Stuff

Last week I received the sad news that one of my favorite stores - a scrapbooking store - is going out of business.  They sent me a mailer and emails with really slick offers.  This store happens to carry some items that aren't available from the big crafting retailers, so I decided on New Years Day to make the 30 minute trek down to the store to stock up on these items at 25% off.  

When we pulled into the parking lot, there was no warning of what awaited us.  I got a lovely parking spot and Diva and I headed in.  I quickly selected the items I wanted, and got in the very long line to wait to check out.  And I waited, and waited.  At 30 minutes into the wait, I briefly considered leaving.  After all, I could order this stuff online later.  But no, I had already invested over an hour of my time, so I continued to wait.  For a total of 2 hours.  And forget saving any money, I had to take Diva out to dinner and buy her something to make up for the fact that we stood in line for 2 hours.  

So the net effect was - I spent $70 on stuff I don't need right now, but might need in the future.  It was on sale, so I probably saved $30 over what I could purchase it for in the future should I really need it.  For this, I invested almost 4 hours of my time (counting the drive there and back) and spent an additional $40 or so on dinner and a consolation prize for my ten year old.  What on earth was I thinking?

Well, I'm reading a really interesting book right now - Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely, that addresses the 'what was I thinking.'   It seems I never had a chance at a rational decision because of the way our brains are wired.  And good marketers, including the really slick one running this going out of business sale, know this and exploit it.   

I'm hoping after I read this book, I can at least cut back on:

~ buying things I don't need

~ rushing out to get something 'free' that isn't really

~ accepting 'free' stuff that I really don't want

~ paying too much for something because it seems like a bargain

So, if you can relate to the above, head to your local library and check out this book.  At least you will know you are in good company!

 

Fun Monday - What's on My Mind in 2009

Faye at Summit Musings is our hostess for the first Fun Monday of 2009. She has thrown the following thought provoking question at us:

"What's on your mind as we close out 2008 and begin 2009? Large and small. What are often your first thoughts the minute you wake up? When you're alone and unguarded? Working? Stuck in traffic? Playing with the children? Walking the dogs? When you can't sleep?"

This was a lot harder than I anticipated.  There are so many things that are always on my mind -- my family, parenting skills (and lack thereof), my dismal time management skills, passing my classes, making sure my students learn something, getting into better shape physically, and on and on.  But I decided to think a bit 'bigger' for this assignment, and here's what I came up with:

1.  Is courtesy contagious?  I'm going to try to be a bit more courteous to everyone I come into contact with, in the hopes that some of it rubs off.  Because basic courtesy seems to be a lost art.  From rude comments on message boards and online articles, to rude drivers, to rude parents, and even rude fellow customers in stores and restaurants -- maybe if someone shows them an alternate way to behave, some will follow....  Not all, but maybe a few.....  Maybe just one...  and they can show another one....  

2.  Do we have the right leadership?  Yes, but sometimes we need to look a little harder for our leaders instead of assuming they are just the elected officials we send to DC.  There are people who have vision, ability, and resources who are even now doing something that can provide long term solutions.  One of them is right here in NH - Dean Kamen - inventor of the Segway (among other things) and founder of the FIRST Robotics competition for high school students.  From today's NH Union Leader comes coverage of the 2009 FIRST kickoff, and his speech, which includes these quotes:

"You can't confuse the real invention of wealth with this superficial movement of money, this shell game that's been played by bankers and the Wall Street crowd," he said after his speech. "It's time to get back to basics and invest in serious projects that will create serious wealth."

"Why do we do FIRST? Because the world's a mess," Kamen said. "Read the news, look around you. ... Two-thirds of the people alive today, or 4 billion people, are living on less than $2 a day, and half of those are living on $1. You're the richest people in the world by far, and the world's a mess, and somebody's got to fix it."

He believes in our future, and he's doing something about it.  I too want to be part of the solution to the crises that seem to surround us from every angle.  I'm not a multimillionaire or a famous inventor, but even if I just do small things like volunteering and being a bit more friendly and courteous to those around me, maybe I'll influence someone.  Just one person... and they can influence one person... And so it goes.....  

Happy 2009 to all my Fun Monday friends!

I am an Ice Princess!

Under the heading "it is never too late to enjoy a happy childhood," today I started ice skating lessons. So did Diva. If it weren't for the rink's policy of separating adults and children, we would be in the same class -- beginner level 1.

