Earn Money Selling Scrap Metal at a Recycler

Okay, here is my breakdown of selling recyclables in the Prescott area of Arizona, trip number two:

• 100 lbs steel - Called Tin and White Goods - $7.70 (all kinds of neat stuff - horseshoes, a vintage metal tennis racket, old garden implements, random steel bricks, rebar, wire hangers, nails/screws/washers, steel cans, car parts, pulleys)
• 16 lbs Aluminum Cans - $8.80
• 2 lbs Painted Aluminum - .95 (this was a washing machine door i found on the side of the highway)
• 4 lbs Aluminum Breakage - .75 (aluminum window screen panes)
• 1 lbs Insulated Copper - $1.02 (this was old cords/wiring found on the side of the road)
• 5 lbs Yellow Brass - $7.98 (fittings found in an old lot, under the duff under some bushes)
• 4 lbs Tin and White Goods - .31 (small random steel objects i didn’t unload from the first weighing - this was mainly bottle caps I’ve been picking up along the roads)

So my total was $27.51 in cash that I received from Yavapai Metal Recycling in Dewey, AZ. I had another coupon for an additional 10%, so the total would have been less without that coupon (which came in the mail).

I have a birthday coming soon and I asked DH for a metal detector. Let’s see if I get one! I would love that. Not only could it help me collect small metals (and hopefully more brass and copper), I might find gold and silver jewelry, or old coins.

Along these lines - when you constantly scan the ground for metal, you also find a lot of coins. Not just pennies! Yesterday I found a quarter and a penny, and another day I found several dollars worth of nickels, dimes and pennies. In this dirt/gravel driveway alone I usually find a penny or dime around every other day (the rains keep stirring things up).

I have a jar I keep just for found money. When it gets full, I roll the coins up and bring them to my bank. Finding even a penny makes me feel happy!

Why A Landfill is Not Like a Dump

A dump is *nothing* like a landfill. A dump is just a pile of stuff, like what you see at a transfer station.

A landfill is a very specific creation that is more like geology than anything else. There are wet landfills and dry landfills, each with their own serious cons, and very little pros. But our trash has to go somewhere, right?

Here are the basics I learned from visiting the Gray Wolf Landfill in Arizona, owned by Waste Management, Inc:

First an area of land is scooped out into subsoil ‘cells’. Landfills have very expensive linings (geomembrane), followed by more super expensive linings (geotextile), followed by layers of clay, then gravel, followed by compacted soil, followed by a layer of trash. Then more soil, more gravel, more trash. This system continues until the cell is filled.

When the area is ‘filled’ to the point where the angle of repose is reached (the spot where things cannot be piled up anymore without tumbling down), then that cell is capped. The capping requires more layers of compacted soil and gravel and then of geotextile and geomembrane. Then another set of geotextile and geomembrane. Followed by more soil and then some kind of earth-stabilizing seeding (like grasses) that keeps the soil from eroding right off and exposing the geoplastic to the elements.

There are runnels made throughout the entire strata to contain the leachate, that runs to leachate ponds, and continual testing is mandated to ensure leachate does not enter the water table in any measurable way. There are also constant testings mandated by government to ensure toxic outgassing stays within certain levels. Water has to be sprayed on every layer of soil to ensure dust levels are minimized (or else the companies get huge fines). One ounce of mercury could shut down an entire cell of the landfill. So, more testing. It is a very complicated system. It’s not like a dump in any way.

A landfill, done correctly, is not a threat to the environment while it’s in active use. It’s when the landfill closes and the companies have moved on…and the linings crack (because of faults and earth shifts), that the interior leachate and outgassing turn the area into a Superfund site. According to Garbage Land, by Elizabeth Royte,  this is considered an inevitability for each capped dry landfill.

This is where the government drops the ball, because the capped landfill is no longer the waste business’ problem, and the government does not have the money to keep monitoring the area. And even if the government continued monitoring these sites, there isn’t much you can do once the landfill linings crack.

From my tour, I was impressed with Waste Management’s attention to detail, safety and environmental concern. They are a business and are in it to make money, yet are using solar panels to power the site, and are proud to report they have gone more than eleven years without a single work-related accident.

I have no quarrel with Waste Management in any way. I wish there was a system in place to remove the the salvage items, the recyclables, and also the green wastes (landscaping materials) for mulching. This is something that would probably need to come from the government, since setting up systems for this would cost more than a waste company would see returned in profit.

All we can do is try to remove as much as possible from the waste stream on our end.

Thoughts on Biggest Loser Season Nine, Ep 9

I found this ep on the boring side. I don’t like the food quizzes and the cooking challenges. I don’t hate them, but they don’t get me excited like truck pulling and balancey things suspended over pools.

Curtis Stone is so cute it’s almost worth while though.

Also, logically I know the food thing isn’t addressed near as often as it should be on this show, so i gotta give them props.

At least Bob got to beat up Daris. Beatings are good.

