"I would have made a terrible pioneer."
That is the conclusion I come to every time we have to go without power due to a storm or whatever. The reason I don't go camping with Keith any more than I do (which is very rarely) is because I do not like roughing it. When I do go, my one rule is that the campground has to have a shower and real toilets.
In other words, I don't like going without water. So, guess what?
We still don't have water!!!!!!
It's a long story, but it's part of the perils of living in a 100 year old shotgun house that you bought from the family that had been there practically since the beginning who added the whole back end of the house on themselves some time around 1950. Or 1970. Or something a while ago.
The new water heater won't fit into the little closet, in part because the old one won't fit through the door to come out! Yes, in this family there is something that is stuck in the closet. Ironic, isn't it? I have a theory that the closet was built around the hot water heater after it was installed.
Oh, yeah. It's also not up to code, since there is not enough space around the water heater. Since the family did it themselves, they never had it inspected, which is how they got away with that. I'm still pondering how that did not get caught when the home inspection was done before we bought the place, especially since several other of their DIY jobs were identified and had to be corrected.
Keith is filling buckets of water at work so we can flush, and we're handling everything else with gallons of water from the store and no rinse cleaning products, which make my hair all stringy and itchy.
We're running through our friends now to find someone who can take the walls down for us, so the water heater can be installed. We're trying to avoid the expense of a contractor for such a small job. Hopefully, we'll have water by the weekend, next Monday at the latest.
In the meantime, I'm starting a club for reluctant, irate, and slightly incompetent pioneers.
Showing posts with label whiny Eddie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label whiny Eddie. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 03, 2016
Monday, May 30, 2016
Monday Rambles
Behold the wisdom of the fortune cookie!
Behold the wisdom of the trash can in the alley!
Saw that one while on atrash crawl constitutional during junk set out.
I have a feeling if everyone would take both bits of advice to heart, this world would be a better place.
Who says flea markets aren't classy?
C'mon! We got caviar in the salvage groceries! Top that!
I found my birthday present the other day in a showcase across from my booth.
That's the way cool 70's Batmobile, by the way. And it has both figures with it! Now, I just need to find someone who loves me enough to drop 50 bucks (!) on it. Well, we do have six months to save up.
Shara did a ramble last week, so I'm doing a phone dump this week. More to come in a second.
I have never been more glad to see a month end than this one. Barring a HUGE rush today and tomorrow, I'm going to have my lowest total for 2016, and the lowest one in a while. Sales have just been off. And it's not just me. Nearly everyone I know here is seriously crying the blues, no matter what mall they're in. Sigh.
I know that May means Derby, Mother's Day, the start of warm weather, yard work, yard sales, graduations and proms. I know that this is just a cyclical downturn and things will pick back up when it finally gets too warm for thewimpy somewhat less than hardcore yard sale shoppers. But, dammit, I'm overly dramatic! I wail because it's what I do. And right now, I'm having a good one. Wail, that is. Not month.
If you listen close you can probably hear me.
How slow has it been? Well, the last two times I've gone in to straighten up, there was nothing to do! Typically, when things are the slowest, that's when booths get the messiest. At least mine do. Counter-intuitive, I know, but that's been the pattern borne out by seven years of experience. This time around, they're almost spotless. Even the comic booth, which is always a wreck. Sigh.
I was loading the van yesterday, when I started hearing some murmurings from the stuff I was putting in. It seems I had promised them their moment in the blog, but had never gotten around to getting pictures. In the interest of peace and harmony, here are a few shots of some recent purchases.
Heavy, rusted antique snow shovel. I can see this baby in someone's porch decor this winter.
Painted bench and vintage metal kid-size folding chair. I got three of the chairs. If there had been more, I would have gotten more. This came from a church sale I like a lot. Every year, they bring out a few items from their defunct school. Usually, it's school desks. This year, it was these chairs.
Two drawers from the same sale. I've been kicking myself for not getting more, as they had a bunch. I love those heavy metal candle holders. The big GI Joe ship came from a fund-raiser sale that a friend of mine puts on every year. I was looking through all the small toys on a table when she said "Don't forget the big toys too." And there it sat. My friends know me so well. I also got a huge box full of those big cardboard bricks that they use in nursery schools. I forgot to get a pic of it.
Speaking of forgotten pics, that photobombing blue thing in the back is a handmade child's stool from the junk set out. This apparently is the only shot I took of it. It flips over, so it can still be used as the child grows. It was completely filthy, but totally solid.
Speaking of the curb finds, they'll be back tomorrow. I'll be wrapping up the bigger stuff then and moving on the the smalls by the end of the week. The smalls are where the real awesomeness lies.
I hope everyone has nice plans for the holiday. I was intending to go to the Big Flea today in honor of my mother. The sixth anniversary of her death was Saturday. Memorial weekend has a slightly different meaning for me, I guess.
However, when I was dropping stuff off at the booth, a soon-to-be-departing vendor offered me her two booths full of stuff for fifty bucks. She's been running a sale all month to clear things out, but still had a whole lot left. There's easily fifty bucks worth of movies alone.
On Wednesday, I'll ask the mall to add her number to my account, so I don't have to re-tag everything. Having a separate number for the buy helps me track the sales easily as well. They can't do it until she gets removed from the system at the end of the month, or all of her sales for May will be added to mine. (Well, she did say I could have everything.)
So instead of the flea market, I'll be heading to the Peddlers Mall today to sort out that stuff. If anyone does want anything, I can re-tag it. Otherwise, I'll pull it off the floor and stash it until the first. The largest items (and there is a little bit of furniture) will go right into my spaces with new tags. She kept her stuff fairly organized, so it won't be a hard job, but it will take most of the day.
I think Mom would understand. I'll hit the Big Flea again in July, in honor of her birthday. She would be 74.
The only thing I was going to be hunting at the flea market was comics, since I am running short. However, there's already a sale for Saturday on Craigslist that advertises "thousands" of comics for 50 cents each. And there's a con coming up at the end of June. I think I'll be all right.
