If you put it out, they will touch

What will perhaps be the last GaYaPo of this year goes into its final day today, the conclusion of a three day event (as advertised, even). I am happy to say that we sold enough items to cover our costs, and feed us, and best of all, to make a visual dent in the clutter. I will most likely continue to place stuff out today, as is my style, developed over the years by the factors of procrastination and wanting to provide nifty stuff for the end of the GaYaPo crowd, who get there after the selection has been gleaned of best buys and secret valuables. Another bonus of the delayed setting-out is having stuff to fill up the bundle offers, those uniques opportunities to set many items free at the same time to the same buyer, although generally at sub-prime prices. Still, when the ultimate goal is the clearing of clutter, then the latter is not all that bad of a thing. Even my neurosis stemming from the childhood trauma of having a $50 item sold for $5 (technically, a $100 item sold for $5) is not as strong as it used to be, as people assisting with this event attempt to sneak those discounted sales under the "he'll never know" radar and I just shrug. Am I happy? No. Can I do anything? No. Is the item taking up space in our house? Uhm, no. So the cute puppy gets a cheap carry kennel in which to lounge, and the Wolf stares down upon its new owner, an owner who paid $5 less than the sticker price for the framed print. Which , by the way, I don't know anything about. Hehheh.

Yes, this will be the final day of what might be the final GaYaPo of the year, but I'm feeling pretty good about it. Of course, this doesn't mean I'm ready to sell that $700 chair or $1200 trumpet for $5. Not yet, anyhoots.

One last little note. It is being discussed by those who discuss such things whether or not to edit the name of our outdoor sales events, calling them GaYoPoSi sales or some derivative, as there may be the need to reflect the inclusion of our sidewalk usage. I suspect there will be more discussion today.

You might be wondering

The faithful five or so who follow this public record of things private understand by now that certain components of my personality not only drove the creation of this project, but also interfere with the project's progress. As the one I love most in this world is prone to say, if I "would only obsess as much on the project as I do on the games and movies, I'd have the whole house done." Sadly, this is most certainly true. Yes, I could achieve wonders. For that matter, I still can. I have switched the brain circuitry into GaYaPo mode, and have been exploring the calendar for possible dates, consulting with the weather wizard to make sure that it is a decent weekend. You know, no rain and not so hot I have symptoms for a week.

Right.

Now you know why the 2007 GaYaPo II has been delayed, as it has been too hot or too wet of late. Not to fear, it is upcoming, and I plan to hype and hooplah and use a free ad coupon. I have a few boxes of things all ready to go, priced from previous efforts. I have added new items, mostly stuff that didn't sell via eBay or half.com or get swapped away via SwapSimple. And quite honestly, I am ready to have things moved to new homes. So, as the Mrs. goes back to the grind of educating the precious and precocious and dealing with the parental denials, I go back to focusing my attention on something other than killing off Ordinators or watching foreign films. Granted, I have a church thing to finish off, and I need to throw Momma from the train, and I need to tend to pet issues. The lawn needs mowed... again. The vehicles need to be cleaned up and winterized. Meal preparation is an important distraction, as is personal hygiene. And then there are the bills.

So, if you were wondering what was up lately, now you know. Thanks for caring.

Don't stay in one spot too long

I finally got around to preparing some of the "unusual" things I plan to list on eBay. I might even revisit some of the previous items, but without the taunt to Mr. Leno. There is quite a variety of "different" stuff, and while I would love to tell you all about them, I'd rather tease you (oh, loyal reader) into checking out what's currently listed on eBay. OK, just to whet the curiosity appetite, I will tell you about one of the "odd" items that will be up soon. I came about it in a way that requires explanation, which I shall proceed to do now. Granted, it may well become the same explanation I include with the listing, so don't get all bored when you check the listing on eBay. Just sit back and chuckle along with me and the two or three others who will take the time to read the description for the "Bag of Smudge."

