Peace on Earth and GOODWILL for me.

I've been real sad lately since there have been no garage sales going on, so I took it upon myself to go to Goodwill to get out my "rummage bug".

and I found this


which retails for $40 at Target, and on Craigslist for $25, at Goodwill for $2.99 (that's two dollars and ninetynine cents!).

I had two people in the store stop me and look at the price and freak about what a good deal I was getting.

Felt good to get out there and get a good bargain!

Insight

Gwen and I have been having a rough time together lately. We are usually both frustrated at eachother for some reason. I realized things were bad, but I didn't realize that she knew how bad they were until this morning as I was cleaning up the morning dishes and she said,

"Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"How come you're not angry with anybody yet today?"

Awesome.

Big hockey fan?

Clarity

Ah...there was a press release today clearing up some of the uncertainties with the CPSC laws...looks like we're good! Except for the small business owners, but the resellers sound like will be okay. Sorry to get everyone in angst, but I was in angst. So you know. Perhaps it was my strongly worded letter to my congressperson that got the needed clarification : )

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09086.html

Identity Theft

I'll tell you what...there's nothing like going for 48 hours thinking your entire life is ruined as a result of identity theft. I lose my wallet ALL the time. I lose keys, I lose everything, always. Blaine doesn't lose things, ever. So when he came home from work on Monday night saying he had lost his wallet, things got a bit tense. The last time he had seen it was on Saturday night when we had gone to chick-fil-a and wal-mart. We tore apart the house and I spent all day yesterday searching for the wallet at chick-fil-a, wal-mart and our church. We checked nooks, crannies everything. It was particularly stressful because he had his social security card in there too. Hello identity theifs, we are your perfect candidates. Also his drivers license is not current, so if some good samaritan had found it they would have sent it to our apartment we lived in like four years ago and called our cell phone numbers from wayyyy long ago. What a mess! I was hesitant to cancel all of our credit cards and bank information, because, seriously, what a pain! At the same time I didn't want to have some criminals having a hay day on my dime. Anyway, we got particularly stressed when we saw on a website that if you lose your wallet you shouldn't overreact "carefully retrace your steps and take an hour to look for the wallet, if it cannot be found within an hour cancel all of your credit cards, notify the police...etc.etc.". Uh, an hour? Ours had been missing for like three days at that point. Whoops.

Just as I was resigned to the fact that I would spend all day today canceling all of our financial stuff...I heard a happy scream from upstairs, "I FOUND IT!". It was in the dresser, where we both looked a couple of times. Really, it was magical....and I don't need an explanation, I am just so darn happy that I don't have to spend my life worrying about identity theft. Go and take your social security card out of your wallet. Now. And also write down all of the credit cards/bank cards you have in there so you will know what to cancel. I hope you never have to thank me later, but just in case....

Cramp my style

I was doing a little perusing today on craigslist when I came across several postings referring to "CPSIA" or the Consumer Product SafetyImprovement Act, which- from what I gather - pretty much means that on February 10th it will become illegal to sell used childrens items. Clothing, toys, shoes, high chairs, doesn't matter. And I don't know if you've noticed but that's like .....my life. Love garage sales, love craigslist, etc. Have you heard about this new law? What do you think? I appreciate that they are trying to make childrens products safer....but what about those of us who don't want to buy all brand new things for our kids...or better yet, what if it is not a matter of preference but a matter of finances. Anyway, two giant thumbs down for this law and I guess I better buy clothing for my kids and all of their toys they'll need for the rest of their lives by February 10th.

Please write an angry letter to your congressman. I did.

Ankles

I had to wonder this morning, while driving through the barren New Mexican desert, why in the world anyone would ever want to live in New Mexico (besides in the little city of Farmington, where the worlds finest hotel "Hotel Applegate" is located! Thanks Liz). Then as I was driving at 5:30AM I noticed that I was seeing about ten shooting stars per second. At first I thought they might be UFOs because, well, I was pretty close to Roswell. So I had to look it up tonight and found that one of the best meteor showers ever happened to be going on right as I was driving in the dark New Mexican desert. It was awesome. So don't complain the next time you have to wake up at 4:15AM to drive for fourteen hours, you may just be in for a treat!

On that note, I am going to bed. It's been a long two days of driving, and a long two weeks of being away from home. From the looks of my legs one might guess that I have a severe case of elephantiasis. Seriously. My ankles are as big as my thighs.

Look forward to upcoming posts about Bentley's bout with pneumonia, and me nearly getting arrested for child abduction at a Subway in Ozona, TX - - oh yes and of course how I ruined Christmas for a good friend and many of her neighbors since my dogs escaped on CHRISTMAS DAY, bah. Nothing like a road trip to jog the mind for a few good blog posts.

For now though I must tend to this elephantiasis.