Movin' Out

Here I am with my 99th published blog wanting to make it to 100. That blog will have to wait. We're moving!

With the move comes service interruption, gadget upgrades, and more time to accumulate blog fodder. Which reminds me. The other night Carlos and I walked the 5 blocks to the new place just to get a head start with our garden art. By the leash, juggling a hose, a heavy piece of the Roman Forum, and a dog poop bag, I managed to lug that precious piece of marble(?) up the driveway and into the yard, in one piece!

A Roman Relic

We had staked our claim. 

More to come...we're moving in Friday and have 10 days to
do so. I'm half-way thinking
about saving the $45 truck rental
and walking over our belongings,
pieces by pieces.

Just Carlos and me.

Ps. I don't know what just happened to the text above, but I like it~must be the poetry muse Erato. Oh wait, that's Greek.

         

The FREE Tree

Found this on an Oregon beach a few years ago. It's been hanging on our ginkgo tree ever since. We often thought it may have floated across the Pacific after the Japanese tsunami like other debris currently washing ashore. It doesn't glow at night so we presume not. Probably only a local fishing float.

The FREE Tree

With the exception of the surf shack, our new house has no coastal appeal. So, it's gone. Like that Japanese tidal wave, we had a dozen people, surfing the FREE ads, catch a glimpse of this float.

Passportsandpostcards.com

Curiously, a guy named Matsuda was over in an hour to take it home(I assume home is somewhere here in Portland). 

Using the old bait and switch move, he happily handed over $5 for the other hand crafted birdhouse I offered him.

Five dollars- Oh buoy!

When Opportunity Knocks

One Sunday, a month ago, we got a knock on the door. I was between roasting pork and halftime downstairs in the cave. Hali opens up for a couple looking, in our neighborhood, at open houses for sale. Our little bungalow has enough curb appeal to attract random strangers? Wanting to see OUR house?

Hali lets them in and shows them around- da da da da! This couple has been renting nearly a year, scoping out Portland's neighborhood's, and pinpointed a one mile radius in which to start knocking.

A few days later we have a legitimate cash offer and they want to come by for another look-see. This time they saw the house unadorned of Christmas and most of our 20's era belongings back in their glory of this old house.

They accept a counter offer and have an inspector out five days later. Nice, now we know what to fix up before we sell next Spring- a $500 value.

Spend a rainy weekend oiling hinges, clearing up the attic, waxing windows and confidently wait out the FIVE hour inspection.

Like any house approaching 100 years~ in this neighborhood, a Century House~ it will have issues, mostly updating code. 

Nonetheless, this little 1922 bungalow has enough charm to SELL itself.

Da da da da!!!!

We Scored

This was hanging around the playground across the street for over a week. I wrestled it into its handy-dandy tote and HEADED home.

 

          passportsandpostcards.com            

After three weeks of trying to find the owner, I posted it on Craigslist for $1. Right away I had response and I explained that my GOAL was to sell one thing a week.

I then THREW in a soccer ball that came OUT OF PLAY, on our side last summer.

I SCORED 5 bucks!

We're goin' to World Cup...

Brazee or Bust! Let's get packin'!!

BTW, Brazee is our new cross street. And yes, we're packing.

Go Pack Go!!!

When Hali and I SELL something we like to share the history of what it is we are selling and what the buyer is buying.

                            

 www.passportsandpostcards.com

We were given these T-shirts opening day at Lambeau Field last year. I never wore 'em. Why would I? I'm a lifelong Niner fan. I like Aaron Rogers and Packer fans all right but I've never had the need to wear these. Not my colors.

A month ago, as playoffs approached, I listed them on CL. Both $5. I'd renew the ad every week until it got down to $2 for both. No response. C'mon Man, the Packers are in the playoffs!

So this morning I listed them for FREE. Boy, was there a FREE surfer(someone who surfs the FREE ads) Craigslist bid wave. Replied back to the first responder and said I wanted a buck for both. He was over in 20 minutes. 

After retelling the story about these shirts, this Packer fan happily forked over a fiver, and was outa here. Go Pack Go!!!

Hali then reminded me that he gave me the $5 to shut up. Touché-->

River Time... Time To Let Go

Okay, you know our decluttering efforts are getting serious when I sell my dry bags mid-winter.  Perusing want ads, I find a paddler interested in dry bags. I've got a few. Use them once a year and are survival on whitewater but it's time to let them go.

                           

                        www.passportsandpostcards.com

Come mid-summer, I may be up the river without my dry bags, I'm keepin' the paddle.

Things are rapidly moving...

Word Du Jour

I listen to a lot of radio, especially NPR, so I stay pretty astute of the verbiage used by radio people. Currently, the word-of-the-day is ubiquitous. A year ago, I recall never hearing this word. Today, I hear it quite often. Honestly, I don't even know what it means.

Stop! Tune in and listen. Everyday you'll hear the word ubiquitous used. Now, Google it. The word ubiquitous is everywhere.

Fantasy Football Champ or Chump?

 

Once I clicked Go, I had five minutes to prepare my draft choices in my fantasy football league. In a designated order, I draft my team, along with 11 others from all walks of life, anxious for football season. The entire process takes maybe 30 seconds, but there it was, my roster.

No, I didn't have the Mannings, Brady, or Brees who score monster fantasy points. I had a solid line-up of blue collared players who stayed healthy and put up double digit numbers every week. A tight end, Vernon Davis, was my prized player. The kicker, I don't even remember his name, was my highest scorer. My Numbniners came out every week and played hard.

After 13 weeks, my team was 9-4 and was one of four, of twelve, invited to the playoff bracket for the Championship. 

With the regular NFL season winding down, this was a good time to strategize within the fantasy league. A perfect time to click a button that says Waiver Wire. I needed a player who was scoring lots of points but was either undrafted or flew under the radar unnoticed~Hello Eagles QB, Nick Foles.

Yea, there was some smack talk goin' on and Nick Foles led the way over Brady, Brees, then Manning to my first 12 team fantasy football Championship. Oh boy, the champagne was gonna flow in that virtual locker room. My team kicked, straight-armed, and tackled their way to this moment and we were going to celebrate. Nick Foles was going to Disneyland! Postcard please, Nick:)

Passportsandpostcards.com

A day later, after the hangover, I clicked on my Numbniners icon to see how the guys were. Beside every players name was the word, OFFSEASON. What? No chest bumps? No end zone antics? No virtual trophy? The season's over? This is fantasy football not Lake Wobegon football! I want a trophy in my fantasy trophy case!!

So, this weekend begins the REAL NFL playoffs and I'm looking forward to getting back to reality. Lame fantasy, no trophy, football, The Niners travel to Green Bay to play on the 8 degree Frozen Tundra. You're all invited to the cool comfortable confines of my cave where there might actually be chest bumps- please bring a cheese dish.

Frozen Cheesehead

By the way, if you're not stickin' around Lambeau Field for football this weekend, you might catch Disney's latest, FROZEN, at your local cinema. I'm watching football, fantasizing about that 6th REAL Lombardi trophy in the San Francisco 49ers trophy case. Then I'm going to DisneyWorld!!

 49er Trophy Case