.
Maybe not a few minutes - but long enough to convince myself that I ought to just make the u-turn and keep on drivin' until I got home. I called Jon so that he would help validate my decision to not workout..."I don't know if I'm going to go today...I'm not really feeling well and there's not really anywhere to park - but will you force me to go tomorrow? Either in the morning before work (he laughs) or on my way home??" He said that he would.
3. The light turned green and I made the u-turn and then thought Schuman you lazy son of a bitch take your less than fabulous ass to the gym.
I told myself that I wouldn't tolerate an outrageous parking situation (and I wouldn't park in those meter spots either, I LOATHE parking meters) - one lap and if it looked hopeless, I'd head home.
There was, of course, a great parking spot - and so I went.
There I said it.
2. I told myself that I would go to the gym today. I got to the stoplight down the block from it where I have to make a u-turn and waited for a few minutes.
Maybe not a few minutes - but long enough to convince myself that I ought to just make the u-turn and keep on drivin' until I got home. I called Jon so that he would help validate my decision to not workout..."I don't know if I'm going to go today...I'm not really feeling well and there's not really anywhere to park - but will you force me to go tomorrow? Either in the morning before work (he laughs) or on my way home??" He said that he would.
3. The light turned green and I made the u-turn and then thought Schuman you lazy son of a bitch take your less than fabulous ass to the gym.
I told myself that I wouldn't tolerate an outrageous parking situation (and I wouldn't park in those meter spots either, I LOATHE parking meters) - one lap and if it looked hopeless, I'd head home.
There was, of course, a great parking spot - and so I went.
* * * * *
Unless you pull a groin, or you get gassy while you're lifting weights or you fall off the treadmill and embarrass yourself in front of everyone... you never leave thinking "Man, I wish I hadn't gone to the gym today". Instead you think "Wow, I'm so glad I just did that" - And so far that's the best part for me.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Post Vee Day Survey
Dooce had this on her website today. Life is a lot easier when people do the thinking for you - here are my answers to the same survey...
What are your middle names?
My middle name is Jade and his middle name is Swanson.
What are your middle names?
My middle name is Jade and his middle name is Swanson.
How long have you been together? 4 years of sheer un-wedded bliss.
How long did you know each other before you started dating? A couple of weeks I guess. But we didn’t really get together for real until a year later or so.
Who asked who out? Technically he did. But to be fair I did make him aware of the fact that he COULD ask me out and that I would say yes. That was right after I slipped him the roofie.
How old are each of you? 24 and 25. He is one year older but bless his heart, he started kindergarten late and since I still think of the years of my life in terms of Grades – we are the same age.
Whose siblings do you see the most? His. My only sibling lives in South Korea and I get the distinct impression he enjoys avoiding me.
Which situation is hardest on you as a couple? Deciding what we will have for dinner. Lesser relationships would have cracked under the pressure of this nightly decision.
Did you go to the same school? Harvard of the West baby – Chico State. Okay, actually we met in Chico, but we didn’t go to the same school until we both transferred to SFSU.
Are you from the same hometown? No, I am from America's finest city. He is not.
Who is smarter? When it comes to things like measuring or computing – building or constructing, he is much better. When it comes to things that are more language based, I am.
Who is most sensitive? We are both sensitive in different ways
Where do you eat most as a couple? We eat at a place we affectionately refer to as JDB where ¾ of the waitresses are out of their fucking minds.
What is the furthest you have traveled as a couple? I think Florence, Italy was the farthest, but taking the earth’s curvature into account, it could very well be the Netherlands.
Who has the craziest Exes? No comment.
Who cooks? He does. I cook spaghetti and tacos.
Who is the neat freak? Neither one of us in our entire lives has been referred to as a “neat freak" but I occasionally go Pine Sol lady on his ass.
Who is more stubborn? He is - Although he would staunchly and unwaveringly disagree.
Who hogs the bed? We are both at the mercy of Lucy and the Cat. The good dog knows better.
Who wakes up earlier? About a year or so ago he started waking up at like 6am, I think just to spite me.
Where was your first date? We ended up at Subway (see # 7). I don't think he had money for a sandwich OR he really didn't like Subway. – I offered to buy him one but can’t remember if he accepted. He complimented my choice of provolone cheese and while I ate he told me the best story I ever heard.
Who is more jealous? We are both pointlessly jealous like a couple of big babies.
How long did it take to be serious? What can I say, we are passionate people?
