Getting ready for the consignment sale

I have been a avid thrift store/consignment shopper for Jamies clothes, many were bought before we even got Jamie! It's probably suffice to say that she has way too many clothes. I haven't gotten rid of many of them, oh some to Goodwill and a full load to a consignment shop once where I got about $130 for what I sold to her. She probably paid too much (although it was a huge amount of really cute 6-9 month baby girl clothes) as she went out of business a month or two later.

Anyway there is this consignment sale here in town twice yearly in a huge venue and I am finally a consignor! I begged to get my UPC code early so I could start tagging the huge amount of baby clothes I had (6-8 Big Pampers Boxes filled). You have to get the template of your tags with the UPC code on it printed on card stock at the office store, and buy safety pins and hangers - lots of hangers!

I am nowhere near being done tagging the stuff but am more than half way through. I only told the lady I would be bring 100 pcs of clothing and it's probably closer to 200 pcs! They all have to be hung up on hangers with safety pins (clean and pressed of course) and the tags pinned to the right front of the garment.

Our house has looked like a clothes bomb went off for several weeks, (months really). I know it is driving Mike crazy but he is so nice about it. Mike traded the baby swings and bathtub and safety coaster to the generator repair man in lieu of the $38 repair fee last month during the hurricane scare, so we don't have the larger items to grapple with. Just lots and lots of clothes! Hope this sale brings us at least a couple hundred dollars for my trouble.

Did I get gouged?

The other day I pulled up to a pump that was advertising a good price - $3.64 per gallon. After pumping $99.50 into the tank and getting the receipt I noticed that I pumped silver instead of regular, the midgrade, and it cost me $4.29/gallon! I feel like I got gouged, all the other stations in town are a bit higher on regular, but none have mid grade over $4. I'm not saying that they switched it on me, it probably was my fault for picking the wrong lever, but that big of a price differential? Come on...bet that station owner is making up for selling regular at such a low price, just takes a few dumbies like me to make a mistake and he makes it up - $.50/gallon (guessing the fair price is probably 3.79/gallon) times 20 gallons times number of dumbies...hmmmm...This station was even on the news for having low prices. Do you feel like you have gotten gouged?

Is the sky really falling?

Listening to the president tonight has got me thinking...is this the beginning of the next depression? We all know that we are in a recession, even though we aren't calling it that yet for some reason. It seems it's the governments' new role to keep us scared for some reason, it used to be to reassure us -"there is nothing to fear but fear itself"

I just feel like it shouldn't be the American Taxpayers that bail out these huge organizations who made this mess.

I don't know what the answer is but I do know that my friends and family for the most part are having a really hard time right now. I hope we can bring about some kind of positive change in about 41 days.

3 computers down

My desktop computer or what my husband calls 'the server' or 'The Gateway' went down a few weeks back. As he invested in a print server a couple months ago, this didn't affect us so we let it slide. It left us with 3 laptops, his from school and my personal Toshiba and his personal Acer. My Toshiba's power cord went down Thursday (for the fourth time - good thing we invested in the 3 yr warranty!) and his Acer crashed hard on Saturday and may not be revivable. So Sunday I opened the Best Buy flyer and they had a 3 different laptops for around $500. I am typing this on Mike's new Toshiba with 180 gb harddrive and 17" wide screen. It's crazy how computers have become so integral in our lives. I guess we need to get the Gateway and Mike's Acer looked at to as backups. In the meantime we will just add a little to the debt load, the darn 3 yr warranty was almost as much as the laptop - $300 - but if we had it on the Acer the repair would be free (or replacement!) The warranty on my laptop ends in January, may want to extend that as well. Someday we will get out of debt, but it's hard when toys are so expensive and hard to live without.

Going and not going

Poor Jamie wants to be go - go - going and lately we have been stay- stay - staying, mainly because I was just not feeling up to anything adventurous. Since I felt a bit better today we went to Toddler Art at the library. We used to go every week, but don't go so much anymore. Summer time on Saturdays we want to be near our pool is one reason and the other more recent reason is my health.

Anyway we went today and couldn't find our usual on street parking so we circled the block and parked in the Parking Garage which the library validates for free usage on Saturdays. After we finished at the library we went back to the van and tried to leave the garage and the machine took my ticket but didn't raise the arm to let me out. What the heck?!

First I called the number on the sign by the exit. You know the one that says "this parking garage is run by ACME corp - if you need assistance you may call 555-1212'. Upon calling it I discover the mailbox was full. (Don't you just hate that?!)
So then I tried following another car closely to get out, but no go. The arm came right down and I couldn't get through. So I got out of thevan and tried to get a nother ticket but they only give tickets to cars, not to people. Hmmmm what else, I got on the cell and called my husband to get the non-emergency Police number. (What did we do before cell phones!?) After explaining my story to the police dispatcher I got a very bored robotic 'I'll send somebody out'. When I called Mike back he was all hopped up. "if they don't get someone there in 15 minutes I am going to call 911!" I calmed him down "Honey we have 5 Princess Books and 6 Witches books and a Dee Vee Dee (spelling this part); and we stopped
at the coffeeshop and got an iced coffee for me and a cookie for Jamie so we will be fine. Don't call the police back specially on the emergency number,this isn't an emergency and we will be fine".

