I originally intended for all the December Retro Y'alls to be novelty songs, but this one kept coming back to mind over and over again. The song I had originally chosen for this week didn't quite seem appropriate, given all that's going on right now.
For too many people, the world is a scary place right now. In that light, this was the only choice to make.
Do they know it's Christmas time?
Saturday, December 19, 2015
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Retro Y'all! Holiday Edition!
I had to bend the rules for this one, but there was no way in heck that I was not going to include it.
I always try to find a period performance video by the original artist to go with my selections, but there just wasn't one this time. There were lots of vids using the original recording in the video, but this is the one I really, really liked, even though I'm pretty sure it's a cover. Those guys are having too much fun. So I'm using this one in the spirit of the holiday.
Out of all the Christmas novelty songs that have ever been recorded, this one is certainly a front-runner for the oddest, which is why I love it so.
By the way, Santa's donkey was really named Nestor. I think I would wanna be called Dominick too, if my name were Nestor.
No offense meant to any Nestors out there. Really.
I always try to find a period performance video by the original artist to go with my selections, but there just wasn't one this time. There were lots of vids using the original recording in the video, but this is the one I really, really liked, even though I'm pretty sure it's a cover. Those guys are having too much fun. So I'm using this one in the spirit of the holiday.
Out of all the Christmas novelty songs that have ever been recorded, this one is certainly a front-runner for the oddest, which is why I love it so.
By the way, Santa's donkey was really named Nestor. I think I would wanna be called Dominick too, if my name were Nestor.
No offense meant to any Nestors out there. Really.
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Gather 'round!
Come join the circle! I have a tale to tell. A tale of a wonderful, far away place. A place called "Arkansas."
Plentiful treasures are found within these shops!
There are even stores where things aren't priced, so you don't know what you're in for until you get to the register. Now, this is not an ideal situation, as you are set up for a nasty surprise,
Oh, yeah. The cashiers are always friendly.
Even the antique malls are havens of affordable delight, which is not something I can always say. Have you ever seen a booth in an antique mall with a sign that says: "BARGAIN BOOTH! Everything a dollar or less?" I have.
Arkansas. Truly a junker's paradise. You have to experience it for yourself.
If you do go, don't forget to check out my man, Fred. I always have to go to Fred's when I visit. Look at all the Christmas clearance I found!
Christmas clearance at Thanksgiving? That's the wonder of Arkansas!
Wednesday, December 09, 2015
Thoughts from a Scan
I had my scan yesterday. I'll get results next week. Getting a scan is a lengthy process. If you've never done one, you would think they just shove you in the machine, yank you out, and that is that.
In actuality, it takes about two and a half hours for the full body scan, which is what I get. First off, you have to do all the prep stuff: blood sugar check, isotope injection, and contrast consumption. The contrast is gross-tasting, like an off-flavor Tang. After that, there's a wait for the contrast and the isotope to get all over your insides, so they'll be all glowy and stuff for the scan. Bear in mind, that while this is happening, you are very aware that you haven't eaten for HOURS.
The scan itself takes about 40 minutes, or at least mine do. They do two scans on me. The first is a head/neck scan, which is the short scan. This is followed by the rest of the body, which is longer, and also requires that I hold my arms above my head, which makes it seem a lot longer. My shoulders are always so stiff that I can barely lower them when it's over. I do have to admit that this part is a lot more bearable since the steroids came into my life.
That's a lot of time just laying around, doing nothing, which means that I start getting bored, which means that my mind starts to wander on to all kinds of bizarre things. If I actually got around to typing all the blog posts I have drafted in my head during my scans, you all would either think I'm a genius or totally insane. (As if you don't already.)
This time, however, there was a bit of a wrinkle. I've been taking anti-biotics for the past week or so to finish off my post-Thanksgiving illness. I took the last one today, so that's done. Everything is cleared up, even the cough is gone. I'm feeling good, but this process has not been without side effects.
To be blunt, the anti-biotics have made me...well...a little...gassy.
Now, I'm not talking blow-the-door off, clear-the-room all-out farts. These are just little build ups of air in the gut that have to go somewhere. Somewhere, as in outside of me. Generally, it's just a bunch of tiny toots. A bunch. Usually these little spells last for several minutes and happen two or three times a day. Since I took the last pill today, I'm expecting them to stop in a day or two.
Of course, one of these spells hits while I'm getting the scan. As I'm sitting in the injection room, waiting for the contrast to take effect, I just start firing off a series of these little toots. It lasts for about ten minutes or so and then it passes. I'm alone in a closed room, so it's no big deal.
Until I get to the long scan. And another spell hits. I'm in the scanner. The tech is in another room, running things. These are the thoughts that result.
"I gotta fart."
"Should I fart?"
"Who would know? Maybe I should fart."
"What if I accidentally move a little when I fart? Would that mess up the scan?"
"I would hate to have to do this again, just because I farted."
"Surely I can fart without moving. Don't most people? I've never seen any fart wigglers. Or wiggly farters."
"What if I don't fart? Will that show up on the scan?"
"I couldn't eat or drink, because that would show up on the scan. Would a suppressed fart show up?"
"It's just a cloud of air in my gut. Would a cloud of air show up? I guess it could make me look bloated."
"If I look bloated, would that be some sort of sign on the scan that could be misinterpreted?"
"I would hate to get bad news next week, just because I didn't fart."
"If I get bad news because I didn't fart, then I would have to tell them that I had to fart and didn't."
"I don't want to go to the cancer clinic and talk about my farts."
"Maybe this kind of thing happens all the time, and they can tell on the scan when someone needed to fart and didn't."
"Would that get noted in my file, where anyone could read it?"
"I would hate for all the interns to be looking at me and thinking: 'So this is the fart represser.'"
"How would I explain that to Chiquito?"
"If I farted, and they could tell that, would that end up in my file?"
"Would people start watching me to see if I'm going to fart?"
"Nobody wants to be known as 'the farty dude.'"
"I'd rather be called 'Gassy Guy!'"
"That would be a good super-hero name."
"Just fart already and get this over with."
"I'm totally going to have to blog this."
In the end, I decided to fart. We'll see what the result was next week. I'm working on my Gassy Guy costume, just in case.
In actuality, it takes about two and a half hours for the full body scan, which is what I get. First off, you have to do all the prep stuff: blood sugar check, isotope injection, and contrast consumption. The contrast is gross-tasting, like an off-flavor Tang. After that, there's a wait for the contrast and the isotope to get all over your insides, so they'll be all glowy and stuff for the scan. Bear in mind, that while this is happening, you are very aware that you haven't eaten for HOURS.
The scan itself takes about 40 minutes, or at least mine do. They do two scans on me. The first is a head/neck scan, which is the short scan. This is followed by the rest of the body, which is longer, and also requires that I hold my arms above my head, which makes it seem a lot longer. My shoulders are always so stiff that I can barely lower them when it's over. I do have to admit that this part is a lot more bearable since the steroids came into my life.
