Still losing weeks to this schedule. Still trying to catch up with it. All work and no play makes Eddie a dull boy. Seriously. That's about all I got going on right now. I'll try to be more fulfilling and entertaining in the very near future.
Still, I got a couple of points:
Hit a ton of yard sales Saturday, despite the Derby Marathon (yes it's time for that madness) closing streets all around just about everywhere I wanted to be. Why do churches schedule their sales knowing customers are going to have a hard time getting to them? And two of these are among my favorites for the year!
Thankfully, we were able to use the freeways to get over the race course and where we needed to be. At one sale, which was the second day of a two day sale, I was referred to Ducky to price me out, since I had so much. She carefully went through my box, and then said those four words junkers live to hear: "How about 10 bucks?"
I also ran into one of those rarities, a seller who knows how to counter-offer! We were bartering over an unpriced wooden mask she had for sale. She couldn't decide what she wanted for it, so I offered two dollars to break the ice. She said: "Oh I can't do that." I thought the deal was dead, but then she said "How about four?" I came back with three and she agreed. Now, that's the way this game is played! Win-win.
Junk set out is coming back to my neighborhood right after Derby, so I'll hopefully have some finds and stories to tell out of that.
For the first time ever, I am going to have to go in and actually pay rent on a space tomorrow. I have not made rent this month at one site. My perfect record is ruined. But when you don't have any sales for fifteen days out of a month (I counted), what do you expect? Something is missing in this formula, but I'll be damned if I can figure out what it is.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Monday, April 23, 2012
Monday Rambles
It would seem that I have not yet adjusted to my new schedule, even after a couple of weeks. I promise that I will get into the groove of doing more than an abbreviated Monday Rambles soon!
In the meantime, here are some highlights:
Saturday was Keith's birthday. To celebrate, we went camping. Passed two church rummage sales that I could only wave at, because we had no room in the car for anything. Sigh! We had a good time, though. It was a little on the cool side, but relaxing. We actually had to chase wildlife out of the tent, which was a first for me. A field mouse and a chipmunk both decided that they fancied our digs.
Saturday was also the kick-off to the Derby festival, which means that were are now in the two weeks of madness where everyone would rather do all kinds of activities instead of buying secondhand junk. I ask you, where are people's priorities these days??
I'm going to finish out the month okay at Peddlers Mall--which means rent was made a while ago, and I'll get something over that. Not a spectacular record-breaking month, but I'll make some money and that's okay by me. Still working on the rent at the other place. It's been a long slow climb there. I've never been this close to the end of a month without rent made. It's freaking me the hell out.
I'm needing to score some cheap comics in a hurry. I've about sold through my stock and they keep selling. The hunt is on!
Last week, I got into a grabbing match with another dealer at Goodwill. They had this rack of vintage salt and pepper shakers and planters for a buck or less. I was there first checking them out, when he just pops up and starts grabbing everything in sight. Having no choice, I started grabbing too. I prefer to conduct myself in a slightly more genteel fashion, but he started it!!! I checked out right behind him, too. It's a good thing I did, because I could tell that I got all the best ones.
And, another week has begun. I'll work on getting some more up here soon.
In the meantime, here are some highlights:
Saturday was Keith's birthday. To celebrate, we went camping. Passed two church rummage sales that I could only wave at, because we had no room in the car for anything. Sigh! We had a good time, though. It was a little on the cool side, but relaxing. We actually had to chase wildlife out of the tent, which was a first for me. A field mouse and a chipmunk both decided that they fancied our digs.
Saturday was also the kick-off to the Derby festival, which means that were are now in the two weeks of madness where everyone would rather do all kinds of activities instead of buying secondhand junk. I ask you, where are people's priorities these days??
I'm going to finish out the month okay at Peddlers Mall--which means rent was made a while ago, and I'll get something over that. Not a spectacular record-breaking month, but I'll make some money and that's okay by me. Still working on the rent at the other place. It's been a long slow climb there. I've never been this close to the end of a month without rent made. It's freaking me the hell out.
I'm needing to score some cheap comics in a hurry. I've about sold through my stock and they keep selling. The hunt is on!
Last week, I got into a grabbing match with another dealer at Goodwill. They had this rack of vintage salt and pepper shakers and planters for a buck or less. I was there first checking them out, when he just pops up and starts grabbing everything in sight. Having no choice, I started grabbing too. I prefer to conduct myself in a slightly more genteel fashion, but he started it!!! I checked out right behind him, too. It's a good thing I did, because I could tell that I got all the best ones.
And, another week has begun. I'll work on getting some more up here soon.
Friday, April 20, 2012
One of the saddest songs ever recorded
And also one of the most beautiful.
"Blue Umbrella" by the great John Prine.
I usually don't use vids shot in concerts by attendees because the quality is so crap, but it's rare to catch him doing this one live.
"Blue Umbrella" by the great John Prine.
I usually don't use vids shot in concerts by attendees because the quality is so crap, but it's rare to catch him doing this one live.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Monday Rambles
Well, the hypothesis that not actually having to go to classes for a week will lead to more posts has been soundly disproven. Oh well! Story of my blog, and no one should really be surprised.
Thing is, I'm not exactly sure what it was I did with the week.
I went to Peddlers Mall twice and put out a TON of stuff. Seriously. Like 6 tubs. Sales have been strong there. Even for Spring Break week, which is unusual.
Went to YesterNook and set up a new shelf. i haven;t had as many sales there lately, so I needed to create some space for new stuff. Spring Break hit there hard.
Priced a lot of inventory that I hadn't gotten to yet. Organized said priced inventory for upcoming trips to the appropriate boothly destination.
Did a couple of Craigslistings. Took some photos to do more.
Kind of half-heartedly thrifted. There wasn't really anything to get excited about. Ditto for yard sales.
I did get to a local junk shop I've not been able to hit for a while because of my schedule and bought a few things there.
Went to a meeting about the new gig that starts, well, tonight.
Did laundry.
And that was about it. Not sure where the time went. Or what I did with it. Or how the hell I am supposed to work a week that was so wasted and boring into a Rambles post.
Sigh!
Thing is, I'm not exactly sure what it was I did with the week.
I went to Peddlers Mall twice and put out a TON of stuff. Seriously. Like 6 tubs. Sales have been strong there. Even for Spring Break week, which is unusual.
Went to YesterNook and set up a new shelf. i haven;t had as many sales there lately, so I needed to create some space for new stuff. Spring Break hit there hard.
Priced a lot of inventory that I hadn't gotten to yet. Organized said priced inventory for upcoming trips to the appropriate boothly destination.
Did a couple of Craigslistings. Took some photos to do more.
Kind of half-heartedly thrifted. There wasn't really anything to get excited about. Ditto for yard sales.
I did get to a local junk shop I've not been able to hit for a while because of my schedule and bought a few things there.
Went to a meeting about the new gig that starts, well, tonight.
Did laundry.
And that was about it. Not sure where the time went. Or what I did with it. Or how the hell I am supposed to work a week that was so wasted and boring into a Rambles post.
Sigh!
