Eddie-tor's Note: I started this post quite a while ago, but it sat in my drafts forever waiting to be finished. As a result, it is now going up when I'm kind of in a thrift-lull imposed by my chemo and the bricks. Please read this as a description of the way I used to do things, the way I would do things now if I could, and the way things are going to be again--very soon! Thanks!
A lot of re-sellers I know don't like searching for merch at thrifts. 'The prices are too high," they say. "I can never find anything." Most of these folks have never thrifted for fun, pleasure, and personal use, so I don't think they get the thrifts and the thrift mentality. Me, I love them. Always have. Always will. Whether shopping for me personally or for re-sale, going to a thrift is an adventure I look forward to every week.
Which is not to say that there isn't a certain knack involved in thrifting for re-sale. Here are some thoughts to keep in mind.
The wider your net, the better your luck. The more focused you are in your quest, the more specific the type of merchandise you seek, the less likely you are to be successful on a given day. One of the reasons I usually find several items is that I sell a great variety of things. If furniture is too high on a given day, toys and books may not be. Greater focus leads to more finds. (Although there always will be those days where you find absolutely nothing!) If I were totally focused on high end antiques or gold and silver jewelry, I don't think that thrifts would be high on my list.
Routinize your thrift stops. Because of travel distances and gas prices, one of the best way to keep expenses down is work your thrift stops into other trips that you have to make. The way I look at it, if I am heading somewhere I have to be for some other reason, that thrift stop doesn't add any extra expense to the trip. It's just a stop-over. I'm lucky in that my weekly work route takes me by three thrifts. I can't help but build in a few extra minutes every few days for a quick junking run.
Not all thrifts are created equally. Let's be honest. Some thrifts are over-priced for what they have. Some are full of nothing but crap. Others are just a musty, dusty mess. It's okay to recognize that some thrifts are just not worth trying regularly, even if they are convenient. There's a thrift in the same building where I have a booth. Even though I am over there regularly, I still only stop in there only once every few weeks. It's just that hit or miss. I walk out of there empty-handed more than any other thrift.
But neither should any be totally written off. On the other hand, that same thrift has frequent sales, with deep discounts. So I keep an eye on it, in order to know what's going on, but limit my visits based on experience. Infrequency makes the heart grow fonder.
Small hauls add up. Even if you only find a few items every time you visit a thrift, that haul adds up over time. I try to be excited and thankful for every little bit I can find.
Know the policies. Stick to them. Thrift stores have a purpose, typically supporting some charity or cause. They also have expenses to meet--including overhead and payroll. They're not flea markets, and generally bargaining is not encouraged or appreciated. If you know you are at a store where the prices are fixed, don't embarrass yourself or the staff by trying to bargain. Also, make sure you know their policies on returns (in case an item doesn't work) and on holding purchases (in case you buy something large). There's a store in town I love, but they have an odd rule about not shopping out of the carts that the staff are using to stock shelves. I think it's weird and arbitrary, but it's their store, so I honor the rule.
Be polite to the staff. Chances are they're only making minimum wage. They have to put up with a wide variety of people, some of whom can be demanding and rude. Don't add to their burden. Dealers have a bad rep because some of them are some of the biggest assholes you can run across. I've kind of made it my mission to make a different impression on folks. That includes thrift staff. As a result, some of them have gotten to know me and my interests. They'll point things out to me when I'm in the store. I never ask them to bend the rules, but I do take the time to make some conversation.
Don't be afraid to politely ask for what you need. There's a clerk at the local Goodwill who is kind of haphazard with her wrapping. Sometimes she'll wrap breakables, sometimes she won't. I've learned that if she's in the mood where she's not wrapping, that I need to ask her and she will. If there's something you need or want, that isn't against any posted rules or guidelines, it never hurts to ask. Just be understanding if they cannot do it.
Stay informed. Some stores have regular sales. Others have systems for rotating merchandise so that something is always on sale. Some even have some sort of sale running every day. Staying informed can lead you to the best bargains. Do you know if a store in your area has half-off on Monday holidays? Sign up for email lists. Check the web. Look for Facebook pages or Twitter accounts. There are lots of ways to stay on top of what's going on at your fave thrift. Take advantage of them.
Wrapping stuff well is an art. Getting your purchases home in one piece can be a challenge, whether from a thrift or a yard sale. When you thrift on a bike, like I do frequently, it's even more challenging. Some cashiers are diligent about doing it well. Others, not so much. I've been known to throw in a helping hand when I have a large order or I see that it's not quite up to snuff. I do it under the guise of helping out, not being critical. Everything I know about effective wrapping I learned from one of the best thrift clerks in the city. One of these days, I'll do a post about that.
Large orders take time. Along with the above, I also try to be really friendly with the clerk and with the folks in line behind me on days when I'm buying a lot of stuff. It kind of eases the tension that builds up when people have to wait. I also make sure to thank everyone effusively when we're all done. Always let the little old lady who is just buying a hat or something small go in front of your cartful of stuff. That's a rule.
Check everywhere in the store. Thrifts are the worst for items getting moved and never put back. There's usually too much stuff to keep up with. You may not buy toys, but check the toys anyway. The vintage scarf you find over there may be right up your alley. Check the kids books for adult titles that got misplaced. Plus, older and vintage items often get mixed in with the newer stuff. Make two or three passes, just to make sure you get everything and see everywhere. It's not always convenient, but it's worth it. A couple of thrifts here in town put stuff in these bins that are attached to the tops of the clothing racks, and it's always stuff that is not at all related to clothing. They treat them as overflow display for any type of item, so a lot of people give them a miss. I've made great finds in those bins.
Have fun! If you're not enjoying it at least a little, then why are you doing it? Seriously, find another avenue for your stuff-gathering. The day re-selling stops being fun is the day I stop. There are too many sour-faced dealers out there as it is.
Don't force yourself to spend money. You don't have to buy something every time you come into a thrift. If it doesn't speak strongly to you, don't buy it. If it doesn't speak to you at all, don't buy it. If you have four of them waiting to go into a space, don't buy it. Use your head and common sense. If I'm thrifting and I see several "eh" items, but no "wow" item, I tend to pass by, unless I really need stuff. My personal rule is that one "wow" item trumps several "eh" items. The corollary is that I have to find the "wow" item before putting any "eh" items in my cart. It serves me well and keeps me on budget.
That's how I try to do it, anyway. As always, your thrifting mileage may vary. I'd love to hear your thoughts or ideas in the comments.
Friday, July 05, 2013
Wednesday, July 03, 2013
Fun Finds: FORE!
It's no secret by this point that the littlest things amuse me to no end. Plastic carrots, anyone? Here's another one that just tickled me to death.
Vintage barware is so much fun! I got this little dude on half price day at a thrift near the Peddlers Mall. It's kind of a hit or miss place, but I do make a point of hitting the half price days when I can.
The little golf clubs are swizzle sticks, and they sit in this awesome little golf bag! Is that cute or what?
There's a bottle opener attached.
The swizzle sticks include both woods...
...and irons!
There's just no end to the awesome on this thing. The golf bag also doubles as a jigger. It's marked off in the following measurements on the side:
2 oz--Drive
1 1/2 oz--Iron
1 oz--Putt
Can't you just see it sitting on the bar back at the club house?
Best of all from a seller's perspective is the vast amount of crossover appeal it has: golf fans, barware collectors, vintage fans! Someone is bound to love this little guy!
Vintage barware is so much fun! I got this little dude on half price day at a thrift near the Peddlers Mall. It's kind of a hit or miss place, but I do make a point of hitting the half price days when I can.
There's a bottle opener attached.
The swizzle sticks include both woods...
...and irons!
There's just no end to the awesome on this thing. The golf bag also doubles as a jigger. It's marked off in the following measurements on the side:
2 oz--Drive
1 1/2 oz--Iron
1 oz--Putt
Can't you just see it sitting on the bar back at the club house?
Best of all from a seller's perspective is the vast amount of crossover appeal it has: golf fans, barware collectors, vintage fans! Someone is bound to love this little guy!
Tuesday, July 02, 2013
It's Not All Anti-Nausea Pills!
I did manage to squeeze a short thrift run in on Friday after I got my shot at the cancer center. It was only two stops--that's all I could fit in before I started to feel too many of the effects--but it was worth it. It was the first thrift run I had made in ages and ages.
I don't normally do these kind of run down posts. There are lots of reasons for this:
1. I am fundamentally lazy. It takes a lot of work to take all these pics!
2. I cannot stage a photo for crap!
3. I look for all kind of things, not just antique or vintage (although I love them too). When I showcase a buy like this, I feel kind of awkward about standing out from the rest of the junking herd. I can't help it, though. I like being Ed-clectic!
4. I don't like handling the merch any more than needed. Taking pics for posts adds an extra time of wrapping and unwrapping to the processing chain.
Nevertheless, I felt so good about getting out that I had to take pics and share. Plus, I found some cool things.
Nice religious article stash--stack of kids' religious books on the saints, plus some plaques and a pair of sweet nuns.
Told you they were sweet! The Child Jesus plaque in the back is super-sweet, too. It says "Hope of the World" on it. All of the books come out of a church library. I normally don't mess with ex-library books, but these are not titles you run across every day.
I got a few religious plaques, too. Most are pretty standard stuff, but one is pretty special:
It's an older Our Mother of Perpetual Help and I love her! Several of the "jewels" in the crowns have fallen out, but that makes me love her even more. I'm tempted to keep her, so I am Reserving judgement on this one.
I bought a few non-religious items, as well. Here are a few of them. Why just a few? See reason number one above.
The duck looks like it's been into the Heaven Hill a little bit! That shot glass is kind of like contraband, by the way. This particular thrift won't let you shop for items until they are placed on the shelves. If you take something out of one of the carts of items that are waiting to go on the floor, then they ask you to leave the store!!!! I saw someone else brazenly taking something out of one of the carts, so I stole a peek. There were like three things I wanted to grab and buy, but I only had the nerve to grab the shot glass. I mean, this is my fave thrift. The clerks know me! Getting thrown out just would not do!
