AZDana

Archive for September, 2007

Here’s my theme song for today:

I saw a little gila monster in my room
Scared me much, Scared me much
So I did a fandango

Okay, it really wasn’t a gila monster. I realized it was just some sort of gecko with growth issues as I leapt rather ungracefully to the other side of the room. I should be used to Arizona creatures that get into my home, but it happens so rarely that it still startles me. I’m just glad I was able to see him before one of the kitties thought they had a new toy. Geckos are very beneficial to the environment so I like to make sure that they make it back outside safe and unharmed.

Right now, I have 77 drafts saved. I think I should just cut my losses and delete a few of them. I think a few of them should never see the light of day, but I saved them anyway, hoping to salvage them. However, I have to concede that I probably shouldn’t hang on to drafts like the one I did about the origins of Saint Patrick Day. Most of them are good ideas, but I didn’t have a snappy ending. Like my post where I review a new brand of salsa. Man, there were some funny lines in there, but how do you end a post about salsa?

Two or three years ago, I bought a dozen unsigned lithos online. They are all the same print, and I paid about five bucks a piece. I then sold a few of them on ebay for about 10 bucks each, saying they’d make great Christmas presents. I stashed the reminder in the back of the closet, and planned on selling them again for the next Christmas season.

Well, I forgot about them until this week. I decided to see what the going rate was for them, and was shocked to find that they’re selling for 80-100 each! Unsigned, no COA (certificate of authenticity) and exactly what I have. Apparently the site I bought them from went out of business and the prints are no longer being made.

So, today I am sitting here, trying to decide whether to sell them this year, or hold onto them for a few more years. What if I sell them all and then find out that they’re worth 200 next year? Or what if I don’t sell them, and next year, people are only paying 22 dollars for them?

Decisions, decisions, decisions….

Well, I was asleep, but then one of the cats decided to dance on my head to wake me up. So I’m now wide awake and decided to blog a bit till I got sleepy again. I figure this late hour is the perfect time for me to open up about one of my family’s secrets that’s been going on for decades.

Well, here it goes: For several generations, the women in my family have been known to go bonkers over office supplies. That’s right, we go ga-ga over gummy labels, insane over ink cartridges and get punchy over pen sets. I’m embarrassed to admit that my sister and I have had several heated debates over 88 bright versus 92 bright paper. Sad to say that it’s affected the younger generations as well. When it comes to mechanical pencils, my daughter can hold her own on the subject and is liable to talk your ears off about the characteristics of various leads. You see, other families exchange items like baked goods, or fruit baskets. But in my family, we give each other things like calendars, file folders and tape dispensers. Maybe we’re crazy, but the women in my family love label makers more than bottles of the latest and trendiest perfumes. Looks like an office supply site is a great source of presents to please everyone in my family.

The BBD used to be a very quiet dog. Very nice, and sweet, but quiet, stubborn and not willing to learn many tricks. I know that part of training a dog is to catch them when they’re doing something you want them to do, and then you reward them for that behavior. The problem’s been with her is that she really doesn’t do a whole lot that could be considered a trick that you’d want to see again.

The only exception to this has been her imitation of a worm. It’s quite the sight to see a 100-lb dog writhing on the floor on command. Then she upped the ante by adding “roo-roo” sound effects, peppered in between the sounds of her paws thumping the nearest wall or piece of furniture.

The problem is, she is now doing this on her own timetable, which is pretty much throughout the day. I’m on the phone with my mechanic, she’s in the background writhing and howling. I’m having a somber conversation with a dear friend about her unsuccessful attempts at finding a job, and the BBD is providing backup noise.

How do I get her to stop? I don’t want her to stop totally, just long enough for me to complete a phone conversation every now and then. If she were smaller, I could scoop her up and distract her with a treat. But she’s so big that if I go down to pick her up, I’ll end up on the floor right next to her, then there will be two of us writhing around, one doing it for fun, and one doing it due to back spasms.

I found a book on sale at Amazon, The Little Engine That Could (Oversize Gift Edition) by Watty Piper. It is currently on sale for $17, the original list price is $85.00. Yes indeed, you read that right, and further more, bn.com also has it listed for $85 too. To be fair, it is a giant sized hardcover edition and it comes packaged in a “lavish deluxe collector’s gift box.” According to Amazon, its dimensions are 17.8 x 15.2 x 1.4 inches.

Personally, I think seventeen bucks is a fair price to pay for the book, and it would probably be a great addition to a classroom or Sunday School room. But the eighty five dollars seems kind of crazy to me and I would never spend that much money on a book for a small child. I can understand spending money on a boxed book set for an older kid, but at that age, they’re still using peanut butter sandwiches as bookmarks. I would much rather buy the small version of the book for five dollars, a set of markers and a giant art pad, and ask the kid to make his own giant book. Or better yet, turn it into a family project and work on it side by side. I think the final result will be cherished a lot longer than anything you’ll find online and you’ll be able to create some terrific memories along the way too.

I sure hope everyone’s been doing their stocking up and buying early gifts. This is the best time for bargains, and the prices don’t get any lower before Christmas. I found more toys on sale at amazon, but remember, they change the prices frequently, so the price I post may be totally different than the price you see when you click on the link.

Tons of STEIFF!!! toys on sale! Two are Baby Eli Elephant, was $22.00, now $5.50 and Baby Treff Dog, was $28.00, now $7.00

LeapPad Microphone with Books Price: $29.99 Sale: $14.99

LeapFrog LeapPad® Microphone Upgrade Kit List Price: $14.99 Sale: $3.27

Lanard 04233 Workman Versi-Tool 3-In-1 Set – Cut Saw, Circular Saw And Sander List Price: $9.99 Sale: $4.42

WowWee Roboreptile Robotic Reptile Regular price $119.99!! SCREAMING DEAL: $24.99

I’m tempted to buy that Robotic Reptile, I think the cats would have fun chasing around the house. Then again, Karen would probably leap on its neck and bring it crashing down with a loud growl. RARRR! RAWR!!!