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Monday Rambles (Tuesday Edition)
Boy, this new schedule is taking some getting used to, let me tell you. I had gotten pretty used to something semi-regular, and now it's gone. Pretty much sunk last week for me, as far as the blogging goes. I've got about two weeks worth of stuff partially written, but no real time to finish anything.
The older I get, the longer it seems to take me to adjust to life changes and switch-ups like this. I was pretty much working everyday from 12-2:30, with a couple of nights thrown in. Now, I've gotta be on the other side of town at 9 two days a week, plus four nights a week!
It's kind of frustrating, since I'm only a handful of posts away from hitting my 2005 total.
Anyway, sales are struggling to rebound from the NCAA tournament lull. Last week was really good at Peddlers. Not so much at YesterNook. It's too early to tell if the move upstairs there will help me or not. This is Spring Break week, which is traditionally slow in the re-sale biz, as lots of families head out of town. Then, at the end of the month, we get hit with the beginning of the Derby festivities. which go through the first week in May. April is a real hard month for us.
Actually, this is kind of the beginning of the slowest part of the sales year, which will last until about mid-June. People abandon the indoor re-sale venues for the yard sales until it starts getting really hot, then the A/C wins out.
I worked all day at the Peddlers Mall yesterday. It really needed it. I was getting really low on stock. Looks much better now. I took out the Easter stuff and replaced that display with my "generic all-purpose" display.
I have a table that I use for my seasonal displays. In the "in between" times, I usually just pile it up with the few tools, household goods, and office supplies that I manage to accumulate through box lot purchases and the like. Normally, I just keep this stuff under the table in a couple of bins. It's not the kind of stuff that is worth taking up major display room. I don't set out to acquire it. It just happens.
Once or twice a year, when there is no other "theme" or "season" happening, I pull the bins out and put everything on the table for a few weeks. Everything will sell down and I'll be rid of it.
There was a new family setting up a booth not far from mine yesterday. That's always nice to see. They kept going into other booths to see how other people did their price tags. I gave them a little advice on foiling shoplifters.
Yard sales were interesting Saturday. We went to an alley sale where two different people tried to charge me for a folk art stuffed chicken I'd bought at another house. Really, folks! If you had a black chicken with white polka dots all over it in your sale, don't you think you would remember it??
Then, there was the mother of all vintage paper-goods sales. Apparently, this woman had been collecting old cards, notes, stickers and the like for years. Everything was reasonably priced, too. Everything was a dollar or less, with most items being a quarter.
Except for the small handful of unpriced items I found: three packs of bridge tallies, a sticker book and a vintage Halloween card. I was informed that she "had to" charge me three bucks for that, because the card had the original envelope and I could sell the sticker book for "five dollars." I told her that I'd just pass on the handful and get the rest of the pile I had gathered. "How about two dollars? I have to get rid of this stuff. You'll make five on those stickers." I agreed to the two and paid and left. It was just bizarre, given how reasonably everything else was priced and how much I was buying.
By the way, I looked those stickers up. Not so much. I really hate it when people tell me what I'll "make" when I sell stuff. It's a desperation tactic to get you to pay their prices. Who says I'm going to sell the stickers? Maybe I'm going to paste them all over my body for bizarre naked moonlight rituals. I should have said that.
Finally, here's a message from Chiquito:
+
I'm not sure what it means, but it's all he had time to type before I moved the keyboard.
The older I get, the longer it seems to take me to adjust to life changes and switch-ups like this. I was pretty much working everyday from 12-2:30, with a couple of nights thrown in. Now, I've gotta be on the other side of town at 9 two days a week, plus four nights a week!
It's kind of frustrating, since I'm only a handful of posts away from hitting my 2005 total.
Anyway, sales are struggling to rebound from the NCAA tournament lull. Last week was really good at Peddlers. Not so much at YesterNook. It's too early to tell if the move upstairs there will help me or not. This is Spring Break week, which is traditionally slow in the re-sale biz, as lots of families head out of town. Then, at the end of the month, we get hit with the beginning of the Derby festivities. which go through the first week in May. April is a real hard month for us.
Actually, this is kind of the beginning of the slowest part of the sales year, which will last until about mid-June. People abandon the indoor re-sale venues for the yard sales until it starts getting really hot, then the A/C wins out.
I worked all day at the Peddlers Mall yesterday. It really needed it. I was getting really low on stock. Looks much better now. I took out the Easter stuff and replaced that display with my "generic all-purpose" display.
I have a table that I use for my seasonal displays. In the "in between" times, I usually just pile it up with the few tools, household goods, and office supplies that I manage to accumulate through box lot purchases and the like. Normally, I just keep this stuff under the table in a couple of bins. It's not the kind of stuff that is worth taking up major display room. I don't set out to acquire it. It just happens.
Once or twice a year, when there is no other "theme" or "season" happening, I pull the bins out and put everything on the table for a few weeks. Everything will sell down and I'll be rid of it.
There was a new family setting up a booth not far from mine yesterday. That's always nice to see. They kept going into other booths to see how other people did their price tags. I gave them a little advice on foiling shoplifters.
Yard sales were interesting Saturday. We went to an alley sale where two different people tried to charge me for a folk art stuffed chicken I'd bought at another house. Really, folks! If you had a black chicken with white polka dots all over it in your sale, don't you think you would remember it??
Then, there was the mother of all vintage paper-goods sales. Apparently, this woman had been collecting old cards, notes, stickers and the like for years. Everything was reasonably priced, too. Everything was a dollar or less, with most items being a quarter.
Except for the small handful of unpriced items I found: three packs of bridge tallies, a sticker book and a vintage Halloween card. I was informed that she "had to" charge me three bucks for that, because the card had the original envelope and I could sell the sticker book for "five dollars." I told her that I'd just pass on the handful and get the rest of the pile I had gathered. "How about two dollars? I have to get rid of this stuff. You'll make five on those stickers." I agreed to the two and paid and left. It was just bizarre, given how reasonably everything else was priced and how much I was buying.
By the way, I looked those stickers up. Not so much. I really hate it when people tell me what I'll "make" when I sell stuff. It's a desperation tactic to get you to pay their prices. Who says I'm going to sell the stickers? Maybe I'm going to paste them all over my body for bizarre naked moonlight rituals. I should have said that.
Finally, here's a message from Chiquito:
+
I'm not sure what it means, but it's all he had time to type before I moved the keyboard.
Monday, April 02, 2012
Monday Rambles
Well, I started taking on a bit of a cold last week, so that really drug the end of the week down. Unfortunately, I had to take the weekend to move the YesterNook booth and get it set up in its new spot, so I couldn't really rest and recover. I'm so whiny when I'm sick, too.
Now, it's almost one in the morning on Monday and I cannot sleep. I think I've been sleeping too much with too much cold medicine and it's messed me up. I'm supposed to get up at 5! Ack!
New daytime schedule starts this week, and it is completely different from what I have had previously. Going to take some getting used to. (Especially with no sleep.) No more leisurely mornings to spend on housework and booth stuff before heading off to teach at noon. Sigh! I miss those days already.
