Thursday, June 23, 2011

Dad viewing scrapbook


Dad, originally uploaded by authorwannabe.

I made him an album filled with childhood photos for his 60th B-day.

What Have I Learned from my Dad?

(This is slightly belated and should have been posted on Sunday, but at any rate, here it is.)

Although I didn’t think about it until we bought our first house, I picked up my DIY skills from my dad. Watching my dad completely renovate the tiny out-dated bungalow into the sprawling ranch home they live in today, I picked up a few tips by simply watching what he did. He’s also given me advice when needed since then. I think I also get my perfectionist ways from him.

He always reminded me that we all have the same amount of time. It’s up to us how we prioritize. I also learned from him the fine art of ‘procrastination.’ Picture window dad? Being a homeowner our list of projects is starting to add up, so I can hardly cast the first stone. But once again, it’s nice to know where that bad habit comes from. : )

I learned how to appreciate the sweeter things in life – cookies, candy and all manner of desserts. Of course this has come back to bite me in the butt, or at least add pounds to it, but it’s nice to know I’m not alone in my appreciation for lovely confectionaries.

Although he’d deny it and say I get it from my great-grandfather, I think I inherited my gift for gab from my father. I’ve seen him at family functions and really the only time he shuts up is when he’s eating or drinking, or if everyone else has left the room. It’s okay dad. We all love your stories (even if we’ve heard them many times before). : )

Thursday, June 16, 2011

traffic lights for sale


traffic lights for sale, originally uploaded by authorwannabe.

garage sale in downtown Hilliard

Garage Sale Season

It’s that time of year again. Yes, it’s Garage Sale season. Time to check out the classified ads and plot your strategy to see how many you can possibly hit on a Saturday morning to beat the heat and score the good deals. I am willing to risk everything having been well picked-over by the time I get there in order to score a last minute bargain towards the end of the day (generally between 12-2pm). I have also learned to haggle with people in order to get a fair price (especially when I’m buying several things).

My sister is having her annual sale this weekend. I’ve been scrambling the last few days gathering items and slapping price stickers on everything. As usual it’s been exhausting and I always ask myself why I bother when I’m lucky to maybe make $50 ($80 being my record so far). I guess I do it because my sister is always willing to do it, and it does clear some clutter from our well-filled house. Also, it’s fun to see what she’s selling and meet with some of the customers.