New Shows!

My wife and I were stoked these past two weeks. "Dirty Jobs" is back with new episodes on the Discovery Channel and Kat Von D from "Miami Ink" got her own show called "LA Ink" on TLC.

The last couple Dirty Jobs episodes weren't the best imo. But last night they had him doing maintenance on the Mackinaw Bridge and then servicing (and driving) the NASA Shuttle Crawler Transporter. Way cool!

LA Ink premiered last night and although you didn't get too see much ink, I was cool to meet her new crew, we hope it works out for her. My wife and I each have one tat and want to get more. We just can't settle on the image. I think she is going to get a Ladybug and the more I watch these shows, the more I want a full back piece. But, that is expensive. And of course, I don't know what exactly it would be. So, we wait and see.

Revolving CD's?

Has anyone ever heard of revolving CD's as in Certificates of Deposit (aka ladder CD's). One of my Supervisor's was telling me his accountant got him into it. Basically, you start a new 6 month CD once every month for 6 months. Each time they mature, you let them roll over for another 6 months and you have the option of adding money to the total.

What this does is allow you to build a 6 month security fund in case something goes wrong with your job. Once it is built high enough, if you find yourself out of a job, you have a nice 6 month cushion where you can at least pay the mortgage and what not. Kind of a nice idea if you ask me. I was just wondering if anyone else has ever heard of it and do you do it?  I would imagine that you would have to pay taxes on the interest, but it could still work out nice.

Credit Cards

Like most people, my wife and I have a couple credit cards. We have been fortunate enough to be able to keep them payed off for the most part. I hate paying interest. Last week, we got a letter in the mail detailing how our best-rate card (8.9%) is changing our rate to a variable rate of prime PLUS 7.95%! Are freakin kididng me? We have on occasion carried a balance on that card, primarily because it had the best rate, but it has amounted to less than $30 a year. Now they are DOUBLING our rate?! As my father is fond of saying.... BUUUUUULLLLLLLLLLSHIT!

Since it was my wife's card initially, (she has had it for 6-7 years) it is easier to have her make the call to the CC company asking if we could please shove our cards up their collective asses. The tech support op said that a lot of people were calling to cancel and that what they suggest is waiting until the rates go into effect (September) and then calling in again to negotiate a rate.

This sounds fishy to me. Do they think I am going to carry any debt on that card until then so they can nail me with their new intrerest rate? Or is there some corporate shenanigans going on, like the company has been sold (explaining the new var. rate) and they don't want to lose too many customers right away.

At any rate (ha! pun!) I think we are going to call again and insist that the card be cancelled. I think this time, I will call. I kind of have a knack for not taking no for an answer from phone techs. Call it bullheaded, call it stubborn, call me an ass when you deal with me as a customer on the phone.... I don't care.

Garage Sale!

So, we decided to have another garage sale this weekend. It is our 4th year in a row, and I am getting tired of them. Thankfully, I think we have now gotten rid of most of our junk, so I don't see the need for at least a couple years. We had a very successful weekend, I managed to sell almost all of my large items (thank God!) I was out of room in the garage!

I know that people make their living off of buying at sales and re-selling the items. I don't begrudge them, it's their right. But what is with the aggressive get-there-an-hour-before-it-opens-and-offer-$1-for-everything-you-see bullshit? Man i get sick of these asshats! We decided this year to advertise our sale in the paper since we had a lot of larger items I figured people don't usually look for at garage sales. Not to mention the fact that they are more expensive. It proved to be worth the ($60!) price tag. But I made the mistake of putting the ad in the paper the day before the sale. ooops!

So, my wife and I are working in the garage the night before, with the big door closed, and our dog is going nuts outside. Turns out, early birds (and I think there should be a new name for people who show up a DAY early) are knocking on our door, ringing the bell, and walking around the house looking for a way in. We didn't know most of this was going on since we were in the garage with the radio going. But then there was a knock on the big garage door. I am thinking it is my folks, who were due at any time to drop off their truckload of items. So, since I don't have windows in the big door, I open it. To my surprise, it is a woman looking to get into the sale early! WTF? Seems she read the ad and saw I had a couple guitars for sale and wanted to buy one of them. I told her, sorry, I don't even have it out yet, and the sale starts TOMORROW! I tried to be cordial, but after all, I did want to sell things. So, I let her talk me into going in the house and getting one of the guitars for her. And while I am in the house, she is asking if we are selling the tables we are setting the stuff up on!

By the end of  the weekend I started to regret doing that for her. Who the fuck does she think she is? I really wish I could go back in time and tell her politely to get the fuck off my property, and if she wants to come back the next morning at 8am, I would be happy to sell her anything she wants. Whats worse, is that, as I anticipated, the next morning the other early birders come at about 7:20. And I let a guy talk me down $25 on the accoustic I had for sale. At the end of the day, I thought "what the fuck was I thinking?" lowering my price before the actual sale even started?

I tried to price them both fair. They were just basic, entry level guitars that I thought I may have a problem selling. In hindsight, after telling a half a dozen people the first day, as well as a couple the second day that the guitars had sold, I should have priced them higher, and been more firm. At least for the first day.

So, I have learned my lesson. Next garage sale, prices will be much more firm the first day, as well as a little higher than my initial feelings. And ALL customers who show up before the starting gun WILL be politely turned away, even if I have to guard the door with a shotgun and bandolero full of shells!

Shooting Range

Thought I would share, we got a very nice write up in our local paper about our local shooting club. My Dad belonged to this club when my Brother and I were kids. We have enjoyed a very wide range of competition shooting our entire lives. Including Trap, Skeet, 5-Stand, Sporting Clays, Rifle, Pistol, Blackpowder and Archery. My Brother and I have grown up and moved away, only to find ourselves back in our Hometown and members (in his case, President) of this great club. 

Article... http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/05/10/features/outdoors/20-shooters_z.txt

There is a link to a photo gallery too. http://www.billingsgazette.net/multimedia/?type=gallery