Well, Thanksgiving has came & gone, and with it has come the start of the holiday season. Christmas, New Years, friends & family, the joy of the holidays - - - - - yeah,RIGHT!
First off, there is Black Friday. Getting up at 2:00 in the morning to get to the stores and try to get that Special Purchase - along with thousands of other people, most of them after the same thing (or things) you are. Crowds, pushing, fights, cold temperatures and hot tempers - all for that "Special Purchase". Is it worth it? I used to say "yes it was", but not any more. We haven't been to a Black Friday event in YEARS. But even when we went, we did it a little differently than other people.
When we went to a store for a Black Friday special, we weren't always looking for that "hot seller" (usually stereos, TVs, or Computers, etc.) No - we went looking for the Propane Turkey Fryer, or something similar, so that's where we went first. Then, after the crowds died down, we walked calmly over to Electronics and, wonder of wonders, they still had a pallate and a half of that Special Sale Item, and we got one (or two) anyway. By doing this, we missed out on the fights, the pushing & shoving, and the ensuing police action (yes, arrests were made). And we still got that "Special" deal.
Now one time, we did luck out - we went to a store that had a special on a stereo system, and we wanted two. We were standing in line outside the front door, and could see a large stack of boxes over in the women's wear department. It sure looked like stereo systems to me. The door opened - and EVERYONE ran towards the Electronics Department (except for about a half dozen of us that had noticed the boxes) to get their stereo. Now Electronics was in the far back of the store, so it took the rushing throng a couple of minutes to get there. We in the meantime walked over to the stack of boxes we saw, and lo & behold there were the stereos we wanted. So we got our two and slowly walked to the cashier. As we were checking out, here came the mad dash of people from Electronics, heading for the stack of stereos in the Ladies Wear Department. We just LOVED it!!!
But like I said, we haven't gone out in Years. Many stores are now even open on Thanksgiving Day, so we can usually get a good deal on what we want then, and avoid the Black Friday throng. Plus we can order online at most stores, and pick it up in the store at our leisure, and still get Black Friday prices.
Well it's done - but now it's Cyber Monday - the day for everyone to go online and shop. So what do we do - go to the stores and shop there. Many of the "Cyber Monday" items are available in the stores, so again the throng is missed. I bet that there are a lot of you that can't get on your favorite site, cause the Web is so overloaded right now - - -
And the trend continues all the way thru Christmas & New Years - buy, buy, buy - shop, shop, shop. But not us. For the past few years, we have made our Christmas presents. The joy that we have found is in the friendship, camaraderie, and togetherness that can happen during this time, if you just let it.
I think it's time that we all go back to the "roots" of Christmas - the love of friends, family, and Christ. The togetherness and happiness that can occur during this time is just beautiful, if you let it happen "naturally". You don't need thousands of dollars in presents to make a Merry Christmas, just togetherness.
Think about it.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving
Greetings everyone!
Here's wishing everyone a safe & happy Thanksgiving Day. I hope everyone enjoys this time with friends & family.
Thanksgiving's the time in November each year
When our thoughts about food seem to richen,
When turkey and dressing and other good stuff
Is being prepared in the kitchen.
But the stores did their homework way in advance;
They know what your real needs will be;
They know you'll come shoppng to buy up their best,
And those sharing your feast will soon see.
You're the best cook in town, a peerless gourmet,
The turkey, dessert and the wine;
And your secret's secure that this feast was all made
By your grocery, and they sure did it fine!
Here's wishing everyone a safe & happy Thanksgiving Day. I hope everyone enjoys this time with friends & family.
Thanksgiving's the time in November each year
When our thoughts about food seem to richen,
When turkey and dressing and other good stuff
Is being prepared in the kitchen.
But the stores did their homework way in advance;
They know what your real needs will be;
They know you'll come shoppng to buy up their best,
And those sharing your feast will soon see.
You're the best cook in town, a peerless gourmet,
The turkey, dessert and the wine;
And your secret's secure that this feast was all made
By your grocery, and they sure did it fine!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
It's amazing what you can learn on TV
Hello everyone -
Now we have all heard how TV can "rot your brain" and other opinions. But I feel that TV can also be fun and even educational. It all depends on what you watch.
We have Cable TV. We get over 150 channels, including movie channels, On Demand & Pay-Per-View. And what do we watch? HGTV. Food TV. DIY. and all the other "how-to" channels & shows out there. And by watching these, I think my skills as a carpenter, painter, electrician, and even as a chef have dramatically improved over where they were, say, 10 years ago.
For example, we are remodeling our bathroom. We are doing it ourselves. And, at least so far, it is NOT turning into a remodeling disaster. All because of what we have learned on DIY and HGTV.
As far as cooking, we have learned a TON of wonderful recipes, and developed some new ideas & skills that we use in the kitchen. For example - ever heard of a grilled cheese & Jelly sandwich? Sounds kinda corny, but wait until you try it. It's AMAZING! And I now have my "Secret Spice" that I use when grilling our evening meals.
Out of all the channels we have, we have only 23 selected as our "favorites". And most of them are how-to channels, with a couple of exceptions. We watch Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, and Cartoon network.
Hey, we gotta get a little brain rot once in a while.
Now we have all heard how TV can "rot your brain" and other opinions. But I feel that TV can also be fun and even educational. It all depends on what you watch.
We have Cable TV. We get over 150 channels, including movie channels, On Demand & Pay-Per-View. And what do we watch? HGTV. Food TV. DIY. and all the other "how-to" channels & shows out there. And by watching these, I think my skills as a carpenter, painter, electrician, and even as a chef have dramatically improved over where they were, say, 10 years ago.
For example, we are remodeling our bathroom. We are doing it ourselves. And, at least so far, it is NOT turning into a remodeling disaster. All because of what we have learned on DIY and HGTV.
As far as cooking, we have learned a TON of wonderful recipes, and developed some new ideas & skills that we use in the kitchen. For example - ever heard of a grilled cheese & Jelly sandwich? Sounds kinda corny, but wait until you try it. It's AMAZING! And I now have my "Secret Spice" that I use when grilling our evening meals.
Out of all the channels we have, we have only 23 selected as our "favorites". And most of them are how-to channels, with a couple of exceptions. We watch Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, and Cartoon network.
Hey, we gotta get a little brain rot once in a while.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Sheeee's BAAAACK!
You all have read my last post - where Mother Nature had a field day here. Well, she's at it again. On Monday, the temps were in the 70's, and it was a beautiful day. We have been having nice weather for a while now, and except for the last tantrum that Ma Nature had, the weather has been great. One of my neighbors actually had some flowers in her flower bed bloom!!
But now - temps in the 30s, lows in the teens and 20's and the wind was back again, and we were supposed to get snow. Record snowfalls all around us - - and what did we get here - a 6 Inch Rain (you know, a drop every 6 inches)!
But I digress - -
I have to say for the past few years we have been very lucky - nice summers (although sometimes a little hot), a long fall season, and mild winters. And for the last few years, a wet enough spring to fill the lakes, and make the Hills green! And I think that this winter will be close to the same. But soon - -
We are overdue here for a real South Dakota Winter - snowfall in early September, that stays until mid-May, and just keeps piling up - and up - and up! I think the last real winter we have had here was back in 1984 or 85 - blizzard-like conditions more often than not - 8 - 10 foot high drifts across the roads - being snowed in for days - I am sure many of you remember these winters, too. It's the type of winter South Dakota became known for.
Yep - - long overdue.
I guess I'm the type that doesn't like it when we get a snowfall of an inch or two, that usually melts away in a few days. If it's gonna snow, I would rather see it snow enough that the drifts are around waist-high, and it sticks around for a while. You know the kind - where you are "snowed in" for a day or two - schools close, and you are at home resting in your cozy living room, sipping hot cocoa, and enjoying the quiet (at least until the power goes out - but THAT'S another story!).
I don't think we will see this type of snow any time soon - but some day - - - -
But now - temps in the 30s, lows in the teens and 20's and the wind was back again, and we were supposed to get snow. Record snowfalls all around us - - and what did we get here - a 6 Inch Rain (you know, a drop every 6 inches)!
