Car Free Friday!

Evolving...

2008-11-02T19:40:00.000-08:00

Just like Pokemons...CarFreeFriday is going to evolve. This will be into either a permanent thing (municipalities, schools, businesses signing up) or maybe not. Stay tuned. The struggle has been doing CarFreeFriday (from a posting point of view, not a practice point of view) as well as the 5 day work/school thing. We will see.

Love J

Won't You Walk Me Down...

2008-10-13T08:26:00.000-07:00

To Vegetable Town.

Based on comments (yay comments! - I love comments but don't get enough)...Vegetable Town now includes a bookstore and a library (I don't know why I forgot library...). If there is room, Vegetable Town could use a good vet as well.

This is a short post. Longer one to come later today. Subject? Places Everybody... (a month of getting everyone to school, to daycare, and to work on time).

In Vegetable Town...da da da da da.

2008-10-06T12:50:00.000-07:00

"Won't you walk me down, to Vegetable town?"

Now if you have kids, you might recognize that lyric (Barenaked Ladies - Snacktime). Vegetable town has all the good amenities of a Car Free Friday kinda place: a community hall, train station (well, subway actually), etc. So what should be in a Car Free Friday town? I think any place you need to get to in "any given week" should be appropriate criteria. So here is my list. What would you add? Send me a comment!

Recreation centre with Pool and Ice Rink
Elementary School/Middle School/High School (wouldn't it be easier if we didn't have so much age segregation? Who really liked Middle School anyway?)
Grocery store
Green grocer (the local veggie stand - distinct from the grocery store wherein you cannot ,but should be able to, always get local produce)
Bike store/repair shop
Convenience store open at odd hours
Coffee shop(s)
Train station for getting other places
Drop-in medical clinic
Pharmacy
Hair dresser/barber
Hardware store
Butcher shop with local meat
Pub
Family restaurant
Park
A place for our canine friends to go off-leash
Places to work

Now what if community planning took all these things into account when giving business and/or development licences? We could have lots of Car Free Friday towns...

Amending a Post...

2008-09-28T07:03:00.000-07:00

I wrote a post about a month back, trying to give my viewpoint and opinion on how social issues can lead to choices that lead to driving cars more. I don't think I made my point very well (and came off sounding much harsher than I meant - I did amend the post slightly), so I would like to clearly state my opinion and thought processes here...

It is easiest to be car free in an urban setting that contains the appropriate amenities
Sometimes the social issues present in urban areas (drug use, crime, homelessness) influence people's decisions to live in suburbs (and therefore they drive more)
It is easy to demonize people who have fallen by the wayside - but not necessarily correct
Social issues will ultimately spread outside the urban area, and therefore we all need to deal with this issue now
When doing so, we cannot forget that people who become drug addicted, homeless, or forget to take medications for mental illness, are all someone's sons and daughters. They need our sympathy more than our disdain.
It can be hard to remember all of that...and to be charitable when we feel like being fed up.

A Very Good Reason to Skip Car Free Friday...

2008-09-20T14:58:00.000-07:00

Our dad (and husband) came home! After 159 days away in the Persian Gulf and other parts of the world, this Friday we picked dad up at the airport. We took the car. His transit time was already 32 hours and I didn't think we needed to make it any longer. Welcome home David. We love you!

Love Owey, Mom, Banjo and Scouty Brown.

The Day Care Mommies...

2008-09-12T20:41:00.000-07:00

I don't really know if this would be the correct term or not, but I noticed something while taking my son to and from school. The thing I noticed is, there seems to be quite a few "Day Care Mommies" who walk kids to school each day. Now, they just don't walk one child, they walk a few - their own, and the children they are caring for. And you know what? They do it with younger ones in tow, with buggies, with baby carriers, bicycles and even scooters. They do a great job and they are teaching the next generation that walking to places can be a really great thing. So, hats off to you day care mommies - you inspire me.

J

Did You Know?

2008-09-06T08:31:00.000-07:00

I know a secret. Now since I am not super duper at keeping secrets, I will tell you what it is. After Labour Day, school starts! Yes, it's true. Not only that, but IT IS THE SAME EVERY YEAR!

It seems the Saanich Police knew this secret as well, and were nabbing drivers left and right who decided that getting to work, etc. was FAR more important than some child's safety. Oh those poor drivers. They didn't even get a warning ticket, but an honest to goodness, costs lots of money ticket. How sad for them.

As you can see from my sarcasm above (yes, I know, the lowest form of wit), I don't have much sympathy for people speeding through school zones. "Oh sorry - I didn't know school started", is not much of an excuse. Tell that to the child's family when they end up in the hospital or worse. Young children are unpredictable. No matter what effort we make to ensure they know how to walk on the street, cross the road safely, look both ways...there will be times when they won't. Driving 30km an hour doesn't eliminate risk, but it certainly allows for more reaction time and potential accident avoidance.

So, as George would say, put your sorries in a sack mister, and slow down.

P.S. It's pretty hard to speed if your walking/running/or riding your bike...

Not In My BackYard...

2008-08-30T17:59:00.000-07:00

Okay...I know backyard doesn't need a capital "Y", but how do you get NIMBY without it?

Since we are talking about being car free here, and particularly on Fridays, I have come to discover in my 40 years of life, that if you want to easily live car free, you need to live somewhere near an urban core. That, or be extraordinarily self-sufficient on a farm-type situation. But one of the biggest reasons I hear that people don't want to live near downtown, is that they are "sick and tired" of all the social issues associated with it, namely homelessness and drugs. These seem to top everyone's list, with parking a distant third.

I am by no means a saint. I have a hard time with these issues, particularly since my children were born. I have days where it drives me absolutely crazy. I fantasize about living far enough away that I won't need to see drunks sleeping in the park or drug addicts stumbling down the street. Let me point out that this is not reality - this is only my perception of the problem when I am feeling particularly uncharitable - and that is not a good way to live your life. It is far too easy to demonize everyone hanging out on the street and sleeping in doorways, as simply lazy good-for-nothings. Maybe 5% of those people fall into that category. 5% is probably a high estimate. The remainder are likely a mosaic of people living with mental illnesses or disabilities (thank you Gordon for deciding that an IQ of 70 was sufficient to get by in this world without any assistance - sigh), drug addiction or from home situations that are intolerable. But we like to put the blame on individuals as opposed to any societal reasons, because then it means it can't happen to us.

I have drug addiction and alcoholism in my family. I have seen what it has done to people, and I have seen it completely tear families apart. But yes, it drives me crazy. I don't want it in my backyard. You probably don't want it in your backyard either.