Some back story is in order. In fact, I will even use visual aides!! You see, the "Smudge" to which I refer is not what one might automatically think. It might be easy to believe I've gone and done something with the remains of my smoking habit, which I might actually do, but such would not be the case. No, the "Smudge" to which I refer is a lovable, adorable habit I've recently adopted. Et violà:
Is he not the most adorable furball one has seen? This is Smudge, so named because, when we rescued him, the Mrs. thought his pudgy face was sooo cute, and I loved his coloration, but didn't want to use some passé moniker like "Smoky," so I came up with "Smudge." The Mrs. liked it, he had no comment, and the name stuck. Heck, he even answers to it now. Take that, silly mutts of the world. What you can't see from this photo is how he looked when he arrived in our house. He had been living the low life at some rural abode, and had obviously been out in the elements. Obviously stemming not so much from any physical ailments or maladies, but rather from the fact that his fur was so matted that he had the equivalent of a shell instead of a coat. I thought I had a photo of his first arrival, but failed to find it. I must rely, therefore, upon the following exhibit as proof:


Yes, that is all from him, collected gently over the course of days and weeks, small portions at a time carefully removed. Why not shave him all at once, you might ask aloud to your monitor? Hmmm. It was winter. It costs money to shear. I owned several scissors. Mostly though, I had a plan. A devious plan. It came from hearing a story on the Today Show about some lady who made a sweater from yarn made from her cat. Hence, one of my new listings for eBay... "A Bag of Smudge."

Like, you know, it was, like, all like, you know, then I was like

The English language is such a marvel, when you really get down to it. We who speak Americanized English have so many words to use to describe so many things, yet we also have this marvelous tendency to use a single word to represent a wide and varied array of items and concepts. As a native American English speaker, I even enjoy the sound of some of the words available to me and others who share my vocabulary base. I have come to the point, however, that the sound of certain word grates upon my ears, and nearly causes me physical pain, especially if it is used in rapid succession within the same sentence. Sad to say, I just don't like "like." While this has no particular relevance to the project or any successful completion of any phase of it, I just felt the need to share my opinion. Since it is my opinion, you need not agree with it.

Nor, for that matter, even like it.

Feel free to not share your thoughts on the matter. You could better spend that time visiting the blog of my oldest chromosomal contribution at her new blogspot, litwitreviews.blogspot.com

It comes as no surprise

I did not write much lately, as I did not do much lately. This is changing, however, as the summer draws near an end and 'things' need to be done. Not so much my things, but the effect bleeds over. I've begun to relist on eBay with a bit more earnest, and I am preparing for an early fall GaYaPo sale. I might even get the guest room done before it is needed.

Then again…

You gotta do what you gotta do

Just finished planting some new flowers for the yard. I saw some last year, forgot about them, then saw them again this year and took the initiative to find out what they were and get me some. Hibiscus...hybuscis...hubbysicsic...tall plants with really big blossoms!! And I mean tall plants, if you want them tall. Up to six foot tall. I got the shorter variety, two red and one white with red eye. A few years from now I will have to post a picture of them, once they take off. Someone remind me.

Anyhoots, it is now August. My quasi-vacation is over, as I secretly gave myself July off just in case I needed it, due to the change of lifestyle thing with the not smoking. Having made it this far, I reckon I can deal with the associated stress of removing my clutter and dealing with Mom. Yep, plenty to do, but for now I am going to watch the Today Show discuss why we have sex...

Can I get an "ah, man!"?

Took the last of the little blues Sunday, and in celebration, I consumed volumes of celebratory liquid and smoked a pack of my favorite menthols.



Made you think it, didn't I? Hehheh. Not to worry, there has been no relapse, and it would seem I can now become one of those militant ex-types any time. Go about making others feel guilty, restricting where they can engage in the behavior, urging my legislation to raise the per pack taxes to extortionate levels, making funky faces whenever someone lights up around me. You know the type, the ones that come off as a bit holier than the rest of us, but are probably sneaking a smoke behind their pulpits, and hoping that NBC's Dateline doesn't decide to start producing "To Catch a Smoker."

Or perhaps I can just take a deep breath, not cough, and figure out why my newest addiction has to be so problematic that it could make a weaker person say "wtf" and return to the old addiction, just out of spite. I say this for many reasons, not the least being that the void left by the extinction of one addiction is much like a vacuum, and you know what nature thinks of that. Well, you do if you are learned, and if not, think physics. Mommy Nature has nothing on Mum Psyche. A behavioral vacuum gets filled before the old way even has it's butt smacked by the door.

Yes, I can take joy in the success of the Chantix and my brain working together to remove the decades-old habit, but I really need to figure out how to equate staying up late to the evils of smoking. If I find a way, I can then begin research on a little blue pill for that, and I'll dust off my pulpit to prepare for the crusade which will follow. I can begin work on the "Awake Tax" legislation, and compile a list of those who don't care. I can build a web site to warn others of the destruction the behavior can create. I can develop curriculum for self-help groups to use to "cure" the new illness and make room for the next new illness.

Yeah, I could do that. Or I could go accomplish something related to the project.