Free To Good Home

Back in the late 1980s a local grocery store had a buy-a-new-volume-every-few-weeks promotion that would ultimately get you a set of Funk and Wagnalls encyclopedias.  Son Tony was just beginning to read.  Each time I'd bring home a new volume he'd grab it and run off to his room, where he'd spend time looking at the pictures and perusing the new information.

Fast forward to today.  I can't remember the last time I opened up one of the books to get information; the only thing I've used them for lately is weighing down glued craft projects.  I was more than ready to get rid of the 36 inch-long stack of books.  However, since they were outdated, the charities and thrift stores around here wouldn't accept them any more.

I asked for suggestions for getting rid of the set from my Facebook friends, but no one had any ideas. (Except for the person who suggested using them for a huge bonfire.  I didn't take that person seriously.) Another person indicated she'd unsuccessfully tried to get rid of four different sets, which didn't exactly give me confidence for disposing of my own.

Then, as sometimes happens to me, an idea randomly popped into my head.  I wondered if I would get some interest if I listed the set on  Freecycle and Craigslist.  Two nights ago after dinner I composed a post and added it to both sites.  When I woke up the next morning I had five responses...and another five people had contacted me before I deleted the post after the set was actually gone.

With multiple offers to choose from I picked the person with the most appealing story.  It was a woman who told me that, even though she already had several partial sets of encyclopedias she's picked up over the years, she had wanted an entire set ever since she was a kid.   When I emailed her indicating they were hers, she told me she felt like she won the lottery!

After texting back and forth with the woman we settled on a meeting site, and yesterday afternoon I transferred the books from the back of my car into hers.  the woman was as nice in person as she sounded in her text.  At the end of the transaction she gave me a big hug, and I drove away thinking my discards would really be treasured.

Five years ago today: I Guess This Is What Adults Do

Registration Completion

We had a new dishwasher installed on Friday. As he was on his way out the door, the installer handed me a stack of manufacturer paperwork. Tucked inside the plastic bag was a product registration postcard with a strange-looking graphic on one side.  The card said the easiest way to register the dishwasher was through Photoregister.  Later in the day when I was cleaning up a pile of papers left over from Christmas I found another similar product registration postcard from a gift I received. I had to know what this Photoregister was all about.

According to the company's website, they offer "The fastest way to register products direct with the brands you buy".  The process sounded easy.  You take a photo of the code and text or email it in.  After it receives the photo the company will send you back a link.  You click on the link, which goes to an online site where you put in additional registration information.

I followed the directions for both cards. Twenty minutes later I received my responses, and clicked over to both websites.  They asked for my name, address, model number, and purchase information... all the things I would have filled out on a traditional paper form.  I'm not sure how exactly the new process improved things, but I have to admit it was kind of cool.

Five years ago today: Some People Get Excited Over The Smallest Things!

Waa! Waa! Waa!

Lucky Grandpa!

The holidays came and went, and so did our our of town children and their significant others. Then the day after New Years Son Brian, Daughter-In-Law Nicole, and Grandbaby Jay returned for a second round or socializing.  Today Hubby Tony and I took them to the airport for their trip back to California.

It was a good visit. However, the day after they arrived back I started feeling under the weather, and by that night I had a full-blown cold--a scratchy throat and cough, a stuffy yet runny nose, watery eyes, and a hacking cough.  What a bummer!

Grandbaby Jay is not quite three months old. He hasn't had his first cold yet, and his parents were understandably anxious to keep it that way. So the babysitting dates that were planned got cancelled, and I was careful to stay far away.  It killed me not to get my share of baby cuddles, and I felt like joining in with Jay when he cried.

This morning as Brian and Nicole put their luggage in the car they handed the baby to Tony, who got to get in one last set of hugs.  In the middle of his Grandpa time Jay looked over at me, smiled, and blew some bubbles my way to show he was thinking of me, too.

At least that's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Five years ago today: Out With The Old

Sun Up

The winter solstice on December 21st was the shortest day of the year, and since then the days have been getting incrementally longer.  However, the extra length has been at the end of the day. Weirdly enough, the sunrises have been getting incrementally later.

In 2017 yesterday (January 4th) and today (January 5th) have the latest sunrises for the year. Starting on Friday the 6th they'll start moving back, and we'll have more sunshine on both ends of the day. 

That's exciting news for me; I don't like having the house completely dark when my alarm goes off in the morning.

Five years ago today: What's In Your Lunchbox?

Whereabouts

It looks like January is shaping up to be a month of package issues for our house.

Yesterday the doorbell rang.  As I was opening the front door I saw a UPS driver walking back to his truck. He had left two boxes on the porch-one a small case of diapers and the second a box of baby wipes. With Grandson Jay and his parents back at the house I carried the boxes in and didn't think anything about it, but when I mentioned them to Daughter-In-Law Nicole she indicated she hadn't ordered anything.

I took a good look at the mailing label. It had the correct address, but the addressee was an unfamiliar  woman's name. A Google search for the name didn't provide any information, so I called UPS and explained the situation. They said they'd have the driver pick up the packages today.  I put the boxes back on the porch. Just to be on the safe side, I took a time and date stamped photo to show they had been there.

