Let's make a different kind of list. Okay?
I promise that this is the last post on this theme for this year. I started to actually make this one my post for the group blog, but decided that it might be better to stay within the boundaries of the given task.
I also toyed with the idea of making this a secondary part of the post I submitted, but ended up cutting it out for length. After I decided that it might be a good idea to include an intro for new visitors, I became concerned about how long the post was. In the end, I was very happy with the way the initial post came out, so I think I made the right call.
But some ideas are too good to let slide away. Truth be told, this is a concept I have been wanting to blog about for a while now. It just took the group blog to spur me into actually doing it.
When I first got my booth, I got asked one question over and over: "What do you sell there?" My answers must have frustrated people because I tended to describe items, rather than naming them. I had one goal in mind when I took my first booth--to have a booth that wasn't like any other space in the mall. To do that, I spent more time thinking about what the stuff I was selling would be like, instead of what it actually was.
Initially, I used to say that I wanted "things that made you think of bongo drums" when you saw them. It worked for me--bongo drums are cool and interesting--but not for other people, who just didn't get what I was trying to say. "You're selling bongo drums?" "What about other instruments?" "Do that many people buy bongo drums?"
In the end, I started thinking in terms of adjectives that best described the things I was looking for. What characteristics do they all have in common? This is the list I created. It was important for me to define those terms, as well, using definitions that relate back to the purpose of looking for those items--the booth.
Unique: Things that are different from the items others are selling. If it is an item that others have in their booths, it still needs to be distinct in some way. For example, others also sell books, but I don't sell the Danielle Steele, Stephen King, harlequin Romance, etc books that you find in so many other booths.
Fun: I want things that make me smile when I find them. More importantly, I want them to make other people smile when they see them in the booth.
Eclectic: I don't want to be one note. I want a range of items, from soup to nuts, that are distinct and different from each other, so that the overall effect of my space is a weird and wonderful menagerie.
Interesting: Something so fascinating that you cannot resist stepping into the booth to check it out.
Oddball: Stuff that is unlike stuff that you've seen before.
As time has gone on, my horizons (and my booths) have expanded quite a bit. I don't hold to this list as hard and fast as I used to. I carry some things that don't really fit onto this list--although it all does add to the eclectic effect. Still, this list does form a key part of my guiding re-selling philosophy. In the end, it's more about knowing how to bend and mold the list, instead of how strictly I adhere to it.
I don't really think I'm proposing anything that new here. Most folks are already doing this sort of thing without realizing it. Go back and re-read Donna's Five Things post. Her opening is a list of adjectives! (And I didn't even have to pay her so she would do it!)
Try it yourself. Think about the things you're looking for at yard sales this summer. It doesn't matter whether you re-sell or buy for yourself. Can you create a list of five adjectives that gives a good overall description of these items? Give it a try!
Feel free to share your own list in comments.
For an added challenge, try to do it without using the words "vintage" "retro" "antique" or "primitive." I know. BLASPHEMY!
Showing posts with label pondering. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pondering. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 04, 2016
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
What an interesting world we live in....
Case in point:
Yes, she's really a nun. Fascinating. Doing a Madonna cover, yet.
Yes, she's really a nun. Fascinating. Doing a Madonna cover, yet.
Thursday, November 06, 2014
All in Vein
So this was how I spent the majority of my birthday:
Well, I wasn't hooked up to the IV the whole time, but I was in the cancer center for most of the day. I was in the consult room for HOURS! This doctor in. That doctor out. This question. That question. Maybe an answer, but I'll check on that. Oh, look! Here's a new nurse! Oops! She's gone! Don't forget to fill out the survey about your bowel movements!
And then of course, there was ther LOOOOOOOOONG stretches of just sitting and waiting. Here's a recap:
1. I have Stage 4 melanoma, which is the highest stage. After this, I get my diploma and graduate. I don't remember taking the first three levels, but it must have been all those frat parties. This is because I now have melanoma that has metastasized in a "distant organ." I love that phrase. It makes it sound like my spleen is miles away from the spot on my neck where this all started. As if I needed anything else to make me sound fat.
2. They still think that they can cure this thing. I guess we'll see about that.
3. They really want to get me into the follow up drug treatment to the one I am taking now, as that is the hotshot new treatment that everyone is doing and I want to be one of the cool kids. I missed out on the whole twerking thing, so I want to catch this fad while I can. Per FDA regs, you can only get the new treatment after you take the one I'm on now.
4. They want to upgrade me to a clinical trial that uses the drug I am on now, plus a series of shots of another drug--kind of like what I did before, except that it's like three weeks worth of daily shots each treatment cycle that I would most likely do at home. Blam! Right in the belly. At least it's a target I could not possibly miss. It all hinges on insurance approval for me joining the trial, which is supposed boost the efficacy of the drug I am already on.
