Gains by Barter

Lately the girls and I have been bartering for things.  I have a small box on my dresser with interesting odds and ends -  mostly little broken pieces of fun jewelry that I'll never get around to fixing.  I don't remember who came up with it, but we have been "trading" for things in that box for awhile now.

Tonight we took it up a notch.

I have bags full of costume jewelry, trinkets, and fun stuff I've collected literally my entire life.  I brought out one bag and asked who wanted to trade.  I got this:

In exchange for things like this: (note that most of the "good" stuff - rhinestone necklaces, anything bearing a heart - had already been swapped)

When the girls ran out of things to trade, they made me pictures and cards.  This one was by Robin, and shows a Shark (the twisted thing) about to eat a fish (the bubbly thing) and the caption is "SHARK!"

Totally worth it.

Easy skirts, attempt 5

Every girl in Erin's phonebook will get skirts this year for their birthday.  I made this one last weekend for her BFF Ella.

 Cute fabric, no? I made Erin a matching one, since it was her BFF and all.

I liked the fabric so much I bought 2.8 yards of it, all they had.  And for the size all the girls are now it's just about perfect: the width of the bolt is a tad bigger than the recommended 2x waist size.  The heart pattern is length-wise so I figure I can get about 7 skirts out of the deal, costing about $3 per skirt (including the cute pink trim).

Orders anyone?

Where the junk goes to die

After a moderately successful garage sale and a dismal response from the freecycle community, I bit the bullet and took a load of stuff over to the Goodwill drop off center.  It took a few days of me staring at the neatly lined pile of McMiller flotsam baking in the sun to realize that really, it was all just junk. (I'm writing this on Tuesday but will be back-dating it to Sunday....)  It now dawns on me that I was looking upon the mounds of stuff and seeing every item as I used, enjoyed, and valued.  Not as it appeared to others gazing on it for the first time: used linens, mismatched glasses, bags of screws and doorknobs, a broken subwoofer, a manual typewriter.  A typewriter for goodness sakes!  So off the girls and I went to the neighborhood Goodwill drop off center, where probably even they will reject 75% of what we "donated".  But at least I didn't have to do it. We've one more load to take, and it does feel good to get this stuff gone. Maybe I'll even try to purge a few closets.

Oh, and I did keep a few things to try to place in loving homes again .... anyone want a manual typewriter?

New Job

Today, Dr. A embarks on a new career. Starting today, I am a Full Time Mom. Last Friday was the last day at the lab. I tucked the cells into the -80 freezer, tidied the boxes of plasmids and primers, double checked the labeling on the patient slides, and turned in my ID badge and key.

Today, the first time as a Domestic Engineer, I have such tasks as getting 3 bids for fixing the sewer line, looking up life insurance quotes, locating and sorting the newborn clothes, starting a new blog, scheduling a much-needed haircut, and entertaining a 2 year old. Erin will still go to pre-school 4 days a week, but Mondays will be Mommy and Girl time.

The contract on this position is expected to run 2 years, by which time Baby Girl 2 will be in preschool. There were myriad reasons leading to the opening of this role, and I hope to do it justice. I am open to all suggestions, hints, tips, and ideas for how to be successful.

April Statistics (partial)

From April 2nd to April 13, 2009

Number of visitor person-nights at McMiller PDX: 24

Laundry loads: 12

Dishwasher loads: 11

Rolls of TP: 9

Eggs found by Erin: 24

Chocolate eggs eaten by Erin: 9

Pounds of bacon eaten: 2.4

Showers/baths taken: 60

Naps taken: 17

Trips to the vet: 2

Medications prescribed to Steve: 5

Stitches in Steve: 3

Flat tires repaired: 1

Bags of trash: 4

Bags of recycling: 7

Trips to the dump: 1

Trips to Children's Museum: 2

Trips to Costco: 1

Trips to the grocery store: 14

Walks around the block: 18

Icy statement

When you really want to get a point across, say it in a 1,500 lb block of ice. 

Call me a curmudgeon

Earlier this week I bought 4 apples for about $6.  On the same trip I bought 6 candy bars for $2. (I really like candy.) How is this possible? A gallon of milk: $7.  Two 2-liters of coke: $2.50.  Comparing calories the value is with the coke and snickers.  Comparing nutrition, the milk and apples.  But please someone* tell me the basic economics going on here?  Never mind the subtle and not so subtle health and social implications. 

* Yes, I've read all Michael Pollan has to say so I do know the answer.  I'm completely flabbergasted nonetheless.

While we're on the topic of despicable things,  there's this.  More here.   What is wrong with people?  There has to be a separate level of hell for people who would intentionally poison babes to make a buck.  Sick. 

Polite dinner conversation

Grandparent #1: The exchange rate hit $1.50 per
Euro today.

Ms. A: Wow. Bummer for travel, but that's really good for the US export market.

Grandparent #2: Hmm. What is the main export for the US?

Mr. B: Hegemony.