We put our new big-ass garbage can out at the curb last night, for pickup this morning. It was full, but not bursting at the seams. It felt good to get the landfill stuff out of the house without having to force it into a receptacle that isn't big enough to hold it. The large plastic garbage bags we've switched to are another nice addition; they tie up pretty tight, keeping the stench down compared to the grocery bags that we were using previously.

We do what we can to cope with the ordeal that Portland City Hall foisted on us 11 months ago. That means sending a little more waste to the landfill than we did under the old program. And an increase in our garbage bill, of course. We still compost vegetable waste with the help of our worms, and we recycle lots of material in the blue and yellow bins. But life's too short to deal with the filth and stupidity of the food slop program. Until it's required by law, we're opting out.