The Last Summer Outing....In The Cool Fall of August

Yesterday we took a family excursion to Indiana for the day. Indiana, for certain does not = awesome. Isn't it amazing what we will do for our friends? Cause I'd turn right around and do it again tomorrow, Indiana or no, just try and keep me back. We made a full day of it too, used up every second of fun at our day in Indiana. We spent our day at the house of BFF Good Joo and family. Here is a picture of her darling girls and the best dog in the world, Lu. Go ahead and admit that they are the cutest things you've ever seen and you want to squeeze the shit right out of them. Of course a picture can't really capture the sweetness of Little A and the juicy squeezability of B.

The only thing I would've maybe changed about the day is to leave at 9:00 pm instead of nearly 10:00 pm. I had to drive home, Vader was far too exhausted for that. Go karts are hard work. Here is a picture of us on our way home, I'm high on caffeine and everyone else is out cold. Thanks everyone.

So now I'd like to post an open letter to Good Joo and family. An open letter in part because Good Joo is required by the bonds of friendship to follow this blog and this forces her to do so. The other reason is because since she's no longer a part of the neighborhood, she isn't mentioned often in the blog and isn't included in all the neighborhood dramas. Poor Good Joo.

Dear Good Joo, Hubby, Little A & B,

Thank you, thank you, so much for a fantastic day! Everything was so wonderful and we had so much fun. From antiquing to putt-putt, dinner around the table together to watching B play in the dirty dishwasher, all of it...enjoyable. We can't say enough thanks.

Your A is an adorable little girl and has become so much fun for A and D. They don't just want to watch her play and laugh with her, now they wrestle around with her, find things everyone can agree to play together and just enjoy each other's company. Admittedly I miss the little firecracker that swore with reckless abandon and wasn't shy about showing her disdain for D, but who wouldn't miss that? And who wouldn't love Little A as she is now? Oh, here's a funny story from the ride home. Apparently D realized that wanting to play with Little A was clearly reciprocated by her and this is what he said:

D: Today was so great. We need to do this more often. A was so much fun and didn't even want to hit me. Do you think it's because I'm tall?
A: Hmmm, well you have been growing. Could be.
Me: Huh?

Anyway, I'm so glad to find I'm not alone in all my crazy, I need to tear all my hair out, episodes. Thank you, Good Joo, for having them too. God, we even became sick at the exact same moment from antiquing in what must've been basements full of black mold. That's awesome. Shared sore throats form a cement bond around friendship. But Good Joo, why couldn't we have had a shared pregnancy instead? Why? I need a fat B too. Ooooh, that Vader, wrecking my cement bonds and baby moments.

Well, we all just want to say thanks for a great day. Don't expect that we're not going to want to do it again soon. We'll just see if we can't schedule a day between barfing babies, strip club outings and mountain bike excursions again. I know, I know, we are two very busy families, but it seemed to work out perfectly this time.

We love you guys and miss you already, the neighborhood is too quiet without you.
Love Leaf, Vader, A & D

Welcome Autumn

An early autumn is upon us. I don't know what we did in Michigan to deserve this, but we got pounded this winter, we had a super long spring that extended right into August where we had 2 weeks of summer which quickly turned into early fall. It's freezing for August. Highs in the 60s, grey, and rainy. The leaves have been changing and falling for 3 weeks now. My poor kids barely got to go to the pool at all. If it wasn't for the 4 weeks of fantastic swim lessons, they quite possibly could've forgotten how to float this year. I did take them to the beach....it wasn't warm those times either. But hey, if you're having fun, you become immune to the hypothermia. You power through it, cause that's just how we roll in Michigan.

Here is a picture of one of their fabulous swim lesson days. Look how fun. All the mommies and grandmas...so proud. We were proud because the heater kept breaking on the pool and the little darlings just kept swimming in that freezing cold water, it was actually worse when they got out, windy and 70 doesn't make for a good swimming day.

