Pet Peeve: Unnecessary Plastic Windows in Pasta Boxes

Today's Pet Peeve is Brought to you by Catelli Pasta!! (And Barilla)

I was consolidating some whole grain wheat pasta to bring to my sister. I can't eat wheat stuff anymore and holding onto wheat pasta is just wishful thinking.

But as I consolidated two boxes of Rotini noodles into one box, I was left with an empty box.

No biggie. Just recycle it. Right? Easy peasy.

Not so much.

You see... I am a conscientious recycler. I am the person who sticks their hand into the opening of an empty tissue box and pulls out the plastic window in the top of the tissue box. They actually come fairly easily. And they do serve a useful purpose, ensuring that only one tissue (usually) comes out of the box at a time.

Because recycling a tissue box with the plastic window just contaminates the recycling stream. Which is not good. And as a conscientious recycler... I just... can't... do... it.

Which brings me to pasta boxes. You see... Catelli has a little clear plastic window in the middle of their pasta box.

For those of us who can't read and who can't determine the type of pasta based on the picture of rotini noodles on the cover. It looks like a pretty small piece of plastic. But in order to get it out of there... you have to tear the box apart and then try to pull the plastic off of the cardboard. But they use a much sturdier glue than the tissue box folks. And for such a small window... Catelli uses a HUGE piece of plastic!

So you grab a corner and you pull and... it tears. leaving you with shreds of plastic to peel off. I'm sorry, but I don't have time to stand in the kitchen muttering swear words as I peel off shards of plastic window material.

So that whole piece of cardboard with over-sized piece of window material goes straight into the garbage. Is this not a waste of cardboard? Waste of energy? Waste of plastic? Waste of time and energy and decision-making power? Why is it on ME to have to tear out this piece of cardboard in order to allow Catelli to have that itsy-bitsy teeny-weeny window in their pasta box???

So, while I was at Superstore the other day, I did an informal survey of pasta boxes... because I had come across a UK article that said Barilla pasta had gotten rid of their pasta box windows!!!

Let's see what we can find on our shelves...

Catelli. Yes, well we know what they do. But my box of whole wheat pasta was several years old so I thought... maybe they have changed? Nope.

President's Choice? Nope... little plastic window.

Catelli again... with a miniscule window into the heart of spaghettini... why?? What purpose does this serve???

And Barilla... from Superstore's online shopping... because the UK version has NO window... but our Canadian version... it has a plastic window. Ugh! 

I am so miffed with Barilla for being so two-faced that I went to their Canadian site's Contact Us Form and sent this message...

Can you explain why Barilla in the UK has gotten rid of the plastic windows in the pasta boxes but Barilla in Canada still has them?

Do you know what is involved in me recycling the empty pasta box?? With a plastic window? Why??? We can read. We can see your very clear pictures of the pasta. Take the eco-lead and get rid of these windows. They serve zero useful purpose. You don't see cereal boxes with plastic windows. Why do pasta companies do this? Thanks so much for your thoughtful reply that won't be a standard "thank you for your comment and we have sent this to our product team." 

Hmph. Back to Superstore... and look what I find. An actual box of spaghetti with NO window!  Amazing. Although this one was down the organic food aisle.

You would think that making boxes without windows would be easier and cheaper for pasta companies. You would think... But I guess they really like having people SEE what's in the box. Strange.

Post Script

I wrote to our city's recycling department to see what they have to say and after 10 days, received a reply. For us... we can leave the plastic windows in the pasta boxes! Yay! Win for us. Not so much a win for some other places. I do wonder though... in the pulping process of pasta boxes... when they fish out the plastic windows as contaminants... where do they go? Landfill?? Sigh.

That ends today's Pet Peeve Rant. Carry on with your normal daily activities.

Trying a Local Coffee Shop

A Serious Coffee just opened in our neighbourhood!! It's a 3 minute walk from our house. Soooo close! Sooo convenient. More or less. So I am going to try them this week (May 27-May 31) and see how it goes. I already miss my Starbucks but... change can be hard and painful and... I am going to give it my best shot!

