Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Farewell July Hodgepodge

It's Hodgepodge time! Head on over to Joyce's blog to read other people's answers.

1. "Summer is like childhood. It's full of warm memories and gone too soon."~Kellie Elmore  Agree or disagree? Share something you loved about the summers of your childhood. Sure. Especially the gone too soon part. I love the end of the year trip to Okoboji. We'd have gone pretty soon, it was usually the last week before school starts. I love that last hurrah before being sucked back into school.
2. Are you a fan of auto racing-NASCAR, Indy, Stock, Grand Prix, etc? Ever been to a race in person? Any desire to do this?  Do you know a lot about cars? Do you notice particular makes and models when you're out and about? I don't care about car races. I do love old muscle cars though. I love going to the Good Guys Car show that comes to Des Moines around the 4th of July. Unfortunately, no one wants to go with me, so I end up not going.
Some of my favorites:
 I believe this is an Olds 442
 Chevy Stingray
 Chevy Camero
 Chevelle SS
 Any kind of cop car

 3. What's something you think is too serious to be joked about? Or do you think anything and everything is fair game? I think it depends more on the context. I've seen people joke about anything and everything and it seems to depend on what's happening at that moment whether it will go well or not.

4. July 29th is National Lasagna Day. Are you a fan? Do you have a great recipe, and if so where did it come from? If given a choice would you choose a plate of lasagna or a plate of spaghetti? Yes. I love meatless lasagna the best. I've never made it, mostly because I don't have enough people to eat it with me. I would choose lasagna over spaghetti any day.

5. What's a simple pleasure you'd miss if it were not a regular part of your life? I don't know, maybe reading. I love reading, I love digesting non fiction books.

6. If you could be the CEO of any company, which would you choose? Not a clue. Maybe something to do with creating, I'd love to create art all day.

7. August is just around the bend...bid farewell to July in exactly seven words. Goodbye extra stress, hello new path. Yay!

8. Insert your own random thought here. We had our last garage sale last weekend. I'm not sure how much I made total, but I'm tired of getting ready for garage sales. I forget how much work they are.

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Is it August yet?

So, it's almost August. And things are soon to change. My parents are about to close on their house. The new owner is coming on the 1st to do a final walk-through and whatever else is required. My parents moved out last week, they're just finishing the clean-up. It's so weird going downstairs and it's almost all empty.
Yesterday, we had our last garage sale, I have to say, I'm really tired of having garage sales. The previous one, my mom pretty much only had her stuff out, she decided they didn't really have room for my stuff. This time, they tried to pull out the rest of the stuff they didn't want. There's still a lot left. After we closed for the day yesterday, we were packing up and all these people kept coming through, it was rather annoying. At first we were just letting them take things, but then they irked us so much we made them pay for them. And they were taking their sweet time going through everything.
I have noticed quite a few things that bother me during these sales. I don't understand why people feel the need to bring their dogs. We had all sizes of dogs wandering through the sales, and the owners didn't see anything wrong with it. I didn't want to say anything because they might decide not to buy anything, but what if I had someone there that was gonna buy a bunch of stuff but they were afraid of dogs or really allergic to them? I like dogs too, I just don't know why people need to bring them everywhere. There was one couple that got out of their truck and took the dog out, it didn't have a leash let alone a collar, and they just let it wander all around with them, didn't even seem to watch it. And they didn't buy anything either.
There were a couple people that rode their bikes through pretty much the entire sale, that was weird. I didn't understand why they couldn't just plop them down in the front yard.
We had a couple people pay us for free stuff because they felt bad just picking up free stuff, that was kinda cool. We decided to have it all day on Friday this time, and I think that helped, but it seemed after the first hour there wasn't a ton of people here at the same time.
I had to take Friday off because last time, they sold a pretty big ticket item of mine, but didn't attribute the money to me. I did have one thing disappear. It was a ring in a bag with something else for 50 cents, and someone took the ring out. Now, I don't know if they put it in another bag and paid for that or just stole it. I just was annoyed that it was so cheap, and you still stole it.
I'm also amused that people always look at stuff that's not for sale and try to talk you into selling it. It's like you have to completely cover everything else in your garage or wherever your sale is, so someone doesn't look, and they still uncover things and ask you about them. And then when you say no, they get all annoyed. Or then, there was the lady that got annoyed that we stopped to think about a lower price on something when we were in the middle of another transaction and didn't get back to her soon enough. Sometimes it's just interesting to people watch at these things.
I think I started making deals way too soon. I just wanted to get rid of the stuff. I didn't want to haul it back up to my apartment. I feel there was a lot of stuff left over. After the first sale, it seemed not too many people looked at art supplies, so I have a ton of those left. Looks like I'll have to take new pictures and re-post on Etsy. I had taken everything off because it seemed like nothing was selling, so I didn't see the point of paying the 20 cents every time they expired. I didn't get rid of the two vintage trunks I wanted to.
I guess I did pretty good, as I've been living off cash for the whole month of July pretty much. It's really nice to not use my checking account. Though the other day, I was using my debit card and I forgot the pin (because my bank assigned me a new one and it's not something I would pick). It's really nice to have extra money, but I don't want to spend it at all.