But I digress - -
I have to say for the past few years we have been very lucky - nice summers (although sometimes a little hot), a long fall season, and mild winters. And for the last few years, a wet enough spring to fill the lakes, and make the Hills green! And I think that this winter will be close to the same. But soon - -
We are overdue here for a real South Dakota Winter - snowfall in early September, that stays until mid-May, and just keeps piling up - and up - and up! I think the last real winter we have had here was back in 1984 or 85 - blizzard-like conditions more often than not - 8 - 10 foot high drifts across the roads - being snowed in for days - I am sure many of you remember these winters, too. It's the type of winter South Dakota became known for.
Yep - - long overdue.
I guess I'm the type that doesn't like it when we get a snowfall of an inch or two, that usually melts away in a few days. If it's gonna snow, I would rather see it snow enough that the drifts are around waist-high, and it sticks around for a while. You know the kind - where you are "snowed in" for a day or two - schools close, and you are at home resting in your cozy living room, sipping hot cocoa, and enjoying the quiet (at least until the power goes out - but THAT'S another story!).
I don't think we will see this type of snow any time soon - but some day - - - -
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Murphy's Law - - Part 2
Well, I believe I have a life that is severely influnced by Murphy & his laws - and here's why -
In my past blog I talked about Mother Nature and all her fury - well here is part 2 of the story.
A friend amd me went out in the yard and broke apart the old shed that the wind blew down, and hauled the scrap to the salvage yard. Imagine our suprize when we received $15.00 for the scrap! What a deal - at least it paid for lunch.
Not bad, right - a $15.00 windfall. BUT - here comes Murphy! I woke up the next morning and found that my truck had a flat tire! I took the other car to work, and when I got home, took the tire to the local shop to get fixed - and guess what?? Yep - $15,00! Shoot! There went my windfall.
You think that would be it, right? WRONG!! I had to haul the old scrap lumber to the dump. Now I'm thinking - $5.00 at the most for some scrap plywood and 2 X 4s. But Noooo - almost $9.00!!! Just goes to show you that you can't win 'em all - and when you do, watch out for Murphy!
In my past blog I talked about Mother Nature and all her fury - well here is part 2 of the story.
A friend amd me went out in the yard and broke apart the old shed that the wind blew down, and hauled the scrap to the salvage yard. Imagine our suprize when we received $15.00 for the scrap! What a deal - at least it paid for lunch.
Not bad, right - a $15.00 windfall. BUT - here comes Murphy! I woke up the next morning and found that my truck had a flat tire! I took the other car to work, and when I got home, took the tire to the local shop to get fixed - and guess what?? Yep - $15,00! Shoot! There went my windfall.
You think that would be it, right? WRONG!! I had to haul the old scrap lumber to the dump. Now I'm thinking - $5.00 at the most for some scrap plywood and 2 X 4s. But Noooo - almost $9.00!!! Just goes to show you that you can't win 'em all - and when you do, watch out for Murphy!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Mother Nature's on a roll this week!
You remember my last blog - I came home from work to a suprize - my PC had a virus. Well, that's fixed now, but Ol' Ma nature couldn't let that lie - Oh, No!!
I am working away, and I get a call from the wife - "The Shed's in the back yard!" I said I would take care of it when I got home.
Now I realize that the wind has been pretty bad the last couple of days, and that the shed (thank goodness it was empty) has moved slightly. But I figured I had it braced and tied down well enough - - - - - WRONG!!!
I got home, and here was my shed - on it's side, with the front panels ripped off and laying in the back yard, a section of the roof wrapped around our power meter (Luckily it didn't break!), and part of it tangled up in the guy wires of the power pole in the yard. And no two pieces still connected properly.
So I got it pulled back dowm - and the walls collapsed the rest of the way. So i threw what remained of the roof on top of the pile of scrap that was the walls, and weighted them down with 4 cinder blocks. Fortunatley that seemed to be enough to hold it down against the wind.
So I guess I have to remember - no matter how prepared you think you are, there is always something that can get thrown your way that just blows that idea all to &%^^.
I am working away, and I get a call from the wife - "The Shed's in the back yard!" I said I would take care of it when I got home.
Now I realize that the wind has been pretty bad the last couple of days, and that the shed (thank goodness it was empty) has moved slightly. But I figured I had it braced and tied down well enough - - - - - WRONG!!!
I got home, and here was my shed - on it's side, with the front panels ripped off and laying in the back yard, a section of the roof wrapped around our power meter (Luckily it didn't break!), and part of it tangled up in the guy wires of the power pole in the yard. And no two pieces still connected properly.
So I got it pulled back dowm - and the walls collapsed the rest of the way. So i threw what remained of the roof on top of the pile of scrap that was the walls, and weighted them down with 4 cinder blocks. Fortunatley that seemed to be enough to hold it down against the wind.
So I guess I have to remember - no matter how prepared you think you are, there is always something that can get thrown your way that just blows that idea all to &%^^.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
No one is immune!
I had a big suprize when I got home from work Tuesday. My wife said that she was on the computer, had went to a website, and all of the sudden our PC had MULTIPLE viruses!
So after some judicious verbage, I started to see what the &%&# was going on - and sure enough - a virus - - or two - - or three - -
Sooo - I started the process to clean out the PC and restore it to it's prime operating system. Now Note, I do NOT run system restore - I have had viruses in the past hide in the restore files, screwing up every restore point since the computer was started. I shut off System Restore, and the viruses went away.
ANYway - after I was able to determine that there was an active virus in my PC, I started it in safe mode, and proceeded to "search & destroy" - and after 4 1/2 hourts of file deletion, scans, and reprogramming - - she's back on the web - but I bet she WON'T go to any site she is not familiar with.
On a side note - she got sent to this site by a website offering "first releases" of new books of one of her favorite authors. We of course notified the author right away (They happen to be facebook friends - go figure) so hopefully she & other authors can be made aware that this is happening, and perhaps initiate steps from their end to stop the madness!
So it can happen to anyone!
So after some judicious verbage, I started to see what the &%&# was going on - and sure enough - a virus - - or two - - or three - -
Sooo - I started the process to clean out the PC and restore it to it's prime operating system. Now Note, I do NOT run system restore - I have had viruses in the past hide in the restore files, screwing up every restore point since the computer was started. I shut off System Restore, and the viruses went away.
ANYway - after I was able to determine that there was an active virus in my PC, I started it in safe mode, and proceeded to "search & destroy" - and after 4 1/2 hourts of file deletion, scans, and reprogramming - - she's back on the web - but I bet she WON'T go to any site she is not familiar with.
On a side note - she got sent to this site by a website offering "first releases" of new books of one of her favorite authors. We of course notified the author right away (They happen to be facebook friends - go figure) so hopefully she & other authors can be made aware that this is happening, and perhaps initiate steps from their end to stop the madness!
So it can happen to anyone!
Friday, October 15, 2010
It's coming!
You can see the signs - leaves falling off of trees, the breeze making the temperature a bit nippier than we are all used to - high temperatures that were just a few weeks ago the low temperatures - winter is coming!
Now for many of you, you have heard that there is supposed to be 4 seasons - Spring, Summer, Fall (or Autumn, depending on your choice), and winter. But many of us live in areas where there is only 2 seasons every year - winter & construction.
Now construction is an interesting season. The signs of construction seasoin are many - orangeish trees (sometimes called "pylons") grou up out of the ground - usually right in the middle of the road. And then these unusual billboards appear - with advertizing like "Road Closed" or "Left Lane Closed Ahead". Then the traffic seems to slow to a crawl thru these forests of pylon trees, causing massive delays, and inflamed tempers. And finally there are the spirits that appear throughout the season - they are called "Flagmen" or Flagwomen" (I haven't heard of a flag person yet, but??).
Usually Construction starts in late April or early May, usually around the potholes or damaged roads that appear during Winter. And it lasts until October or November - just in time for Winter to appear and create new potholes throughout the land. A self-perpetuating cycle that never seems to end!
In actuality, we here in SD have figured out why there is so much road construction - during the warm months, they need warehouse space to store harvested food, crated products, and shipments of parts & materials we need to survive. So they empty the warehoused of the pylons, cones, & signs - and just keep moving them from place to place. This way they don't have to tie up storage space with them, and can use it for more important things.
