Sort Through Sunday...

Another quiet but active day as we all prep for going back to normal schedules tomorrow. While putting away some oil lamps - we lost power for a couple hours due to a heavy storm last week, happens often enough to be annoying, but nothin' major - I rediscovered my old XM Radio 'boom box'. We had XM Satellite Radio for a year, and I enjoyed it, but we found ourselves using Napster on our Mp3 players more, so we dropped XM.

Anyway, this was their 'entry level' receiver, yer basic portable device - AM/FM radio, CD player, and an Auxillary setting for attaching outside devices, like Mp3 players. It was expensive for a boom box, but at the time it was the cheapest XM receiver on the market. Since we had several smaller portable stereos, it got shoved into the closet, as it's almost too big to be portable.  

Well, Beloved claimed one for the Shop, and another one bit the dust when it tumbled off a shelf. I'd been looking for a small battery-powered radio for the next power outage, but yard sales so far had not revealed one. The XM was far from small - 8 D batteries required ! - but  we didn't have one in The Office, where our computers and desks are. A quick bit of shuffling, and it had a home by a power outlet, and was running a CD, something we rarely listen to anymore. Dug the remote out from the junk drawer, and it still worked. Plus, I realized that the clock in the bathroom is also a radio receiver, and it runs on three AAs. We always have those, you keep a stock of 'em when you got a Wii. Heck, it'd run from the batteries that still had some juice left from the Wii-motes. Scratch one item off the 'hunt' list ! I love rediscovering what we want is something we already have !

Same thing with our camera. I'd been toying with the idea of doing YouTube-type videos with my dolls. Just needed a video camera ! Our local pawn emporiums have dozens, starting at $39., but when pawns price things that low, ya gotta wonder... I was still pondering whether or not to invest in one when it hit me. The fantastic Fuji FinePix S5200 digital camera Beloved Hubby got me two Christmases ago had a motion camera function ! With the 1gb  memory card, it'd record 30 minutes of action ! And we've since upgraded to a 2gb ! And bought a super-cool tripod on markdown for $10. So I didn't need to risk $40. - I already had more than what I needed !

Of course, I haven't made any videos, but I have the means when I'm ready ! And Beloved's humming a bit with the CD in the XM. I'm looking forward to hearing some of my ancient Christmas music when no one 's home - I'm the only one who likes it ! 

I'm still sorting through stuff to donate Monday. Earlier this week, Beloved installed a new fridge whiteboard/corkboard set he found on markdown - the one we got as a housewarming present fell off the fridge and broke, two years ago. That eliminated the need for the small bulletin board I had over by the cabinets, so I cleared it and tossed it in with the donations box.

Dearest Son saw it today, and asked if he could have it instead. Sure ! Got it hung upwhere he wanted and found some pushpins - we need more of those, I'm not much on thumbtacks ! - and he now has his scissors and a coloring page hanging off it. He's quite proud of his 'office' - a desk Beloved made him, an office chair that lost its hydraulics (perfect for an 8-year-old !), a desk lamp with a spinning organizer, two letter trays, and now a bulletin board. For Christmas, Beloved's making him a shelf to match the desk, for his books and computer games.

The Barbie case I made such a fuss over Friday is suffering from that which preys on all soft-side luggage - The Crush. Sooner or later, all non-rigid cases will collapse if there's nothing inside and little side support. The 1990 Little Mermaid suitcase I bought from a yard sale evidently had heavy stuff on top of it, the bottom plastic piece that holds the feet down and the case flat on the floor had folded up into thirds.

Not a lot I can do for Ariel's baggage, but the Barbie case I could at least stuff with Mal-Wart sacks and various bags I keep forgetting to recycle. I'd put fabric or doll props in there, but they get hung up eight inches from the ceiling, which makes 'em hard to get into. And it keeps the bags from piling up, and the luggage from collapsing inward.

Poked through Yard Sale Bloodbath (http://www.yardsalebloodbath.com/) and Manic Thrift Store Shopper (http://mtss.blogspot.com/) for fun and ideas. It's always a treat to find a site you like and then go through their links for more !

After lunch, I'm sorting through a copy-paper-size box of sewing notions I bought for $5. last week. It's mostly already sorted, I just have to find where to put the newest forty unopened packages of bias tape ! I really need to learn how to use that, I have a metric ton of it...

There was only one yard sale advertised on Craigslist for my town this weekend, so I think it's finally the end of the Season. I'm always a bit melancholy about that, but I have a flea market down the street Friday, and there's always the thrifts ! Even though I rarely buy much from 'em, it satisfies my need to shop and keeps me out of dangerous mall parking lots !

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