Yard Sale? Yeah, Right!

There are advantages and disadvantages to being a tight fisted penny pincher like me. The number one advantage is; I don't spend any more than a dollar twenty-nine for a drinking glass. The disadvantage? It is that the drinking glasses I get are from Taco Bell or Subway, and I can't turn around and sell them at a yard sale.

Or can I?

I mean ... How much would someone be willing to pay for some really cheap plastic (oversized) cup? I bought them for a buck-thirty something (after taxes), but they had drinks in them. Hmm ... Maybe if I washed them all, had my niece make some lemonade, and sold them that way?

I don't know. That might just work. She could sell them for seventy five cents. That's a good deal for forty-four ounces of lemonade and a free cup, I think.

I've found many disadvantages to being frugal. For instance, as I've been going through my stuff to put in the yard sale (which, by the way, has been put off for two weeks consecutively), I've stumbled across many things I own and wondered, "Why the heck did I ever get this? I wouldn't buy this thing now myself!"

It's getting to the point where I'm thinking to myself, "There's no point trying to make money off this junk."

The only thing I have of any value is an eighteen year old microwave that has a sticky door on it. I suppose it might be worth twenty bucks at the most. It is in working order, other than the door you have to push up on while you push the release button. Everything else I could probably just give away.

It's Vacation Time at This Space for Rent

That's right! A whole week off since I can't remember when. (I think it might have been two years ago when I took my ex down to Cades Cove.) This year, I have no set plans. Other than arranging my stuff in my mom's basement in order to create a livable apartment, that is.

Oh, and register for classes, too. (And try, in the next couple of months to get as much overtime at work as I can. I'm going to have to pay my own way until I can get off academic probation.) As soon as I can, I'm going to apply for financial aid ...

A Cry for Help!

HHHEEEEEEELLLLP!

I've been trying for two days now to post pictures to my blog. I've signed up to the "Hello" thingy, and I've sent the picture I want to use for my user profile, but I can't figure out how to post it ...

Can anyone throw me a bone here?

Something's Rotten in Texas (Big Surprise)

I saw a little crawl on (of all places) Fox News tonight about how the Texas Republican party has been urged by the Jewish Anti-Defamation League to stop calling the United States a "Christian Nation" in the party platform. Here's a quick story from Reuters about it.

Here's also a link to the U. S. Constitution on the subject; Article (Amendment) I

I understand that most (hey, if not all) of this country's founders had a "deep faith in God." I also understand that those same founders came from several different sects, and some of these sects persecuted one another.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I trace some of my ancestry to Ireland. It's almost obligatory to be proud of that ancestry (and I am proud of it), but I shudder to think about what life would have been like had my family not come here. (Actually, I have a strong suspicion they were deported, but that is a different story.)

...Let's just say I feel privileged to have grown up in a country in which the government allows freedom of religion...

(By the way ... I've prayed many times in public schools, and I've never been harassed for it.)

Aqua Teen Hunger Force ... Umm, Wow!

This has got to be the best, most twisted little show I've ever seen. I can't even describe it. There's a little meatball (an actual lump of hamburger, that is) called Meatwad that was jumping on another character's bed eating caulk out of a tube ... Saying something about how it was "Some delicious cheese..."

Far too bizarre for me to keep up with. This is calling for my complete attention...

I'll see you folks later....

Changed My Mind

I had a nice little piece ready to go pondering on the reading habits of our President. But, I've decided to scrap that idea. (The premise was that as I was watching a documentary about the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, I wondered aloud if perhaps President Bush had ever read the book. My dad said it depresses him to think about what the President has or has not read. I was going to contend that I found the prospect funny. I've changed my mind.)

Not for the obvious reason, though. (Ok, maybe a little for that reason. That being I would be buried alive under "conservative" backlash.)

No, the reason I decided to change my mind was that a new subject occurred to me ... At about seven thirty this morning. I know seven thirty in the morning doesn't sound all that early to a lot of you out there. It is, however, if your routine sees you in bed by four thirty most days.