Now on to the focus of this - it's coming! Winter! That time of year where we get a dollop of snow on the ground, which causes (on the average) over 250 accidents, thousands of stuck vehicles, and other sundry things. I feel that Winter is a conspiracy of the body shops and tow truck companies!
But I do love South Dakota! With the varing weather, beautiful country, and wonderful people, it's a great place to live. Now for us native South Dakotans, we all understand a South Dakota year, with all the seasons & weather that it entails. For those of you who aren't familiar with SD, let me explain Why I Love South Dakota -
When it's springtime in South Dakota,
And the gentle breezes blow,
About seventy miles an hour
And it's fifty-two below.
You can tell you're in South Dakota
'cause the snow's up to your butt,
And you take a breath of springtime air
And your nose holes both freeze shut.
The weather here is wonderful,
So I guess I'll hang around,
I could never leave South Dakota.
My feet are frozen to the ground!
Now for many of you, you have heard that there is supposed to be 4 seasons - Spring, Summer, Fall (or Autumn, depending on your choice), and winter. But many of us live in areas where there is only 2 seasons every year - winter & construction.
Now construction is an interesting season. The signs of construction seasoin are many - orangeish trees (sometimes called "pylons") grou up out of the ground - usually right in the middle of the road. And then these unusual billboards appear - with advertizing like "Road Closed" or "Left Lane Closed Ahead". Then the traffic seems to slow to a crawl thru these forests of pylon trees, causing massive delays, and inflamed tempers. And finally there are the spirits that appear throughout the season - they are called "Flagmen" or Flagwomen" (I haven't heard of a flag person yet, but??).
Usually Construction starts in late April or early May, usually around the potholes or damaged roads that appear during Winter. And it lasts until October or November - just in time for Winter to appear and create new potholes throughout the land. A self-perpetuating cycle that never seems to end!
In actuality, we here in SD have figured out why there is so much road construction - during the warm months, they need warehouse space to store harvested food, crated products, and shipments of parts & materials we need to survive. So they empty the warehoused of the pylons, cones, & signs - and just keep moving them from place to place. This way they don't have to tie up storage space with them, and can use it for more important things.
Now on to the focus of this - it's coming! Winter! That time of year where we get a dollop of snow on the ground, which causes (on the average) over 250 accidents, thousands of stuck vehicles, and other sundry things. I feel that Winter is a conspiracy of the body shops and tow truck companies!
But I do love South Dakota! With the varing weather, beautiful country, and wonderful people, it's a great place to live. Now for us native South Dakotans, we all understand a South Dakota year, with all the seasons & weather that it entails. For those of you who aren't familiar with SD, let me explain Why I Love South Dakota -
When it's springtime in South Dakota,
And the gentle breezes blow,
About seventy miles an hour
And it's fifty-two below.
You can tell you're in South Dakota
'cause the snow's up to your butt,
And you take a breath of springtime air
And your nose holes both freeze shut.
The weather here is wonderful,
So I guess I'll hang around,
I could never leave South Dakota.
My feet are frozen to the ground!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
I Quit!
To Whom It May Concern:
I am hereby officially tendering my resignation as an adult.
I have decided I would like to accept the responsibilities of a six year old again.
I want to go to McDonald's and think that it's a four star restaurant.
I want to sail sticks across a fresh mud puddle and make ripples with rocks.
I want to think M&Ms are better than money, because you can eat them.
I want to play kickball during recess and paint with watercolors in art.
I want to lie under a big oak tree and run a lemonade stand with my friends on a hot summers' day.
I want to return to a time when life was simple.
When all you knew were colors, addition tables and simple nursery rhymes, but that didn't bother you, because you didn't know what you didn't know and you didn't care.
When all you knew was to be happy because you didn't know all the things that should make you worried and upset.
I want to think that the world is fair.
That everyone in it is honest and good.
I want to believe that anything is possible.
Somewhere in my youth...I matured and I learned too much. I learned of nuclear weapons, war, prejudice, starvation and abused children. I learned of lies, unhappy marriages, suffering, illness, pain and death. I learned of a world where men left their families to go and fight for our country, and returned only to end up living on the streets...begging for their next meal. I learned of a world where children knew how to kill...and did!!
What happened to the time when we thought that everyone would live forever, because we didn't grasp the concept of death? When we thought the worst thing in the world was if someone took the jump rope from you or picked you last for kickball? I want to be oblivious to the complexity of life and be overly excited by little things once again.
I want to return to the days when reading was fun and music was clean. When television was used to report the news or for family entertainment and not to promote sex, violence and deceit. I remember being naive and thinking that everyone was happy because I was. I would walk on the beach and only think of the sand between my toes and the prettiest seashell I could find. I would spend my afternoons climbing trees and riding my bike. I didn't worry about time, bills or where I was going to find the money to fix my car. I used to wonder what I was going to do or be when I grew up, not worry about what I'll do if this doesn't work out.
I want to live simple again. I don't want my day to consist of computer crashes, mountains of paperwork, depressing news, how to survive more days in the month than there is money in the bank, doctor bills, gossip, illness and loss of loved ones. I want to believe in the power of smiles, hugs, a kind word, truth, justice, peace, dreams, the imagination, mankind and making angels in the snow.
I want to be six again.
Author Unknown
Saturday, October 9, 2010
The "Honey-Do" list
I am sure all of the guys out thre (and many gals, too) have heard of the "Honey-Do list". That list of tasks and projects that just keeps getting longer & longer no matter how many of the things on the list you get done. You get the list out on a Saturday morning, and see 3 or 4 things on the list, and start to get them done - and you succeed! Only to find out that in the meantime 7 other things have been added to the list!
Now my "Honey-Do" list is pretty long - and many oft he projects on the list may take a while to do. Here are some of the things on my list -
1. Fix/replace radiator in our Suburban
2. Replace belt tensioner in the Dodge P/U
3. Remodel/rebuild bathroom
4. Remodel/rebuild new Laundry room
5. Remodel Kitchen
6. Remodel Family Room
7. Build Computer for friend
Now some of these seem to be fairly easy projects, and some seem pretty extensive, but none of them are beyond our realm of experience. I say "Our" as my wife helps wiith many of these projects - at least as much as she can. Sometime's it is as simple as holding the end of a tape measure, and sometime's it's helping me sheetrock a wall or tuning up the car while I change oil. Although it's a little harder for her to do some things now, she still helps as much as she can.
It used to be that our list was a lot smaller than it is now - we lived in a new house, had nice cars, and newer furniture. But all of that changed about 3 years ago, when my wife got ill - she lost her job, and went on permanent disability. What a shock to us, as well as to our pocketbook! The loss of an entire income. Now we tried to make a go of it, but with the economy doing a downturn, we just couldn't make it. We were the first "victim" of the adjustable-rate-mortgage, upside-down-financing syndrome that eventually affected the entire country, as well as much of the world! We lost our house. But thanks to some quick action on our part, and not a little luck, we were able to move, get into a nice place, and do a short sale on the house, saving some of our credit.
Now I mention this change as part of the "Honey-Do" list thing - as I said, living in that house, we had a new house, nice cars, etc. - and a little bordeom. There were few repairs to do on the house (I built decks the first year we lived there, so that was the main job). And our cars were running well, so just basic maintenance on them - and life was good - - - NOT. It was BORING! I never realised how complacent it could be.
Now when we started house shopping, we looked at a few rentals, as we didn't think we could afford to buy another house - especially with housing prices still on the rise (The main part of the economic downturn hadn't hit yet). But we lucked out, and found a little place for sale at a price we could afford, and found financing that we could get.
Now, have you ever walked into a place, and just fell in love with it? We did, with this place. A small yard, but LOTS of trees, a nice deck, a carport, and a nice layout. So we bought and moved in - - and immediatley started remodeling! We moved walls, built new walls, and otherwise started making this house our home - and it still goes on today!
Now we never had any desire to do anything like this with our old house - Oh sure, we did knock down a wall, and do a little remodeling here & there - but nothing to the extent we are doing here. And we LOVE it! The opportunity to make this place into something that will fit us now, and for years to come.