I'm Never Sick

But today I am. Readers, I'm not going to lie to you, I feel like death warmed over. I don't know if the was the culmination of the huge New York show, working like crazy when I returned to get the house ready to sell, the stress of packing up my beautiful things, and finally my computer dying yesterday leaving all my ebay buyers in the lurch, or if I simply caught a bug, but whatever it is, it has got to stop. Here is a picture of poor me, looking all miserable, the one time this morning I was able to extract myself from my bed. No part of this was fun, believe me. Now I have my computer back and besides from the all over body-aches, I'm feeling much better. I'm sure that will all change when I get my "Huge Amount Of Horrible Viruses And How Has Your Computer Worked For This Long" bill, from my computer guy. I'll probably end up right back where this picture was taken.

Relaxing With Vader

Admittedly I did take a break this week from all the packing. Vader and I took a few minutes to talk about our week while he was grilling one night. It was nice to just enjoy each other's company for a few minutes and relax. I sure do wish he'd hurry up and mow the grass though.

New Series ~ PICTURES FROM MY LIFE

In this new series of posts, I'll be showing you glimpses into my life through real life pictures. Here is a picture of me from this past week. As you can see, I'm not really happy. In fact, I look extremely grumpy. Yes, I am wearing a hat, what am I to do, it's a very bad hair day. The house is clearly a bit of a mess, but you can see I have been busy packing up boxes!

Ohhh Emmm Geeee

I don't remember signing up for this shit. I'm exhausted. Inside, outside, all over. I constantly fall asleep sitting at the computer, watching tv, just basically anytime that I sit down. Why? Because I'm running around all day long. All day. I thought it would be a great idea for the realtor to come over on Monday. I must've forgotten that I had just gotten home from a huge show, hadn't cleaned my house during the week I was gone, and the week before I left, in order to get ready for the show. I also must've forgotten that I needed to paint my basement and my outdoor trim. I know I forgot that my kids' rooms were such a mess you needed a shovel to get through them. Regardless of being totally unprepared for the wreck my life became this week, I got most of it done and the realtor was pleased. Very pleased in fact. I have to finish packing my dolls, (weep, sob, throw self on the ground) and do 3 other minor fixes that we just couldn't complete before he got here and then we're on our way.

For sure it wasn't easy (my throbing headache and stiff neck tells me so) and I don't expect maintaining the condition on a daily basis is going to be easy, but it's going to be worth it if I'm sitting in 80 degree AZ when the first snow falls in Michigan!

New Levels of Suckiness

I know, I suck at this. Why have I bothered. But you gotta bear with me. I'm beside myself with all the chaos right now.

I'm trying to get ready for the humongous week long antique show that I'm not only shopping at, but selling at this week. What was I thinking?? I haven't done any of the tiny one day ones close to me...so hell, why not travel 10 hours away, stay in a casino hotel, and sell for a whole week! Perfect, that's a great way to break into the biz. My mom and I are overwhelmed at this point with all we have to do. I have lists peppering my house, I keep having dreams, no make that nightmares where I forget to go shopping, and then to make it even more stressful, my dad says the trailer is full. Full?! I have way more to put in there though. Have you seen my house??

So Readers, I'm sure I'll be back in better form in another week or so. Or not, don't forget, I still have a house to sell.....

WAAAAAAAAH

What The ^%#%@$...%$#%! Are You Kidding Me?

Please Readers, be sure to click the link on the right to view my current asiasdolls auctions on eBay. There may be something fabulous you never knew you needed. You may call this shameless self promotion. Whatever. I call it, "Have a heart and help a momma out." That's right, my tiny little $30 car repair just turned into a humongous $514 car repair. Never even saw that one coming.

