For Sale: One Yard, Slightly Mossy

We had a yard sale on Sunday. Palm Sunday. I was bad and didn't go to church. It was only the second time I missed a Palm Sunday. The first was when I was traveling to Hilton Head, SC. Ah. Hilton Head. sniff, sniff. Don't get upset, mamasoo! sniff. Don't even think about it. sniff!

Sorry- where was I? Oh. Yard sailing. Or is it sale-ing? Either way, we sailed through the sale. I had so much stuff to put out. Cleaning out mom's things, I knew I would be bringing more stuff into the house, so I tried to get rid of some of the extraneous things I had laying around. We had good weather, and good company- Soulspeak23, Ildi and their kitty, Ruddyna with her new car, and for awhile, Beena and her boyfriend John and MR. Some of my soccer moms and one very dear friend came by for moral support- not support for the yard sale, just support for the recent events in my life. Zombiegirl and her friends when crazy with the clothes- Zgirl tried on one of mom's fully fringed dresses, and declared herself an ape because it was "hairy". It was good to be outside and laughing.

Things sold. It wasn't really busy- we didn't have the regular traffic we usually get on my street. I made about $60 bucks, spent it on expensive pizza (never again, Gino's!) and Mr. Softee. But, we had a LOT of stuff left. Check it out what didn't sell...

Princess dresses. Am I really ever going get the party business going again? Probably not. I'm not into pampered, spoiled princesses bossing me and my staff around. And don't even get me started on their kids! So...out goes all the princess dresses. I'm cleaning them up, and putting them on either ebay or Craigslist. Out goes the tea sets. I am not doing kids parties ever again, unless it's my own kid's. And we all know she hates princesses. There. I said it. Out loud. No more parties. I have witnesses.

Why on earth did I keep my first wedding dress? I didn't keep my first husband, so why the dress? It got quite a few laughs at the yard sale, and comments about how thin I was. Whatever. I felt good in that dress at that time, and since then, I've had three kids. So, whatever. Out it goes. Donate to Savers.

The twelve Beefeater glasses MR finagled from our favorite Indian restaurant? Out.

The chocolate molds mom gave me years ago? The ones that I NEVER EVER USED because I hate working with chocolate? Out.

The Precious Moments I received while working in a Hallmark store so many years ago, and have been sitting under my desk for the last 18 years? Out! Ebay them, or pass them along to friends.

We're planning another yard sale in May. Cleaning up after this yard sale I found a ton of stuff I forgot to put out. I'll put the above-mentioned stuff out if it doesn't sell elsewhere. Since I now have more time on my hands, sniff, I'm going to be spending it on Ebay, Craigslist and Freecycle! Unless you want it...

Hittin' the Trail

Today's forcast on the Trail: cloudy, windy, chance of hurricanes. Maybe a tornado or two.

Gotta change my shoes. This weekend on the Trail left me with soaking feet, a sore back and eyes that feel like someone rubbed table salt in them.

Zombiegirl's Birthday Part One

Turning 10 is a big deal.

Birthday celebrations started on Wednesday night. I had to make cupcakes for Zombiegirl's class. I went out and bought the book "Hello, Cupcake!" The one I asked for my birthday, because in my Internet travels I kept coming across creations made from that book. I showed it to ZG, thinking she would pick the dogs, or the horses. What did she pick? Aliens. Yes, she's odd.

I think they came out kind of cute! "Hello, Cupcake!" uses other items such as donut holes, marshmallow and candy to create the cupcakes. Nuking the frosting makes it dippable and when it hardens, gives it a sheen. I love this guy,

We went to Dad's Wednesday night, so I baked the cupcakes there. Forgot the donut holes, so Dad went and bought me Dunkin' Donut munchkins. They were too big- the aliens kept falling over. So I waited until I got home to finish them. By 12:30a.m., I only had half done, and was getting punchy, so I went to bed and got up at 4:30a.m. to finish. It was totally worth it. She loved them and they got rave reviews in class.

Thursday night we took ZG, the older girls and Dad to Red Lobster. ZG is a total shrimp nut, and had grilled shrimp and a baked potato. MR and I split a bottle of wine, which between that, licking the frosting off everything that morning, and those damn cheesy biscuits the serve, I couldn't finish my meal. We got home, had cake (that I also baked and decorated at 4:30 that morning) and opened presents. Her gift from us was a new captain's bed, bedding and the promise to paint and redecorate her room. She's going with blue. We talked her out of black.

to be continued

Hittin' the Trail

The bloggy trail lately got flooded and proved to steep for me to navigate. It was overrun by giant bloodsucking mosquitoes. It was hot, cold, muddy and windy. There were bears.

