"Max" Golf Outting

This weekend the husband was not feeling well. I tried to put off a lengthy cleaning project when he took a nap Saturday morning since I didn't know how long he would sleep. When he woke up he was ready to hit the road. He is not one for staying home, especially on Saturdays. 

We have a few Groupons, one of which we have put off using that expires this month. So we had to go to the World Golf Village's IMAX Theater. The husband has never been to a true IMAX theater. The deal was good on Groupon so I bought it months ago. 

http://www.intothegrain.com/ernie-els-highlights-2011-hall-of-fame-inductions/

We wandered there after lunch at what I call Sizzler. It is a buffet and steak place near our house and even though it is not a Sizzler it reminds me of the Sizzler of my youth. Plus the restaurant is like going back in time. I feel like I am in the 1980s when I look at the staff and the customers. It was getting to be late afternoon so there weren't many options on what movie to see. So we picked the one closest to our arrival time. 

http://www.worldgolfvillage.com/imaxtheater.aspx

We lucked out and saw the newly released Into The Arctic 3D IMAX movie. It was a very cute movie. The polar bears were the focus but it showed all types of arctic animals and people. 

After the movie we toured the World Golf Village Hall of Fame. Now I am not a fan of golf, but the entrance was free. The husband got a kick out of the old golf clubs and the virtual golf swing thingy. He was proud to hit the ball behind the screen. The Groupon came with a couple more things - a putting coupon and a challenge tee. The lady said they were good for a year. 

I wish I could have seen a longer movie at the IMAX. the Arctic movie was over so quick. The 3D glasses were so huge I felt like an even bigger geek. The Avengers comes out and is playing there next week. It's just so expensive to go to the IMAX/3D. Well, the World Gold Village is about as much ($8.50) as the regular theaters nowadays. I still like my small town movie theater for the deal of $6 a movie. Even their concessions are cheap. Plus it is spending money locally. They have that animated Pirate movie now, so I may need to go soon. Misfit Pirates sounds like what would have happened if I did follow that career path as I wanted to in elementary school. 

http://apnatimepass.com/the-pirates-band-of-misfits-movie-wallpaper-5.php

Next trip to the World Golf Village we will have to eat at Caddy Shack. I have been there once or twice years ago. The husband has never been there. He doesn't play golf, yet, but he keeps acquiring golf clubs, balls and putting practice items. I think he is a redneck golfer at heart. I keep trying to get him to go golfing with a friend of ours. She golfs in order to drink, so how serious and stuffy can her golf outtings be. 

http://worldgolfvillageblog.com/tag/murray-bros-caddyshack-restaurant/

Today we are hanging with the in laws. We tried to go to lunch at a local place, but it wasn't open. They started opening Sundays, but I guess it was short lived. I tried to suggest to the husband that he have a plan B. In this little town there are lots of places to eat, but mainly fast food and nothing very interesting. No Zaxbys, no Moe's and only a few decent sit down places. We ended up a couple town over at an Arby's. We all Jamoca and Orange shaked ourselves out of our loss. 

But I did behave and buy nothing this weekend. With a possible guest in the second bedroom I have a probable clean out to do of the bedroom full of things. I have plans for a game shelf for the husband to build. I have been trying to get rid of inventory. I lowered all my inventory on Etsy that is expiring this week, ebay and even half.com. I will keep at the selling. This week I sold 3 books and an 8 track. The money from paypal is going for our summer vacation. Even more of a reason to sell as much as I can. 

Have I mentioned how I always have loved the movie Caddyshack. I have it on DVD and still watch it every time its on TV. I couldn't pass up on the gopher's cuteness for this post :)

http://redriverpak.wordpress.com/2011/09/15/movie-flashback-caddyshack/

Left Behind... Furniture Edition

This sure was comfy but too much $

I have one in black already. Could have had a whole set. 

So cute, but already have one and no room :(

Left Behind... Cool

Now that would look cool on my car. 

The title cracks me up. 

This one is classic. I just want the mannequin and the wig. 

Gaming

What I love about wandering around and finding interesting things is the coincidents that you come across.