I know exactly what it was that woke me up so early.

I took dad and his wife and my little half-sister out to dinner last night. (I don't know how much of the country Cracker Barrel serves, but if there is one near you, I recommend it.) That was the first time I'd had a sit down dinner at a restaurant in what seems like forever (three months still seems like forever, but years seem to fly by the older I get. Go figure.)

I had forgotten that some places offer free refills of soft drinks.

Soft drinks. That's a combination of words I'd rank just ahead of "compassionate conservative" as being misleading. Yesterday, I drank what would normally have been a two day supply of cola in one sitting. That was three glasses, and I'm thinking they would have been about 20 ounces each. If I'd had that much beer, the effects would have worn off a lot faster, and I think they would not have been so profound.

I felt my heart racing for a couple of hours after the fact. I had trouble getting to sleep, even though I was tired. And I woke up after about three hours, and couldn't get back to sleep until about ten this morning.

I'll be trying to lay off the sodas now ... Definitely. That's going to be hard, though. There's no support group for that. No treatment programs. Nothing.

Trust me ... If such things existed, I'd enroll myself!

A’Brewin’ I Will Go

I’ve already forgotten how long ago it’s been (I’m thinking on the order of two years since this past Christmas) since I got that Mr. Beer. And, I’ve never used it. This week, as I was moving all my stuff out of the apartment (in the heaviest downpour in the past three months) I rediscovered it in the corner of my closet.

I wondered to myself about how hard or time consuming it would be to actually brew my own beer. Today, I got my chance to find out. A friend of mine was over today, and she saw the thing setting out, and asked me if I was going to use it. I told her that I was going to go to the Liquor Barn to get some mix (I’m not adventurous enough to get the malt and hops separate … This is my first time out) and I hand planned on starting a barrel of it today.

Of course, that’s a sure sign that the mix that works best with the kit I have isn’t sold in my town, so I got something completely different.

The front of the label says, “Irish Ale; Product of Holland.”

On the other side of the label, it says, “Paine’s Malt LTD., Newark, Notts., England.”

I was intrigued, of course. Save for any reference to the Cherokee Nation, my heritage is represented on that label. (I’ve ancestors from the Netherlands and Ireland ... And I’m sitting in a former English colony. Which might have been called “As Far West Virginia as You Can Get Without Ending Up in Missouri” were it not for the decision to use the name the natives had been using for this patch of land.)

Everything in the instruction manual that came with my keg talked about powders. I open this … thing … when I get home and it’s a thick, gooey liquid. (For all I know, though, the Mr. Beer mix is a syrup, too, but in a much smaller container. And, more than likely, mixed differently in some way.)

According to the instructions that came with my keg, the brand I was supposed to be using makes 20 of those 12 ounce bottles. The Dutch/Irish/English Ale makes 36. The Mr. Beer mix asks for one and a half cups of sugar. The other asks for two pounds. The keg holds eight and a half quarts. The Irish Ale is supposed to be brewed in a seven and a half gallon container. My friend and I took out a calculator and tried to figure out how best to fit the mix in to the keg we had. I’ll say that everything looked right after we added the yeast (again, one thing calling for one amount, the other calling for something completely different). And, everything continues to look right … For now. We’ll see how it turns out when I sample the first bottle in a couple of weeks.

Birthdays. Hmm.

One day last week, an old friend called me. We talked about many different things, mainly things friends talk about when they haven't seen or talked to each other in a couple of months; just catching up sort of things ... What we've been up to, how we've been feeling. That sort of thing.

But, near the end of that conversation, she asked me how I was dealing with having turned Thirty. (dun dun DUUUUNNN!). She is going to turn thirty herself this year, and was wondering what to look forward to in the coming months/year.

I drew in a quick breath, and thought. This is one of those times when so much comes to your head that you don't even know where to start. What I told her was that there is a good chance that it will be a real drag on her emotional state. Any issues she'd been dealing with that hadn't been resolved just yet will come back on her. Turning thirty, for me, had been a time for introspection, retrospection, and worrying over dreams of mine that hadn't (yet) come true (and, for the most part still haven't).