What has this got to do with Car Free Friday? If social issues are driving folks away from urban centres and into the burbs, then we have a problem Houston. Driving your kids to and fro all the time, driving yourself to and fro all the time, is no solution either (and certainly no safer - car accidents are a significant cause of childhood injury and death). But people feel safe when they don't see people sleeping on a bench in their neighbourhood park. It might be inaccurate, but it's true.

What do we do? I like to approach this issue as a mother. What would I think if one of my children were to become severely addicted to drugs, and were living on the street? I can tell you one thing. I wouldn't want anyone to ever consider them to be "throw away people". But I certainly wouldn't want it easy to get drugs either. I would want strongly enforced rehab that is easily accessible, a safe place to sleep, and higher penalties for dealers.

What do you think? Let's not pretend this is a downtown issue anymore. We will see this in every neighbourhood and we need to think of what to do now. I don't think flying helicopters over parks and removing people's belongings is a solution. It just moves the issue out of one area and into another.

A Habit Formed

2008-08-26T06:39:00.000-07:00

A friend recently pointed out to me that this blog is in serious need of new content...I agree. I have neglected poor old car free friday for so long that you know what? The link has been broken for a few days now (thanks to "updating" by the hosting company) and I hadn't even noticed. Okay - new commitment made and here it is in writing. Each Friday, the night of Car Free Friday (or the following Saturday on nights where kidlets won't fall asleep) I will write a new post. This is the schedule. I will even post it somewhere to the right of the blog's main content so that comes up all the time as a reminder to readers and as a reminder to me...

Here is my spin doctor version of why I have been forgetting...you see, it is now a habit formed (with the exception of last week which I will get to in the next post). Every week when I figure out what I need to accomplish, get done, do for fun...I remember that whatever the family picks for Friday, has to involve no car. We can do bus, etc. but not the car. I tallied up all the Car Free Fridays since the beginning and there have been 26. I have missed (I think...) 5 of those. 26-5=21. Do you know what is significant about 21? It is the amount of times you have to do something in order to form a habit. So voila! Not only do I twist my hair, but I don't drive my car on Friday either.

Form a habit yourself. Here is some help.

Alison Gaul for Esquimalt Council

2008-08-09T18:24:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine is running for Esquimalt Council. Her name is Alison Gaul (see link in my newly created links list to the right). To sum it up in one sentence, you should vote for her (and I am not just saying that because her launch party had the BEST cupcakes I have ever tasted).

I promised CarFreeFriday to be non-political, but since this is municipal politics of which I am speaking...and because there are no parties involved...I consider this just fine to mention.

Good Luck Ali!

I Don't Hate Cars...

2008-08-09T18:11:00.000-07:00

Now, because I have a blog called CarFreeFriday...you might think I don't like cars. Well, what I actually don't like is our DEPENDENCE on cars, but cars themselves, no. Tonight for example, I was especially fond of my car. It was the magic puzzle piece to an evening of quiet repose. This was because my daughter Evangeline (aka the no-sleep baby) fell blissfully into the land of Nod while sitting in her car seat, and alas, is still slumbering peacefully away.

Back when I was, ummm...19....some 20-odd years ago...I used to like to drive around listening to mixed tapes in my 1981 Toyota Tercel (complete with its oh so uncool purple racing stripe) , while smoking Benson and Hedges (no, I don't smoke anymore and luckily never got addicted) and belting out Depeche Mode as loud as I could.

And, I really like the movie Cars, which is fortunate because I have probably seen it with my son in excess of 50 times. We had an ongoing deal that if we went to the toy store and they had some figurines from the movie Cars, he could buy one. This was a pretty safe bet because for a very long time they didn't make very many, and he had all of them (about 10 at the time). But then some marketing person got smart and now almost every vehicle seen in the film comes in mini-mode. There you go.

There.

J

Lament

2008-08-06T20:09:00.000-07:00

Lament...ooooh oooh ooooh....I guess you had to be around in the 80's, listening to Ultravox. Oh CarFreeFriday, where art thou? I promise a post tomorrow.

J

Consumption...

2008-07-26T20:43:00.001-07:00

Now for those who have been with me a while...you will remember that I started Car Free Friday mostly in response to gasoline prices. I am also an environmentalist, so the green mentality provided part of the uumph as well. Mostly however, I am cheap. Really cheap. Ask my husband about the leftovers stashed in the fridge. Well, maybe don't ask him. By the time he throws them out, some are covered with green furry stuff...No, this doesn't happen on a regular basis - just sometimes.

Back to being cheap. On Monday, I made my quarterly pilgrimage to Costco. I like to stock up on certain things there because the price(s) just can't be beat. In particular, there are great deals to be had on organic peanut butter, almond butter, books, laundry soap and bread. And sometimes...getting such good deals gives one a sense of giddiness. I am also a bit of a snoop. I like to sneak a peak at what others are buying, sometimes because I am just plain nosy. All my snoopiness led me to realize that people buy and spend heaps 'o' money on stuff that really, in my opinionated opinion, they don't really need. Imagine having all that money to yourself? Maybe it would total up to a vacation somewhere or who knows what else?

I call these "not-needed-to-be purchased things "non-products". I think my friend John Dacombe coined the original term, and it all started with his hatred for Bounce. So, because I am cheap, and because I think we just consume WAAAAAAAAY too much, here are some things I think we could all do without:

Plastic cups, cutlery and dishes
Paper napkins
Paper towel
Pre-soaked wipes (uuummm...I am guilty here of using diaper wipes. I could do without. I should try)
Bounce
Hair conditioner
Special household cleaners (in particular the one that sits in the Microwave and the one that goes off every time you get out of the shower). There are lots of recipes for homemade cleaners on the Net, or at the very least, I used diluted Windex and soap and water for just about everything.
Juice - kids drink way too much (rots their teeth). Cut back if you can. It's expensive anyway.
Books (yes, I am oh so guilty here - I like to buy cookbooks but I get my novels from the library now)
Individually wrapped toilet paper (my goodness, what is the need for this?)
Pop (again, guilty. I think I am addicted to diet coke)
Individual yogurts (get the handcuffs out - I will switch to bigger containers from now on)
Anything that comes with excessive packaging, particularly the indestructible, hard plastic, that ones needs a chainsaw to open
Garden pesticides

That's the list for today. What do you think? Do you know of any non-product that should go on the list?

Until next week (this time I have a reminder in my calendar!)...

Feeling a Bit Pathetic...

2008-07-14T20:22:00.000-07:00

I have been procrastinating for a few days - not wanting to write this post because, yes, you guessed it - I failed again. Now before I venture to wallow in a pool of my own feeling sorry for myself, glass 1/2 empty, state of pathetic-ness, I should count exactly how many times I have failed being Car Free on Friday, since the grand launch (late Feb, 2008). The grand total, it turns out, is 4. So, well, now I don't feel so bad. But I have decided to examine the whys and wherefores and ask for suggestions. So, without further adieu, this is what happened...