5. There is a spot on my liver that needs to be checked out, so I have a PET scan today. Chiquito really hates those things, but I keep explaining to him that it's a pet scan, so he has to be there. He wants a second opinion on that one.
6. Just for shits and giggles, I'm having an MRI early Saturday morning. I don't know exactly why they're sending me to this one, but the brain is a place this crap can spread, so they're probably just checking things out. I did not know that I was going to have this one until I was sitting with the scheduler. They're probably just going to find that my skull is full of old comic books and pop tarts.
After all of that, I finally headed down to the clinic for the actual infusion, where three nurses poked me four times to find a vein. I am getting ready to kick and scream for a port. I've had quite enough of this stuff, especially if I am looking at treatments into the spring, which it seems I am. Thankfully, it was the three best nurses in the place. There are more than a couple there who are nice enough to be sure, but who just aren't good with the difficult sticks. One of them is a digger who just can't let go of the idea that she can get that vein if she just....twists....the needle....the right way. She was headed out when we got there, which made me happy.
The infusion itself was pretty quick. There were no pre-meds, so the whole deal took about 90 minutes after the drug got there. I didn't have a problem with burning, but I got this weird pressing sensation in my arm, like someone was pushing down on it.
So far, I feel fine, just a little bit draggier than normal. The first session is usually the easiest. If get to shoot myself in the belly, then that will amp up the side effects considerably. Every time I go to the bathroom now, Keith asks me if I have diarrhea. They played up the diarrhea as a side effect to watch for.
Honestly, at this point, I don't know how I feel about any of this, besides pissed that I am doing it again. I'm finding it hard to put a lot of trust in these drugs. They all keep carrying on about how astonishing the success/survival rates are, almost 20%! Wow! I know that's a big improvement over, say, 0%, but everybody keeps saying that to me like it's some magical, mystery number that means I get to be one of the elect automatically. All I keep thinking is: "What about the other 80%?" That is a much bigger number after all.
Bring that up and you get told to "focus on the bright side" and not to "give up hope" and "keep fighting" and so on. I feel like I am being asked to totally ignore the dark side of this equation like it does not exist. I can't do that, especially if my organs are hosting little melanoma franchises. The numbers last time were much more in my favor, yet here I am back in this pickle again. Twenty percent is a long shot and I would be dishonest with myself if I didn't admit that.
It's a long shot I am willing to take, however. As long as I am able physically and fiscally, I'll take every shot and chance I can get as many times as I can get them. I'm in this deal for the long haul, wherever it heads. I just want people to stop asking me to only acknowledge one of the possible destinations. How am I supposed to avoid it, if I have to pretend it's not there?
More as it develops.
 |
| That's my chemo birthday grimace! |
 |
| That is not a comfy spot for an IV. |
1. I have Stage 4 melanoma, which is the highest stage. After this, I get my diploma and graduate. I don't remember taking the first three levels, but it must have been all those frat parties. This is because I now have melanoma that has metastasized in a "distant organ." I love that phrase. It makes it sound like my spleen is miles away from the spot on my neck where this all started. As if I needed anything else to make me sound fat.
2. They still think that they can cure this thing. I guess we'll see about that.
3. They really want to get me into the follow up drug treatment to the one I am taking now, as that is the hotshot new treatment that everyone is doing and I want to be one of the cool kids. I missed out on the whole twerking thing, so I want to catch this fad while I can. Per FDA regs, you can only get the new treatment after you take the one I'm on now.
4. They want to upgrade me to a clinical trial that uses the drug I am on now, plus a series of shots of another drug--kind of like what I did before, except that it's like three weeks worth of daily shots each treatment cycle that I would most likely do at home. Blam! Right in the belly. At least it's a target I could not possibly miss. It all hinges on insurance approval for me joining the trial, which is supposed boost the efficacy of the drug I am already on.
5. There is a spot on my liver that needs to be checked out, so I have a PET scan today. Chiquito really hates those things, but I keep explaining to him that it's a pet scan, so he has to be there. He wants a second opinion on that one.
6. Just for shits and giggles, I'm having an MRI early Saturday morning. I don't know exactly why they're sending me to this one, but the brain is a place this crap can spread, so they're probably just checking things out. I did not know that I was going to have this one until I was sitting with the scheduler. They're probably just going to find that my skull is full of old comic books and pop tarts.
 |
| This is my "I'm relieved all the poking is over" face. |
The infusion itself was pretty quick. There were no pre-meds, so the whole deal took about 90 minutes after the drug got there. I didn't have a problem with burning, but I got this weird pressing sensation in my arm, like someone was pushing down on it.