Will we ever move again? Possibly, but not in the near future. We like it here. Even with that long "honey-do" list.
Now my "Honey-Do" list is pretty long - and many oft he projects on the list may take a while to do. Here are some of the things on my list -
1. Fix/replace radiator in our Suburban
2. Replace belt tensioner in the Dodge P/U
3. Remodel/rebuild bathroom
4. Remodel/rebuild new Laundry room
5. Remodel Kitchen
6. Remodel Family Room
7. Build Computer for friend
Now some of these seem to be fairly easy projects, and some seem pretty extensive, but none of them are beyond our realm of experience. I say "Our" as my wife helps wiith many of these projects - at least as much as she can. Sometime's it is as simple as holding the end of a tape measure, and sometime's it's helping me sheetrock a wall or tuning up the car while I change oil. Although it's a little harder for her to do some things now, she still helps as much as she can.
It used to be that our list was a lot smaller than it is now - we lived in a new house, had nice cars, and newer furniture. But all of that changed about 3 years ago, when my wife got ill - she lost her job, and went on permanent disability. What a shock to us, as well as to our pocketbook! The loss of an entire income. Now we tried to make a go of it, but with the economy doing a downturn, we just couldn't make it. We were the first "victim" of the adjustable-rate-mortgage, upside-down-financing syndrome that eventually affected the entire country, as well as much of the world! We lost our house. But thanks to some quick action on our part, and not a little luck, we were able to move, get into a nice place, and do a short sale on the house, saving some of our credit.
Now I mention this change as part of the "Honey-Do" list thing - as I said, living in that house, we had a new house, nice cars, etc. - and a little bordeom. There were few repairs to do on the house (I built decks the first year we lived there, so that was the main job). And our cars were running well, so just basic maintenance on them - and life was good - - - NOT. It was BORING! I never realised how complacent it could be.
Now when we started house shopping, we looked at a few rentals, as we didn't think we could afford to buy another house - especially with housing prices still on the rise (The main part of the economic downturn hadn't hit yet). But we lucked out, and found a little place for sale at a price we could afford, and found financing that we could get.
Now, have you ever walked into a place, and just fell in love with it? We did, with this place. A small yard, but LOTS of trees, a nice deck, a carport, and a nice layout. So we bought and moved in - - and immediatley started remodeling! We moved walls, built new walls, and otherwise started making this house our home - and it still goes on today!
Now we never had any desire to do anything like this with our old house - Oh sure, we did knock down a wall, and do a little remodeling here & there - but nothing to the extent we are doing here. And we LOVE it! The opportunity to make this place into something that will fit us now, and for years to come.
Will we ever move again? Possibly, but not in the near future. We like it here. Even with that long "honey-do" list.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Another weekend
Here it is - Saturday. Another weekend almost 1/2 over.
I DO look forward to the weekends. Although this weekend was a bit different, my weekends are usually just about as busy as my weekdays, except in a different way.
First, there is the "Honey-Do" list. Every married man has one of these - the list of things that need doing around the house. It can be "fun" things - like fixing the car. Or it can be a "not-so-fun" thing, like fixing the toilet. But the list is there every weekend, and you always seem to get at least one or two of the projects done, but then 4 or 5 are added to the list.
Then there is the weekly trip to the grocery store. Now there is a Walmart where I live. It just happens to be one of the busiest Walmarts in the country! There is also 2 Safeway stores, a Target Superstore, 3 Family Thrift stores, a Sam's Club, and numerous convienience stores. But we always seem to , regardless of how busy they are, go back to Walmart to do our shopping.
Now that can be - er - exciting? First, you have to find a place to park. I usually let the wife of at the door, and then go find a place. Sometime's I'm lucky, and there is a spot near the building. But usually not. Then you walk in the front door to be greeted by a throng of other shoppers, all trying to get the bargains bought, and get their groceries & get checked out. It is sometimes comparable to a miniature Demolition Derby, bumping into carts, displayus, and sometimes people. Then, once you find everything, which usually takes about 2 hours, hou head for the checkout, only to be met with 6-7 shoppers in every line waiting to be checked out.
So we gamble, and pick a lane that seems to have one less shopper in it. And then we figure out why - this lane has the Junior Trainee Cashier in it, or the cashier that's soooo s l o o o w w w ! So we wait.
Finally, we check out, and head for the door. You would think that's the end, right? But NOOOOO! There is always someone who invariably is blocking the asile, usually near the drinking fountains, restrooms, or near the entance to the McDonalds (yes, there's a McDonalds in our Walmart). So you FINALLY get to the door, only to have the people in front of you set off the door security alarm. So they stop them (blocking the door in the process), and go thru 1/2 the items in their cart, only to find that there was a pair of shoes that didn't get the security tag removed.
Finally, you are out the door, only to remember you have to walk a mile and a half (OK, it seems like that far) to get to your car. You get to your car, get loaded up, and proceed to exit the lot, only to have to wait in line at the exit, as the traffic is intense goung by!
And, finally, we are on our way home, worn out & frazzled from this excursion. We get home, unload the froceries, and discover we forgot to buy something! So it's back in the car, and back to Walmart.
Why. do you ask?? Why put ourselves through this torture? Well, folks, it all boils down to the almighty dollar! We save on average between $15 - 25 shopping at Walmart. So we punish ourselves for that dollar.
BUT - - not this weekend. After the week we had, we decided to use this weekend to unwind and renew ourselves. We spent some time with friends & family, we went to a few garage sales (Who can resist a good sale!)., and otherwise relaxed and spent some quality "just us" time.
I think everyone needs to take some time out of their busy schedule to relax, refresh, and renew. If you don't, you will find yourselves burned out, and almost unable to continue.
So plan a weekend. Take some time. Relax. Renew relations with friends & family. Spend some quality time with your "other half". Have some alone time. And if you can't remember the last time you did this (or if you have NEVER done this) DO IT NOW!!! You NEED it!!!
I want to share with you my 13 rules of life. I found these rules a long time ago, and feel that, although they are not the most important set of rules out there, they are pretty good ones to include in your life. Here they are:
I DO look forward to the weekends. Although this weekend was a bit different, my weekends are usually just about as busy as my weekdays, except in a different way.
First, there is the "Honey-Do" list. Every married man has one of these - the list of things that need doing around the house. It can be "fun" things - like fixing the car. Or it can be a "not-so-fun" thing, like fixing the toilet. But the list is there every weekend, and you always seem to get at least one or two of the projects done, but then 4 or 5 are added to the list.
Then there is the weekly trip to the grocery store. Now there is a Walmart where I live. It just happens to be one of the busiest Walmarts in the country! There is also 2 Safeway stores, a Target Superstore, 3 Family Thrift stores, a Sam's Club, and numerous convienience stores. But we always seem to , regardless of how busy they are, go back to Walmart to do our shopping.
Now that can be - er - exciting? First, you have to find a place to park. I usually let the wife of at the door, and then go find a place. Sometime's I'm lucky, and there is a spot near the building. But usually not. Then you walk in the front door to be greeted by a throng of other shoppers, all trying to get the bargains bought, and get their groceries & get checked out. It is sometimes comparable to a miniature Demolition Derby, bumping into carts, displayus, and sometimes people. Then, once you find everything, which usually takes about 2 hours, hou head for the checkout, only to be met with 6-7 shoppers in every line waiting to be checked out.
So we gamble, and pick a lane that seems to have one less shopper in it. And then we figure out why - this lane has the Junior Trainee Cashier in it, or the cashier that's soooo s l o o o w w w ! So we wait.
Finally, we check out, and head for the door. You would think that's the end, right? But NOOOOO! There is always someone who invariably is blocking the asile, usually near the drinking fountains, restrooms, or near the entance to the McDonalds (yes, there's a McDonalds in our Walmart). So you FINALLY get to the door, only to have the people in front of you set off the door security alarm. So they stop them (blocking the door in the process), and go thru 1/2 the items in their cart, only to find that there was a pair of shoes that didn't get the security tag removed.
Finally, you are out the door, only to remember you have to walk a mile and a half (OK, it seems like that far) to get to your car. You get to your car, get loaded up, and proceed to exit the lot, only to have to wait in line at the exit, as the traffic is intense goung by!