Yes, I do realize that I paid for the privilege of cleaning out someone else's spaces. It's good karma. The last two vendors to leave ended up just giving me tons of stuff they didn't want to haul out.
I can't play on the scale of some of the larger vendors, but I do okay for myself. The best stuff kind of falls into your lap, it seems.
Yes, I know this is why Sorrow Mountain is a thing. It is slowly coming down. I need to get some pics of that progress for you all.
Behold the wisdom of the trash can in the alley!
Saw that one while on a
I have a feeling if everyone would take both bits of advice to heart, this world would be a better place.
Who says flea markets aren't classy?
C'mon! We got caviar in the salvage groceries! Top that!
I found my birthday present the other day in a showcase across from my booth.
That's the way cool 70's Batmobile, by the way. And it has both figures with it! Now, I just need to find someone who loves me enough to drop 50 bucks (!) on it. Well, we do have six months to save up.
Shara did a ramble last week, so I'm doing a phone dump this week. More to come in a second.
I have never been more glad to see a month end than this one. Barring a HUGE rush today and tomorrow, I'm going to have my lowest total for 2016, and the lowest one in a while. Sales have just been off. And it's not just me. Nearly everyone I know here is seriously crying the blues, no matter what mall they're in. Sigh.
I know that May means Derby, Mother's Day, the start of warm weather, yard work, yard sales, graduations and proms. I know that this is just a cyclical downturn and things will pick back up when it finally gets too warm for the
If you listen close you can probably hear me.
How slow has it been? Well, the last two times I've gone in to straighten up, there was nothing to do! Typically, when things are the slowest, that's when booths get the messiest. At least mine do. Counter-intuitive, I know, but that's been the pattern borne out by seven years of experience. This time around, they're almost spotless. Even the comic booth, which is always a wreck. Sigh.
I was loading the van yesterday, when I started hearing some murmurings from the stuff I was putting in. It seems I had promised them their moment in the blog, but had never gotten around to getting pictures. In the interest of peace and harmony, here are a few shots of some recent purchases.
Heavy, rusted antique snow shovel. I can see this baby in someone's porch decor this winter.
Painted bench and vintage metal kid-size folding chair. I got three of the chairs. If there had been more, I would have gotten more. This came from a church sale I like a lot. Every year, they bring out a few items from their defunct school. Usually, it's school desks. This year, it was these chairs.
Folding wooden chair from the same sale.
Two drawers from the same sale. I've been kicking myself for not getting more, as they had a bunch. I love those heavy metal candle holders. The big GI Joe ship came from a fund-raiser sale that a friend of mine puts on every year. I was looking through all the small toys on a table when she said "Don't forget the big toys too." And there it sat. My friends know me so well. I also got a huge box full of those big cardboard bricks that they use in nursery schools. I forgot to get a pic of it.
Speaking of forgotten pics, that photobombing blue thing in the back is a handmade child's stool from the junk set out. This apparently is the only shot I took of it. It flips over, so it can still be used as the child grows. It was completely filthy, but totally solid.
Speaking of the curb finds, they'll be back tomorrow. I'll be wrapping up the bigger stuff then and moving on the the smalls by the end of the week. The smalls are where the real awesomeness lies.
I hope everyone has nice plans for the holiday. I was intending to go to the Big Flea today in honor of my mother. The sixth anniversary of her death was Saturday. Memorial weekend has a slightly different meaning for me, I guess.
However, when I was dropping stuff off at the booth, a soon-to-be-departing vendor offered me her two booths full of stuff for fifty bucks. She's been running a sale all month to clear things out, but still had a whole lot left. There's easily fifty bucks worth of movies alone.
On Wednesday, I'll ask the mall to add her number to my account, so I don't have to re-tag everything. Having a separate number for the buy helps me track the sales easily as well. They can't do it until she gets removed from the system at the end of the month, or all of her sales for May will be added to mine. (Well, she did say I could have everything.)
So instead of the flea market, I'll be heading to the Peddlers Mall today to sort out that stuff. If anyone does want anything, I can re-tag it. Otherwise, I'll pull it off the floor and stash it until the first. The largest items (and there is a little bit of furniture) will go right into my spaces with new tags. She kept her stuff fairly organized, so it won't be a hard job, but it will take most of the day.
I think Mom would understand. I'll hit the Big Flea again in July, in honor of her birthday. She would be 74.
The only thing I was going to be hunting at the flea market was comics, since I am running short. However, there's already a sale for Saturday on Craigslist that advertises "thousands" of comics for 50 cents each. And there's a con coming up at the end of June. I think I'll be all right.
Yes, I do realize that I paid for the privilege of cleaning out someone else's spaces. It's good karma. The last two vendors to leave ended up just giving me tons of stuff they didn't want to haul out.
I can't play on the scale of some of the larger vendors, but I do okay for myself. The best stuff kind of falls into your lap, it seems.
Yes, I know this is why Sorrow Mountain is a thing. It is slowly coming down. I need to get some pics of that progress for you all.
Monday, September 15, 2014
Monday Rambles
Let's do this!
Last week was a bit much here, but I think this ones going to calm down a little bit. I am still struggling to fit the newest booth into my routine. I have no clue what my regular work day is going to be, but I desperately need to establish one. Two training days last week knocked out any hope of having a work day. I don't have that challenge this week, so at least I'll have a work day. I'm just not certain that it will become my regular day or not.
My sales suffered a lot last week. I've got the rent made at both spots, but I'm not having the high sales days and rapid growth I've become used to over the summer. I know that until I get a regular day to stock and prep at both sites, that growth is not likely to come easily.
Seems pretty cut and dry, right? Get to work and everything is going to be okay, dummy! If only life were that simple--or at least if only my life were that simple. Alas! There are complicating factors.