The Haunting

Vader is in Texas this week. So really it's not my fault that I had to invite E to come over with her shovel. That handy dandy shovel that takes care of the stuff of my nightmares. You know how there are movies that haunt you? Mine are Amistad, Schindler's List and the like. I literally try for years to erase the images from my mind. It's no different for me, the images of dead animals. The sight actually sticks with me and just seeps into my thoughts the way boobs and butts seep into the minds of men at all hours of the day and night. Anyway, I had no choice but to go get E to pick up the dead baby birds that tumbled out of their rooftop nest onto my lawn. I was beside myself, just writing this is giving me a stomachache. I feel a little lightheaded right now.

Poor E though. Today I had to ask her if I could borrow her ladder so that I could break into my house. When she saw me coming she said, "What happened, another dead bird? Should I get my shovel?" No E, just a little breaking and entering, but I'm thinking I should probably get you a tool belt with a shovel holder just so it's always handy.

For Mature Readers Only

Let me just say that when I moved to this neighborhood I was fortunate enough to live in an area with some wonderful people. To say they are great neighbors really isn't true, they are great people that happen to be neighbors. Please understand, the Crazies are plentiful on my street as well. You know the type, you see them and quickly do an about face, head down, back into your house. All the while whispering the mantra, "Don't make eye contact, don't make eye contact...". None of it matters, these are the type of people that just follow you on into the house, grab a seat on the couch, and ask what's for dinner. Anyway, aside from those 3 or 5 special treasures, the people I share a neighborhood with are some of the best people I have ever had the privilege of knowing.

In saying that, let me just point out that everyone has their, um.....quirks. Sometimes funny, sometimes bizarre, sometimes.....scary.

Here follows our story:

One neighbor (we'll call her E) that is truly a wonderful friend and person, I just love her, recently had an unfortunate break up of her relationship. Now, believe me, at the time I thought her ex-husband to be straight stupid, E doesn't possess a single bad quality. Now, after getting to know her a little better....I find him even more stupid, perhaps fatally so.

Another neighbor who has made his way to my postings before, China, has a vendetta against the squirrels. On this street we had a few crazy squirrels as well. Some might call them friendly, but when they peer into your storm door and knock to be let in, to me that's crazy. When you bring out the broom to scoot them off the front porch and they instead help you sweep, that's crazy. China had only the best intentions in mind, to rid the neighborhood of the crazy, and potentially rabid squirrels, when he bought himself a b-b gun. He's only thinking of the children after all.

Well, one lovely spring day, China turned out to not be the best shot. Here is where the horror begins, Readers. Be warned, the following story is not for the faint of heart. China had thought he had a good clean shot on the squirrel, the squirrel disappeared and he thought that was the end of that. Until poor D discovered the squirrel under my hose reel, paralyzed on the whole lower half of her body with a large round hole on the side of her body. China's calling card.

The squirrel was in pain, but still mobile and was limping under the fence and trying to get up the tree, not able to figure out why her body wouldn't do what she wanted it to do. China was conveniently gone. I cannot handle looking at (let alone touching) dead or dying animals, not roadkill, not a little mouse, not even a whole chicken in the local grocer's meat counter. I ran to E's house. Before becoming a full time mommy, E worked for the pharmaceutical companies, we all know what that means. Well, to be honest, Readers, I really didn't fully know what that meant. So I tell E what has happened, she's appalled. She says, "Hang on, I'll be right over....I'll bring my shovel." Whaaat? I just say okay, I don't really think I want to know what she's talking about. And I was right. She spots the squirrel and announces that there is no saving the squirrel, the bullet hit the spine and she's dying. She said that she's going to have to kill it because it shouldn't have to suffer any longer. The squirrel at this point is behind my next door neighbor's garage, I go around to the side of the garage so I can't see anything because this is the part where E, kind, calm, loving mother of 2, whacks the squirrel to death with the shovel. The whacking stops, I ask E if she's okay or not, she says yes, but she just wants to make sure that the squirrel is really dead. I go to open the neighbor's back gate so that she can take it out back and I see her and think she's burying the squirrel right there instead. Nope, she's just standing up on the shovel on top of the squirrel's neck, "To make sure the spinal cord is snapped and she's completely dead.", she says. I'm about to pass out at this point, I steady myself on the gate. E then listens for breath sounds, scoops the squirrel up in the shovel and takes her out the back gate to bury her in the woods. Meanwhile, my head is between my knees and I'm biting my tongue just to stay conscious. This is some shit, I know I couldn't pull this off for the good of the squirrel or no. I'm beside myself, this is a one woman mob, this is a woman you do not f*ck with, you don't do it. She can take you out with a whack of the shovel and then bury you with it. At this point, I realize I would not want to be China. Further, I wonder what her ex-husband was thinking, he definitely f*cked with her. Perhaps he didn't know the extent of her knowledge of the snapping of the spinal cord.