With all good intentions, we started out our Car Free Friday. Things were going good. We walked to our local schoolyard to throw the ball for the dog, we went for a stroller ride and run, and then came home for lunch. Then the wee one with big lungs, aka Evangeline age 1, threw the fit to end all fits. This was a crawling around on the ground, inconsolable, yelling with fists clenched, slap mummy, tantrum. Nothing would calm her down. Not cookies - nothing (I know, I know, don't bribe your kids with food - next time she does this, I will bring her to your house and you are free to try food-free techniques for invoking peace and tranquility). Now I need to emphasize this was after a night of almost 2 hours trying to get her to go to sleep, AND having to pick her up early from daycare the day before AND having to pick her up early from my parents house because of same type of said fit. So, I thought to myself, she is in pain, you need to get this kid to the doctor - never mind Car Free Friday.

So away we went. We arrived at the doctor's office (which of course we drove to because it is not close) and it turns out, well, she is fine. She might be getting some teeth in, but other than that, I think she is a very stubborn miss baby. Unfortunately, or fortunately? she takes after her mother in this regard.

So how could we have avoided this...well, truth be told, I don't really know. Children seem so ultimately fragile at this age, it is difficult not to run to a medical professional anytime we fear for their health. That is the way we are. I love her forever.

FREE COOKIES!

2008-07-04T19:50:00.000-07:00

Price of gasoline: 149.4 cents
Price per barrel of crude oil: 146 dollars

Are you a small-sized organization (located within Victoria, BC) interested in promoting Car Free Friday at your workplace? Have I got a deal for you! If your company is somewhere under 30 employees...and you can get 1/3 of your workforce to be car free on Friday...a Friday you pick (get the carpooling, etc all set up in advance), then guess what? I will BRING YOU COOKIES! Hopefully you are downtown or somewhere close by so I can get the cookies to you, but I am sure most destinations are within bus distance. Now, here are the rules...

1/3 of your workforce has to participate
They will get buttons - to display proudly!
They will get cookies! What kind of cookies? THESE COOKIES! Hopefully I can pull off the baking as well as Alton (cause that is the recipe of which I am thinking...)
You must give me 2 weeks advance notice of the Friday you are contemplating

Doesn't that sound great? Now why the size limit you say? Well, admittedly, the cookies will be baked in my home kitchen so I don't have much space to produce heaps of them. If I get this thing going more, and if folks participate, I will open it up to larger organizations and see if I can enlist the kind services of fellow bakers.

So there you go! Is that incentive or what?

The Carbon Tax...

2008-07-02T20:28:00.000-07:00

I guess I have been avoiding the topic...but here we go, diving head first, into the murky pool of the Carbon Tax.

Do I agree with it? Yup, yup I do. It is not perfect. It does penalize some folks more than others, but right now, I do certainly think it is a step in the right direction. The price of fuel, and in particular the rising price of fuel, is about the ONLY thing I have ever seen that has made larger numbers of people change their driving habits - folks that would not have done so otherwise. Doom and gloom messages about global warming certainly haven't, they have only perhaps served to make people bury their heads in the sand. I guess we needed to get hit in the pocketbook.

What is good about the carbon tax?

Well...as I said, rising prices seem to be about the only thing that affects driver/consumer behaviour
We get the money back, and hopefully more, in tax cuts

What is not so good?

I don't understand why the money from the carbon tax is not being used for green initiatives. I mean the government spin is that the very act of having the tax will get people to behave accordingly, but why not use the money for better transportation options? This doesn't seem to make much sense to me. If this is inaccurate, I would happily stand corrected
If the government does other things (policy initiatives, funding decisions, etc) that ENCOURAGE DRIVING, there is no net benefit to the tax. In particular I mean...no adequate funding for alternative transportation, closing schools so people can't walk their children to school anymore, you get the picture...

You can read it for yourself. Here is the government link to info on the Carbon Tax...

On a political note, as a potential NDP voter, I think Carol James has gambled, gambled big time on her anti-carbon tax platform and it has potentially cost the NDP my vote. From everything I have read, the anti- Carbon Tax response seems to be politically motivated versus ideologically motivated. Not good.

Until next week...J

Next week's topic is...hmmmmmmm...do you want a topic covered? If you do! I would be happy to do some research and/or give you my opinion! Send me some ideas and I will mull them over.

Esquimalt's Transportation Evoloution

2008-06-29T06:16:00.000-07:00

I admit to being somewhat disappointed after attending this event, albeit only briefly (the attendance that is, not the disappointment). While I applaud using fuel cell technology and alternative forms of power, what was drastically missing from this event was any form of PEOPLE power. Yes, there was a display of electric bikes, but isn't that actually just part of the problem? How hard is it to peddle a bike? I've been doing it since I was five. Now, I understand and agree with the argument that cycling is more difficult for some folks, and that the added benefit of electrical power enables them to cycle hills..but the vast majority of electric bikes that I have seen in Victoria don't fit this scenario. They are being driven down the Galloping Goose with their drivers either not peddling at all, or doing the very minimal. As for alternatively powered cars, this is a step forward, but I would argue a small step. A car is still a car. It still had to be made, and it still needs roads to drive on, and it needs parking lots in which to park. So again, it is a small step. Emissions may be less, but the infrastructure demands are not.

C'est la vie. I can be a tough nut sometimes.

Oh yes, what about the 8 kms I spoke of? I failed Car Free Friday by 8km last week (this week there will be Car Free Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday). My son went over to his cousin's house after the tall ship festival. It's only about 4km away, but 45 minutes by bus...how to get the 1 1/2 year old there and back was the difficulty. The road was too busy for a bike trailer and way too busy for walking with small children. I need to figure out the bus thing better. Or organize better. Enough excuses on my part.

Until next week, J

8 Kilometres

2008-06-27T20:38:00.001-07:00

8 Kilometres - that is what stood between me and Car Free Friday...8 measly kms...More later.

Treadmills or Sidewalks?

2008-06-21T20:46:00.000-07:00

Let's say you work for a municipality. Someone is going to give you, voila! 5000 dollars. Lucky you! This doesn't happen in real life. Now, with your 5000 dollars, you are mandated to spend it on something that will keep your population healthy. Not just some of your population, but most of your population. Young, old, fit, not fit, man, woman, child. What do you do with your 5000 dollars? Well, I hope you don't buy a treadmill. I hope you build a sidewalk (even at 100 dollars a foot, you can build 50 feet), and a damn fine one at that.

