eBay Intoxication

I'm giddy with excitement and anticipation. Today has been a rough day for me on eBay because I've lost a total of four bidding wars in the last 4 seconds of bidding. Right now I'm trying to buy a vintage Kodak Duaflex II camera. They are also called "brownies" because they are small and brown. Well, I assume that is the reason for the nickname.

My hands are sweating and my heart is beating as hard and fast as a heard of stampeding elephants. I have waited patiently all day, carefully watching each time as the timer counted down to the last few seconds with me as the highest bidder at 1.99. And then BAM! another bidder jumped in and out-bid me. With my finger at the ready, poised on the mouse, waiting like a gunslinger anticipating a shootout, I hit the refresh button to update my status on the current item. Then I frantically hover my cursor over the "1 Click Bid" button, anticipating the moment I will have to click in order to outbid my invisible opponent. BAM! Outbid again. Now I am down to my final attempt for the night - item number five- and we are in the last minute of bidding. I have a new strategy. Back in one minute.

DARN!!!!!! My new strategy would have worked, but with 6 seconds to go on the clock the bidding ended. I think the eBay timer must be delayed over my Internet connection. I could have had this one.

OK. No more bidding wars for me. At least not today. Reeling from a total of 5 losses, I can't take it any more. I just found the same item with a buy now status for $10.00 plus shipping and its mine - ALL MINE! No more bidding for me. I'm done. This is my reward:

Why, you ask, do I want a camera like this? I'm studying a form of photography called "Through The Viewfinder" (TTV) where you take the photo with your digital camera looking through the viewfinder of the vintage camera. I can't wait to get my hands on this puppy to try it out. It is supposed to create a softer vintage look. If it works like I have been told it will, I will post my fine art photographs online for all of my fans to see.

Good night and happy bidding!

And the Answer is......

Freshen Up Gum. Both of the links below play recordings of the jingle which includes the lines: "She/He didn't know the gum was loaded.

http://www.richardsfault.com/radio/Freshen-up%20Gum1%201979.mp3

http://www.richardsfault.com/radio/Freshen-up%20Gum2.mp3

Both of these and more can be found at http://www.richardsfault.com/pre-pc%20geek/audio%20clips.html.

Name that Product - Free Giveaway Contest

Can anyone remember the old commercial for chewing gum that used the line "she didn't know the gum was loaded"? It was gum that had a soft liquid center and I think it was popular in the early 80s. I can't remember the name of the gum and it is driving me crazy!

As a reward, the first person who can give me the answer to the question wins their choice of one free 5x7 fine art print listed for sale in my Etsy shop. Most of my photos are larger than 5x7 but I will print anything in the 5x7 (or 5x5 if it is in a square) format. You can click on the link over there at the right to visit my shop.

Seriously, I really want to know the name of that gum and anything else you can remember about it! :-)

Fire

My thought for today:

First: NEVER EVER PLAY WITH FIRE….well, its OK if it is your job because you are a fire eater in the circus, and you know what you are doing. Or, if you’re a welder…but do welders ever play with fire? So…

Rule #1: Play with fire if it is your job.
Rule #2: Do not play with incendiary devices in your closet. If you do - do not get flames near hanging clothes thus starting a larger fire. If you do start a fire in the closet, DO NOT close the door and go outside to play as if nothing happened. CALL FOR HELP!
Rule # 3: Not all fire is bad.

Here are some benefits of fire
1. A fire in an overgrown forest may destroy the beauty of the forest temporarily but it also clears out old decay and overgrowth that allows for new growth and renewal. You might see something you would not have seen before.
2. Fire is used to refine gold, silver and copper. It is also used to create steel and make it stronger.
3. Fire is used to create some of the most beautiful artistic creations – for instance Venetian Glass.
4. Fire creates heat for warmth in your fireplace or around a campfire where you can roast marshmallows and make s’mores.
5. Fire in an overgrown field behind your house clears out the overgrowth and the charred remains will act as a fertilizer which will cause grass to grow back greener.
6. And for my favorite….Trial by fire refines our character and makes us better people. It helps remove decay from our lives and sets us free from old, bad habits. It forces us to be creative and brings much needed personal growth and maturity.

Hugs and Kisses

I just hugged Spencer - my six year old son. He is my #5 child also known as "the boy", "Doughy" (as in dough boy or cookie dough or sugar dough), or just "#5". He is the one I call the bonus baby because he was the surprise I wasn't planning on three years after #4 was born. She was intended to be the last - only for the reason that there is only one of me and I don't want to end up in the insane asylum at a young age. I knew my limits, or at least I thought I did. And then God decided to bless me with one more child - The Bonus Baby! Don't get me wrong. I loved all of my pregnancies and the payoff at the end when you get to bring the bundle of joy home, but then there is the next 18 years of sleepless nights for one reason or another. I could have kept having an unlimited amount of babies but I just didn't think I could maintain my sanity in the long run. So we have five, which is a quiver full.