To wit:
COMPLICATING FACTOR NUMBER ONE: I'm having a hard time trying to find a balance between the two stores. I have enough space in my original store that I cannot neglect it when it comes to stocking or working it. If I weren't so worried about that store lagging, I would have just hauled my van load from Saturday over to the new store, priced it, put it out and been fully stocked and done with it. Under other circumstances, that's the approach I'd take. However, there's more to this story, which brings us to:
COMPLICATING FACTOR NUMBER TWO: Sales are falling off at my original store, by as much as two-thirds on some days. Last week wasn't pretty. The owners of the building where my mall is have started doing construction in front of the building. The parking lot is torn up. The front of the building beside our area has been completely gutted. There's a fence up that stops just short of our front door. Worse, our huge front window has been completely boarded up! From the road, it looks like we've closed up shop. We can make all the announcements we want in any forum we want, but the perception created by the front of the building is having an impact. Add to that the rumors that several competitors are taking delight in spreading and I am really nervous about taking attention away from there right now. I made rent fairly quickly this month, but at the rate things have slowed down right now, I don't have much hope for a strong month. Fall is supposed to be a busy time for us!
COMPLICATING FACTOR NUMBER THREE: I could probably weather both of those storms, if it weren't for this last one. Eventually, I would bite the bullet and do what I had to do for store number two. Maybe, I'd even overstock it a tad, so I could then focus on the first store with some extra energy. Thing is, my track record is not so good when it comes to second stores. I've simply never done well anywhere outside of my original store. My first two forays into other venues turned into disasters, for various reasons. I thought that since I was moving into another Peddlers Mall, I would not have that same issue. Instead, I am having to deal with the voice of history and it's whispering some not very flattering things to me right now.
I know I have a tendency to be a Gloomy Gus. I'm probably over-reacting somewhat. I know that things ebb and flow and come and go in this business. I'm being a tad knee-jerky in my reaction right now, but I cannot help feeling more than a little discouraged. There's a part of me that wants to say that I've had too good of a summer for this to be my fall. That would also be my overly dramatic whiny voice. I know that reactionary side of my psyche has been provoked, so I'm trying to quiet that down. At the same time, the amount of work one puts into this business kind of makes one prone to these kind of reactions.
Of course, I'm also doing stupid things that aren't helping the situation. I had pulled a tub of stuff to take to the new booth on Saturday. I left in my storage at the first store, intending to get it when I dropped off the day's haul. When I got there, I started talking to some other vendors and guess what I forgot to get? Goofy Eddie, that's me. On the other hand, I got some new and rocking furniture from Saturday over there. I also put most of the smalls from last Sunday over there as well. It is filling up nicely over there, I just don't have enough stuff yet. It's hard to figure out what "enough" is when you're making up a load to take. I guess I'll get there.
I guess I should apologize for not putting a "Whiny Eddie Warning" at the front of this post. Sorry about that.
Let's talk about happier things.
The weather has turned deliciously cool and I am digging it with a spoon! We are nigh upon my favorite time of the year! Halloween is coming! So is my birthday! (Hint! Hint!) Leaves will be turning! Thanksgiving is also on the way. I have always loved, loved, loved autumn. This time of the year makes me happy. There are still a couple of awesome annual yard sales yet to come as well. I think one of them is this coming Saturday.
I'm writing this on Sunday evening, while Keith is outside doing the yardwork. He just walked in with a curb find for me! Yay! It's be junk set out time again in about a month.
We did have a good day of hunting yesterday. I'll have more to say about that tomorrow or Wednesday. I need to get some pics first.
We got a call from the vet the other day. It's tine for Old Man Kosh to have a check up. He's thrilled about that. (Not really.) I have my own annual check up on Friday. My doctor's office happens to be just down the street from my favorite thrift and just a hop, skip and jump across the river from the new store, so I guess my agenda for that day is set.
Thanks for indulging me this time around. I promise much cheerier content to come. I'm planning on spending my booth work time this week making a super-load for the new store, while still putting plenty of love on the original booth. It's time to multitask!
In closing, here's an artsy [ic of me pretending that I'm a Cyclops!
Last week was a bit much here, but I think this ones going to calm down a little bit. I am still struggling to fit the newest booth into my routine. I have no clue what my regular work day is going to be, but I desperately need to establish one. Two training days last week knocked out any hope of having a work day. I don't have that challenge this week, so at least I'll have a work day. I'm just not certain that it will become my regular day or not.
My sales suffered a lot last week. I've got the rent made at both spots, but I'm not having the high sales days and rapid growth I've become used to over the summer. I know that until I get a regular day to stock and prep at both sites, that growth is not likely to come easily.
Seems pretty cut and dry, right? Get to work and everything is going to be okay, dummy! If only life were that simple--or at least if only my life were that simple. Alas! There are complicating factors.
To wit:
COMPLICATING FACTOR NUMBER ONE: I'm having a hard time trying to find a balance between the two stores. I have enough space in my original store that I cannot neglect it when it comes to stocking or working it. If I weren't so worried about that store lagging, I would have just hauled my van load from Saturday over to the new store, priced it, put it out and been fully stocked and done with it. Under other circumstances, that's the approach I'd take. However, there's more to this story, which brings us to:
COMPLICATING FACTOR NUMBER TWO: Sales are falling off at my original store, by as much as two-thirds on some days. Last week wasn't pretty. The owners of the building where my mall is have started doing construction in front of the building. The parking lot is torn up. The front of the building beside our area has been completely gutted. There's a fence up that stops just short of our front door. Worse, our huge front window has been completely boarded up! From the road, it looks like we've closed up shop. We can make all the announcements we want in any forum we want, but the perception created by the front of the building is having an impact. Add to that the rumors that several competitors are taking delight in spreading and I am really nervous about taking attention away from there right now. I made rent fairly quickly this month, but at the rate things have slowed down right now, I don't have much hope for a strong month. Fall is supposed to be a busy time for us!