I'll admit it - Diva was less than enthused about the idea of ice skating - she wanted to take skiing lessons again this year. But as my weight and age both keep climbing in proportion to each other, skiing is getting a bit tough on the body. Last year I didn't really enjoy skiing as much because I kept thinking of all my friends who have had knee surgery as a result of skiing injuries. I've always dreamed of gliding across the ice, spinning gracefully around, maybe landing a jump... Then again, I've also dreamed of skating well enough to not break any bones, which seems a reasonable goal.

I was a avid roller skater back in my younger years. That song about 19-80 Something "skating rinks and black TransAms" I can totally relate to. Of course, growing up in Southern IL there weren't a lot of ice skating rinks, it was all roller skates. I tried ice skating a couple of times, and found blades much more difficult to control than wheels.

Today I learned to stop (for some reason they consider this a critical part of the first lesson), Go, turn around, and go backwards. I also learned how to fall correctly (I'm hoping I won't need to use this knowledge) and how to get back up. Diva learned the same things. Thankfully she is now enthused about ice skating too. Its cheaper than skiing, and closer to home too!

Once I start gliding gracefully I'll have Kilowatt take pictures!  

ClipArt: Icesk8.com

My New Best Friend

As a transplant to New England, I can still recall my amazement when introduced to a few of the items that are somewhat unique to this region. Ever heard of a frappe? How about candlepin bowling? And what about a tonic? I learned about those within months of moving to NH, but I had to wait until I became a homeowner to learn about my topic du jour - the snowblower.

You see, in places where snowfall is measured in feet, and where the snow doesn't entirely melt between storms, clearing your driveway with a shovel isn't really practical. Unless, of course, you have a really small driveway or are looking for a really great workout. Over, and over, and over..... So man invented the snowblower, which takes all that snow and blows it through the air into a big pile at the side of the driveway, hence the name snowblower. The basic snowblower looks a lot like a roto-tiller, the operator walks behind it and it blows the snow. It may or may not be self propelled.

We picked up a basic model when we moved in the house. About a year later I asked Kilowatt to show me how to use it, and quickly learned that this monster and I were incompatible (the snowblower and I, that is.) It was heavy, loud, and had such vibration that it made my arms go numb -- for a couple of days. So for ten years I was totally reliant on Kilowatt to clear the driveway. On the rare occasions where Kilowatt was not home for a storm, I fell back on the trusty snow shovel and All-Wheel Drive. In other words, just shovel enough to get the car in and out of the driveway.

Our New Year's present 2008 was a new snow blower. Since our lawn mower was kind enough to die the same year as the snow blower, we replaced both with a combination big lawn tractor that includes a snowblower attachment for the winter months. We justified it by the fact that I would be able to operate this one.

Fast forward to today.... Kilowatt is out of town for a few days, and Mother Nature gave us 8 inches of new snow as a New Year's gift. So I bundled up and off I went. It was a balmy 9 degrees this morning. Periodic wind gusts brought the wind chill well below 0. Did I mention I'm a wimp when it comes to cold?

The snow was light and fluffy. I started on our second driveway and it seemed no matter what direction I turned that little blower thingy, the snow was blowing right back into my face. The good news is that this little machine is fast, so it didn't take me too long to become totally encrusted in snow with a clear driveway. I shoveled the steps, and headed back indoors. As I approached the front door, I could see my reflection in the glass -- and now I know what the Abominable Snowperson looks like!

Okay Mother Nature, now I know how to work this thing -- could you wait a few days for the next storm? Kilowatt will be home this weekend!

Fun Monday - Christmas Just Past

Our Fun Monday hostess this week is Sayre, and she wants to know:

What was the most touching, wonderful part of Christmas for you this year?
AND what was the craziest, stupidest, funniest part this year?


The most touching, wonderful part of Christmas... that's a tough one. This is the first year that we have had family members join us for Christmas. Typically it is just my family of three, or in some years a few friends who, like us, have far flung family, will stop by for brunch. But this year my mother and brother were able to join us for a few days. Diva was delighted to have them here to share Christmas with, and her delight was contagious.


The craziest, stupidest, funniest part - that's a lot easier. Kitchen errors tend to abound in our household. Typically they are mine (which is one of the reasons why Kilowatt cooks) but this year he got in on the act by confusing a Tablespoon with a Teaspoon. Not a big deal in some recipes; unfortunately, a big deal when you are making bread. Let's just say the first batch of bread was a bit flat and salty. Then there was my accidental overdoing the butter in the sweet potato recipe. Who knew that the stick of butter was supposed to go in the topping, not the potatoes themselves? Oops. Very heavy, greasy potatoes. And who besides me would try a new recipe out on company on Christmas Day? The dressing recipe left a bit to be desired -- like moisture. But no worries, we had plenty to eat anyway!

