How you know your stuff is crap...

Try selling it in a garage sale!! When the early bird die-hards come by and say, "is that it? is there anything in the garage?" and don't even pick up any of your wares, you know you are truely peddling your crappiest belongings!!

But I didn't get discouraged. I settled down with a Venti mocha and a good book, and in three hours had made $16. Then I packed everything else up to the goodwill, except the books, which I tood to 1/2 price. They thought I had crap too--they gave $1 for the 5 books--sympathy money, I think!!

Minus the $$ for the mocha, I cleared $13 and got in some good reading time. And our crappiest belongings are history.Now I can get my nails done!!! (Right after I scrub down all 3 bathrooms....yuck!)

We are on track to meet our goal of having our house ready to sell when we leave for Big Sky Country. Cross your fingers for us!

Rental Cars...not so common

So our trip to MT just keeps getting better!! We've purchased an extra set of plane tickets for Monday so that we are guarenteed a trip home (see previous post). I now had the task of getting rental. Of course, we are leaving out of a different airport, so it's more expensive to rent a car and not return it to the same place. And in Montana, several national vendors don't even offer the service! So after getting quotes of over $400......we've rented a Neon for just over $300. So far, we've spent close to $1500 just to get there and get around, and I still have to book one more night at a motel. Oh why, oh why!?!?!

Seriously, we could have gone on a cruise for this amount of cash, with meals included. This is just killing me. Every time I think I've accepted it and am ready to start getting ready to enjoy myself, another "detail" pops up that just costs more damn money. For a kid we hardly know, getting married to a girl we've never met. Seriously, this has to be one of our more expensive hair-brained schemes.

I have to get a better attitude about this. Maybe I'll just pretend we are on a cruise while we are at the hotel. Keep calling for room service (they don't have a restuarant), demanding that my towels get made into little towel animals, walking around at all times with an alcoholic beverage....I could be on to something!

What I've learned:

1. Don't make travel reservations until the wedding invite is in hand
2. Don't make travel reservations until the wedding invite is in hand
3. Don't make travel reservations until the wedding invite is in hand

I think that about sums it up. And in general, Montana is really freakin' expensive.....

The benefit of "The Pink Eye"

So we weathered the storm of "the Pink Eye" a few weeks ago, although there was a minor relapse last week. This morning a six year old informs me that "something good came out of the Pink Eye". (the phrase "the pink eye" still CRACKS me up) When I asked her what, she said, "Well, I had the pink eye in my left eye. Now when I need to know my right from my left, I just think about which eye hurt and I know that's my left!"

Sheer brilliance I tell you. Then I started thinking back to the late 70's and realized I did the same thing!! I was stung by 2 bees in my right eye, swelling it shut and revealing the fact that I am allergic to bee stings. Once I was able to see again, I noticed that I could totally wink with my right eye. My first thought, at the tender age of 5 was, "Now I know which hand to use when we say the pledge at school!" I shit you not. I've since learned to wink with both eyes, but now my wedding rings help me out when I need it!

So that's the amusing anecdote for today. Much better than bitching about the fact that summer school started on Tuesday (3-day break between the school year and summer session--yippee!), that it's supposed to rain during Relay for Life this weekend or that we are up to our ears in neutral paint trying to get the house ready to sell. Yep--I'll stick with the amusing anecdotes as much as possible!