I'm still stressed with my parents. Wednesday morning was so nice because they weren't around, but since then, I've been really stressed. My mom was complaining on Thursday that she'd have to be at the sale on Friday morning because it wasn't as ready as she wanted it to be so she could work in the morning. And she's saying this in front of me, implying it's my fault. She's been doing that a lot during the move. She's the one that's not doing things that need to be done, but she doesn't want to take the responsibility for it, so she puts it on someone else. She's also realizing how much my dad can't see the more she's around him. She realizes why I get frustrated because he can't see things and then he doesn't take my word on things and asks me dozens of times. They're in an apartment while their condo is being finished and in this apartment there aren't phone plugs, so they're doing some kind of internet phone and they have to connect their modem (which they didn't have) to an internet port in the wall and then into their phone thing, and dad's asking me how to connect the Ethernet cable, so I told him twice. And then, he called my brother and asked him, and he told him the exact same thing. My mother has decided being blind somehow affects your ability to remember things. I can understand that with things you see, but I don't understand how it's with things I'm telling him. I mentioned it might also be because of his hearing, but the minute I said that, she changed the subject. I think it's because both of their hearing is kinda going, and if she confronts his problem, she'll have to confront hers.

I just can't wait until they're not here and I don't have to do (it seems like) everything for them. Half the reason I'm so stressed is because of them.

Yesterday after the sale, I had to mow the lawn because my cousins were taking our lawn mower, and then we were packing things in their trailer, I don't believe I really got to relax until about 8:30 last night. By the time I went to bed at 10ish I was so tired and my whole body hurt. I wish I could just relax today, but I have to go to work at noon, and that's just (not) fun. Maybe I can relax on Wednesday.

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Hot and Sticky Hodgepodge


1. When I look at the sky I feel free. How could you not when all that's up there is clouds?
2. If you had to run for political office, which one would you run for? Do you have any real desire to actually do this? I wouldn't ever run for office. My mom was on the city council for years, and I saw how stressed she became because of it. I know I'm never going to please everyone, but I don't need a bunch of people mad at me because of the decision I made.
3. What scent makes you think of home? I don't have one specific scent. Mowed grass is nice, wet dirt, lavender, roses.
4. How often do you take a step back to think about where you're headed in life? Do you need more or less self-reflection? Not a lot, mostly because I don't know where I want to be headed, so it's hard to look at it. I know where I don't want it to head, and I know of a couple things I want, but I don't know how to get there, especially not from here.
5. July is National Ice Cream Month...besides a cone, what's your favorite food item to top with ice cream? rice. Nice hot rice with cold vanilla ice cream, it's soo good.
6. What might your autobiography be called? Boring
7. Your least favorite mode of transportation? Why? Bicycle, my butt gets sore if I'm on one for too long. I know, if I rode more often, it wouldn't, but I prefer walking over biking.
 8.  Insert your own random thought here. It's hot and sticky here, I can't wait until cooler weather (didn't think I'd ever say that). We had a heat advisory yesterday afternoon and into today until 7pm. I had sweat running down my face and neck yesterday by the time I got home. Today, it was just on my face by the time I got to work. I was really overheated, plus the library doesn't have that great of AC at this location, so certain parts are very warm.
Also, I'm bored. Everything I do is boring. Movies/TV I watch is boring, the books I read are boring, I can't get inspired to do any artwork. My food I had for supper today was tasteless and boring. I'd really love to drag myself out of this rut, but I don't know how to do it.

