My 40 for 40 | Peaches Prattlings

{October 5, 2010} My first e-bay transactions

I am new to e-bay stuff, I think I am catching up with the rest of the world. I have never really spent much time on it, unless someone says, check this out! So… it’s time to buy a car to replace my most cherished beetle-bug and someone suggested e-bay. Do I trust it?

E-bay has a new method of selling: Classifieds; I imagine this is to compete with Craig’s List. It was interesting, just put in what you’re looking for and boom! You do have to be careful, when they want you to pay a certain way, it’s posted all over E-bay, don’t use Western Union, go through E-bay, they use Pay Pal, I believe we are all familiar with Pay Pal.

I found a car I wanted, not anything I would ever think about getting, but it seemed too good to be true and it was… Even E-bay said it sounded like a scam when I e-mailed them, so I dropped that PDQ. So, I moved on to looking for another car and eventually I found just what I was looking for, a red convertible with a black top, very low mileage for the age of the car and a great price. I took a test drive and voila, I have a new car! It only took two weeks, but I did it! Thanks to E for all his help and also to C for getting excited for me and doing some searching. The woman I bought the car from was very nice and it was a first for her selling anything on E-bay.

My next E-bay transaction, and you thought we were done… was a new phone. If you will remember from my sad car burning story, I lost my precious baby Droid… Well, I have been using an older phone, which I LOVED when I got it, it was top of the line and I am such a techno-geek, it’s a good thing I don’t have a lot of money or I would be buying everything I saw! And… as a side note, I saw THE phone I want. It’s the Motorola R2D2 Droid! http://www.droiddoes.com/r2d2/ I am SUCH a GEEK! If I hit the lottery, you never know.

Back to our regularly scheduled programming… I went onto E-bay Monday morning and started looking for phones and low and behold, I found a Droid that someone had gotten a few months ago and just didn’t want all the bells and whistles that came with it and I found that I live for those bells and whistles. It was listed for one price, with the posting, “no reasonable offers will be refused”. I called her and I was the first call, it had just been listed the day before, I made a reasonable offer and she accepted. I met her that evening after work and now I am the proud owner of another Droid! Yay!

I would not claim to be an E-bay expert by any means, as evident as I still don’t get the reserve bid business when it comes to the E-bay auction side of things, but I have to say it has been a pleasant experience so far and I look forward to trying my hand again when it’s time. Of course, I have a whole mess ‘o things I want to sell on E-bay…

Wish me luck!

{October 4, 2010} Goodbye Dear Friend

A few weeks ago, in the morning, I was on my way to work, RR Pkwy for those of you in the know and the person in front of me stopped, I did not stop in time, engaged the brakes, but still rear-ended him. The airbags deployed and then there were flames.

I got out of the car in plenty of time, grabbed my laptop bag, but my phone, my poor wonderful Droid, was not so lucky. I exited the car and watched the flames get higher and higher and higher and eventually… a big ball of orange with black flames that climbed high into the sky.

Captain C or H, my apologies to the traffic dude… announced there was a Car-B-Q on RR Pkwy that morning [and I thought I had coined a phrase of my own] and to take an alternate route.

I watched the fire fighters put out the fire and the tow truck operator load what was left of my be-be onto his flatbed and shovel the charred remnants onto the truck, then drive away.

I was able to call someone by searching my work e-mails for auto-signatures with cell phone numbers, realizing just how dependent we are on our cell phones!

I got to work eventually and heard about a lot of people who were late to work because of me, I was famous. When they found out it was me, I think they took back the things they grumbled about having to detour. I publicly apologize to anyone who I knew I’d made late, I felt really bad!

So…I have MILD whiplash, which is getting better every day, I only took a muscle relaxer the first night, was not fully functional the next day, so no more of those.

The next day, while speaking with the adjuster, he asked me if she, the car, had heated seats, I said “well, yesterday she did”. I get to make jokes.