That's a lot of time just laying around, doing nothing, which means that I start getting bored, which means that my mind starts to wander on to all kinds of bizarre things. If I actually got around to typing all the blog posts I have drafted in my head during my scans, you all would either think I'm a genius or totally insane. (As if you don't already.)
This time, however, there was a bit of a wrinkle. I've been taking anti-biotics for the past week or so to finish off my post-Thanksgiving illness. I took the last one today, so that's done. Everything is cleared up, even the cough is gone. I'm feeling good, but this process has not been without side effects.
To be blunt, the anti-biotics have made me...well...a little...gassy.
Now, I'm not talking blow-the-door off, clear-the-room all-out farts. These are just little build ups of air in the gut that have to go somewhere. Somewhere, as in outside of me. Generally, it's just a bunch of tiny toots. A bunch. Usually these little spells last for several minutes and happen two or three times a day. Since I took the last pill today, I'm expecting them to stop in a day or two.
Of course, one of these spells hits while I'm getting the scan. As I'm sitting in the injection room, waiting for the contrast to take effect, I just start firing off a series of these little toots. It lasts for about ten minutes or so and then it passes. I'm alone in a closed room, so it's no big deal.
Until I get to the long scan. And another spell hits. I'm in the scanner. The tech is in another room, running things. These are the thoughts that result.
"I gotta fart."
"Should I fart?"
"Who would know? Maybe I should fart."
"What if I accidentally move a little when I fart? Would that mess up the scan?"
"I would hate to have to do this again, just because I farted."
"Surely I can fart without moving. Don't most people? I've never seen any fart wigglers. Or wiggly farters."
"What if I don't fart? Will that show up on the scan?"
"I couldn't eat or drink, because that would show up on the scan. Would a suppressed fart show up?"
"It's just a cloud of air in my gut. Would a cloud of air show up? I guess it could make me look bloated."
"If I look bloated, would that be some sort of sign on the scan that could be misinterpreted?"
"I would hate to get bad news next week, just because I didn't fart."
"If I get bad news because I didn't fart, then I would have to tell them that I had to fart and didn't."
"I don't want to go to the cancer clinic and talk about my farts."
"Maybe this kind of thing happens all the time, and they can tell on the scan when someone needed to fart and didn't."
"Would that get noted in my file, where anyone could read it?"
"I would hate for all the interns to be looking at me and thinking: 'So this is the fart represser.'"
"How would I explain that to Chiquito?"
"If I farted, and they could tell that, would that end up in my file?"
"Would people start watching me to see if I'm going to fart?"
"Nobody wants to be known as 'the farty dude.'"
"I'd rather be called 'Gassy Guy!'"
"That would be a good super-hero name."
"Just fart already and get this over with."
"I'm totally going to have to blog this."
In the end, I decided to fart. We'll see what the result was next week. I'm working on my Gassy Guy costume, just in case.
Monday, December 07, 2015
Monday Rambles
So, I broke a mirror yesterday. There goes the rest of the decade for me!
Also, I bought some stuff on Saturday, so I have a teeny Mazda shot.
Sales are getting fewer and farther between here, but I did scrape a couple up for Saturday. We had to hop across the river for them. We went to a church that was having a Christmas yard sale fund raiser. I was hoping to find some more vintage stuff, but no such luck. I did pick up a few small things, including a Hulk ornament. Nothing special. The cashier spent all this time carefully wrapping these candle holders that were mostly cast iron, then tossed the ceramic figurines in the bag unwrapped. Sometimes, I feel like I live in Bizarro World.
That church also runs a thrift store, which is only open about six hours a week. I love it, but I never get to go there because of their schedule. It epitomizes the one thing Louisville lacks--the little church-affiliated thrift run by little old ladies with tons of stuff at super cheap prices. I wasn't sure if they would be open because of the church sale, but they were.
Their Christmas was all half off. I gathered up a box of stuff, both Christmas and non, including a complete vintage Yahtzee game. Prices ranged from 5 cents to 2 dollars. The older lady doing the check out decided she needed to sort the Christmas out so she could do all the half price at once. Good plan. Then she declares that three ornaments aren't Christmas. In fairness, they were little houses and buildings, so they didn't look like typical ornaments. They were only a quarter, so I let it go.
Then she declares that the religious articles--crosses, Jesus pictures, etc--are Christmas because "You can use them for that if you want." So, I got more of a discount overall than I would have if she had left those ornaments in. I always throw in a small donation at fund-raisers and church sales, so I kind of made up a little of that difference for them.
She grabs this roll of bubble wrap for the glass stuff I bought and this little older man, who I assumed was her husband, moved to the counter to help. Or at least I thought. He grabbed the end of the bubble wrap and started popping the bubbles! It was too funny. She fussed at him and he stopped.
The other big sale I went to was a library book sale. One of the libraries across the river holds a book sale twice a month. I had been wanting to go, as I had heard good things about it. Oh my gosh! It was so organized, that it was nearly mind-boggling. Everything was on shelves, instead of tables, with clearly labelled sections. Prices were super-reasonable. All around, it was impressive.
I ran into blog reader Elizabeth while I was there. From time to time, she pops up at the booth, usually when it looks the worst, but she always says nice things about it anyway. I've been meaning to mention her here and keep forgetting.
Anyway, I got a nice box of books there, plus a large stack of cookbooks out of the FREE boxes out front. Love me those free boxes. I sell a lot of cookbooks. It was nice to be at a sizeable book sale. The Louisville library has discontinued its large sales, much to my consternation.
We grabbed lunch at our usual Asian Buffet, and I made a stop at the Thrift Store that's in the same little mini-mall, since it was having a sale. I ran in the library branch in the mall to use the bathroom, then saw a dude with a bunch of tables in the middle of the mall selling comic books! Seriously. I'll leave it to you all to fill in the result of this discovery.
Saturday night, we went to one of our favorite holiday events. It's been three or four years since I've gone, due to health stuff. I was so glad to be able to do it again. We wandered the streets, popped in and out of shops, enjoyed hot cider, shopped a bit, then finished off with a wonderful dinner.
I didn't get many photos, but I did get a few.
There was a rep from the business guild that sponsors the event driving around with a bunch of lights and blow molds on a truck, all lit up. I could never get my phone out in time for a pic. I also failed to get a pic of the girl in half a banana costume doing sidewalk karaoke. I did get some short video of the laser light show.
I hope this works. I've never done video on the blog before. Well, like this anyway. That Eye of God pic comes from the neighborhood Catholic Church, by the way. There are more pics of the amazing decor in the church at their web site. Doesn't Keith look all ruggedy and mountain manny with his walking stick and beard? Believe it or not, he was wearing shorts!