Serious Coffee is a local roastery based out of Duncan. Each location is a franchise so is independently owned and operated. Support Local! Buy Local!

They had their Grand Opening on Thursday last week and I walked in and had a look around and promised I would be back. So here I am.

The Good

Local - yep, definitely local. So I am supporting a local business. Theoretically. I am not sure who actually owns this franchise. It would be some rich tycoon who lives in Vancouver.

Walkable - I've never lived so close to a coffee shop. So being able to walk here in the mornings is a definite bonus.

Wifi - they are piggy-backing on the next-door restaurant's wifi. Which, according to my phone is 200 Mbps. So that is good wifi.

Seating - lots and lots of seating, with a couple of booths and a long banquette... with cushioning!

Electrical Outlets - They have at least 2 outlets so I can sit here and plug in my aging, tottering laptop (8 years old) with it's failing (failed) battery).

The Bad

Working out the Kinks - the credit card terminal was hiccuping this morning and the server didn't know how to fix it.

New Staff - the server couldn't find "tea" on the terminal and was going to charge me $4.50 for a small tea, even though the wall menu says "Loose Tea" is $3.39. I ended up paying cash so she calculated the advertised price. But still... that price is MORE expensive than a small Starbucks tea. But... I am supporting local. Yay.

Chai Tea Syrup - even though the wall menu says "loose tea", which to my mind means loose leaf tea, what I received in my cup was sweetened which makes me think the server made my tea out of the chai tea latte syrup. I've had this happen in another coffee shop. And I could see the server mixing up something with water in a little container. I will have to double-check what is going on tomorrow when I come again.

The Meh

Opening Hours - their opening hours are... meh. 7 am to 7 pm is not bad. I really like the earlier hours that Starbucks has - 5:30 or 6:00 am. But I am trying to make the 7 am work for me. Get up, have breakfast, then head out to do my thing at the coffee shop. We'll see... If I get up super early, I could also go for an early walk, have breakfast and then come here! We'll see...

Growing Pains

It is a new location, with new staff. They are still getting the kinks worked out and I understand that. We'll see how the rest of the week goes.

On the plus side... I am trying a local coffee shop! And not going to Starbucks and supporting a global mega-corporation. Small steps... I am committing to this week and we'll see how it goes.

Eco-Friendly Sipping: The Rise of Cardboard Can Holders over Plastic Rings

Remember the plastic rings of death? Those plastic rings that hold cans of beer or pop? And that never ever decompose? And that are a danger to wildlife? Yes, those...

Well... my favourite local beer has switched to a cardboard carrier! How cool is that?

Call me weird, but I think it's pretty cool. When I got home, I took pics because these are the first ones I've gotten my hands on.

They are certainly better than the plastic rings... at least for wildlife and the environment. Now, this particular beer company wasn't actually using plastic rings to start with. Or maybe they were, years ago, but by the time I found them last year, they were packaging their 6 packs in little cardboard boxes.

Which is pretty good but... uses way more cardboard than the 6-pack ring replacement cardboard holder. 

Now if we could only get the BIG producers to follow suit. Looking at you Labatt's... and Coke... and Pepsi.

Still see tonnes of plastic ring holders in the grocery store aisles. But maybe... just maybe... the smaller producers can lead the way and show the big guys how it's done.

Small steps... they do make a difference.

The Art of Prioritization: Differentiating 'Nice to' from 'Need to'

We have a very large rhubarb plant that has a LOT of juicy, red stalks that are just begging to be harvested. But as the days go by... "make rhubarb relish" keeps getting bumped to the end of the line. There's too much other stuff going on.

But as the days go by, I start to get a bit panicky... "need to" get the rhubarb picked and chopped and make rhubarb relish! But then... I had a bit of an epiphany...

Why do I "need to" make rhubarb relish?

Who says I "need to"???