Now before everyone gets their knickers in a knot...I have a degree in Recreation and Health Education. A real, certified degree from the University of Victoria. I have worked in recreation, with folks living with developmental disabilities, and with children for over 15 years. I like to think I know a little of which I speak. Why not a treadmill you say? What do I have against treadmills? Besides the fact that they are boring as all get out, when it comes to bang for the buck, the sidewalk is the better deal. For one thing, everyone gets a chance to use it, not just those that can get to a gym (and how many 8 year olds do you see on a treadmill?) or those that have time for the gym or those that can use a treadmill (people with wheelchairs for example). Now take a look at that sidewalk in front of your house. How long do you think it has been there? I know the one in front of mine is at least 40 years old, and there are many in town that I would dare say are much older than that. Take a look at the treadmill in your local gym. How old do you think that is? Well, I can tell you, the chances are less than 5. Further, it is probably on a lease and will be replaced by a brand new one in 3-5 years time (5 years would be quite stretching it).

So...buy the sidewalk, get the treadmill next year. Or better yet, set up free walking and running programs for folks so they can use those glorious sidewalks (thank you Esquimalt! you did this already) more than they might currently be doing. Yes, treadmills serve a purpose. I use one when those grey, wet days of February seem relentless and I want to get in a run. But I would argue that in most cases, treadmills are far from the best way to get the majority of your population healthy, and as it so happens, out of their cars.

For 5000 bucks, concrete seems like a sweet deal.

A No Go...

2008-06-20T19:55:00.001-07:00

Price of gasoline: 146.9 cents
Price per barrel of oil: 134.62 dollars

This week was a no go for Car Free Friday...I had an appointment that just couldn't be got to without driving. Admittedly, if someone had been around to look after the wee ones, I could have travelled by bike but this was not the case. So...I did drive today, but did not drive on Tuesday to make up for it, and will not drive tomorrow either. Being sick is tough on the ole automobile mileage and also the pocket. Going from appointment to appointment has seen me doing lots of driving this week, and it was truly no fun, no fun at all.

June 15 is Car Free Day in Vancouver!

2008-06-15T07:44:00.000-07:00

Despite all my google searches for Car Free Friday, etc. I didn't know about this, until I heard it on the CBC this morning. Today is Car Free Day in parts of Vancouver.

www.carfreevancouver.org

CFAX Round-Up

2008-06-10T20:56:00.000-07:00

Price of gasoline: 146.9
Price per barrel of oil: 139 dollars

Did you hear me on the radio? I hope you did! Thank you Murray Langdon for having me on the program. I am very grateful.

The conversation spurred me to do a re-cap post. Why I started Car Free Friday, and what it is meant, and not meant to do. So, here we go!

1. Why Car Free Friday?

Prices of oil are going up - WAAAAAAAAAAAY up. I am, ultimately a cheapskate. I don't want to spend my money on something like this. I would rather keep it for other things or not have to work more hours to earn that money (I like being home with my kids when I can). Also, our world cannot afford us all driving everywhere, whenever we like, at whatever cost (both monetary and environmentally).

2. Do I have a car?

Yes. It's a Nissan Pathfinder, and not all that good on gas, so I try to go less than 100K each week. This is hard. We are about 50% successful. We need a more fuel efficient vehicle so we spend less money on gas...but we don't have the money to buy one...which means we are spending more money on gas....it's a vicious circle.

3. Do I make money from Car Free Friday?

Not a plug nickel. Nada. Nothing. In fact, it costs me money. I buy the buttons with my own money and pay for the domain with my own money. One day I hope to be a not-for-profit but right now, it is just me.

4. Is Car Free Friday associated with a political party?

No. Although all parties (provincial and federal) should like it, shouldn't they? I may run for municipal office one day, but not now. I am too busy to give it the attention it deserves.

5. Is there another agenda behind Car Free Friday?

Beyond encouraging people to not drive on Friday...(obviously), no. I am an environmentalist, a runner, and a stroller pusher accompanied by two small children and a dog. I don't like our current reliance on the automobile for many reasons. I'll get into these on further posts.

6. What is the future of Car Free Friday?

I hope it can become like recycling. If you have the means to do it, you do. Wouldn't it be great if there were hardly any vehicular traffic on the road each Friday?

That's about it. It is a simple idea. I would hazard a guess that most of us who claim we absolutely COULD NOT go without our car one day a week (Friday or any other day), haven't even tried. What about trying? You might just like it.

Next week's post: sidewalks or treadmills?

Listen to the Radio!

2008-06-10T08:27:00.001-07:00

Wasn't there a song with those lyrics once?

But! Listen to the Radio! CFAX 1070 to be exact, and to be more exact, at 6:10 on June 10! I will be on the radio - hopefully...all going well. Let's hope I speak slowly.

J

On a Serious Note...

2008-06-05T20:38:00.000-07:00

Price of gasoline: 136.9
Price per barrel of oil: 130 dollars

As you can see by the prices above, the amount you will pay for fuel, whether it be heating oil or gasoline, is skyrocketing. Now, all of this is great in one regard, because at some point, folks will decide they need to try alternate forms of transportation. This may mean carpooling, bicycling, public transit, or hoofing it. But there is a serious side to this all. As the price of fuel goes up, so does the price of food. Now this is no big deal for us ample-sized North Americans, but it is another matter entirely for people living in impoverished countries. Did you know that more maize was used in the production of bio-fuel last year, than was used for food? Something is wrong here. So, if for no other reason than people are starving to death...we all need to drive less. And if you drive less, I dare say, you might have some spare change in your pocket. What you ask, should you do with that spare change? Donate it. Feed someone. I know I promised at the beginning of Car Free Friday to not get all heavy and depressing, but this is serious. Here are some suggestions (yes, I do donate - monthly to sponsor a girl in Uganda):

www.watoto.com - Watotoa is a christian based organization running homes for orphaned children in Uganda
www.warchild.org - War Child Helps children forced to fight wars escape from their situations
www.worldvision.com - World Vision has been helping for what seems like an eternity

I am sure there are more great organizations. I am confident most people reading this blog have the financial ability to donate at least 20 dollars a month...Make it easy. Set up monthly payments on a credit card and I guarantee you, you will not notice the difference. Someone else most certainly will.

More Car Free Friday Buttons...

2008-06-05T20:24:00.001-07:00

100 buttons for car free friday on the wall, 100 buttons for car free friday...

if one of those buttons should happen to fall, 99 buttons for car free friday on the wall...

Well, as you can see, this would be an annoying song. So! You need to help me divest myself of these buttons. Are you car free on friday? Do you know folks who are? Do you want a button? These are 2 1/4 inch buttons and look oh so sharp pinned to your backpack, fleece, coat, whatever! I do admit, they are pretty spiffy! So if you want one, let me know, and I will figure out how to get it to you...