So much goes on at this event. Past years have included Elvis impersonators, bagpipes, Dickensian carolers, and concerts. I look forward to it every year, and was so glad to be able to do it again.
This is going to be a pretty busy week. Today, I'm heading back to the booth. It was busy there yesterday, that I didn't get everything done that I needed to. I have a cartful of stuff in the break room that I need to get put out. The store is having its vendor party and open house on Saturday, and they need the room for that. Sales are remaining strong so far. I'd like to have a couple of $100+ days in the mix, but otherwise I can't complain. I still cannot seem to get all my Christmas out.
Tomorrow is my next scan. Results will be next week. After that is done, I'll be headed to Mount Sorrow. Thanks to being sick, I am a week behind on the work I wanted to do there. I also just remembered that I have two sleds buried in the back (!) of that mess and they should have been at the booth two weeks ago. I'll probably pull a small load out of there while I'm at it. Since I'm going to have to pull a lot out to get to them, I'm planning to get it all back a little more organized.
Wednesday, I'm planning on working at home. I need to go on an orgy (not like that!) of pricing and packing. I am going to get any stray little bits of holiday stuff I might have missed. I keep feeling like there are a couple bags of stuff still kicking around here. I also have a new stack of comics to bag and price. (Heh!)
Thursday, it's back to the booth. Friday, I'm sneaking out to finish getting Keith's presents. This weekend, I'll be at the Peddlers Mall vendor get-together, and maybe going to a holiday gift show. It's run by the same people that do the Big Flea, and I've been wanting to check it out for a while. I'm not planning to buy anything, but I would love to check out the displays.
Also, I bought some stuff on Saturday, so I have a teeny Mazda shot.
 |
| What's in Mazda? |
Sales are getting fewer and farther between here, but I did scrape a couple up for Saturday. We had to hop across the river for them. We went to a church that was having a Christmas yard sale fund raiser. I was hoping to find some more vintage stuff, but no such luck. I did pick up a few small things, including a Hulk ornament. Nothing special. The cashier spent all this time carefully wrapping these candle holders that were mostly cast iron, then tossed the ceramic figurines in the bag unwrapped. Sometimes, I feel like I live in Bizarro World.
That church also runs a thrift store, which is only open about six hours a week. I love it, but I never get to go there because of their schedule. It epitomizes the one thing Louisville lacks--the little church-affiliated thrift run by little old ladies with tons of stuff at super cheap prices. I wasn't sure if they would be open because of the church sale, but they were.
Their Christmas was all half off. I gathered up a box of stuff, both Christmas and non, including a complete vintage Yahtzee game. Prices ranged from 5 cents to 2 dollars. The older lady doing the check out decided she needed to sort the Christmas out so she could do all the half price at once. Good plan. Then she declares that three ornaments aren't Christmas. In fairness, they were little houses and buildings, so they didn't look like typical ornaments. They were only a quarter, so I let it go.
Then she declares that the religious articles--crosses, Jesus pictures, etc--are Christmas because "You can use them for that if you want." So, I got more of a discount overall than I would have if she had left those ornaments in. I always throw in a small donation at fund-raisers and church sales, so I kind of made up a little of that difference for them.
She grabs this roll of bubble wrap for the glass stuff I bought and this little older man, who I assumed was her husband, moved to the counter to help. Or at least I thought. He grabbed the end of the bubble wrap and started popping the bubbles! It was too funny. She fussed at him and he stopped.
The other big sale I went to was a library book sale. One of the libraries across the river holds a book sale twice a month. I had been wanting to go, as I had heard good things about it. Oh my gosh! It was so organized, that it was nearly mind-boggling. Everything was on shelves, instead of tables, with clearly labelled sections. Prices were super-reasonable. All around, it was impressive.
I ran into blog reader Elizabeth while I was there. From time to time, she pops up at the booth, usually when it looks the worst, but she always says nice things about it anyway. I've been meaning to mention her here and keep forgetting.
Anyway, I got a nice box of books there, plus a large stack of cookbooks out of the FREE boxes out front. Love me those free boxes. I sell a lot of cookbooks. It was nice to be at a sizeable book sale. The Louisville library has discontinued its large sales, much to my consternation.
We grabbed lunch at our usual Asian Buffet, and I made a stop at the Thrift Store that's in the same little mini-mall, since it was having a sale. I ran in the library branch in the mall to use the bathroom, then saw a dude with a bunch of tables in the middle of the mall selling comic books! Seriously. I'll leave it to you all to fill in the result of this discovery.
Saturday night, we went to one of our favorite holiday events. It's been three or four years since I've gone, due to health stuff. I was so glad to be able to do it again. We wandered the streets, popped in and out of shops, enjoyed hot cider, shopped a bit, then finished off with a wonderful dinner.
I didn't get many photos, but I did get a few.
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| Santa's VW van sleigh |
 |
| Always gotta get a Kizito cookie. Fresh and hot! |
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| The Eye of God is watching you! |
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| Blow molds! |
There was a rep from the business guild that sponsors the event driving around with a bunch of lights and blow molds on a truck, all lit up. I could never get my phone out in time for a pic. I also failed to get a pic of the girl in half a banana costume doing sidewalk karaoke. I did get some short video of the laser light show.
I hope this works. I've never done video on the blog before. Well, like this anyway. That Eye of God pic comes from the neighborhood Catholic Church, by the way. There are more pics of the amazing decor in the church at their web site. Doesn't Keith look all ruggedy and mountain manny with his walking stick and beard? Believe it or not, he was wearing shorts!
So much goes on at this event. Past years have included Elvis impersonators, bagpipes, Dickensian carolers, and concerts. I look forward to it every year, and was so glad to be able to do it again.
This is going to be a pretty busy week. Today, I'm heading back to the booth. It was busy there yesterday, that I didn't get everything done that I needed to. I have a cartful of stuff in the break room that I need to get put out. The store is having its vendor party and open house on Saturday, and they need the room for that. Sales are remaining strong so far. I'd like to have a couple of $100+ days in the mix, but otherwise I can't complain. I still cannot seem to get all my Christmas out.
Tomorrow is my next scan. Results will be next week. After that is done, I'll be headed to Mount Sorrow. Thanks to being sick, I am a week behind on the work I wanted to do there. I also just remembered that I have two sleds buried in the back (!) of that mess and they should have been at the booth two weeks ago. I'll probably pull a small load out of there while I'm at it. Since I'm going to have to pull a lot out to get to them, I'm planning to get it all back a little more organized.
Wednesday, I'm planning on working at home. I need to go on an orgy (not like that!) of pricing and packing. I am going to get any stray little bits of holiday stuff I might have missed. I keep feeling like there are a couple bags of stuff still kicking around here. I also have a new stack of comics to bag and price. (Heh!)