Who does the laundry? Do you seriously have to ask? When the laundry gets done it is I who does it. I'm glad you didn't ask how often we do laundry.
Who is better at computers? He is of course..
Who drives when you are together? Jon does and I don't know if it is because I have reached child baring age (ha), but I am convinced that every trip in an automobile brings me one step closer to a crunchy, fiery and very untimely death. If another driver on the road turns on their signal I am certain that they will be plowing into us as we pass by - "Dude Allie, people change lanes. Its ok". That is why he drives.
Monday, February 16, 2009
The Dream
Every time American Idol comes around I spend about two weeks thinking "It's now or never. Should I try out? Maybe I'll try out and not tell anyone...then if its good news I'll share, if not I'll bury the experience deep in my memory bank - right alongside the time I ripped my pants while I was doing the splits at recess in 5th grade."
After the two weeks of checking audition dates I settle back into my mediocrity- cozy, but slightly less famous than my destiny dictates.
But I must have been dwelling on my chances because last night I had a dream about my try-out period and believe it or not I made it all the way up to Hollywood week.
I was thinking about the sheer luck of being overlooked and thus having been advanced into further rounds. We, myself and the other contestants, made our way into the tepee within which we would have a late evening solo sing. One last exhibition of our skills before the competition really narrowed down to the favorites. The tepee was full of plastic white folding chairs and we sat divided down the middle as though each performance were a wedding.
I was in the front row along with a handful of other people but when we heard someone say that the front would be starting things off, everyone moved back and all of the sudden I was the only person in the first row.
The host, who was not Ryan Seacrest, said "and why don't we go ahead and start with you??" and it was obvious he was speaking to me. I felt a total sense of relief; Better to just get it out of the way, just knowing if I made it would be reward enough, regardless of whether it was good news or not.
But wasn't it odd? I seemed to be the only person in the entire contention that had only sung one song - my initial audition song. I had been looked over, blended into the group competition and forgotten in the follow-up solo. There must have been some sort of mistake, but I didn't bother mentioning it...I'll take what I can get, I thought...But it's only a matter of time before I'm found out.
And so I got up, confident - but nervous as all hell. I cleared my throat and shut out the nerves. I began to sing "Yesterdaayy......"
But I couldn't get a note out - not even a clear voice - It was clouded and obscured, like I couldn't breathe enough to get a note out.
"All my troubles seemed....so faaarr awayyy"
It was obvious now, I was losing it, I wouldn't make it if I didn't turn it around right now....
"Now it looks as though they're here to stayyy"
I started to force the air out "OH I BELIEVE IN YESTERDAAAYY" but it was no good.
The three judges said a quick "Thank you" and my peers started clapping slowly in the teepee that we were gathered in. I sat down. Embarrassed. The slow and chatty round of applause evolved into a more hearty reception and as I sat down I clapped for myself too, glad that I put the effort in to begin with.
After the two weeks of checking audition dates I settle back into my mediocrity- cozy, but slightly less famous than my destiny dictates.
But I must have been dwelling on my chances because last night I had a dream about my try-out period and believe it or not I made it all the way up to Hollywood week.
* * * * *
I was thinking about the sheer luck of being overlooked and thus having been advanced into further rounds. We, myself and the other contestants, made our way into the tepee within which we would have a late evening solo sing. One last exhibition of our skills before the competition really narrowed down to the favorites. The tepee was full of plastic white folding chairs and we sat divided down the middle as though each performance were a wedding.
I was in the front row along with a handful of other people but when we heard someone say that the front would be starting things off, everyone moved back and all of the sudden I was the only person in the first row.
The host, who was not Ryan Seacrest, said "and why don't we go ahead and start with you??" and it was obvious he was speaking to me. I felt a total sense of relief; Better to just get it out of the way, just knowing if I made it would be reward enough, regardless of whether it was good news or not.
But wasn't it odd? I seemed to be the only person in the entire contention that had only sung one song - my initial audition song. I had been looked over, blended into the group competition and forgotten in the follow-up solo. There must have been some sort of mistake, but I didn't bother mentioning it...I'll take what I can get, I thought...But it's only a matter of time before I'm found out.
And so I got up, confident - but nervous as all hell. I cleared my throat and shut out the nerves. I began to sing "Yesterdaayy......"
But I couldn't get a note out - not even a clear voice - It was clouded and obscured, like I couldn't breathe enough to get a note out.
