Supply List (for each 4×4′ box)
2×6 boards* – 40 feet total (if you have to load them in your car you’ll want five 8-foot pieces, or you could cut them in the store)
4×4 post* – 6 or 8 feet long
48 3-inch or 3.5-inch nails (or screws)

* Most people recommend using cedar or redwood but I happened to have a bunch of lumber sitting around so I used plain old 2x6s – probably fir. True, they won’t last as long and they’re already a little beat up, but free is a pretty good price! Any wood will work as long as it’s not treated.

Tools
Tape Measure
Power saw (I used a circular saw, but a table saw would be ideal)
Hammer
Shovel

How To:

1. Get out your tape measure and mark cut lines every 48 inches on your 2×6 boards. I recommend leaving about 1/16″ for the cut or measuring after each cut.
2. Power saw time – make the cuts so you end up with 10 pieces that are 48 inches long.
3. Measure and cut your 4×4 post so you end up with four 16-inch pieces.
4. Set two of the posts parallel on the ground, four feet apart and lay two of the 2×6 boards across them, even with the top.
5. Nail two nails into the end of each board. Repeat with the second set of posts and two more 2x6s.
6. Turn your new contraptions upside-down and position them parallel on the ground, four feet apart. Place one of your remaining 2x6s between them and nail it in place. Repeat with another 2×6 and then with the other side.
7. Grab a friend and flip your box over!
8. Nail the last two 2x6s to the top of your box to be used as benches or “knee rests.” I think it gives it a nice, finished look without spending time making precise diagonal cuts for an “all the way around” border.
9. Dig four holes in the ground for the corner posts.
10. Position your box and make sure it is level before filling in the holes.

Now all you need to do is fill your new container garden with dirt and get planting!

–the Soybean

Packing Tips:

• Backpack size is important. People often comment on how small my pack is (Marmot Diva 35 2,100 cu in and a $70 backpack to boot!), but they forget that I’m 5′ 3″ and 125 pounds.  If you’re small, your pack should be proportionate to your size.
• Ziploc bags are your friend.  Gallon size freezer bags are great as cheap/disposable compression bags.
• Don’t let your toiletries get out of control. Chances are, if you’re going to be gone for a year, you’re going to have to replenish your shampoo etc anyway.  I pack 2 oz bottles and then repurchase every few months.
• Bring what you’ll use. Don’t let the “experts” say what you can and can’t pack.  If a blow dryer is really important to you, then buy a travel one and bring it.  Besides, I’ll probably ask to borrow it! ;)  My “Packing Nazi” no-no item is a pair of jeans.
• Think about layers.  How do you pack for snow in Japan and surfing in Australia, for museums and shopping in Barcelona and mosques in Istanbul?  It’s all about layering. And a scarf goes a long way.
• Skip the hiking boots. I’ve met so many backpackers over the last year, with the obligatory pair of huge hiking boots tied to the side of their pack. My anecdotal research tells me that most of them have only used them once if that, and it could have been done in running shoes.  So if you don’t already hike in hiking boots, you probably won’t need them.  I hiked for 6 hours in the mountains in Morocco with my Diesel slip-ons.
• Leave room for purchases. I pack 1 scarf and 1 skirt, and always come home with about 4 scarves and 3 sundresses!  It’s fun to pick up clothes along the way, but I try to save most purchases towards the end of my trip.  By the time I came home from Morocco in November, I was lugging an extra: 2 huge pieces of material/blankets, 5 scarves, 2 dresses, 1 leather purse, a leather belt, 10 pillow covers, and a cardigan.

The Ultimate Packing List

Clothes/Shoes:
Diesel tennis shoes (or running shoes)
Havaianas flip flops
jeans
North Face hiking pants
cargo khakis
3 pairs shorts (2 short, 1 long)
Helly Hansen Fleece or hoodie
Columbia Packable Windbreaker with hood
7 tank tops
3 tees
1 skirt
2 long sleeve shirts
1 button-up camp shirt
2 bikinis
2 bras
10 undies
4 pairs of socks
leggings
Pashmina scarf

Toiletries etc.
REI toiletry bag
2 oz shampoo / conditioner
3 oz mint body wash (keeps the mozzies away)
toothbrush / toothpaste / floss
razor
nail clippers
deodorant
face lotion
face sunscreen
concealer
eyeliner
mascara
Burt’s Bees chapstick
Ibuprofen
Misc. travel meds
small pack of tissues
Antibacterial hand gel
REI Quickdry towel

Electronics/Fun Stuff:
iPod
ipod charger
iPod Lego block speaker
Swiss Army knife/usb drive
SD card USB reader
Black Diamond headlamp (way cooler than a flashlight)
camera
camera battery charger
Otter Box for camera
extra 1 GB SD card
watch
universal adapter
PacSafe Wrap Safe Lock

Other:
REI mini Clothesline
Sea to Summit Silk Sleep Sheet
laundry kit (soap and sink plug)
Travel Guidebook
Reading book
Moleskine Cahier pocket journals
sunglasses
money belt (which I’ve never actually used)
passport
photocopies
visa photos
insurance info
Moleskin 2008 info journal
Mildew free wet suit bag

The following items didn’t make the cut, after my first 4 months on the road packing list:

• cell phone
• collapsible water bottle
• Malaria meds
• beanie
• fleece (I switched to a hoodie)
• Nike running shoes (I switched to Diesel city shoes)

What’s on your packing list?