As Promised...The 800 Dollar "Car" That Runs on Chocolate Chip Cookies

2008-05-30T18:11:00.001-07:00

Price of gasoline: 136.9 or 135.9 if you're lucky
Price per barrel of oil: 127.35 dollars

I have this fancy baby buggy...not really a buggy so much as a tank. It is big...too big in fact. I can't get it through my front door so it mostly sits under my porch stairs. It is, admittedly, as far as baby buggies go, hugely expensive (ummmm...800 dollars with all the accoutrements) and overkill for most situations, but I couldn't get by without it. You see, for a baby buggy it is extreme, but for a little car it is just about perfect. We load it up with two kids (70 pound total), pack up all the stuff we need for the day, and head out. We can grocery shop, go for a run, pack a picnic, exercise the dog, and stop at the library. Now after all that, things are getting a little crowded, but it is still an amazingly functional vehicle. And in the long run, far cheaper than the most fuel efficient hybrid car, and no need to buy insurance. Plus! It runs on chocolate chip cookies (or mini eggs..) I love it. It is not a downtown, shopping kinda buggy, but it suits our purposes fine.

When the kids are grown and done with it, it'll become my shopping trailer. I can switch to bike tow mode with a few simple adjustments. Not bad for 800 dollars.

On Schools and Being Forgetful

2008-05-21T19:33:00.001-07:00

Price of gasoline: 133.9

Price per barrel of oil: 129.07 dollars

First, the latter. I am forgetful. Only short term forgetful. For some reason, I have an annoyingly good long term memory (Trivial Pursuit anyone?), but my short term memory is not so good. So you see, I actually forgot about Car Free Friday. Oh no, not in the sense that I didn't do it, but in the sense that I forgot to write about it. So there you go - I need a reminder of some kind. Then again, maybe it is all these automatic reminders that is turning my brain to mush. If I don't get an email, or an alarm doesn't go off, I don't seem to remember. Maybe an old fashioned string on my finger is what I need. I was also going to write about the 800 dollar "car" pictured in the previous post, but I forgot all about that too, and started thinking about something else...namely schools...see below.

Okay so now on to the former - schools. I love my kids. I love them more than I thought I could love anything. I want them to go to great schools. I want them to go to schools that foster long-lasting friendships with all the kids in their neighbourhood, both young and old. But our schools are changing, and I would argue not for the better. In Victoria, we are "specializing". Some schools are good for music, some for sports and some for French. As well, we have very specific rules around age groups. K through 5 go here, 6 to 8 go here, and 9 to 12 go somewhere else. Put this all together and you have a school system that does 2 very negative things. First, it moves schools away from being community-based, to being subject-based. Now if you want your child to excel at rugby, you send them to Oak Bay. If you want baseball, you go to Lambrick (I think?). Additionally, it creates these very stringent age categories that ultimately mean schools are farther away all the time because there is no flexibility in age segregation. Both of these 2 things mean that we are driving our kids to school more than we ever have. It is very difficult to encourage alternative forms of transportation when parents are so busy driving from one public institution to another.

Now imagine this. Imagine a neighbourhood school with K through 12 all at the same school. If the population base shifts, you simply have less children in the lower grades and more in the upper grades. Imagine that all these neighbourhood schools are simply that - in your neighbourhood. You can actually walk there. Your children can all go to the same school. You know the kids in the house next door because they are not being driven 1/2 way across town to a different school. Maybe this is pie in the sky, but it sounds pretty appealing to me. If I am completely off my rocker, leave me a comment, and as long as the language is sound...I'll post it!

Car Free Photos and Good Car Free Things

2008-05-11T20:14:00.001-07:00

Price of gasoline: 132.9 (gee, 150 doesn't sound so far away anymore...)

Price per barrel of oil: 126 dollars

After last week's lame post and lame dog incident...here are the photos. Let me preface things a bit. We all like to think that we have the power to do whatever we want, and that being famous like Oprah is simply a product of strong will. But reality and research says different. For example, did you know you can estimate a population's percentage of "overweightness" by how walkable their community is? Yes! It's true...they did a study on this in Atlanta, Georgia, a city no stranger to obesity. Communities with more sidewalks, faster commutes, etc. had were in general, 10 pounds lighter than communities that were less walkable - Barbara McCann is the researcher who delved into the findings - my summary probably does not do it justice. So while free will and all that good stuff is a nice idea, it is kind of like the nature versus nurture debate: both actually play a part.

So what is my point? Well, my point is, not only do individuals want to be car free if they are to succeed at Car Free Friday...their community needs to support this. The support comes in the form of infrastructure.

This is what I mean...see that path in the photo on the right? well, it is responsible for actually making it faster to get places in my neighbourhood by walking rather than driving. So, that, as Martha likes to say, is a good thing. but what could make it even better? What about a sign that indicates where the path is going at the beginning of the street? A sign that lets bicycles and walkers know they can get through? That...is the message of the first photo. On to the next...

That, my friends, is a well-designed covered bike parking area. Not only is it covered (so you can leave your bike there in the rain...), but it is highly visible. It is right out in front of the building, not tucked away to the side or in the back. So worries about bike theft are probably drastically reduced.

One last photo, but more on this next week....the 800 dollar "car" that runs on chocolate. Chocolate chip cookies actually.

Lameness

2008-05-06T20:10:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

Good News...I finally have some more photos to demonstrate good car free things/not so good car free things.

Bad News...so much stuff to deal with this week, that I need to delay until the next.

So...this is a lame short post on my part, but in part it is short because I had to deal with a lame dog today (nothing major - cut paw pad that she has some antibiotics for).

Apologies - next week I will be back at it in full swing but I leave this for you to contemplate in the mean time - WHAT IS WITH ALL THE MOTORIZED VEHICLES ON THE GALLOPING GOOSE? Yes, I realise that caps are considered yelling in Internet language, but well, there you go.

Car Free Etiquette

2008-04-27T07:40:00.000-07:00

Price of Gasoline: 1.29.9 dollars per litre
Price per barrel: 116.06 dollars

I forgot one thing from last week. I had this great idea that I was going to take photos of places, things, ideas, buildings, etc that make being car free easy...but well..I forgot that I am without a camera for a bit - at least until I save up for a new one. I am hoping soon.

But! Instead of photos, I thought it was important (maybe particularly important for me) to remember the etiquette of being car free. First, many folks can't be car free because of their jobs, family commitments, housing situations, or health. So by no means do I want people reading this to think that I frown upon anyone who is sitting behind a wheel on Fridays. Also, some folks don't want to go car free on Friday, even if they can, but they may be doing lots of other important things for the environment. I mean, it would be hypocritical to be car free, but be a mass consumer of goods, or someone who doesn't recycle. It is, in the end, all about the net benefit to the environment.

