TODAY'S PROJECT

Today I (kind of) completed a project that has been needed for many months now. I have a crawl space under my house. The primary access door is in great shape but the secondary access door (so secondary that I have never used it) had literally rotted off its hinges, making it convenient access mostly fer critters. Here's what it looked like before.

Yuck!

Yesterday I went to Lowe's at lunch and purchased the $15 worth of lumber and hardware necessary to replace this myself. After a short time spent sawing and hammering here is the new improved access door.

OK, so it still needs to be primed and painted, but the basics are completed. Really this was a simple thing but everytime I do something like this I get a huge feeling of accomplishment! I really like being self-sufficient. Some folks I know wonder why I do things myself. I'll tell you. 1. It's cheaper. I could have hired someone to do this for $75 or $100 but easily did it myself for $15 (and enough lumber left over to knit a pair of socks)! 2. Because I have half a brain and I had half an hour. 3. Because I really like the fact that I can do things like this.

Wanna see some killer tomato plants?

I'm using my Earthbox for them this year (www.earthbox.com) because the stupid black walnut tree in my backyard is so toxic it's hard to plant any veggies anywhere near the house. I would love to have it removed (no, that is NOT a DIY project!) but it is a bit cost-prohibitive.

HAPPY WEEKEND EVERYONE!

I WANNA VACATION!!!!

Feel a great need to go back to the Caribbean. Been lookin at it. Maybe. Or maybe I could stay home and spend no money at all and preserve my small savings and spend the time off shopping the deals at Kroger for cheap cottage cheese. I want a beach. I need a beach. No beach for 2 years and I WANT IT! Do not want my headstone to read "She was frugal." Thoughts? I have been very frugal for two years and my last vacation was paid off a year ago. I have worked really hard and sacrificed and saved a tiny bit. Blah blah. I want to be on a beach now, and I need it. Would this be OK with you all? Is it irresponsible for me to consider this? I look at my savings and available credit and I could go on vacation for 3 months and run it all up but all I want is one fairly manageable week to dig my toes in the sand. Is this OK??

Cyber-revenge to the Umpteenth Degree!

OK. I really don't like mean people at all, but this is kind of hilarious. This guy bought a used laptop off eBay and not only was it not what the seller described, it was BROKEN!!! So the buyer spent even more money to extract the data from the hard drive and has taken his revenge by creating a blog. In a way it makes me cringe. But if you've ever been ripped off you have to admire the creativity. Part of me thinks this is not right but then a larger part of me says hey, this jerk sold this laptop and also all the contents of the hard drive because he did not have the sense to clean it first and it is the new owner's right to post anything he wants.

At any rate, please read and let me know what you think. Is the buyer more wrong than the seller? Let's have an ethics debate!

Note to self: Do not sell ancient Gateway until you have removed the hard drive!

www.amirtofangsazan.blogspot.com

and if you want to read more, along with all the comments left by the half million people who have visited the site:

www.tofangsazan-the.blogspot.com