And, finally, we are on our way home, worn out & frazzled from this excursion. We get home, unload the froceries, and discover we forgot to buy something! So it's back in the car, and back to Walmart.
Why. do you ask?? Why put ourselves through this torture? Well, folks, it all boils down to the almighty dollar! We save on average between $15 - 25 shopping at Walmart. So we punish ourselves for that dollar.
BUT - - not this weekend. After the week we had, we decided to use this weekend to unwind and renew ourselves. We spent some time with friends & family, we went to a few garage sales (Who can resist a good sale!)., and otherwise relaxed and spent some quality "just us" time.
I think everyone needs to take some time out of their busy schedule to relax, refresh, and renew. If you don't, you will find yourselves burned out, and almost unable to continue.
So plan a weekend. Take some time. Relax. Renew relations with friends & family. Spend some quality time with your "other half". Have some alone time. And if you can't remember the last time you did this (or if you have NEVER done this) DO IT NOW!!! You NEED it!!!
I want to share with you my 13 rules of life. I found these rules a long time ago, and feel that, although they are not the most important set of rules out there, they are pretty good ones to include in your life. Here they are:
1. Never give yourself a haircut after three margaritas.
2. You need only two tools. WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn't
move and it should, use WD-40. If it moves and shouldn't, use the tape.
3. The five most essential words for a healthy, vital relationship "I
apologize" and "You are right."
4. Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.
5. When you make a mistake, make amends immediately. It's easier to
eat crow while it's still warm.
6. The only really good advice that your mother ever gave you was,
"Go! You might meet somebody!"
7. If he/she says that you are too good for him/her--believe them.
8. Learn to pick your battles; ask yourself, "Will this matter one
year from now? How about one month? One week? One day?"
9. Never pass up an opportunity to pee.
10. If you woke up breathing, congratulations! You have another
chance!
11. Living well really is the best revenge. Being miserable because
of a bad or former relationship just might mean that the other person
was right about you.
12. Work is good, but it's not that important.
13. And finally... Be really nice to your friends and family. You
never know when you are going to need them to empty your bedpan
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Days of the week
I have figured it out - there is really no one good day of the week. As far as my calendar goes, here are MY days of the week
Sappy Sunday
Manic Monday
Tipsy Tuesday
Wierd Wednesday
Terrible Thursday
Freaky Friday
Sloppy Saturday.
Why do I say this, you ask? Well' I'll tell you (I'm gonna tell you even if you DIDN'T ask!) - - -
There is always something that happens every day of the week that just throws off the entire day. It may not bew anything big - it can be as simple as loosing your car keys (and that happens to me - - - ALOT!) all the way to - well, anything goes here! But you have to know the feeling.
For example, yesterday I got to work and found that we were short-staffed. So I had to help find replacements/subs for the missing staff. Now in and of itself, that's no big deal, right? Except we are SUPPOSED to have a system in place that brings subs in whenever a staff person is out, for whatever reason. But does it work? NOOOO!! So for the rest of the day, we operate under "Planic" mode. What's that? "Planned Panic!" And unfortunatley this is more the norm than the exception.
Now today went pretty well - everyone was at work, the day went relativley smoothly, with no big issues. BUT - when I get home, I start to work on a PC I am building (remember my hobbies?) - and CRASH!!!! System failure!. Now in of itself, no biggie, as I was in the initial stages of building, but now I gotta start all over again.
Now I'm not saying that I don't have good days - I do. But there is still always something that happens that kind of throws a wrench into the works, and just messes up an otherwise perfect day.
I think that Murphy has something to do with this - You know Murphy? He wrote that stupid, but true law -
"In any field of human endeavor, no matter what, if there is anything that could possibly go wrong - - - it will."
There are many variants of Murphy's law, too. Here are a few of my favorites:
If there is a possibility of several things going wrong, the one that will cause the most damage will be the one to go wrong
A dropped power tool will always land on the concrete instead of the soft ground (if outdoors) or the carpet (if indoors) - unless it is running, in which case it will fall on something it can damage (like your foot).
After you bought a replacement for something you've lost and searched for everywhere, you'll find the original.
No matter how long or how hard you shop for an item, after you've bought it, it will be on sale somewhere cheaper.
Traffic is inversely proportional to how late you are, or are going to be
(If you want to see more, or pick out your favorite version, just visit http://www.murphys-laws.com/)
Well, that's about all I have for today. Hope you enjoyed my little blog. Have a great day!! - - - or not.
Sappy Sunday
Manic Monday
Tipsy Tuesday
Wierd Wednesday
Terrible Thursday
Freaky Friday
Sloppy Saturday.
Why do I say this, you ask? Well' I'll tell you (I'm gonna tell you even if you DIDN'T ask!) - - -
There is always something that happens every day of the week that just throws off the entire day. It may not bew anything big - it can be as simple as loosing your car keys (and that happens to me - - - ALOT!) all the way to - well, anything goes here! But you have to know the feeling.
For example, yesterday I got to work and found that we were short-staffed. So I had to help find replacements/subs for the missing staff. Now in and of itself, that's no big deal, right? Except we are SUPPOSED to have a system in place that brings subs in whenever a staff person is out, for whatever reason. But does it work? NOOOO!! So for the rest of the day, we operate under "Planic" mode. What's that? "Planned Panic!" And unfortunatley this is more the norm than the exception.
Now today went pretty well - everyone was at work, the day went relativley smoothly, with no big issues. BUT - when I get home, I start to work on a PC I am building (remember my hobbies?) - and CRASH!!!! System failure!. Now in of itself, no biggie, as I was in the initial stages of building, but now I gotta start all over again.
Now I'm not saying that I don't have good days - I do. But there is still always something that happens that kind of throws a wrench into the works, and just messes up an otherwise perfect day.
I think that Murphy has something to do with this - You know Murphy? He wrote that stupid, but true law -
"In any field of human endeavor, no matter what, if there is anything that could possibly go wrong - - - it will."
There are many variants of Murphy's law, too. Here are a few of my favorites:
If there is a possibility of several things going wrong, the one that will cause the most damage will be the one to go wrong
A dropped power tool will always land on the concrete instead of the soft ground (if outdoors) or the carpet (if indoors) - unless it is running, in which case it will fall on something it can damage (like your foot).
After you bought a replacement for something you've lost and searched for everywhere, you'll find the original.
No matter how long or how hard you shop for an item, after you've bought it, it will be on sale somewhere cheaper.
Traffic is inversely proportional to how late you are, or are going to be
(If you want to see more, or pick out your favorite version, just visit http://www.murphys-laws.com/)
Well, that's about all I have for today. Hope you enjoyed my little blog. Have a great day!! - - - or not.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
The passing of a friend
I lost a close friend today. Roy Gilliland (Mr. Roy to his friends) passed away today.
Mr. Roy was an active soul - he was a farmer, hunter, sportsman, and all-around friend. He was always there if you needed him, and always had a good storey to tell. He was the type that would give you the shirt off your back, and would go and buy you a new one if his didn't fit.
Roy will be sorely missed by his friends & family. The only consolation we all have is that he is now living free with God.
Mr. Roy was an active soul - he was a farmer, hunter, sportsman, and all-around friend. He was always there if you needed him, and always had a good storey to tell. He was the type that would give you the shirt off your back, and would go and buy you a new one if his didn't fit.
Roy will be sorely missed by his friends & family. The only consolation we all have is that he is now living free with God.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
We're getting ready
For the last couple of weeks, we have been going thru our closets and storage sheds, checking out what we have, and comparing it to our "need it" list. It's surprising what we find when we do this. We used to just run to the store or pick up one at a garage sale. Then, about a moth or two later, we find the one we already had, so we end up with two (or three, or - - ) of this item. But now, we look first before buying.
But still, we usually end up with two (or three, or - - ) somethings, and then we have to decide - "what do we do with the extra one?" Well, sometimes, we give it to my daughter Hope & son (in-law) Richard so they can end up with two (or three, or - - - ) of this item. But usually they tell us they have one and don't need another. Darn - we're stuck with it! So what then? Well, it's time for us to have our own (Drum Roll, please!) GARAGE SALE!!!