And here's that promised photo of our snow - better late than never! Yes, we had a White (and cold) Christmas. Although today it was in the mid-50's so the white stuff is going away fast.

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

Okay, who am I kidding? I'm not dreaming - we are 99.99999999% sure we'll have a White Christmas this year!

Just a quick update:
~ our generator made the rounds of our friends who weren't so lucky. It has returned home since out last power deprived friend found a place to buy a generator and figured he's going to need it. Today, one week post storm, they still don't have power.

~ In fact, as of this morning, NH still had 32,000 households without power.

~ we had a nuisance storm Wednesday - got a whole 2" of snow

~ kids had school Tuesday, Thursday, and 1/2 day today.

~ a Nor'easter is blowing in today. Depending on how it tracks, we'll get 5" - 10" of snow. I'll post pictures tomorrow if it stops snowing long enough to do so. Because fast on the heels of this storm is another, bigger storm that should dump at least an additional 8" on us.

~ that lawn tractor/snow blower we bought last January is looking like a real good purchase right now.


Happy Holidays!

Fun Monday -Random Acts of Kindness

Mommy Wizdom came up with what turned out to be a very timely topic this week for Fun Monday.  Her challenge to us:

Your job this week is to go out and perform a random act of kindness. Now, before you freak out, please read on. This is actually really easy!! This act may be for someone you know or for a perfect stranger. It can be big or small, it'll all up to you. Obviously, it should be something within your means. For instance, don't go out and buy your next door neighbor a car and then complain to me that you can't make your mortgage payment, ok?

So let me start by explaining that I live in Southern NH.  Yes, the place where a federal state of emergency has been declared.  In case you haven't heard, we were hit with a major ice storm in the early hours of Friday morning, which left 300,000+ homes and businesses without power.  To put that in  perspective, the total population of NH is only 1.3M.  The RECORD number of power failures in NH in past storms was a measly 94,000.  In our town of 17,000 people, there were still 4,500 houses without power as of Saturday night.  

The local chapter of the American Red Cross  has had a tough couple of years, between back to back floods in 2006-07, record snowfall last winter, and in 2008 a couple of large apartment complex fires that displaced a number of families, the most recent just a week ago destroying 28 apartments.  Now the Red Cross is operating a number of shelters throughout the state, as there are no hotel rooms to be found even for those who can afford a hotel.  

On Friday morning, the extent of the damage from the ice storm became clear as the only reliable source of information was the internet - our local TV and radio were off the air/operating on emergency generators with very low signals.  We were very lucky, we never lost power and by mid-afternoon what little ice had accumulated on our trees had melted.  The Red Cross set up an emergency shelter at the school next door to my house.  A local nursing home was forced to evacuate their residents to this shelter, a school bus was found to transport them.  Diva and I spent the morning baking cookies and took them up to the shelter.  The volunteers there were so happy, as the NH Food Bank was furnishing meals, but sweets were in short supply.  

On Saturday, Diva's BFF revealed they were calling as far south as CT looking for a generator, and even if they could find one, would be lucky to find an electrician to come install it for them.  With temps heading down into single digits for the second night, they were afraid their pipes would freeze.  Kilowatt loaded our generator (which we thankfully did not need) and his tools into the car and was off again.   An hour later their house was slowly heating back up.  The local utility warns it could be a week or more before all power is restored, and we have another storm forecast for Wednesday into Thursday this week.  

We finished out the week with a run across town -- a couple of posts ago I lamented the loss of my 16 year old waterbed mattress, obviously Christmas wasn't a real convenient time to buy a new mattress. Well, we are fortunate enough that we could afford that mattress, and picked up a new one for my daughter also so we could move hers to the guest room. That left us with a spare bed - the Red Cross was able to put us in touch with a local organization called Beauty 4 Ashes who takes gently used furniture and distributes it to those in need. When I called the woman was very apologetic that they didn't have a truck available to come pick the bed up - no problem, with two SUV's we deliver! Since their storage unit is near Goodwill, let's see what we can find to take there on the way.  Double benefit - my house gets cleaned too!

Want to see what things look like up here?  The best source is local news station WMUR.  Today as I was driving across town what was most notable was that there were large areas with no visible impact from the storm, where just a few hundred yards away were large areas of devastation.  One road had no ice or visible damage on the left, but on the right all the trees still had a thick coating of ice.  I'll leave you with this photo, taken about a mile from my house.  Notice that you can see a line on the mountain where the ice begins....