So far, I feel fine, just a little bit draggier than normal. The first session is usually the easiest. If get to shoot myself in the belly, then that will amp up the side effects considerably. Every time I go to the bathroom now, Keith asks me if I have diarrhea. They played up the diarrhea as a side effect to watch for.
Honestly, at this point, I don't know how I feel about any of this, besides pissed that I am doing it again. I'm finding it hard to put a lot of trust in these drugs. They all keep carrying on about how astonishing the success/survival rates are, almost 20%! Wow! I know that's a big improvement over, say, 0%, but everybody keeps saying that to me like it's some magical, mystery number that means I get to be one of the elect automatically. All I keep thinking is: "What about the other 80%?" That is a much bigger number after all.
Bring that up and you get told to "focus on the bright side" and not to "give up hope" and "keep fighting" and so on. I feel like I am being asked to totally ignore the dark side of this equation like it does not exist. I can't do that, especially if my organs are hosting little melanoma franchises. The numbers last time were much more in my favor, yet here I am back in this pickle again. Twenty percent is a long shot and I would be dishonest with myself if I didn't admit that.
It's a long shot I am willing to take, however. As long as I am able physically and fiscally, I'll take every shot and chance I can get as many times as I can get them. I'm in this deal for the long haul, wherever it heads. I just want people to stop asking me to only acknowledge one of the possible destinations. How am I supposed to avoid it, if I have to pretend it's not there?
More as it develops.
Friday, June 22, 2012
It's the end of the world as we know it! (Or is it?)
I totally love conspiracy theories. And doomsday theories. And, especially, doomsday conspiracy theories. From the right. From the left. Religious or secular. I just love 'em.
There's something strangely fascinating about the whole worldview. On the one hand, there's the train wreck aspect, where you sit back and go "I cannot believe someone just said that they actually believe that." On the other, I cannot help but marvel at people who can only deal with the tragedies, uncertainties, and unknowns of life by constructing grandiose theories.
I mean, yes, 9/11 was the absolute most senselessly tragic thing to happen to this country in my lifetime. Yes, the idea that an organized group of terrorists can inflict such horror on society armed with nothing more than a little knowledge and some box cutters still boggles the mind. It is scary to think that so many of the safeguards then in place failed us so miserably and so many died because of it. It's horrifying. It's incomprehensible.
But for some folks, the only way to make any sense out of it at all is to claim that the government was behind it all. And, somehow, this not only makes sense to them, but also makes them feel just a little bit better because they've been able to simply explain something that is large and complex and scary. The train of thought that can take all these little bits of unrelated info and odd coincidences and string them together into a grandiose untenable theory that cannot be toppled no matter how many holes get poked inside it simply fascinates me. Over and over.
And scale of tragedy doesn't seem to matter, either. Whitney Houston was a tragic figure who lived a tragic life filled with bad choices in the public eye. When she died, it was a great loss of talent, and an even greater loss of potential, in terms of what she could have been, if she had done things differently. That's reality.
Now, go on YouTube and search for vids about Houston's demise. In amongst all the tributes, you'll find the theories. She was killed by the secret powers behind the scenes who apparently needed the sacrifice of an aging pop diva way past her prime to release the energies necessary to properly celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth. I am not making this up! You cannot make shit like this up! Well, except for the fact that, you know, somebody did make it all up, but you know what I mean. And that is what I find so fascinating. Oh, and it was all set in motion by Madonna's Super Bowl performance, which was actually a Satanic ritual.
It is somehow more comforting to believe all that, rather than just accept that an 80's pop star drowned in her bathtub? I'd really hate to see what story some of those folks would concoct to deal with a more personal loss, like the death of a family member.
And, when you go all apocalyptic on top of everything else, you get the religious angle thrown into the mix as another factor that serves to confuse and confound, while at the same time comforting and confirming. For some people, everything has to be a sign of impending doom because of their faith belief that they're going to eminently be rescued from it all. This relieves them both of the responsibility to make rational sense of everything, but also the duty to actually try and do anything to improve the situation. Other than give dire warnings of doom. Or rant. Whichever feels better.
So, that brings us to the end of the world. The whole 2012 thing has really gotten some folks going, since the end of life as we know it is supposed to be one of the great goals of all the conspiracies. And we're getting people poring over every news story looking for clues and signs. And we're getting all the predictions of doom. And it all fits together. At least in some minds.
Except that no one mentions all the "end of the world" predictions for 2011 that obviously didn't come to pass. And I'm not just talking about Harold Camping, either. He's a drop in the bucket. Take a look.
