Ok, here so this weekend has come and gone. We didn't end up going with the rest of the gang on the camping trip, but Mylinda and Zeke decided to come down our way for a visit. It was nice to see them. I learned that Zeke will be finished with his bachelors degree in December, and Lauren learned that she liked to torture small helpless cats almost as much Rachel does. From the entire weekend, this is about the only photo that was taken to document the event. Mylinda left with the feeling that she may need to get another (small) cat because it was so neat to see Lauren play with it. The cat left the weekend with the thought that it may need to figure out how to extend its claws and use them to defend itself and maybe to even save its own life. |
Ethen and Kyle like driving their jeep around. When I got home from work one day, I asked them to take the trash can and place it back in the back yard. They promptly spent about 25 minutes trying to tie a string around the back of the jeep and then around the trash can and used the jeep to drag (or to tow) it into the back yard. If they could only figure out how to channel that much energy into doing the task rather than into doing it the laziest way they would be incredibly effective at what ever they try, however, I am stuck with two little weasels. |
As you are aware from past letters, we have a colony of tadpoles in the back yard. Well, the kids have taken a few of them and transferred them into this tupperware bowl as pets (because we all know that them being in a confined space 50 feet away from the house makes them wild and not domesticated). They lasted there about a week, until Rachel and her clan played with them to the point that they didn't get put back in the water (or birds ate them) anyway, the bowl has been returned to the kitchen, and the rest of the tadpoles have to remain "wild". I am still anxious to see how many actually make it to froghood. |
This has to be the cats favorite way to play with Rachel. This cat spends most of its time hiding from the kids and when they find it and set it down it will make a mad dash to get away from them and then go back to hiding again. Every evening after the kids are in bed this cat becomes a different creature and will run around the house and is quite playful. I think that the kids must demand to much from the cat for it to be willing to play with them much. I am guessing that they are to rough. But even though it goes through this torment, it still seeks our Rachel to lay by when she is asleep. |
Although my cardboard was a great idea (if I do say so myself), the 3/4" of rain in a little over an hour did it in. I ended up just taking out the glass and the cardboard and then leaving the back open to the elements until I could get the new window to put in. As luck would have it, no rain fell for the period of 5 or so days it took for me to secure an appointment with a glass shop and enough time off from work to make the drive to Little Rock prior to closing time. I could get a used piece of glass for $149 shipped, or a new piece of glass for $155 installed in LR. I chose the latter. I know, I know glass doesn't really age, but I wanted the defroster to work... |
While Zeke was down, I ended up trying out a new event for me. There was an estate auction located in Star City (a small town about 25 miles north of Monticello.) on Monday - Labor Day. Doors opened up at 8:00 and the auction started at 9:00. We ended up arriving about 10 till 9:00 and got registered. Then we looked around at all of the different merchandise (and I use that term loosely) and waited for the bidding to begin. The auction started about 9:25 after everyone was registered. Most of the stuff was just junk. The major draw to this event were the old "antiques" and about 30-40 pistols and rifles. I will admit that is why I wanted to head down there. There were also some jewelry, swords, and tools, but none of them were nearly as impressive to me as the arsenal that was collected. What really caught my interest was an 1800's vintage set of single shot black powder dueling pistols with matching serial numbers. We looked around and quite early it became obvious that they were going to auction that off last due to the fact that it is what kept most of us there. Well the attraction wore off about an hour an a half into the bidding, and Mylinda picked up Zeke and they headed home, and then Chris Wright (who I also brought) wanted to go home, so home we went. Once we arrived home, curiosity got the best of me and I decided that I would venture back down there and see if they had made any progress to the items of interest to me. I will admit that I most likely wouldn't have purchased any of them, but I still was very curious to see how much they would sell for. In going back down there, I ended up bidding on a washer and dryer. Terra keeps telling me that ours is about had it, and it takes two cycles to dry the clothes in the dryer, and I saw this new set so I placed a bid. Then that blasted competitive bidding reflex kicked in and I started out bidding others. This continued for a while, and I decided that one last bid wouldn't hurt and I ended up with the set. The price ended up being $175. This still wasn't a bad deal, and the auctioneer moved on to other junk. I decided that if I were to go home and get the trailer and come back I could still see the firearms auction so I left and came back with the Bronco and the trailer. |
Well when I got back, they had finished up all but three pistols, and I watched but didn't bid on any. The dueling pistols were gone, and I was left to get the washer and dryer. I loaded them up and took them home only to be told by Terra, that they were to small to fit our needs. In addition to that, one was a washer, and the other was a washer/dryer. I didn't know this (not giving these any attention in the pre-bidding activities) but just bid on them. Well upon further investigation it is a "ventless dryer" and it operates on 110V. The instructions say that it will wash and dry about 6 shirts with ease. Well this simply wont do. I was left to wonder why I would have wasted my effort on this junk and now own some useless equipment. So off to the Craigs list they went. So far, I have ended up selling the washing machine for $50 and the washer/dryer has not yet moved. it is listed at $200. I doubt that I will get that for it (because I am not capable of making money on these deals) and truth be told I would be perfectly happy breaking even. |
I may have to re list it for a cheaper price and see if anyone will come and get it. It would have been nice to pay for the gas to transport it to my house, but that would just be to good of a deal. I learned that it is better to not bid on stuff that you don't' know anything about. I never would have guessed that they make washing machines that are less than the standard size, but I was educated by Terra on that subject upon my return home with some machines that she didn't want and $192.50 poorer (after the 10% dealers fee was added). All in all, it was a neat experience, and I would like to try another one of a similar nature in the future, but I don't think I would venture and put a bid in on something that I just didn't have a burning desire to own. As I remember it is dangerous to establish ones self as a serious bidder when a Ford Tempo is up for auction when one doesn't want to own the Tempo in the first place. |
In other noteworthy news, there were two KKK outfits for sale, one his and one hers there complete with hoods and tassels. There was also a sword that had CSA etched down the length of the blade (confederate states army). They were neat, but in all intents and purposes useless now days. So I left them there. Actually I didn't have any choice since I was getting the trailer when they were put up for auction - what luck... Terra probably is grateful that I ended up with the junky washing machine so that I didn't have an opportunity to salivate over these items. |