So...on with the Car Free Points of Etiquette:

Say Thank You. If you are crossing the road and someone stops for you, say thanks. Wave, smile, say it out loud.
Jingle, Jingle. If you are on a bike, and need to pass someone, call out or jingle your bell. It is much nicer to hear a bell behind you, than to be startled by someone whizzing by you.
Help Others. Do you see folks struggling for change to get on the bus? Could you lend them a quarter?
Pump Down the Volume. Yes, it is nice to listen to tunes but it is equally important that you are aware of your surroundings. It is pretty hard to let people know you are passing if they can't hear you.
Let folks know when they have helped. Esquimalt recreation centre has a great, visible, covered area that fits bikes and strollers. I need to thank them next time I am at the facility.

Well, that might be kind of a boring post, but in all, please be nice in your car free endeavours. I had a high school teacher once go on and on about how boring "nice" was (he was speaking in terms if literary characters so I will cut him a break), but really, couldn't we all stand to be just a little nicer?

The Buttons are Here! The Buttons are Here!

2008-04-19T09:28:00.000-07:00

Price of gasoline per litre: 124.9 - eeks!

Barrel of oil: 116.69 (and going up)

Yes - the official Car Free Friday buttons are now here and you can get one for yourself! The deal is, you must be willing to wear it proudly on Car Free Friday, and if you like, carry it around on other days just so it gets noticed. I think these are kinda nice buttons, if I do say so myself. I had these printed at a company called Cafe Press (www.cafepress.com) as well as 2 t-shirts but the t-shirts frankly, sucked. The car didn't show up at all, and neither did the www and the .com (I have since darkened the grey) so I think I will have to go the professional route if I want t-shirts (but if I did, you would want one, n'est pas?).

This is not much of a Car Free Friday post, but I wanted to promote another worthwhile cause in an effort to assuage my laziness. It is Earth Day coming up this Monday - so if you have it in you, it would be a heroic effort on your part to do 2! yes 2 - car free days...one on Monday and one on Friday.

If you want a button, let me know and I will try to get it to you. I noticed someone hit the site from Australia...I don't know if I am willing to ship things that far...but the Victoria area is certainly well within my grasp.

For next week's post...weather depending...I will try to take some photos of things that I think encourage Car Free Friday and things that don't.

Have a good Earth Day.

Sharing

2008-04-12T19:50:00.000-07:00

Price of gasoline per litre: 121.4 (although I think it might be higher)

Barrel of oil: 110.14

First, how was Car Free Friday? It was a beautiful day, after so much rain and frost and then more rain...it is definitely getting easier to remember. In fact, I am almost thinking I need to add another day into the mix because it is REALLY easy for me to be car free on Tuesdays too. Why? Because I live in a community that is close to daycare, close to rec centres and close to shopping. In fact, most of these places are easier to get to on foot than by car. Good for you Esquimalt!

But I am getting off track here. Yes, sharing - that is what I set out to talk about...To be more specific, information sharing. I should have mentioned at the onset, that Car Free Friday is not a new concept. I certainly didn't invent it (but I do own the domain!) and I lay no claim to its ingenuity. Here are some other Car Free Friday sites for you:

And Car Free in and of itself has also been around the block...it's even on Wikipedia! (and other places):

But what I really wanted to share, and can't find anymore, is a really good car ownership calculator. One that would tell you, based on the model of your car, how far you have to drive to work, what you have to pay for parking etc. would cost you. But alas, the one I used to use, by the Go Green initiative has vanished from the Internet. This was the second best one I could find (but it is not nearly so good as the old Go Green one).

Cost of car ownership

And do you know what else is truly amazing? Closing down streets and having folks run a marathon actually saves lives! Yes...despite the fact that some percentage of marathoners ultimately perish during the endeavour (I do take this seriously - I run marathons), the fact that all those folks are not driving, and that the roads are closed, realizes a net benefit in lives. You can read about it here... Who would have thought that?

Well, that is it for this week's Car Free Friday post...still no buttons...I will keep you posted.

April 4 - Miscellaneous Musings...

2008-04-05T19:39:00.000-07:00

There isn't really a theme for this week...just a few miscellaneous musings. I did promise some photos though, so let's start off with something completely irrelevant, something like, my mini-egg stash...Did I mention that my Car Free Fridays run on chocolate? Did you know that I now have so many mini-eggs I am not really interested in eating them? It doesn't look like that many here because of the way I took the photo, but this is a really big mixing bowl.

Price of gasoline per litre: 122.5 (still going up!)

Barrel of oil: 106

Cadbury mini-eggs: 1/2 price at Superstore - needless to say, I don't really need to purchase any more.

I also have a Car Free confession. I wasn't car free on Friday. I traded my Friday for a Tuesday AND a Saturday, because I felt so guilty about Friday. You see, we were invited to a family dinner and I couldn't possibly figure out how we were going to get there in under 2 hours on public transit. For some destinations, the bus service is Victoria is pretty good. If you are trying to go downtown or to the university, you are usually in luck. Places outside of that however are usually faster to run to. Seriously. I can run to most places faster in Victoria than I can take the bus there, and I am not all that swift. BC Transit...you need to be more speedy.

I also promised general Car Free Friday photos...here is one on a previous car free day with the BB (biting baby) in the BB (baby backpack). She is asleep here so there was no biting going on. For all you mommy-folks out there, I highly recommend baby backpacks. This one is an Ergo in denim. It is great for carrying babies on your back when they get too big to be on the front (if you are short like me it makes you feel like you can't see...) and make travelling around without a car really easy. No stroller to fold up and navigate around tight corners and all that stuff.

Other than that, I am eagerly anticipating the arrival of the buttons and the t-shirts. Remember, the buttons are up for grabs for folks dedicated to Car Free Friday!

The Next Car Free Friday - Employers' Day

2008-03-28T20:12:00.000-07:00

So...what prevents people from being Car Free? Well, getting to and from work is probably a big reason for lots of us. So this is for all you employers out there...what can you do to make Car Free Friday possible? Don't worry - I've done the hard part for you. Here are the suggestions:

Let people telecommute. Lots of us work at a desk. We have computers. The computers are connected to the Internet. Telecommuting is a no-brainer in many industries (yes, I do realize MANY jobs are not suited to this but it is a suggestion that would work for thousands of us). Now there are lots of varying opinions on whether this increases productivity or not, but very few studies indicate it decreases it. So why not take the chance?
Vary working hours. A big reason why folks don't commute on bicycle is traffic congestion. What if you let workers come in at different times to avoid rush hour?
A four day work week. Do you need everyone to work five days a week? Do you have staff who would be happy working less? Could you get by if they did work less? Perhaps you could. In this day of "hard to find help" this could be your leg up on the competition.
Set up carpooling. So if folks need to be at a worksite on Friday, you can coordinate carpooling. What if people who carpooled got free parking?

So go for it all you employers. Make it easy for your staff to be Car Free. You might end up with happier, healthier, more productive employees. Who could say no to that?