So, in closing, I am 100% fine, my car, sadly is not. Annie was such a great car, many happy memories, I still remember the day I brought her home, August 18, 2003, they opened the J E show room doors and we drove out. She had just passed 116,000 miles and had had a service completed. Those who know me, know how particular I am about where I park, even one of the firefighters said she looked brand new, as she was going up in flames. I got at least two complements on her condition every month, a very proud momma!

Goodbye Annie. I will treasure you forever.

{October 3, 2010} She’s Come Undone

I FINALLY finished She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb. I’ve come unglued… I don’t know what else to say about this book. It took me months to read, and dear friends, that is not like me, I am one who devours books, if it’s good, a few days, providing I have time, if I LOVE it, could be hours, this books I neither loved nor devoured.

I have been hearing from people that they want to read it, I found out recently it was an Oprah pick, I don’t watch Oprah so I am not up to date with her picks, but, conversely, when I meet someone who has read it, they,well, let’s just say, disliked it immensely! Who said this was a great book? I was DEPRESSED the entire time I was reading it! Made me think of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, I would never be able to eat enough chocolate to make me feel happy again, and I don’t eat chocolate, but for this, I might make an exception!

Through the entire book, the main character never had a happy day in her life, well, I guess there were some happy times in the middle, but it seemed to be based on a lie, does that count? She tortured everyone and then seemed to self deprecate herself about things, blamed herself for others dying because she was so horrible, or felt that she deserved it. I honestly have no idea.

I am a fan of murder mystery, suspense, give me a good killing any day, in a book people and I’m a happy girl. I often wonder if there is something wrong with me, I watch murder mysteries on tv, love the cop dramas, read these bizarre books [people can come up with some horrible and graphic ways to torture and kill each other] and I wonder if there is something wrong with me… Then I read a book like this and hope that there really aren’t people in the world like the main character.

I hate to say that I am not sure if it was written well, I believe it was, it evoked some very strong emotions and reactions from me and if that was the point, terrific, go Wally Lamb! I say I am not sure if it was written well because I couldn’t get past the content, not because I have any ill will towards Wally Lamb, but, conversely, as a story goes, no thank you. I would never tell someone not to read a book, but I will be honest in my opinion on the book and if this is for you, enjoy.

{October 2, 2010} My Motorcycle Diaries

Well… It’s October 2nd and I have been riding my motorcycle now exclusively for about 3 weeks. It’s been fantastic, but I really need a car… Let me explain.

In 2004, I bought a motorcycle, a 2001 Suzuki Savage 650, she has a tag “THNG2″ this is in reference to ‘Thing 2” from Cat in The Hat. When I was married, we always said if we each had a motorcycle it would be Thing 1 and Thing 2, ta da. So… I have been riding THNG2 for quite a while, I stopped briefly between 2008 and 2010. I have ridden with other people, but not on my own. A few months ago, I had the bike serviced thinking I was going to sell it, then when it was up and running again, I got on it and it was like a light switched on, I LOVED RIDING!

I started off on small journeys around my neighborhood and then ventured a bit farther, I had never ridden solo [and I mean not tandem, with another rider beside me] but still nervous, thinking that I wasn’t ready for the major roadways or highways, but I knew I wanted to ride her to work at some point. Someone asked me to go to the movies, I thought this would be the perfect excuse to see what I was made of. We met at a movie theater about 25 minutes from me and I had to take a local highway, RR Pkwy. The speed limit is 50, I was perfectly fine with that. The other reason I wanted to take this road was that it was on the way to work, how would I do going to work in the mornings. I had been on this roadway before and I was a little nervous, I got on it, and away I went, and it wasn’t too bad, I started to feel my confidence building with each turn I took and the nice thing about this road is, it has a bunch of turns, I learned a lot about the bike, the road and myself that day. It was fantastic! I only hope that you can imagine what I was feeling as I rode that day, the exuberance, the exhilaration, I know I wasn’t taking on the “Tail of the Dragon” or a race track, but I was winning!

A while later, it was time to take on a major roadway, my senses were alert and I my nerves were tingling, but I got on that major highway just like I would any other road, I was aware of all that was going on around me, checked my speed and went forward, I didn’t have a choice, either get on the highway or don’t go out with my friends, not an option. As they say, “I put on my big girl panties and dealt with it!’