I also hit a church sale on Saturday. There's this church in the neighborhood where we lived before we bought the house. For several years, they've been engaged in the yard sale left-over pick up business. They make the rounds as sales are wrapping up and offer to haul off what's left. They hit a couple of our yard sales back in the day when we used to have them and saved us a helluva lot of clean up hassle.
They bring it all back, sort it out, clean it up, re-price if needed, and store it away for the summer, when they put it all out in their basement and open it up for regular sales. There's not a thrift in the area, so they kind of fill the gap. Every other week or so throughout the summer, they have a huge sale. There's always lots of stuff--some of it quite good--and always cheap!
Anyways, that's my latest haul. I get around when I feel that I can. Thankfully. I'm still able to find some stuff.
I don't normally do these kind of run down posts. There are lots of reasons for this:
1. I am fundamentally lazy. It takes a lot of work to take all these pics!
2. I cannot stage a photo for crap!
3. I look for all kind of things, not just antique or vintage (although I love them too). When I showcase a buy like this, I feel kind of awkward about standing out from the rest of the junking herd. I can't help it, though. I like being Ed-clectic!
4. I don't like handling the merch any more than needed. Taking pics for posts adds an extra time of wrapping and unwrapping to the processing chain.
Nevertheless, I felt so good about getting out that I had to take pics and share. Plus, I found some cool things.
Nice religious article stash--stack of kids' religious books on the saints, plus some plaques and a pair of sweet nuns.
Told you they were sweet! The Child Jesus plaque in the back is super-sweet, too. It says "Hope of the World" on it. All of the books come out of a church library. I normally don't mess with ex-library books, but these are not titles you run across every day.
I got a few religious plaques, too. Most are pretty standard stuff, but one is pretty special:
It's an older Our Mother of Perpetual Help and I love her! Several of the "jewels" in the crowns have fallen out, but that makes me love her even more. I'm tempted to keep her, so I am Reserving judgement on this one.
I bought a few non-religious items, as well. Here are a few of them. Why just a few? See reason number one above.
I also hit a church sale on Saturday. There's this church in the neighborhood where we lived before we bought the house. For several years, they've been engaged in the yard sale left-over pick up business. They make the rounds as sales are wrapping up and offer to haul off what's left. They hit a couple of our yard sales back in the day when we used to have them and saved us a helluva lot of clean up hassle.
They bring it all back, sort it out, clean it up, re-price if needed, and store it away for the summer, when they put it all out in their basement and open it up for regular sales. There's not a thrift in the area, so they kind of fill the gap. Every other week or so throughout the summer, they have a huge sale. There's always lots of stuff--some of it quite good--and always cheap!
Twenty volumes of manga! Ten cents each! I sell tons of this stuff. We're talking paydirt, here! The three on the left are ex-library, and I should have left them, but I went for the drama of clearing the whole shelf. I'll just sell them for a little less than the others.
I bought a bunch more stuff, but this is the most interesting of the lot. See Reason #1 above. There are even vintage salt and pepper shakers in the sewing box that I didn't feel like unwrapping. The Pyrex fridge box has a couple of scratches in the color, but I'll cover those up with a Sharpie.
Okay, I'm just kidding about the Sharpie--just wanted to see if you all were paying attention. I'm still pretty sure I can sell it. Flea markets can be very forgiving of slight boo-boos. I love the design on the black and white cocktail mixer. The Chi-Chis margarita glasses were impossible to resist. They'll be an easy Peddlers Mall sale, for sure.
I also got out to a barn sale on Sunday for a thrift that seems to be closing (boo!). I'll have more to say about the closing, but I only have a couple of pics of the whole ordeal. It was overwhelming, irritating, crowded, frustrating and absolutely WONDERFUL! I made about eight or nine trips through--loading up until I couldn't manuver the crowd, then checking out, heading to the car, and diving back into the fray. If I had my pre-chemo energy, I probably would have stayed the whole afternoon. As it was I did some damage.
No pics of the haul, but here is the car at the half-empty point.
And, here are a couple of shots from the lunacy. You might recognize the handsome, if portly dude in the middle.
Monday, July 01, 2013
Monday Rambles
I'll warn you in advance, this is one of the rambliest rambles I've put down in digital ink in ages. Get ready for a wild ride!
Another chemo week is down the pike and I'm slowly crawling out of the pit. I've figured out that part of the problem during chemo weeks is the extra pills I have to take to accommodate my shots and stuff. The Benadryl beforehand makes me so sleepy I can't stand it, so I end up going home after my shots and going to bed. By the time I wake up, the chills from the shot are setting in, so I have to take more pills. I think all the extra meds contribute to my nausea problems. I know I start feeling better by Sunday, when all of the extra stuff has filtered out of my system. Then I can start dealing with the bricks.
One more to go! One more to go! I'm filled with an equal measure of anticipation and dread. Sometimes, just thinking about going back to the cancer center makes me reflexively retch.
My grandfather passed away Saturday morning. They said he had a really rough couple of days and then passed on. I'm really glad that we went to see him week before last. He was alert and talkative then, and that's a good final memory to have. He was 94, and kind of just gave out. The last few years were pretty rough on him. Besides his own declining health, one of my uncles passed away in 2009 and then Mom died in 2010. I cannot imagine being in your 90's and yet having to bury your kids. No one expects that.
His funeral will be Tuesday, which is going to make for an odd sort of week. The Fourth was already throwing an extra day off in there, and I'm still trying to recover from missing a day of work last week due to chemo. It's going to be a short week, but one with lots of commotion, apparently.
For some reason, my sales decided to pick up over the last week and a half. That was a bright spot during the week of chemo blight. All of a sudden, I started selling large items again and making my sales targets. I finally made rent, and now I'll be getting a (very small) check. But it will be a check. Now I've got to get busy and replenish my stash of larger items. About half my floor stock of small furniture is gone. Luckily, I kind of made up for that with some weekend shopping.
I did get out to one church sale over the weekend. We actually went to two, but the second one wasn't happening until Sunday. What kind of church does that? I mean, besides the Adventists? We did end up going back on Sunday, but it was a bust. We found enough stuff at another Sunday stop to more than make up for that minor irritant. More details on that tomorrow.
Speaking of church stuff, week before last when I was working my booth, there was a woman there seated on the floor in front of my religious wall. She was going through all the pamphlets and booklets very carefully, like she was looking for certain particulars. At one point, she asked me where I found all the older Catholic resources. I kind of gave my usual hem and haw answer (junkers don't reveal their sources easily), so she asked if I was Catholic. My answer to that is always "I'm not, but my father was." She asked if I was raised Catholic. I told her that I was raised Southern Baptist. (The "Southern" part is very important--even all these years later.) I didn't mention my conscious lack of a religious affiliation these days. That seems a bit too personal for a casual conversation with a stranger.
Anyway, in the middle of all this, she says" Well, you know those guys in Rome right now aren't the Catholic Church. It's been nothing but anti-popes since 1958." OMG! I have a real-life sedevacantist on my hands! I knew that Louisville had an SSPX chapel, because I had been to an awesome yard sale there one time, but I had no idea that there was anyone in town who was so anti-Vatican II that they went to the extreme positions. Wow! Now I realize why she was looking through everything so carefully. She was checking for publication dates and imprimaturs!
She told me that she appreciated the stuff I had for sale and that it was a great resource for her and others, then left. Wow! I'm supplying goods for extreme traditionalist Catholics! Who knew? For the record, I find church politics almost as fascinating as church articles.
Day by Days: It was another solid week, for the most part, but not a spectacular one. The show was more about laying groundwork for some of the bigger action to come, as Sami prepares for trial and EJ moves ahead with his plot to take down Stefano. I'm beginning to wonder if Kate wasn't the one who swiped the razor from Rafe's room, to bog down Sami's defense. Judi Evans was excellent this week as Adrienne tried to keep her fears in check and keep from alienating her family. Sonny and Will and the baby are so cute together. Nice little moments with Nick/Will, Gabi/Nick, Kate/Sami (loved how Sami's hand kept hovering over Kate's shoulder, inches away from giving a little comfort, yet totally unable to reach out to her worst enemy), EJ/Chad and Adrienne/Jennifer. JJ continues to annoy me. The Cameron/Abby/Chad triangle looks to be boring as grass growing. Who is the rooting couple supposed to be? Durned if I know. And, we got a Lucas scene! Not enough of those these days.
Kim Thompson died recently. I was going to mention here it last week, but I forgot. He was co-publisher of Fantagraphics, which was one of my favorite comic book companies. Towards the end of my comic book days, most of what I was reading were Fanta titles. He was responsible for, among other things, bringing the works of Lewis Trondheim and Swedish artist Jason into print in English. He brought wonderful things to an impoverished American comics market, and had a tremendous impact on my own reading habits. He will be missed.
Finally a political note. (Those of you who don't really want to read this sort of thing can skip the next two paragraphs. I probably should have said that about my Days paragraph too.)
Like a lot of folks, I am celebrating the Supreme Court decision last week in the DOMA/Prop 8 cases. At the same time, I am only cautiously optimistic about the eventual results of the decision. For one thing, Keith and I still cannot get married under the laws of this state. The decision changed nothing about that. We cannot go to a state where same-sex marriage is legal, get married, and have that marriage recognized here. That part of DOMA was not in the challenge. My parents were married sixteen yers before they split. Keith and I have been together 23. My mother was able to get an increase in her Social Security when my dad died, and they weren't even married then! Me? It's not totally clear yet. That's what I get out of the decision. Not entirely clear yet.
I'm not downing the decision. It was the right one. It was a strong challenge to an unjust law. All I'm saying is that looking at the aftermath and the meaning has to be done with a careful eye. To go further, there is no federal law protecting LGBT folks from discrimination in housing or employment. Unless someone lives in one of the cities or states that offers such protection, then they can be fired or evicted simply for being gay. It's 2013, and this is still reality. It's unconscionable. We won a big deal last week. There's no doubt about that. We also still have a long ways to go.
From chemo to yard sales to soaps to Catholics to comics! From the personal to the political! I've hit the rambling gamut today, haven't I? How about that? About the only thing that didn't make it in was an Emmylou Harris mention. And now you have that.