That made me pause for quite a while. And think. And mull things over. Because, really, making rhubarb relish is not a "need to". It is a "nice to". It would be "nice to" make rhubarb relish. It's not like we are selling it and our lives depended on it. There is no one standing over me demanding that I make rhubarb relish, "or else".

So where does it go from being a "nice to" thing... into a "need to" thing? Here are some of the factors at play.

1. Time Limited

Rhubarb season is limited. Pick it early and it is sweeter and not as tough. I always thought you had to pick it before it flowered but... that's an old wives' tale. You can just cut the flower stalk off. So there is a tiny bit of a time constraint. If I want to make rhubarb relish, then it has to be done soonish. But do I want to make rhubarb relish?

2. Friends Love it

Friends of ours LOVE the rhubarb relish that we make. We give them little jars of it every time they visit. And our supply is running low. So it is time to make more. But again, they are not standing over us demanding rhubarb relish. It is "nice to" give them rhubarb relish but if we are out... then we are out.

3. It's a Waste

Leaving the rhubarb relish stalks on the plant seems like... a waste. We are letting food go to waste. And somewhere along the way I learned that letting food go to waste is "bad". It's a sin. Although I don't remember seeing "food" in the list of deadly sins. Although it could probably be shoe-horned into gluttony or greed.

4. I had Plans

I was going to use the rhubarb-making pics for our Airbnb's social media campaign. No pics... no post. But it's only 1 post. Not the end of the world, right? But I had plans!!! And I hate it when plans change.

5. It's a Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda

As in... "It would be nice to make it..." morphs into... "I could make it..." so that translates into... "I should make it"... which leads to... "I need to make it"...

It's Bigger than Rhubarb

While this might seem like a pretty piddly thing... it's rhubarb for pete's sake...

But it's not just about the rhubarb. Because this happens in other areas of my life as well. Where I decided that something would be "nice to" do... Somewhere along the way, these "nice to" things get pressurized. I only have so much time. I only have so much energy. I can't do it all. But as time and energy fritter away... the pressure to get these things done increases. Or... I could just let them go. I don't need to make rhubarb relish. I could just let it go. I could say. "I really wanted to make it. But things change. And, right now, I don't want to make it anymore."

Because there are a LOT of things in life that are "nice to's". So many, many things. And some of them become "need to's"... but they can't ALL become "need to's". There is a finite limit to how much time and energy I have to devote to things. Saying "yes" to this thing means I have to say "no" to these other things.

So, rather than making rhubarb relish this year... I need to procrastinate on it (good procrastination) and bump it into next year. I made different choices this year as to what to do with my time. I didn't pick rhubarb. I was away part of the time. I did broombusting for another part of the time. Those choices are not wrong or bad. And I need to keep reminding myself... I can't do it all. I can't visit my Mom, do broombusting AND handle rhubarb. And I don't have to. Don't need to.

Sometimes I just have to say "no".

The Time Trap: Unraveling Parkinson's Law for Better Time Management

I'd never heard of Parkinson's Law before, but it is soooo apt! It was coined by a C. Northcote Parkinson, a naval historian who, in 1955, wrote this little bit of satirical wisdom:

Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion

Oh yeah, that is a truism if there ever was one! I bump up against this all the time. Here's an example of how this works in my life...

Blogging Time Evaporates

I go to Starbucks at 5:30. I know that I have 2.5 hours at Starbucks, plenty of time to write at least 1, and more likely, 2 blogs! Plenty of time. Oodles of time!

So, what do I do? Do I start writing a blog as soon as I land at Starbucks? No, I do not. I do some journaling. I then take a look at my To-Do list which as blog ideas. But I can't decide on a blog topic so I decide to think about it for a bit. I mean, I have oodles of time, right?

In the meantime, I organize my To-Do list and rearrange a few things, add a few things, postpone a few things. I handle some small tasks that have been niggling at me and that keep falling through the cracks. I reconsult my to-do list and rearrange my blog topic ideas. I handle a few more tiny tasks.

Until, I look at the clock and... shoot... it's already 6:45 am! I've only got 1.25 hours left! Now I'll be lucky if I get 1 blog done! What the heck? Where'd the time go?