Yep, we too have a garage sale. Now with us, we have a garage sale with one goal in mind - to get rid of EVERYTHING!! We usually don't have any item over a buck, unless we are selling furniture or an appliance or TV, and even then we sell cheap. Anything left after the sale we load up and haul to Goodwill or the Salvation Army.
Now for us a garage sale isn't just putting a few things on a table & hanging a sign or two and hoping we make enough to pay for the ad in the paper. For us, it's an EVENT! After we have sorted thru the "hidden treasures" we have (and we have Hope & Richard go thru their closets, too - and sometimes my dad, or Kandis's mom or nieces - our friends, family, etc.) we get everything together in one place, usually Tuesday night or Wednesday, and price everything. Then we arrange to borrow some tables for the sale. We pick them up Friday afternoon.
Then comes SALE DAY! We start setting up at around 7:00 AM (our sale doesn't "open" until 9:00), and usually have most of it out by 8:00. We put out at least 4 signs (we custom-print them on our PC), and set a sign out front with an amber beacon on top (yeah, we get fancy). By then we usually have had at least a 1/2 dozen customers, and have sold a few items that may be "in demand" in our area. Then it's a quick trip to Hardees or the local donut shop for breakfast. Then we (usually me, Kandis, Hope, Richard, sometimes Elby & Connie (friends), or Kandis's mom) sit around and drink coffee and eat breakfast. All the time, we are selling things, and making deals.
At Around 10:00, we brew the second pot of coffee, and rearrange some of the items, condensing them down so we can fold up a table (more room) or put stuff up on a table that may have been sitting on the ground. We are still getting a good flow of customers, but it has slowed down somewhat.
Then at around 11:30, we start planning lunch. Sometimes a quick trip to the local burger joint, sometimes we whip up something - it all depends on what we are in the mood for (and how much we have sold). Then the second round of customers start to show up, so we have the "noon rush".
By two, it's starting to slow down, and it's getting pretty close to closing time. Depending on how much stuff we have, we usually close at 2:00 or 3:00. Then, after closing, we pack up what's left, and load it up and take it to the donation bin. Then we return the tables, take down our signs, and clean up.
BUT WAIT - we're not done yet!. After all of this, we take a bit of a break and count up the tally, and split it up. Then we start planning dinner. Sometimes we go out & eat, others we do up something at home, usually involving the BBQ grill and some steaks or seafood (or both). Then, after dinner, we do a final total to see how the day went, grumble a bit cause we didn't make as much as we were hoping - and start to plan for next year's sale! Cause you know we're going to do it again!
Garage sales - a summer event!
I'll end this blog with a saying that I firmly believe in - - -
But still, we usually end up with two (or three, or - - ) somethings, and then we have to decide - "what do we do with the extra one?" Well, sometimes, we give it to my daughter Hope & son (in-law) Richard so they can end up with two (or three, or - - - ) of this item. But usually they tell us they have one and don't need another. Darn - we're stuck with it! So what then? Well, it's time for us to have our own (Drum Roll, please!) GARAGE SALE!!!
Yep, we too have a garage sale. Now with us, we have a garage sale with one goal in mind - to get rid of EVERYTHING!! We usually don't have any item over a buck, unless we are selling furniture or an appliance or TV, and even then we sell cheap. Anything left after the sale we load up and haul to Goodwill or the Salvation Army.
Now for us a garage sale isn't just putting a few things on a table & hanging a sign or two and hoping we make enough to pay for the ad in the paper. For us, it's an EVENT! After we have sorted thru the "hidden treasures" we have (and we have Hope & Richard go thru their closets, too - and sometimes my dad, or Kandis's mom or nieces - our friends, family, etc.) we get everything together in one place, usually Tuesday night or Wednesday, and price everything. Then we arrange to borrow some tables for the sale. We pick them up Friday afternoon.
Then comes SALE DAY! We start setting up at around 7:00 AM (our sale doesn't "open" until 9:00), and usually have most of it out by 8:00. We put out at least 4 signs (we custom-print them on our PC), and set a sign out front with an amber beacon on top (yeah, we get fancy). By then we usually have had at least a 1/2 dozen customers, and have sold a few items that may be "in demand" in our area. Then it's a quick trip to Hardees or the local donut shop for breakfast. Then we (usually me, Kandis, Hope, Richard, sometimes Elby & Connie (friends), or Kandis's mom) sit around and drink coffee and eat breakfast. All the time, we are selling things, and making deals.
At Around 10:00, we brew the second pot of coffee, and rearrange some of the items, condensing them down so we can fold up a table (more room) or put stuff up on a table that may have been sitting on the ground. We are still getting a good flow of customers, but it has slowed down somewhat.
Then at around 11:30, we start planning lunch. Sometimes a quick trip to the local burger joint, sometimes we whip up something - it all depends on what we are in the mood for (and how much we have sold). Then the second round of customers start to show up, so we have the "noon rush".
By two, it's starting to slow down, and it's getting pretty close to closing time. Depending on how much stuff we have, we usually close at 2:00 or 3:00. Then, after closing, we pack up what's left, and load it up and take it to the donation bin. Then we return the tables, take down our signs, and clean up.
BUT WAIT - we're not done yet!. After all of this, we take a bit of a break and count up the tally, and split it up. Then we start planning dinner. Sometimes we go out & eat, others we do up something at home, usually involving the BBQ grill and some steaks or seafood (or both). Then, after dinner, we do a final total to see how the day went, grumble a bit cause we didn't make as much as we were hoping - and start to plan for next year's sale! Cause you know we're going to do it again!
Garage sales - a summer event!
I'll end this blog with a saying that I firmly believe in - - -
Remember this motto to live by:
Life should NOT be a journey to
the grave with the intention of
arriving safely in an attractive
and well preserved body.
but rather to skid in sideways,
chocolate in hand,
body thoroughly used up,
totally worn out and screaming
WOO-HOO !
what a ride!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
You can sell anything on eBay
Hello all -
Yesterday I talked about hobbies, and what me & my wife did for the fun of it. As you may or may not noticed, interspersed thru the blog was "Garage Sale", and 'eBay". It just so happens that these 2 things are the most favorite things my wife & I do.
We have been together for over 20 years, and every summer we look forward to garage sales. What fun - perusing the paper to find those "really good deals" and then getting up at the crack of dawn so we can be the first one there. And the feeling when we successfully catch that elusive item we were looking for. Now, we may not NEED it, but we WANT it!
Now, on to eBay - I started "surfing" eBay about 10 years ago - it was a place where we could find new or near-new items at a fantastically reduced price. For many years, I just bought on eBay, and never attempted to sell anything. But when my wife decided top get rid of her stamps (most of which were bought on eBay), and me my scanners (same thing), it became more appealing to try and sell them on eBay - so we did. And fell in love. Then we took our 2 passions - garage sales & eBay and combined them into one adventure. We still go to garage sales to find that "one special item we just can't do without" but we also look for items to sell on eBay. Some times we find a treasure that sells well, and sometimes it ends up going in OUR garage sale box.
But you CAN sell anything on eBay. Here is my "proof". I went to a local supermarket, and they were selling 12 packs of Coke with the Nascar "Coke Racing Team" depicted on the cases. There were 3 different cases, and the store had all 3 on display. So, especially since Coke was on sale, I bought all 3. I went home, carefully opened the 12 packs and put the coke in the fridge. I then took the empty 12 pack cases - - and sold them on eBay - and they Sold - for more than I paid for the pop!!!
My next "success" story on eBay was that I had bought a CD at a local garage sale (see the trend?) and listed it on eBay. I started it at 99 cents - and watched the price go higher - - -and higher - - - And Higher - - - AND HIGHER!!! It finally sold for (are you ready?) $78.00!! For A USED CD from a YARD SALE!!
Now by no means have I gotten "rich" off of eBay - sometimes I'm lucky if my find pays for our garage saleing for the day. But once in a while I do find something that I sell and make a few bucks off of it. I don't plan on doing this "professionally" - - - at least not yet. Who knows what the future will bring? But it is fun to buy something at a local auction or yard sale and see how it sells on eBay.