"All my troubles seemed....so faaarr awayyy"
It was obvious now, I was losing it, I wouldn't make it if I didn't turn it around right now....
"Now it looks as though they're here to stayyy"
I started to force the air out "OH I BELIEVE IN YESTERDAAAYY" but it was no good.
The three judges said a quick "Thank you" and my peers started clapping slowly in the teepee that we were gathered in. I sat down. Embarrassed. The slow and chatty round of applause evolved into a more hearty reception and as I sat down I clapped for myself too, glad that I put the effort in to begin with.
* * * * *
I'm not sure whether this dream has to do with my utterly naive overconfidence or the inevitable lesson that I truly cannot carry a note...but either way I have to say...I quite enjoyed my 15 minutes of (sleepy) fame.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Valentines Day in Monterey
Today for Valentines Day Jon took me to the Aquarium at Monterey Bay, something I have been dying to do for years now.
It was a two hour drive each way for us to get there and we went through parts of our fine state that I have never seen before. I had no idea that literally 15 minutes south from my house there are wide open, undeveloped rolling green hills. And as we made our way through Santa Cruz all I could say was "Would you look at these trees?! Huh? Aren't they something??"
We checked out the exhibits, enjoyed the coastal scene, had a nice lunch and forced our way through tens of thousands of people that had the very same idea.
The first thing you see when you walk in the aquarium (just beyond the sea of ill behaved children) are the jelly fish - and they are amazing. These particular jelly fish are caught just off the coast of Monterey - which is one of the only places they can be found.
Then we saw the otters who were adorably playful as they swam back and forth in front of my camera, but were too quick to catch. The only time they slowed down they seemed determined to be camera shy...
This penguin, however, felt otherwise and posed like a good little flightless bird.
As did this fish, whose species I neglected to catch.
We had lunch at the full service restaurant at the aquarium that sits on top of the bay and I could see otters playing around in the kelp and pelicans flying overhead. The menu was mostly seafood...which seemed odd...Jon and I both settled for meat of the land based persuasion and it was de-lish. Each table has a set of binoculars to borrow so you can scope the awesome scenery while you wait for your food - I definitely recommend hitting this place up if you ever visit the aquarium.
By the time we were on our way home it finally started to drizzle, but before the rain got too heavy we saw a rainbow. I took a few pictures of it but then as we got a little farther down the highway it became a complete and perfectly arched rainbow - massive and arching directly over the highway we were on. I just learned that this free PC download, Windows Live, can stitch photos together to make a panoramic shot for you, but my rainbow shots weren't complete enough to make it. (A project for my next blog methinks)
So I got a video of the rainbow instead. It was the perfect end to a great Valentines Day...
It was a two hour drive each way for us to get there and we went through parts of our fine state that I have never seen before. I had no idea that literally 15 minutes south from my house there are wide open, undeveloped rolling green hills. And as we made our way through Santa Cruz all I could say was "Would you look at these trees?! Huh? Aren't they something??"
We checked out the exhibits, enjoyed the coastal scene, had a nice lunch and forced our way through tens of thousands of people that had the very same idea.
The first thing you see when you walk in the aquarium (just beyond the sea of ill behaved children) are the jelly fish - and they are amazing. These particular jelly fish are caught just off the coast of Monterey - which is one of the only places they can be found.
Then we saw the otters who were adorably playful as they swam back and forth in front of my camera, but were too quick to catch. The only time they slowed down they seemed determined to be camera shy...
This penguin, however, felt otherwise and posed like a good little flightless bird.
As did this fish, whose species I neglected to catch.
We had lunch at the full service restaurant at the aquarium that sits on top of the bay and I could see otters playing around in the kelp and pelicans flying overhead. The menu was mostly seafood...which seemed odd...Jon and I both settled for meat of the land based persuasion and it was de-lish. Each table has a set of binoculars to borrow so you can scope the awesome scenery while you wait for your food - I definitely recommend hitting this place up if you ever visit the aquarium.
By the time we were on our way home it finally started to drizzle, but before the rain got too heavy we saw a rainbow. I took a few pictures of it but then as we got a little farther down the highway it became a complete and perfectly arched rainbow - massive and arching directly over the highway we were on. I just learned that this free PC download, Windows Live, can stitch photos together to make a panoramic shot for you, but my rainbow shots weren't complete enough to make it. (A project for my next blog methinks)
So I got a video of the rainbow instead. It was the perfect end to a great Valentines Day...
