Saturday, January 15, 2011

Cabin Fever!


I've always liked the change of seasons. As tired as I might get of high temperatures in the summer, by the time the winter is over, I look forward to the warmer weather. If I could make changes, I'd make winter last about a month. Look, I enjoy sitting in the family room reading a book with the fire going, a warm blanket, a warm drink; watching the snow come down. However, about a month of that is just fine. Let's get into Spring!

This winter just got started, and already I'm ready for it to end! It's been cold, it's been snowy, and I have cabin fever big time! (waa...didn't know I was that good a whiner!). The thing that I really miss when winter roles around is being able to go to the Saturday flea markets. Although technically they're open, in reality there's no one there. Can't say that I blame them. But my hobby (my part time business) depends on them pretty heavily.

I find it fun and relaxing to go hunting for treasures that others may have overlooked. More fun still to turn those treasures around and sell them for a profit. Unfortunately, all of that tends to shut down when the winter months are this nasty!

There are auctions around, but they too are few and far between. That, plus the fact that the competition for items at auctions can get really heavy. It's amazing how many times I've seen people pay more for an item at an auction then the item cost when it was new. The bidding fever really tends to grab some people and doesn't let go. It you're looking to turn what you buy into a profit, you have to learn to sit on your hands sometimes. It's not easy to do, and I'm just as guilty when it comes to paying too much. But I'm getting better at it.

So right now, I'm sitting here in the family room with a nice fire and a hot cup of fresh ground coffee, staring out at the 2 plus feet of snow that eventually will melt..someday. I miss Spring. I'm anxious to get back in the game!

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Time To Get Down To Business


Well, now that the Christmas rush is over, it's time to clean the office, one of my least favorite things to do. Unfortunately, it's such a mess that I can't get anything done (anything that's fun anyway) until I finish cleaning the place. That, plus my wife keeps making this "clicking" noise with her tongue and shaking her head every time she walks by the door and looks in. Now I could put a stop to that in one of two ways. If I shut the door, she can't see in to do that. Problem with that is, the place is such a mess that I can't get to the door to shut it. My only alternative is to bite the bullet and dig in. Not my favorite way to spend a cold Saturday afternoon, but since it's snowing and I'm not going anywhere anyway, I might as well be productive...well after my next cup of coffee anyway.