Keep an eye on my eBay site - rummagesaleusa (sound's professional, right?? - it was just luck to get this username - but again, who knows??). Or check out eBay in general. You never know - you might just find that one item you can't do without!
Happy garage saleing!
Dave J
Yesterday I talked about hobbies, and what me & my wife did for the fun of it. As you may or may not noticed, interspersed thru the blog was "Garage Sale", and 'eBay". It just so happens that these 2 things are the most favorite things my wife & I do.
We have been together for over 20 years, and every summer we look forward to garage sales. What fun - perusing the paper to find those "really good deals" and then getting up at the crack of dawn so we can be the first one there. And the feeling when we successfully catch that elusive item we were looking for. Now, we may not NEED it, but we WANT it!
Now, on to eBay - I started "surfing" eBay about 10 years ago - it was a place where we could find new or near-new items at a fantastically reduced price. For many years, I just bought on eBay, and never attempted to sell anything. But when my wife decided top get rid of her stamps (most of which were bought on eBay), and me my scanners (same thing), it became more appealing to try and sell them on eBay - so we did. And fell in love. Then we took our 2 passions - garage sales & eBay and combined them into one adventure. We still go to garage sales to find that "one special item we just can't do without" but we also look for items to sell on eBay. Some times we find a treasure that sells well, and sometimes it ends up going in OUR garage sale box.
But you CAN sell anything on eBay. Here is my "proof". I went to a local supermarket, and they were selling 12 packs of Coke with the Nascar "Coke Racing Team" depicted on the cases. There were 3 different cases, and the store had all 3 on display. So, especially since Coke was on sale, I bought all 3. I went home, carefully opened the 12 packs and put the coke in the fridge. I then took the empty 12 pack cases - - and sold them on eBay - and they Sold - for more than I paid for the pop!!!
My next "success" story on eBay was that I had bought a CD at a local garage sale (see the trend?) and listed it on eBay. I started it at 99 cents - and watched the price go higher - - -and higher - - - And Higher - - - AND HIGHER!!! It finally sold for (are you ready?) $78.00!! For A USED CD from a YARD SALE!!
Now by no means have I gotten "rich" off of eBay - sometimes I'm lucky if my find pays for our garage saleing for the day. But once in a while I do find something that I sell and make a few bucks off of it. I don't plan on doing this "professionally" - - - at least not yet. Who knows what the future will bring? But it is fun to buy something at a local auction or yard sale and see how it sells on eBay.
Keep an eye on my eBay site - rummagesaleusa (sound's professional, right?? - it was just luck to get this username - but again, who knows??). Or check out eBay in general. You never know - you might just find that one item you can't do without!
Happy garage saleing!
Dave J
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Everyone's gotta have a hobby
Everyone has to have a hobby - reading, camping, fishing, scrapbooking, - - - the list goes on & on.
Even I have a hobby or two. But my wife complains that my hobbies are too expensive. Soooo - - let's compare.
A few years ago I was into police scanners. Yes - Police Scanners. I had a BUNCH of them - one in every car, and one in every room in the house. Now most of them I bought used, either at rummage sales, or on eBay. But all in all I probably had around $1000 invested in various scanners over this time.
My wife on the other hand was interested in stamping and cardmaking. Now you say how expensive can that be? A few stamps, some colored paper, some scissors, and Viola - some nice cards. Now here are the facts - - each set of stamps she bought cost anywhere from $8 - $15 a set. And she had over 60 sets of stamps! Plus a bunch of individual ones that cost $3 - 5 apiece. And then scissors - 27 pair of scissors - wavy cut, zig-zag cut, classical cut - the list goes on. and let's NOT talk about paper! Card stock in multiple colors, decorative paper, translucent paper, etc. etc. etc. Plus the inks, embossing powder, embossing & glue guns - she had more tools than me - and I'm a mechanic!! I am willing to bet she had between $1100 - 1200 invested in her hobby.
Both of our hobbies were so expensive to maintain, we finally made a deal - if I spent money on my hobby, she got to spend an equivalent amount, and vice versa. It worked out pretty well.
Now the thing about hobbies is that you get bored of them after a while, and look for something new to do. Which happened to both of us. She "fell" first - her interest in stamping wained, so she started doing scrapbooking. Some of her stamping stuff (paper, pens, markers, scissors, etc) she could use, but not so much the stamps. Luckily stamps were still a hot item, so we managed to sell all of her stamps, except for a favorite few (we actually made a few bucks at it, too!). Unfortunately she tired of that pretty quickly (my daughter showed her how to do video scrapbooks using PowerPoint). So off to the sale for that stuff. THEN - she got into Jewelry making. Beads, wire, pendants, etc. BOXES & BOXES of it!! BUT - after a year or so of making necklaces & bracelets as gifts, I said to her - "Have you ever thought of selling them?" And BOOM - off we went! She actually had found a hobby that could make money! And she is still doing it today!
Now for me - I also was lucky - I was able to sell all my scanners but one - and I also made a fair profit on the sale of them (Thanks eBay!). But my next hobby was a little more elusive. I tried auto customization, but that was TOO expensive (although I still dabble), woodworking (again, too expensive - that never did take off as all I could afford was a circular saw, router & drill). But now my newest hobby - and for this I have to back up a bit - - -
I have been a computer geek since high school. I remember in my Junior year of High School taking Computer class. They had a huge teletype-like machine that had no screen (everything printed out on paper) and all we could do on it was some simple programs, and communicate with other schools. Then we got the first "real"computer - it had the "Green Screen" - nothing but text - but with this new technology we were able to hack into one of the University computers and access their databases. What Fun! From then on I was hooked!
My computer life started with a Timex Sinclair computer - you plugged it into your TV, and used a cassette player for your storage device. But I wrote a program to do my taxes on this machine. Then - a Tandy 1000 computer with Deskmate operating software. WOW - This was "the future" - I was online for the first time with Compuserve (You remember them - the little Internet provider that became AOL?) Then my first Windows PC - a Packard Bell with Windows 3.1. Then a "Custom made" machine from a local store with Win95, which I upgraded to Win98. Then a Gateway with WinME. Then it hut me - I was spending between $1500 to 2500 for each machine - only to get it home and find it was already obsolete! CRAZY! So I started buying "obsolete" computers at yard sales & flea markets, and rebuilding them myself. Then I got into networking - and the rest is "history". I now have 7 computers, all networked together, and all online via cable modem. I haven't taken the jump to wireless yet, although I do own a wireless router.
As far as the next step - who knows? I have turned my hobby into a bit of a moneymaker, too, as I buy, jazz up, and then sell PCs. I also repair some as well. Not alot - just enough to keep my fingers in it.
Hey - everyone's gotta have a hobby!
Even I have a hobby or two. But my wife complains that my hobbies are too expensive. Soooo - - let's compare.
A few years ago I was into police scanners. Yes - Police Scanners. I had a BUNCH of them - one in every car, and one in every room in the house. Now most of them I bought used, either at rummage sales, or on eBay. But all in all I probably had around $1000 invested in various scanners over this time.
My wife on the other hand was interested in stamping and cardmaking. Now you say how expensive can that be? A few stamps, some colored paper, some scissors, and Viola - some nice cards. Now here are the facts - - each set of stamps she bought cost anywhere from $8 - $15 a set. And she had over 60 sets of stamps! Plus a bunch of individual ones that cost $3 - 5 apiece. And then scissors - 27 pair of scissors - wavy cut, zig-zag cut, classical cut - the list goes on. and let's NOT talk about paper! Card stock in multiple colors, decorative paper, translucent paper, etc. etc. etc. Plus the inks, embossing powder, embossing & glue guns - she had more tools than me - and I'm a mechanic!! I am willing to bet she had between $1100 - 1200 invested in her hobby.
Both of our hobbies were so expensive to maintain, we finally made a deal - if I spent money on my hobby, she got to spend an equivalent amount, and vice versa. It worked out pretty well.