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Adding Insult to Injury
It's funny because I was under the impression that there was no lettuce left to eat, and yet this picture suggests something else entirely.
I took this photo last night at about 11:15 right after I made a complete scene of dumping out my recycling. When I walked out the door and saw this snail covered twig I totally threw-up in my mouth a little bit. Then I went and got my camera and that is when I locked myself out of the house. God damn snails win again.
I took this photo last night at about 11:15 right after I made a complete scene of dumping out my recycling. When I walked out the door and saw this snail covered twig I totally threw-up in my mouth a little bit. Then I went and got my camera and that is when I locked myself out of the house. God damn snails win again.
Entertainment, Online
So, yes, I do check out E!Online more often than I am comfortable admitting to. In my own defense it is to kill time at work and exercise my own personal agency amidst a sea of tasks I would prefer to postpone as long as possible.
Don't get me wrong, in the middle of a crisis I'm not thinking "okay, let me just get a quick glimpse at the Patrick Swayze update and then I'll get right on that". But I do find some sort of relief in taking a moment to be vicariously fabulously famous through others. That and I think Robert Pattinson is dreamy. Way dreamy.
But what makes this such a shameful habit for me are all of the in-your-face paparazzi shots you see that you just know were taken while someone's personal space was being invaded. I mean, yeah it's one thing if a celebrity is walking down the street (I guess) - but taking their kids to school? Coming in and out of hospitals? Why the hell do we give a shit? And what makes these photos even worse than they already are, are the comments that other viewers leave about them.
For example, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner are always shown going in and out of their daughter's preschool. Every single day it is the exact same shot - Them walking out the classroom door, looking surprised and in a hurry. Then some asshole leaves a comment like "That little girl needs to get her ears pinned back" or my favorite: "They never let their daughter walk on her own feet!" HELLO of course she can't walk on her own feet - there is a large group of smarmy and desperate men - pushing and shoving to get just one photo. FLASH FLASH FLASH, LOOK OVER HERE! LOOK OVER HERE!!
I'm calming down.
So one day I could not take it any longer and I made a comment. A simple yet public presentation of my moral high ground. My user name was "Ugh" and I didn't bother linking to the Schumanation because I don't need that kind of riff raff showing up.
I was the 3rd person to leave a comment and I said the following:
3.Could it be any more obvious that EVERY SINGLE DAY these photographers are waiting outside of this little girl's school to get this exact same photo? That is just ridiculous
It felt good to just get it out. A day later my curiosity got the best of me and I went back to see if anyone had argued my point. Sometimes they do that - commenters call other commenters out and it turns into a full blown comment war. But that didn't happen to me - in fact, other commenters agreed with me, rallied around me even... They referred to me as #3.
6.#3, I thought the same thing, #4, what in the heck are you talking about?
10.* 3 is totally right. Why are these photogs hounding this poor little girl just to get the same pic everyday? I have to admire Ben's restraint... I would have thought he would have freaked out about this by now.
So I'll be honest - these supportive reactions are totally going to my head - and I will continue to comment as "Ugh" for as long as the people need me. It's a big responsibility, but sometimes you just have to step up.
Don't get me wrong, in the middle of a crisis I'm not thinking "okay, let me just get a quick glimpse at the Patrick Swayze update and then I'll get right on that". But I do find some sort of relief in taking a moment to be vicariously fabulously famous through others. That and I think Robert Pattinson is dreamy. Way dreamy.
But what makes this such a shameful habit for me are all of the in-your-face paparazzi shots you see that you just know were taken while someone's personal space was being invaded. I mean, yeah it's one thing if a celebrity is walking down the street (I guess) - but taking their kids to school? Coming in and out of hospitals? Why the hell do we give a shit? And what makes these photos even worse than they already are, are the comments that other viewers leave about them.
For example, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner are always shown going in and out of their daughter's preschool. Every single day it is the exact same shot - Them walking out the classroom door, looking surprised and in a hurry. Then some asshole leaves a comment like "That little girl needs to get her ears pinned back" or my favorite: "They never let their daughter walk on her own feet!" HELLO of course she can't walk on her own feet - there is a large group of smarmy and desperate men - pushing and shoving to get just one photo. FLASH FLASH FLASH, LOOK OVER HERE! LOOK OVER HERE!!
I'm calming down.