When my children (also known as "my collection") are not trying to kill each other or me, our house is full of almost non-stop hugs and kisses. There are many things we can't afford or may never be able to give our children, but all of their basic needs are met. And I have found that often what they need most, and most frequently, is a real good hug and a kiss. These can come at random times and in many denominations. One hug is never adequate. They usually occur with a very long embrace which could last for what seems like forever. Then they are followed by a plethora of kisses, usually one on each cheek and then on all of the prominent kissing spots on the face - except for lips. All of my children have reached the age where they have decided that unlimited kisses are acceptable as long as they are no longer on the lips. These kisses, of course, are followed by more hugs and kisses, and this goes on and on while we talk about news from school or plans for the day or even just a simple exchange of how much we love each other. There is never a lack of love and affection in my house, and I feel confident that when my children grow up and get married they will have a lifetime of love and affection to pass on to their spouses and children. This is a very important part of our legacy for them.

Now back to hugging the Boy. I just hugged him and my thoughts went to this weekend's news of the six year old boy who was kidnapped in Las Vegas. We don't know all of the details of what happened or where he is right now, but we do know that there is a six year old boy who is not at home with his family. He is missing and in extreme danger. My heart breaks for this beautiful boy and for his mom. As I was hugging Spencer I began to think about the hug itself. I thought about all of the things I could sense while embracing him - his smell, the feel of his neck on mine, the bristle of his hair on my ear, his heartbeat, and the sound of his voice as he quietly said "I love you more than the sun and the moon." Then I thought about how important it is to experience each hug as if it could be the last one. We never know when a hug or kiss will be the last, and we should never take them for granted. Each one should be given with purpose, unique and memorable.

As I finish writing this blog, I just heard on the news that a 10 year old boy in Dallas was struck and killed this weekend while riding his bike across a dark intersection. His parents are devastated and my heart breaks for them too.

Now I must wipe the tears from my eyes and go hug and kiss all of my children before they go to bed tonight - this is going to take some time.

Sometimes I'm Selfish

When most people find out that I have five children, the first thing they ask is "how do you do it?". My automatic assumption is that they are asking how I maintain the status of Supermom. How do I get everything done for everyone all the time, leaving no room for failure or disappointment. And usually I give them some kind of answer that indicates that I know it is a lot of hard work but I have a lot of support which helps me keep it all moving forward, otherwise I would have stopped after the first one was born.

But the real truth is: Sometimes I'm selfish.

I refuse to try to be supermom. Only those in my very tight inner sanctum have seen my house beyond the threshold of the front door. Otherwise, the gig would be up and everyone would know what a failure I am at the "Supermom" persona. Don't get me wrong, I am not under any kind of assumption that anyone I know actually thinks I am a Supermom. If I thought that, it would be safe to assume that I have actually lost my very last marble and someone needs to come over here and slap me silly until the oxygen level in my brain returns to normal.

OK, back to the selfish part. Yes, its true. I am not 100% dedicated to every beck and call of my children. Sometimes I let them go without what they are requesting and most of the time I make them wait until I'm finished doing whatever I'm focused on at the moment. Most nights I repeatedly and adamantly insist that they "get out of my room" after 9:00pm because that is MY QUIET TIME. If it didn't happen before 9pm it must wait until tomorrow morning - even if it means they have to get up at 5:00am to do reading homework because they didn't tell me about it earlier.

And now for more selfish secrets:

Some nights (most nights) as soon as 9:00 hits, I climb into my bed with a Snickers bar and a diet coke or three, turn on The Fox Network and fire up my laptop to blog or work on one of my website endeavors. As soon as the door opens with one of my children asking me to do just one more thing before bedtime I very loudly insist that they leave my room immediately - all in an effort to hide the fact that I have a mouth full of chocolate covered peanut and nougat goodness.

No, I'm not Supermom - not even close. But I do love my children and have stayed up countless nights working on finishing a science fare projects even after they have turned in for the night. I've taken trips to WalMart at 6:00am to get that one last thing they needed for school that day. They are all well loved an hugged every day but some days I just have to have my ME TIME. Otherwise I think I will go completely insane.

So, if any of my readers are disappointed to find out that not only am I not Supermom, but that I actually admit that I am sometimes selfish - I'm sorry for the shock, but I just can't keep up with Supermom anymore. In fact, I have secretly been plotting a hit. If I ever find her, I'm going to take her down on behalf of moms everywhere who are at their wits end trying to keep up with her ever expanding reputation. And then I'm going to crawl back into my bed to eat another Snickers bar.

State Fair of Texas

I love the Texas State Fair!