At the time of this writing both China and EX are alive and well. They learned a little something that week, don't mess with the One Woman Mob. China apologized for the terror caused the squirrel and distress caused to E, and packed away the b-b gun. EX has taken up ass-kissing.

Oh The Treasure!

My faith in the summer yard saling has been restored. I went up north for the weekend and proceeded to fill my van with finds not once, but 3 times. One time for each day that I went searching. As you can imagine, I'm quite impressed with myself. As you can further imagine, my husband, and father (whose house I was staying at), were not so impressed. In fact, my mom and I decided at one point to hide some of our stuff from our first trip out, in a closet. We completely forgot about it until I was about to leave 3 days later. Well, we started to remember the stuff we had lost, but we didn't even remember where it was. After a couple hours of searching, phone calls to my husband blaming him for losing it, and sitting on the couch completely befuddled, we opened the closet and it was like Christmas with all the stuff I pulled out.

And yes, Readers, it was stuff I needed. Don't even tell me that I don't need a Vera Bradley purse for 50 cents. Don't tell me that I shouldn't own a vintage Barbie that someone literally gave me at a yard sale. How about my vintage Trolls in the boxes that I picked up for 30 cents at a church sale, you know I need those. And I laugh at the person who suggests I don't need a vintage 1950s paper lampshade for $1.

While my goal is to clean out my office, I simpy cannot pass up these wonderful finds. The cleaning out of stuff will have to wait, I can't pass up a treasure at a great price. So, today my goal is to clean out my van so that I can fill it with more treasure next weekend.

So what? I've been on vacation. Gimme a break, it's summer after all.

A Simple Request

I have one tiny little request from my readers. Please sign up with Google or whatever other accounts you can use through Blogspot. Then either leave a comment someday or become a follower for me. I keep getting little surprises of people who've been reading my blog and I didn't know it. Really people! How am I supposed to know who it's safe to talk about? How can I tell all of your embarrassing stories (with completely anonymous names of course) if you're someday going to read it and then never speak to me again? Geez. A little consideration....

I'm Home For Just A Minute

School is out and I'm busier than ever. I've been home a total of two days in the week since school got out. Please, don't anyone think they can make plans with me, apparently the plans are made and I'll be too busy to even feed myself. I'll just take 5 minutes and have a feeding tube inserted so that I don't have to worry about that for the rest of the summer.

I did get to go yard saling a couple of days this week. That was a good time. I won't joke, with the economy being what it is, yard saling is harder work than it ever was before. No one is getting rid of anything and if they do, it's because there is no use left in it anymore. The thrift stores are so busy, you have to wait in lines that are as long as Meijer on a Saturday. All of it is hard work. But sometimes, it pays to go out. This week I picked up a $200 doll for $4. That will be a pretty nice return on my money. Here's the kicker though, I have to list some stuff on ebay (and I loathe ebay), but I'm never ever home. Instead what happens is that I go out, find some stuff after much work, stack it in my office (or family room, sorry family), and then leave for like 5 days. I come back with a bunch more and the stacking continues. I'm supposed to be cleaning the crap out of my house and de-cluttering so I can sell it. Basically, I'm going to have to stop the buying, but let's face it, that's never going to happen. Something in my brain makes me go. There are deals out there and I'm genetically bound to go out looking for them.