On the other hand, I get a break from evenings for a couple of weeks and then the new gig starts and those will get turned upside down. Still trying to figure out what I am doing with that one.
Still, next week, I have no classes of any kind, so I can get some other work done.
Well, this weekend sucked as far as booth sales go. The ballgame killed Saturday and apparently everyone is in mourning over Louisville's loss, so no one got out to shop on Sunday. March went out like a lamb as far as sales go, for sure. Having my YesterNook booth in shambles right now from the move hasn't helped either.
Kentucky's victory means that somewhere my mother and father are both smiling. They probably watched the game together. Of course, I always thought he was a Kentucky fan because she was.
At least my new schedule will allow for a lot of bike riding for the next few weeks. I need the exercise.
We went to a yard sale Saturday that was cancelled because of the game (which didn't start until 6 pm...). Trouble is, no one told some of the sellers who were coming to set up to sell, so they set up anyway! I bought a pair of child-sized Adirondack chairs.
Insomnia makes the rambles really rambly, huh?
PS Happy Birthday to a certain Goddess of Music: The One and Only Emmylou Harris!
Now, it's almost one in the morning on Monday and I cannot sleep. I think I've been sleeping too much with too much cold medicine and it's messed me up. I'm supposed to get up at 5! Ack!
New daytime schedule starts this week, and it is completely different from what I have had previously. Going to take some getting used to. (Especially with no sleep.) No more leisurely mornings to spend on housework and booth stuff before heading off to teach at noon. Sigh! I miss those days already.
On the other hand, I get a break from evenings for a couple of weeks and then the new gig starts and those will get turned upside down. Still trying to figure out what I am doing with that one.
Still, next week, I have no classes of any kind, so I can get some other work done.
Well, this weekend sucked as far as booth sales go. The ballgame killed Saturday and apparently everyone is in mourning over Louisville's loss, so no one got out to shop on Sunday. March went out like a lamb as far as sales go, for sure. Having my YesterNook booth in shambles right now from the move hasn't helped either.
Kentucky's victory means that somewhere my mother and father are both smiling. They probably watched the game together. Of course, I always thought he was a Kentucky fan because she was.
At least my new schedule will allow for a lot of bike riding for the next few weeks. I need the exercise.
We went to a yard sale Saturday that was cancelled because of the game (which didn't start until 6 pm...). Trouble is, no one told some of the sellers who were coming to set up to sell, so they set up anyway! I bought a pair of child-sized Adirondack chairs.
Insomnia makes the rambles really rambly, huh?
PS Happy Birthday to a certain Goddess of Music: The One and Only Emmylou Harris!
Friday, March 30, 2012
You know you're a junker when...
According to the part of the state where I was raised, I should be wearing lots of blue and screaming about how the Cats are gonna stomp Louisville on Saturday. According to the town where I live, red should be my color of choice as I call out for Wildcat blood.
Yes, it's a historic match-up. Yes, it's a classic collegiate rivalry.
But, me? I'm reading the paper these days, shaking my head, and saying:
Yes, it's a historic match-up. Yes, it's a classic collegiate rivalry.
But, me? I'm reading the paper these days, shaking my head, and saying:
"Damn! Another Saturday of low booth sales!"
Yep, I'm a junker!
However, I do wish that I had a stash of UK and UL items to put out for sale right now. That stuff is popping up everywhere all over town!
However, I do wish that I had a stash of UK and UL items to put out for sale right now. That stuff is popping up everywhere all over town!
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Revealed At Last! My Deep, Dark Secret!
Well, one of them at any rate. If I let them all out of the bag, I'd probably then have to round up the seven or eight of you who actually read this blog and have you eliminated or something. Can't be letting all our skeletons dance out of the closet now, can we?
And what is this horrible secret?
Oh, the humanity!
This is what happens when Sailor Moon is the show that turns you on to anime.
And what is this horrible secret?
I read girly manga!!!!!
Oh, the humanity!
This is what happens when Sailor Moon is the show that turns you on to anime.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Junkin' Memories
Junkers aren't born. They're made. And not instantaneously, either. It takes a lifetime. I see so many people come and go from vendor malls because they didn't have it in them to stick it out. I've seen some people online fretting because right now every auction, yard sale, and barn seems to be overrun with wanna-be American Pickers and their little flashlights.
These idiots are getting in the way of people who actually know what they're doing, driving up prices and acting like asses because they've watched a few episodes of a TV show. Worse yet, they're copying and trying to ride the coattails of the more experienced junkers around them.
In the end, though, I think they're going to be a momentary frustration. Once these insta-junkers see how much real work there is for how much little actual return, they're gonna jump ship. They don't have it in them. They never gave a thought to second-hand goods before they started trying to be junkers, and that is the crux of their problem. You become a junker over a lifetime, not by watching TV shows.
I'm still a relative newcomer to the selling end of things, with only about three years under my belt, but I bring a lifetime of buying secondhand to the table. My parents sort of got me into this, although they weren't really as serious about it as I became. Still, it's thanks to them that I learned about flea markets and thrift stores and such.
So with that in mind, I've decided to start sharing some of my early junking memories from time to time. I've been realizing since both my parents are gone now, how often I did secondhand shopping with them, both as a kid and as an adult. Neither one of them got to see my booths, but I think they'd be proud of what I've done. And I've had many significant friends and others who have played a role in my junking past as well. I'd like to pay tribute to them with a few posts along the way.
Shara has a great expression in the masthead to her blog: "Sometimes it's about the journey. Sometimes it's about the junk." To that, I would add: "Sometimes it's about both." That's what this series is about. I hope you'll join me as I look back on some of those memories of junk gone by.
These idiots are getting in the way of people who actually know what they're doing, driving up prices and acting like asses because they've watched a few episodes of a TV show. Worse yet, they're copying and trying to ride the coattails of the more experienced junkers around them.
In the end, though, I think they're going to be a momentary frustration. Once these insta-junkers see how much real work there is for how much little actual return, they're gonna jump ship. They don't have it in them. They never gave a thought to second-hand goods before they started trying to be junkers, and that is the crux of their problem. You become a junker over a lifetime, not by watching TV shows.
I'm still a relative newcomer to the selling end of things, with only about three years under my belt, but I bring a lifetime of buying secondhand to the table. My parents sort of got me into this, although they weren't really as serious about it as I became. Still, it's thanks to them that I learned about flea markets and thrift stores and such.
So with that in mind, I've decided to start sharing some of my early junking memories from time to time. I've been realizing since both my parents are gone now, how often I did secondhand shopping with them, both as a kid and as an adult. Neither one of them got to see my booths, but I think they'd be proud of what I've done. And I've had many significant friends and others who have played a role in my junking past as well. I'd like to pay tribute to them with a few posts along the way.
Shara has a great expression in the masthead to her blog: "Sometimes it's about the journey. Sometimes it's about the junk." To that, I would add: "Sometimes it's about both." That's what this series is about. I hope you'll join me as I look back on some of those memories of junk gone by.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
What Can One Dollar Get You?
Since Kosh had a vet appointment Saturday, we only had time to make it to one church sale, and we didn't get there until the last twenty minutes or so. As we walked in, some guy was announcing it was "Fill a bag for a dollar" time! In other words, we were just in time!
