Just Do It

Grab a quart of Linda's Maine Wild Blueberries (Eddington, Maine). We bought them at Hanny's earlier this evening, and they are delish. Yessah!

Seriously, just do it.

- John C.L. Morgan

Just Do It

Attend the inaugural Presumpscot River Fest this Saturday.

- John C.L. Morgan

Just Do It

Read the Declaration of Independence.

- John C.L. Morgan

Just Do It

Attend tomorrow evening's Fourth Friday Art Walk.

- John C.L. Morgan

Just Do It

When driving less than 45 mph, roll down the window to cool down. When driving more than 45 mph, let the AC flow.

(Update: Since today's the first day of summer, I also recommend you read the "Summer" chapters in Hannah Holmes's Suburban Safari: A Year on the Lawn.)

- John C.L. Morgan

Just Do It

Hop on the Metro's Number 4 whenever you go into Portland.

Never has the small grammaticial difference between $4 and #4 been so greater. So just do it.

- John C.L. Morgan

P.S. Speaking of commutes, check out this essay about the soul of the commuter, which I discovered just the other day while browsing through the WML's bin of free stuff.

Just Do It

Attend this weekend's 28th 29th Annual Westbrook Together Days festivities.

- John C.L. Morgan

Just Do It: Buy Maine

Spend at least $10 on Maine-made products each week.

Besides pumping money into the coffers of Maine businesses, the challenge offers irony too delicious to ignore: The use of the currency bearing Alexander Hamilton's mug to help that most Jeffersonian of institutions, the American small farmer.

So just do it.

- John C.L. Morgan

Just Do It

First, vote in Down East magazine's 'Seven Wonders of Maine' poll, and then contribute possible entries for the 'Five Wonders of Westbrook.'

I smell a poll coming, so just do it.

- John C.L. Morgan

Just Do It

Participate in Saturday morning's Riverbank Park clean-up.

Beginning at 8:45a, the clean-up is scheduled to last until noon--rain or shine. And though the organizers of the event aren't necessarily encouraging participants to bring a sack of redeemable bottles and cans to benefit the Westbrook Food Pantry (they are saying only that proceeds from redeemable bottles and cans picked up during the clean-up will be donated to the Food Pantry), I am starting a quixotic and last-minute campaign to encourage all participants to show up with a couple paws full of bottles and cans to donate to the effort.

So just do it.

- John C.L. Morgan

Just Do It

Buy and install the contents of a Portland Water District water conservation kit.

- John C.L. Morgan

Just Do It

Volunteer for the Presumpscot River Watch.

To find out how you can help the organization's mission of scientifically monitoring the status of the Presumpscot River, click here.

- John C.L. Morgan

Just Do It

Wash your clothes with cold water and dry your laundry by hanging it on a clothesline or a drying rack.

- John C.L. Morgan

Just Do It

Stop junk mail.

By signing up to 'Opt-Out,' via this website, you can reduce the amount of junk mail you receive for the next five years. For the wary, here's a list of Frequently Asked Questions. And for the skeptical, I recommend this humorous advertisement compiled by the folks at Slater's Garage Ads and Audio, an ad-producing company out of Bangor.

Do it for Poor Eddie.

- John C.L. Morgan

Just Do It

Participate in tomorrow evening's First Friday Art Walk in Portland.

- John C.L. Morgan

P.S. On an unrelated note, take heed of our first installment of 'Just Do It.' Open-water fishing season opened April 1, so it's probably more timely now than it was in January.

Just Do It

Sign up for MARVEL!

The self-described virtual library of Maine is an excellent resource that features many different search engines, including the indispensable "Maine Newsstand," an archive of newspaper articles that dates back to the mid-1990s.

And best of all, it's free.

- John C.L. Morgan

Just Do It

Read the first part of Hannah Holmes's Suburban Safari: A Year on the Lawn. Since today is the first day of spring (that's what it says on the calendar, anyway), now is the best time to start digging into this well-written examination of the season from the perspective of a South Portlander's backyard.

And I figure what is true about South Portland backyards is probably true about Westbrook backyards.

- John C.L. Morgan

Just Do It: Read Maine Becomes a State

Read Ronald F. Banks's Maine Becomes a State: The Movement to Separate Maine From Massachusetts.

Maine will be celebrating its 188th birthday this weekend, so if William King or the Coasting Law don't ring any bells, you need to read this book. At the very least, you'll understand your contempt for Massholes is unavoidable and understandable.

It's in our DNA.

- John C.L. Morgan

Just Do It

Attend Warren Memorial Library's book club next Wednesday night at 6:30p. We're reading Jeannette Walls's The Glass Castle: A Memoir, but don't worry about not reading it. Just come for a good time with good Westbrook folk and be ready to read the next book (it looks like it'll be The Omnivore's Dilemma).

Besides, it's totally a chick magnet.

- John C.L. Morgan

Just Do It

Ensure your vehicle is inspected, insured, and registered.

No, it's not your imagination: The lists of traffic summonses in the American Journal has gotten longer lately. I assume it has something to do with the Westbrook Police assigning one of its officers exclusively to the traffic beat, but I'm not sure.

Nevertheless, the aforementioned offenses are the most common ways to get yourself in trouble and to lighten your wallet. So save yourself some money and get these things done before you have to pay for inspection/insurance/registration and a fine.

- John C.L. Morgan