Monday, March 30, 2009

I'm movin' on up (in the gaming world)

Yeah, I'm moving up. So last year, I was given the coveted title of "Moderator" and part of the Admin team of HOT GAMER GIRLS. As we've started to evolve into a bigger and better group and website, I've been handed new responsibilities.

I mean, damn, it sucks, doesn't it? To be able to get FULL copies of 360 games before they even hit the shelves for testing and reviewing on the site? Yeah, I don't think it sucks either. Looks like I'll be averaging about 3-4 games per month. The best part? They're free of charge.

Our L4D League is steadily growing, but our Team Captain is based out of Kent, England so getting together to play may be quirky.

Other than that...still gaming....still racking up achievements.

Harry Potter: Wait..is that Guy Pearce?

I was watching Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban the other night when I saw a guy reading a book at the "Leaky Cauldron." I swore it was Guy Pearce...but...alas, I was wrong. For comparison's sake:

IAN BROWN (the real reader):


GUY PEARCE (who I thought it was):

Lazy Puppies

"What, mommy? I'm just hanging out watching t.v. with daddy."



Another puppy pile....



It's an Andrew sandwich....Cash under the fleece....Andrew under the fleece over Cash....and Grimm on the fleece on top of both of them....

Friday, March 27, 2009

Horse "Rescue" - FUMING!

I would have posted this in the rescue section, but it's horse related. For a few months now, we've been aware of a "horse rescue" here in Georgia that is a little bit backwards.

We help out an actual licensed, 501(c)3 nonprofit equine rescue here in Georgia when we can, but this one takes the cake.

Andrew and I were contacted by a volunteer at this rescue about "fostering" some of their horses. That was okay....at that time. Until I called the "director," and she was trying to get us to foster 4 horses. We said we only could foster 2. One of the horses was fine. The other three required "experienced handlers and trainers" as they "had been bred before," and they "didn't have any other training and were shy/dangerous to people." Lovely - I don't think so. We decided to meet with them anyways.

We google mapped their address, and it came up with a cute Cape Cod home with lovely pastures and a barn. Okay - they look legitimate. Getting there...it was a different story.

The house in the photo - not the rescue. You had to do a jackknifed turn back around to the rescue....whose driveway entrance was NEAR the house in the photo. We drove down a dirt driveway with a STEEP drop off on one side, and I believe the first three words we spoke were "Oh my goodness."

Appx. 4 acres of land/mud. ON THE SIDE OF A HILL. Full of roots, ditches, and junk piles. Tape and hog wire fencing. Every single horse had a blanket on (kind of a warning sign : aka hiding thin horses), and there were approximately 23 horses there...on 4 acres. There was a mobile home at the end of the drive, and there was a muddy round pen (small) with two adults and two horses running frantically around it. There were kids everywhere and dogs walking around loose.



There is a loose horse wandering around that is truly aggressive. She had bitten Andrew (unprovoked), leaving a hole in his leather jacket. She walked up, turned her rear end towards me, and as I was shoving a "volunteer" (read: child) out of the way so I could move, the horse took a kick at me. Luckily, I was faster than she.

The "director" told us she "takes in" rideable horses she can use in her program. (That's kind of like dog rescues only taking in completely vetted, normal, 100% healthy trained dogs). Come to find out, in a matter of 6 months, she had accumulated 28 horses (5 were "off site"), 6 goats, raised chickens, etc.

She is NOT 501(c)3 though she claims all donations are "tax deductible." She was never approved by the IRS. She never "adopts out" any of her horses. She only fosters them out, and then, when she (or her program) needs them again, she takes them back.

Lo and behold, I find this in my inbox today.....(on mailing list for said rescue):

I hate to write this, but it happens to me all the time. I get emails and calls about people wanting us to take their old horses, lame horses or unbroken horses. Now, the way I see it, you own the horse, you no longer want it because it is old, lame or you do not know what you are doing. This is not what rescue facilities are for; RESCUE means just that. You expect rescues to step up and care for your horse that you no longer want. Why? You wanted it.

I have several questions that are pretty standard now. What's wrong with it? how old is it? Send me a picture and I can tell ya if it is worth my time.

^^ It goes on and on, but I am steaming over this "rescue." They sound like a glorified horse farm that are trying to write off their expenses as charitable. The worst part is....people actually donate $$$$ to this "rescue!"

Thursday, March 26, 2009

My PSA to female "gamers"....