And, in the middle of all this, there was the kid that I was fifteen to twenty years ago screaming out "Hey, fella. I'm still here." That voice has won out. I wake up in the mornings feeling, well, young. And for good reason. I am. But not so young that I don't realize MTV is no longer looking to advertise to me (I'm now solidly in the VH1 bloc, and even it's starting to lose appeal).

While I'm sitting here pondering over this, I have no idea where to go next, what to say next, what to do next. That's what life is basically like for all of us, I think. Any time I've ever asked for some profound advice about life from people older than me (no matter how much older they are), their reactions are similar. Example;
Me: What's this life all about?
Older Person: (Looks at watch, then at hand. Places hand on forehead, and runs it slowly past hairline towards the back of head) I don't know, kid. I was hoping you could tell me!

While a lot of folks might have found despair in that situation, I wouldn't. The person I was seeking to advise me would look me in the eye, and I would see some sparkle in it. Then I would realize that this person looks a good twenty, thirty, or maybe even forty years older than me, but there's that sparkle. And I know what it means.

Life's meant to be cherished. Even though you may not be able to find true happiness (who can?), you can still find joy. That's the thing I've discovered this past year. That joy and happiness don't have to go hand in hand. And given the choice between the two, I would chose joy any time.

(But, there's still room to grouse about things. Don't be afraid to let that fly every once in a while, too. Don't let it build up! By all means, though, find a constructive way to do it!)

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You can tell today that there will be now Wednesday Quote. Instead, I'm going to post a some links on the topic of the day.
Wil Wheaton Dot Net July '02 and July '03 (From the months of his Thirtieth and Thirty-first birthdays, respectively.)

Thoughts on Turning 30
by Michael Werneburg (I've never heard of him before, but I liked his take on it.)

Of course, I normally don't do this (I'm posting this link without having read it over carefully), but here's a book for sale on Amazon.com called Wise Women Speak to the Woman Turning 30. I think it might be a little more in line with what my friend might have been wanting to hear. My take on turning thirty is far too narrow, I think, and limited by the inherent biases of my gender.

A Pre-Written Entry

I’ve forgotten how much better I liked it when I had the chance to pre-write my entries in my word processor program. I forgot how great it is to write when the inspiration hits and not have to wait on an Internet connection. Now I can have several entries ready to go so I don’t have to worry myself about not keeping up the promise to keep something posted every day.

This way I can get a lot more elaborate about what I want to say about current events. Keep in mind I’ve had plenty to say about what’s been going on in the world, particularly what our administration (*cough* regime) has been up to, but I’ve been far too befuddled to be able to write about it. And, by the time I have a clear enough mind to write, it’s time for the next befuddlement.

One thing I realize about myself … I don’t even like it when I get political, so I might leave it to other people to write about their leanings.
So, now I’m back to trying to keep the New Year’s resolutions I made when the year actually was new (and I was nursing my first ever hangover.)

By the way … I’ve pretty much slowed way down on my drinking. It’s not that I realized I could ruin my life (though I know it was a possibility.) But, just like most other hobbies I’ve picked up, I’ve lost interest in this one too.

Of course, I realize now that I’ve taken to pre-writing my entries (again), I’ll wind up blowing the time I save by just surfing the net.

Can't Blog Too Long

I have a few things left at my old apartment that I was too tired to pick up yesterday. I really must have worked myself silly Saturday. That will happen, though, if you wind up moving out of a place during a torrent.

It's like one of the guys helping me said. "Are we moving or swimming?"

What Was The Name of the Windows Edition That Was Out Two Editions Before XP?

Help! I honestly don't remember. I haven't used my own computer in so long. And, as I booted it up for the first time in what seems like forever I didn't pay attention to the opening screen. I think I'm running '98 right now ... Which is just fine with me. I'm mystified by most (if not all) of the "improvements" made in ME and XP.