An hour later and the police weren't there so I called them back. This dispatcher told me there were alot of calls downtown today (oh yeah Obama is in town, no wonder there wasn't any parking on the street!) so it may be quite a while. We parked the van back in the garage so we could go to the library to see if someone could help. As we were walking out a woman was pulling into the garage. I asked her if she would mind backing up and pulling back in so it would pop out another ticket, but she has a monthly pass which she had just swiped to get in. Oh well, on to the library...On the way the museum security guard was on the street, but he couldn't help me. As I was about to turn the corner I hear "Ma'am!" It was the lady with the garage pass. She said she would let me use my card to pull out. As she did that the policeman pulled up. I talked to him and he said he wouldn't have been able to do
anything anyway...But I said he needed to know so this company could be contacted. This was ridiculous! He agreed, so I used her card, gave it back to her, and she was unable to reswipe it as I was leaving. Hope she figured it out, at least Johnny Law was there to help.

As Jamie and I got on the road heading towards home we got stuck in a traffic jam, I have never seen so many Obama bumper stickers! It was kind of fun, we rolled our windows down and me and Jamie started chanting "Obama! OBAMA! OBAMA!" and others
joined in. Making a memory.

Well this was my 100th post- woohoo. Omigolly, and although this is an adoption or mommy blog so to speak, I feel like I can blog about whatever is going on with me. I do stay away from blogging about work as this is about me, not what I do for a living. Mike has posted twice, so it isn't really 'our' blog, face it this blog is all mine!

I think I have a few regular readers and it's nice that you come and visit me in my little corner of the blogospere. Thanks for reading and as always comments are always appreciated!

She Called me on it

When talking to a friend this week about still being sick after 2 weeks, she suggested I may want to go to the Dr. and said to me "Didnt you just say last week how much it bugs you when your husband won't go to the Doctor?"

Ahem...Hmmm guess she is right. She called me on my own stuff! I got off the phone with her and called the Dr. Office and got an appointment for the next day. I think I am so smart that I am going to get myself better - every time I think, I will just drink lots of water and take Mucinex and I will get it all flushed out. Well there should be a time that I just get a cold and actually can 'heal' myself, or ride it out. It just doesn't seem to happen anymore! I get sick and stay sick until I finally go to the Doctor. It had been 2 weeks and I was getting worse not better, so off to the Doctor I went on Wednesday.

I have an ear infection. Get that, I just didn't know adults got ear infections, but there you have it. Of course the sinuses are probably also infected so the high powered antibiotic oughta take care of both. So I am on the road to recovery at last. Or so it seems, I still feel a bit tired, but it's getting better I think. I hope so - the Google ads at the top of this blog have something to do with sickness and sinus problems every time I come here now!

Puzzle me timbers

I just love having a girl. Jamie amuses her self with puzzles, books and dolls so much of the time. I know boys do these things too, but God knew what he was doing when he sent me my Jamie. I have been exhausted lately fighting off a cold or sinus infection all week, so on the weekends I just want to rest. Rest! Yes - I do cook and do the dishes and laundry, but Mike is helping me with all that this weekend, plus he straightened and vacuumed the living room. He is just the husband for me and Jamie is just the daughter for me. I love my family.

I wish I could be a community organizer

My husband and I belong(ed) to a church that we really enjoyed going to. One of the main themes at that church was to get involved in your community and try to make the world a better place. I admire those who can do it. I think about getting involved to make a difference but it seems so overwhelming. How do they have the time!? Even to become a Guardian Ad Litem takes alot of time and effort that I just don't think I could do. Not now anyway. My life is exhaustingly busy. When I get done with work and putting Jamie to bed I just collapse on the couch. I no longer want to go anywhere wild and crazy, well once in a while I go to Walmart after 8. Heehee. A couple of my favorite bands are coming up in the next couple of months - Buckethead and Shiny Toy Guns. Both are playing on Monday nights which is typical for my smaller city. I just know I won't end up going to either show. In years gone by (even 3 years ago!) I wouldn't let the day of the week stop me from going out. *sigh* Anyway I really admire those who can do everything it takes to work, have a family and get involved in community. It's just not something to turn your nose up at.

Last weekend's slide show

Last Saturday was fun at Anders house, then coming home and doing the Playdoh frame which Ander got for her (which she loved!) but the next day she was sick with a cold. (Which daddy got Tuesday and Mommy got today)

We are watching the Weather channel daily, all hurricanes all day is still the mantra.

I heard from my dad today, he had an Anuerism in his leg which they discovered during tests (thank god) and is in a rehab center following his operation 2 wks ago. I didn't hear from any of my four step brothers and sisters who are up there in Michigan with him, which upsets me a bit...For some reason we just don't communicate anymore. I guess I need to start calling them regularly so the door of communication is more open. I hate to think that they wouldn't let me know if something really horrid happens with dad. Need to swollow that pride and make some calls I guess....

Warning: TMI about my sinus problems below. If you don't relate, skip this part!

Well I am hoping to stave off the effects of this cold. I took some Halls Early defense and also some Mucinex (Not the 'D' just the straight Muccinex) which for me is the wonder drug off all wonder drugs. I also use my homemade salt water sinus solution to irrigate often (1 gallon of non tap water, 1 tbl sea salt 1 tsp of baking soda; then use one cup of solution heated slightly in microwave) I find it's best to thin out those secretions and loosen the clogged up sinus chambers and get it out before infection sets in. I used to have sinus infections 3-4 times every year, I had sinus surgery in 1996 and I have only had about 1 infection per year lately with my new proactive health regime. Here's to hoping I can head it off again this time!

I just love this picture!

My beautiful 'all princess' all the time baby girl (Note the slipper purse and she also has on princess shoes) and my handsome 'all gator' all the time husband.