Unfortunately, the place was also overrun with little old church ladies packing leftovers at light speed, which made filling a bag a little bit of a challenge. Nonetheless, I managed to do it! If I had a few more minutes and a few less church ladies, I probably could have gotten another one.
It's kind of hard under these kinds of circumstances to be very discriminating in your choices, but I got some decent stuff. Nothing truly spectacular, I'll admit, but everything is sellable, and I'll make a lot more than that dollar back, so all is good.
So, what does one dollar get you? Take a look:
(I decided to do this kind of spur of the moment while I was going through the bag, so some stuff hasn't been cleaned up for resale yet. You'll also need to pardon the messy desk in the background. It's kind of the dumping ares for everything these days!)
Two metal candelabras and a votive holder with lots of petals
Like I said, not spectacular, but you can't beat it for a buck. And you know what they say:
"Quickie yard sale shopping is better than no yard sale shopping at all!"
Unfortunately, the place was also overrun with little old church ladies packing leftovers at light speed, which made filling a bag a little bit of a challenge. Nonetheless, I managed to do it! If I had a few more minutes and a few less church ladies, I probably could have gotten another one.
It's kind of hard under these kinds of circumstances to be very discriminating in your choices, but I got some decent stuff. Nothing truly spectacular, I'll admit, but everything is sellable, and I'll make a lot more than that dollar back, so all is good.
So, what does one dollar get you? Take a look:
(I decided to do this kind of spur of the moment while I was going through the bag, so some stuff hasn't been cleaned up for resale yet. You'll also need to pardon the messy desk in the background. It's kind of the dumping ares for everything these days!)
Five pieces of stone fruit and a pig in a dress
Three coffee cups, an IU bowl, and a juice glass
Sweet boy and girl pics
An Avon decanter, a shot glass, and a set of Opryland salt and pepper shakers
One 1918 calendar plate
And, last, but certainly not least--one happy chicken puppet!
Like I said, not spectacular, but you can't beat it for a buck. And you know what they say:
"Quickie yard sale shopping is better than no yard sale shopping at all!"
Monday, March 26, 2012
Monday Rambles
Well, it got hot enough last week to qualify to be called "Summer in March." I'm talking 80's and 90's. And it killed sales! When it starts to get that nice, people blow off inside shopping for the parks and the lake. To be able to do that this early in the year is unusual, so the shoppers have been pulled away. Couple that with the fact the landlords and building managers got cought off guard and weren't yet ready to test and prep AC systems, and you end up with lower than normal sales.
I did however sell a china cabinet last week. Happy dance!
I also set a personal bike riding record to one of my job sites across town. I made it in 20 minutes on Wednesday! Tour de France here I come!!!!!
I made the decision last week to move to another booth space in YesterNook. My sales there have been somewhat less than spectacular all month and I am just tired of trying to fight the long, skinny layout to create something customers want to come into and shop from. I'm going to be in an upstairs booth starting next month. While I am dreading the hike up the stairs with merch, the new space is a little bigger and, more importantly square-shaped! There is also overhead lighting in the room I'm going into, so I won't need my own lamps any more. All the way around more pluses than minuses. Hopefully, it will get my sales to the level I want them to be at and keep them there!
In the meantime, in prep for the move, I'm trying a 20% off sale in the booth for this week. Maybe it will give me less to schlep upstairs on Saturday.
Just a little over 20 more posts to beat 2005! Woo hoo!
We had to take Kosh to the vet for a recheck on Saturday, so there wasn't a lot time for yard sales. We managed to make the end of a church sale, though. More about that one tomorrow. I did do some thrifting through the week, but nothing special. Went to Goodwill and didn't even get called a fucker. We did make it Half-Price Books again yesterday with our 50%-off coupons. I picked up some more clearance comics and manga there too. I didn't find anything I wanted for me, even at 50% off, so I used my coupon to get one of the books Keith was interested in, so he got two half-price books!
It's nice to share!
I did however sell a china cabinet last week. Happy dance!
I also set a personal bike riding record to one of my job sites across town. I made it in 20 minutes on Wednesday! Tour de France here I come!!!!!
I made the decision last week to move to another booth space in YesterNook. My sales there have been somewhat less than spectacular all month and I am just tired of trying to fight the long, skinny layout to create something customers want to come into and shop from. I'm going to be in an upstairs booth starting next month. While I am dreading the hike up the stairs with merch, the new space is a little bigger and, more importantly square-shaped! There is also overhead lighting in the room I'm going into, so I won't need my own lamps any more. All the way around more pluses than minuses. Hopefully, it will get my sales to the level I want them to be at and keep them there!
In the meantime, in prep for the move, I'm trying a 20% off sale in the booth for this week. Maybe it will give me less to schlep upstairs on Saturday.
Just a little over 20 more posts to beat 2005! Woo hoo!
We had to take Kosh to the vet for a recheck on Saturday, so there wasn't a lot time for yard sales. We managed to make the end of a church sale, though. More about that one tomorrow. I did do some thrifting through the week, but nothing special. Went to Goodwill and didn't even get called a fucker. We did make it Half-Price Books again yesterday with our 50%-off coupons. I picked up some more clearance comics and manga there too. I didn't find anything I wanted for me, even at 50% off, so I used my coupon to get one of the books Keith was interested in, so he got two half-price books!
It's nice to share!
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Special Mission Sunday
Welcome back to Sunday Services here at First Ed-boro Episcabaptecostalicterian Church of God in Jehovah Jesus Christ of Saint Margaret-Mary-Vladimir-Athanasius-Bartholomew in Eternal Holiness and Mercy! We're glad to see you this morning. Today we're going to focus on a very serious problem that is plaguing our world. In fact, this problem is so serious that the church elders have decided that we are going to embark on a five year mission to eradicate it.
The work will not be easy dear brothers and sisters, but I promise it will be rewarding. It will require much effort on our part here at FEECGJJCSM-M-V-A-BEHM. Some of you will be going out on special mission teams. Some of you will undergo training for the field. Some of you will endure many trials and hardships for this very important task. And the rest of you will be called on to support the effort financially.
Yes, sisters and brothers, this will not be an inexpensive mission to which we are called. There will be special offerings and fundraisers. Some of you will bake cookies and serve meals. Others of you will volunteer for the rummage sales. And some of you will simply write checks. Big checks.
And I am convinced that once you all learn of the gravity of this problem, dear brothers and sisters, that you will want to be a part of the solution. You will want to go. You will want to work. You will want to pay. I know you will.
For no one can look upon the shocking horrors that I am about to show you and not be moved to compassion and action. No one can see the need and injustices crying out for correction and turn a deaf ear. You see, dear family, this world is being corrupted by an evil so atrocious that it almost should not be named. But name it we must, for by naming it we can begin to drive it out into the light of day and confront it with the power of truth and love. We can only begin to have a better society for our children and their children when we deal with this evil in our midst.
Which evil am I referring to? Why the persistent plague of....