CarFreeFriday - March 28 Recap

2008-03-28T19:22:00.000-07:00

For "Car-free-ness" it was an easy Car Free Friday. By that I mean we didn't have much cause to use the car. The only time when I thought it might be a good idea was when I was picking up a bottle of wine. What I really wanted was a nice 6-pack of micro-brewery beer, but well, I had to pick my son up at the recreation centre and didn't want to walk in there swinging a 6-pack around (no, I am not a lush...just running errands with no car - interesting dilemmas do arise). The tough part has been the weather. What I anticipated to be a nice spring day was cold, windy, sometimes snowy and sometimes hail. Now, I know we folks in Victoria have little cause to complain about the weather...but the greyness of it all gets to me sometimes. I would trade a plus 5 grey day, for a minus 10 sunny one. I can say that with a fair amount of hypocrisy because I have, except for a brief stint in Germany, lived here all my life. I might change my mind if we get posted to Halifax one day.

I did some more tweaking with layout, and I think it is fine for now. What I am lacking however is photos. Photos to show how great Car Free Friday can be! Or in some cases not so great. This city could definitely move toward more "walkability" in my mind. So...a new resolution. On Car Free Friday I will bring my camera with me and take some pics.

A Favour for Your Neighbour!

2008-03-27T20:12:00.000-07:00

Price of gasoline per litre: 1.21 (egads!)

Barrel of oil: 107.58

Cadbury mini-eggs: dirt cheap at Superstore and some deals to be had a Thrifty's (75 cents for a bag of popping mini-eggs). Photo of my mini-egg stash promised for tomorrow.

Okay...lots of little details this week, but those will follow...First, you need to know all about this week's coming up Car Free Friday. It's easy! You simply need to do your regular Car Free Friday, but add in a simple favour for someone you know. So, it might not be your neighbour, but what about a relative? I am going to look after my nephew tomorrow. We are going to eat grilled cheese sandwiches and pickles. When was the last time you had a grilled cheese sandwich? Wouldn't you love to have a little one over and eat some ketchup with a sandwich on the side? Kids love that kind of thing. Then maybe you could make cookies and everyone could eat cookie batter. See? Car Free Friday is great! So if that's not up your alley...perhaps you could walk someone's kids to school, or pick up a coffee for someone who needs a visit. If it doesn't hail, snow, and rain (like it did on my run today...) you could mow the lawn for the folks next door. So get to it everyone...a favour for your neighbour!

Now the little details...

Did you see it? The new logo! Okay, it's not much different from what was there before...but now there is a car in the middle. I struggled with the car. At first, I didn't want one, because I wanted Car Free Friday to be so much NOT about the car, but well...the point was just easier to get across with the car there. So now there is a car. Voila! I think it is done. I have a different version for another purpose which is...
BUTTONS! Yes, I have ordered buttons. So on the buttons, the logo has carfreefriday underneath so everything fits nice on a button. If you see me on Friday, sporting my ultra chic button, just ask me for one. I will give it to you for free if you PROMISE...to wear it on the days you participate in Car Free Friday;
And SHIRTS! Okay, so far only just for me and my husband, but I think the shirt is pretty cool;
And...I realized I never do a recap of my previous Car Free Friday. I think the reason is, but the time Thursday rolls around, I don't much remember it. So I am going to change my posting schedule. From now on, I will do my Car Free Friday posts on Friday night. The post will consist of a recap of the day, and the ideas, thoughts, musings and opinions for the Car Free Friday coming up. So guess what? Another Car Free Friday post for you tomorrow!
On a technical note...I might shuffle this whole thing over to WordPress. All you bloggers out there...do you use WordPress? Is it so much better than Blogger? I think it just might be...

Have fun everyone.

Running (or walking or cycling...) Errands

2008-03-20T19:41:00.000-07:00

Price of gasoline: 117.9 cents a litre

Price of a barrel of oil: 101 dollars (did I get that right? Maybe I need some kind of ticker)

Price of chocolate: too many different kinds to figure out. Cadbury mini-eggs are under a dollar!

So today I bought myself a new Gregory backpack from MEC. My goal is, with this new fancy backpack...that cost 65 dollars...to convince myself that I will not need to buy a treadmill...that costs 2500 dollars. Why I need or don't need to buy a treadmill is a looooong story. But! Can you see the savings that can be had? Over 2400 dollars! So what does all this have to do with Car Free Friday? Well, this week's theme is running errands - like what I plan to do with my Gregory backpack instead of running on a boring ole treadmill. What you need to do is this: pick an errand that you would NORMALLY do in a car. Maybe this is grocery shopping, renting a video, going to the bank, those kinds of things. Now try to figure out how you can do it without driving. Here are some thoughts:

Going to the bank - this is an easy one. Even if you have to take out oodles and oodles of cash...chances are it can still all fit in your wallet.
Picking up your kids from school - okay, if you live far away from school this may be tricky, but what youngster (now by youngster I mean kids under 7 or thereabouts) wouldn't love a bus ride? My son does...and he talks to everyone...I mean everyone...he meets on the bus. At the very least, you will have something interesting to discuss at the dinner table. And if you don't get home in time to make a fancy supper, I suggest omelets (sp?).
Grocery shopping - most of us live at least somewhat near a grocery store. Maybe it's a bike ride away, maybe just a walk away. The challenge is, what can you fit in your backpack that would satisfy everyone for supper? You don't need to get a week's worth of stuff, just something to keep folks from grumbling until the next night.
Rent a video...we just watched Michael Clayton. Pretty good and if you are keeping your eyes peeled you'll find the Witch from the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. She isn't any nicer is this movie.
Go for dinner. Rumor has it a nice French restaurant has opened in Victoria. I haven't been there yet, but it is called Bon Rouge. If you go...and didn't take your car! Let me know how it went.

So those are the ideas. Get out there and run an errand. Maybe you just need to go buy a chocolate bar. In my books, that is a pretty important thing to do almost every day.

And on a TOTALLY unrelated note..if you serve Creme Brulee (sorry, can't figure out how to do accents) on your menu, really, the ONLY option should be VANILLA.

These are the People in Your Neighbourhood...

2008-03-13T19:49:00.000-07:00

Price of gasoline per litre: 1.17 or thereabouts

Price of a barrel of oil: 111 dollars (new high)

Okay...first things first. It has taken me tooooooo long to finish this post because I was busy mucking around with a logo. It is not finished, but I have a good start on it. Basically it is what you see to the right...an apple with a car kind of in the middle (the car isn't there yet - I ran out of time), but a line through the car. So the idea is that car free friday is kind of like an apple a day. You know...good for you. I hope you like it...it is growing on me. Once I get it to a semi-decent state there will be buttons...

