Vital Technologies, Inc.

I’ve been feeling kind of guilty lately. A little irresponsible. Sort of like a schmuck. You see, my vehicle needs an oil change. Badly. It’s been way more than 3,000 miles since the last Jiffy Lube visit, and as the odometer ticks and ticks, I have an increasing awareness that I’ve failed to keep up my end of the car-human relationship.

So it came as a great relief when I read yesterday the following headline: The 3,000 Mile Oil Change Myth. The big news? “The traditional oil change recommendation was based on decades-old engine and oil technologies. Today's engines are built using advanced technology, reducing or eliminating contaminants and increasing the recommended time between oil changes.”

Ok, ok. So this breaking news is actually from a GM press release touting their “Oil Life System” -- some wonderful, whiz-bang technology that “determines the optimum oil change interval for each vehicle.” Whatever. But there are some interesting stats in the release: “The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that about 185 million gallons of used motor oil are improperly disposed of each year, dumped onto the ground, thrown in the trash, or poured down the drain. And the California Integrated Waste Management Board says that just one gallon of used motor oil can contaminate a million gallons of drinking water.”

So here’s the bottom line: Going more miles between oil changes can save you money, reduce improperly disposed of oil, and keep drinking water safer. I’m sold. How about you?

As for how often you should change your oil, the new recommendation is about every 5,000 to 10,000 miles, depending on your car, driving habits, etc. Every 10,000 miles? That’s the kind of responsibility I can live with.

It happened around 2 a.m. Saturday morning. I was fast asleep in my tent a few feet from the Atlantic Ocean on Florida's Long Key. For no obvious reason, I snapped awake, sat up, and looked out my tent's mesh window. There it was: the big ole yellow moon hanging over the vast sea, its rays dancing on the water. It was such a simple, perfect, and beautiful moment, I just sat there in awe.

That's why everybody should go camping. (Tent camping, that is. RV camping is a whole other experience.) To truly appreciate nature's wonder, you need to see it front and center. You need to get dirty. You need to get soaked by rain. You need to be too hot or too cold. You need to be humbled by nature to appreciate its gifts. At least that’s my take.

So go tent camping ASAP! If you can make it down to the Keys, check out Long Key State Park, which is about 90 miles south of Miami. Most sites are right on the ocean, have fire pits, water, and electric. (One caveat: Sometimes the overseas highway traffic noise can be a bit loud.)

I also highly recommend Bahia Honda State Park, which is about 40 miles south of Long Key and only about 45 minutes to Key West. Be sure to stay in Sandspur Campground, though, which is RV-free, very private, and oceanfront. Campsites 62-72 are the best – just mere inches to the water. How can you beat that?

It felt just like summer vacation. At noon on Friday, my girlfriend and I hit the road in a vehicle packed to the brim with camping gear, kayaks, and, yes, a few cold ones. Our destination? The Keys. A few hours later we were watching the sunset and listening to the waves and humming Margaritaville. All was perfect. And then came the bugs. (After all, Florida in late May is a bug’s paradise, too.) So we made the mad dash to the bug spray and coated ourselves with the only thing I’ve found that works: DEET. But, of course, DEET is so ridiculously bad for humans, animals, the environment, heck, everything, that I felt like I should put on a bio-chem suit for the rest of the night. On Tuesday, I got back to work at Vital Tech and asked our know-it-all boss if he knew of any green bug spray products that actually worked. He handed me a bottle of Neem Tree Farms “DEET-Free” Botanical Outdoor Gel. Haven’t had a chance to try it yet, but he says it works. Any recommendations on other effective DEET-free insect repellent products?

Life is great. Another green day.