The work will not be easy dear brothers and sisters, but I promise it will be rewarding. It will require much effort on our part here at FEECGJJCSM-M-V-A-BEHM. Some of you will be going out on special mission teams. Some of you will undergo training for the field. Some of you will endure many trials and hardships for this very important task. And the rest of you will be called on to support the effort financially.
Yes, sisters and brothers, this will not be an inexpensive mission to which we are called. There will be special offerings and fundraisers. Some of you will bake cookies and serve meals. Others of you will volunteer for the rummage sales. And some of you will simply write checks. Big checks.
And I am convinced that once you all learn of the gravity of this problem, dear brothers and sisters, that you will want to be a part of the solution. You will want to go. You will want to work. You will want to pay. I know you will.
For no one can look upon the shocking horrors that I am about to show you and not be moved to compassion and action. No one can see the need and injustices crying out for correction and turn a deaf ear. You see, dear family, this world is being corrupted by an evil so atrocious that it almost should not be named. But name it we must, for by naming it we can begin to drive it out into the light of day and confront it with the power of truth and love. We can only begin to have a better society for our children and their children when we deal with this evil in our midst.
Which evil am I referring to? Why the persistent plague of....
CRIMINAL PENGUINS!
Here, see for yourself the degradation and depravity of these creatures:
It starts with simple rock larceny in the first degree, but we all know where this is going to lead. Next thing you know, we're dealing with costumed super-villains!
For the sake of our society and civilization, we simply cannot let this happen! That is why, dear brothers and sisters, I am announcing this day the formation of our newest mission: The Penguin Outreach Opportunity Program!
Through the POOP, we will make every effort to intercede with these waddling, flightless miscreants before they sink any further into the depths of their depravity. Our aim is to show them the way to fulfillment as upstanding, law-abiding semi-aquatic avians. Together, we can make a difference.
Won't you join our effort? Won't you be a part of the POOP?
It starts with simple rock larceny in the first degree, but we all know where this is going to lead. Next thing you know, we're dealing with costumed super-villains!
For the sake of our society and civilization, we simply cannot let this happen! That is why, dear brothers and sisters, I am announcing this day the formation of our newest mission: The Penguin Outreach Opportunity Program!
Through the POOP, we will make every effort to intercede with these waddling, flightless miscreants before they sink any further into the depths of their depravity. Our aim is to show them the way to fulfillment as upstanding, law-abiding semi-aquatic avians. Together, we can make a difference.
Won't you join our effort? Won't you be a part of the POOP?
Saturday, March 24, 2012
I had to do this one
Because...well...you know....me too!
But, if you've been around here a while you already knew that.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Of Giants and Kids
When it comes to music, there are two kinds of people--those who get They Might Be Giants and those who don't. Me? I get them. More than that, I love them. I've been a fan for years. So has the little guy, it seems:
My newest all-time favorite TMBG songs is this one:
It's kind of funny how all of their songs have a way of turning into my all-time favorite TMBG song! I played that one for Keith, and he looked at me like I'd lost my mind. Maybe it isn't the best thing to show someone first thing on a Saturday morning?
One of the things I appreciate about the band is their versatility. Not everyone can make a kids album that not only doesn't drive adults screaming from the room, but also scores so well with the regular adult fan base that several of the songs become featured at many concerts? I've seen them perform this one a few times:
Isn't that catchy? I wanna go to West Xylophone for vacation!
Now, try to get this little ditty out of your head:
And, now that I've provided the soundtrack for your day, I'll take my leave.
My newest all-time favorite TMBG songs is this one:
It's kind of funny how all of their songs have a way of turning into my all-time favorite TMBG song! I played that one for Keith, and he looked at me like I'd lost my mind. Maybe it isn't the best thing to show someone first thing on a Saturday morning?
One of the things I appreciate about the band is their versatility. Not everyone can make a kids album that not only doesn't drive adults screaming from the room, but also scores so well with the regular adult fan base that several of the songs become featured at many concerts? I've seen them perform this one a few times:
Isn't that catchy? I wanna go to West Xylophone for vacation!
Now, try to get this little ditty out of your head:
And, now that I've provided the soundtrack for your day, I'll take my leave.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Eggstra Special!
I normally try to reserve Thursday as an off day for the blog and not plan any content, but I had to share this pic. It's a set of vintage egg cups I bought at a sale weekend before last. Aren't they cute?
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Heartless
So, I bought these at a church sale the other day.
Both of these are very traditional Catholic devotions, and one of the reasons I became fascinated with religious art years ago. So I'm pretty used to seeing Mary and Jesus with hands on chests, pointing to their hearts. Hearts that are missing on my two little statues.
Now, I've seen this kind of thing before. Protestants don't share these devotional traditions, so manufacturers will block that part of the mold that has the heart in it and run some articles that they can sell in the Protestant market. It's cheaper than making a new mold for a new product. And you get a perfectly sellable version of Jesus and Mary pointing at, well, nothing.
I bought these at a Protestant church, so I guess there is a market for them. But when I was growing up Southern Baptist, what religious art we had tended to be more like these:
You had your classic Jesus profile with subtle halo.
You had your Good Shepherd.
You had your Jesus at the door. (Now I've got cheesy Paul McCartney songs running through my head.)
You had your praying hands. (It's fascinating how many pics of tattoos come up in a Google image search for this one.)
And, other than a Ten Commandments plaque or a pic of the Bible, that was about it. Oh, there were a few homes with a Crucifixion scene or a Last Supper, but no one that I knew anyway had "Protestant-safe" versions of the Hearts anywhere. Wonder when someone got the idea to start trying that. I mean, I bought it at a sale, so someone else obviously got it somewhere. Still, the idea of a non-Catholic home with any kind of an image of Mary--heartless or not--just strikes me as odd. My grandmother would have had none of that, let me tell you.
One of the things that appealed to me about Catholic themes in religious art is a combination of the drama and the kitsch involved. The religious art I grew up with just seemed so plain to me in comparison with pictures of the Twin Hearts.
Now, I know that life doesn't always fall into neat little categories. In reality, there were and are plenty of Catholic homes that have copies or versions of everything I've listed above. There's nothing about any of those images that brands them as "belonging" to any particular kind of church. I just tend to think of them as "Protestant" because that's what I grew up with and how I was raised.
Take another look at my little statues:
With no heart showing, but hands still kind of clutching their chests, doesn't it kind of look like this is what they're thinking?
Just sayin'!
In and of themselves, they're not very special. Just the typical lower quality religious statues you can find at the dollar store. Usually, I pass them up, but they were only a quarter each and I already had a big box of stuff from this sale, so I tossed them in.
Does anything look strange to you? Like maybe something is missing?
Look again. A little closer this time.
What are the pointing at? Where are their hearts?
If you don't know what I'm talking about, consider that most images with Jesus and Mary in this pose typically look like this:
That would be the Immaculate Heart of Mary on the left, with the Sacred Heart of Jesus beside her. Image from here.
Now, I've seen this kind of thing before. Protestants don't share these devotional traditions, so manufacturers will block that part of the mold that has the heart in it and run some articles that they can sell in the Protestant market. It's cheaper than making a new mold for a new product. And you get a perfectly sellable version of Jesus and Mary pointing at, well, nothing.