Despite everything that's gone on this year, I have managed to stay on track with my posting goals. We are halfway through the year, and I am just a little over halfway to my posting goal of 200 posts for 2013. Blogging has helped me cope with the stress of chemo, and I appreciate your reading along with me. This week is already plotted out and pre-published, so keep checking in.
Another chemo week is down the pike and I'm slowly crawling out of the pit. I've figured out that part of the problem during chemo weeks is the extra pills I have to take to accommodate my shots and stuff. The Benadryl beforehand makes me so sleepy I can't stand it, so I end up going home after my shots and going to bed. By the time I wake up, the chills from the shot are setting in, so I have to take more pills. I think all the extra meds contribute to my nausea problems. I know I start feeling better by Sunday, when all of the extra stuff has filtered out of my system. Then I can start dealing with the bricks.
One more to go! One more to go! I'm filled with an equal measure of anticipation and dread. Sometimes, just thinking about going back to the cancer center makes me reflexively retch.
My grandfather passed away Saturday morning. They said he had a really rough couple of days and then passed on. I'm really glad that we went to see him week before last. He was alert and talkative then, and that's a good final memory to have. He was 94, and kind of just gave out. The last few years were pretty rough on him. Besides his own declining health, one of my uncles passed away in 2009 and then Mom died in 2010. I cannot imagine being in your 90's and yet having to bury your kids. No one expects that.
His funeral will be Tuesday, which is going to make for an odd sort of week. The Fourth was already throwing an extra day off in there, and I'm still trying to recover from missing a day of work last week due to chemo. It's going to be a short week, but one with lots of commotion, apparently.
For some reason, my sales decided to pick up over the last week and a half. That was a bright spot during the week of chemo blight. All of a sudden, I started selling large items again and making my sales targets. I finally made rent, and now I'll be getting a (very small) check. But it will be a check. Now I've got to get busy and replenish my stash of larger items. About half my floor stock of small furniture is gone. Luckily, I kind of made up for that with some weekend shopping.
I did get out to one church sale over the weekend. We actually went to two, but the second one wasn't happening until Sunday. What kind of church does that? I mean, besides the Adventists? We did end up going back on Sunday, but it was a bust. We found enough stuff at another Sunday stop to more than make up for that minor irritant. More details on that tomorrow.
Speaking of church stuff, week before last when I was working my booth, there was a woman there seated on the floor in front of my religious wall. She was going through all the pamphlets and booklets very carefully, like she was looking for certain particulars. At one point, she asked me where I found all the older Catholic resources. I kind of gave my usual hem and haw answer (junkers don't reveal their sources easily), so she asked if I was Catholic. My answer to that is always "I'm not, but my father was." She asked if I was raised Catholic. I told her that I was raised Southern Baptist. (The "Southern" part is very important--even all these years later.) I didn't mention my conscious lack of a religious affiliation these days. That seems a bit too personal for a casual conversation with a stranger.
Anyway, in the middle of all this, she says" Well, you know those guys in Rome right now aren't the Catholic Church. It's been nothing but anti-popes since 1958." OMG! I have a real-life sedevacantist on my hands! I knew that Louisville had an SSPX chapel, because I had been to an awesome yard sale there one time, but I had no idea that there was anyone in town who was so anti-Vatican II that they went to the extreme positions. Wow! Now I realize why she was looking through everything so carefully. She was checking for publication dates and imprimaturs!
She told me that she appreciated the stuff I had for sale and that it was a great resource for her and others, then left. Wow! I'm supplying goods for extreme traditionalist Catholics! Who knew? For the record, I find church politics almost as fascinating as church articles.
Day by Days: It was another solid week, for the most part, but not a spectacular one. The show was more about laying groundwork for some of the bigger action to come, as Sami prepares for trial and EJ moves ahead with his plot to take down Stefano. I'm beginning to wonder if Kate wasn't the one who swiped the razor from Rafe's room, to bog down Sami's defense. Judi Evans was excellent this week as Adrienne tried to keep her fears in check and keep from alienating her family. Sonny and Will and the baby are so cute together. Nice little moments with Nick/Will, Gabi/Nick, Kate/Sami (loved how Sami's hand kept hovering over Kate's shoulder, inches away from giving a little comfort, yet totally unable to reach out to her worst enemy), EJ/Chad and Adrienne/Jennifer. JJ continues to annoy me. The Cameron/Abby/Chad triangle looks to be boring as grass growing. Who is the rooting couple supposed to be? Durned if I know. And, we got a Lucas scene! Not enough of those these days.
Kim Thompson died recently. I was going to mention here it last week, but I forgot. He was co-publisher of Fantagraphics, which was one of my favorite comic book companies. Towards the end of my comic book days, most of what I was reading were Fanta titles. He was responsible for, among other things, bringing the works of Lewis Trondheim and Swedish artist Jason into print in English. He brought wonderful things to an impoverished American comics market, and had a tremendous impact on my own reading habits. He will be missed.
Finally a political note. (Those of you who don't really want to read this sort of thing can skip the next two paragraphs. I probably should have said that about my Days paragraph too.)
Like a lot of folks, I am celebrating the Supreme Court decision last week in the DOMA/Prop 8 cases. At the same time, I am only cautiously optimistic about the eventual results of the decision. For one thing, Keith and I still cannot get married under the laws of this state. The decision changed nothing about that. We cannot go to a state where same-sex marriage is legal, get married, and have that marriage recognized here. That part of DOMA was not in the challenge. My parents were married sixteen yers before they split. Keith and I have been together 23. My mother was able to get an increase in her Social Security when my dad died, and they weren't even married then! Me? It's not totally clear yet. That's what I get out of the decision. Not entirely clear yet.
I'm not downing the decision. It was the right one. It was a strong challenge to an unjust law. All I'm saying is that looking at the aftermath and the meaning has to be done with a careful eye. To go further, there is no federal law protecting LGBT folks from discrimination in housing or employment. Unless someone lives in one of the cities or states that offers such protection, then they can be fired or evicted simply for being gay. It's 2013, and this is still reality. It's unconscionable. We won a big deal last week. There's no doubt about that. We also still have a long ways to go.
From chemo to yard sales to soaps to Catholics to comics! From the personal to the political! I've hit the rambling gamut today, haven't I? How about that? About the only thing that didn't make it in was an Emmylou Harris mention. And now you have that.
Despite everything that's gone on this year, I have managed to stay on track with my posting goals. We are halfway through the year, and I am just a little over halfway to my posting goal of 200 posts for 2013. Blogging has helped me cope with the stress of chemo, and I appreciate your reading along with me. This week is already plotted out and pre-published, so keep checking in.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Indecision
Sometimes, I just can't make up my mind.
I don't know if this is my favorite Todd Snider song....
But it might really be this one. (To be fair, he didn't write this one. It was written by the equally awesome Fred Eaglesmith, who is one of those songwriters you don't want to listen to when you're depressed. I checked out several vids of this one and Snider flubs the lyrics in every one of them. Not sure what's up with that, but I like this one too much to leave it out.)
This one? (I know I've used another vid for this one in the blog before. Sometimes I repeat myself. it comes with age.)
Or this one?
Hell, I don't know. I just don't know.
What a nice quandry to have. Think I'll listen to them all again and see if I can figure it out.
I don't know if this is my favorite Todd Snider song....
But it might really be this one. (To be fair, he didn't write this one. It was written by the equally awesome Fred Eaglesmith, who is one of those songwriters you don't want to listen to when you're depressed. I checked out several vids of this one and Snider flubs the lyrics in every one of them. Not sure what's up with that, but I like this one too much to leave it out.)
This one? (I know I've used another vid for this one in the blog before. Sometimes I repeat myself. it comes with age.)
Or this one?
Hell, I don't know. I just don't know.
What a nice quandry to have. Think I'll listen to them all again and see if I can figure it out.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Awesome Stuff You Never Knew Existed
Or maybe: Awesome Stuff You've Known About for Years!
Or possibly: Stuff That You Don't Really Think Is All That Awesome Whether or Not You Knew About It!
How am I to know? Pick your category, people. Me? I'm going with the first one, because I thought it was pretty cool. Then again, I am easily amused.
I am so totally in love with this mini shopping cart that is made out of metal (not plastic)!
True Confession Time: I knew these existed. I sold one in the early days of the booth and have been looking for another one ever since. Didn't have much luck until a couple of weeks ago.
Or possibly: Stuff That You Don't Really Think Is All That Awesome Whether or Not You Knew About It!
How am I to know? Pick your category, people. Me? I'm going with the first one, because I thought it was pretty cool. Then again, I am easily amused.
I am so totally in love with this mini shopping cart that is made out of metal (not plastic)!
True Confession Time: I knew these existed. I sold one in the early days of the booth and have been looking for another one ever since. Didn't have much luck until a couple of weeks ago.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Chemo Scoreboard!
Five down!
 |
| I look kind of bemused here. Don't know what that's about. |
ONE TO GO!!
Things went really smoothly this time. I was dreading the actual stick, since last time was such an ordeal. The nurse told me later that he was too. It's not good to be remembered because your veins are uncooperative. I'm coming out of this thing with a definite dread--less than a fear, but more than a dislike--of needles. It ended up taking just one try, so I am very grateful for that.
The doctors told me that I'm doing very well, tolerating stuff well, and having comparatively few issues. Here I thought I was being weighed down by pallets of bricks and puking on my doorstep, but it turns out I'm doing better than most. I don't know whether to feel guilty that I'm such a whiner or relieved.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Junkin' Memories: The Early Louisville Years
When I lived in Old Louisville, there was a DAV store a few blocks from where I lived. Down the street from it was a thrift that supported a neighborhood charity. Sadly, they're both gone now and have been for quite a few years. The DAV closed because of shoplifting problems.
I first went to that DAV when I was in seminary. I took the bus through Old Louisville to get to a job interview and saw it. I remember going there to buy some props for a scene I was doing in a church drama class.
