Did I mention I was going to Chicago

Going for eBay LIVE, which is always fun. And to meet up with friends that I haven't seen in a couple of years, and one I've known for over five years, but haven't met in person.

It is usually a motivating time for me -- time to re-energize my eBay batteries. This year eBay has presented some roadblocks, so this year is going to be interesting --- to see if they can convince us that there is a future for us with eBay.

Mostly it will be fun, and not here in this sweltering heat -- and NO WORK!

I know no Leap Day babies, do you?

I don't think I've ever known anyone born on Leap Day -- have you?

Wonder if Leap Day people like having a Leap Day birthday?

I don't know that there is much to blog about this week -- lots of mini monetary crisis I won't bore anyone (else) with, but just grinning and getting through it. What other choice do you have?

Otherwise, weather is lovely -- getting a tad warm for me for February, but at least the mud is drying.

Gosh darn I lead a dull life, don't I?

My sales pitch of the week is US WEEKLY magazine --- 52 issues for $79.95, which is like $1.35 an issue -- which is pretty nice. Interested? Let me know.

I just ordered Dog Fancy for myself -- I just love dog, cat, and bird magazines.

Well I'm surfing the net looking for Tri Trip roast recipes for crock pot or oven. It was on sale, but I probably should have checked to see if I knew how to cook it before I bought it, ya think?

All for now -- Happy Leap Day all!

iOFFER - alternative to eBay?

These guys have been around for awhile I guess, but many of us eBay sellers are finding it now for the first time while looking around for alternatives to eBay. If you're looking to buy something online, please look here before looking at eBay or Amazon -- help a new site find its legs.



Thanks for taking a look.

Ready, Set, What's after that?

Ever have one of those days (weeks, months, years, lifetimes) when you have great ideas about things you want to do -- so many that instead of getting anything done -- you getting nothing accomplished because you can't figure out where to start?

That's how I feel of late. With the uproar over eBay's fee increases and feedback changes many of us want to go to other sites and maybe open our own websites. That's what I'd like to do.

But I just can't figure out how to start -- I know, just start! But for some reason -- more now than usual -- I just can't seem to find the starting mark.

But at least I have completed one thing on my list today -- I blogged :) and made my current state a public statement. I'm hoping that will help me get started!

Oh yea, that's it -- ready, set, START!

Well shoot -- I must have forgotten to blog

I just realized that although I read blogs on a regular basis, I can't seem to do it myself -- write one, that is. So here I am trying to get in the habit again.

So, what's happened since my last blog? Hmmmmm.

Hmmmmm.


Hmmmmm.


Hmmmmm.


Maybe -- maybe that's why I don't blog regularly -- I live an unbelievably boring life. It seems complicated to me -- work & finances & dogs and stuff. But apparently I'm just fooling myself.

I sell on eBay and life there sure has become complicated -- they've jacked up the fees for us sellers, they've added some other 'features' that only serve to make life difficult for sellers. I know they're trying to keep buyers coming back, but my mother's expression comes to mind -- cutting of one's nose to spite your face.

Let me tell you -- should you ever buy something on eBay -- please give your sellers FIVE STARS when you leave feedback. eBay gives you 1-5 and describe 4 as very good and 5 as exceptional (or some such verbiage) but they don't tell you that sellers are 'punished' if all they are is very good. The placement of our ads in searches is based on those star ratings (called DSRs on eBay), they determine our fees -- if you are under 4.8 on any category you don't qualify for a fees discount, and heaven forbid you are below 4.5 they don't even let you become a powerseller. Which isn't the worst thing in the world, but in the small little narrow universe that is eBay, it's important to us.

So, sermon almost over -- please keep those things in mind when rating with those stars. They seem of small importance to buyers, but are of humongous stress & anxiety to sellers.

Okay, so I did do one weird thing -- I became a magazine salesperson. Now how weird is that? A good friend was telling me about it, and it sounded like a great idea to earn some extra money. And these days I don't need extra money -- I need rent money and gas money, and dog food money, and --- well I'm sure it's the same for everybody.