I bought these at a Protestant church, so I guess there is a market for them. But when I was growing up Southern Baptist, what religious art we had tended to be more like these:
You had your classic Jesus profile with subtle halo.
You had your Good Shepherd.
You had your Jesus at the door. (Now I've got cheesy Paul McCartney songs running through my head.)
You had your praying hands. (It's fascinating how many pics of tattoos come up in a Google image search for this one.)
And, other than a Ten Commandments plaque or a pic of the Bible, that was about it. Oh, there were a few homes with a Crucifixion scene or a Last Supper, but no one that I knew anyway had "Protestant-safe" versions of the Hearts anywhere. Wonder when someone got the idea to start trying that. I mean, I bought it at a sale, so someone else obviously got it somewhere. Still, the idea of a non-Catholic home with any kind of an image of Mary--heartless or not--just strikes me as odd. My grandmother would have had none of that, let me tell you.
One of the things that appealed to me about Catholic themes in religious art is a combination of the drama and the kitsch involved. The religious art I grew up with just seemed so plain to me in comparison with pictures of the Twin Hearts.
Now, I know that life doesn't always fall into neat little categories. In reality, there were and are plenty of Catholic homes that have copies or versions of everything I've listed above. There's nothing about any of those images that brands them as "belonging" to any particular kind of church. I just tend to think of them as "Protestant" because that's what I grew up with and how I was raised.
Take another look at my little statues:
With no heart showing, but hands still kind of clutching their chests, doesn't it kind of look like this is what they're thinking?
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
This is How We Do It: Management Relations Edition
This is part two in an ongoing, semi-regular series about selling in a vendor mall. You can find previous posts under the "this is how we do it" label.
If you are re-selling stuff in a location where a hundred (or more) other people are doing the same thing, that means you have a lot of competition right under the same roof. Standing out from the crowd takes a lot of skills and work. Some of it is obvious--stocking, cleaning, and rearranging are ongoing processes that have to be done, week in and week out.
But, there are other, more subtle things you can do, as well. These involve the so-called "soft skills" that employers look for, especially the ability to build relationships. One of the most key relationships you can build is with the management and staff of the store where you have a booth.
There are over 100 vendors at the Peddlers Mall and over 30 at YesterNook. That's a lot of people vying for the attention of customers and store staff. The better the impression you can make on the folks who work in the store, the better for you as a seller. As they get to know you, they get to know your stuff. As they get to know your stuff, they realize you carry flim-flams and dong-doodlers. Then, when a customer comes in and asks if anyone carries dong-doodlers, they can point them right to your booth.
It's not something that's going to happen right away. Staff have a million and one things to do, and being surrounded by booths and stuff all day long makes it easy to tune it all out and focus on the job at hand. You have to work to make the impression in their minds. Remember, they're the ones that are there all day, so they are the ones who are your ambassadors to the customers. Placing yourself on their radar will help them guide customers to you.
Here are some tips that can help build this important relationship:
Talk to them. Take a few minutes when you come in to chit chat just a bit. This helps them put a name to a face and get to know you. Don't talk shop. Don't gripe about business. Just have a friendly greeting and a little small talk. For one thing, it will help them realize how often you come in to work your space. Vendors who show some commitment to their booth always stand out.
Spend some time at the register. Taking a break? Go up front and chat a sec. You can always stand to know a little bit more about the folks who work in your store, and they can certainly always stand to know more about you. Bring in goodies from time to time. Offer to go get a snack. If you have something really cute or unique to stock, show it to them first. One of the cashiers at one of my stores collects ceramic eggs, so I gave her an extra one I had that I wasn't going to sell. She loved it.
Help out if needed. If you see the line backing up, jump in if you can! You can't work the register, but you can call out tag information or bag and wrap stuff. Help customers get large items out to their cars. When you sweep out the booth, do the aisle around your area too. Direct customers to things if you can. The little things you do to help make everybody's experience a little more pleasant will stand out.
Let them know you're there. I really can't repeat this often enough. Let staff know when you come in to work! They count on you to keep your area fresh and presentable. Every mall has a few too many vendors who only show up to collect their checks and then grouse about how small they are. When they see you work, it shows how dedicated you are. I always make sure to wheel my new load past one of the registers and say "hi" to everyone. Then, the next thing I do is stop at both registers and collect my returns. Bingo! Everyone working knows I'm here! (And collecting your returns when you come in is another way to help out. I've been told I'm the only one who does this at one location.)
Sell a variety of unique, eclectic items. All booths start to look the same. Sell items that are different from other people and you'll have folks noticing. Staff like to come by my area on their breaks and see what's new. During one of our special event days, they were announcing booths with discouts and telling people what they might find in each area. When they got to mine, the first thing said was "Some of the neatest stuff at the best prices you'll ever find,' followed by a pretty good run-down of the stuff in my booth. No one else got a description like that. That's when I knew they were paying attention to me.
Sell a lot of a particular type of item. Ask anyone at the Peddlers Mall what I sell and they'll say "Jesus and comic books." While I sell a lot of other stuff too, I know for sure that when someone comes in looking for either comic books or religious articles, they get directed right to my booth.
Don't ask for too much. Minding your booth is your responsibility. Don't try to pass that over onto staff. That includes making sure you have the necessary supplies--things like price tags, tape, and such--to do the job. Everybody forgets something now and again. I do it myself, from time to time. It's okay to borrow, just don't make a habit of it. If you can't cover basic expenses like this, you're not doing something right. And if you do have to borrow, try to bring in some extra next time to replenish what you've used.
Be yourself. If you're a nice, easy-going kind of person with a good sense of humor, then let it show. People like you for a reason, after all. If you're an unpleasant asshole, fake it.
Take part in store events. Open Houses. Special Sales. Holidays. Management notices who's there and who isn't. Successful events mean lots of sales for vendors, so every little contribution helps. Even on days when I can't be there for an event, I make sure that I've provided some refreshments, my booth is clean and stocked and that I'm running a sale.
Volunteer to do a couple of things, if you can. At the Peddlers Mall, a couple of vendors have been working a couple of days a week staging empty booths with furniture so the place looks cleaner and fuller. It's really making a difference. I helped with publicity for the YesterNook Open House and got a Mayoral Proclamation naming that day as "YesterNook Day." Another vendor got her husband to play Santa for the event. Everyone has a skill or a connection that they can put into play to help out from time to time. Just be careful not to overextend yourself and to deliver on your commitment.
Gently correct mistakes. At the Peddlers Mall, we have booths numbered 62, 162, 262, and 662. I happen to be one of those. It's inevitable that someone is going to make a mistake and key a sale to the wrong booth. It happens a couple of times a month. Usually it gets straightened out in a day or two. No one does it intentionally. When I need to, I point it out to someone and then laugh it off. Accepting people for who they are, even when they screw up, is part of building relationships.
Accept that some things are beyond their control to influence. There will always be customers who break stuff and then put it back on the shelf. There will always be some level of shoplifting. Store staff do their best to prevent this kind of stuff, but they can't be everywhere. These kinds of things are expected risks in any kind of retail environment. Yelling and bitching at them about it doesn't help the situation. I try to let them know about things, especially shoplifting, but I also recognize the reality of the situation.