The husband and I started playing online Scrabble against each other after people in my group at work kept talking about Scrabble. I was never any good at Scrabble. I had a cool board that spun way back in the early 1980s. We would flip it over and play roulette.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rotating-Deluxe-Scrabble-Game-Board-Racks-Only-Uses-Standard-Size-letter-tiles-/230738603629#ht_500wt_1182

The husband and I looked at new Scrabble boards in the store and I didn't want top shell out $17 (In prison they go for $19 with the dictionary, so I am told). We rarely see a decent looking Scrabble game in the thrift stores. I see the tiles on Etsy all the time and it cracks me up that so many people make them into other things.

Today we were wandering the roads and went to a Hospice Thrift store that was a dud the first time we went there. We found a Scrabble game that the box looked in good shape, but it was taped shut. We bought it, a Mille Bornes French Card Game from 1964 and a Poker Bingo game from 1972. I was willing to pay 75 cents to find out what a French Card Game was. It looks interesting and had all the cards.

http://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/31288-my-1964-mille-bornes-game-made-by-par

The husband opened the Scrabble game when we got home and right on the top was a piece of paper keeping score between two people with the same names as us. We got such a kick out of that. It was destiny. Then when he took everything out of the box we found that there was one board, but two sets of tiles and tile racks. I looked online to find out how many of each letter they are suppose to have and a complete set of tiles was there, twice. What an interesting score. $2 for two games, pretty much.

We also found a stuffed animal looking deer head that hangs on the wall. A perfect addition to the husband's camo/forest themed master bedroom design. About a year and a half ago he put up camouflage boards on every wall of the master bedroom. He already had some wolf and moose statue thingys. Over the past year we have found a plastic raccoon, added another moose and I brought in my stuffed animal skunk. I still think he needs a squirrel. He disagrees since they are all over our yard and quite annoying.

http://ocanadagear.com/stuffed-wallmount-heads.htm

I also found a couple wooden frames for 10 cents each. I figured at that price I will eventually find something to do with them. Always an adventure. Spent a whopping $7. Cheap entertainment. 

Last Sunday

http://www.thecamreport.com/category/g-conditions-to-treat/common-cold/

Last week was one of those weeks. Out of work 2 days due to a cold/flu whatever thing. Caught up on work on the other 3 days. Went on a short day trip with the husband. Stomach hurt for a day. Today (Sunday) the week ended with the well's pump going out. It always goes out when I am using the water. This time in the shower. The husband was not able to repair it this time. He said this time the pump motor had to be replaced.

We took a trip to Lowe's, but the husband wasn't sure what if the deep well pump would fit. I spent about everything in my checking account to get one. Brought it home and it won't work. So the husband went to his folks to get one that may fit. Let's cross our fingers. Other wise the kind that would fit would be another $100 at least.

For the moment the cold is under control. I still am congested, but the sneezing has quit and I don't blow my nose nearly as much. The stomach finally quit hurting. Why is it if my right side hurts I always think my appendix is bursting?

When we weren't battling illness and things breaking the husband and I did do a little house work. Thank goodness I got my laundry done before the water went out. We also did some redecorating. I had been thinking of moving some of the posters around in the living room. Plus last week I acquired those stitched flower pictures. After some debate and switching out one frame we came up with this.

The husband thought going from brown to white would make a difference. The others are in their original black. 

I took down the Night of the Living Dead poster. Then I put the Breakfast at Tiffanys poster in its frame. I took The Muppets poster out if its frame and put another 60s travel poster in it. So now most of the living room posters are in frames.

I went through all the poster I have accumulated in tubes over the years and figured I need to get rid some. I need to get rid of the underpants Faith No More poster from the 90s. I used to keep it in the bathroom back at my apartment. These days there is no where to put it. Plus I am no longer obsessed with Mike Patton.

http://yourpopfilter.com/2012/02/the-pop-filter-top-ten-24/

I have a couple posters with no pin holes. I know, amazing. I don't know if I should attempt selling them or just put them in the giveaway box.

Current day: Friday

I ended up ordering a few work related posters for the office. I still would love a mural of a forest with a huge tree, but I don't have the connections to get that type of thing to happen. 

Left Behind... Months Back

Barney Rubble just had to find another home. 