Thursday, July 17, 2014

I need a break

I need a new job.
My job was re-organized in May, and I got demoted. Everyday I come in and they tell me what I can't do for the day, and every day it gets worse. I've had days I've felt like just leaving. Or I come in and I think I should just turn around and leave. I need the money though. I was going to wait until after a big even happened thinking it would get better, but it just keeps getting worse. It's just blow after blow. We have lost about 10 people since we got re-organized, so much that they're relegating our details to other people, and then they decide we can't even do those duties. Basically everything is not our problem, and I have a hard time putting in the effort when I'm there.
It used to be, work was a way to get away from my personal life, but right now, both are so stressful, I woke up physically drained yesterday.
My parents are moving (I live on the 3rd floor of their house) and the moving truck is coming next Tuesday and this Monday they started freaking out. And now they're bugging me to help them, because they are nowhere near ready. I know I don't need an excuse to help them and I shouldn't be bothered because it's not my fault they didn't get in gear earlier. They've known for a little less than a year that they were moving, and they just ignored it. I know they should have been sorting a long time ago. But, now my mother says she doesn't have time for sorting, but she has time for other things. Shouldn't moving be her first priority? She shouldn't have said yes to all these things she said yes to, because she has a ton to move. But I can't say anything, because I'm wrong and she's right.
I don't have any where to escape too. I need a vacation from my life.

Tuesday, July 08, 2014

Summer Hodgepodge

It's Hodgepodge time again. Head on over to Joyce's blog to read other people's answers.


1. July is National Anti-Boredom Month. When was the last time you were bored? What's your go-to cure for boredom? I read. I always have plenty of books in my apartment on a variety of subjects.
 2. What's the last thing you made a reservation for? Probably for brunch on Father's Day. We don't do a lot where reservations are required.
 3. What's one thing on your summer 'bucket list'? Any plans to make it happen? I don't make summer bucket lists, even when I plan things, they somehow fall through, so I gave up.
 4. What's your favorite summertime sip? I love homemade lemonade. I don't like lemonade any other time of year.
5. What do you find is the best way to handle another person's hostility and hopefully ease the tension? Try to figure out why they are hostile and find a way to calm them down.
 6. Your favorite film set in summer? American Graffiti
7. What word are you using too much lately? I can't think of one. 
8. Insert your own random thought here. I think my parents are finally realizing they have too much stuff and need to get rid of some of it. We're having our second of three garage sales this weekend. The first one seemed to be mostly stuff they were getting rid of anyway. This time they're starting to sort through things they haven't seen in awhile. I'm afraid they're going to get to their new condo and realize they have too much stuff. I'm also trying to stay out of their business it's not something I need to worry about. I may not be moving, but I'm still trying to downsize for when I do move.