Honor the terms of your contract. Know what you can and cannot do and don't try to do the things you shouldn't. If you're not sure, ask. You've got a copy of that document, so refer to it, use it, and don't try to push it too much. Seriously, staff have more than enough sellers who try to get away with things and claim ignorance. Keeping yourself off that list is a point in your favor.
Listen to them. The people running stores have a lot of experience in the business, for the most part. Some started as sellers themselves. Others have been managing places like these for a long time. They know what they're talking about. That doesn't mean that you always have to do things exactly the same way they would, but taking their input under consideration sure isn't going to hurt you.
Building a good relationship with your store staff really doesn't cost you anything, but it brings you a lot of benefits. You may only see them face to face a couple of times a week, but they're with your stuff all day every day.
If you are re-selling stuff in a location where a hundred (or more) other people are doing the same thing, that means you have a lot of competition right under the same roof. Standing out from the crowd takes a lot of skills and work. Some of it is obvious--stocking, cleaning, and rearranging are ongoing processes that have to be done, week in and week out.
But, there are other, more subtle things you can do, as well. These involve the so-called "soft skills" that employers look for, especially the ability to build relationships. One of the most key relationships you can build is with the management and staff of the store where you have a booth.
There are over 100 vendors at the Peddlers Mall and over 30 at YesterNook. That's a lot of people vying for the attention of customers and store staff. The better the impression you can make on the folks who work in the store, the better for you as a seller. As they get to know you, they get to know your stuff. As they get to know your stuff, they realize you carry flim-flams and dong-doodlers. Then, when a customer comes in and asks if anyone carries dong-doodlers, they can point them right to your booth.
It's not something that's going to happen right away. Staff have a million and one things to do, and being surrounded by booths and stuff all day long makes it easy to tune it all out and focus on the job at hand. You have to work to make the impression in their minds. Remember, they're the ones that are there all day, so they are the ones who are your ambassadors to the customers. Placing yourself on their radar will help them guide customers to you.
Here are some tips that can help build this important relationship:
Talk to them. Take a few minutes when you come in to chit chat just a bit. This helps them put a name to a face and get to know you. Don't talk shop. Don't gripe about business. Just have a friendly greeting and a little small talk. For one thing, it will help them realize how often you come in to work your space. Vendors who show some commitment to their booth always stand out.
Spend some time at the register. Taking a break? Go up front and chat a sec. You can always stand to know a little bit more about the folks who work in your store, and they can certainly always stand to know more about you. Bring in goodies from time to time. Offer to go get a snack. If you have something really cute or unique to stock, show it to them first. One of the cashiers at one of my stores collects ceramic eggs, so I gave her an extra one I had that I wasn't going to sell. She loved it.
Help out if needed. If you see the line backing up, jump in if you can! You can't work the register, but you can call out tag information or bag and wrap stuff. Help customers get large items out to their cars. When you sweep out the booth, do the aisle around your area too. Direct customers to things if you can. The little things you do to help make everybody's experience a little more pleasant will stand out.
Let them know you're there. I really can't repeat this often enough. Let staff know when you come in to work! They count on you to keep your area fresh and presentable. Every mall has a few too many vendors who only show up to collect their checks and then grouse about how small they are. When they see you work, it shows how dedicated you are. I always make sure to wheel my new load past one of the registers and say "hi" to everyone. Then, the next thing I do is stop at both registers and collect my returns. Bingo! Everyone working knows I'm here! (And collecting your returns when you come in is another way to help out. I've been told I'm the only one who does this at one location.)
Sell a variety of unique, eclectic items. All booths start to look the same. Sell items that are different from other people and you'll have folks noticing. Staff like to come by my area on their breaks and see what's new. During one of our special event days, they were announcing booths with discouts and telling people what they might find in each area. When they got to mine, the first thing said was "Some of the neatest stuff at the best prices you'll ever find,' followed by a pretty good run-down of the stuff in my booth. No one else got a description like that. That's when I knew they were paying attention to me.
Sell a lot of a particular type of item. Ask anyone at the Peddlers Mall what I sell and they'll say "Jesus and comic books." While I sell a lot of other stuff too, I know for sure that when someone comes in looking for either comic books or religious articles, they get directed right to my booth.
Don't ask for too much. Minding your booth is your responsibility. Don't try to pass that over onto staff. That includes making sure you have the necessary supplies--things like price tags, tape, and such--to do the job. Everybody forgets something now and again. I do it myself, from time to time. It's okay to borrow, just don't make a habit of it. If you can't cover basic expenses like this, you're not doing something right. And if you do have to borrow, try to bring in some extra next time to replenish what you've used.
Be yourself. If you're a nice, easy-going kind of person with a good sense of humor, then let it show. People like you for a reason, after all. If you're an unpleasant asshole, fake it.
Take part in store events. Open Houses. Special Sales. Holidays. Management notices who's there and who isn't. Successful events mean lots of sales for vendors, so every little contribution helps. Even on days when I can't be there for an event, I make sure that I've provided some refreshments, my booth is clean and stocked and that I'm running a sale.
Volunteer to do a couple of things, if you can. At the Peddlers Mall, a couple of vendors have been working a couple of days a week staging empty booths with furniture so the place looks cleaner and fuller. It's really making a difference. I helped with publicity for the YesterNook Open House and got a Mayoral Proclamation naming that day as "YesterNook Day." Another vendor got her husband to play Santa for the event. Everyone has a skill or a connection that they can put into play to help out from time to time. Just be careful not to overextend yourself and to deliver on your commitment.
Gently correct mistakes. At the Peddlers Mall, we have booths numbered 62, 162, 262, and 662. I happen to be one of those. It's inevitable that someone is going to make a mistake and key a sale to the wrong booth. It happens a couple of times a month. Usually it gets straightened out in a day or two. No one does it intentionally. When I need to, I point it out to someone and then laugh it off. Accepting people for who they are, even when they screw up, is part of building relationships.
Accept that some things are beyond their control to influence. There will always be customers who break stuff and then put it back on the shelf. There will always be some level of shoplifting. Store staff do their best to prevent this kind of stuff, but they can't be everywhere. These kinds of things are expected risks in any kind of retail environment. Yelling and bitching at them about it doesn't help the situation. I try to let them know about things, especially shoplifting, but I also recognize the reality of the situation.
Honor the terms of your contract. Know what you can and cannot do and don't try to do the things you shouldn't. If you're not sure, ask. You've got a copy of that document, so refer to it, use it, and don't try to push it too much. Seriously, staff have more than enough sellers who try to get away with things and claim ignorance. Keeping yourself off that list is a point in your favor.
Listen to them. The people running stores have a lot of experience in the business, for the most part. Some started as sellers themselves. Others have been managing places like these for a long time. They know what they're talking about. That doesn't mean that you always have to do things exactly the same way they would, but taking their input under consideration sure isn't going to hurt you.