I also liked Sam kicking the punching bag right off the chains. That man is turning out to be one heck of a physical machine. I can tell he’s one of Jillian’s favorites.

For people who were not clear on how the voting went down with the Black Team: Stephanie and Sam, and to a slightly lesser extent Ashley, form a voting block. Sam and Steph needed to break up the Ashley/Sherry block, and Ashley was not enough of an Alpha person to do much about that. Also, Sherry was a threat to win in their eyes. She had to go.

This leaves, for Black Team, Sam and Steph as the alphas, Ashley as their favorite beta (bearing in mind Ashley is NO threat to win - she does not have the time to lose 50% of her body weight).

Whereas Drea could win the whole thing. If Drea does not get immunity next time Black falls below, Drea is gone, gone, gone. Drea’s only ways to avoid elimination are to not have the Black Team lose another weigh in, to get immunity if they do lose a weigh in, or to have the teams break and return to singles (which they could do at any time now). Or to possibly have an eliminated contestant return to their team and be the ‘new’ vulnerable one.

Looking at things into the future, either Steph or Sam will make it to the finals, since they will always protect each other with their vote (for those who don’t know it, they are an item). I also think Steph will stick around after things go back to singles since she is already so thin - it is going to be hard for her to lose enough to be a threat. Not that she can’t win, but someone like Drea is in a much better spot at this point.

Speaking of looking good, didn’t Sherry look fantastic at home?? 138? That’s around my weight! She had every right to be thrilled with herself and if she keeps it up, she could easily take the at-home prize. Sherry is just a nice, nice person and I am happy to see her happy.

Blue Team: Lance is vulnerable, Daris is vulnerable; O’Neil and Sunshine have the power. Michael has no chance of winning, so isn’t a threat. And I would love to see Michael make it to the makeover! I think Michael is finally figuring out what kind of man he wants to be and go him!

Koli is a wild card. I sense that everyone loves him (on both teams), so more obvious choices like Lance and Daris will be booted first.

I always wonder which eliminated contestant will return to the ranch and shake up all my carefully planned theories. Please let it not be Melissa!

Notes on Biggest Loser Season 9, Ep 8

I loved this ep. It was one of the best ever IMO. No drama, just hard work and people getting along.

I was really moved by poor Steve getting all choked up (the food bank worker). And the cast members were right with their advice - walk around the block. And then do it again. And someday walk two blocks. I liked that they hugged him and wished him well. And it was a nice reminder of where these people were a few short weeks ago - tired, overweight and hopeless inside.

Note the the Subway thing with Sam ‘forgetting’ his lunch. Heh. That was an integration. They are getting sneakier with them.

I also love the truck pulling type challenges. I will always think of, and be inspired by Tara, when they have to do these crazy, difficult things. Tara is a real hero in my book.

I know everyone wondered about Tara not winning her season. I think Tara had a problem in that that she went too far too often. I was actually proud of her for pulling back during the ‘at home’ portion, and NOT showing up all emaciated at the finale. It showed she was there for the right reasons - she looked perfect for her body type. I think what Jillian was trying to tell her got through.

Helen, by contrast, looked almost ghastly at the finale. I read she did some crazy stuff there at the end to win. I like Helen, and she looks like she is at a healthy weight now, but it really shocked everyone/me when she won it all. I didn’t mind, since it was an older woman, and that alone is a neat win. Also, go pink team, three years running!

But. To me it will always be Tara’s season. I’ve never seen determination like that. People even went so far as to actively sabotage her (Cookie Gate, the car pulling challenge) and she still completely dominated. She fell on the wire walking challenge and STILL came up from behind and won. Her single-minded focus on the rope-holding cage challenge also blew my mind. Honestly, there are no excuses any longer for a woman not winning anything on this show.

And if you will notice, I totally called it last week on Orange Mom being the first on the Black Team to go. She was simply too vulnerable. If Black is under the line next week, my feeling is Sherry will sacrifice herself for Ashley, or Drea will go next. It all depends on immunities.

I have no idea about the Blue team. I see Micheal and Lance as being in a weak position…but since Lance isn’t much of threat, he will probably hang around until the end. O’Neil is a weak link challenge-wise, but he and Sunshine have the only voting block on Blue.

I also had to LOL when Micheal called O’Neil Uncle! Poor Mike really needs an older family type member around him. I want to give him a big old hug, but i think what he NEEDS is to stand on his own two feet.

And speaking of standing alone, Lance is so much nicer to watch without his personal harpie around.

Okay, that’s my brain dump. What did other people think?

Blue vs Black : More Thoughts on Biggest Loser Season 9, Ep 7

It’s interesting when things go to teams Blue and Black. It’s also interesting when the challenges and temptations come around offering contestants the power in how these teams are structured.

I would not want the power - power players never win. Look at the history of this show - they get booted when their number comes up. Melissa, Vicki, Heba, Crazy Tracy, Brady, Neil, various brother/cousin teams, the Pride on Three boys.