COMPLICATING FACTOR NUMBER THREE: I could probably weather both of those storms, if it weren't for this last one. Eventually, I would bite the bullet and do what I had to do for store number two. Maybe, I'd even overstock it a tad, so I could then focus on the first store with some extra energy. Thing is, my track record is not so good when it comes to second stores. I've simply never done well anywhere outside of my original store. My first two forays into other venues turned into disasters, for various reasons. I thought that since I was moving into another Peddlers Mall, I would not have that same issue. Instead, I am having to deal with the voice of history and it's whispering some not very flattering things to me right now.
I know I have a tendency to be a Gloomy Gus. I'm probably over-reacting somewhat. I know that things ebb and flow and come and go in this business. I'm being a tad knee-jerky in my reaction right now, but I cannot help feeling more than a little discouraged. There's a part of me that wants to say that I've had too good of a summer for this to be my fall. That would also be my overly dramatic whiny voice. I know that reactionary side of my psyche has been provoked, so I'm trying to quiet that down. At the same time, the amount of work one puts into this business kind of makes one prone to these kind of reactions.
Of course, I'm also doing stupid things that aren't helping the situation. I had pulled a tub of stuff to take to the new booth on Saturday. I left in my storage at the first store, intending to get it when I dropped off the day's haul. When I got there, I started talking to some other vendors and guess what I forgot to get? Goofy Eddie, that's me. On the other hand, I got some new and rocking furniture from Saturday over there. I also put most of the smalls from last Sunday over there as well. It is filling up nicely over there, I just don't have enough stuff yet. It's hard to figure out what "enough" is when you're making up a load to take. I guess I'll get there.
I guess I should apologize for not putting a "Whiny Eddie Warning" at the front of this post. Sorry about that.
Let's talk about happier things.
The weather has turned deliciously cool and I am digging it with a spoon! We are nigh upon my favorite time of the year! Halloween is coming! So is my birthday! (Hint! Hint!) Leaves will be turning! Thanksgiving is also on the way. I have always loved, loved, loved autumn. This time of the year makes me happy. There are still a couple of awesome annual yard sales yet to come as well. I think one of them is this coming Saturday.
I'm writing this on Sunday evening, while Keith is outside doing the yardwork. He just walked in with a curb find for me! Yay! It's be junk set out time again in about a month.
 |
| Damn cluttered junk room! |
We got a call from the vet the other day. It's tine for Old Man Kosh to have a check up. He's thrilled about that. (Not really.) I have my own annual check up on Friday. My doctor's office happens to be just down the street from my favorite thrift and just a hop, skip and jump across the river from the new store, so I guess my agenda for that day is set.
Thanks for indulging me this time around. I promise much cheerier content to come. I'm planning on spending my booth work time this week making a super-load for the new store, while still putting plenty of love on the original booth. It's time to multitask!
In closing, here's an artsy [ic of me pretending that I'm a Cyclops!
Monday, January 27, 2014
Monday Rambles
I'm going to try this week to grin and bear it and get back to my regular routine, despite the weather. The weekend was a total letdown. A really good indoor sale was scheduled for Saturday, but we woke up to a fresh three-four inches of snow and unplowed streets, so I just went back to bed.
I ended up not leaving the house all weekend, which was probably for the better. I got a lot of rest and took care of some things in the house. I'm still having a lot of problems with my voice and going out in the cold doesn't help things. I think this lingering cold has turned into laryngitis. Not a good thing when your job requires you to talk for several hours at a time. I'm going to call my doctor today for either an appointment or a prescription. I think getting that cleared up will help my winter blahs.
I'm also going to try my best to follow my full, regular schedule despite the cold. I've been cutting the booth short and cutting as many corners at work as I can get away with. I've got another week off coming up, so I'm going to just muddle through as best I can until then. (And hope for much better weather that week!)
The weather has, predictably, killed booth sales, although I had a really good day on one of the coldest days of last week. That was the exception to the rule unfortunately. At least I'm having sales every day, even if they aren't large ones. I am hoping that getting back on my regular schedule with the booth (Mon and Wed after work and all day on Friday) will help me get it all back together.
Not too much to ramble about this Monday, I guess. Hard to find many topics in the midst of being frozen in, I guess. I'll try to make it up with some good, meaty blog posts this week. (Plus, I should have Top Secret Project Phase 2 ready to go early next week!)
I will, however, share with you a little known fact:
It takes lots of Diet Dr Pepper to deal with a particularly harsh winter!
I ended up not leaving the house all weekend, which was probably for the better. I got a lot of rest and took care of some things in the house. I'm still having a lot of problems with my voice and going out in the cold doesn't help things. I think this lingering cold has turned into laryngitis. Not a good thing when your job requires you to talk for several hours at a time. I'm going to call my doctor today for either an appointment or a prescription. I think getting that cleared up will help my winter blahs.
I'm also going to try my best to follow my full, regular schedule despite the cold. I've been cutting the booth short and cutting as many corners at work as I can get away with. I've got another week off coming up, so I'm going to just muddle through as best I can until then. (And hope for much better weather that week!)
The weather has, predictably, killed booth sales, although I had a really good day on one of the coldest days of last week. That was the exception to the rule unfortunately. At least I'm having sales every day, even if they aren't large ones. I am hoping that getting back on my regular schedule with the booth (Mon and Wed after work and all day on Friday) will help me get it all back together.
Not too much to ramble about this Monday, I guess. Hard to find many topics in the midst of being frozen in, I guess. I'll try to make it up with some good, meaty blog posts this week. (Plus, I should have Top Secret Project Phase 2 ready to go early next week!)
I will, however, share with you a little known fact:
It takes lots of Diet Dr Pepper to deal with a particularly harsh winter!
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Single Digit Blues
I got the single digit blues!
My toes done froze in my shoes!
Not sure I can make it through
These damn single digit blues!
I think it's safe to say that I am over winter. I know there are parts of the country that are even more deep frozen than we are, and I feel for them and hope that my friends who live there stay safe and warm as possible.