Now the thing about hobbies is that you get bored of them after a while, and look for something new to do. Which happened to both of us. She "fell" first - her interest in stamping wained, so she started doing scrapbooking. Some of her stamping stuff (paper, pens, markers, scissors, etc) she could use, but not so much the stamps. Luckily stamps were still a hot item, so we managed to sell all of her stamps, except for a favorite few (we actually made a few bucks at it, too!). Unfortunately she tired of that pretty quickly (my daughter showed her how to do video scrapbooks using PowerPoint). So off to the sale for that stuff. THEN - she got into Jewelry making. Beads, wire, pendants, etc. BOXES & BOXES of it!! BUT - after a year or so of making necklaces & bracelets as gifts, I said to her - "Have you ever thought of selling them?" And BOOM - off we went! She actually had found a hobby that could make money! And she is still doing it today!
Now for me - I also was lucky - I was able to sell all my scanners but one - and I also made a fair profit on the sale of them (Thanks eBay!). But my next hobby was a little more elusive. I tried auto customization, but that was TOO expensive (although I still dabble), woodworking (again, too expensive - that never did take off as all I could afford was a circular saw, router & drill). But now my newest hobby - and for this I have to back up a bit - - -
I have been a computer geek since high school. I remember in my Junior year of High School taking Computer class. They had a huge teletype-like machine that had no screen (everything printed out on paper) and all we could do on it was some simple programs, and communicate with other schools. Then we got the first "real"computer - it had the "Green Screen" - nothing but text - but with this new technology we were able to hack into one of the University computers and access their databases. What Fun! From then on I was hooked!
My computer life started with a Timex Sinclair computer - you plugged it into your TV, and used a cassette player for your storage device. But I wrote a program to do my taxes on this machine. Then - a Tandy 1000 computer with Deskmate operating software. WOW - This was "the future" - I was online for the first time with Compuserve (You remember them - the little Internet provider that became AOL?) Then my first Windows PC - a Packard Bell with Windows 3.1. Then a "Custom made" machine from a local store with Win95, which I upgraded to Win98. Then a Gateway with WinME. Then it hut me - I was spending between $1500 to 2500 for each machine - only to get it home and find it was already obsolete! CRAZY! So I started buying "obsolete" computers at yard sales & flea markets, and rebuilding them myself. Then I got into networking - and the rest is "history". I now have 7 computers, all networked together, and all online via cable modem. I haven't taken the jump to wireless yet, although I do own a wireless router.
As far as the next step - who knows? I have turned my hobby into a bit of a moneymaker, too, as I buy, jazz up, and then sell PCs. I also repair some as well. Not alot - just enough to keep my fingers in it.
Hey - everyone's gotta have a hobby!
Friday, September 17, 2010
My pets
This may sound strange to some - but you haven't lived until you get a dog for a pet. They bring a level of insanity to your life that you otherwiswe wouldn't have.
Now, my family is REALLY insane! We have 4 dogs - Buddy, a beagle, Luna, a blue heeler/cocker spaniel cross, Smokey, a corgi/??? cross, and Jade, a Burmeese Mountain Dog/??? cross. Buddy & Jade were Pound Puppies, rescued from the local animal shelter, and Luna was adopted from a lady who'se dog had puppies, and Smokey was rescued from a questionable home.
I know it sounds crazy - 4 dogs??? But wait - there's more! My dad has Peggy, a boston terrier that he rescued from the pound. Peggy comes over & visits on a pretty regular basis, so on some days we have 5 dogs rolicking around on our yard. And with 4 or 5 dogs, it can get pretty wild around here.
All the dogs love to "wrestle" and do so - alot! They also bark at everything that moves within a 1/4 mile radius of our house. In and of itself this isn't too bad (yeah, right!), but Luna has this high-pitched yowling bark that could, if left untended, shatter windows and severely damage eardrums.
And they ALL chase squirrels, rabbits, birds, and whatever else wanders into our yard. Now mind you, they haven't caught one yet - and I believe the squirrels & rabbits know where the fence line is, and get the dogs to chase them just to see them hit the fence at a full run!
These dogs are not the first that we have had - our first dog was Sam & Andy - 2 black toy poodles that my wife had before we got amrried. Then we got Cheyenne, a border collie/terrier mix. Then there was Jewell, a golden lab/commodore mix (the color of the lab, the size of the commodore (you know - small horse!).
Unfortunatley for us, these dogs are gone - hopefully to a better place (All dogs DO go to heaven). And Jade is getting up there in years, but I think she still has a few good years left in her.
When these dogs are gone, will we replace them? YOU BET!! Although we may "downsize" a bit - or maybe not. But we do love these dogs, and recommend that you, too, go to your local shelter and adopt a dog of your own. Or, if not a dog fancier, many shelters have a selection of cats as well.
I think this video shows it best - check it out:
http://www.dogwork.com/feeling/
Adopt a pet today!!
Now, my family is REALLY insane! We have 4 dogs - Buddy, a beagle, Luna, a blue heeler/cocker spaniel cross, Smokey, a corgi/??? cross, and Jade, a Burmeese Mountain Dog/??? cross. Buddy & Jade were Pound Puppies, rescued from the local animal shelter, and Luna was adopted from a lady who'se dog had puppies, and Smokey was rescued from a questionable home.
I know it sounds crazy - 4 dogs??? But wait - there's more! My dad has Peggy, a boston terrier that he rescued from the pound. Peggy comes over & visits on a pretty regular basis, so on some days we have 5 dogs rolicking around on our yard. And with 4 or 5 dogs, it can get pretty wild around here.
All the dogs love to "wrestle" and do so - alot! They also bark at everything that moves within a 1/4 mile radius of our house. In and of itself this isn't too bad (yeah, right!), but Luna has this high-pitched yowling bark that could, if left untended, shatter windows and severely damage eardrums.
And they ALL chase squirrels, rabbits, birds, and whatever else wanders into our yard. Now mind you, they haven't caught one yet - and I believe the squirrels & rabbits know where the fence line is, and get the dogs to chase them just to see them hit the fence at a full run!
These dogs are not the first that we have had - our first dog was Sam & Andy - 2 black toy poodles that my wife had before we got amrried. Then we got Cheyenne, a border collie/terrier mix. Then there was Jewell, a golden lab/commodore mix (the color of the lab, the size of the commodore (you know - small horse!).
Unfortunatley for us, these dogs are gone - hopefully to a better place (All dogs DO go to heaven). And Jade is getting up there in years, but I think she still has a few good years left in her.
When these dogs are gone, will we replace them? YOU BET!! Although we may "downsize" a bit - or maybe not. But we do love these dogs, and recommend that you, too, go to your local shelter and adopt a dog of your own. Or, if not a dog fancier, many shelters have a selection of cats as well.
I think this video shows it best - check it out:
http://www.dogwork.com/feeling/
Adopt a pet today!!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
My first blog
Hello everyone.
This will be my first attempt at blogging, so until I get the hang of this, I am willing to bet it will be pretty random. I know I have a lot of stuff to talk about, but no real rhyme or reason on what order to put it all in.
So let's begin.
Most of the things I will blog about will probably rotate around my many hobbies - building PCs, auto repair and customizing, buying & selling on eBay, home repair & remodeling - - -the list goes on & on. Once I get going, I may begin "theme weeks" where all my posts that week are about one subject or subject line. But that remains to be seen.
My wife got me interested in this (check out her blog at http://kandisjsworld.blogspot.com/). She blogs pretty much every weekday, and they are pretty interesting.
So I look forward to doing this, and I hope my readers find at least some of the stuff I blog about interesting.
Have a great day!
Dave
This will be my first attempt at blogging, so until I get the hang of this, I am willing to bet it will be pretty random. I know I have a lot of stuff to talk about, but no real rhyme or reason on what order to put it all in.
So let's begin.
Most of the things I will blog about will probably rotate around my many hobbies - building PCs, auto repair and customizing, buying & selling on eBay, home repair & remodeling - - -the list goes on & on. Once I get going, I may begin "theme weeks" where all my posts that week are about one subject or subject line. But that remains to be seen.
My wife got me interested in this (check out her blog at http://kandisjsworld.blogspot.com/). She blogs pretty much every weekday, and they are pretty interesting.
So I look forward to doing this, and I hope my readers find at least some of the stuff I blog about interesting.
Have a great day!
Dave
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