My PSA to all female gamers: (PC or console)

1. You don't have to talk and talk and talk and talk on your mics so that everyone knows you're a female. I don't care about hearing useless information about your day, and how when you game with player X, they never let you [insert tactic here]. Okay, you're a female. We get it. You don't have to be so arrogant about it.

2. Okay, so you "think" you have a particular game mastered. It would behoove you to check out your teammates' gamerscores/achievements for that particular game instead of trying to be Butch and trying to take charge over the team. Ex: L4D (of course) - campaign mode...team of 4. Yes, we know to shoot the Tank, we don't have to hear your attitude saying, "Uh - shoot him....um helllooooo? shoot him!" (FYI, don't run into a small little closet or bathroom when the Tank is coming, and he has his sights set on you).

3. EARN YOUR OWN ACHIEVEMENTS! I find it difficult to believe that every female gamer has earned all of their achievements without having someone play for them. Ex: L4D (again) - campaign mode....I find it hard to believe someone can earn "Safety First" (no friendly fire the whole game) when, during the game, you keep saying, "Oops - sorry" or "My bad" or "Sorry for shooting you," etc.

4. THINK before you SPEAK. When someone is calmly trying to tell the whole group something (Okay, we can get the Untouchables over here), don't abruptly (and abrasively) interrupt them and snarkily say, "Like you have to not take any damage the ENTIRE campaign...not just the end." If you had thought before you spoke, you'd know you were wrong, and interrupting someone trying to talk would be unnecessary.

5. Ladies, you don't have balls. Don't act like you need to swing them around and beat your chest. You're a female. You're a gamer. Who cares?
FYI:
gamer [gey-mer] n. a person who plays games.
game [geym] n. 1. an amusement or pastime 2. a competitive activity involving skill, chance, or endurance on the part of two or more persons who play according to a set of rules, usually for their own amusement or for that of spectators.

Now, unless my reading comprehension skills are mistaken, I can't find "pissing contest" anywhere in either one of those legitimate definitions.

What it boils down to is stop complaining that "guys" don't show female gamers any respect when you can't, in turn, show them the same respect. If you want to be treated with respect or "politeness," then don't act like a Gaming Butch. There's no need to be arrogant or haughty.

Quit yer bitchin'.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

It seems to me...

...if you're a nationwide company, all of your computer systems should be linked to one another.

I went in to pay my car insurance on Friday afternoon. The insurance company printed me out temporary cards and wrote me out a receipt for my payment. They are not, however, the branch I used when I opened my policy. That branch is in Southwest Georgia.

I get a call from the Southwest Georgia branch reminding me of my insurance payment. I inform them that I made my payment on Friday. They tell me, "well it doesn't show in the system."

I freak out.

So I drive to the office, receipt and documentation (in hand), and I ask about my payment.

"Well since you don't have a policy HERE, I can't bring up your account and apply your payment because I can't key it in. We take your payment, and we mail it with the other payments to the State Farm office in Duluth. It should be in the system today or tomorrow though."

State Farm is a nationwide organization. It seems a little dumb that an organization that takes in payments, etc. doesn't have a system set up so that, no matter where a client is, they can make a payment to their account. Am I just overthinking this?

Ridiculous.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

R.I.P. Chilly Willy....welcome "Barbie."

Last year I started biking. The first bike I purchased was ice blue and white in color...a beginner's hybrid bike. I named it Chilly Willy. It carried me well across the Greenway in Alpharetta, along the Silver Comet Trail, etc. but it was time to move on to my next level hybrid. "CW" had wider tires, not really 700c as a true hybrid would have, and its frame structure was designed so it didn't have any mounts for water bottles, etc.

I found my bike. When I looked at it a few days ago, the model was seafoam green. I could deal with that. That's cool. Last night, we went and got Andrew's bike (black), and the 2009 model of the matching ladies Hybrid is FUSCHIA. Not just pink, but it's FUSCHIA. Bright friggin' Crayola crayon FUSCHIA.

I succumbed. It's okay. There are more FUSCHIA ladies biking attire than there is seafoam green.

So I am retiring Chilly Willy and bringing "BARBIE" into the light. The name only seemed fitting since the "signature color" (Pink is mah signa-cha color) of Barbie is....pink.