For example, on my mom's computer I can't find Scandisk (even when I search the hard drive for it.) Mom's computer desperately needs scandisk run on it. I've never seen such a new computer freeze up so often (other than D's.) I've managed to keep mine up and running, and I've neglected it for what I'm sure must be months on end. But, then again, I'm not used to "new and improved" anything. Give me "old and inferior." It's something my mind can handle.

Friday Morning Adventures

Former President Reagan's funeral was today. All I'm going to say is at least he delivered what he had to give to this country with a smile.

*** ** *** ** *** **

That's what I sat (half-way) watching while I was at the waiting room at the doctor's office today. Mostly I just read the paper, while my mom was having an endoscopy/biopsy done. For the past few months, she's been having some pretty serious stomach pains. She had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and the medication she was on for it started causing ulcers in her mouth and pain in her abdomen. She was afraid that she had developed ulcers in her stomach, too. Luckily, none were found today and her biopsy results came back clean. But, she does have a small hiatal hernia (the doctor said that the hernia wouldn't explain the pain she has had.)

*** ** *** ** *** **

Tomorrow, I have a couple of friends coming over with a pick up truck and a trailer to help me move out of my apartment and into my mom's house. I haven't really been looking forward to this. I'd prefer staying out on my own, but with the new car and the insurance on it, plus going back to school this fall ... Let's just say that rent got harder to pay lately. But, so long as I'm in school, I'll be alright.

Time Lag -1 Day

I've forgotten exactly how powerful Tylenol P. M. can be. I took just two of them Tuesday morning before I went to bed, and got more than my usual amount of sleep. (I wound up passing out on the couch for about an hour before I could get up to go to my bed for the next eight and a half.

So, all together, I had gotten close to ten hours of sleep by the time I "awoke" yesterday. But, I felt like I had a hangover (minus the headache and nausea, of course) all day yesterday. So, when I blogged, I wasn't even sure what day it was. (I'm just going to toss out the Tylenol P. M. and get some regular Tylenol for the next headache I get.)

I know this may seem like a long way around to this part of the story, but the Humpday Quote is coming to you on a Thursday this week ... Thanks in no small part to a dose of over-the-counter pain(over)killers.

*** ** *** ** *** **
Anyone who says he can see through women is missing a lot.
-----Groucho Marx

I Got Served Once Again

Last night, the person who challenged me to make the crab rangoons challenged me to make a chili dip she got at a Goldstar yesterday afternoon. Sounded, once again, to be a fairly simple thing. However, this will demand that I do some actual cooking. That is to say, the preparation of the meat
(For you vegetarians/vegans out there, I am planning on making a meat-free version of anything this lady challenges me to make)is going to be a bit more detailed than simply shredding it and adding cream cheese.

That means more opportunity to screw up! It's a bit more fun when it isn't a slam dunk, to me at least.

I wonder how this is going to come out...

All Our Yesterdays' Tomorrows

I'm going to do things a little different today. I'm going to let Blogger handle the date/time stamp instead of doing it myself. (I'm running pretty late today, so I thought I'd cut a dozen keystrokes out. It'll save time, you know.)

Had a good day yesterday. Hung out at a bookstore, and had tea and Seven Up on the shore of a pond outside the store.

She took me to a Thai restaurant after that. I've never had Thai food before, and I heard that it was fairly spicy. I love spicy stuff, and I was a little disappointed ... At first. My sinuses did drain a little, it wasn't nearly as powerful as the first time I tried Chinese hot mustard. It wasn't until nearly a half an hour later when I popped some Altoids gum that I realized the spices left my mouth a little ... Sensitive. I thought I'd frozen my uvula!

We got back together later at her place (I helped her to get her DVD player working) and watched A Christmas Story, Then talked about our exes. She's still very much in love with her ex, even though he's getting married, and knows pretty much what's going on in his life. I'm ambivalent about my ex now, and I haven't seen or heard from her in more than a year and a half. I don't really know what's going on in her life. (It would be nice to know, I suppose, but I'm not going out of my way to find out.)

