I turned 42 the other day

so.....I thought I'd do an About-Me post. I know you all are thrilled!!!!! ;)

1. I really like cheese.
2. I don't like chocolate cake or ice cream.
3. I do like chocolate candy bars.
4. One of my "genie wishes" is to conger food. Like....I want a peach now...*poof* peach.
5. Another genie wish is for unlimited money. I'm not stupid.
6. I really like hot showers in the winter and cold showers in the summer.
7. I really like critters.
8. I have had raccoons, opossums, and squirrels in my house. Wild and uninvited.
9. I've never wanted to have kids. (good thing I don't)
10. I kind of want a goat.
11. I really like being self-employed.
12. I only "work" at my place of employment for 4 hours a day.
13. I make more money now than I ever have.
14. My favorite temperature is 60*F.
15. I really like that I am not married or involved with anybody.
16. My favorite fruit is a peach.
17. My favorite fruit is a strawberry.
18. My favorite pie is Key lime.
19. I drink serious amounts of water everyday.
20. My favorite meal is barbecue brisket and cheesy potatoes.
21. I don't like holidays or birthdays.
22. I don't like yard work.
23. But I do like fresh tomatoes.
24. I will plant a few things this spring..tomatoes, strawberries, salad stuff.
25. I like true crime tv shows and stories.
26. I have every Stephen King book written.
27. I have not read all of Stephen King's books.
28. I'm interested in psychology, sociology, and mental illness.
29. I've spent serious time playing The Sims 1,2 &3 games.
30. My dogs are my second favorite people after my mom.
31. My favorite color is purple.
32. I'm planning to buy land and build a "cabin" in the woods. It will be a house...but it will feel like a cabin.
33. One of my brothers that I was best friends with has been a jerk for more than 10 years....I'd like him back.
34. My other brother that was kind of a jerk is now my friend.
35. I don't like housework....and it shows.
36. It's awesome that I don't have to wake to an alarm clock.
37. I am very self-motivated.
38. I am very efficient.
39. I don't have problems saving money.
40. My top goal is to be set and secure for retirement.
41. In the next couple months I am buying another house for investment.
42. I loath day-light savings time....outdated...the earth does this by itself.

*pinch*
and one to grow on

43. I'm very happy with my life. Wouldn't change a thing. This is what I've created and when something pops up that I'm not happy with, I change it. I have very low stress. I have very few worries. I am around the people that I want to be around and the others I'm not. I entertain myself and don't rely on others to make me happy. I have enough money to be able to get what I want....but I rarely buy things. I know very few people that are really happy. This is what people should be working for....not the bigger house or the shinier car.

7 month update

My....how time flies.

I survived x-mas at the store. It was pretty good and I sold some items that have been hanging around for a long time. I'm always pleased when I get rid of old stuff.
The college students in town have a month off from the beginning of Dec to the beginning of Jan. So they are back now. The shop should be busy until about the middle of March. For some reason sales drop off some then.

I'm doing inventory now. Yikes. There is a lot of stuff in the store. It is possible that I will get it done today. All I have left is the stuff in the back storage room. If it's not too busy maybe I can get it done. If not I'll probably go back tomorrow when I'm closed and finish it up.


A few days ago I made my last payment on the house I bought last year. Around April or May I plan to buy another one. I'll see what I can find. I'm not really looking yet...but I get new properties emailed to me as they are listed. Doesn't hurt to keep my eyes open.


Last September I set up a couple fish tanks. Now they are both community with Platies and Mollies in one and Platies, Guppies and Catfish in the other. I had some fiddler crabs...but they died. I've had 3 sets of babies. I like them.


The other day I ordered a Sleep-Number bed. My back as been a little flaky after I've been in bed a while. So maybe the new bed will take care of that. I guess I'll also do a serious deep cleaning in the bedroom before I set it up. YIKES.


I've been getting seed catalogs. That's bad. I don't expect to do any crazy gardening this year. Last year I set up a raised bed and I think I'll do another one this year. The original one will be all strawberries. I have SB in the ground, this is their 3rd year. Half the raised bed has SB, this is their 2nd year.
I'll plant tomatoes in pots probably two. And I guess I'll plant a bell pepper for my dad. He has a black thumb. He has a very hard time growing anything.
Last year was so hot here I didn't get much....but this year will probably be better.
I'll put in some green beans and maybe some early salad stuff.

I don't think much else is going on.
I lead a very exciting life.

Today was weird

For some time now I have been considering putting several new product lines in my store. I go back and forth. Some of the things are kind of expensive for my people...but they are neat. (the things not the people).
So I finally made up my mind and decided to get the stuff.
Well.....it all came in yesterday. Yikes.