I used to take stuff over to the neighborhood charity shop to donate from time to time. One time, I left a couple of bags of donated things at the counter, then went shopping. I found a huge stash of vintage Peanuts paperbacks there. When I went to check out, the cashier got all confused and tried to price all the items I had donated so she could ring them up for me. It took me like five minutes to explain to her that THOSE were the items I was bringing in for them and THESE were the things I wanted to give them money for.
One of my first thrift purchases after I moved to Louisville was a vintage black London Fog overcoat that I paid five bucks for. I loved that thing and wore it everywhere. I even bought a hat in a consignment shop near the seminary to wear with it. When I went home for Christmas that year, my brother took an immediate liking to the coat and wore it a few times. He then started working on me to pass it on to him.
His argument was that he was a poor college freshman who didn't have any money for clothes. I tried to tell him that he was in he right demographic to start thrifting, but he told me the town where he was going to school didn't have any thrifts! (As if!) Eventually, my mother convinced me that I could always find another one, so I let him have it. Of course, he lost it and I've never seen another one like it.
Interestingly enough, when my brother was in seminary himself, he discovered the Goodwill in the nice part of town and would go there all the time. He told me that he was getting a fabulous brand name wardrobe at a fraction of the cost. I went there a couple of times when I would visit him and we'd both load up our carts. For the seminary record: His was Presbyterian and he graduated. Mine was Southern Baptist and I dropped out so I could come out.
Speaking of my limited run at the seminary, there was a convent down the road that used to have regular indoor yard sales and book sales in the basement of one of the school buildings. I never missed one, if I could help it. I bought tons of stuff there, including several Madonnas and rosaries that made my dorm mates at the Southern Baptist seminary look oddly at me. Awesome stuff at awesome prices. The basement was stuffed with all kinds of stuff!
They even had a rack of clothing that was mostly habits--nothing old, but rather the more modern modified habit. I wanted one so bad, but never had the nerve to even go over and look through them. Suddenly, the sales just stopped. I later learned that the particular nuns who organized the sales got too old to continue and none of the others were interested in doing it, so they just stopped. I've always wondered what happened to that basement full of stuff. I've also always regretted not getting a habit when I had the chance.
One last seminary memory: One Sunday, I chose to attend a particular church, so I could go to some yard sales that were happening down the street. Seriously. Maybe it's a good thing I didn't pass muster as a seminarian.
I first went to that DAV when I was in seminary. I took the bus through Old Louisville to get to a job interview and saw it. I remember going there to buy some props for a scene I was doing in a church drama class.
I used to take stuff over to the neighborhood charity shop to donate from time to time. One time, I left a couple of bags of donated things at the counter, then went shopping. I found a huge stash of vintage Peanuts paperbacks there. When I went to check out, the cashier got all confused and tried to price all the items I had donated so she could ring them up for me. It took me like five minutes to explain to her that THOSE were the items I was bringing in for them and THESE were the things I wanted to give them money for.
One of my first thrift purchases after I moved to Louisville was a vintage black London Fog overcoat that I paid five bucks for. I loved that thing and wore it everywhere. I even bought a hat in a consignment shop near the seminary to wear with it. When I went home for Christmas that year, my brother took an immediate liking to the coat and wore it a few times. He then started working on me to pass it on to him.
His argument was that he was a poor college freshman who didn't have any money for clothes. I tried to tell him that he was in he right demographic to start thrifting, but he told me the town where he was going to school didn't have any thrifts! (As if!) Eventually, my mother convinced me that I could always find another one, so I let him have it. Of course, he lost it and I've never seen another one like it.
Interestingly enough, when my brother was in seminary himself, he discovered the Goodwill in the nice part of town and would go there all the time. He told me that he was getting a fabulous brand name wardrobe at a fraction of the cost. I went there a couple of times when I would visit him and we'd both load up our carts. For the seminary record: His was Presbyterian and he graduated. Mine was Southern Baptist and I dropped out so I could come out.
Speaking of my limited run at the seminary, there was a convent down the road that used to have regular indoor yard sales and book sales in the basement of one of the school buildings. I never missed one, if I could help it. I bought tons of stuff there, including several Madonnas and rosaries that made my dorm mates at the Southern Baptist seminary look oddly at me. Awesome stuff at awesome prices. The basement was stuffed with all kinds of stuff!
They even had a rack of clothing that was mostly habits--nothing old, but rather the more modern modified habit. I wanted one so bad, but never had the nerve to even go over and look through them. Suddenly, the sales just stopped. I later learned that the particular nuns who organized the sales got too old to continue and none of the others were interested in doing it, so they just stopped. I've always wondered what happened to that basement full of stuff. I've also always regretted not getting a habit when I had the chance.
One last seminary memory: One Sunday, I chose to attend a particular church, so I could go to some yard sales that were happening down the street. Seriously. Maybe it's a good thing I didn't pass muster as a seminarian.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Monday Rambles
Chemo is tomorrow and I am dreading the whole thing. It was such an ordeal to find a vein last time, that I am not looking forward to going through it again. I just keep telling myself that by the end of July it will all be over. I hope I don't puke this time. I hate throwing up.
I did get out to three church sales on Saturday. I didn't get anything really spectacular, but did have a couple of interesting experiences. A lady nearly ran into me at one sale. She was walking across the room right at me, while looking over her shoulder in the opposite direction the whole time. I, of course, had my arms full of stuff, so I moved to get out of her way. She, still without looking in my direction at all, adjusted her course so she was still heading right at me. It was kind of creepy.
Finally, when she was about to barrel right into me, I said "Excuse me, Ma'am!" and tried to step around her. She snapped her head around and gave me the nastiest look. I don't know, maybe I was supposed to just let her walk right into me?
At another sale, I found this little guy.
He's clearly marked $5 on the top, but being in church sale mode, my mind interpreted this as five cents. Heck, most of the other stuff I was grabbing was 10 cents, so it's kind of a natural assumption. I didn't realize my error until I was checking out and I looked at the price again. Doh!
I was on the verge of telling them that I didn't want it, when one of the check out ladies asked the other one if that price was right. The second lady said that was the correct price "because it's an antique" but I could name a price if I wanted. I offered two bucks, and they accepted. For the record, I'm pretty sure it's a reproduction, but I am also sure I can turn it over in one of my booths pretty quickly.
Speaking of the booths, I finally made the damn rent at the Peddler's Mall over the weekend. It's never taken this long before! This has been an agonizing month! I'd have a forty or fifty dollar day, followed by a string of four dollar days. Early last week, the sales were so low, I was suicidal. One day, I said "It can't get any worse than this." The next day was a dollar less than that, so I decided I needed to keep my mouth shut.
The heat over the weekend turned the tide for sales, because it drove everyone inside to do their secondhand shopping. I'm hoping for a scorching summer. I don't ask for much, just thirty dollars a day. That's a pretty reasonable goal. It makes the rent, covers the expenses, and gives me a nice check.
I did a YouTube soap opera binge over the weekend. I found a CBS special from 1994 called Fifty Years of Soaps. Two hours dedicated to the TV broadcast history of the soap opera. Tons of stars. Tons of flashbacks. Man, those were the days. In fact, those were the tail end of the glory days of the soap. In a couple of years, the decline would start.
There were ten shows on the air at that time, as opposed to four today (not counting the really lame online versions of All My Children and One Life to Live). I guess I got a little nostalgic over the whole thing. These are tough times to be a soap fan. It's tough to be fond of an artform that might be on its last legs.
I've got posts put together for the whole week, so keep checking in, If anything happens with chemo, I'll update that on Wednesday. Other than that, I'll probably be low key for the rest of the week. Take care!
I did get out to three church sales on Saturday. I didn't get anything really spectacular, but did have a couple of interesting experiences. A lady nearly ran into me at one sale. She was walking across the room right at me, while looking over her shoulder in the opposite direction the whole time. I, of course, had my arms full of stuff, so I moved to get out of her way. She, still without looking in my direction at all, adjusted her course so she was still heading right at me. It was kind of creepy.
Finally, when she was about to barrel right into me, I said "Excuse me, Ma'am!" and tried to step around her. She snapped her head around and gave me the nastiest look. I don't know, maybe I was supposed to just let her walk right into me?
At another sale, I found this little guy.
He's clearly marked $5 on the top, but being in church sale mode, my mind interpreted this as five cents. Heck, most of the other stuff I was grabbing was 10 cents, so it's kind of a natural assumption. I didn't realize my error until I was checking out and I looked at the price again. Doh!
I was on the verge of telling them that I didn't want it, when one of the check out ladies asked the other one if that price was right. The second lady said that was the correct price "because it's an antique" but I could name a price if I wanted. I offered two bucks, and they accepted. For the record, I'm pretty sure it's a reproduction, but I am also sure I can turn it over in one of my booths pretty quickly.
Speaking of the booths, I finally made the damn rent at the Peddler's Mall over the weekend. It's never taken this long before! This has been an agonizing month! I'd have a forty or fifty dollar day, followed by a string of four dollar days. Early last week, the sales were so low, I was suicidal. One day, I said "It can't get any worse than this." The next day was a dollar less than that, so I decided I needed to keep my mouth shut.
The heat over the weekend turned the tide for sales, because it drove everyone inside to do their secondhand shopping. I'm hoping for a scorching summer. I don't ask for much, just thirty dollars a day. That's a pretty reasonable goal. It makes the rent, covers the expenses, and gives me a nice check.
I did a YouTube soap opera binge over the weekend. I found a CBS special from 1994 called Fifty Years of Soaps. Two hours dedicated to the TV broadcast history of the soap opera. Tons of stars. Tons of flashbacks. Man, those were the days. In fact, those were the tail end of the glory days of the soap. In a couple of years, the decline would start.
There were ten shows on the air at that time, as opposed to four today (not counting the really lame online versions of All My Children and One Life to Live). I guess I got a little nostalgic over the whole thing. These are tough times to be a soap fan. It's tough to be fond of an artform that might be on its last legs.
I've got posts put together for the whole week, so keep checking in, If anything happens with chemo, I'll update that on Wednesday. Other than that, I'll probably be low key for the rest of the week. Take care!