This is the worst winter we've had in a while. I'm really glad that I did not have to put up with this last year at this time. The radiation, surgery recovery, and pending chemo was enough to deal with! I feel such empathy for anyone who has to get out in this right now to go through some of those treatments.
Even worse than the cold (for me) is the difficulty I'm having getting motivated through all this. I dread getting ready to go to work each day. Every time I do have a day that gets cancelled, I get encouraged to think that they'll all get cancelled. When that doesn't happen, I get sullen and pouty nd even more unmotivated. Single digit blues, indeed.
For anyone I know who is lucky enough to live where you have temperatures above freezing, take advantage of the opportunity: live, go out, enjoy, shop, do things. And think a kind thought or two for the rest of us, okay?
In the meantime, I guess I'll keep singing the blues. The single digit blues.
I got the single digit blues!
Just wanna stay home and snooze!
That's the way to make it through
These low-down, no-good, single digit blues!
Monday, August 05, 2013
Monday Rambles
Monday? Again? Already? Are you sure? Oh well....
Last week pretty much kicked my ass. The chemo may be over, but the bricks are still here and they were really dragging me down last week. A couple of nights, I hit the bed as soon as I got home from work. Heck, Saturday I crashed in the car on the way home from yard sales. I foresee no marathons in the immediate future. I am so impatient to be 100% again!
My schedule eases up this week, as my summer gig ends today. That will change me from having to be at work at 9:00 am to having to be there at 12:30 pm. That shift will really help in terms of the extra rest. Also, I'll be able to get some things done at the house before I go, when I feel like it. I've kind of been a lump for too long as far as the house is concerned. I can hardly keep up with just the booth stuff. Keith has been so good about picking up my slack, but I'm feeling a little bad that he's had to do so much for me.
Speaking of the booths, I am really discouraged right now. For the first time in my junker career, I feel like I do not know what I am doing. I went to work the space on Wednesday and just ended up sitting and staring and feeling sorry for myself. July sales were just about the worst I have ever had. I cannot seem to sell any large items right now to save my life. That would be okay if the smalls sales weren't in the toilet too. I've had way too many days lately of less than 10 dollar sales, sometimes less than five. I seriously wanted to cry on Wednesday. I just don't know what to do.
Part of it is my fatigue, I know. It makes me a lot more dramatic about things, but there is an element of hard reality here smacking me in the face that I don't like. I need to be going in twice a week to tend to the space, but I just don't have that in me right now. I'm paying the price for that, so I feel like a failure.
Things did pick up over the weekend. I had a killer day in smalls on Saturday--over 50 bucks--and sold a glass-topped table on Sunday. That's left me feeling a little better, but I also know that it's August, which means State Fair and Back to School and traditionally low sales overall. I know it's all ebb and flow. I know that I have to get better to do what I need to do. That doesn't stop me from feeling down and upset over this. My confidence is really shaken right now.
Oh, geez. This is another one of those whiny Monday posts, isn't it?
Sales were so-so this weekend. Threatened thunderstorms, which did not happen, really cut down on the participation in one of my favorite neighborhood sales. What was there was pretty mediocre. I had to put up with one seller telling me that the plate she was overcharging for was "selling on eBay for that." Someone hasn't read the rules! I barely caught myself before I told her to go put it on eBay if she wanted that price for it. I did find a couple of things and have a couple of stories to share, but I'll do that later in the week.
Day by Days: Sami had a bail hearing and Marlena was not there? I call foul! At least Hope is showing up more and more. They need to make up their minds about the extent of Rafe's injury. Does he have trouble with simple sentences or can he spit out monologues? It seems to vary from scene scene. I love the dressing down he gave Nick though. This was a good week for Nick, with scenes with Rafe, Maggie (yay!), Kate, and Vargas (yum!). I think they're maneuvering him for new story. The show does need to decide what they're going to do with Vargas. Right now his story and back story are a mess. I thought it was a clever set up for Stefano was to deal with Chad and not lie to him. That'll tied the story up for a while. By the way, I still don't care for the increasingly dull Chad-Abby-Cameron triangle. I'm also not excited about Chad's would be brain tumor. Oh well. Still, any week that gives me Lucas and Sami together is a good week. I also loved when Anne cornered Theresa. Yes, I was rooting for Anne to do something besides get hit by a bus.
Stuff got away from me last week, so I didn't get posts all week long. I think I'll have the fixed for this week. See you around the internet!
Last week pretty much kicked my ass. The chemo may be over, but the bricks are still here and they were really dragging me down last week. A couple of nights, I hit the bed as soon as I got home from work. Heck, Saturday I crashed in the car on the way home from yard sales. I foresee no marathons in the immediate future. I am so impatient to be 100% again!
My schedule eases up this week, as my summer gig ends today. That will change me from having to be at work at 9:00 am to having to be there at 12:30 pm. That shift will really help in terms of the extra rest. Also, I'll be able to get some things done at the house before I go, when I feel like it. I've kind of been a lump for too long as far as the house is concerned. I can hardly keep up with just the booth stuff. Keith has been so good about picking up my slack, but I'm feeling a little bad that he's had to do so much for me.
Speaking of the booths, I am really discouraged right now. For the first time in my junker career, I feel like I do not know what I am doing. I went to work the space on Wednesday and just ended up sitting and staring and feeling sorry for myself. July sales were just about the worst I have ever had. I cannot seem to sell any large items right now to save my life. That would be okay if the smalls sales weren't in the toilet too. I've had way too many days lately of less than 10 dollar sales, sometimes less than five. I seriously wanted to cry on Wednesday. I just don't know what to do.
Part of it is my fatigue, I know. It makes me a lot more dramatic about things, but there is an element of hard reality here smacking me in the face that I don't like. I need to be going in twice a week to tend to the space, but I just don't have that in me right now. I'm paying the price for that, so I feel like a failure.
Things did pick up over the weekend. I had a killer day in smalls on Saturday--over 50 bucks--and sold a glass-topped table on Sunday. That's left me feeling a little better, but I also know that it's August, which means State Fair and Back to School and traditionally low sales overall. I know it's all ebb and flow. I know that I have to get better to do what I need to do. That doesn't stop me from feeling down and upset over this. My confidence is really shaken right now.