WTF: Horse "Training"

I recently came across a “horse training” ad on Craigslist (of all places), and I really had to question the author of the ad’s choice in photos. I sent the photo and the ad to FUGLY as well. Transcripts (comments appear in italics; we will call the ad poster “Trainer.”):

Ad:



Title: DO YOU NEED HELP WITH YOUR HORSE O ANY AGE (GEORGIA OR ANYWHERE)

Text:
WITH UNDERSTANDING OF SOLVING YOUR DIFFICULTIES YOU MAY HAVE FROM FOALS TO YOUNG HORSES EVEN OLDER HORSES.
THE WORK I DO IS GUARANTEED .
COWBOYS WILL BRAKE A HORSE AND IT'S SPIRIT, WHERE I WILL TRAIN THE ANIMAL FROM THE GROUND UP NATURALLY .
THE JOY FROM HAVING A HORSE IS, WHEN THERE IS A MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR HORSE FOR YEARS TO COME

** First of all, I had to re-read the first line several times to figure out what the person was trying to say. I see the girl, the horse, the lead rope, the rope around the horse’s midsection, and I think, “how is this any different than ‘cowboys’?”**

ME: What is the rope around the little sorrel's midsection in your photo, and where are you located? Your ad says "Georgia or Anywhere."

** I wanted to get a discussion going on with the “trainer.”**

TRAINER: Hi There
Thanks for YOU question,and I apologize for having left the rope on the colt before taking the picture.
The colt surely can get up anytime he choose ,and was in no way tied up before or after the colt laid down and just relaxed..
This is just an easier way to castrate the colt,with the help of lidecane
Sincerely Gerth
I am in Athens,Ga

** The colt can get up anytime he choose[s]? With a girl lying on top of him, a taut lead rope, and a rope around its midsection? If the colt gets up, he is going to seriously injure the girl….who has the colt’s leg wrapped around her. **

ME: The ad shows a picture of a girl laying down on top of the horse with a lead rope attached to the horse and a rope around the horse's waist. Why is there a photo of a colt being castrated in a training ad?

** I’m confused – he said the colt is being castrated…and he has it in a training ad? Is he a veterinarian, too? **

TRAINER: The colt is not castrated yet ,like the add said it is all about training and understanding of the horse

** “Training and understanding of the horse” – this ought to be good. Next thing you know, they’ll be using “carrot sticks.” **

ME:
Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but I thought your ad was for horse training? You just said that the rope was on the colt for castration purposes - were you training him to be castrated? I'm slightly confused, and I apologize if I'm insulting you.

TRAINER: I was training the colt to just relax,it is much easier to trim it's hoofs ,this way than asking the colt to stand on 3 legs,no question will insult me,because this might be different and new to YOU,yet I have done it for many moons,with the horses being my best teachers.

** Now we’ve moved onto say that it’s easier to trim a horse’s hooves lying down (or “hoofs,” rather). Weren’t we just talking about castrating? How can you trim a horse’s hooves lying down and ensure they’re even?? Oh, and this “may be new to me.” Why yes…yes it is “new” to me, and not something I’d follow, but I appreciate your condescending tone. **

ME: It is incorrect to teach a horse to lie down to trim its hooves. The reason why horses are trimmed standing on three feet is to ensure an even trim on its hooves and to make sure all four hooves are even.

TRAINER: May I ask YOU a question;"HOW MUCH TIME HAVE YOU SPENT WITH HORSES"????
There is nothing wrong with the questions YOU asked.
Do YOU know that we now have cars being fueled by water,which is a better way than gasoline.
When ever there is a better and safer way,it is the most likely the way leading to success

** Random – cars fueled by water. Nothing like being condescending….once again. **


ME: I have spent twenty plus years with horses, and it's proven that horses are more uncomfortable lying on the ground exposed than standing. It is because they are "prey" animals and have a flight mindset - not a fight mindset.

Forcing them to "Lie down" (aka taut lead rope held under a person, heavy rope tied around the horse’s midsection) for castration or other procedures is "old school" and how cowboys used to do things. There are much better ways than that now.

** Will update, as necessary. This person has another post (several) on Craigslist. He is either from Bangalore or visits there frequently (he has ads placed in Bangalore’s Craigslist. **

14 Year Old Boy Makes Video For Laid-Off Dad



With thousands of people out of work we know it can be tough to land a job these days.

For every opening, there are hundreds of applicants so people are finding themselves having to go above and beyond to stand-out.

In Florida one teenager is trying to do just that for his dad.

He posted a video on YouTube and it is now a viral sensation. Now he and his father are getting attention from all over the world.

Ben Gullet is like a lot of ordinary teenagers. He loves his drums and can spend hours on the internet.

But when his dad, Mark lost his job last Thursday, the eighth grader did something extraordinary.