The thing is... writing blogs requires way more effort than fiddling with my to-do list or handling small tasks. Fiddling with my To-Do list is "fun" and doesn't require a lot of effort. If I know that I have 2.5 hours... and I really, really want to get two blogs written... then I'd have to actually focus and get to work!

Adding Bells & Whistles

This is what Parkinson's Law can also look like... we know that we have a report that is due in 2 weeks. Do we work on it immediately? No, we do not. At least I don't. There's plenty of time. Oodles of time. We might chip away at the report with lackluster enthusiasm, until the final day when we shift into Super Gear and blast through it to the exclusion of everything else.

Or... we might decide, with 10 days to go, that we need to do a bunch of research on the topic. Maybe create pretty PowerPoints and colourful spreadsheets. We might delve deeper than we need to into the finer details of the data that we are presenting. Do we need colourful spreadsheets and pretty PowerPoints? No, we do not. Do we need the extra research? No we do not. But we have 2 weeks, don't we! Let's spruce it up. And those things are "fun"! When really... that report, plain and simple, could take 4 hours. Maybe it won't be perfect, but it will be done.

Drifting with no Deadlines

Where I also bump up against Parkinson's Law is when there is NO deadline. OMG... things just languish on my To-Do list and keep getting pushed down the list, down, down, down. But in the meantime, they take up mental energy... gotta work on that, gotta think about that, gotta research that, gotta, gotta, gotta... until all of a sudden, it becomes critical and then I shift into Super Gear and get it done.

For example, we are thinking about getting a new TV for the Airbnb because the current one is 30" which is tiny. There is no set deadline for this, so I can spend a lot of time researching TVs and comparing features and checking out stores. What's in Costco? What's in BestBuy? I don't know which is better... Samsung? LG? Panasonic? Dither, dither. Months get spent on this "project".

But imagine... the TV in the suite breaks! How fast do you think I can decide on a TV if that were to happen? Super fast! Because the deadline is "NOW"!

Or... how about this one... something that is a simple, small, neat, compact task... gets postponed and postponed until... it blows up in your face and all of a sudden, a 30 minute task has turned into a 4 hour damage control project. Think... taking the car in for an oil change... or not.

But there is hope... there are ways to get around Parkinson's Law and it's aftereffects.

Identify the Value

How important is this project or task? Why is it even on my list? Surely, it has some value. A TV for the suite definitely has value but while we have a functioning one, the value of buying a new one is pretty low. No one has complained about the size of it. If the functioning one were to go on the fritz, then the value of getting a new one skyrockets.

Identify the Scope

If we give ourselves too much time, there is a tendency to add bells and whistles to a project. We have the time so why not add colourful spreadsheets and other frills to a task. But we really don't need to do that.

We want to replace the sink in the suite... but if we're doing that, then maybe it's time to replace the counter. And if we're doing that, we might as well add a backsplash. And heck... it's probably a good idea to paint the cabinets.

All of a sudden, a 30 minute sink replacement has ballooned into a full kitchen remodel. Stick with the original scope and resist the urge to expand things.

Identify Tradeoffs

There's a tradeoff between scope, time and cost. A give and take. If the TV goes on the fritz NOW... I can't wait for a Boxing Day sale. I need to forgo waiting for a cheaper price and just buy the TV now!

Break Things Up

Obviously, this is a huge one. I have had "write book" on my to-do list for a long time. It's a specific book, I've done a lot of research but... "write book" is just too big and unwieldy. The deadline for "write book" is also nebulous. And with no deadline and no plan... it'll be on my list forever.

The trick is to break up the project "write book" into a multitude of smaller projects and tasks, each with their own realistic deadline. Small and short will get things done. Big and long will be on my To-Do list forever.

Set the Timeline

Yes, this is important. I can't tell you how many projects on my list have no deadlines. They languish there for months. I'll do it "someday" and someday never comes because there is no timeline. So it's to set up a timeline, but a realistic one.