This afternoon the bell rang again. This time Son Brian was closest to the door and brought in two FedEx packages. One was addressed to Hubby Tony, and the other had the same incorrect combination of name and address from the previous day. This time Son Donald took it upon himself to do the research, searching for the woman's name in Facebook. He showed me the results; when I scrolled down I saw a photo of the woman with a young man I recognized as the son of one of my neighbors.

I called the neighbor and explained the situation. He verified that I was was correct; his son and his girlfriend were living at their house. (The neighbor's house address is just one digit off from ours). I told him I'd bring the packages in from the front porch; they could pick them up and call UPS to explain the mix up.  Twenty minutes later I heard a polite knock on the door. When I looked the UPS driver was standing on the porch. I opened the door and described the situation. The driver offered to drop off the packages down the street.  I let him. 

Ten minutes after that there was another knock on the door. This time it was the woman and the neighbor's son come to collect the last package.

I hope there's no other mix ups, but if it happens again I won't bother involving the courier companies.

Five years ago today: Converted

Package, Package, Who's Got The Package?

Ten days before Christmas I went online and ordered a 'fill in' present to compliment a gift card I was giving. Shipping was free, and the company promised it would be delivered in three to five business days.

Three to five days came and went. Because I knew it was a busy time of the year I waited an additional day before following up. The shipping service's website said the package had been delivered, and I should check with other people in the house to see if they'd brought it in. No one had, so I contacted the company.

The company was great to work with. They apologized for the inconvenience and said they'd send out a replacement order at no charge. The only problem was at that point I wouldn't receive it until after Christmas, and would no longer need it. I asked them if I could have the purchase amount credited to my account. They agreed. I checked my charge card statement online at the end of the year and saw that the credit had indeed been made.

When I came home from church yesterday (January 1) there was a large white plastic envelope laying on a shelf in my garage that hadn't been there the day before. The envelope was addressed to me, and the sender on the return address was the company I'd ordered the merchandise from. I didn't open the package, but I only ordered one thing from that company, so I could confidently say it was the misplaced merchandise. I wonder when and how it had gotten there?

The company is emailing me a return label so I can get the package back to them. I hope they get their return quicker than I got the original parcel!

Words Of Wisdom For 2017

I've run across these suggestions in several different places over the past few weeks. After the third sighting I thought perhaps it wasn't a coincidence, and I'd better take them to heart.

So, now you know what I'll be focusing on in the new year.  What about you?  Do you have any goals for self-improvement?

Whew!

As I suspected, with all the out of town family at the house for Christmas the past week went by in a whirlwind of excitement.  Because of two-month old Grandbaby Jay we didn't do as many structured activities as we have in the past, but I cherished each chance I got to hold him close.

Slowly, the number of house guests has dwindled.  Brian, Nicole, and Jay left on Monday to drive to Columbia Missouri to visit with friends and family there.  (They'll be back sometime after New Year's Day for a short while before they depart for California.) This morning we took Son Tony and his friend Ie to the airport and watched them walk through the terminal door into the airport.

When I got back it was time to start tackling all the projects I let pile up while we had a houseful.  I waded through a backlog of emails and read a large collection of blog posts.  Washed bath towels and sheets.  Put away a pile of Christmas bags and boxes that didn't get put away in the first sweep a couple of days ago.  Then, most importantly, I bought a new dishwasher.

Sadly, the dishwasher that has been working inefficiently for the past few months conked out on Christmas Day--right as I was putting the finishing touches on dinner for 25 people.  The problem started with a small water leak, which quickly turned into a small flood.  I turned it off and stuffed beach towels under the door to sop up the mess. Later in the evening when I tried running the dishwasher again we smelled a burning odor coming from the interior.  Not a good sign.

Because the dishwasher was so dilapidated Tony and I didn't even consider repairing it.  This afternoon I went to the library for some Consumer Reports research, then came home and found out which local stores sold our target brand and model.  Tony and I drove to the store, talked to the salesperson, and fifteen minutes after we walked in we walked out with the purchase receipt.

A week from Friday the new dishwasher will be installed.  I can't wait.

Some of the presents for our family Rob Your Neighbor game on Christmas Day

Five years ago today: Draw Your Own Adventure

From My House To Yours

Hope it's a good one.

Five years ago: Merry Christmas

All Will Be Complete

Son Donald finished his college finals and got home a week ago.  On Monday half of our out-of-town children arrived.  This morning the rest will be here.  Son Tony and his friend Ie woke up very early to get on a plane that arrives about 8:30 AM.  Hubby Tony will pick them up from the airport.  For the next five days it will be a good kind of crazy.

Our four bedroom house, which seems so large for just Tony and I, will be filled to the brim.  As a matter of fact, we don't have enough bed space, so one of the larger bedrooms (currently occupied by Donald) will have "maid service"...clean sheets, straightening, and an air mattress laid on the floor before Tony and Ie take up residence there.

I love having everyone here.  It's good to be able to interact with everyone in person, something that doesn't happen often enough. The refrigerator is stuffed to the brim with extra food.  The dishwasher will go into overdrive to keep up with the larger amount of cups and dishes.  There will be extra loads of laundry going (and it won't be mine to keep on top of!)

Five years ago today: (Not) The Shortest Day Of The Year!