So one day I could not take it any longer and I made a comment. A simple yet public presentation of my moral high ground. My user name was "Ugh" and I didn't bother linking to the Schumanation because I don't need that kind of riff raff showing up.
I was the 3rd person to leave a comment and I said the following:
3.Could it be any more obvious that EVERY SINGLE DAY these photographers are waiting outside of this little girl's school to get this exact same photo? That is just ridiculous
It felt good to just get it out. A day later my curiosity got the best of me and I went back to see if anyone had argued my point. Sometimes they do that - commenters call other commenters out and it turns into a full blown comment war. But that didn't happen to me - in fact, other commenters agreed with me, rallied around me even... They referred to me as #3.
6.#3, I thought the same thing, #4, what in the heck are you talking about?
10.* 3 is totally right. Why are these photogs hounding this poor little girl just to get the same pic everyday? I have to admire Ben's restraint... I would have thought he would have freaked out about this by now.
So I'll be honest - these supportive reactions are totally going to my head - and I will continue to comment as "Ugh" for as long as the people need me. It's a big responsibility, but sometimes you just have to step up.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Escalated Threat Level
Thought I had a fighting chance of saving what was left of my homegrown lettuce - (what with the veritable triple threat of death traps) - but it appears as though I was mistaken.
What was once luscious and green...
Is now a baron wasteland of crushed up (god damn useless) sand dollars. A post-nuclear-holocaust- of a flower pot.
The shame.
What was once luscious and green...
Is now a baron wasteland of crushed up (god damn useless) sand dollars. A post-nuclear-holocaust- of a flower pot.
The shame.
The snails have won this battle.
But they wont win the war.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Dirty Kid Part Deux
Friday afternoon Jon and I dropped his tan jacket off at the dry cleaners for a quick turn around - he had to wear it the next afternoon at a wedding. I brought along my most favorite peacoat that I have had for at least 2 years for the ride because it was the first time in my life that I have even been to a dry cleaner which means that this particular peacoat has never been cleaned - dry or otherwise.
I heard a joke once from Mitch Hedberg that went like this:
"This shirt is dry clean only....which means....It's DIRTY."
Oh how I related with this sentiment.
So on Friday when I took my peacoat into the dry cleaners and laid it down on the counter the woman behind the desk looked at it for a long second - like I was a homeless man that had just dropped my coat slash butt wiper right on her feet.
I mean, ok, I should have had it cleaned by now, but its not like it had stink smoke rising up from it - it may have had some dog/cat/Schumanator hair embedded into it like an indigenous rug, but like I said - it was sanitary. Sanitary enough to wear to work that day.
The dry cleaners said that they could have Jon's tan coat turned around by the next day, but my coat? My coat would not be ready for 3 days. Whether this time line directly correlated with the cleanliness (or lack thereof) of my coat, I'm not sure. But when she went to pick it up off of the counter she paused and then held out her thumb and forefinger - so as to make as little contact with the coat as she could. I stared at her - utterly bewildered by her elitism.
I mean, you would think that I brought her an open petri dish of the ebola virus and asked her to dry clean it with her tongue.
"Oh great" I said, "Now that I know where you guys are, I have TONS of stuff that needs to be dry cleaned - Is there a limit as to how much stuff I can bring in here?"
Without answering, the Marie Antoinette of dry cleaning glared at me while Jon and I took our dirty selves out of the shop, back to our dirty car and moved on with our dirty lives.
I heard a joke once from Mitch Hedberg that went like this:
"This shirt is dry clean only....which means....It's DIRTY."
Oh how I related with this sentiment.
So on Friday when I took my peacoat into the dry cleaners and laid it down on the counter the woman behind the desk looked at it for a long second - like I was a homeless man that had just dropped my coat slash butt wiper right on her feet.
I mean, ok, I should have had it cleaned by now, but its not like it had stink smoke rising up from it - it may have had some dog/cat/Schumanator hair embedded into it like an indigenous rug, but like I said - it was sanitary. Sanitary enough to wear to work that day.
The dry cleaners said that they could have Jon's tan coat turned around by the next day, but my coat? My coat would not be ready for 3 days. Whether this time line directly correlated with the cleanliness (or lack thereof) of my coat, I'm not sure. But when she went to pick it up off of the counter she paused and then held out her thumb and forefinger - so as to make as little contact with the coat as she could. I stared at her - utterly bewildered by her elitism.
I mean, you would think that I brought her an open petri dish of the ebola virus and asked her to dry clean it with her tongue.