Oh, geez. This is another one of those whiny Monday posts, isn't it?
Sales were so-so this weekend. Threatened thunderstorms, which did not happen, really cut down on the participation in one of my favorite neighborhood sales. What was there was pretty mediocre. I had to put up with one seller telling me that the plate she was overcharging for was "selling on eBay for that." Someone hasn't read the rules! I barely caught myself before I told her to go put it on eBay if she wanted that price for it. I did find a couple of things and have a couple of stories to share, but I'll do that later in the week.
Day by Days: Sami had a bail hearing and Marlena was not there? I call foul! At least Hope is showing up more and more. They need to make up their minds about the extent of Rafe's injury. Does he have trouble with simple sentences or can he spit out monologues? It seems to vary from scene scene. I love the dressing down he gave Nick though. This was a good week for Nick, with scenes with Rafe, Maggie (yay!), Kate, and Vargas (yum!). I think they're maneuvering him for new story. The show does need to decide what they're going to do with Vargas. Right now his story and back story are a mess. I thought it was a clever set up for Stefano was to deal with Chad and not lie to him. That'll tied the story up for a while. By the way, I still don't care for the increasingly dull Chad-Abby-Cameron triangle. I'm also not excited about Chad's would be brain tumor. Oh well. Still, any week that gives me Lucas and Sami together is a good week. I also loved when Anne cornered Theresa. Yes, I was rooting for Anne to do something besides get hit by a bus.
Stuff got away from me last week, so I didn't get posts all week long. I think I'll have the fixed for this week. See you around the internet!
Monday, July 22, 2013
Monday Rambles
Last week was not a good one on most fronts. I wore myself out so bad on our road trip and didn't have enough time to bounce back. Damn chemo. I started off with a deficit on Monday and it just got worse throughout the week. By Tuesday, I was cranky. By Wednesday, I was whining. Toss in some intermittent diarrhea problems and I was not a pleasant person to be around. I think I moved from dragging the bricks around to actually wearing clothes made out of the damn things. I had no energy whatsoever.
To make matters worse, it was the week of a major shift at work, and that took a lot out of me as well. I hadn't been working any nights since the end of May, and my two nights a week returned. I was just not ready for any of it. I still highly doubt that I actually accomplished anything for anyone last week. Sigh!
We had an awful heat wave all week, which killed my good sales month on the vine. All I needed on Sunday was one good day to make the rent. I didn't get it. Now, I'm sitting at the tail end of the month again, fretting the booth rent.
I did see something interesting:
That would be a city bus on a tow truck. I'd never seen that before, even though I'm sure that other Louisville buses have broken down before. The building across from where I work is the bus garage and I was stepping out to get a bite to eat when I saw this one being towed in.
Wednesday, I went to the dermatologist. I've got a mole on my back that we are watching. They might end up removing it, but they want to give me a chance to bounce back from the chemo first. In the meantime, we're gonna keep tabs on it.
Their office is in one of the few old houses left in downtown. It was the childhood home of Louis Brandeis. The doctor's office purchased the building in the 80's, which is obvious from the way it was decorated. This is the bathroom:
Let's take another look at that:
Yeesh! Kinda gives you vertigo when you go to pee.
Day by Days: Last week was really good on Days. First off, we got Brady in the buff.
Then we got lots of Marlena scenes--with Will, with Sami, even with EJ. Good stuff there. We need Marlena every day. Seriously.
I am consistently amazed by Eileen Davidson's ability to take Kristen from pitiable to psycho with just a couple of beats. I love the way this story is going, as Brady is trying to reach out to her, but she is so wrapped up in her drive for revenge that she doesn't see it. She's going to end up alone again, and it will be her own fault.
Adrienne knows she has the video! Yay! Can't wait to see what she will do. Those were good scenes with Sami. I still hate JJ, but he plays his mom like a fiddle and is so smooth about it. Even young Sami wasn't that polished. I hate that all of Ciara's problems seem to have gone away and now she's a model child again. Everything is set up for this week to blow up, so I'll definitely be watching!
Tomorrow is the last chemo day. I have the usual dread going in, but it's mixed with the anticipation of knowing this is almost freaking over! I guess they'll be scheduling me for a scan soon.
Thanks to everyone for their kind wishes on the engagement. I was really touched by all your enthusiasm. It's kind of odd, since we've been together for so long, but I get kind of giggly and goofy grinny when I tell people about it. I really wasn't trying to be sneaky by putting that little bit of news at the end of the road trip post. I was just trying to report things in the order they happened.
To make matters worse, it was the week of a major shift at work, and that took a lot out of me as well. I hadn't been working any nights since the end of May, and my two nights a week returned. I was just not ready for any of it. I still highly doubt that I actually accomplished anything for anyone last week. Sigh!
We had an awful heat wave all week, which killed my good sales month on the vine. All I needed on Sunday was one good day to make the rent. I didn't get it. Now, I'm sitting at the tail end of the month again, fretting the booth rent.
I did see something interesting:
That would be a city bus on a tow truck. I'd never seen that before, even though I'm sure that other Louisville buses have broken down before. The building across from where I work is the bus garage and I was stepping out to get a bite to eat when I saw this one being towed in.
Wednesday, I went to the dermatologist. I've got a mole on my back that we are watching. They might end up removing it, but they want to give me a chance to bounce back from the chemo first. In the meantime, we're gonna keep tabs on it.
Their office is in one of the few old houses left in downtown. It was the childhood home of Louis Brandeis. The doctor's office purchased the building in the 80's, which is obvious from the way it was decorated. This is the bathroom:
Let's take another look at that:
Yeesh! Kinda gives you vertigo when you go to pee.
Day by Days: Last week was really good on Days. First off, we got Brady in the buff.