Building a good relationship with your store staff really doesn't cost you anything, but it brings you a lot of benefits. You may only see them face to face a couple of times a week, but they're with your stuff all day every day.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Monday Rambles
Last week was so nice, that it was a crying shame that the only day I could ride my bike to work was Wednesday. However, since Wednesday is the only night that Keith has class that I don't have class, I took the opportunity after class to ride and ride and ride and ride! I rode to Goodwill. I rode to YesterNook. I rode to get a cup of coffee. I rode to talk to my boss. I rode to Minneapolis. Okay, maybe I'm joking on that last one. However, I seriously did not want to get off the bike.
I have this unerring knack that whenever I leave the house to walk down to the bus stop, I'm going to be a block away right as the bus is pulling away. It's a gift I've honed for the past two weeks. I'm not sure how I got to be this blessed with talent, but I'd love to pass it on to someone else. This week, I can catch the bus that runs in front of my house in the morning. Hopefully, I'll have better luck with that one.
Had a meeting last Friday to talk about my new assignment. I only have two weeks left of my current run, and the new one starts a couple of weeks after that. I'm hoping to use a little down time to get caught up on things around the house.
I have to admit, I'm a little intimidated by this new gig. I'm definitely outside my usual comfort zone. But I'm excited at the same time.
I'm closing in on 2005! With less than 30 posts, I'll be past that total! Actually, I've got something like 49 drafts stored in Blogger. If I could just stop starting new posts and finish some of those that are half done, I'd be waaaaaay past that. Some of those drafts are so old, I don't have any idea what I was thinking at the time I started them. Maybe I can get some cyber-cleaning in with the house cleaning. Actually, I used one of the old ones on Saturday, so I'm already making headway.
Went to one of my favorite church sales Saturday. In fact, this one may just be my all time fave, although there is another one that comes pretty close. They always have massively massive amounts of stuff with great prices, and they always do half off at the last hour. There's always a ton of stuff left, so we don't even show up until then. We filled up the car, let me tell you.
We also dropped in on a couple of Goodwills and Half Price Books. We've got HPB coupons that start today, so we were kind of getting the lay of the land and spotting out stuff for the coupon use. I also hit their clearance racks, since I'm really low on comics. I was hoping they might have a flat or box for sale, but they didn't. I've gotten lucky with that in the past.
I did get a few good items for a buck or less, which is always nice. And I found what I'm going to use my coupon on (and it's just for me):
Image nicked from the good folks at Amazon. Which reminds me, I still have a gift card from them I need to use. Maybe it's time to treat myself?
Been a slow week at the booths. Had sales every day at one and almost every day at the other, but nothing record-breaking. We were supposed to have a special sale day at the Peddlers Mall on Saturday, but they postponed it because of the NCAA tournament games. Basketball is not a sport in these parts; it's a religious denomination. Shopping during the game would be akin to blasphemy--especially with so many local faves playing.
Sunday morning, Keith looked at me and said "Oh my God, you'll be 48 this year!" (Tell me something I don't know.) He continued "You're almost 50!" (Is there a point to this??) Then he says: "You're looking pretty good for an old man!" (Sometimes I don't know whether to throw a pillow at him or kiss him. Honestly.)
And, on that thought, I'll scoot!
I have this unerring knack that whenever I leave the house to walk down to the bus stop, I'm going to be a block away right as the bus is pulling away. It's a gift I've honed for the past two weeks. I'm not sure how I got to be this blessed with talent, but I'd love to pass it on to someone else. This week, I can catch the bus that runs in front of my house in the morning. Hopefully, I'll have better luck with that one.
Had a meeting last Friday to talk about my new assignment. I only have two weeks left of my current run, and the new one starts a couple of weeks after that. I'm hoping to use a little down time to get caught up on things around the house.
I have to admit, I'm a little intimidated by this new gig. I'm definitely outside my usual comfort zone. But I'm excited at the same time.
I'm closing in on 2005! With less than 30 posts, I'll be past that total! Actually, I've got something like 49 drafts stored in Blogger. If I could just stop starting new posts and finish some of those that are half done, I'd be waaaaaay past that. Some of those drafts are so old, I don't have any idea what I was thinking at the time I started them. Maybe I can get some cyber-cleaning in with the house cleaning. Actually, I used one of the old ones on Saturday, so I'm already making headway.
Went to one of my favorite church sales Saturday. In fact, this one may just be my all time fave, although there is another one that comes pretty close. They always have massively massive amounts of stuff with great prices, and they always do half off at the last hour. There's always a ton of stuff left, so we don't even show up until then. We filled up the car, let me tell you.
We also dropped in on a couple of Goodwills and Half Price Books. We've got HPB coupons that start today, so we were kind of getting the lay of the land and spotting out stuff for the coupon use. I also hit their clearance racks, since I'm really low on comics. I was hoping they might have a flat or box for sale, but they didn't. I've gotten lucky with that in the past.
I did get a few good items for a buck or less, which is always nice. And I found what I'm going to use my coupon on (and it's just for me):
Image nicked from the good folks at Amazon. Which reminds me, I still have a gift card from them I need to use. Maybe it's time to treat myself?
Been a slow week at the booths. Had sales every day at one and almost every day at the other, but nothing record-breaking. We were supposed to have a special sale day at the Peddlers Mall on Saturday, but they postponed it because of the NCAA tournament games. Basketball is not a sport in these parts; it's a religious denomination. Shopping during the game would be akin to blasphemy--especially with so many local faves playing.
Sunday morning, Keith looked at me and said "Oh my God, you'll be 48 this year!" (Tell me something I don't know.) He continued "You're almost 50!" (Is there a point to this??) Then he says: "You're looking pretty good for an old man!" (Sometimes I don't know whether to throw a pillow at him or kiss him. Honestly.)
And, on that thought, I'll scoot!
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Singin' o' the Green!
The best St Patrick's day post I can imagine involves music--music made by Irish musicians, accompanied by the Goddess of Music herself:
Isn't that just heartwrenchingly lovely? They sound so good together. I know Emmylou could harmonize with, well me, and make it sould good, but when she's paired with vocalists of the caliber of Mary Black and Dolores Keane, the results are stunning.
Seriously, this is a trio that I would definitely stand in line to get a full album of their music. Who do I have to bribe to make that happen?
Anyway, from this son of Ireland to all of you who might stumble upon this:
Happy St Patrick's Day!
Isn't that just heartwrenchingly lovely? They sound so good together. I know Emmylou could harmonize with, well me, and make it sould good, but when she's paired with vocalists of the caliber of Mary Black and Dolores Keane, the results are stunning.
Seriously, this is a trio that I would definitely stand in line to get a full album of their music. Who do I have to bribe to make that happen?
Anyway, from this son of Ireland to all of you who might stumble upon this:
Happy St Patrick's Day!
Friday, March 16, 2012
Belated Slice of Pi
Wednesday was Pi Day, but I managed to miss it. Have a belated slice on me:
Never, ever forget that, under this cool exterior, I am one great big nerd! And nerds totally ROCK!
Never, ever forget that, under this cool exterior, I am one great big nerd! And nerds totally ROCK!
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