How to spend...

...20 minutes recycling an aluminum can (not to mention the 30 minutes I spent writing a blog about it):

I read about 10 pages of my book (and its for a book report, so its definitely more like a novel and less like a text book and therefore should be easier to focus on, but alas...) and started to lose my concentration. I decided that I'd try pacing and reading like I used to do in college (but I usually can't use this technique because the books are too heavy and bulky), so I finished the last couple gulps of my Diet Coke and squished the can in the middle as I walked to the recycle "bins" in the kitchen.

We separate the paper and cardboard, but the rest of the recyclables go together in the white "bin" that used to be the kitchen trash can. When I moved in and brought my black trash can, we decided to use the white one for recyclables since the little mini trash can, which had bee previously used, was obviously incapable of handling the amount of recyclables my two roommates produced on there own. Add me into the mix and the little guy was going to be sorely overwhelmed.

As I placed my squished can into the big white bin, I was reminded how full it was getting (the lid didn't close anymore), and I decided that I should at least pull it out and replace it with a fresh bag so that Lori (the roommate who kindly disposes of the recyclables) wouldn't have to deal with an overflowing mess.

Pulling out the full bag revealed the bottom of the white bin, which was no longer white, and looked as if it might be growing something... Obviously, it had not been restored to its former hue since its days as a trash can. But, with the handy work of several Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, the thing that might have been living was definitely extinct, and the inside of the trash can was now relatively safe, clean, and white.

Then, I noticed that the outside of the white bin had some dried splatterings of something or other, and I promptly wiped those away as well. I was careful not to be too thorough, and to clean only as much as was necessary (just so that it looked clean from afar)... I wouldn't want to get too carried away!

But as I threw away the last cleaning wipe and returned to the wipe dispensing container (intending to put it away), I remembered that I had been thinking about cleaning the kitchen counter for a day or so... and I already had the wipes out, so I thought I might as well just go for it.

Throwing away the last wipe for that job reminded me that the black trash can was looking like its lid could use a good wipe-down, but I resisted. I could do that when it was time to empty that trash can, which wasn't necessary at the moment.

I then realized how silly it was that this all started when I set out to recycle my Diet Coke can so that I could get back to my book... welcome to my world.

And now back to my book... hopefully...