Dog purse... hmmmm... Oh yeah, I don't carry a purse. 

Another pass. Not sure why I took this picture. 

Sicky

Just last week I commented to a coworker how I had not gotten sick this past year. No cold, flu or gunk had gotten me. I was doing amazingly well at showing up for work consistently. Until this week.

Saturday I woke with a sore throat. I was popping cough drops throughout the day. Sunday I was sneezing and blowing my nose. The husband said I would be calling out of work Monday but I disagreed. By Sunday night I was feeling worse and agreed that I would call out.

http://thewestgeorgian.com/whats-circulating/

I slept until 7 am Monday when I had to call in. I lounged watching TV all morning. I washed some clothes and baked some zucchini bread in the afternoon. I watched a lot of TV. Bad TV. Reality TV. The kind of TV that would make a non-sick brain turn to mush. But when you are sick it is the only thing that your brain can tolerate. Yes, I am ashamed that I watched back to back Khloe and Lamar. I am ashamed that I now know what Couple Therapy is and who is on it. But those shoes had my brain at rest.

The husband even brought me Wonton soup and Chinese for dinner. Unfortunately where we live there are no good Chinese food restaurants. There is one take out place in town, but it is so pitiful. But I ate it. I didn't have any soup in the house. It is sad when Louisiana seems so filled with Chinese restaurants and Florida is so pathetic. Mental note: eat Chinese food when we go up north this summer.

http://a-little-kitty.deviantart.com/art/Kawaii-Chinese-Food-Takeout-106826611

I started feeling worse last night and the husband kept saying I was not to go to work. My temperature was low. I run a low temp normally but this was a little lower. So here I sit frustrated that I am sick and should be resting, but wanting to do something more than just sit. So I figured I would write about it. I also checked my work email, which has nothing interesting. I did get some congratulations on my group's graduation. That is always cool to hear from former coworkers.

The thing with this blog is that I wanted to do something different from my last blog. The last one was all about what was going on with me and it had pseudonyms for everyone and rambled on and on. I thought it was too personal, too whiny, too blathering. I wanted this blog to be different. Then when I look at what I wrote each week I feel like it is not very personal and not much about me. It is about thrifting and going places and not all that deep.

I know I don't want to do a blog about what I do every day or who pisses me off. I know I can't do a blog about work because, well, that is all I talk about at home, but... I am a counselor and it is confidential. I know I write a snippet here and there on twitter about a "client" or group, but nothing earth shattering. It's just that work is so much of who I am and what I do when I am not home sick being a bum.

http://www.cloudave.com/13668/thoughts-from-the-enterprise-2-0-conference-june-2011/

I guess the blog is not unlike my daily thoughts... trying to resolve who I am with what I do. Most of what I ramble on to the husband about work when I come home is more about annoying coworkers and the funny moments. I am banned about talking about The Princess since she is "a hollow shell of a human being" according to a former coworker. But that is not what I want to write about here. I know I wrote a post before that was about what I wanted this blog to be about. I probably should go back and read that one.

I do want to write about more things that interest me and that I am passionate about. I have tried the travel/thrift thing for a while. I tried the updates on goals. I don't see me doing the weekly goals, or thrift shares or anything that requires so much time and effort that I would hate doing it. I have been pretty good about posting every week (most weeks).

It has been a while since I wrote about blogs I enjoy or web sites I find cool. I want the blog to be about me but not all about me. Know what I mean? I have a whopping 6 followers and I am very excited that they follow me. I follow far too many blogs and probably need to go through the list and weed out the non posters. Part of blogging is having an audience, otherwise I would keep a journal on the computer that no one sees. No one I know reads this. I tell the husband what I am writing but he doesn't read it. I guess this is more anonymous then I tend to admit. Few people know I even write a blog.

SNL

Okay, that all makes me sound like a hermit, which I guess I have become. The Princess Debbie Downer is my only issue. She stirred up some stuff a while back and I resolved if she brings it up again I will be assertive and tell her either put up or shut up. Of course once I decided that she dropped the subject. Awe shucks. Just when I made a resolve.