I Just Can't Deal

I wish I could, but I can't. There is too much to do and not only am I not able to do it all, 2 more things come up with each one that I finish until I'm literally wallowing in accumulated "so-much-shit-to-do".

At this point, I'm beside myself with with shit-to-do, and so I'm just giving it up for the night, probably for the week. Clearly it's making no difference. My thinking is, by not working on something, I won't find another 2 chores to work on. If you do the math, by the end of the week, I'll be better off.

I need a nice large garage sale, with loads of cheap crap to cheer me up and make me feel like the world is good again.

Banned From The Laundry Room...Yet Again

Oh OCD, you serve me well. You help me make my home cleaner, my children cleaner and full of manners, and recently, my planet healthier. My kids are totally into the whole recycle thing. Vader has been much more reluctant. He's not ashamed to admit it's because recycling takes way more work either. He's coming around though, it takes me a lot of time training him and I feel like a broken record, but the rules are finally seeming to make a difference and he's really learning.

With the recycling anyway.

With my new Better The Planet Compulsion, I figure out new ways to help out the planet and save money. I don't want to use my dryer and really haven't for about 2 years. I figure I use my dryer about 2 times a month right now. This doesn't please Vader, thus he's been banned from the laundry room for a couple of years now. Not that it stops him. He always tries to sneak in there when I'm away and do a load or 4 of clothes. I come home and see what he's done and flames come out of my eyes and smoke from my nose while I curse him with infinite abstinence. Then he gets all pouty when I'm not proud that he's just finished all the laundry and thank him for it. What? I know I don't get a thanks for doing laundry and I save money and the environment at the same time. He claims then, that I must not like doing laundry, ipso facto I don't like to work, and so that's why I've chosen to do it this way. Oh hell...no he didn't. I have to do laundry every single day because I don't use the dryer and it's way more labor intensive. So I calm down, tell him once again that he's banned, don't even talk to me another word about it, end of story.

Until the next time.

Yesterday was the next time, Readers. I came home and he was actually hanging laundry on the clothes line. WHAT? I was shocked. It was all his clothes, cause that's how he rolls, but at least he was trying to turn over a new leaf. Until I stopped and thought for a moment. I ask him, "Vader, what did you do with the laundry that I washed this morning?" (It was waiting for me to put it on the clothes bars.) Vader says, "Oh, there was a whole bunch of small kids stuff in there and everything. I didn't want to mess with that so I put it in the dryer." At which point my head spun off my neck, flew around 360 degrees, landed back in place just in time for my eyes to shoot out flames like Cookin' Mama's. It's my own fault though, I knew I should've called to check on him. He just can't be left home alone without proper supervision. Next time I'm hiring a babysitter. I think the 9 year old girl across the street will work out perfectly.

A Memorial Day Full Of Tacky Memories

O. M. G. The flea market....it was not a disappointment, Readers. All I can say, you should've been there. I'll do my best to narrate the finer moments for you, but it's really best appreciated in person. If you haven't been to a large, outdoor flea/antique market recently, I say find one, race to it, and frequent it. Not only will you get a few good laughs, you'll also just feel better about yourself. Nothing like an ego boost on the backs of those too clueless to not only not properly dress themselves, some just don't get dressed in general.

This was one of the most scantily dressed crowds I've come across in many years. We're talking about huge boobs allowed out to roam free and relish the fresh air with only a thin tank to keep them from completely escaping. I suppose it would be appreciated by some if said boobs belonged to a fit, 20 year old woman....probably not so much on the overweight, 50-somethings with their girls hanging to their belly buttons that I witnessed. The shorts were not much better. Now don't think I'm exaggerating when I describe this....there were women wearing shorts that had cellulite that had gone all the way down to their ankles. Please understand, not just dimples, full on lumps everywhere. This may not be so bad except that they were wearing elastic-waist banded short shorts that literally gave them camel-toe. Readers, it's awful, you have to look away because it's so horrible, but how can you not look? There is a huge, bare, mass of flesh moving on it's own toward you and nowhere to avert your eyes but a scrap of fabric that leaves nothing to the imagination. And when they turn around...butt crack. Here's the good news, I didn't see anyone's underwear. Bad news, it's because they weren't wearing any.