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Day by Days
Thoughts about this past week's Days of Our Lives
First off, how nice to see Marlena loaded for bear, after so many weeks of basically serving as John's doormat and whipping gal. Those scenes with Adrienne were excellent! It's also really nice to see more of Adrienne and Justin this week. I look forward to more of this as some of these stories unfold.
I do hope that part of the unfolding includes someone, say Maggie, sitting down and giving Adrienne a chill pill by reminding her of her own history. She hardly comes from a sterling bunch herself, and she definitely didn't marry into one!
I love a good, out of left field twist that starts a story spinning in a different direction, and the reveal that Chad has video of Sami fighting Bernardi certainly fits that bill! Wow! When he said a little while ago that he had "vintage psycho Sami" on video, I thought he meant that he had filmed her fight with Kate at the coffee shop right before they found out Will had been shot. What he's actually got is a whole different kettle of fish.
What I like most about this twist is the layers it adds to the story. There are others who now know that Sami lied to the police and her lawyer about not knowing the man she shot. It also puts Will's secret back into play. Best of all, it expands the reach of this story, since Abigail is now involved. Well done!
What I really can't wait for is the scene when Adrienne realizes that she has this fight video too. It's pretty obvious (to me at least) that Sonny did not send her a video of the baby. He just thinks he did. The question is how long will it take her to find out?
Brady and Nicole hopping back into bed on the heels of his break-up with Kristen is so totally in character for both of them that I really liked those scenes. Brady is making what Maggie would call "an impulsive, self-destructive decision, typical of an addict," while it's just plain nice to see Nicole do something besides wring her hands over a priest. I don't think this will be the resurrection of them as a couple. There's been way too much water under that bridge! I like their dynamic and chemistry as friends much more, even if they do boff each other from time to time.
Speaking of Kristen, I like watching her unravel. She's so much fun when she's psycho. Eileen Davidson looks like she's having so much fun with the material! I just don't get what her plan is. She drugs Eric so she can sleep with him? Unless she's recording it so she can ruin his standing as a priest, there's no way that's going to have an impact on Marlena. There's no indication she's doing that, however.
I'm more than a little annoyed with the JJ story at this point. I think it's a good thing that I can't stand the character, because that means something is working right. He's a despicable little brat, so he should be disliked. I have always liked the idea of the bad seed offspring from the upstanding, core family. It's worked for 20 years with Sami, and she has become a pillar of the show and a core character. I'm pretty sure that fans really hated her when she first arrived on the scene.
The problem with the JJ story is Jennifer. I've been cutting her some slack on the way she's dealing with her son, because I can understand why she wants to be sensitive, The problem is that she's starting to appear both dumb and in denial. Maybe she'll catch on when he causes her to lose her job. After all, if Anne had found JJ with the scrip pad instead of Daniel, she would not have stopped until Jennifer had been booted out the door.
All in all, it was a good week. There were some nice little moments--Daniel and Jennifer checking on Brady--which I always like to see. The little interaction between Kate and Maggie at the coffee shop was nice too. I don't always get to see my two favorite characters play together. The Sami/Eric sccenes were extra sweet. Plus, Vargas is back! The only onscreen clunkers for the week were the overly-contrived and purely plot-driven hassles that Nicole had trying to reach Eric with his papers.
I do have a bone to pick about what wasn't shown this week. Sami is choked into unconsciousness in her cell, and we don't get to see someone finding her there? Think how much more dramatic it would have been for EJ to discover her like that. How exactly did Sami make bail anyway? I'm extremely annoyed that there were no scenes from her arraignment at all. My only real beef with the current writing team is that they sometimes choose to leave out moments like these, which should be pivotal scenes. It's a decision I don't understand, since it undercuts the drama.
First off, how nice to see Marlena loaded for bear, after so many weeks of basically serving as John's doormat and whipping gal. Those scenes with Adrienne were excellent! It's also really nice to see more of Adrienne and Justin this week. I look forward to more of this as some of these stories unfold.
I do hope that part of the unfolding includes someone, say Maggie, sitting down and giving Adrienne a chill pill by reminding her of her own history. She hardly comes from a sterling bunch herself, and she definitely didn't marry into one!
I love a good, out of left field twist that starts a story spinning in a different direction, and the reveal that Chad has video of Sami fighting Bernardi certainly fits that bill! Wow! When he said a little while ago that he had "vintage psycho Sami" on video, I thought he meant that he had filmed her fight with Kate at the coffee shop right before they found out Will had been shot. What he's actually got is a whole different kettle of fish.
What I like most about this twist is the layers it adds to the story. There are others who now know that Sami lied to the police and her lawyer about not knowing the man she shot. It also puts Will's secret back into play. Best of all, it expands the reach of this story, since Abigail is now involved. Well done!
What I really can't wait for is the scene when Adrienne realizes that she has this fight video too. It's pretty obvious (to me at least) that Sonny did not send her a video of the baby. He just thinks he did. The question is how long will it take her to find out?
Brady and Nicole hopping back into bed on the heels of his break-up with Kristen is so totally in character for both of them that I really liked those scenes. Brady is making what Maggie would call "an impulsive, self-destructive decision, typical of an addict," while it's just plain nice to see Nicole do something besides wring her hands over a priest. I don't think this will be the resurrection of them as a couple. There's been way too much water under that bridge! I like their dynamic and chemistry as friends much more, even if they do boff each other from time to time.
Speaking of Kristen, I like watching her unravel. She's so much fun when she's psycho. Eileen Davidson looks like she's having so much fun with the material! I just don't get what her plan is. She drugs Eric so she can sleep with him? Unless she's recording it so she can ruin his standing as a priest, there's no way that's going to have an impact on Marlena. There's no indication she's doing that, however.
I'm more than a little annoyed with the JJ story at this point. I think it's a good thing that I can't stand the character, because that means something is working right. He's a despicable little brat, so he should be disliked. I have always liked the idea of the bad seed offspring from the upstanding, core family. It's worked for 20 years with Sami, and she has become a pillar of the show and a core character. I'm pretty sure that fans really hated her when she first arrived on the scene.
The problem with the JJ story is Jennifer. I've been cutting her some slack on the way she's dealing with her son, because I can understand why she wants to be sensitive, The problem is that she's starting to appear both dumb and in denial. Maybe she'll catch on when he causes her to lose her job. After all, if Anne had found JJ with the scrip pad instead of Daniel, she would not have stopped until Jennifer had been booted out the door.
All in all, it was a good week. There were some nice little moments--Daniel and Jennifer checking on Brady--which I always like to see. The little interaction between Kate and Maggie at the coffee shop was nice too. I don't always get to see my two favorite characters play together. The Sami/Eric sccenes were extra sweet. Plus, Vargas is back! The only onscreen clunkers for the week were the overly-contrived and purely plot-driven hassles that Nicole had trying to reach Eric with his papers.
I do have a bone to pick about what wasn't shown this week. Sami is choked into unconsciousness in her cell, and we don't get to see someone finding her there? Think how much more dramatic it would have been for EJ to discover her like that. How exactly did Sami make bail anyway? I'm extremely annoyed that there were no scenes from her arraignment at all. My only real beef with the current writing team is that they sometimes choose to leave out moments like these, which should be pivotal scenes. It's a decision I don't understand, since it undercuts the drama.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Linking Around
I haven't done a link post in ages. Not sure why that is, so I thought I would rectify that and do a post of a bunch of quick shots and links.
When I was a kid, I had a collection of pennants from states that we had visited in our travels. For the life of me, I don't know whatever happened to it. Luckily, Magpie Ethel knows where hers are. Mine were in the style of the Texas and Oklahoma pennants in one of her pics.
Congratulations to Days of Our Lives for winning "Best Show" at the Daytime Emmys! I guess I really do need to finish those Days posts I've been working on.
I thought this was funny.
You all know how I feel about cancer. It's not so hot for other people either. Please show Heidi and her family some love. They need it. I should warn you that this is a three hanky link.
Fear the thrift horrors! God knows, you see a lot of this kind of stuff when you're junking. An awful lot. Heck, you sometimes see a lot of it in other booths in your vendor mall. Flee!
Curious about what you can send via media mail? Ignore their really poor understanding of comic books and graphic novels. That link comes courtesy of the fine folks at Yard Sale Queen.
Speaking of thrifts (and I do have a long post about thrifting planned for next week), did you know you can get your junk on even when you're not on your home turf, thanks to ThriftShopper? I've used it more than a few times and found it to be pretty accurate and helpful.
Roger writes about writing. I've always admired him for his ability to turn out thoughtful posts day after day after day. His thoughts about excuses people use not to write are interesting. Wonder where chemo-induced fatigue and nausea come in on that list?
That was kind of fun. I need to make a point of doing that again sometime!
When I was a kid, I had a collection of pennants from states that we had visited in our travels. For the life of me, I don't know whatever happened to it. Luckily, Magpie Ethel knows where hers are. Mine were in the style of the Texas and Oklahoma pennants in one of her pics.
Congratulations to Days of Our Lives for winning "Best Show" at the Daytime Emmys! I guess I really do need to finish those Days posts I've been working on.
I thought this was funny.
You all know how I feel about cancer. It's not so hot for other people either. Please show Heidi and her family some love. They need it. I should warn you that this is a three hanky link.
Fear the thrift horrors! God knows, you see a lot of this kind of stuff when you're junking. An awful lot. Heck, you sometimes see a lot of it in other booths in your vendor mall. Flee!
Curious about what you can send via media mail? Ignore their really poor understanding of comic books and graphic novels. That link comes courtesy of the fine folks at Yard Sale Queen.
Speaking of thrifts (and I do have a long post about thrifting planned for next week), did you know you can get your junk on even when you're not on your home turf, thanks to ThriftShopper? I've used it more than a few times and found it to be pretty accurate and helpful.
Roger writes about writing. I've always admired him for his ability to turn out thoughtful posts day after day after day. His thoughts about excuses people use not to write are interesting. Wonder where chemo-induced fatigue and nausea come in on that list?
That was kind of fun. I need to make a point of doing that again sometime!
