Garbage - Burlington, Ontario, Canada

I've decided to take pictures of more stuff around the house. Not only is it more convenient for me, but I think it's these sort of quirky things that are really different, and won't be found in any guidebook.

Anyway. The green bin on the left is appropriately called the "green bin". This is where you put most of what I would consider gross garbage: chicken bones, eggshells, used kleenexes, rotting fruit, something you found in your fridge that is no longer identifiable due to large amounts of mold. Every week it gets taken away and turned into compost (supposedly).

The blue box in the middle is, you guessed it, the "blue box" or "recycling bin". Here's where you put all your newspapers, cardboard, plastic bottles, aluminum cans, etc. It also gets taken away weekly to be turned into, well, newspapers, cardboard, plastic bottles, aluminum cans, etc.

The garbage can on the right is for everything else. I know, you're thinking, what else is there? Plenty, let me tell you. Especially if have two kids in diapers and you live in a municipality that doesn't allow diapers in the green bin even though the enormous megacity just 50 km away (Toronto) does allow diapers in the green bin (which baffles me). This would be fine except that, unlike the green and blue bins, the regular garbage gets picked up every two weeks (part of the local government's plan to get people all gung-ho about recycling). Two weeks is way too long to have festering toddler poop sitting around, imo. I mean I'm all for helping the environment, but seriously.

You're it, Carol!

City Guide Books - Burlington, Ontario, Canada

These aren't guide books in the strictest sense, as they won't guide you to do anything. The first picture was taken at the local big box chain bookstore, Chapters. There I was only able to find one book (the dark green one) that was even about this area and it was about all of Halton (a region which includes Burlington, Oakville, and Milton).

The lower picture was taken at the tourism office, where they sell several different Burlington books, along with golf balls, t-shirts, maple syrup, and inukshuk necklaces. Everything is kept in a locked glass cabinet, which is odd, and makes for a lousy picture. I suppose I could've asked someone to unlock it, but I felt awkward even taking photos. Plus this way you get a glimpse of that gorgeous photographer in the reflection.

BTW: I realize in looking at these books that I know next to nothing about my city and its history. It almost makes me want to get one of these books so I can learn "The Story of Burlington". Almost.