My life got in the way of my blog. It was too extreme for me to post anything more than a a few pictures and some giveaways. I can't write about the sorrow- it's too fresh. Maybe in time. In the meantime, I've had a few distractions- St. Patrick's Day, Zombiegirl's birthday, and an up-coming yard sale, not to mention, Work.

This post was going to be about Zombiegirl's birthday party, since it was SO awesome, but I got to thinking about the ramifications of putting up her and her friends pictures for all the Internet world to see. I mean, at least four of the blogs I follow daily all show pictures of their kids, and write about them, too. So I started doing some research on "Mommyblogs" and the opinions that others have about these bloggers writing about the intricacies of their children's lives. And what I saw totally changed my opinion not only about what I write, but about what blogs I now choose to follow.

None of the blogs I follow could be classified as "Mommyblogs". Undomesticated Diva posts pictures about her kids, but doesn't give daily updates about what they're doing, where they're going or how much she hates them. I like her style of writing- she actually made me laugh out loud a few times. She says the F-word without remorse. I'm not too sure I like her picking on her husband though (she calls him "CandyAss"- it smacks of Jon and Kate plus 8) but I think it's all a ruse- she really loves him. PioneerWoman posts pictures of her "punks" and sometimes blogs about their adventures, like this and this. But I'm not classifying it as a "Mommyblog"- she's got the whole cooking and photography thing going on, too.

But here's the rub. They ARE posting pictures of their children. They ARE writing things about their children. Yes, the naked picture of P-dub's son sleeping naked on the sidewalk might be cute, but can you imagine what his friends are going to say to him when he gets older? I'm not going to get into the whole child exploitation thing (can you say "Dooce?") for monetary gain. I just don't think it's right that these kids are living a fishbowl type of life. There are crazies out there.

During my research, I stumbled on Poop on Peeps. ChickenLiver is a gutsy, ballsy woman who takes parenting seriously. She really lets these bloggy ladies know that it's NOT alright to post disparaging pictures or stories about your kids for the world to see. She gets a lot of flack from the "doocelings" and the "PWits," but that's okay. It shows that a lot of the crazies out there follow these blogs with almost religious fervor. Kind of proves her point.

So off my soapbox. I'm not posting pics of Zombiegirl or her friends on this blog anymore. I will link to a Flickr account so my friends (the only ones who read this) can see the pics. I'm going to be removing the ones I've already posted. I"m not even posting the pictures on Facebook. Did you know if you send a message to someone, you gain a limited amount of access to their profile, and can see their pics? Being on the Internet is in no way a private affair.

So is the Bloggy Trail clear now? Is it sunny and warm? No. But it's passable. Stay tuned.

Update: I was given erroneous information. On Facebook, you CANNOT see another's pictures by getting a message from someone who is not your friend. Just be careful who you pick as your friends!

Giveaway Thursday

I'll soon be back on the Bloggy trail, but in the meantime, check out these Giveaways:

Everything Up Close is giving away socks from Happy Socks. This means happy feet!

Frugal Mommy of 2 Girls is giving away a laptop sleeve from Kolobags. I was JUST looking online for a tutorial for a laptop sleeve- I was going to make one. If I win, that saves me some time!

Ebay Selling Coach has two $50 gift certificates to give away! Zombiegirl wants a new bed set, so I hope I win this!

Momma in Flip Flops2 is giving away a cute Marie Madeline Studio bag pattern and fabric of your choice! If I win, I'll make the bag and give it away at Innerpieces!

Great Deals Everywhere is not only a great website for great deals, but they're giving away two Flipnotes. I've been looking for a little pad to keep in my bag. These are cute!

Go to these sites and let me know what giveaways you entered!

More bloggy stuff tomorrow, I promise.

Wordless Wednesday

Giveaway Thursday and Two Apologies

I have to apologize twice today. They'll be at the end of the post.

Check out these giveaways quickly- they all end this weekend.

Little Gray Pixel has a giveaway for a beautiful "Bird on a Wire" photo print. Very talented! Love the blog. Hurry- this one ends February 28th.

The Muddy Moose is giving away 2 gorgeous baskets of homemade soaps, lotions and massage oils. I'm ordering her beer soap. I'm intrigued!

All Together Beautiful is giving away a 10 0z. bag of Newman's Own French Roast Coffee, and a 4 pack of Newman's Own ginger mints. Yum!