I know that I can generally get a blog written in 45-60 minutes. So on a Starbucks morning, it's to work backwards from my departure time of 8 am. I need to start writing the second blog by 7 am and so the first one needs to be started at 6 am. That gives me 30 minutes at the start for journaling and smaller tasks. And if the blogging goes quicker than planned... well, then there's always time at the end for smaller tasks as well!

Working with Parkinson's Law instead of Against It

It's helpful to me to know that this is what happens, all too frequently. I can then begin to work with it instead of bumping up against it all the time. I have a tendency to add buffer time to things because well... I like buffer time. I don't want to be bumping up against frantic deadlines all the time. So I tend to schedule deadlines farther into the future than is required.

A flip side to Parkinson's is this... I saw I need 60 minutes to write a blog. But I could actually write a blog in 30 minutes. It won't be perfect, it might not have a great image to go with it. I might not have time for a lot of background research. But I could do it. In a pinch. It would take more effort, more focus, more intensity, more energy. But it could be done. Maybe not today though... I only have 21 minutes before I have to leave and this blog has taken exactly 60 minutes!

Breaking Up with Starbucks: Embracing the Local Coffee Scene

Readers of this blog will know that I have a love/hate relationship with Starbucks.

Things I love:

• Free wifi and electrical outlets
• Opens early! Most open by 5:30 or 6:00 am
• A coffee shop vibe where I can block out the world and focus on some work
• The baristas mostly know me. They know what I drink and have it punched in before I even get from the door to the till. We chat. Even though it’s a big corporate giant and some people think it is uber anonymous… become a regular there and they staff do get to know you.

Things I hate:

• Expensive - $3 for a tea??
• Corporate giant that isn’t the best
• As they renovate their locations, they are reducing seating which makes it harder to get a spot
• a 45 minute walk or a 8 minute drive... every day... spewing carbon fumes

I have tried other places. Really, I have. I tried a local coffee shop once and it was horrible. Sterile. Crappy tea. No outlets. Didn’t feel welcome. I’ve tried McDonald’s (I know… also a corporate giant). But it had erratic opening hours and while the tea was half the price of Starbucks… the vibe was off.

A few weeks ago, I was visiting my Mom in a small town. They have a Starbucks (yay!) but it’s in a grocery store and… while they had basic seating pre-Covid, that all changed during and after Covid… they now have zero seating. Buy your uber-expensive drink and take it with you.

Buy Local

But this morning… I am at one of the local coffee shops in my Mom's town. And no, it is not Tim Horton’s, although that is nearby. This coffee shop is cute. I last came here years ago. Not much has changed, except the faces behind the counter. They have varied seating – tables and chairs. Some bar stools at counters and a few comfy areas (couch). There’s even a bookshelf with books to read. And local artwork on the walls. It’s got a nice vibe with indirect lighting and relaxing instrumental music. They sell various drinks and bakery items as well as lunch things. The only negative is… they only open at 7 am. Which is kind of late for my blogging tastes but… you know what… when in Rome…

Here’s what I Love:

• A tea is $2.50... not bad
• They have electrical outlets (yay)!
• Nobody has barked at me for setting up my laptop – mind you, the place is not screamingly busy at this hour of the day. A lot of people come in for take-out. Heck, I even chatted with an old school-mate (we’ve known each other since Grade 3!).
• They asked if my tea was for  here or to-go and when I said “here”, I got my tea in a ceramic mug. Excellent.

Here’s What I Hate:

• I’m not sure if they have free wifi. There is a wifi network but it is secured. Online reviews say there is free wifi here but… I don’t see any signs with the wifi password. So I’d have to ask. And I hate asking. Sigh.

But on the whole… this is a very nice, very civilized coffee shop. I have made adjustments to my normal work pattern and am writing my blogs in a Word document. I can then copy and paste them later when I am reconnected to wifi. There is something about the coffee shop vibe that just works for me.

The other thing that I like here is… the owners are Asian, possibly Korean. I hear some accents. But what is cool is… I see all these older “red-neck” men coming in and they are all happily chit-chatting with the staff. “How was your weekend? Did you see the northern lights?” There is something refreshing and reassuring about small-town folk. Friendly. Welcoming. Open.