Thursday, it's back to the booth. Friday, I'm sneaking out to finish getting Keith's presents. This weekend, I'll be at the Peddlers Mall vendor get-together, and maybe going to a holiday gift show. It's run by the same people that do the Big Flea, and I've been wanting to check it out for a while. I'm not planning to buy anything, but I would love to check out the displays.
Sunday, December 06, 2015
Your Chiquito of the Month for December
This one is another wedding shot, combined with holiday cheer.
He's popped up in his wide-eyed best pose to wish all his internet friends a Merry Christmas! Thanks for all the many wonderful things you all have said about him this year.
He's popped up in his wide-eyed best pose to wish all his internet friends a Merry Christmas! Thanks for all the many wonderful things you all have said about him this year.
Saturday, December 05, 2015
Retro Y'all! Holiday Edition!
Last Sunday's Hardrock/Suzy post was supposed to be a Retro Y'all! post on Saturday, but it didn't work out that way. I am dedicating Retro Y'all! this month to those undeservedly forgotten or overlooked Christmas novelty classics. Some things are too good to be allowed to slide into obscurity.
Like this little jingle.
Fun fact: She actually got the hippo. Take a look at the other people who've recorded this, including two Captains: Kangaroo and Toni Tennille's then-husband. The video is actually from the Ed Sullivan Show. Gayla Peevey's website has the full version from the show with Sullivan introducing her.
Like this little jingle.
Fun fact: She actually got the hippo. Take a look at the other people who've recorded this, including two Captains: Kangaroo and Toni Tennille's then-husband. The video is actually from the Ed Sullivan Show. Gayla Peevey's website has the full version from the show with Sullivan introducing her.
Friday, December 04, 2015
Catch Up Updates
After several days of anti-biotics, I have arisen from the sick bed! And taken a shower!
And there was much rejoicing.
I still have the damn cough, but I'm bouncing back and on the mend. Thanks to everyone for your get well wishes and patience. It's been a bit too long since I've blogged. So, let's catch up, shall we?
Except for being sick, Thanksgiving was really nice for us. We never really seem to have enough time to spend in Arkansas, but that (and being sick) was really the only downside. We were actually going to stay longer this time around, but that would have required rescheduling my treatment last Tuesday, and Keith's mother would not entertain that idea in the least.
Keith's mother and I have both been hinting at a summer visit, when we could stay a little longer and not have so long between visits. Keith thinks that it would be too expensive to do that, but I think I have a plan that might make it possible. We'll see....
I've always felt kind of bad that we spent so much more time over the years with my mother than we have been able to with his, simply because of the distance. He and his mother are as close as I was with mine, and I would do just about anything to have them see each other more often while that's still possible.
Any chance to see Keith's mom is worth it because she is such a jewel. We tried beforehand to convince her that there was no need for a huge spread for Thanksgiving. We were happy just to be with her. When we got there, however, she kept pulling out dish after dish after dish and setting them on the table. Her one compromise was that she bought the potato salad, instead of making it!
It was a good thing we had plenty of food, because Keith's brother came to dinner as well. To be honest, Keith's relationship with his brother is, well, a bit strained. This isn't the place to really go into the reasons, but we were surprised to learn he was coming. The meal was cordial enough. Everyone behaved and we all had good conversation. They all even continued visiting after I went back to the hotel to rest. We still have no idea why he decided to make the trip, but Keith's mother was ecstatic to have all of us there at once, and that's all that matters. Oh yeah, everything was delicious!
Since I was sick, I didn't get to visit with Keith's elderly aunt, whom I adore. She's in her 90's, and I didn't want to pass anything on to her. She's another sweetheart.I think everyone in town knows her.
Friday (the Friday after Thanksgiving, aka "Black Friday"), we set out for the mall in the nearest big city. Yes, the mall. On Black Friday. I had to go. It's tradition. Several years ago when we were visiting, Keith's mom decided that she didn't like the look of Keith's shoes and that he needed new ones. Not willing to take "no" for an answer, she swept us off to the mall and the shoe section of Sears. Once we were there, she decided that it was only fair that I got a new pair of shoes as well. I really protested this, but to no avail. It's been our Thanksgiving tradition ever since.
The shopping trip doesn't always fall on Black Friday. Usually, it's a couple of days before Thanksgiving, but our trip schedule was different this year. Honestly, I'm not wild about this tradition. It's terribly sweet of her, but shoes aren't cheap. I hate her spending that much money on us, especially when we don't often actually need the shoes. Right now, I am wearing a pair I bought two years ago at the JC Penney Outlet that closed here. I wear shoes until they have no life left in them before getting rid of them. I still have pairs from the last two years to get to before wearing the pair we got this trip. It feels like a wasteful use of her money to me.
Still, it's her money, her choice. She is being sweet, and I don't want to hurt her feelings. I thought we weren't going to do it this year. I had Keith talked into finding an alternative--I had suggested going to a different town, doing some fun shopping, having coffee, and just hanging out for a while. He's not any more of a fan of the mall than I am, but she would not hear of not getting shoes.
So I have shoes.
And Batman socks. Because Batman socks. And clearance. These were free by the way. I used Keith's Sears points to pay for them.
Oh, yeah. I may have gotten a bit of thrifting in. Just maybe. Hee hee hee! Tune in later for that.
So, today, I am wandering out for the first time since we got back. I have got to get over to the booth, which I know has to be a total wreck at this point. It's been nearly two weeks since I have been there. True to booth logic, however, the longer I go without coming over, the stronger sales get. Seriously. December is young, but it's strong.
Which is good because November never really caught on. I was having a mini-rally right before Thanksgiving, which had me thinking I could still pull a good month out, as long as Black Friday weekend was strong--which it wasn't. It was just average, and so November became average as well. Average is better than below average, but I was really wanting to build a fall streak of super-duper months. Color my hopes dashed.
I do need to get out there, as most of my big ticket Christmas stuff has sold, and I need to put more out. I also need to get caught up on everyone's blogs and emails. I'll do that this weekend. There's an indoor all Christmas yard sale at a church that I'm planning to hit, plus a library book sale. Our favorite holiday event is Saturday night, and I am looking forward to that as well.
I think I still have time to pull off all the holiday surprises I had planned for the blog, so keep checking back. A little vintage. A little oddity. A little cheer. Just the way I like to celebrate.
Stay warm and stay well..
And there was much rejoicing.
I still have the damn cough, but I'm bouncing back and on the mend. Thanks to everyone for your get well wishes and patience. It's been a bit too long since I've blogged. So, let's catch up, shall we?
Except for being sick, Thanksgiving was really nice for us. We never really seem to have enough time to spend in Arkansas, but that (and being sick) was really the only downside. We were actually going to stay longer this time around, but that would have required rescheduling my treatment last Tuesday, and Keith's mother would not entertain that idea in the least.
Keith's mother and I have both been hinting at a summer visit, when we could stay a little longer and not have so long between visits. Keith thinks that it would be too expensive to do that, but I think I have a plan that might make it possible. We'll see....