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Comics: The Gateway Drug! (Junkin' Memories)
Scratch most resellers deeply enough and you'll find a collector/lover of something, be it antiques, pottery, books or music. Many of us started buying secondhand because of our collections and selling secondhand because the collections were about to get out of hand. For me, it was comic books.
Actually, comics were the first serious collection I had. If I had stuck there, I might or might not have gone on to sell. Collectors rarely stick to one area, though. Catholic religious items came along. My library grew wildly out of hand. I had a flirtation with anime fandom. I fell in love with penguins. As my music interests grew, so did my CD collection. From time to time, I would pick up the oddball tchotchke, just because it was cool looking. I kept telling myself that if I had time, space and money, then I would collect older toys and children's books. Then, one day, I realized that it was out of hand. One person just does not need this much stuff. And Eddie's Attic was born!
But it all began with comic books.
I can't pin down the exact moment I became I comic book collector. I can remember reading them as far back as seven years old. A friend of my parents had made a massive toy chest for my brother and I. It was basically a huge wooden box with no lid, but several large shelves above it. We could keep practically everything we owned in it. I used to arrange stuffed animals on the top and lay down in it to read comics. There was a Superboy comic that was my favorite.
Around this time, Dad was transferred to Germany by the Army. He went several months before we joined him, so I could finish the school year. When we got off the plane, he had a stack of comics for me. I remember the one on top was a Spider-Man. It seems like my reputation for comics was already cemented, at least in my family.
When my dad was stationed in Germany, all of the kids read comics. We traded back and forth all the time. Whenever someone got transferred back to the States, they would make their kids give all their comics away. I amassed a nice collection this way. I kept them in a wooden toy chest. The one I was talking about above was too large to ship over, so we had a much smaller, more conventional one with a lid. I filled it with comics and would lay on top of them and read.
One would think that gathering a collection of comics from departing kids would start to make me aware that my collection might one day be given away, but I was completely oblivious. So I was blindsided when my parents made me do the same to mine. It was probably the first traumatic event of my childhood.
Not nearly as traumatic as the one that immediately followed. Mom decided that my brother and I were getting too old for stuffed animals, so we had to throw them all away. Yes, throw them all away! What was she thinking? That included my much-beloved Beartrack, the Teddy Bear I had owned as long as I could remember. I had loved all the fuzz off him at one point, so my grandmother had sewn washcloths on him as a new covering. I had to carry him and all the others to an unmarked grave in a dumpster at our Army housing in Germany. I think I still have scars from that. Even Mom told me much, much later that tossing him was a mistake.
When we got back to the US, Dad was stationed in Texas. I started buying comics at the Circle K. Things just kind of grew from there. By the time I was in high school, I was getting off the bus early on Wednesdays, because that was the day they put the new comics on the rack at the convenience store. I'd walk the rest of the way home.
I did an oral report about comics in my ninth grade English class that scandalized my teacher, who happened to be my very gossipy preacher's wife. Guess what they talked about in my mother's Sunday School class that Sunday? My mother's response was classic: "Who is the best reader in your class?" Gossipy Pastor's Wife: "Eddie." Mom: "Who reads the most in your class." GPW: "Eddie." Mom: "Who has the best vocabulary?" GPW: "Eddie." Mom: "Who is your best writer?" GPW: "Eddie." Mom: "And your problem is what, exactly?"
My best friend and I would spend Wednesdays in the summer at the local flea market looking at back issues. After my parents divorced, my dad would take us to other flea markets and buy me other comics. I went to my first comics shop when I was a senior in high school. The idea that there was a whole store with nothing but comics blew my teen-aged mind.
From there it was on to the big flea market in Louisville, which is where my hunt finally expanded to include other items. A junker was born! I spent my college years hitting this flea a couple of times a year. After graduation, I moved to Louisville, home of the both the flea and the comic shop, and I would say that my destiny was kind of sealed.
Of course, I wouldn't become a seller for several years yet, but when I did, one thing I was determined to sell was comic books. Might as well put a lifetime of knowledge and experience to use somehow.
I don't buy very many new comics these days, except for resale purposes. I've lost interest in a lot of the contemporary comics market. There's probably something out there that would appeal to me, but I just don't have the time any more. Instead, I concentrate on filling holes among my older issues and enjoying the classic issues I still have. It's still a great past-time.
And it led me into a wonderful world.
Actually, comics were the first serious collection I had. If I had stuck there, I might or might not have gone on to sell. Collectors rarely stick to one area, though. Catholic religious items came along. My library grew wildly out of hand. I had a flirtation with anime fandom. I fell in love with penguins. As my music interests grew, so did my CD collection. From time to time, I would pick up the oddball tchotchke, just because it was cool looking. I kept telling myself that if I had time, space and money, then I would collect older toys and children's books. Then, one day, I realized that it was out of hand. One person just does not need this much stuff. And Eddie's Attic was born!
But it all began with comic books.
I can't pin down the exact moment I became I comic book collector. I can remember reading them as far back as seven years old. A friend of my parents had made a massive toy chest for my brother and I. It was basically a huge wooden box with no lid, but several large shelves above it. We could keep practically everything we owned in it. I used to arrange stuffed animals on the top and lay down in it to read comics. There was a Superboy comic that was my favorite.
Around this time, Dad was transferred to Germany by the Army. He went several months before we joined him, so I could finish the school year. When we got off the plane, he had a stack of comics for me. I remember the one on top was a Spider-Man. It seems like my reputation for comics was already cemented, at least in my family.
When my dad was stationed in Germany, all of the kids read comics. We traded back and forth all the time. Whenever someone got transferred back to the States, they would make their kids give all their comics away. I amassed a nice collection this way. I kept them in a wooden toy chest. The one I was talking about above was too large to ship over, so we had a much smaller, more conventional one with a lid. I filled it with comics and would lay on top of them and read.
One would think that gathering a collection of comics from departing kids would start to make me aware that my collection might one day be given away, but I was completely oblivious. So I was blindsided when my parents made me do the same to mine. It was probably the first traumatic event of my childhood.
Not nearly as traumatic as the one that immediately followed. Mom decided that my brother and I were getting too old for stuffed animals, so we had to throw them all away. Yes, throw them all away! What was she thinking? That included my much-beloved Beartrack, the Teddy Bear I had owned as long as I could remember. I had loved all the fuzz off him at one point, so my grandmother had sewn washcloths on him as a new covering. I had to carry him and all the others to an unmarked grave in a dumpster at our Army housing in Germany. I think I still have scars from that. Even Mom told me much, much later that tossing him was a mistake.
When we got back to the US, Dad was stationed in Texas. I started buying comics at the Circle K. Things just kind of grew from there. By the time I was in high school, I was getting off the bus early on Wednesdays, because that was the day they put the new comics on the rack at the convenience store. I'd walk the rest of the way home.
I did an oral report about comics in my ninth grade English class that scandalized my teacher, who happened to be my very gossipy preacher's wife. Guess what they talked about in my mother's Sunday School class that Sunday? My mother's response was classic: "Who is the best reader in your class?" Gossipy Pastor's Wife: "Eddie." Mom: "Who reads the most in your class." GPW: "Eddie." Mom: "Who has the best vocabulary?" GPW: "Eddie." Mom: "Who is your best writer?" GPW: "Eddie." Mom: "And your problem is what, exactly?"
My best friend and I would spend Wednesdays in the summer at the local flea market looking at back issues. After my parents divorced, my dad would take us to other flea markets and buy me other comics. I went to my first comics shop when I was a senior in high school. The idea that there was a whole store with nothing but comics blew my teen-aged mind.
From there it was on to the big flea market in Louisville, which is where my hunt finally expanded to include other items. A junker was born! I spent my college years hitting this flea a couple of times a year. After graduation, I moved to Louisville, home of the both the flea and the comic shop, and I would say that my destiny was kind of sealed.
Of course, I wouldn't become a seller for several years yet, but when I did, one thing I was determined to sell was comic books. Might as well put a lifetime of knowledge and experience to use somehow.
I don't buy very many new comics these days, except for resale purposes. I've lost interest in a lot of the contemporary comics market. There's probably something out there that would appeal to me, but I just don't have the time any more. Instead, I concentrate on filling holes among my older issues and enjoying the classic issues I still have. It's still a great past-time.
And it led me into a wonderful world.
Monday, June 17, 2013
Monday Rambles
This is probably going to be the most boring edition of Monday Rambles ever. Ever. Quite simply, I got nuthin'.
I faded out towards the end of last week. Blogs were written and set up, but I started tiring out about mid-week and never got to taking the pics that I needed for the posts. I'll try to do that this week.
And that's pretty much the story of the week--too tired to get the things done I needed/wanted to. Like I said, boring.
We did take a trip to the country on Friday to visit my grandfather, who is not doing very well. It was a nice visit. He can talk your ear off, that's for sure! It was the first time I had seen him in a while, so I was glad we went.
Honestly, that's all that happened.
Well, wait. I can tell you all this: it's been a terribly slow sales month. I've not made my rent yet and I'm starting to get both worried and frustrated. I don't really know what to do.
This is the last week before chemo number 5, which happens next Tuesday. I'm hoping to have a bit more energy and maybe actually do more than go to work, come home and veg out. We'll see, I guess.
Sorry this one is so hopelessly dull, folks.
I faded out towards the end of last week. Blogs were written and set up, but I started tiring out about mid-week and never got to taking the pics that I needed for the posts. I'll try to do that this week.
And that's pretty much the story of the week--too tired to get the things done I needed/wanted to. Like I said, boring.
We did take a trip to the country on Friday to visit my grandfather, who is not doing very well. It was a nice visit. He can talk your ear off, that's for sure! It was the first time I had seen him in a while, so I was glad we went.
Honestly, that's all that happened.
Well, wait. I can tell you all this: it's been a terribly slow sales month. I've not made my rent yet and I'm starting to get both worried and frustrated. I don't really know what to do.
This is the last week before chemo number 5, which happens next Tuesday. I'm hoping to have a bit more energy and maybe actually do more than go to work, come home and veg out. We'll see, I guess.
Sorry this one is so hopelessly dull, folks.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Fun Finds: Doing the Research
So I found these little dudes at the YesterNook outdoor sale and could not resist them.
