Misc observations of an unremarkable evening

Why do new TVs have to sing a little song when you turn them on? Seriously. Who thought that up? Imagine yourself in the board room that the idea was first presented: "Customers will love it, like the TV saying 'Thanks for turning me on!'

It's the fifth anniversary of Project Porchlight today. Five years ago this morning Suzy walked a hand-written application form over to City Hall to register Porchlight as a not-for-profit organization. We debated whether the $90 fee was a good investment ...

Five years later I spent the afternoon on a conference call with a team of communications managers in New Jersey discussing the new fridge campaign. It's funny to hear otherwise very serious and strategic people say Gobble Gobble Gobble over and over.

From the "How did that happen" department: My new neighbour and friend Gareth was over on Sunday. We were standing in the driveway chatting about on-demand hot water and structured insulated panels as the kids played in the street. It's a quiet street, and we're both middle-aged homeowners. We turned to walk toward the house and as we entered the garage he stopped and picked up my grandfather Weale's ring off the ground. I have no idea how it got there, but there it was, sitting on a pile of bright red and browning leaves on the slope toward the drain. Grandpa died in 2000. The ring had been missing for ages. It's nice to have it back.

Under pressure?

Strange things are happening. Again.

Yesterday. I'm driving. It's cold and rainy and dark. At 11AM. And I'm thinking: "We gave away 13,000 digital tire gauges this summer, and now that it's cold and wet, nobody's going to be checking their tire pressure."

So I pull into the parking lot at the Starbucks closest to Jasper's Saturday hockey game. 10 minutes later I'm getting back into the car, lattes in hand, and I notice that four cars over a guy driving an SUV is kneeling by his front tire. Then he attaches a little device the size of a shoe box to his tire, a wire leading into his car. He's pumping up his tires. I find myself standing, watching, in the rain -- my coffee is getting cold. Some random guy just happens to be checking and regulating his tire pressure minutes after I'd concluded that that just wouldn't happen.

Then, two cars over, a guy calls to me. "Hey, see that? Cool, eh?"

"Yeah," I say. "Did he have a flat tire?"

"No. He's just optimizing his tire pressure. Did you know that you can save money and make your car more efficient by keeping your tires properly inflated?"

"Really?" I decided to play dumb. I was actually dumbfounded.

"Yeah! It makes a difference."

I decided to test this a bit.

"Do you have a tire gauge?" I asked.

"Yeah, a digital keychain tire gauge I got this summer at Canadian Tire."

I nearly cried. But I still didn't let on... He continued:

"Keeping your tire pressure up really matters. Now I do it all the time," he said. "And so should you."

I looked into my car where a pile of old Psst! One Change: Fuel campaign posters were mangled and scattered across the back seat.

"Thanks!" I said.

Maybe he thought he'd given me a good tip. What I really got was validation.

You're the first to know

If patience is a virtue, how would you describe someone who continues to come back to a blog where the author has not posted in 4 months?

Here's a reward: This is the first place I'm announcing an exciting news bit: My little NGO has signed Ed Begley Jr. as a US spokesperson! He just seems like the right kind of celeb for One Change, and I only discovered in the last couple of days that in addition to being a pioneer of environmental action, he's also a board member of the Thoreau Society. (Anyone who was using CFL bulbs in the 70s qualifies as an environmental pioneer).

If Ed Begley Jr. also likes outdoor showers, Concord grapes and stands of regrowth spruce, we'll not only be co-promoters but pals. We're spending a couple of days together in late November in New Jersey taping some ads and talking about "simple actions matter."

I've got the best job.

More time in the woods, please

OK. By now, nobody's reading this. No, I'm not calling you a nobody. Thanks for dropping by! Life's been so busy lately. Too busy. But I'm happiest when I'm writing, so I'm determined to try to tap out some thoughts and observations here.

The big news is that One Change is now a charitable foundation in Canada and the US, endorsed by the UN. And we have some new celebrity help to get the word out. Stay tuned.

These are all great things, but I long for the walking path to the top of the old clearcut, to be caught by surprise taking a deep lungful of mossy forest air. It's instinctive, that deep breath. A month at the cabin this summer with the kids was a tease. I worry that they're not getting enough time in the woods to instill the appropriate awe ... and the resulting sense of responsibility.