What I dealt with yesterday was jewelry. Lots and lots of necklaces and bracelets. I moved a shelf and everything on it and put up a metal grid and I used mostly binder clips and a few grid pegs to hang all the stuff.
I've had some necklaces before and had some problem with theft...but I think the binder clips will cut that down.
**I don't have a very high opinion of my clientele's intelligents....I know it's not terribly difficult to work a binder clip.....but I do think they will cut down on theft** **it is what it is** HA

So today I started with stash boxes and incense burners. I had to clear off a shelf but all of that wasn't too bad.
I had gotten 2 stash boxes that had a piece on the front that you slid to the side to unlock and open the box. There were at least 6 people that looked at it and couldn't figure it out. OH...did I mention there was a paper band around the box that told you how to do it. (refer back to ***** above)
Near the end of the day a guy bought one of the boxes.

This always makes me a little sad. I mean....I just got it in! Hardly anyone has seen it, even. :(
But of course there is the other thing about....buying things to sell things and it sold.....in like....a couple hours. Yeah. :)

This box was even one of the things that I thought was a little expensive that I questioned before. Whatever.


I had also gotten in some pipes and I started pricing those and getting them out....but I ran out of time and regular brain function.....so the rest will have to wait till Tuesday.

I also got in a bunch of posters. Another new product line that I got in are door beads, bamboo curtains, and rolling shade-thingys. For those I will move 2 shelves and have to rearrange stuff on about 4 shelves. eeeepppp. Then hang those suckers. It should be interesting.

Then there's another box of glass smoking related stuff that I have to go through and price.



So that's not the weird stuff that I mentioned in the title of this post.....it was just what was going on.

I guess I'll start with yesterday.
This guy at least 70yo came in and seriously hit on me. I'm 41. Ain't happenin' mister. But he does have stable income--disability from the Army where he had a head injury. Hmmmm that might explain.....

So early today a guy comes in and asks if we have a certain kind of pipe. Yes we do. He looked for a second and then says "Can I ask you a question?" "my daughter just bought the convenience store down the road...and she wants to sell K2....will you tell me your supplier?"

HAAAA....NO I WILL NOT!

I don't know if he's an idiot or if he thinks I am....but either way, he won't be getting that information.


I sell air soft guns. To be more exact, I used to sell air soft guns and now I have air soft guns for sale. I've sold maybe one or so in the last 6 months.....until today when I moved the guns off the shelf to put new stuff there....then I sold 2. And one was a large one.


There were these two gals that came in. I don't know....they were both...ummmm....interesting.....the one....I think burned my retinas. She was really really ugly. NO I mean REALLY. And you were able to see a lot of her....because she was wearing clothes that were WAY too small. NO I mean REALLY....SMALL. Like WAY too small.
And the other gal....she comes in often. She's more normal....like....I know she doesn't have many teeth and she wear A LOT of black eyeliner....but that just covers (HA) the black circles under her eyes. You know.....she's real thin.

But today they had this smell to them....both of them. I hadn't smelled it before. It was a real weird chemical type smell.

What could it all mean? HA.....*cough*meth*cough*
I happens all the time....but sometimes.....it all just comes together and makes me want to shower.



Well....anyway....that was most of the weird, I guess.....for today.

General Update

I always think I will post more.....and I never do. So it is...


On the rental house front... My semi-loser renters should be out by the end of June and I've got it rented to 4 college guys. They will move in the 5th of July. WooHoo. I was a little hesitant about renting to them because they don't have any rental experience....but they wanted to meet me and sway me. I met with them and agreed to the arrangement.
That's awesome because I won't loose any rent in the transition.

In garden news....I did indeed construct a raised bed. I've got strawberries, peppers, tomatoes and an eggplant planted in there. I also have one tomato and one pepper in pots. OH...also green beans in pots.
I picked my first 3 strawberries the other day. My tomato has blossoms. My blackberry has a bunch of baby blackberries and my peach tree has a bunch of baby peaches. mmmmmm

I've hung a hummingbird feeder and mostly have ants...but I've seen a bird or two.

It's been crazy rainy around here lately. and tornado-y.

My washing machine has been slowly dying. Several months ago it stopped spinning....so I've just been wringing out things and/or hanging them outside for a while then throwing them in the dryer. Last week it started making a new funny noise....for it will surely die soon.
So I went out and ordered a new fancy washer. It should be here by Wed or Thurs. I am more excited about this that I should be.

My computer that I use to do Amazon books has died. I'll have to buy a new computer but I'm putting that off for just a bit. Although....places are having Memorial Day sales....so maybe I should visit that a bit sooner.