They have no markings on them, other than the words "Mattel 1975" on their backsides. I googled "Mattel toys 1975" and found a pic of one of them from an old Etsy sale. That sale led me to the phrase "lil guy", which I added to my search. That then turned up an eBay auction for a Mattel Little Big Guy. Turns out, these little dudes are firemen and originally came with removable coats and boots. Cool!
And, that, my friends, is how you research your finds!
I also found a couple of other great items at the sale, as well.
This super-cute dollhouse dresser has an actual mirror on it, instead of a piece of tin foil or some such.
I also got this sweet Hummel holy water font. It's cracked, but for two bucks, I'll take it! It's likely the only way I'll be able to have an old piece of Hummel. This one goes in the collection.
I love this mini metal bench that's been painted to look like graniteware.
Just goes to show that shopping can happen anywhere, even when you're selling!
 |
| I can't decide whether they are cute or creepy. |
And, that, my friends, is how you research your finds!
I also found a couple of other great items at the sale, as well.
This super-cute dollhouse dresser has an actual mirror on it, instead of a piece of tin foil or some such.
I also got this sweet Hummel holy water font. It's cracked, but for two bucks, I'll take it! It's likely the only way I'll be able to have an old piece of Hummel. This one goes in the collection.
I love this mini metal bench that's been painted to look like graniteware.
Just goes to show that shopping can happen anywhere, even when you're selling!
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Junkin' Memories: Leitchfield Flea Market
I started early as a junker. I didn't realize it at the time, of course, but I was on my way by the time I was in high school. I may have only been hunting comic books at the time, but I was hunting something. Everybody's gotta start somewhere, you know.
There's an awesome rural tradition that's particularly prevalent in the South, the local flea market. At one point in time, most small towns had them. Many still do today. Not to mention all those "wide spots on the side of the road" kinds of flea markets.
I was lucky enough to grow up in a town that had a flea market every Wednesday. It was down at the stockyards, so we called our junking trips "going to the stockyards." When I was younger, I went with my mom, who went from time to time. When I was a teen, I would walk down there with my best friend. We went every week.
It's pretty common for these kinds of flea markets to be associated with stock yards or produce markets. A lot of them grew out of the idea of the "market day" when everybody brought their produce or livestock in to sell. These days also became a day for peddlers to hark their wares, and junking was born!
Back in the day, my main objective was comic books. The flea market was a way to fill in holes in my collection and also find older issues without spending a lot of money. When you're into comics, you have to always remember to have some money on hand to get the newest arrivals each week. That means you can't spend too much on older stuff, especially if you're a kid.
There was one guy that we used to buy from just about every week. I remember going to another flea market with my dad and seeing him there. It was kind of shocking to see him at "some other" flea market. It was my first exposure to the idea that there were people who would go from place to place selling their stuff.
One week, this guy was selling out his stock. All the comics were ten cents each! I was supposed to meet my dad there, but I got there first. I ended up borrowing money from my grandfather (who conveniently wandered by) until my dad got there. That was a close one!
That flea market holds a lot of good memories for me. It's probably where I cut my teeth as a junker, even though I didn't realize it at the time. I'm glad to say that it is still there, every Wednesday, just like always. Not even the presence of a Super Wal-Mart nearby has put a stop to it.
There's an awesome rural tradition that's particularly prevalent in the South, the local flea market. At one point in time, most small towns had them. Many still do today. Not to mention all those "wide spots on the side of the road" kinds of flea markets.
I was lucky enough to grow up in a town that had a flea market every Wednesday. It was down at the stockyards, so we called our junking trips "going to the stockyards." When I was younger, I went with my mom, who went from time to time. When I was a teen, I would walk down there with my best friend. We went every week.
It's pretty common for these kinds of flea markets to be associated with stock yards or produce markets. A lot of them grew out of the idea of the "market day" when everybody brought their produce or livestock in to sell. These days also became a day for peddlers to hark their wares, and junking was born!
Back in the day, my main objective was comic books. The flea market was a way to fill in holes in my collection and also find older issues without spending a lot of money. When you're into comics, you have to always remember to have some money on hand to get the newest arrivals each week. That means you can't spend too much on older stuff, especially if you're a kid.
There was one guy that we used to buy from just about every week. I remember going to another flea market with my dad and seeing him there. It was kind of shocking to see him at "some other" flea market. It was my first exposure to the idea that there were people who would go from place to place selling their stuff.
One week, this guy was selling out his stock. All the comics were ten cents each! I was supposed to meet my dad there, but I got there first. I ended up borrowing money from my grandfather (who conveniently wandered by) until my dad got there. That was a close one!
That flea market holds a lot of good memories for me. It's probably where I cut my teeth as a junker, even though I didn't realize it at the time. I'm glad to say that it is still there, every Wednesday, just like always. Not even the presence of a Super Wal-Mart nearby has put a stop to it.
Monday, June 10, 2013
Monday Rambles
I have kind of deduced that my particular chemo cycle runs like this:
Infusion Week: Feel Like Shit
Second Week: Feel Little Better
Third Week: Feel Tiredest of Cycle
Fourth Week: Feel as Good as I am Going to Get (not saying too much here)
Then it all repeats.
Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
So last week, I started feeling a little better. The nausea subsided. No more puking. Still very, very tired, but I've been able to live with that, except that it annoys me not having any energy. The tinfoil is mostly gone, bur Diet Dr Pepper still doesn't taste right. I can drink coffee without gagging now, so that much is appreciated.
I guess this week I'll be the tiredest of the cycle. Oh well. I can deal with that.
The YesterNook outdoor sale went well. I was under the awning, so I was out of the sun ll day. I still wore the hat, though. I sold some stuff, but not as much as I expected. Mostly, it was books and comics. Next time, that will be all I bring. They're talking about doing another one in the fall, which would be fun.
The take for the day was about 60 bucks from the sale. I say "about" because I was shopping out of my intake, so I don't have an exact number. After the day was over, I took all the leftover books, LP's (given to me), and comics to Half-Price Books and cashed them in for another 90 bucks! Not bad overall!
I did buy quite a few things, so I made up for missing the best church sale in town a little. I also had a lot of stuff given to me, which seems to happen a lot. I managed to sell a couple of the pieces there, and the rest will keep me stocked for a long while, which is nice. I'm thinking on laying off the sales for a while.
I managed to get some longer essay posts finished this week. Two "Junkin' Memories" and one "This is How we Do It." Feels good to get some of those series moving again. Look for them on Tuesdays (starting tomorrow) for the rest of June. It also feels good to get the drafts folder cleared out a little. I realized the other day that, if I can finish all the drafts I have accumulated, I'll have have a thousand posts published. I'm working on it!
Speaking of posts, there's one you won't get to see. I mentioned on Mother's Day that I was working on a post for the anniversary of my mother's death. I did finish it, but it ended up being a bit too personal to share on the internet, so I set it aside. Just wanted you all to know.
Got a busy week coming up this week I'm adding new morning duties at work, which will last for the next three months. Good to have the summer income, but I'll miss the sleep. Thankfully, my afternoons are still open. I should have two or three new posts up, so keep checking back.
Take care!
Infusion Week: Feel Like Shit
Second Week: Feel Little Better
Third Week: Feel Tiredest of Cycle
Fourth Week: Feel as Good as I am Going to Get (not saying too much here)
Then it all repeats.
Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
So last week, I started feeling a little better. The nausea subsided. No more puking. Still very, very tired, but I've been able to live with that, except that it annoys me not having any energy. The tinfoil is mostly gone, bur Diet Dr Pepper still doesn't taste right. I can drink coffee without gagging now, so that much is appreciated.
I guess this week I'll be the tiredest of the cycle. Oh well. I can deal with that.
The YesterNook outdoor sale went well. I was under the awning, so I was out of the sun ll day. I still wore the hat, though. I sold some stuff, but not as much as I expected. Mostly, it was books and comics. Next time, that will be all I bring. They're talking about doing another one in the fall, which would be fun.
The take for the day was about 60 bucks from the sale. I say "about" because I was shopping out of my intake, so I don't have an exact number. After the day was over, I took all the leftover books, LP's (given to me), and comics to Half-Price Books and cashed them in for another 90 bucks! Not bad overall!
I did buy quite a few things, so I made up for missing the best church sale in town a little. I also had a lot of stuff given to me, which seems to happen a lot. I managed to sell a couple of the pieces there, and the rest will keep me stocked for a long while, which is nice. I'm thinking on laying off the sales for a while.
I managed to get some longer essay posts finished this week. Two "Junkin' Memories" and one "This is How we Do It." Feels good to get some of those series moving again. Look for them on Tuesdays (starting tomorrow) for the rest of June. It also feels good to get the drafts folder cleared out a little. I realized the other day that, if I can finish all the drafts I have accumulated, I'll have have a thousand posts published. I'm working on it!
Speaking of posts, there's one you won't get to see. I mentioned on Mother's Day that I was working on a post for the anniversary of my mother's death. I did finish it, but it ended up being a bit too personal to share on the internet, so I set it aside. Just wanted you all to know.
Got a busy week coming up this week I'm adding new morning duties at work, which will last for the next three months. Good to have the summer income, but I'll miss the sleep. Thankfully, my afternoons are still open. I should have two or three new posts up, so keep checking back.
Take care!
Saturday, June 08, 2013
Checklist!
Lots of change?
 |
| Plenty of small bills and quarters! |
CHECK!
Sunscreen?
 |
| Broad Spectrum! |
CHECK!
Floppy Hat?
 |
| Should have said "floppy, goofy hat." |
CHECK!
Chair?
 |
| And a pair of folding tables too! |
CHECK!
Stuff to sell?
 |
| And this doesn't include what's already at the store! |
 |
| Please ignore the out of control grass and weeds. |
DOUBLE CHECK!
It's time to have a sale!
If you're in town or around, please stop by. I've got a ton of great stuff at greater prices to sell. I've been talking to some of the other vendors, and they've got a bunch of great stuff, too! I'm planning on getting both my shop and my sell on!
