Cool and damp. It was 54F when I got up yesterday, it was 54F when I ate lunch, and 54F when I went to bed. I’ve got a feeling it might be 54F today… National forecast says ‘clear’. Yesterday had Houston on the edge of a system and we did get clouds and some rain. Not much, but enough to get the cars dirty and the streets wet.
Lots of accidents on the roads too, far more than I’m used to seeing. Oh, and a full on ladder in the number 2 lane of the toll road. People, secure your freaking ladders in your truck beds. They’re not free, and the life you save might be worth a whole lot more to society than your ignorant self. No one ever died because someone put an extra strap on a load.
Did my pickups. More antennas. Hamfest is coming up in March, so I’m starting to look at what I have and what I want to sell this year. “Most of it” is the answer I’m getting. Also got some first aid supplies, and some cleaning stuff, and a finger brake or pan brake. That’s a tool for folding metal. I have always wanted a small one, and now I have one.
Bought a couple of things in the auction too. Nice looking hunting tool in 30-06. ‘nuther kayak. Must be off season for kayaks, several have come up and sold for reasonable prices. Hard to say no to $90 for what was originally a $1k boat. I managed to though. Couldn’t say no to $80 for a $650 boat. We still can’t all kayak at the same time, but we’ll get there. I should use my vinyl cutter to make labels for the kayaks with our name on them. Hmm, another project. Maybe later.
Chatted with another buyer while waiting for my stuff. Real nice guy, we had a lot in common. We are bidding on the same type of stuff though, which isn’t awesome. He was headed to his next pickup at an auctioneer that was my third pickup of the day. Small world, but perhaps not too unlikely given that we both bid on auction stuff. There is definitely a culture for those of us who have been doing it for a long time.
I can’t emphasis enough that I think everyone should be out there looking for alternative markets, be it thrifts, estate sales, in person or online auctions, flea markets, swapmeets, or whatever is going on in your area. Maybe it’s a farmer’s market, or a monthly craft show, but there is bound to be something going on. The money you save is well worth the time invested, as is access to stuff that might not be in stores, or might be of better quality that what is currently available. A whole lot of commerce is moving into the secondary economy (as I’ve taken to calling it) or ‘p2p sales’ or the ‘informal’ economy. It’s a sign of a failing state, but it’s a fact of life too, and the only way for people to get what they need when the official marketplaces are dried up, or inaccessible. It takes practice and awareness to be successful in it, just like all things, so get started.
It’s the weekend. I’m sleeping in as it’s the first one in a while with no extra things on my plate. Then I’ll start working the list again. And going to the grocery store- because I didn’t get there yesterday. It’s not like we’re out of anything, but we don’t have the next carton of eggs in the fridge or the next jug of milk and that makes me nervous. Plus, I’m out of beef jerky and soda.
Stack some stuff. Stack it high, then find something you missed and stack that. And go to a garage sale this weekend. Never know what you will find.
nick