A Rare Saturday Post
June 4^th
5:23 P. M.

Having a typical Saturday, are you? I know I am. Or, I should say, what constitutes a typical Saturday since the inception of Cartoon Network. None of the caroons I used to watch aren't shown on Saturdays anymore. They're on all week long, so I have no special reason to look forward to the weekends anymore. (I hope everyone's catching the irony in this.)

So, today instead of looking forward to cold, sugary cereal and the latest re-reun of Scooby Doo (Velma ... Raaaooorr!)I'm instead looking forward to hanging out with some old friends and watching School of Rock!

And, without any further ado ... That's where I'm off a-to!

No Dirt Today
June 4^th, 2004
4:03 P. M.

Instead of the substitute Friday Five I've been doing off and on for the past couple of weeks, I thought I would instead post a few links I've been perusing for a few months. I've been keeping them in a draft I haven't bothered posting. Come on in! Take a look. See anything you think you might like, click on it!

The U. S. Constitution Online
The Journey
A Town Called Podunk
Dreams 24/7
Love A Little More...
The League of Liberals
Doctors Get Breast Cancer, Too
The Daily Donkey
Led Free DC
The PCAT Professor
Glow Machine's Solipsistic History of the Universe

You Got Served ... Literally!
June 3^rd, 2004
2:24 P. M.

Have you ever been directly challenged to do something you've never done before? That happened to me last night (technically this morning.) I don't even recall how we got on this subject, but a friend and I were talking about Chinese food last night. She and I both absolutely love crab rangoons.

"I wonder where you can get the things they wrap the crab stuff in?" She asked.

I knew. "I know," I said, "My dad used to make egg rolls at home about twenty years ago. You can get them in the produce department at Kroger's."

Those were the first two lines of that conversation last ... mmm ... This morning that led to me feeling as if I'd received a culinary challenge. I left work at about two thirty this morning and rounded up some cream cheese, (imitation) crab meat, the pasta wraps for egg rolls/rangoons, and a gallon of olive oil (its unit price is muuuuuch cheaper if you buy it that way.) After I rounded that stuff up, my friend wanted me to bring the wraps back so she would know what to look for (and where) when she wanted to make the rangoons herself. I did just that and told her I would make some and bring them in "tomorrow", then went home. I had a little trouble getting to sleep last night ... I was so looking forward to facing the challenge.

I have, in fact, six rangoons ready to go (it used to be nine, but you know what it can be like when you're cooking), and I'm looking forward to serving them at work tonight!

In case you're wondering, I have no real recipe to follow. I improvised with no measuring devices involved. But, I took a forkful of the (imitation) crab meat, two forkfuls of cream cheese and mashed them around until the meat was in small pieces ... I basically stopped when I felt like the meat was in small enough pieces to suit me, so I don't even know how to describe the size. I did this twice to make the six (nine) rangoons.

I took a small (maybe two quart) pan and filled it three quarters of the way with olive oil and set it on medium high heat. That was too high, the first three I made (the ones I ate) cooked too quickly and turned a little darker brown than I would have liked. But, I could see that being a matter of taste. I turned the heat back and cooked the rest a little longer. Those came out perfectly, in my opinion.

On the subject of the culinary arts, I saw this story on AOL as I logged on this afternoon. Tearless onion cutting? Who'd have thought?

Back on the Air
June 2^nd, 2004
2:07 P. M.

We made it through the storms; even had a nice little river running through our backyard. Other parts of the region didn't get off so easily, though. Much of a small town that held many memories for a dear friend of mine was nearly wiped out. (This is a particularly poignant loss for her. She tells it well enough in her short post from yesterday. I'm not even going to try to add anything to it. All I'll say is that I've had a moment of silence.)

For all those who survived, there is no doubt something or someone dear to you was lost this past weekend. For all of you, my heart goes out.

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"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."
-Franklin D. Roosevelt