Please don't think that I didn't hear my share of sexually charged jokes and comments this year. The men, though better clothed than women this year, made no attempt to hide the fact that they would prefer women to be unclothed completely. Don't think they care who overhears them either. Don't think they care that they have no teeth and are running around in a Member's Only jacket (unzipped because it won't close around the belly) trying to soften a donut between their gums, cause they don't, Readers. I'm sure the women are flocking to them.

The port-a-potties are always one of my biggest issues with going to a flea or antique market. I never thought I was alone in this feeling of disgust, but this particular show always surprises me. Over the years we've noticed that many of the pottie occupants have no idea if the pottie has hand sanitizer and show no aptitude for even understanding what sanitizer is. This year we were blown away with the comfort that people showed in the potties by emerging from them with their paperback novels. I fear, by next year, management will replace all the hand sanitizer dispensers with magazine racks.

I did have a marriage proposal. Not because I'm hot, no, because I was seen carrying furniture through the aisles to my vehicle. (Clearly I've toned my muscles from dragging all my curb-age found/purchased furniture to V's house.) Potential Suitor thought I looked tough and strong so he wanted to marry a woman who was a "worker". Potential Suitor wasn't all bad, he was completely clothed, but he was about 75, I told him to keep looking. Sadly, he was probably senile too, he'd forgotten who I was by the following day.

Now I'd like to take a quick moment to note some of the things I've noticed over the years about the Amish that frequent this show....and compare them to the Mennonites that also frequent the show. (P.C. Disclaimer: Only the people I know from this show, I'm not trying to make a general comparison of all Amish and Mennonites.) The Amish just do their own thing, but the Mennonites seem determined to set themselves apart from the Amish for whatever reason. Perhaps this is not a good thing.
Amish- kick ass baked goods
Mennonites- okay baked goods, appear to be stingy on the sugar, this is not okay with me
Amish- funny and sarcastic, will totally joke around with you
Mennonites- prefer you don't talk to them at all, will set the evil eye upon you if you try
Amish- children sit/stand quietly and wait for their parents without making a sound
Mennonites- allow little ones to wander alone & touch/destroy everything not belonging to them
Amish- women wear unfashionable, professional looking dark solid color dresses
Mennonites- women wear unfashionable, tacky calico print dresses
Amish- men wear unfashionable, professional looking dark solid color pants & shirts
Mennonites- men wear whatever the hell they want, they're men dammit

Well, I've completely emptied my memory for today. When I think of more fun times I'll be sure to fill you in. Let me just tell you if you didn't attend, you missed a good time, clearly. I'll be happy to let you know when the next show is if you want to partake in all the fun as well. There's no reason that you should neglect yourself and have to live vicariously through me. There's enough butt-crack to be seen by all, but only enough Amish-made pumpkin roll for me.

If You Need Me, I'll Be Treasure Hunting

'Tis the season! Next weekend is Memorial weekend, the unofficial start of summer! That means it's time to brush up on your hooters jokes, dust off your belly shirts (or for the men, just your belly), throw your cash in your bra, and head to the flea markets! Life is good. And it's going to be even better this year because once again, I'm going to be selling at them. And no, Readers, it's not just for fodder for this blog. Don't be silly, it's for the cash too. And the early shopping, don't forget that part. Oh, I can hardly stand the anticipation, I know that there is treasure just waiting for me. And any of you that know me, know that I'm short on treasures, I definitely need more treasures to drag into my home. Definitely.