I've always felt kind of bad that we spent so much more time over the years with my mother than we have been able to with his, simply because of the distance. He and his mother are as close as I was with mine, and I would do just about anything to have them see each other more often while that's still possible.
Any chance to see Keith's mom is worth it because she is such a jewel. We tried beforehand to convince her that there was no need for a huge spread for Thanksgiving. We were happy just to be with her. When we got there, however, she kept pulling out dish after dish after dish and setting them on the table. Her one compromise was that she bought the potato salad, instead of making it!
It was a good thing we had plenty of food, because Keith's brother came to dinner as well. To be honest, Keith's relationship with his brother is, well, a bit strained. This isn't the place to really go into the reasons, but we were surprised to learn he was coming. The meal was cordial enough. Everyone behaved and we all had good conversation. They all even continued visiting after I went back to the hotel to rest. We still have no idea why he decided to make the trip, but Keith's mother was ecstatic to have all of us there at once, and that's all that matters. Oh yeah, everything was delicious!
Since I was sick, I didn't get to visit with Keith's elderly aunt, whom I adore. She's in her 90's, and I didn't want to pass anything on to her. She's another sweetheart.I think everyone in town knows her.
Friday (the Friday after Thanksgiving, aka "Black Friday"), we set out for the mall in the nearest big city. Yes, the mall. On Black Friday. I had to go. It's tradition. Several years ago when we were visiting, Keith's mom decided that she didn't like the look of Keith's shoes and that he needed new ones. Not willing to take "no" for an answer, she swept us off to the mall and the shoe section of Sears. Once we were there, she decided that it was only fair that I got a new pair of shoes as well. I really protested this, but to no avail. It's been our Thanksgiving tradition ever since.
The shopping trip doesn't always fall on Black Friday. Usually, it's a couple of days before Thanksgiving, but our trip schedule was different this year. Honestly, I'm not wild about this tradition. It's terribly sweet of her, but shoes aren't cheap. I hate her spending that much money on us, especially when we don't often actually need the shoes. Right now, I am wearing a pair I bought two years ago at the JC Penney Outlet that closed here. I wear shoes until they have no life left in them before getting rid of them. I still have pairs from the last two years to get to before wearing the pair we got this trip. It feels like a wasteful use of her money to me.
Still, it's her money, her choice. She is being sweet, and I don't want to hurt her feelings. I thought we weren't going to do it this year. I had Keith talked into finding an alternative--I had suggested going to a different town, doing some fun shopping, having coffee, and just hanging out for a while. He's not any more of a fan of the mall than I am, but she would not hear of not getting shoes.
So I have shoes.
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| I already had Batman boxers. |
Oh, yeah. I may have gotten a bit of thrifting in. Just maybe. Hee hee hee! Tune in later for that.
So, today, I am wandering out for the first time since we got back. I have got to get over to the booth, which I know has to be a total wreck at this point. It's been nearly two weeks since I have been there. True to booth logic, however, the longer I go without coming over, the stronger sales get. Seriously. December is young, but it's strong.
Which is good because November never really caught on. I was having a mini-rally right before Thanksgiving, which had me thinking I could still pull a good month out, as long as Black Friday weekend was strong--which it wasn't. It was just average, and so November became average as well. Average is better than below average, but I was really wanting to build a fall streak of super-duper months. Color my hopes dashed.
I do need to get out there, as most of my big ticket Christmas stuff has sold, and I need to put more out. I also need to get caught up on everyone's blogs and emails. I'll do that this weekend. There's an indoor all Christmas yard sale at a church that I'm planning to hit, plus a library book sale. Our favorite holiday event is Saturday night, and I am looking forward to that as well.
I think I still have time to pull off all the holiday surprises I had planned for the blog, so keep checking back. A little vintage. A little oddity. A little cheer. Just the way I like to celebrate.
Stay warm and stay well..
Tuesday, December 01, 2015
Sickbed Rambles
How are you? I am sick. Not just sick. Sick, SICK, SICK! The kind that lasts for days and leaves you flat on your back in bed wishing for the sweet release of a NyQuil coma. Yes. That sick.
Keith was down with a cold for most of the week before we left for Arkansas. I did my best to avoid catching it, but the night before we left it was pretty obvious it had caught me. By Thanksgiving, I was a wreck. I ate dinner, then went back to the hotel and totally crashed out for the rest of the day. Friday, I seemed to be doing better. Saturday, we left, and I thought the worst was behind me.
WRONG!
Sunday, I felt worse than ever before and just stayed in bed with Chiquito curled beside me. Yesterday, Keith called our doctor for some meds, while I stayed in bed. I'm starting to feel better today, but I am sick of coughing and wheezing like an old bagpipe. Also my head still hurts.
Needless to say, this has pretty well screwed up my week. I still haven't even unpacked yet! Hopefully, I'll be a little more back in the swing of things tomorrow.
In the meantime, I'm going to take more meds and go back to bed.
Keith was down with a cold for most of the week before we left for Arkansas. I did my best to avoid catching it, but the night before we left it was pretty obvious it had caught me. By Thanksgiving, I was a wreck. I ate dinner, then went back to the hotel and totally crashed out for the rest of the day. Friday, I seemed to be doing better. Saturday, we left, and I thought the worst was behind me.
WRONG!
Sunday, I felt worse than ever before and just stayed in bed with Chiquito curled beside me. Yesterday, Keith called our doctor for some meds, while I stayed in bed. I'm starting to feel better today, but I am sick of coughing and wheezing like an old bagpipe. Also my head still hurts.
Needless to say, this has pretty well screwed up my week. I still haven't even unpacked yet! Hopefully, I'll be a little more back in the swing of things tomorrow.
In the meantime, I'm going to take more meds and go back to bed.
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Let's Get This Holiday Season Started!
We are back! I'll have more to say about all that in tomorrow's ramble. In the meantime, we've got to start rolling out the holiday cheer. For this blog, there's only one way to do that.
If you've been around here for a while, you know that Hardrock and friends are the traditional Eddie-torial opening to the holiday season. They've been featured in a post every year at this time for five or six years, at least. I got so busy with the wedding and such last year that I actually forgot them, but Roger made up for my goof on Facebook.
Anyway, they're back! Enjoy!
Of course, when those elves come passing by, Suzy is sure to follow.
I'm planning a lot of fun, musical surprises for December, so please stay tuned.
If you've been around here for a while, you know that Hardrock and friends are the traditional Eddie-torial opening to the holiday season. They've been featured in a post every year at this time for five or six years, at least. I got so busy with the wedding and such last year that I actually forgot them, but Roger made up for my goof on Facebook.
Anyway, they're back! Enjoy!
Of course, when those elves come passing by, Suzy is sure to follow.
I'm planning a lot of fun, musical surprises for December, so please stay tuned.
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks for hanging with me
through another year!