Then we got lots of Marlena scenes--with Will, with Sami, even with EJ. Good stuff there. We need Marlena every day. Seriously.
 |
| Best line of the week: "I'm acting like my mom again!" |
Adrienne knows she has the video! Yay! Can't wait to see what she will do. Those were good scenes with Sami. I still hate JJ, but he plays his mom like a fiddle and is so smooth about it. Even young Sami wasn't that polished. I hate that all of Ciara's problems seem to have gone away and now she's a model child again. Everything is set up for this week to blow up, so I'll definitely be watching!
Tomorrow is the last chemo day. I have the usual dread going in, but it's mixed with the anticipation of knowing this is almost freaking over! I guess they'll be scheduling me for a scan soon.
Thanks to everyone for their kind wishes on the engagement. I was really touched by all your enthusiasm. It's kind of odd, since we've been together for so long, but I get kind of giggly and goofy grinny when I tell people about it. I really wasn't trying to be sneaky by putting that little bit of news at the end of the road trip post. I was just trying to report things in the order they happened.
Monday, April 08, 2013
Whiny Monday Rambles
Upfront warning: There is very little content to this one that is not whining. It's not been a good week.
Chemo #2 is not nearly as easy as Chemo #1 was. I've been feeling effects since the beginning--much more fatigue, much more nausea. No real pain to speak of, thankfully, and I did not get the rash this time.
Instead all of my injection spots (four of them) have turned into these hard, painful knots on my arms.
Friday night was my roughest to date. I was up and down all night. For the first time, I had to deal with vomiting. (Hope no one is reading this with breakfast.)
It feels like this cycle is going to be a very long one.
And chemo turns my pee dark brown. (Sorry about the breakfast.)
Not sure what's going to happen here this week. Did not have time/energy to really pull anything together.
Chemo #2 is not nearly as easy as Chemo #1 was. I've been feeling effects since the beginning--much more fatigue, much more nausea. No real pain to speak of, thankfully, and I did not get the rash this time.
Instead all of my injection spots (four of them) have turned into these hard, painful knots on my arms.
Friday night was my roughest to date. I was up and down all night. For the first time, I had to deal with vomiting. (Hope no one is reading this with breakfast.)
It feels like this cycle is going to be a very long one.
And chemo turns my pee dark brown. (Sorry about the breakfast.)
Not sure what's going to happen here this week. Did not have time/energy to really pull anything together.
Monday, March 04, 2013
Monday Rambles Return!
Well, I didn't do too well with the posts in February there, did I? Sorry about that. I started a post two weeks ago, right after the trip and it got to be so whiny and negative that I just couldn't post it. I hate to be that self-absorbed, even if this is my blog. I also decided at that point that I would not post anything until I could write a reasonable, non-whiny post.
It's taken me a bit to get to that point, it seems.
Anyway, I caught a cold on the trip that is just now clearing up. Four people in our delegation had the flu and didn't mind sharing with the rest of us. It settled into my throat and would not let go. We're talking hoarseness, loss of voice, and lots of pain. But no symptoms anywhere else. That's when the whining started.
I thought it was a radiation side effect, because they were blasting my jaw and the side of my throat, but the radiation doc didn't think so. I didn't have any blisters or spots that would indicate the most common side effects. Still, he gave me a prescription for this stuff they mix at the cancer center called, I kid you not, Mary's Magic Potion. Apparently, this is a pretty common treatment option for folks with cancer treatments.
So, I got all excited about Mary's Magic Potion (who wouldn't?), but it didn't do anything for me. It did deaden the pain, but it didn't clear anything out. And it gave me the runs. The write up they gave me with the bottle says that it contains some pretty powerful anti-fungal agents, which would kill thrush, which is a radiaton side effect. Since I didn't have thrush, I didn't need all those meds, so I had to reluctantly give up Mary's Magic Potion.
I'm hanging on to the bottle, just in case the house is ever invaded by giants or trolls. I have a gut feeling that it might just come in handy. What's in your emergency kit?
I finally went to my primary doc last Tuesday and he gave me some really strong anti-biotics that seem to be knocking this sucker out. Yay! Interestingly, he did a strep throat swab and a flu swab and both came back negative. My white blood cells were normal too.
Speaking of radiation, I finished those treatments! Yay! Now for the chemo, which starts tomorrow. I'm going to have a treatment every 28 days for the next six months. I'll get the chemo (DTIC), along with an immune booster shot (IL2) on Tuesday of the treatment week. Then, I have to get another immune booster shot on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of that week.
I have to admit that I am really nervous about this. I don't like the idea of putting toxic substances in my body, even though I already have something deadly there that has to be dealt with. I'm mainly worried about more fatigue. I think I can deal with everything else as far as side effects go, but I'm so slowed down right now, that I can't imagine being any more tired than this.
I feel kind of selfish when I have thoughts like this. The one thing I have really wanted to do through this whole thing is call my mother and compare cancer treatment notes, but I can't do that. She had it so much worse than me, and I'm whining about being a little more tired.
I'm drifting into self-absoprtion mode again. Time to change course.
The trip went okay. It wasn't the best time or circumstance to go, but it had to be done. It was my first time being around a group of folks who did not know about the surgery. People do not seem to be shy about asking about visible scars. I was unaware of this. Walking through airports lugging a carry on bag will definitely require some rest breaks.
I did squeeze in one quick thrift visit on the trip. I couldn't buy much, but I got some vintage cookie cutters and old children's religious books. Can you believe that there was actually a series of books called "Easy Reading Books of Saints and Friendly Beasts"? I now have proof.
I spent the weekend trying to revive the booths, which are dying a slow and agonizing death. I'm not yet seeing the kind of sales bump that I need to support the new rent amount at Peddlers Mall and I had not been to YesterNook in ages. Neither of those things is good. Not good at all.
I took too long to get the new space finished, which cut into my sales for the first half of February. Once things settled down, sales picked up quickly and were good for the last half of the month, but you can't overcome a poor start in a month that's already two days short. My check there was just about the lowest it has ever been. March is starting really strong though. Hope it holds up.
