My Friends at On The Fly DC

Well what have I been up to lately?? I have to say its been a crazy 2 months but filled with lots of good people. I have had the pleasure to get to know the deep dark secrets (ok, not really) of the On The Fly catering and vending company based in DC. How you may ask?  My wonderful, enthusiastic friend Tinisi Paelay has started up his own IT business in the past year, Otivus Solutions. Supplying top-notch IT services including executive computer systems, we get to work closely with OTF and their wonderful employees. With a young, bright team, the behind the scenes is filled with much love and passion to keep this ever-so-green company afloat.

Haven’t heard of OTF?? Aaha…have you ever noticed the green little karts (not a misspelled word, that’s what they call them) zooming around quietly around DC??? Well take notice next time; they are fully electric vending karts that are strategically placed throughout the best DC hotspots! They offer the same kind of food, but 10x better than traditional ugly, gas-guzzling – mystery – meat vendors around the Mall. All karts are fully equipped with natural beef hotdogs, local empanadas, organic and local sweet treats as well as our fellow neighbors, Honest Tea, plus lots more.

Michel Heitstuman is the CEO at OTF along with co-founder Christopher Lynch and VP marketing director (all around superman) Todd Cavaluzzi. These guys know how to start up and handle a business. I almost forgot to mention the kafes throughout DC as well. You can check one out in Farragut North metro station as well as Corcoran and Phillips galleries, all offering even more fresh local sandwiches and entrees. I have tried lots and I can say for myself they aren’t kidding around when they say “fresh. local. fun.”

For more on On The Fly, check them out!!

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ontheflydc

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/ontheflydc

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Summer time n livin is easy…kinda

Hey everyone! It has been awhile, but we all know how summer can get a little hectic, hot but FUN. I have been busy with friends and family enjoying bbqs, beach trips, DC adventures and of course lazy pool days. With summer in full force, I have not been able to sit down and continue my weekly posts of green living in Rockville, but that’s not to say I haven’t been living green.

With lots of criticisms from my close friends (you know who you are) I still and will continue to hold my own. Between friend get-togethers and trips to the beach, I am on constant alert to live a little more simply. Whether that is making sure EVERYONE recycles (friends like to do the whole sarcastic “Caitlin, look, I am throwing a can directly into the trash…” which I have to just ignore and laugh but still make sure they don’t) or to suggest to go to the farmer’s market to grab a bunch of local veggies and grill them alongside their main dish. I am always living as green as possible at home, but yet it gets harder to do that outside the home, in social or group settings.

I am a young (I feel older) 22 year old that loves to go out and have a good time. This is at a cost. Endless amounts of consuming, whether it is food or alcohol, my friends and I will always be out purchasing something. This is NOT to say I try to hype on my friends’ choices, but it is to say that it is harder to bite my tongue when I know our choices could be a little greener. There are ups and downs to my social butterflies: we always try to take public transportation, or just walk. We usually strive to find unique, local business that offer local and organic food/drinks. But then again some friends may not agree with the choice and I have to sacrifice. We mostly live in suburban MD that means more driving than desire. Also the amount of my friends and I manage to drink on those summer nights is unthinking, lots and lots of bottles and cans (hopefully always gets recycled).

My friends are warming up to the whole “green living” aspect of me. They understand that this is my life. But I realized I have to be less of a lecturer and more of a loving friend to everyone. Summer time is exciting. There are amazing things happening around me that I am soaking up and sharing with everyone. But there are still harmful things in life that I want to provide an alternative choice to the ones I love; just sometimes they don’t want to hear it. So I have learned and will continue to learn to only answer and tell when asked about certain things, but continue to point out the positive, beautiful things in life, like the great vegetables springing from my garden!  Happy Summer!

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