Robyn's Online World is giving away Banana Nut Cheerios! I love Cheerios! She's throwing in bowls, a loaf pan and a fruit holder/basket too!

Frugal Mommy of 2 Girls is giving away 2 sets of note cards from Purple Lemon Designs. These are really pretty.

So I have to apologize for posting my Giveaway Thursdays on Friday. I got a call from my dad around 10:00 Thursday morning. Mom was asking for me. When I say asking, I mean she wrote down that she "WANT SUS" and dad asked her if she "wanted Susan". She shook her head yes, and he asked again, and she shook again. When he told her I was at work, and could she wait until tonight, she shook her head again. So he called me, and I left work early to go see her.

I posted about mom here. Since that post, she's become bedridden, and hasn't had any nourishment except for a few sips of water. Her tumors have grown so large that they're disfiguring her jaw. The nurse suggested I go over to see her every day, since she's entered the last stage of dying. When I go, I stroke her arms, legs and feet, because the contact soothes her. I say goodbye to her, not knowing if that will be the last time.

My second apology is to anyone I offended with my Wordless Wednesday post. I didn't tag the sign, just took a picture of this random sign in my neighborhood on a street where I don't even see children- heavy or otherwise. It wasn't meant to offend. MR and I crack up everytime we see it- I had to post it. So I'll apologize, but really- lighten up.

Wordless Wednesday. So bad, but so funny.

Bear it and Grin.

Remember my Resolutions post? That rambling nonsense where I bravely put forth all that I would do for the coming year 2009? Here it is, the end of February, and I've decided to take stock on the situation. What have I accomplished in the last two months?

Have I been a duck and let things roll off my back? Have I stopped caring about how stupid people are, and stopped letting them get to me? Umm, no. Okay, I think I still have to work on that one a little. I still gripe and complain about work-related issues to my co-workers and MR. I still get ticked off at people on the bus. I'll make an effort to fix this.

Have I looked around at my surroundings and try to see the pretty? I think yes to this one. I've been more appreciative of my surroundings. I've become alert, and right now register colors more than anything. In my bleak, dreary world, I see pretty colors. It's a start.

Reslolution 3 has seen me bringing my own breakfast, lunch and tea to work. I've made my own granola (still a work in progress, but not bad) and saved about $5 a box. I've been taking the bus and train everyday. I did use the LIRR when Zombiegirl and her friend Suzie came into the city to deliver Girl Scout cookies. And I used it today. But I've had good reasons to. I've sold stuff on Etsy and Ebay, making it possible to feed my weird passion for fabric. I will start going to the gym. I feel good about this resolution.

Resolution 4- I need to take off my sneakers. I'm doing it right now, okay? And I'm going to put on makeup, even if it is 11:30 am already. This would be so much easier if my office wasn't so cold...

Here comes Resolution 5. This is where I said 2009 would be about getting me and the family to healthcare. Well, so far I've had a mammogram in January, and MR and I just started at the dentist. Dr. Harutunian is great- she's non-judgemental and not a sadist. We both needed periodontal work (me more than him) and right now I'm sitting here with ropes of hard antibiotic goo between my teeth. And aching after all the novocaine. But once this procedure is done, I can get my front crown replaced, implants for my missing back teeth, my braces on and my teeth bleached. Watch how many pictures I take then! With me actually in them! Next on the list, after I've paid for most of the dental work is an acupuncturist and dermatologist. I'll make them March's priority.

I'll check back on this subject in another two months. I have to go and pick out goo.

Giveaway Thursday

Yes- that was Spencer in my Wordless Wednesday post. And yes, those were my Uggz.

Now for some great giveaways. I love these websites! They always have unique and awesome giveaways.

Bloggy Giveaways is giving away seven pairs of "All Yours" undies from From*me Tees. I love their t-shirts. Think MR would wear one?

Frugal Mommy of 2 Girls is giving away an adorable first period kit from Dot Girl. Since most of my friends have girls, this would be a great giveaway to enter!

Mudpies and Maryjanes is giving away a Keurig Platinum Brewer. I will bring this to work if I win!

Also on Mand M, there is a giveaway for a Baggu reusable bag. Ooh. Look at the colors. You could use one of these Baggus, or go to my etsy shop and buy a reusable bag. I don't have pretty colors, though. Just skulls. I like Baggu.

Ebay Selling Coach is giving away a $25 Shell Gas Card good for gas, or anything in their mart.

Why don't I ever win anything???