Best wishes to you and your families!
Vintage Thanksgiving card from a box of greeting cards I found at an estate sale last year.
Monday, November 23, 2015
Some pics I forgot to share
I've had these kicking around for a while, since my last cancer treatment, in fact. I just kept forgetting to put them in a post. Being way off track in my blogging schedule lately threw off a lot of my content plans. When I have to rush to get something (anything) up, it throws off my content plans. Since I have another treatment tomorrow, it seems like a good time to put these out.
Getting my port accessed. That's my favorite nurse at the center. He is so laid back and mellow. I'm letting my hair grow out right now, so it's always somewhat of a mess.
Lily also came by again for a visit. She went right to me and laid on my feet for the longest time. I'm hoping she might drop by again tomorrow.
Getting my port accessed. That's my favorite nurse at the center. He is so laid back and mellow. I'm letting my hair grow out right now, so it's always somewhat of a mess.
Lily also came by again for a visit. She went right to me and laid on my feet for the longest time. I'm hoping she might drop by again tomorrow.
Sunday, November 22, 2015
What's In Mazda?
Believe it or not, I've managed to cross quite a few things of my pre-Thanksgiving list. I'm not going to get it all done, of course. I've already abandoned hope for most of the larger stuff, except for the booth.
I loaded up Mazda today with a huge mound of stuff from Sorrow Mountain, along with some comics and stuff from the house and headed across the river to the Peddlers Mall.
This is what it all looked like.
That's one of the biggest loads I've ever crammed in there. No time this week to do a reveal shot later on, but you can imagine all the junkie goodness therein. I am making some serious progress on Sorrow Mountain.
After the first of the year, I am going on a total buying moratorium until yard sale season 2016 starts. I'm going to spend the first part of next year burrowing deep into that mountain.
Oh yeah. I made some great comics scores at the Cavalcade of Comics. I'll have much more on this later, but here's a pic.
I loaded up Mazda today with a huge mound of stuff from Sorrow Mountain, along with some comics and stuff from the house and headed across the river to the Peddlers Mall.
This is what it all looked like.
That's one of the biggest loads I've ever crammed in there. No time this week to do a reveal shot later on, but you can imagine all the junkie goodness therein. I am making some serious progress on Sorrow Mountain.
After the first of the year, I am going on a total buying moratorium until yard sale season 2016 starts. I'm going to spend the first part of next year burrowing deep into that mountain.
Oh yeah. I made some great comics scores at the Cavalcade of Comics. I'll have much more on this later, but here's a pic.
Saturday, November 21, 2015
Friday, November 20, 2015
Wouldja believe Friday Rambles?
Let's begin with a thought from a classic:
That's kind of the way I'm feeling these days. Too much to do and not enough time to do it. Every time I get started on something, I find three things that need to be done first before I can do what I started on. Aiiieeeeee!
We leave Tuesday for Arkansas to spend Thanksgiving with Keith's mother. I'm looking forward to the visit, but it's a long drive. I also have treatment on Tuesday. Seems like we did it that way last year too. I wanted to see about re-scheduling the treatment, so we could leave earlier, but she kind of insisted I stick to my schedule. She's had kind of a rough year, so I'm looking forward to seeing her.
So what all do I still need to do?
LAUNDRY!! I'm not sure about Arkansas, but Kentucky frowns on nude Thanksgiving visits.
SHOPPING! I got some road snacks at the Peddlers Mall last night, but we still need a few more things.
PACKING! I'm not sure where the suitcases went after we got back from San Francisco. I'd hate to have to carry those clean clothes in grocery bags. Keith already calls me a bag lady because I carry a reuseable grocery bag with a bunch of stuff in it wherever I go. I need to pick out my trip reading and find the laptop.
BLOGGING! (and commenting and answering emails) This is going to have to do for this week's (late) ramble and next week's (early) ramble. At least it will replace Bo Donaldson's face that's been hanging around a bit too long. I'm hoping to get a few posts scheduled to carry us through the holiday and our trip. Expect some long overdue posts for your reading pleasure.
CHIQUITO! I need to get things ready for the person who'll be taking care of him while we're gone, so she knows the drill. We stocked up on cat treats last week and have enough food to get through until we get back.
WINTERIZING! I still need to put away some yard things before the cold weather hits. We've also got to take the A/C out of the window before we leave.
BOOTHING! Sales have stunk most of the month. Last night as the first good weekday report I've gotten since the first. Weekends have been really good, but that all dries up come Monday. People just ain't shopping. Or if they are, they ain't buying much. Interestingly, I am now selling some small furniture in dribs and drabs, but the smalls trade, which is my bread and butter, has dried up considerably. Cue wailing and gnashing of teeth. I am hoping that this is just the lull before Thanksgiving.
On the upside, that has made for an easy booth upkeep for the last couple of weeks. I've got 90% of the Christmas out now. Sunday and Monday, I'm going to spend the day there, doing a super-duper tidy and rearrange and stock, since it will be the last chance to get ready for Black Friday and Small Business Saturday. I'm pulling the last of the Thanksgiving stuff and putting the rest of the Christmas in its place.
I also need to finish the current tidy session on my junk room, which is about halfway done. I want to have a load priced up to take when we get back. I have an idea that should let me put four (!) new shelves in and a ton of new smalls, but that is going to have to wait until we're home. Of course, putting in shelves means that the elevation of Sorrow Mountain drops a bit, which is always a good thing. I am hoping to terraform the Mountain and the Hillock together by the end of the year.
CLEANING! Week before last, I cleaned off my desk by dumping everything into a large tub, which has been sitting in front of my dresser ever since. I want that to go away before we leave. Also, the fridge needs to be cleaned out before we go.
THIS AND THAT! I need to get prescriptions refilled. I need to pay the water bill. I need to go see if the metal lawn chairs listed as freebies on Craigslist last night that are two streets over from us are still there. (Probably not.) I need to call my brother. I need to cash in my change jar. I need to clean all the tubs and boxes out of Mazda. I need to do the dishes. I need to ponder where the magic elves that are supposed to help with all this shit have hied themselves off to. (That's the thing about magic elves that few people know. You have to talk to them in Shakespearean, or at least King James, English. They don't understand modern. So they haven't run away. They have hied themselves hither.)
COMIC BOOKS! The second annual Cavalcade of Comics is tomorrow, and none of the list above is going to make me miss it. It's a great show, not really a con, since there are no panels or costume contests. There will probably be a few cosplayers though. Everyone loves an excuse to dress up as Batman. It's retail focused, so there will be lots for sale, which is why I'm going. Last year, I got some great bargains on some great stuff. I've been looking forward to this one all year. It will be the last major shopping spurt for me until the New Year Big Flea. Besides, how often do you get to use the word "cavalcade" in conversation??