"Oh great" I said, "Now that I know where you guys are, I have TONS of stuff that needs to be dry cleaned - Is there a limit as to how much stuff I can bring in here?"
Without answering, the Marie Antoinette of dry cleaning glared at me while Jon and I took our dirty selves out of the shop, back to our dirty car and moved on with our dirty lives.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Brown Paper Packages Tied Up With String
Right now on Facebook people are passing around a "25 things about me" note and when your friend tags you in the note you are then supposed to forward it on with 25 things about YOU and ideally your friends will do the same and so on and so forth.
I have been dying for someone to tag me in this so that I can regale them with 25 factoids about myself, but alas, no one has tagged me in the note (I mean, I think its obvious why: They all read my blog - the already know 25 things about me).
I have gotten close to being tagged.- my friend Kevin tagged me in one (and I said A HA! finally!) but by the time I logged in to look at it, Kevin had deleted it. And yes I suppose I could start my own note without being tagged, but one must maintain some semblance of social networking protocol.
In the meantime, my friend Elyse just did a "Favorite Things" post and at the end asks, "What are your favorite things?" And dammit - I'm considering that a tag.
And so I bring you some of my favorite things in and around my house right now:
My mom bought me this Peruvian wall hanging at Bazaar Del Mundo - one of San Diego's most awesome places to spend an evening. They had them at Anthropologie for awhile but of course they cost twice as much.
New IKEA lamp - I got two of these for our house and they help keep our tv area well lit.
Thanks to Pat for this Smith & Hawken mini metal tree (currently sold out).
It's Christmassy - but I think I can make it work year 'round.
If you know me at all you have seen me wear this ring. It is the all-time best jewelry purchase I have ever made and I am tempted to say that it is also the best all-around purchase as well. I got it for a steal at a Chico vintage shop.
Thanks to Pat for this Smith & Hawken mini metal tree (currently sold out).
It's Christmassy - but I think I can make it work year 'round.
If you know me at all you have seen me wear this ring. It is the all-time best jewelry purchase I have ever made and I am tempted to say that it is also the best all-around purchase as well. I got it for a steal at a Chico vintage shop.
The ancient coins that Mr Rose got me for Christmas. GREAT gift.
Jade necklace from Oaxaca. I bought this at the archaeological site Monte Alban.
Jade is my middle name, but the small Mayan woman that sold me this did not care.
Jade is my middle name, but the small Mayan woman that sold me this did not care.
Home grown cilantro that looks pretty when it flowers and smells oh-so-good.
I bought these plates at the Salvation Army because I thought that some day I might make a mosaic. When I got them I thought they were hideous, but they have totally grown on me.
Rubber stamps are huge in my life now. I was never very good at drawing so I think that a well placed stamp goes a long way.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Looks Can Be Deceiving
You can't tell from these photos, but these white flowers smell like doo-doo.
Snails are eating my plants. I've heard that if you put egg shells in the flower pot snails will have a hard time sliding over them and thus do not eat your plants as much. I've also heard that salt will kill snails if you put it around your plants. But I've decided to employ my own home remedy: Crunched up sand dollars. Why you ask? Well, it theoretically takes advantage of both approaches - the shells are spiky AND salty. It may just be my imagination, but I've tried this before and I'm inclined to say that it works.
I happen to have an ungodly amount of old sand dollars outside our house that I collected one day at the beach. Who knows what I thought I'd do with them. I'm guessing that if you did not have access to a bounty of sand dollars, normal shells would work too.
I'm still using the beer tactic too. It's a veritable triple threat of death traps around here with the odds stacked against the San Francisco snail population.
Snails are eating my plants. I've heard that if you put egg shells in the flower pot snails will have a hard time sliding over them and thus do not eat your plants as much. I've also heard that salt will kill snails if you put it around your plants. But I've decided to employ my own home remedy: Crunched up sand dollars. Why you ask? Well, it theoretically takes advantage of both approaches - the shells are spiky AND salty. It may just be my imagination, but I've tried this before and I'm inclined to say that it works.
I happen to have an ungodly amount of old sand dollars outside our house that I collected one day at the beach. Who knows what I thought I'd do with them. I'm guessing that if you did not have access to a bounty of sand dollars, normal shells would work too.
I'm still using the beer tactic too. It's a veritable triple threat of death traps around here with the odds stacked against the San Francisco snail population.
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