He made a video for his dad and then posted it on YouTube hoping someone might see it and offer mark a job.

"I wanted to get obviously across that I love him very much and I want him to find a job too at the same time," said Ben.

Well, thousands have now seen it and the e-mails have been pouring in.

For nine years Mark was the vice president of marketing for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

It seems he's taught his son a thing or two about crafting a powerful ad campaign.

"He's taught me to think outside the box," Ben said of his dad.

And in these days of layoffs Ben's black and white message is one of the more colorful attempts at getting work.

But for this family and the thousands who have been touched the most important message may be even simpler.

"For a 14-year-old to say 'I love you' on camera pretty amazing," said Ben's dad, Mark.

"In the end, it's not job... it's your family and friends," said Mark.

Both Ben and his dad say they are now confident Mark will be back to work soon but they hope to keep up their newfound task of encouraging others.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Friday, March 20, 2009

Hold your head...up high

When you walk through a storm,
Hold your head up high,
And don't be afraid of the dark,
At the end of the storm is a golden sky.
And the sweet silver song of a lark.
Walk on through the wind,
Walk on through the rain,
Tho' your dreams be tossed and blown,
Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart,
And you'll never walk alone.
You'll never walk alone.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Thanks for keeping Craigslist dishonest.

Earlier today, I replied to an ad on Atlanta's Craigslist advertising two brand new bikes for $100 "takes all" which included water bottle holders, etc. I did a screenshot of the ad, and I replied to the guy asking where he was, etc.

I received a reply back from him. The first line says, "The price is $150. Best time to pick up is Sunday."

Now, $150 is still a great deal on two "brand new" bikes, but I sent him the screenshot of his ad showing $100, and his reply was "that's not my ad." I bolded the e-mail address in the ad.....as well as the e-mail address with which he used to reply to me.

I said thanks but no thanks. There's no telling what else you're being dishonest about. Thanks for keeping Craigslist dishonest.

What a tool.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

"The Orient Express"

A fellow cyclist named her bike "The Orient Express." I was telling her about Bobbie's bike bell, and she showed me a picture of hers:


I just HAD to share :)

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

My Calendar

(Edit 3/18: This calendar only applies to my work schedule not my weekends.)

Fri. Apr. 17th-Tues. Apr. 21st: vacation
Fri. May 15th: 1/2 day from work - bachelorette party
Fri. May 22nd: Morgenstern's Wedding weekend!
Wed. Sep. 9th-Wed. Sep. 16th: Jamaica - Shane and Kim's wedding
Fri. Nov. 27th: post-Turkey Day

Monday, March 16, 2009

My company with my industry...

Every once in awhile, I'll get a piece of mail filtered to me at work that really stands out. If it's not a fake "past due" notice that says, "your account is seriously past due" (which turns out to be a scam), it's a letter like this one. The word of the day, boys and girls, is "vague:"

Dear Shelby,

Our buyer group has requested that our firm assist them in locating a company within your industry that would be willing to sell their business.........

Of course, the letter continues on with additional vagueness about the "limited information" they have about our company (what? our mailing address?) and asking me to call a 1-800 number so that one of their analysts in "my area" (way to narrow it down there, folks) can discuss this opportunity with me.

You know, I'm half-tempted to call these people and play along - ask them what information they have about our company that would dictate such an opportunistic letter.


Maybe later.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Angelina? Fergie? Janeane? Octomom?

I was listening to people say Octomom is obsessed with Angelina Jolie; however, I found a few other people she looks like:







Now, in no way am I comparing Octomom to the lovely ladies above; I am merely saying maybe Octomom is obsessed with Hollywood and fame...including "copying" celebs.

Mom Update

I talked to my mom on Friday night. She said that she had to undergo more tests, but that they would have to wait for the test results as they would be coming from Atlanta.

Thanks, but I'm fully capable.

We took Cash and Grimm to Petsmart today. Cash gets to walk on the tile floor; Grimm has to ride in the cart (Grimm is only 9 wks old -and who knows what is on Petsmart's floor). We're in the toy aisle when the Petsmart trainer (*rolls eyes*) approaches. As she approaches, I tell Grimm to "SITZ," which is the German command for "Sit." He politely sits down as the trainer approaches. Now, you'd think she's commend Grimm for being so well-behaved for being a 9 weeks old puppy. Instead she asks, "Is he a German Shepherd?" After confirmation that he is, she then asks, "Will you be doing any training with him?" (Did she not just hear and see me do a "SITZ" command?) I reply yes that we intend on training him and titling him - if not Search and Rescue as well. She looks at me and says, "oh well good we offer training classes here as well - in case you wanted to do obedience with him or something." I replied that I knew and that dogs, in order to be SAR dogs had to be fully obedience trained and pass the CGC. She just pets Grimm, smiles, and walks away.

