I hope you all had a great Memorial Day weekend!  I know you'll remember the fun times you had in the last few days more than how much the gas cost you for the whole weekend, but if you added it up and would like to share your total travel bill, please post a comment here and tell us the damage.  (We're all here to commiserate.)

Here's something that might make you feel better.  Your Utah legislature is thinking of helping save a little on energy costs -- and it's you who would get to keep the money in the long run.  They want to give Utahns tax cuts to buy longer-lasting light bulbs.

You may have heard how they're doing this in Australia to save on energy costs -- only the government REQUIRED it there.   At least our legislators are trying to save us some cash in the process of replacing our old bulbs.

Here's how it would work.  House Representatives are proposing a $30 voucher for each Utah household to purchase those twirly-looking fluorescent gas bulbs.   They use less energy (as much as 75% less) and last longer (one fluorescent bulb can outlast 10 of the regular light bulbs.) 

Lawmakers claim the average family would save $285 a year -- the $30 in savings on the bulbs, plus $255 a year in energy savings with the new bulbs.  That's not too shabby. (I wonder how many gallons of gas that would buy...)

Now, you can't take your voucher and go to Lowe's to buy flowers or a ceiling fan.  This voucher would have to be used on the bulbs.

I've always joked that I'm allergic to fluorescent light.  I spend so much of my day in fluorescence in the newsroom, and I MUCH prefer the warmer light of a normal bulb.  (Ask my husband how annoying I can be on this matter.)  But even I am planning to make the switch -- at least in a few places in my house -- to try to do my part.    The legislature takes up this bill in the next session, which begins in January.  Maybe you want to tell your representative what you think about it.  And if it passes, I hope we can all at least give it a try.