Sunday, July 06, 2014

Last week's finds

So, it's been awhile since I've had a real post other than hodgepodges. Has anyone heard of Little Libraries? Basically it's a box of books, you take one and give one back. They must send you a generic box, because a lot of them look alike, but then you decorate it however you please. I've also seen a lot of customized boxes. This one is fairly close to my house and they decorated it all with buttons. How cool is that?
Side:
It says "Unbutton your imagination" Front:
A full frontal:
Other side:
And back:
Last weekend, my mother and I went to Junkin' in June. A lot of little antique places around central Iowa open their doors for people to shop during the weekend. I think I had the most fun this year. I'm not entirely sure why, it might have been because I only went to the ones I knew I liked. I had to work Saturday afternoon, so I had limited time.
The first place we went to, we went to it last year, they moved to a bigger location. I saw a lot of cool things, but since I'm trying not to spend much money lately, I didn't find much I couldn't live without. Maybe that's why I had a better time, I took the time to figure out if I really wanted things before buying them.
My first purchase was this cute little pillow made out of an old quilt. I love old quilts, but they're usually out of my price range, so I try to find other ways to get them.
My next purchase was this cute little box. I took it home and altered it, I love how it turned out.
And my last purchases of the day, some vintage photos,
And the word "ART", there's also a tiny metal guy that has the word Buster on his hat. The straws are spotty and came with my meal.
The meal was a cute little boxed meal, and it was little. I thought it would be fine to eat at work and I'd be filled up til later, nope. It was a very small bun with a piece of cheese and turkey. I was still hungry afterward, so I had to go buy more food.

Like I said I had more fun this year than in previous years. Maybe we'll have to do it when I limited time next year.

My week has been nice and busy. I feel as if I've been working all week, and I did most of it. Monday was work and then it poured right when I got done, and continued pouring for about an hour. Tuesday we had flooding and a little more rain. Wednesday, I picked up an extra shift and just worked. Wednesday was my birthday, but I didn't do anything special. We went out for supper and I got a cake, which we haven't touched yet. Thursday, I had a split shift and in between had to mow and rake the lawn and take care of laundry. I was so exhausted when I went back to work that night, afterwards it was fireworks. Friday, got up and went to the parade, after that we got ready for a family get-together and then I wandered downtown for a little while. Unfortunately, that was un-exciting. I thought there was supposed to be more to do/eat/see. Yesterday, we spent the day sorting through my brother's old things while he was here. And today, I got back to work, I'm not sure I'm ready for it.

How was everyone's 4th of July?

Wednesday, July 02, 2014

My birthday (but mostly Wednesday Hodgepodge)

It's my birthday!!!!
It's also time for the Wednesday Hodgepodge, check out Joyce's blog for other people's answers.

1. Speaking of 180...when was the last time you 'did a 180' on something? Maybe on viewing my life lately? I think it 's time for a new direction, I just don't know what it is.

2. It's Independence Week in the US of A! What's your favorite thing about America right this very minute? Favorites only! Let's hear what you love about America. It's America, what's not to love?

3. Stars or stripes? Red, white, or blue? Watermelon, homemade vanilla ice cream, or blueberry pie? Stars, Blue, and blueberry pie.

4. When did you last see stars, figuratively speaking? When I set up my microwave a few years, I gave myself a jolt while attempting to plug it in. That was fun.

5. 'Clear as a bell', 'with bells on', 'lots of bells and whistles', 'saved by the bell'...which phrase 'rings' truest for you lately? Have you ever seen The Liberty Bell? Let's go with Lost of Bells and Whistles, because today is my birthday. I don't have anything planned, I'm working, and then going to supper with my parents. I keep trying to schedule something with my friends, but out schedules are not working well this week. So, unfortunately, there won't be lots of bells and whistles. I did ask family and friends for a card shower, and I'm hoping to get a lot, but I don't think that will happen either.

6. Are you caught up in World Cup fever? Have you watched a lot or a little or none at all? I'm so ready for it to be over. I don't pay attention to sports at all, but I seem to run into it on Facebook and Google, and I'm ready to not see it anymore.

7. Bid farewell to June in 10 words or less. Goodbye busy June, welcome July.

8. Insert your own random thought here. Like I said, it's my birthday, but I don't have anything planned. Maybe I'll get a bunch of online birthday wishes. I was hoping to do something fun, but it seems my planning of things with friends this year just isn't working out.