So, yeah. I got lots to do. I guess I better get started. But first, I've got to get another cup of coffee. And pet the kitty. He never gets any attention--to hear him tell it anyway. You all, however, can enjoy some awesome super-hero Lego art.
We leave Tuesday for Arkansas to spend Thanksgiving with Keith's mother. I'm looking forward to the visit, but it's a long drive. I also have treatment on Tuesday. Seems like we did it that way last year too. I wanted to see about re-scheduling the treatment, so we could leave earlier, but she kind of insisted I stick to my schedule. She's had kind of a rough year, so I'm looking forward to seeing her.
So what all do I still need to do?
LAUNDRY!! I'm not sure about Arkansas, but Kentucky frowns on nude Thanksgiving visits.
SHOPPING! I got some road snacks at the Peddlers Mall last night, but we still need a few more things.
PACKING! I'm not sure where the suitcases went after we got back from San Francisco. I'd hate to have to carry those clean clothes in grocery bags. Keith already calls me a bag lady because I carry a reuseable grocery bag with a bunch of stuff in it wherever I go. I need to pick out my trip reading and find the laptop.
BLOGGING! (and commenting and answering emails) This is going to have to do for this week's (late) ramble and next week's (early) ramble. At least it will replace Bo Donaldson's face that's been hanging around a bit too long. I'm hoping to get a few posts scheduled to carry us through the holiday and our trip. Expect some long overdue posts for your reading pleasure.
CHIQUITO! I need to get things ready for the person who'll be taking care of him while we're gone, so she knows the drill. We stocked up on cat treats last week and have enough food to get through until we get back.
WINTERIZING! I still need to put away some yard things before the cold weather hits. We've also got to take the A/C out of the window before we leave.
BOOTHING! Sales have stunk most of the month. Last night as the first good weekday report I've gotten since the first. Weekends have been really good, but that all dries up come Monday. People just ain't shopping. Or if they are, they ain't buying much. Interestingly, I am now selling some small furniture in dribs and drabs, but the smalls trade, which is my bread and butter, has dried up considerably. Cue wailing and gnashing of teeth. I am hoping that this is just the lull before Thanksgiving.
On the upside, that has made for an easy booth upkeep for the last couple of weeks. I've got 90% of the Christmas out now. Sunday and Monday, I'm going to spend the day there, doing a super-duper tidy and rearrange and stock, since it will be the last chance to get ready for Black Friday and Small Business Saturday. I'm pulling the last of the Thanksgiving stuff and putting the rest of the Christmas in its place.
I also need to finish the current tidy session on my junk room, which is about halfway done. I want to have a load priced up to take when we get back. I have an idea that should let me put four (!) new shelves in and a ton of new smalls, but that is going to have to wait until we're home. Of course, putting in shelves means that the elevation of Sorrow Mountain drops a bit, which is always a good thing. I am hoping to terraform the Mountain and the Hillock together by the end of the year.
CLEANING! Week before last, I cleaned off my desk by dumping everything into a large tub, which has been sitting in front of my dresser ever since. I want that to go away before we leave. Also, the fridge needs to be cleaned out before we go.
THIS AND THAT! I need to get prescriptions refilled. I need to pay the water bill. I need to go see if the metal lawn chairs listed as freebies on Craigslist last night that are two streets over from us are still there. (Probably not.) I need to call my brother. I need to cash in my change jar. I need to clean all the tubs and boxes out of Mazda. I need to do the dishes. I need to ponder where the magic elves that are supposed to help with all this shit have hied themselves off to. (That's the thing about magic elves that few people know. You have to talk to them in Shakespearean, or at least King James, English. They don't understand modern. So they haven't run away. They have hied themselves hither.)
COMIC BOOKS! The second annual Cavalcade of Comics is tomorrow, and none of the list above is going to make me miss it. It's a great show, not really a con, since there are no panels or costume contests. There will probably be a few cosplayers though. Everyone loves an excuse to dress up as Batman. It's retail focused, so there will be lots for sale, which is why I'm going. Last year, I got some great bargains on some great stuff. I've been looking forward to this one all year. It will be the last major shopping spurt for me until the New Year Big Flea. Besides, how often do you get to use the word "cavalcade" in conversation??
So, yeah. I got lots to do. I guess I better get started. But first, I've got to get another cup of coffee. And pet the kitty. He never gets any attention--to hear him tell it anyway. You all, however, can enjoy some awesome super-hero Lego art.
Saturday, November 14, 2015
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Midweek Rambles
Let's start off with the
Kind of sums up my life pretty well, I think. Needless, to say, there was eating to celebrate the day. Yay, eating! We went to my favorite restaurant, which is where we have our special occasion meals. We love it, and the food is incredible, but it's just a tad too pricey for regular eating.
On the way home, we found a junk pile on the curb, not far from the restaurant.
That window has a latch and hinges on it, so it must have swung open. Finding that pile means that junk set out for that neighborhood was last weekend, but I had other plans. (More on that later.)
The celebration is going well. So far, I have been to three different Peddlers Malls, finding interesting stuff along the way. I've also been to a non-Peddlers Mall vendor mall, with two more to go. We have so many of those dang things here.
Thanks for the well wishes last week! I love it when my friends celebrate with me!
Yard sale season is slowly petering out here, so getting some indoor shopping in is the way to go! If you take your time at a vendor mall, you can find much good stuff at yard sale prices. Most of the good finds are at (or are going) to the booth. I'll try to get some pics.
Speaking of the booth, these are interesting times. Indeed, they are. Last week was just awful, sales-wise. Every day was less than one half what I had been selling the month before. Just nerve-wracking. Saturday was a super day, which caught up most of the lag, but this week has not been setting any records. It looks like November is determined to work my nerves.
All of the Halloween is out and safely stashed away for next year. (Will someone please explain to me why almost none of the skulls sold this year?) The Christmas is going out bit by bit. I have some stuff to haul off Sorrow Mountain on Saturday, and that should wrap it up. I'll take some pics when it's all done.
Tomorrow, I'm going to get my Endcap Booth in order or die trying. If I never posts again, you'll know what happen. Of course, with my erratic posting schedule of late, you'll need to wait about three or so weeks before you make that call.
Can you believe that it's almost Thanksgiving????? I have so much to do before we leave to see Keith's mom. Ack!
I had the best time this weekend, hanging out with Lorraine's husband Chris at the Wizard World Louisville Convention. Technically, I was helping at his booth (for his company, Black Flame Creations), but really I was just hanging out having a good time. I'm not sure how much help I was, but I had a lot of fun and learned an awful lot about steam punk and the art of making steam punk attire and accessories. You need to go to the BF web site and check out Chris' work. He's very talented. It's like sci-fi/fantasy geek-oriented repurposing/upscaling! Thanks for letting me spend some time with you, Chris!
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| Image borrowed from Lorraine's Facebook |
The weather is getting fall levels of cool here, and I'm loving it. It's so much fun to go for walks these days. I hope you all are experiencing that as well.