Maybe I am a bit hermit-ish. I do talk to a few people. I have become choosy and I don't talk a lot about personal stuff at work. What is there to talk about? Does everyone really need to know my life story in order to know me? No. Maybe I am gun shy too from the close coworkers I had that I don't see anymore. You know the ones that talk to you all the time when they have a common thing to complain about or they are miserable, but when they go on to another job and are happy they don't think about you. I know it is not just my line of work. It happens time and time again.

So I have been trying to size people up first before I jump all in to being buds with them. They tend to move or leave and everything is up in the air at work. I do miss the conversations. That is why I come home chattering away to the husband as he listens to the interesting parts and shuts out The Princess stories. Venting is a hobby of mine.

So, new goals: 1) write about a variety of things, 2) write more details and 3) mainly keep writing. I kick myself for not writing more. I wrote paperwork, although good notes, but that is not what I want left behind as my writing sample.

http://kidsandbills.com/extras/kids-bills-is-looking-for-writers/

Left Behind... This Week

It was a little too cliche for me

Perfect for a princess, just not for me

Strangely cute. A planter I guess. I feel it should be bright orange. 

Ocala Thrift Trip

The husband had drove past a few thrifts in Ocala and said we needed to check them out this weekend. I was surprised he initiated going there. It also got him out of taking the trash to the dump. I did my homework and tried to plot a route and take into consideration the reviews so maybe I wouldn't end up like last week's debacle. And I also tracked down the site that said Tallahassee had good thrift store deals. I think she was paid off by the state government to promote travel there.

The down point to all my planning was I didn't factor in the holiday. Some stores were closed due to Easter. The ones that looked the most interesting were run by churches or religious organizations. So part of the day was a wild goose chase.

We did manage to check out the two stores the husband had seen in his driving. The first was the Humane Society thrift store in Ocala. It was packed full of things. The prices were all over the place. I managed to find these interesting needlepoint pictures:

I also found some 8 tracks. Yes, it is an addiction. The husband found a pocket IQ test that we thought was too funny to pass up. When we got home we both took it. I scored a few points higher than when I was tested at age 16 and he got an above average IQ, just as I thought. 

We didn't find anything at a few of the thrifts. Some were closed due to the holiday. Some came up on Google Maps but didn't exist. I hate when that happens. 

The husband ended up scoring another 8mm projector. This one is newer and plays 8mm and super 8. He amazes me when he finds that needle in a haystack and gets a good price for it. He also found a trailer hitch. 

The next to the last thrift we went to was a small Salvation Army. The inside had mainly clothes. The husband found a hat. The good stuff was other part where the furniture was. He found a huge pile of 8 tracks. They were selling them for 10 cents each! He said I should have bought them all. I did get 12. I would have had 4 times that many if I bought all of them. 

I also saw these cool chairs. Now the picture is horrible because it is on the porch, which is currently a construction area for tools since we are still in the process of finishing the kitchen redo. I saw the chairs and they made me think of my grandmother's kitchen chairs. Plus they were $2 a piece. How could I say no to that. They are in good shape. The metal legs need some paint. I always have a paint project for the husband to work on. Just today he was painting the pig trivets I scored weeks back that the guy said were brass, but weren't. We tried to clean the metal, but gave up and decided on paint when they weren't brass. 

While we were in the Ocala area we ate breakfast at a cute little diner with some good food. The Northgate Diner in Ocala was a little hidden in a small strip mall and from the outside didn't look like a diner. Most of the people in there were obviously regulars. It was tough to tell who were employees and who ere customers because it looked like they were putting everyone to work. The prices were good, the servings good sized. 

For lunch we went to the Tilted Kilt. The husband's coworker told him about it. It is a restaurant/bar with waitresses dressed in short kilts and kilt patterned bras with a small tshirt over top. It was a lively place. The food was good. The garlic fries were like crack. I was conflicted if they were going for Scottish or Irish decor. It was an eclectic mix. 

http://ocala.tiltedkilt.com/

Tally Sucks!

Tallahassee sucks for more than just state government.

I thought I read somewhere that Tallahassee had good thrifting. I must have read the opposite. Somehow I got it in my head that I needed to check it out. The husband has been working 4 day weeks, so I finally broke down and took a Friday off. I gave the husband multiple options of what we could do or where we could go. He wandered through some back roads and then started heading toward our state's capitol.