Now, it normally wouldn't bother me, but this particular Petsmart - they have two trainers. You can have the most obedient dogs in the world (as mine normally are), and they will still tell you that you would do best in enrolling in their programs.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

An interesting phone call tonight...

I got home tonight from work, and my parents' phone number flashed up on my cell phone briefly. I sporadic service at the house so I couldn't answer. I was making dinner, and I thought, "I'll call them back after I'm done."

About thirty minutes go by, and my parents' number flashes again. I tried to answer it this time, but I was too late. I called my parents back, thinking it was an update on my paternal grandfather ("grandpa") when it was my dad that answered.

"Hey, is mom there?"
"Uh, yeah. Hey...did you get my e-mail?"
"No, why?"
My dad was silent.
"Your mom's sonogram came back today from her tests. It's not good. She has lesions on her liver and her spleen. We go in tomorrow for a CAT scan and some tests. I sent the e-mail when she wasn't around."
"Are you the one that called then?" (Sorry, I was in shock)
"Yes. Your mother....isn't in the mood to talk to anyone tonight."
"Okay, call me when you guys find out something."
"We will. Your brother and Kim already know."

So that's always wonderful news. I went outside to take the call and was peeling the label off Andrew's and my charcoal grill. When I hung up the phone, Andrew, who was out walking Cash, asked, "Is everything okay?" and I just broke down crying. I had to wait to catch my breath, and I told him what dad had said.

I turned around and walked inside.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Lies.

Some lies that the dog trainer - whatever she is - in South Carolina is guilty of (besides our lies) and found on her "website" (also known as MySpace):

"'K9' Gernhardt - 'K9' Gernhardt (my retired partner)" : Gernhardt is not/was not a K-9 police dog. The trainer/owner/whatever got Gernhardt from someone off a message board who could no longer care for him. I think he was 9 or 10 at the time. Gernhardt was never this "trainer's" K-9 partner - retired or otherwise.

"Meeka @ 10 months, trained in Criminal Apprehension and Drug Detection" : Funny that Meeka's description has changed since the last time I checked on it. This was the dog that we were supposed to get. At 10 months old, she is not trained in Drug Detection nor Criminal Apprehension. They may have had someone run with a suit on, and she chased them, but that's it. As far as "Drug Detection," I had asked the "trainer" what kind of tracking training she had. The "trainer" said she had been started on trailing, but she had no formal training. Now, again, her description changes to read that she is a trained Criminal Apprehension and Drug Detection dog. Hell, I'm still wondering if there was even a "Meeka."

"K9 Vadar - K.I.A.": I don't see how a dog can be K.I.A. when it was never a working police dog. This was one of her pets down in South Georgia!


"Hey Brandy"
- Funny...she told us her name was something other than Brandy. Where did "Brandy" come from?

Monday, March 9, 2009

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Think he likes water?

Cash playing in the creek behind the house.



Friday, March 6, 2009

I am NOT defending "Tot Mom," but...

Re: Tot mom: new images show morbid pictures of skeletons

Images:

1. Skull carved out of an apple: It was well done, and who is to say it wasn't done for a Halloween party?

2. Two skeletons kissing: Looks like a poster I've seen before, and it probably is. I think you used to be able to buy it at Spencer's.

3. "I Love Tattooed Boys" - who cares? I think this is a piece of flair on Facebook!

4. A tattoo design of a Frankenstein zombie "hottie" - so what? It's someone's tattoo design.

All of the above images are "evil" because why?

WARNING!! Blackberries should NOT swim in water troughs!

(Crossposted, with permission of the original author, from the Chronicles of the Horse forum: TrueColours)

... sigh ...

Blackberries and water troughs do NOT mix well. Trust me on this one ...

NO matter how much they may beg and say the weather is nicer, just a little dip wont hurt anything, they are liars. Even a quick dip on a nice day is not good for cell phones. Not at all.