I'm building a website for them very slowly -- well I have a name, but haven't gotten too far. I do have photos:

Mandy's Mags

If you see any you'd like to order, let me know and I'll send you the details -- until I have the website ready.

So that's it for my grumble with eBay and my sales pitch (I am NOT doing magazine sales door to door -- I don't think I could take the rejection) and let's see if I can actually blog something tomorrow -- one day at a time!

In the meantime -- Happy President's Day

 

Serena and Dulce came to us as retired greyhounds. Lexie was never on the track. Her mother was a retired racer who was given to the rescue group VERY PREGNANT. She gave birth to 12 puppies -- and that black creature in the picture above was named Tiffany at birth. That was October 17, 1995. She came to live with us in early 1996 -- a very young very ungangly puppy. Always a mix of puppy and greyhound -- she was fast like a greyhound, but she sure wasn't elegant. She was not nervous, she didn't need any adapting from the track to the home -- she was a puppy and as a puppy she was sure the world loved her. And it did -- she always got along with everyone -- she was the most trouble free puppy we've ever had -- no housebreaking issues, no training issues. While she got along with the non-greyhounds, I always felt she was most comfortable with our other two greyhounds.

When Serena passed last year Lexie definately missed her company. They weren't particulary affectionate, but they were always together -- they slept on the couch together, the only dogs who slept up on the couch -- they generally went outside together, and they ran together.

My favorite Lexie story -- when it rains we towel all the dogs off as they come in. And we've had up to 16 dogs at one time -- so the toweling process can take awhile. Most of the dogs just put up with it --- but Lexie LOVED IT. She would run up first and get toweled off -- and then towards the end of the line, she'd miraculously appear for another rubdown. One day I watched her -- she'd head toward the living room when we released her from the drying station -- she would circle around and go outside again, and then stroll up the ramp to get another massage. And we always gave her another one -- she'd earned it :)

On December 19th -- two months to the day we helped Serena to the Bridge, Lexie was diagnosed with osteosarcoma of the humerus (Serena died of osteosarcoma of the shoulder). Lexie did very well -- not in a lot of pain, and the pain pills seemed to help when the pain got to her. She was pretty steady on her feet -- didn't have the problems going up and down the ramp that Serena did. She was very needy and loving -- always pushing her nose into our hands for petting. Last week she started to hesitate at the top of the ramp -- I had to go outside and make sure she knew I was there in case she needed me. She was fine as long as she knew I was there. Saturday when I went to work I gave her a pill, checked her leg and all was fine. Saturday afternoon when I got home the leg was at least twice the size it had been, and by morning it was 3 or 4 times bigger. She was definately in pain -- and we knew the time had come.

So, now we're without greyhounds. It's been 15 years since we've been without greyhounds. I don't like the feeling -- we have four dogs, all old friends who are comforting and loving -- but I miss having a greyhound. It's hard to explain it if you've never had one, but I miss their presence, miss their comfort, miss the serenity.

We've had many many dogs in our married life -- but we miss greyhounds and Shiba Inus the most. I hope that we haven't seen the last of either breed in our home. But no one will ever replace our 1st greys: Dulce, Serena and Lexie.

I just can't wait!

 

I'm not particularly political -- but I found myself drawn to this one for some reason.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

Happy New Year to all! I've been silent of late -- for a hermit like couple, DH and I sure have been social of late. My sister and her husband were in town in the RV this last week and we met for dinner two or three times -- just like 'normal' folks. It was nice.

Then DH's brother and his wife came to town and took us out for dinner and a movie (National Treasure) which was also fun, but all in all -- when you add that to how busy the store has been, the strains of retail customers who are surprised that Christmas snuck up on them -- and some employee issues, WHEW! I'm happy to be staying home this week for three days in a row! It's not so much going out -- it's the work involved in convincing DH to leave the TV set and actually leave the house.

At any rate -- don't want to hurt myself on my first blog back -- so I'll just point out that not only was our sunset gorgeous tonight, but I actually got a photo of it.

Here's to a prosperous and healthy (not necessarily in that order) 2008!~~!