Ideal Bite

Remember when you downloaded the Kim Kardashian and Ray J sex video onto your laptop just to see what all the fuss was about, watched about 20 seconds of it, then dumped it into your Recycle Bin? Turns out that even after you empty your Bin, the file probably still exists somewhere on your hard drive.

When you "delete" a file, your computer doesn't actually delete the data at that point. It just marks the location on your drive, then later overwrites it - the keyword being "later." If you have a big hard drive, it could be years. It's called data remanence, and just as Google is saving the entire Internet on hard drives somewhere (even after you take the pages down), it's, uh, reassuring to know that everything you ever do on your computer is probably traceable.

-Toshio...off to take a hammer to my

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For those of you who wish Travel Week would never end, feast your eyes on five more juicy tips from the Library:

1.       Go on an Eco-adventure

2.       Stay at a Green Hotel

3.       Visit a National Park

4.       Change Your Sheets and Towels Less

5.       Take a Portable Water Filter

-Toshio...off to eat some

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I am a consummate professional at forgetting stuff. Not useless things, like Ted Williams's batting average in 1949 (.343) or the name of the guy who starred opposite Tom Hanks in Bosom Buddies (Peter Scolari); those little nuggets I'll take to the grave. But things like cell phone chargers, or my wallet, or my relatives' names, or how old I am...those little details seem to slip through the cracks. 

So it's nice to know that people tend to be far more kind than you'd ever give them credit for, and as long as you show them the slightest ounce of respect, they're likely to lend you a hand. If you forget stuff while traveling, don't stop at cell phone chargers: Go ahead and ask strangers (front desk, the people in the room next door) if you can borrow pens, radios, ties, hair gel, whatever. They'll probably give it to

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I'm a poor excuse for a Facebook user. I've never updated my status, or "poked" anyone, or thrown a sheep, although once I "gifted" a virtual heart-shaped diamond for my friend's birthday (the thank-you card must've gotten lost in the mail).

However, Facebook was a pretty useful tool when one of my softball teammates went to Seattle on business last month and had no idea what to do on his time off there. I sent a Facebook message to him and all my friends in WA (in Facebook world, it was sort of like a conference call...or a mass email), and thanks to their suggestions, he rented a bike and ended up hitting some cool bars in the Broadway and Fremont districts. If you have a Facebook account, check your friends' networks and get insider information before you travel.

-Toshio...off to gift a virtual hot tub...

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I'm a poor excuse for a Facebook user. I've never updated my status, or "poked" anyone, or thrown a sheep, although once I "gifted" a virtual heart-shaped diamond for my friend's birthday (the thank-you card must've gotten lost in the mail).

However, Facebook was a pretty useful tool when one of my softball teammates went to Seattle on business last month and had no idea what to do on his time off there. I sent a Facebook message to him and all my friends in WA (in Facebook world, it was sort of like a conference call...or a mass email), and thanks to their suggestions, he rented a bike and ended up hitting some cool bars in the Broadway and Fremont districts. If you have a Facebook account, check your friends' networks and get insider information before you travel.

-Toshio...off to gift a virtual hot tub...

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One more thing to carry on: an attractive, dander-free, smallish-size human who's showered and equipped with an ample supply of eco-mints. If you can find one, go for the cheerful (but not too cheerful) variety who talks in moderation, uses the bathroom before they board (see this Friday's tip), won't take the window seat or hog the arm rests, gives you the leftover vodka from their Bloody Mary, and lets you drool on their shoulder in the event that you forget your eco travel pillow and list to one side.

That's if you've got the space. 

-Jenifer Morgan...off to squeeze in my travel companion...

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Packing makes me anxious - it's hard to anticipate what I'm going to wanna wear. In college, I did a six-week study abroad in London. In addition to the backpack that I brought for weekends in Paris and Amsterdam (that's another story), I brought a gargantuan suitcase for all the rest. One of the guys on the trip dubbed it "The Tank." I wouldn't describe myself as high-maintenance, yet the not-so-eco size of that piece of luggage means swallowing my words.

As I was packing for the Ideal Bite job training in Jan., I was haunted by my rep for overpacking and refused to bring The Tank with me on my four-day trip to SF. I edited my belongings down to my faves, and then committed it to my carry-on-friendly suitcase. I was stoked about not having to check my bag; however, as I tried to cram it the overhead compartment, I began to break a sweat because it wouldn't squeeze

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For a long time, I thought I was the only one who ever used Vaseline on his face. Oh my god, was I wrong.

(For the record, I haven't used Vaseline in years - now it's Alba Mineral Facial Sunscreen, with the John Masters stuff on really dry days.)

-Toshio...off to celebrate three years of tippin' it eco-style...

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Unless I'm washing my hair, I consider my showers light-speed - literally two minutes or less most days. This makes me feel better about taking baths when I'm stressed, need total alone time, chilled to the bone, or yes, have cramps - abdomen, back, neck, shoulder, legs, whatever's a-hurtin'. A few drops of essential oil (for regular cramps, rose and jasmine are especially nice), followed by a cup of chamomile and a good night's sleep will go a long way toward ironing out the kinks. Also effective: Sad puppy dog eyes when your sweetie's around - you'll have a free massage in no time.

-Jenifer Morgan...off to pretend I have a cramp...

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I rarely cook at home, but two of my roommates have been on a quinoa bender for the past six months. Both are vegetarian, so they get a healthy kick out of the grain, which they cook in our rice cooker and pair with vegetable stir-fry. I can tell you firsthand that it's a tasty combo, because I've sneaked a few scoops of the stuff while they're enjoying dinner in the family room.

-Toshio...off to hope Corinne and Jenny don't read this blog...

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