I'm going to try and stay out of the sun and seated for as much as I can, but I still expect to be pretty tired after this is all done. It's worn me out to get my stuff together. I'll let you know how it goes. Think happy thoughts of lots of sellers and sunshine!
Thursday, June 06, 2013
How I Feel Sometimes
Being a comic nerd means that sometimes you come up with interesting analogies and images. I was thinking about my insides being a swirling mass of toxic chemicals the other day, when it hit me:
In the mid-to-late-sixties, DC Comics were sometimes flat out weird. Seemingly any idea they came up with got thrown into its own comic. This is my favorite era, period, and type of comics. If you were a kid in the early seventies reading your first comics, like I was, you got exposed to a lot of reprints of this great stuff for years. When I started seriously hunting flea markets for back issue books as a teen, this is the stuff I was looking for and I could often find it for 50 cents or less back then. It was a dream.
When I did my great comics purge a few years ago, I made sure that these comics formed the core of the batch that I kept. In fact, that's pretty much all I am looking for when I go hunting for myself these days.
Lest this turn into a "Junkin' Memories" segment (of which I promise there are more to come--two are almost done), let me return to Chemo. One of those wacky DC Comics of the late Silver Age was called Metal Men. It was about a goofy bunch of robots that had sort of human emotions but were very aware that they were just robots. Each one was named after a different metal and displayed all the chemical and physical properties of that particular metal. Big, goofy, fun.
One of their enemies was named Chemo. He was this walking repository of toxic waste who could shoot deadly sludge everywhere. Kind of an environmentalist's nightmare. (I will confess here that I believe the name is supposed to be pronounced "cheh-mo" with an "e" as in "chemistry," but I don't know for sure, as I have never heard it pronounced aloud. Work with me people!)
As far as my own situation goes, while I have spewed forth from my mouth on a few occasions here lately, none of it has been deadly, as far as I know. Unsightly, yes. Unappealing, yes. Deadly, not so much. Still, it's an image that works on some levels, so I am keeping it.
I've also never fought a silly band of talking robots, but that might be fun. Speaking of the Metal Men, like so many other comic characters, they've been reinvented and rebooted several times over the years (so has Chemo), but the version I am most familiar with (and love) is the originals. Some things are never better than when they are first created. Most comic characters fall into that category.
For more information, you can read the Wikipedia for the character here. Or the DC Comics Database entry here. Or the Comic Vine here.
I
AM
CHEMO!!!!
I AM CHEMO!!!
In the mid-to-late-sixties, DC Comics were sometimes flat out weird. Seemingly any idea they came up with got thrown into its own comic. This is my favorite era, period, and type of comics. If you were a kid in the early seventies reading your first comics, like I was, you got exposed to a lot of reprints of this great stuff for years. When I started seriously hunting flea markets for back issue books as a teen, this is the stuff I was looking for and I could often find it for 50 cents or less back then. It was a dream.
When I did my great comics purge a few years ago, I made sure that these comics formed the core of the batch that I kept. In fact, that's pretty much all I am looking for when I go hunting for myself these days.
Lest this turn into a "Junkin' Memories" segment (of which I promise there are more to come--two are almost done), let me return to Chemo. One of those wacky DC Comics of the late Silver Age was called Metal Men. It was about a goofy bunch of robots that had sort of human emotions but were very aware that they were just robots. Each one was named after a different metal and displayed all the chemical and physical properties of that particular metal. Big, goofy, fun.
 |
| A whole new ball game, indeed! |
As far as my own situation goes, while I have spewed forth from my mouth on a few occasions here lately, none of it has been deadly, as far as I know. Unsightly, yes. Unappealing, yes. Deadly, not so much. Still, it's an image that works on some levels, so I am keeping it.
 |
| Ew. |
 |
| Gotta admit, this is the way the last round felt. |
Wednesday, June 05, 2013
The word from Mama Eddie!
Take it from your melanoma surviving junk-blogger here: Do what the hunky guy in the pic is doing and put on LOTS of sunscreen when you go out this summer.
I'm especially looking at you, fellow junkers. We get in and out of the car so much on a typical Saturday run that we don't realize how much sun exposure we get standing in front yards that don't have any tree cover.
A big, floppy hat is also advisable.
Here are some links to sunscreen info that also include links to more info about skin protection and skin cancer prevention:
FDA
Consumer Reports
American Academy of Dermatology
I'll have a relationship with a dermatologist for the rest of my life. You don't have to. Protect yourself.
Monday, June 03, 2013
Monday Rambles
First things first:
YOU CAN SPIT OUT THE WORMS, ROGER! I'M BACK!!!!
I'm still alive. Still here. A little less green and a little less pukey. I didn't eat much at all on Thursday or Friday, but my appetite started stirring a bit over the weekend. I'm dealing with major taste issues right now, which makes eating less fun. Everything seems to taste like tin foil. I hope that goes away quickly. It's not appetizing. In the least.
Soda doesn't taste right, either. I know I probably drink too much of the stuff, but I can't take the day without at least one Diet Dr Pepper. Worse than that is the way coffee and tea taste right now. That one has to clear up soon. I'm not pleasant after three days without coffee. Pretty much the only things that are drinkable to me right now are water and fruit punch. Again, that may not be a bad thing, but I'd kinda like to make those choices myself, rather than have chemo making them for me.
There are other taste issues besides the overt metallic ones, too. Different parts of my tongue are far more sensitive to regular sensations than they should be. I cannot eat even the mildest salsas without burning my tongue right now. If it's more than tomato sauce that has maybe looked at some cilantro, then I can't hang with it. I can't eat anything with ginger-flavoring, either. After this last round, I've had to add salty foods to the list. (But I refuse to give up popcorn! Do you hear me, chemo? I don't care if it takes me three days to eat a bag! I WILL NOT GIVE UP POPCORN!!!!)
You know what else is a challenge when your tongue is like this? Brushing your teeth. The flavors and breath-fresheners and mouthwashes make for a powerful whang. It's amazing the things we don't notice when everything is in balance and working right.
Still, I am feeling better, but just a little. I think I'll be able to get through this week without passing out at work or puking on my porch. Thanks so much for your well-wishes, everyone.
Since I stayed close to home this weekend, I don't have any cool finds to report or sales tales. Sorry folks. I'll make that up big time next week, since it's the YesterNook outdoor sale! I'm planning on pulling a bunch of booth duds out and marking those puppies to sell. Plus, I'm going to have a table of dollar books and at least two boxes of fifty cent comics. If I feel well enough this week to get into my shed, there could be some vintage leather jackets for sale as well. And I'm only one of the sellers! It'll be an event not to be missed.
(It had better be. I'm giving up what is hands down the best church sale in town to do this on that particular day.)
I have to apologize to some of the folks whose blogs I usually read. I've gotten a bit behind of late. I kind of made an effort to catch up over the weekend and will try to stay current. I hate being so wrapped up in myself that I lose touch with others. Case in point: the good folks at We are: clamco. They've got a heckuvalot going on with graduating (congrats Megan!) and all of the work that comes with prepping for a massive move. Yet, they still manage to turn it all into fascinating reading. Go check it out and send them some love and encouragement. I'm sure they'd appreciate it.
I'd also like to say a special "howdy" to my peeps from the ever-awesome Yard Sale Queen forum, who have been checking in on me. Y'all are awesome!
YOU CAN SPIT OUT THE WORMS, ROGER! I'M BACK!!!!
I'm still alive. Still here. A little less green and a little less pukey. I didn't eat much at all on Thursday or Friday, but my appetite started stirring a bit over the weekend. I'm dealing with major taste issues right now, which makes eating less fun. Everything seems to taste like tin foil. I hope that goes away quickly. It's not appetizing. In the least.
Soda doesn't taste right, either. I know I probably drink too much of the stuff, but I can't take the day without at least one Diet Dr Pepper. Worse than that is the way coffee and tea taste right now. That one has to clear up soon. I'm not pleasant after three days without coffee. Pretty much the only things that are drinkable to me right now are water and fruit punch. Again, that may not be a bad thing, but I'd kinda like to make those choices myself, rather than have chemo making them for me.
There are other taste issues besides the overt metallic ones, too. Different parts of my tongue are far more sensitive to regular sensations than they should be. I cannot eat even the mildest salsas without burning my tongue right now. If it's more than tomato sauce that has maybe looked at some cilantro, then I can't hang with it. I can't eat anything with ginger-flavoring, either. After this last round, I've had to add salty foods to the list. (But I refuse to give up popcorn! Do you hear me, chemo? I don't care if it takes me three days to eat a bag! I WILL NOT GIVE UP POPCORN!!!!)
You know what else is a challenge when your tongue is like this? Brushing your teeth. The flavors and breath-fresheners and mouthwashes make for a powerful whang. It's amazing the things we don't notice when everything is in balance and working right.
Still, I am feeling better, but just a little. I think I'll be able to get through this week without passing out at work or puking on my porch. Thanks so much for your well-wishes, everyone.
Since I stayed close to home this weekend, I don't have any cool finds to report or sales tales. Sorry folks. I'll make that up big time next week, since it's the YesterNook outdoor sale! I'm planning on pulling a bunch of booth duds out and marking those puppies to sell. Plus, I'm going to have a table of dollar books and at least two boxes of fifty cent comics. If I feel well enough this week to get into my shed, there could be some vintage leather jackets for sale as well. And I'm only one of the sellers! It'll be an event not to be missed.
(It had better be. I'm giving up what is hands down the best church sale in town to do this on that particular day.)
I have to apologize to some of the folks whose blogs I usually read. I've gotten a bit behind of late. I kind of made an effort to catch up over the weekend and will try to stay current. I hate being so wrapped up in myself that I lose touch with others. Case in point: the good folks at We are: clamco. They've got a heckuvalot going on with graduating (congrats Megan!) and all of the work that comes with prepping for a massive move. Yet, they still manage to turn it all into fascinating reading. Go check it out and send them some love and encouragement. I'm sure they'd appreciate it.
I'd also like to say a special "howdy" to my peeps from the ever-awesome Yard Sale Queen forum, who have been checking in on me. Y'all are awesome!
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