I've started baking my own bread. mmmm. The plot was for me to bake all my bread. But I'm having a real problem....I can't use this "good" bread for sandwiches. I just can not seem to put ham on it. I just butter it and stick it in the microwave. mmmmmm. Maybe as I do it more, it won't feel so special and I can put something on top. We'll see.

I bought some cheap concentrated lime-ade.....sour! I took the last 1/2 glass full and added a can of code-red mt dew. Much better.

Several years ago at our local grocery store they had Snyders of Hanover Ranch Pretzel Pieces. But they only had them sometimes and only a couple months out of the year.
LOVE THESE.
But then they didn't have them.....and I hate to say it....but....I forgot about them. Then a bit ago.....I remembered them. So I went on a town-wide search for them....Nothin'
So I went on-line. Back in the day I would order a number of my groceries from this on-line grocer. So I checked there and they had them. So I ordered 3 bags. I gave one bag to my mom and I snarfed the other 2.
Plan B.
In my previous travels I saw they had them on Amazon but you had to buy 12 bags.
So I went to Amazon and bought 12 bags.
OH GLORY BE!!!
I'll be ordering again soon. mmmmmm

Hi, I'm Hound Doggy, and I'm a pretzel addict.

Rental house update update

It turns out the damage to the air conditioner was not caused by the renters and was covered under warranty after-all. Yeah.

If they wanted to extend their lease past the original 6 months they should give 3 months notice. And....they haven't. So that means they haven't read the lease or they are planning to leave June 30th.
On May 1st, we can get going again with the rental agency and try to get it rented for July 1st or somewhere around there, hopefully.
We'll need to clean the carpet and I'd like to get the deck sealed....but other than that there shouldn't be too much to do.


I'm trying very hard to get this house paid off. The shop has been slower since the middle of March so my payments have been a little smaller. It seems like I'm running behind.

It has been kind of cold and gloomy here most of the spring. That is wearing me. I'd like about 60 or 70 degrees and sunny.

I've got wood and various kinds of dirt in my van. Soon I'll turn that into a raised garden bed. Then into May I'll get some new strawberries to plant. I've got several from last year that are planted in the ground. They are big and are starting to get blossoms.
My blackberry has got a bunch of buds.

But yesterday I made a pot of chicken soup (cold weather food) blah.

It seems like I've been tired for weeks....just kind of going through the days...

SUN.

Rental House Update

Since I always whine on here....I thought I hadn't whined about my rental house lately.
So here goes....


The renters I have are basically a pain in the ass.

All of the real pain assery started on April 4th.
I looked at my online bank account and they had not paid their rent.
Rent is due on the 1st, if it is not paid by the 3rd you get a late fee of $100. If I have to write you a nasty-gram?...that's another $25.

Oh I should mention that she takes the money directly to my bank and deposits it.

I watched the progression on-line.
Nothing as of the 4th (mon) at about 3:30pm.
On the 5th, late, money was taken in and it showed as pending.
On the 6th, early, nasty-gram received, I get a phone call from Jan.elle. At that point the money had gone through and was available through the bank.

So long story short....she said she took in the money on the 2nd (Sat.) and what?? I don't know?....the bank held it until Tuesday to run it through.
Another inconvenience for her was that the bank posts the images of the receipt and such. Those clearly showed the 4th.
I suggested that the late fees would be waived if, for instance, she had or could get from the bank a copy of the receipt that showed the 2nd. Or maybe even a copy of the check that showed the 2nd as the correct date.

Apparently that didn't work for her. Maybe because she is a full-of-shit liar.

After a 20 minute conversation where she tried every trick in the book for me to waive the fee and I wouldn't....she hung up on me.


So then in a couple of days....she called and said the air conditioner wasn't working.
This is interesting because the unit was put in new a year and a half ago....and it was working fine when they moved in.

So....there was this real strong odor of Rat.

The unit was under warranty so I called the people and they went out and looked at it.
I got the invoice. It was not covered under warranty. A "damaged" coolant line was repaired. To the tune of $524.00.

I have a call into the fix-it people. I need a very clear picture of the damage and what could have caused it.
I think I have an idea.

Yesterday I get another call (message) that the lawnmower battery needs to be replaced.

It seems as though everything was working fine before them moved in and now....everything has some problem.

Luckily they only signed a 6 month lease. The lease can be continued month to month if they want (and if I want). It's up in July.

They are a young military couple....those were the type of people that I was wanting to rent to. Trouble from the very beginning.

I see lawyers in my future.

growing

I've got two baby cats that have got their eyes open. Two others that will by tomorrow.
I like baby cats.