Now onto this week...your mission, should you choose to accept it...is to meet someone in your neighbourhood. This is easy if you do lots of walking! It could be the grocer, the mailman, a neighbour that you haven't talked to before...anyone. Every time we go for a walk in our neighbourhood, my husband is always amazed at how many people I can say hi to. This is slightly easier because I have lived in Victoria for so long, but also because it is far simpler to meet, greet and say hi when you are on two feet versus four wheels.

I fear not many folks are reading this. I hope the buttons will help (with the URL on them) but if you are trying out Car Free Friday let me know how it goes and if you managed to meet anyone this week.

Have Fun!

The Second Car Free Friday (March 7) and a Re-Cap of the First...

2008-03-05T19:00:00.000-08:00

This is a tough post for me to write. Ever since I started Car Free Friday I have been on a see-saw ride of frustration and elation. I knew some folks wouldn't like it. It offends their environmental sensibilities...(what? me? drive less? how DARE you suggest that!). Others don't care (sorry...can't help you). Some folks don't think it is at all possible. I guess those are the people I would like to talk to for this up-coming Car Free Friday. The next bit is for you...

I used to teach personal training (stay with me...it will be relevant in a moment). I could almost tell you within 5 minutes of meeting clients who would be successful in reaching their fitness goals and who wouldn't. Those who came with their bag of excuses (no time, too busy, etc.) ready in hand usually didn't succeed. So for you Car Free Fridians who don't think you can do it....hopefully you can. Some circumstances make it exceedingly difficult if not downright impossible. I understand because I have been there. Let's see if we can figure it out together...

You are a working mom with small kids that need to get to daycare every day, picked up every day, and in between you need to get to work...

Okay. I have done this. Unless you live within walking distance of your daycare and work...or on an exceedingly good bus route...you may have to drive. No worries! Switch to Car Free Saturday. Get all your errands done during the week if you can, and enjoy a nice, no driving Saturday or perhaps the whole weekend. If anyone knows of other solutions to this...let us know!

You drive for a living..not driving on Friday is not just not an option.

Yup...Car Free Saturday is the thing for you! Driving for a living is a reality for many folks. What better way to get away from the weekly rat race than leaving your vehicle at work?

You don't live far from work, but the bus ride is not so great, and you are not all that keen on riding a bike in traffic yet.
Please...one day, if you can...try to walk to work. Get a radio if that makes things easier, or an iPod. Walking to work, and especially walking home...are great ways to de-"stress" from home or work life and you'll get your workout in at the same time.

You need to believe you can do it...

Now...a recap of last week's Car Free Friday (I need to remember to take my camera with me!). My husband and I went for a great walk along the West Bay Walkway stopping at the Spinnaker's Bakery for treats. Good whole wheat croissants, not so great shortbread. They do have doggy biscuits though, so wee brown dog was happy. We grocery-shopped the day before so the only errand I had to run was to the video store. This was a soggy event. I have no great raincoat (wee brown dog ate the zipper) so in order to be better prepared for Car Free Fridays, I need better raingear and an umbrella. How was your Car Free Friday? I need to hear about it!

Until next week, J.

The First Car Free Friday! February 29, 2008

2008-02-26T20:42:00.000-08:00

Don't Start Your Engines! Get ready for the first Car Free Friday!

Now, as promised, this first post would be about great things you can do, great places you can go, when you leave your car at home. This week's post also has another theme, and that is, "Sweet Things" (you'll know why in a minute). The truth is, you can obviously get to a lot of these places in your car, but heck, you don't need to. Now most certainly this is specific to Victoria BC, but you could make your own list for where you live. Here is my list..since I have lived in Victoria for most of my life, I have a fairly good idea about what is around, but I am open to suggestions and encourage them!

So put on your walking or cycling shoes, grab your raincoat (it is February after all) and here we go....(please note: I am affiliated with NONE of the following organizations, though free treats thrown my way can do you no harm).

Do you live in Esquimalt? Everything in Esquimalt is walking/cycling/running/baby stroller distance. Trust me on this one. I run alot and it is hard to cover 10K in Esquimalt.

Head down Admirals Road for a wonderful latte and almond apple croissant from Beans and Greens Coffee Shop. The wee ones can play while you sip away and they have free WIFI...(my dad thought this meant free wife...)

Do you live in downtown Victoria?

There is no better place for sweet things than Chocolat on Fort and Douglas. The chili chocolates are to die for and the good news is they are HOT! So your kids won't want a bite (yes, I can be evil mommy sometimes instead of nice mommy - if you want to be nice mommy get them some of the caramels - it is fun to eat chewy things when you are 5)

Do you live in Fairfield/Cook Street Village?

Oh Bubby Rose, you evil evil bakery. You make sticky buns soooo good they taint my morning breakfast thoughts with sticky sugar buttery gooeyness...(I am pretty sure that is not a word). What I mean is...get your butt down to Bubby Rose early on Friday morning and get a sticky bun! Now go for a morning stroll on Dallas Road before you head off to work

Do you live in Maplewood?

Sweets o'plenty at the Italian Bakery..nice little yummy sweets and you can do your bread shopping too!

Now that is it for this week's suggestions because I can't put out all my ideas at once...what will I write about for the rest of the year? So get to it folks, try your first Car Free Friday. I am VERY interested to know how it went so leave me a comment! I have Google Analytics hooked up and would be a very sad blogger if I got no traffic.

On a closing note, I KNOW it can be hard to leave your car at home. I work...I have two small children that need ferrying about...but it can be done.

Car Free Friday!

2008-02-22T08:04:00.000-08:00

Okay...so to get things going, these are the rules for Car Free Friday:

Every Friday (hence the name...) you don't drive your car
You can carpool
You can take public transit
You can ride a bike (people-powered that is)
You can run, walk, hop, skip and jump

..but no driving your own car. The first official Car Free Friday (carfree...carefree...get it?) is February 29th so get ready! On a side note, if Friday doesn't work for you, just pick a different day. I did however pick Friday for a purpose...it challenges us to figure out how to get to work and/or school without a car, so it takes some commitment...

Here are some tips:

Plan in advance. For example, if you don't like any of the grocery stores near your home, do your shopping on a different day so you won't have to make a run to the store.
Let others know, particularly if you have children. This way, no one will be surprised when they don't get a ride somewhere.
Think of something interesting to do: go for lunch in your neighbourhood, plan a picnic, bike ride somewhere for a shopping trip. Really, it is all up to you.

Benefits of Car Free Fridays...

Without getting all sanctimonious out of the gates, wouldn't you rather walk somewhere on chocolate chip cookie fuel rather than drive somewhere on gasoline fuel? I know I would!

Good Luck Everyone! Car Free Friday posts are submitted on Thursday evenings in anticipation of the next Car Free Friday. Next week's theme will be suggested trip ideas.