See what I mean? And the best part of it all is that so many of these folks have moved right on to 2012, as if nothing had happened. (Which is, of course, what happened.) Little to no explanation. Just on to the next set of theories. Like I said, the whole mindset is fascinating. And don't get me started on the Lizard/Reptilian people. Those are my favorites! (To bring up the Queen again, she's a reptile, you know!)
For the weekends, I usually go into video, low-content mode. It's easier to get posts up that way, because the weekend is a very busy time for me, with yard sales and such. I usually do try, however, to put some kind of commentary up so you get a dash of my dubious humor or a glimpse into my mind or at least know why I picked the clip I did. This weekend is a theme weekend: "My Favorite YouTube Doomsday/Conspiracy Wackos." I've got a couple of gems for you, so I hope you'll tune in.
In them meantime, here's some more reading on the subject. And a set of fun commentary. By the way, this guy won't be among my picks for the weekend. He's too much of an attention whore for my taste. (But that is a classic rant!)
There's something strangely fascinating about the whole worldview. On the one hand, there's the train wreck aspect, where you sit back and go "I cannot believe someone just said that they actually believe that." On the other, I cannot help but marvel at people who can only deal with the tragedies, uncertainties, and unknowns of life by constructing grandiose theories.
I mean, yes, 9/11 was the absolute most senselessly tragic thing to happen to this country in my lifetime. Yes, the idea that an organized group of terrorists can inflict such horror on society armed with nothing more than a little knowledge and some box cutters still boggles the mind. It is scary to think that so many of the safeguards then in place failed us so miserably and so many died because of it. It's horrifying. It's incomprehensible.
But for some folks, the only way to make any sense out of it at all is to claim that the government was behind it all. And, somehow, this not only makes sense to them, but also makes them feel just a little bit better because they've been able to simply explain something that is large and complex and scary. The train of thought that can take all these little bits of unrelated info and odd coincidences and string them together into a grandiose untenable theory that cannot be toppled no matter how many holes get poked inside it simply fascinates me. Over and over.
And scale of tragedy doesn't seem to matter, either. Whitney Houston was a tragic figure who lived a tragic life filled with bad choices in the public eye. When she died, it was a great loss of talent, and an even greater loss of potential, in terms of what she could have been, if she had done things differently. That's reality.
Now, go on YouTube and search for vids about Houston's demise. In amongst all the tributes, you'll find the theories. She was killed by the secret powers behind the scenes who apparently needed the sacrifice of an aging pop diva way past her prime to release the energies necessary to properly celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth. I am not making this up! You cannot make shit like this up! Well, except for the fact that, you know, somebody did make it all up, but you know what I mean. And that is what I find so fascinating. Oh, and it was all set in motion by Madonna's Super Bowl performance, which was actually a Satanic ritual.
It is somehow more comforting to believe all that, rather than just accept that an 80's pop star drowned in her bathtub? I'd really hate to see what story some of those folks would concoct to deal with a more personal loss, like the death of a family member.
And, when you go all apocalyptic on top of everything else, you get the religious angle thrown into the mix as another factor that serves to confuse and confound, while at the same time comforting and confirming. For some people, everything has to be a sign of impending doom because of their faith belief that they're going to eminently be rescued from it all. This relieves them both of the responsibility to make rational sense of everything, but also the duty to actually try and do anything to improve the situation. Other than give dire warnings of doom. Or rant. Whichever feels better.
So, that brings us to the end of the world. The whole 2012 thing has really gotten some folks going, since the end of life as we know it is supposed to be one of the great goals of all the conspiracies. And we're getting people poring over every news story looking for clues and signs. And we're getting all the predictions of doom. And it all fits together. At least in some minds.
Except that no one mentions all the "end of the world" predictions for 2011 that obviously didn't come to pass. And I'm not just talking about Harold Camping, either. He's a drop in the bucket. Take a look.
See what I mean? And the best part of it all is that so many of these folks have moved right on to 2012, as if nothing had happened. (Which is, of course, what happened.) Little to no explanation. Just on to the next set of theories. Like I said, the whole mindset is fascinating. And don't get me started on the Lizard/Reptilian people. Those are my favorites! (To bring up the Queen again, she's a reptile, you know!)
For the weekends, I usually go into video, low-content mode. It's easier to get posts up that way, because the weekend is a very busy time for me, with yard sales and such. I usually do try, however, to put some kind of commentary up so you get a dash of my dubious humor or a glimpse into my mind or at least know why I picked the clip I did. This weekend is a theme weekend: "My Favorite YouTube Doomsday/Conspiracy Wackos." I've got a couple of gems for you, so I hope you'll tune in.
In them meantime, here's some more reading on the subject. And a set of fun commentary. By the way, this guy won't be among my picks for the weekend. He's too much of an attention whore for my taste. (But that is a classic rant!)
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