Think Green

This past weekend was the San Francisco Green Festival, the nation's largest such event. So, I put on my green pants, you put on your green hat, your Mom put on a green hoodie, and we hit the event ready to see the latest in green products and businesses.
Three hours later, we emerged from the event full on free samples of organic, fair trade chocolates and carrying bags of free items and brochures. Of course, we also couldn't resist buying a few things. Your Mom and I bought matching stainless steel lunch canteens made of three containers that snap together with reusable bamboo cutlery and a great carrying strap.
Also, somewhere amongst that hall full of booths we came across an older gentlemen who was teaching anyone who had a moment, how to play his 'green' board game. We were immensely impressed with the beautiful, wooden gameboard and pieces, and the theme of the game: protecting the earth's forests. It turns out that the game (Paradice) is a highly strategic game (not unlike Chess and Go) but has an element of chance built in as well. Naturally, we bought the game and tried it that very evening. We also found some great t-shirts and re-usable whiteboard markers perfect for minimizing waste while teaching.
The entire event had a hippy-ish feel that we really appreciated and throughout our journey from booth to booth, you, as always, were a big hit. Excited by the festival, you walked away with preservation, conservation, and sustainability on your mind. You were so inspired, in fact, that you decided to work towards greening our home that evening. Rather than waking up twice during the night as you have for many months, you slept (for the first time ever) for 9.5 hours straight. Last night, you repeated that feat. Clearly, you're interested in saving energy. No need for us to turn on those lights at night anymore, right?
We're hoping that this ushers in new era of restful nights for us. We've completely forgotten what it's like to get a full night's sleep. Nice work, Rai -- keep it up!