Every year, students in Texas schools receive free tickets and a day off to go to the fair. This is an awesome learning opportunity which is almost entirely free! If you park off-site on a side street, take your own lunch and drinks, and whatever you do - DO NOT RIDE THE RIDES. I have nothing against the rides. In fact there is something to be said about a mother enjoying the look of pure pleasure on the faces of her children as she tries desperately to time her photo at the precise moment they appear around the turn in the whatever ride they are enjoying. However, these rides are extremely expensive and cost prohibitive, especially if you are the mother of five children. Each year, against Hubs desire, we load up the kids and head off to the State Fair of Texas - this year without Hubs but with the help of Auntie D.

It was soooooo much fun - despite the fact that number 4 ended our day with a trip to the emergency room with a broken arm. There is a virtual cornucopia of knowledge and culture to be absorbed in as much time as your feet can stand. Oh yes, if your feet are tired and you don't think you can walk one more mile (and there are many miles to be walked at the State Fair of Texas), if you can spare a quarter you can get the most vigorous foot, uhhhhhh, vibration therapy to help you continue on.

Here is my list of favorite things to see at the fair:

1. Big Tex - a must see, and how can you miss him? He's that BIG!
2. The Marine Corps Band
3. That REALLY BIG genetically engineered pig!
4. Pig Races
5. the Petting Zoo sponsored by Children's Medical Center in Dallas
6. The Domino Man (located in the African American Museum this year)
7. The Auto Show (great if you have three boys who love EVERYTHING VEHICULAR!)
8. Dancing Dogs
9. High Flying Daredevils
10. The guy who gets shot out of the cannon (that was from last year but most excellent!)
11. BMX Bike Show
12. Birds of the wild show (Sponsored by Kroger)

Here are some photos you can enjoy:

Patriotic Pride, Photographic Addiction and Blindness

Last week, on Friday morning, I was feeling inspired. Let me start by saying this: I have fallen in love with photography. I'm not anywhere close to being a professional photog and I only have a little six mega pixel Kodak EasyShare camera - which I am about to wear out from overuse - but I love taking pictures.

I never leave the house without two cameras and some extra rechargeable batteries. By the way, the best, longest lasting rechargeable AA batteries I have ever used are the Energizer Rechargeable 2500 mAh batteries. My knees shook and my hands trembled when I bought my first four-pack with the recharger because I knew it was a big investment for batteries which I didn't know would stand up to the Energizer reputation. These batteries are not cheap but they last for close to 900 photo shots in my camera before they have to be recharged. And I don't just use them for my camera. I use them for everything in the house. Gone are the days of buying cheap (and they are not really that cheap) disposable batteries. For me its Energizer rechargeable batteries or none.

So, back to my photography addiction - My kids are starting to get annoyed by my constant need to pull over and jump out of the van to take a picture of the sunrise or sunset or some unusual flower on the side of the road - and I have developed a talent for spotting them. Then there are the times when I frantically call out "Quick! grab the camera from my purse and take a picture of the sunrise! HURRY, YOUR LOSING THE LIGHT!" Although they are developing a love for taking pictures themselves, they are really getting annoyed by this new addiction. It cramps their style and brings unwanted attention to them at times when they don't want to be noticed - like when I pulled over in the school parking lot and jumped out to take a picture of the old rusty "no parking fire lane" sign.

So, on Friday morning I was feeling inspired by yet another beautiful sunrise, and off in the distance across the Grand Prairie skyline I could see a gigantic American Flag waving in the morning breeze. I have never been able to get an up close photo of this particular flag, and my camera's zoom is not adequate to capture it properly from down the street. Thus began my chase for the perfect picture. I made my way from one flag to another all across town for about two hours trying to capture the flag and the sunrise all in the same shot. At the risk of permanent damage to my eyesight and about 329 photos later, this is one of the many beautiful photos I captured. I call it "Morning Glory". (And I'm not kidding about the blindness - taking pictures of the sun is not a safe addiction.)

This flag is one of the most beautiful sites across the land and it can be seen everywhere you go on any given day. This is not a natural wonder that you have to travel to see on a hard earned vacation. It is completely man made but worth all of the effort and history that has gone into it. The ideas that it represents have been fought over, wrestled with, debated and dreamed about for more than two centuries. My ancestors came to this country in 1774 to pursue their dream of what this flag represents. They fought for their dream of freedom of religion, freedom from tyranny and freedom of prosperity.

As I stood on the Kroger parking lot, eyes squinting in the sunlight, taking picture after picture in pursuit of the perfect photo, tears filled my eyes at the thought of all of the people who have sacrificed their personal freedoms to preserve and protect mine.

Thank you to all of the patriots and soldiers who have fought to preserve freedom and protect our country from tyranny and terrorism. Thank you to my ancestors who fled religious persecution and came to America only to find that they would have to fight for the freedom they came here to pursue. And most important - Thank you God for allowing me to live in such a great nation where I am so blessed every day.