The best tactic seems to be to stay under the radar (Helen, Michele) or just put your head down and work really hard (Tara, Ali, Danny, Rebecca).

Also, I do not like being competitive. I would rather my legacy on such a show as being friendly, helpful, inspiring and a hard worker.

If I was constructing a team, I would not want, for example the two Tongon Cousins together with me - they would form a voting block that would get me booted in their efforts to take each other to the end.

The Black Team has a dilemma now - they need to keep Sam as long as possible for help in the challenges and the weigh-ins…but there will come a point where the girls will have to send him packing if they hope to reach the finals themselves.

As it is, right now Stephanie is sitting pretty. She is dating Sam, so they form a voting block. She is close to Drea and Ashley. While Ashley will never vote off her mom, I can see the mom sacrificing herself for Ashley when they lose a weigh in. Also, Sherry is very vulnerable.

Here is how I see Black Team distilling down: Sherry (Orange Mom) out first. Then Pink Mom. Then Drea. Then they will probably return to individuals and not teams during the final stretch at the Ranch.

Of course, immunities can shake all this up and that makes things unpredictable. If I was Sherry, I’d be feeling very vulnerable and looking for immunities. Sherry is like Helen a bit - she keeps her head down and works hard. She has that ‘under the radar’ black horse thing going for her. If she gets a few immunities during the right weeks, she could easily make the finals.

I have been impressed with Stephanie from the early ep where she was racing people for the immunity cards and never got one, but stayed positive and happy anyway. Then I liked her when she stepped up with the treadmill to cheer everyone on during student-teacher week. I like that she asked to hug Ali at a weigh in. She seems like someone I would like to have as a friend.

Thoughts on Biggest Loser Season 9, Episode 7

Micheal did nothing wrong. The histrionics made no sense. I liked that he owned up to playing the game and even made Jillian admit he was only doing what, in essence, both of them had been telling him the whole time.

As per the history of the show, however, he made poor choices: 1. he chose Bob for some reason, who never produces a winner against Jillian and 2. large men CAN lose more, but also HAVE to lose more (like Miggy said). So it might seem better for weight loss but isn’t. The only big plus is that his team might win more challenges.

This has happened before (and will happen again…hehehe), contrary to Jillian’s little tantrum. In fact, in Season 5, Bob won the backwards escalator contest against Jillian and got to pick his team…and loaded it up with large men (the “Pride on Three” season).

It backfired.

Jillian always *thrives* in an underdog environment, plus her specialty is working with women. It’s like Michael never watched any previous seasons! He practically gift-wrapped Jillian a female winner for season nine.

Another poor choice Michael made was putting himself in a position of power in the first place. Only he and Drea stepped up. And for a reason - you are going to tee people off when you win these ‘power’ temptations! That puts a target on your back. Every year. Contestants who watch this show regularly KNOW better.

All that said, I was very impressed with Drea’s skills in the Memory Game.

And yes, the food thing was simply gross. Which was the point, of course. Before the show, that kind of pig-out would be no more than a simple daily binge for some of those people. Now they can see the difference in how they feel about all that fat and sugar.

I feel badly for Michael. He is such a mama’s boy. I had hoped with Maria going home, he’d have faced a few things about himself…but he just latched onto Miggy as a mama instead. Now he is the odd man out against the house, on so many levels.

I hope he can stay in there - he is a nice person and seriously needs to be on the ranch as long as possible. His using humor as a shield isn’t working for him, though - i can see the others want nothing to do with him.

I just want to say I love Stephanie. Purple for the win!

Also, can anyone guess who in the house she is dating?

Talking Wine in a Light Beer Town

Here in the Verde Valley in AZ, if you don’t live in Sedona then you *must* be a Budweiser/Miller Light/Keystone drinker! I say this with affection for my cowboy town.

I visited a booze drive through last night. I parked and went inside to look for some wine. While I was looking the clerk girl asked me if I knew about wine. I said, “a little bit.”

What followed was fascinating to me. By this town’s standards, i am an expert. lol. She never had any idea what to recommend to her drive-through clients. We talked about easy-drinking wines, what Champagne actually is (and found a single bottle of it, all dusty and $50 on the shelf), discussed how to drink port, what is a bold red and what isn’t, and how much wine vs light beer it takes to get someone trashed. How to pick something out that will go over well on a romantic date without spending a fortune (there is no money in this town unless you are a cattle baron).

We spent a fun hour going over everything on the shelves while I selected a nice Penfolds cab for myself that was only $8!

She’d never had wine and was curious, so I recommended she start with the Barefoot Wines, which are very easy and drinkable -  starting with either a White Zin, Merlot or Chardonnay. I even found a White Merlot on the shelves for her to try. She said she likes sweet mixed drinks, so I wanted her to try wines that were easy for beginners. We talked about trying port, on a romantic date, with some nice rich chocolate.

She was very avidly interested in all of this and I felt good passing on what I knew - which granted, is limited. I hope she discovers a few wines.