Saturday, November 07, 2015
Retro Y'all! Birthday Weekend Edition
In honor of my recently completing yet another revolution around the sun, I present, from one of my favorite movies, what is possibly the best musical scene ever:
The only thing that could possibly top it? The finale from the same movie.
Thirty-five (!) years on and it still gives me goose bumps! Now that's a classic.
The only thing that could possibly top it? The finale from the same movie.
Thirty-five (!) years on and it still gives me goose bumps! Now that's a classic.
Friday, November 06, 2015
Some thoughts about curb-diving
A couple of years ago, I wrote a post with some tips/hints for hunting junk curbside. While wandering around this time, I had some new thoughts I wanted to share about the endeavor. One of the things that struck me was how much I've changed as a curb-picker. For one thing, I am no longer reticent to take stuff with the owners watching. Sometimes, when I've gathered stuff while the home owners were still around, they offer me extra stuff. One time, a lady asked me to help her carry a heavy-ass dresser to the curb. She couldn't handle it by herself. I didn't take that one. I don't like to do heavy-ass. I just make extra sure that I'm neat when I'm being watched.
Speaking of being watched, somewhere along the line, I lost my inhibitions about this. Last set out, I ended up over by the building where Keith and I used to work. He's transferred to another site now, but still sees people from this building all the time. I called him and told him that his co-workers were likely to be telling him they saw his husband digging through the trash! In fact, on that day, I ran into an old friend from that job! I was covered in sweat and grime and carrying a bag of goodies.
This time around, an old man that lives down the street came by while we were setting our own junk out. He said he had seen me carrying off all kinds of junk and wanted to know what I did with it, so I told him. He kind of shook his head and walked off, but not before he took a flower arrangement off our pile. I turned to Keith and said: "How does it feel to be married to the neighborhood hobo?"
Nowadays, I go out several times all throughout the week, starting when the piles start showing up. There are lots of early birds and also lots of late starters. There can be new stuff to look at every day. I've also started going out in light rains (no competition) and after a rainy day. Not everything gets ruined by the rain.
In our neighborhood, I tend to go out on foot. It's easier to spot stuff that way. We live kind of in the middle of our set out zone, so I can go just a few blocks in any direction and find things, but I'm never too far away to do a drop off at the house. It's good exercise too. I just take a couple of bags and head out. Of course, for the big stuff, there's always Mazda.
Setting limits is important, too. I know some people only look for certain items, but I look for a little bit of everything, so I set some limits. Looking everything over closely is important. I tend to look for reasons to not take something, instead of reasons to take it. Since I have a lot of large items right now and they don't seem to be selling, I pretty much by-passed most of the furniture finds. I had a strict "no chairs" rule and a "no heavy shit" rule.
if I hadn't limited myself this time, I would have overwhelmed myself with reclaimed wood. There was a ton of it out there, and I saw some folks who were going out just for that. Not having the space for it kept me from going overboard. I;m not sure how many reclaimed wood folks like to buy their supplies, as opposed to finding them.
Personally, I think it's a ton of fun to go out and search. I kind of like that we have designated times to set stuff out. I know there are places where you can just set your stuff out for any garbage pick up day. I'm not sure I could handle going out and picking all the time like that. With a few set outs a year, I kind of look forward to it as a special treat, like a holiday.
Speaking of being watched, somewhere along the line, I lost my inhibitions about this. Last set out, I ended up over by the building where Keith and I used to work. He's transferred to another site now, but still sees people from this building all the time. I called him and told him that his co-workers were likely to be telling him they saw his husband digging through the trash! In fact, on that day, I ran into an old friend from that job! I was covered in sweat and grime and carrying a bag of goodies.
This time around, an old man that lives down the street came by while we were setting our own junk out. He said he had seen me carrying off all kinds of junk and wanted to know what I did with it, so I told him. He kind of shook his head and walked off, but not before he took a flower arrangement off our pile. I turned to Keith and said: "How does it feel to be married to the neighborhood hobo?"
Nowadays, I go out several times all throughout the week, starting when the piles start showing up. There are lots of early birds and also lots of late starters. There can be new stuff to look at every day. I've also started going out in light rains (no competition) and after a rainy day. Not everything gets ruined by the rain.
In our neighborhood, I tend to go out on foot. It's easier to spot stuff that way. We live kind of in the middle of our set out zone, so I can go just a few blocks in any direction and find things, but I'm never too far away to do a drop off at the house. It's good exercise too. I just take a couple of bags and head out. Of course, for the big stuff, there's always Mazda.
Setting limits is important, too. I know some people only look for certain items, but I look for a little bit of everything, so I set some limits. Looking everything over closely is important. I tend to look for reasons to not take something, instead of reasons to take it. Since I have a lot of large items right now and they don't seem to be selling, I pretty much by-passed most of the furniture finds. I had a strict "no chairs" rule and a "no heavy shit" rule.
if I hadn't limited myself this time, I would have overwhelmed myself with reclaimed wood. There was a ton of it out there, and I saw some folks who were going out just for that. Not having the space for it kept me from going overboard. I;m not sure how many reclaimed wood folks like to buy their supplies, as opposed to finding them.
Personally, I think it's a ton of fun to go out and search. I kind of like that we have designated times to set stuff out. I know there are places where you can just set your stuff out for any garbage pick up day. I'm not sure I could handle going out and picking all the time like that. With a few set outs a year, I kind of look forward to it as a special treat, like a holiday.
Thursday, November 05, 2015
Mary Gauthier and Eliza Gilkyson
On Halloween night, instead of greeting Trick or Treaters, we went to a concert by two of my favorite singer-songwriters. It was an early birthday present from Keith. I've been fans of both for years, and we'd seen Mary Gauthier (pronounced "Go-shay." She's Cajun.) several times over the years. This was the first time we saw Eliza Gilkyson, however, and I was pretty excited about that.
It was an awesome show--just two women trading songs and jokes back and forth, taking the audience on a musical journey. They each did some of their fan favorites, plus a few unexpected treasures along the way. It was truly a Halloween treat.
These clips are not from the show, but they did both of these songs that night. They both touched me in similar, yet different ways. I always get a little wistful around my birthday, thinking about that would have beens and might have beens and what ifs. These two stories about making your own way and following your own dreams fit into that vein for me, and I'd like to share that experience with you all.
Enjoy.
It was an awesome show--just two women trading songs and jokes back and forth, taking the audience on a musical journey. They each did some of their fan favorites, plus a few unexpected treasures along the way. It was truly a Halloween treat.
These clips are not from the show, but they did both of these songs that night. They both touched me in similar, yet different ways. I always get a little wistful around my birthday, thinking about that would have beens and might have beens and what ifs. These two stories about making your own way and following your own dreams fit into that vein for me, and I'd like to share that experience with you all.
Enjoy.
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