Now… all of this is leading up to… a new coffee shop is opening up just down the street from our house back home. I can actually walk there in 3 minutes or less. Will it be my new hang-out spot? Will they have electrical outlets? Free wifi? Cheap(ish) tea? And most importantly… what time will they open their doors? That is the burning question. Can I actually kick my Starbucks habit? Or will I just turn it into a new habit?

As the summer approaches and the sun rises earlier and earlier… I also realize that I could get up at 5 am and go for a nice long hike, come home, have breakfast and then go to the coffee shop. It would require me to alter my schedule but… is that such a bad thing? It might work. I will have to try it and report back.

Cutting Broom in Bloom with BroomBusters

I finally did it! Finally got my act together and reached out to the local BroomBusters team BEFORE broom busting season started! For those along the West Coast (looking at your Oregon and Washington), you're likely very familiar with Scotch Broom. It's cheery yellow flowers covering entire hillsides can make one smile until you realize... it is HIGHLY invasive.

It was introduced on Vancouver Island in the mid 1800's by an ango-colonizer who brought 3 (yes, three) seeds to his property near Sooke. He planted those seeds and the broom... well... it took off. It's originally a Mediterranean plant so it adapted well to our climate.

But it does tend to form mono-cultures, crowding out all of the native species. Plus... it is highly flammable which is not a good thing.

Enter BroomBusters! Started about 15 years ago by an organic blueberry farmer who was concerned by the encroaching ranks of broom taking over her neighbours' properties. She asked the local municipality and the ministry of forests to "DO something". But they didn't have the manpower to handle the invasion. She she organized her own volunteers and the municipality and forestry provided the bins to collect the casualties. She also learned from an old railway man that the best time to cut broom is when it is in bloom as it puts a LOT of its energy into making flowers. Cut it when it's in bloom and you have a 75% chance of killing the plant. Which is pretty good. And the trademark slogan was born... Cut Broom in Bloom!

Since then, BroomBusters has spread across the Island... and there are now teams on the mainland where broom has gotten a toe-hold. I first became aware of it BroomBusters several years ago but somehow always missed broom season. Which is annoying. Because when it's in bloom... it becomes highly visible!

But this year... this year I got my act together and joined my first cut a few weekends ago. We tackled a big sprawling patch across from the local SPCA. I love this little wooded area. There are camas lilies, chocolate lilies and fairy slipper orchids at various times of year. So pretty... but in danger from the Broom Bully.

I had already watched the BroomBuster's video on how to cut broom to have the best chance to killing the plant. (How to Cut Broom • Broombusters - Cut Broom in Bloom, Vancouver Island & BC Mainland's Grassroots)

It's not hard to learn. Pull the tiny ones, tamp down the soil where they were. For the bigger ones, cut as close to the ground as possible. Try not to disturb the soil as broom puts out a LOT of seeds so the ground is probably covered with broom seeds. But they struggle to germinate when there's (a) shade and (b) a lot of other plants (e.g. grasses) that crowd them out.

I got a pair of loppers and a high-viz vest and... off we went! There were about 15 BroomBusters on that day. I could only do it for an hour before I had to leave but... it was insanely satisfying to make a visible dent in the broom population. 

I went back later that same day and tackled an area across the street where I had seen scattered broom plants. Had a very satisfying cut and saved another little patch of camas and chocolate lilies from being overrun.
 
 And then I tackled a few patches in our neighbourhood... I also have my eye set on the rocky bluff at the local lake which has a well-established broom colony. So much broom... so little time! Just a narrow 4-6 week window while it blooms (or gets ready to bloom). But next year... I'm going to keep an eye on my patches (I started a Google Map so I can track them) and hope that maintenance cutting is better than the first cutting!

There are also two organized cuts coming up. Those are fun too because many hands make light work! Although... my loppers and pruning clippers need a serious sharpening before I do any more cutting!