I looked up on my phone's map what thrift stores were all around the city. I decided that there were good reviews for a restaurant in Monticello. We ate at The Brick House. It was a cute little place downtown. You could tell most people were regulars. The husband had a grouper sandwich. I had the Monticello chicken sandwich, zingered (Buffalo sauced). They were so nice and quick and I gave them a good rating on google places. The prices weren't bad. Good sweet tea.

http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/136/1479464/restaurant/Florida/Brick-House-Monticello

Across the street was a thrift store, Wag the Dog 2. The husband found a slicer/dicer contraption. This was just the beginning of him finding all the deals. 

Further down the road we checked out a Lighthouse Children's Thrift. The prices were high for mostly junk. The husband found a Nascar game in a sealed box. His deal #2. I found a small .25 reindeer pin. The coins in my pocket were burning a hole.

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/p/m/1217ac/

We went further down I-10 to Tallahassee. The first Goodwill we came across ended up being the one with the worst reviews online. The people were right. The store was actually a Goodwill Retail Store. It was all retail prices. I was disgusted. The place was huge. I walked through quickly. The Boutique next door had fancier clothes, shoes and purses, plus rooms & rooms of books. Of course the books were retail prices. I did not see anyone buy anything at either location. It was so sad and pathetic. I soon found out this was all of Tallahassee.

http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/Good.Finds.Tallahassee.FL.850-402-3100/picture/view/2803821

We found a place called Good Finds. It was listed as a thrift store, but was actually a consignment shop.  We wandered the two stories. I found a Mr T thermos, but it had to be left behind. I love the T, but what will I do with a thermos.

The husband found an 8 mm projector. We figured it was a good deal since it was about the price of the ones we have seen online, minus shipping costs. It didn't have a cover, but when plugged in it worked. The husband had found some family 8 mm films not that long ago, so we were on the look out for a projector. Somehow we come across what we want at some point. We got a good deal on it since the tag listed a case, but it couldn't be located.

I found a cool game I had used at an old job. The Ungame is a theraputic game that gets people talking. This is a 1975 version. It was in good shape and the price was low enough for me to grad it. I plan to bring it to work and have some fun.

Their website: http://www.goodfindstallahassee.com/

Down the road was a Lighthouse Children's Thrift number 2. Again lots of high prices and junk. I did find a Trival Pursuit Genus II still sealed. Not sure how there were so many sealed games in this town. The stores sure had a lot of games. I guess it was due to having a couple colleges.

We were further into the town and a domestic violence thrift wasn't where it was listed on the map. we went to Salvation Army that was yet another disappointment. The prices were high, retail level. The husband found a boat gas tank for $9.99. His score #3. How does he do it?

 http://vintagepickers.wordpress.com/tag/tallahassee/

We went further to our last thrift in Tally... a Goodwill. Retail store in front, small outlet store in the rear. we tried the outlet, called Good Cents, first. It was nearly picked clean. It was sad and depressing. The funniest part was when a lady tried to get the husband to buy a pair of shoes in his size that she found. He cracked me up by hiding from her, hiding the shoes and sneaking out the door. The retail store was just that, thrift items with retail prices. I left shaking my head and determined never to return to Tallahassee for thrifting or anything else ever in my life. Why would I go to the state capitol? Certainly not to help clean the place up. Ha!

We drove down the highway and ended up having dinner at a nice place in Live Oak. The husband had seen it, but hadn't checked it out yet. Big Daddy's and Steaks was a cute place - all wood, all types of animals on the walls and very friendly staff. I am always up for BBQ. They have very cheap breakfast prices. I doubt I would get to Live Oak to have breakfast unless I wake before dawn on a day off. 

We both decided that Live Oak would be a great place to live around. We want to move even further into the woods. The father in-law after hearing this said we need to win the lottery and then we can all move out there. No problem. Live Oak has a Lowe's and decent BBQ. I am in! :)

So, what have we learned? That Tallahassee sucks in many ways. I feel very bad for the people who live there that could benefit from thrift stores and the organizations that don't raise all that much money.