And then when you are bending over a water trough to fill it up, admiring the birds and the squirrels and that damned phone JUMPS out of its holder and goes "plop!" into the water trough on its own so you madly fish it out, get soaked in the process, and started whacking it against your sweatshirt and jeans to get the gurgling sound to go away from inside of it, wipe everything on your clothes to try and dry it off and race inside to get the hair dryer out

They may come out cleaner than when they went in, and when you reboot them, that nice little hour glass spins around happily and you think "okay! The Blackberry WAS right! A little swim never hurt anything ..." but then those damned buttons wont work anymore and you get out the hair dryer and you blow into every crevice it has and it still looks okay and very much cleaner, but it wont "go" any more ...

Then you try calling it and BINGO! It rings and you see who is calling but you cant push the buttons to answer the call so great - you can see who is calling you but you cant do a damned thing about it except to curse the damned swimming Blackberry ...

So - Ive got it plugged in now inside, and I thought maybe if it thinks about things for awhile and contemplates life in the huge cellphone junkheap in the sky, it might agree to work a little longer for me?

What are the chances? Anyone else have a Blackberry that went for a swim and actually worked afterwards?

Hell's Kitchen Update

Well, finally, Colleen was kicked from Hell's Kitchen, but not by her fellow chefs and cooks, but by Chef Ramsay himself. I mean, I'll give the woman credit, she did, as Chef Ramsay said, have "tenacity," but tenacity alone does not make a great chef.

From the get go, Colleen had a rough ride. She is a culinary instructor with her own business. No matter what area of the kitchen Chef Ramsay put her in, she'd mess up: forgot shrimp on Caesar salads, served a raw pastry, added Marscapone cheese to Chef Ramsay's risotto recipe, etc.

And for those of you wondering about Lacey (the whiny crybaby on the show you just want to smack when she starts whining about everything?), her resumé said "corporate buffet cook." Andrew and I kidded around that that was a fancy way of saying "Ryan's Steakhouse" or "Golden Corral." In fact, she work(ed)(s) for Sodexho. From what I gathered from Sodexho's site, it's kind of like Aramark: cooking and preparing mass quantities of food for functions. If it is like Aramark, it's not necessarily high-quality/5-star food.

I haven't chosen who I think will win this season. There are a few dark horses, and there are a few people keeping their head down doing good work.

Guess we'll see.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Welcome Volunteer Surprised by Husband's Homecoming

Welcome Volunteer Surprised by Military Husband's Homecoming

The 33 News (DFW, TX)

March 5, 2009

A regular volunteer with DFW International Airport's 'Welcome Home a Hero' program got a big surprise when she showed up this morning; her husband was among those returning from Iraq.

Media show up regularly to cover the return of deployed soldiers, so Garland ISD teacher Alicia Young thought nothing of the cameras this morning; being the first volunteer to arrive, she was not surprised when photographers began interviewing her about the program. Matthew Young worked with his wife's principal to plan the homecoming; family and friends secretly brought the couple's two sons and hid from Alicia until she greeted her husband.

Approximately 200 troops come through the airport each day to begin a two week R & R. Volunteers show up to ensure the soldiers receive a hero's welcome and know they are appreciated.

Monday, March 2, 2009

South Georgia Trip

Over the weekend, Andrew and I went to South Georgia to visit my parents. We left on Friday (in the rain), and we had a good visit. On Saturday morning, my mom, Andrew and I went garage sale shopping. We picked up a bike rack for the trunk of my car ($2), a waterproof beach bag for Jamaica ($1), but the steals of the day were a 3-pack collectible paperback excellent condition of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and the first five Harry Potter books (hardcover - first edition - U.S.) for...get this....$0.50/ea! Someone had stolen all of my Harry Potter books I had gotten (up to The Order of the Phoenix), and do you know how difficult it is to find even USED copies for under $15/ea? Let alone - $0.50/ea.

When we all walked back to the truck, Andrew and I laughed at the woman with the garage sale:

Me: "How much are these?" (Held up H.P. books)
Seller: "Let's see...1...2..3..4..5...at $0.50/ea....$2.50."
Andrew: "And these?" (Held up LOTR books)
Seller: "Well now THOSE are $1.00."

She made it sound like, "that packet of books is so great, it's $1.00 not $0.50."

Mom, of course, fixed huge meals. We played Wii when it started to storm, and on Sunday morning, we left at 8am due to the impending winter storm.

It started sleeting in Vienna, Georgia, but then it stopped. We mainly had rain the rest of the way until Kennesaw. By the time we reached Kennesaw, it was snowing. By the time we reached my apartment, it was raining.

All in all, a good weekend...though we got up at 6:45 am Saturday...and 7 am Sunday.