Maybe a funny story? I was working the space the other day and this big dude with, like, fourteen neck tattoos comes over and starts looking at my religion wall. We get to talking and he says "I love Jesus, too man." This after I have to explain a lot of the merch to him, including why the holy water font has a sponge in it. "Yeah," he says, "I don't go to church at all, but that Jesus has a story that'll make you just fall in love." I feel ya, bro.
I have finally been well enough to break into my winter merch stash. I know winter is almost over, but, hey, I have cancer. You may have heard that. I hold some stuff back throughout the summer to carry me through the cold months when there are no yard sales. I think I still have enough to get me through at least part of my chemo sessions, so maybe the pressure to get new stuff won't be so hard on me.
I've had crap luck on what limited hunting runs I've been able to make. I know I have the stash, but most of us junkers started out as shoppers, so it's in the blood. You got to keep the beast at least slightly satiated, you know.
I did, however, strike gold on Saturday at two church sales. I filled the back of my truck for 40 bucks, including a nice glass topped end table, boxes full of small stuff, a Redmon picnic basket, a couple of vintage kids play vanities, and a ton more! If that ends up being my only yard sale run for the spring, I damn sure made it count!
Finally, a request. You may have seen Kathy commenting here and there on this blog. She's a YesterNook vendor and really nice person. She's having some health issues of her own right now. Would mind sending her a happy thought or two?
It's taken me a bit to get to that point, it seems.
Anyway, I caught a cold on the trip that is just now clearing up. Four people in our delegation had the flu and didn't mind sharing with the rest of us. It settled into my throat and would not let go. We're talking hoarseness, loss of voice, and lots of pain. But no symptoms anywhere else. That's when the whining started.
I thought it was a radiation side effect, because they were blasting my jaw and the side of my throat, but the radiation doc didn't think so. I didn't have any blisters or spots that would indicate the most common side effects. Still, he gave me a prescription for this stuff they mix at the cancer center called, I kid you not, Mary's Magic Potion. Apparently, this is a pretty common treatment option for folks with cancer treatments.
So, I got all excited about Mary's Magic Potion (who wouldn't?), but it didn't do anything for me. It did deaden the pain, but it didn't clear anything out. And it gave me the runs. The write up they gave me with the bottle says that it contains some pretty powerful anti-fungal agents, which would kill thrush, which is a radiaton side effect. Since I didn't have thrush, I didn't need all those meds, so I had to reluctantly give up Mary's Magic Potion.
I'm hanging on to the bottle, just in case the house is ever invaded by giants or trolls. I have a gut feeling that it might just come in handy. What's in your emergency kit?
I finally went to my primary doc last Tuesday and he gave me some really strong anti-biotics that seem to be knocking this sucker out. Yay! Interestingly, he did a strep throat swab and a flu swab and both came back negative. My white blood cells were normal too.
Speaking of radiation, I finished those treatments! Yay! Now for the chemo, which starts tomorrow. I'm going to have a treatment every 28 days for the next six months. I'll get the chemo (DTIC), along with an immune booster shot (IL2) on Tuesday of the treatment week. Then, I have to get another immune booster shot on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of that week.
I have to admit that I am really nervous about this. I don't like the idea of putting toxic substances in my body, even though I already have something deadly there that has to be dealt with. I'm mainly worried about more fatigue. I think I can deal with everything else as far as side effects go, but I'm so slowed down right now, that I can't imagine being any more tired than this.
I feel kind of selfish when I have thoughts like this. The one thing I have really wanted to do through this whole thing is call my mother and compare cancer treatment notes, but I can't do that. She had it so much worse than me, and I'm whining about being a little more tired.
I'm drifting into self-absoprtion mode again. Time to change course.
The trip went okay. It wasn't the best time or circumstance to go, but it had to be done. It was my first time being around a group of folks who did not know about the surgery. People do not seem to be shy about asking about visible scars. I was unaware of this. Walking through airports lugging a carry on bag will definitely require some rest breaks.
I did squeeze in one quick thrift visit on the trip. I couldn't buy much, but I got some vintage cookie cutters and old children's religious books. Can you believe that there was actually a series of books called "Easy Reading Books of Saints and Friendly Beasts"? I now have proof.
 |
| I swiped this image off eBay. Mine is in much better condition. No time for pics right now. |
I took too long to get the new space finished, which cut into my sales for the first half of February. Once things settled down, sales picked up quickly and were good for the last half of the month, but you can't overcome a poor start in a month that's already two days short. My check there was just about the lowest it has ever been. March is starting really strong though. Hope it holds up.
Maybe a funny story? I was working the space the other day and this big dude with, like, fourteen neck tattoos comes over and starts looking at my religion wall. We get to talking and he says "I love Jesus, too man." This after I have to explain a lot of the merch to him, including why the holy water font has a sponge in it. "Yeah," he says, "I don't go to church at all, but that Jesus has a story that'll make you just fall in love." I feel ya, bro.
I have finally been well enough to break into my winter merch stash. I know winter is almost over, but, hey, I have cancer. You may have heard that. I hold some stuff back throughout the summer to carry me through the cold months when there are no yard sales. I think I still have enough to get me through at least part of my chemo sessions, so maybe the pressure to get new stuff won't be so hard on me.
I've had crap luck on what limited hunting runs I've been able to make. I know I have the stash, but most of us junkers started out as shoppers, so it's in the blood. You got to keep the beast at least slightly satiated, you know.
I did, however, strike gold on Saturday at two church sales. I filled the back of my truck for 40 bucks, including a nice glass topped end table, boxes full of small stuff, a Redmon picnic basket, a couple of vintage kids play vanities, and a ton more! If that ends up being my only yard sale run for the spring, I damn sure made it count!
Finally, a request. You may have seen Kathy commenting here and there on this blog. She's a YesterNook vendor and really nice person. She's having some health issues of her own right now. Would mind sending her a happy thought or two?
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