1. Set up RSS feeds. Just because you’re unemployed doesn’t mean that you want to spend hours every day combing through the same websites.  First, create a list of sites that you frequent for your job search.  Then, using iGoogle (personalized home) or Netvibes, create an extra tab and start adding RSS feeds and/or bookmarks (if RSS isn’t available).  I use Craigslist.org, Indeed.com, Monster.com, Careerbuilder.com, and a few industry/regional specific websites.  I also have a Note widget on my iGoogle that I use to record the date, company and position I applied for, just for future reference.
2. Template your resume and cover letter. By assembling several resumes and cover letters you can save time when you actually find a job to apply for.  I’m not suggesting you do a “find and replace” on the company’s name, but if you have different cover letters geared towards different industries and highlighting specific skills, it makes it that much easier on you to personalize it further.  Why reinvent the wheel everytime?
3. Put the word out. Assuming you’ve already assembled a killer resume, email it to your network.  While friends and acquaintances are higher in quantity, people who have seen you in action (coworkers/bosses) are usually more valuable, leverage that relationship.
4. Manage your online presence (eg. Sign up for LinkedIn). As much as I loath using internet marketing buzz words,  if you’re on the job hunt it’s imperative that you use it to your advantage.  Not only should you know what the first 10 Google results are for your name, but you should be on LinkedIn (and actually using it).  Also, if your Facebook and MySpace profiles aren’t set to “friends only” or “private”, take a look from a future employer’s perspective.  Even if you’re employed you should be aware of this.  Last year, I had the laughable good time of looking at my assistant’s MySpace page to discover that his “cronic migraines” were instead hangovers (as posted back and forth between himself and a friend).  Thanks for making my job easier buddy!
5. Find ways to stand out from the noise. Seth Godin and Auren Hoffman had good posts about this recently.  Economic downturns flood the job market with “talent.”  However, it’s also a great time to let go of underperformers.  So while you might be an A-player, your resume will blend in with all the C-players out there.  So find a way to stand out.  A few ideas:  make your cover letter content useful, get recommendations on LinkedIn,  leverage your contacts who can attest to your A-playeresque (my new word) qualities as recommendations.

Along with the above tips, I also try to allot a specified amount of time per day for job searching, (almost no exceptions).   By living your life as if you were gainfully employed — including getting up at a reasonable hour and putting clothes on — your job search is just part of your daily routine.  Personally, this puts the “demoralizing” part of being unemployed to a minimum.

Got any job searching tips?  Do share!

It includes:

• What you need to set up your own laptop media center
• step-by-step how to guide
• where to find movies and TV shows online

Enjoy!

Why I love Remember the Milk:

Integrates with Google Calendar, Google Homepage, Netvibes

You can add/complete/postpone tasks from Google Homepage etc. so I don’t forget to use it.

Reoccurring tasks (grocery shopping, laundry, call mom etc.)

I can keep all tasks in the “Inbox” list, and then add extra lists for movies/books I want to watch/read, Goals etc.

Ability to “only show items with due dates” on the Widget, which cuts down on Someday/Maybe clutter

Priority (red, blue, light blue) is cool, I use it mainly to organize my Goals list.

Tags! I love using tags instead of separate lists so I don’t forget things. I tag things by action and/or location. The more items that show up the bigger the font in the tags list… (home, goals, errand, call, study, shop, wishlist etc.)

Now if only I didn’t have to use Microsoft Outlook at work…

*UPDATE* The mobile version of RTM is another big plus.

What I can do… today (or tomorrow):

1. Buy more cups and coffee mugs so I don’t have to run a 1/2 load dishwasher.
2. Bike or walk the 1.4 miles to work. (And take my lunch to work more often so I don’t have to drive home just to look for food).
3. Buy more produce from the farmer’s market.
4. Try to cook in season. Also, get more organic foods at the regular grocery store.
5. Recycle paper and cardboard, (instead of just cans and glass).
6. Use the programmable thermostat to set the temperature to 65º while I’m not at home and at the night.
7. Buy some CFL (compact fluorescent light) bulbs.

What I have already done:

1. Eat less meat. Methane bad. Dairy good. Since I’m already a vegetarian, I can almost ignore this one, but I guess the same could be said for dairy products as they make the cows work, but alas, I <3 dairy!
2. Buy an almost “green” car. According to FuelEconomy.gov my car has a 3/10 air pollution score and 5.7 ton/year of greenhouse gas emissions. It’s even on the “Greenest Vehicles of 2007″ list.
3. Keep my car tuned up. Thanks Toyota.
4. Buy fresh foods instead of frozen.
5. Use less hot water. Wash clothes in cold water instead of hot.
6. Turn off electronics that aren’t in use. This seems blatantly obvious to me.

What I just can’t (or probably won’t) do:

1. Plant a tree.
2. Buy Green or Wind Power certificates.
3. Sell my car. Flexcar is a great concept, but not realistic for me personally. My monthly transportation expense: $70 gas + $65 insurance + $159 car payment = $294… much less than a $74 bus pass +$65/day for Flexcar.
4. Telecommuting. I only live 1.4 miles from work, so the only time I telecommute is when I have the sniffles.
5. Fly less. It’s not like I fly every week, so I’m entitled to a yearly flight on a vacation!
6. Check my tires weekly. Seriously?
7. Get a home energy audit.I can’t help but think that the waste of tax payers’ money out-ways the energy saved.
8. Use a clothesline. Maybe in the summer, the Pacific NW wasn’t meant to be a clothesline zone from about October to May.
9. Unplug electronics from the wall. Once again… seriously? Actually, I think this a great opportunity for an invention. Why can’t there be a switch that controls it all? As you leave the house you turn out the light and the “I don’t want to waste outlet electricity” switch. And maybe just the top plug would be for have to have plugged in.