I started riding to work every once in a while, about 1-2 times a week, it is something when people you know find out you ride a motorcycle. Someone actually thought I rode a scooter the other day, throwing my head back and laughing heartily, you silly fool! ha ha [you must, at this point, imagine a hearty, throaty laugh of a cheesy villain from a Disney movie] I tried to get a scooter first, a Vespa, specifically, but dear readers, I was too short to fit on one, hence, the bike was better for me, ain’t that a hoot?

It’s even more interesting to encounter the reactions from co-workers. They see you one way, as a professional, I would hope, and here you come, all decked out as a motorcycle momma [well, if you’re a guy… you get the point] apparently they are impressed. It seems that people, and I think I am probably in this category, are impressed with a woman who can ride a motorcycle, even in 2010, there seems to be an air of mystery surrounding that concept. Some women just don’t “look” like they ride and conversely, there are some that do.

So, back to my story. I have been riding for a few months and then, sadly, my beautiful baby beetle, another post coming, caught on fire after an accident [hankies needed] and I don’t have renters insurance on my insurance policy, so it was motor city for me! I am not complaining, by any means, it has been FANTASTIC! the weather was perfect, I will admit that there were a few days I thought I would melt, as evident by the wet seat of my jeans when I would get off the bike, but that was still all good! Even riding in the rain is not terrible, if you are on your way home…

I have been riding to and from work for a few weeks and it’s been fun. I wear jeans and a jacket, I think it’s funny, people at work have asked me how I wear a skirt and ride the bike… I have saddle bags, the skirt and “grown-up” shoes go in the saddle bags and then I change at the office. I go to lunch with my old boss on occasion and it’s fun when we can both go on bike.

The best part has been watching the odometer change, I bought the bike with 4000 miles on it and to date, it has about 7500 on it! I think the first year, I put about 1000 miles on it, but since I’ve had to ride it, it’s been bliss, I watch the odometer change each time I get on it and I think it’s a great goal I set on my list to reach 12,500 miles by next year, piece of cake!

The other best part, is that possible… is what it has done for me, I know there are times that I have a different walk when I am bike mode, someone said a swagger, but riding has given me a new sense of confidence and freedom that I thought I had, but had no idea. Look out world, here comes motorcycle momma!

{October 1, 2010} My 40 for 40 journey

10.1.10

So it begins. On my list of 40 by 40 I decided that I wanted to write on my blog every day for one year. I am sure that this will lead to more than just 365 entries, but it’s a way to get me a little more disciplined. JD, a friend from work had a great idea of writing a book about my experiences getting through my list! I am giving her the credit and I hope when it’s her turn, she does it! For me… I am going for it!

It started yesterday when I turned 39! I still can’t believe it! I am sure I am just like everyone else, I don’t feel 39, but really, what does 39 feel like? It feels like 38, but what did that feel like? I keep hearing I don’t look 39, great, but what is it supposed to look and feel like? As I have heard, age is mind over matter, if you don’t mind, it don’t matter! Sounds good to me!

My birthday started with a bang! I got fantastic gifts, then I hopped on my motorcycle to the social security office, changed back to my maiden name, [that only took 2 years!] then went car shopping, didn’t get anything, then took scuba diving lessons. Does that sound like I am slowing down? Not on your life! They say that 40 is the new 20, so look out kids, I’m only 19!

Changing my name was perfect on my birthday, a new birth of sorts, what better day to do it on? I am living each day to the fullest, some days I seem to hit the wall, but who cares! Maybe there’s a mattress on that wall and I just bounce right off to get up and go do something else!

I think this 40 by 40 list is the perfect way to help me keep that momentum going, I have a lot to accomplish on that list and I do not intend to fail! So, watch out world, here I come! [wow, part of that sounded inspirational, part of it waaaay cheesy, just like me!]

{August 25, 2010} My Marthon of a Journey or a Journal of a Marathon!

Since I have decide to complete a half marathon some time in my 39th year, this was a great place to start. I will update you with my progress as I go along.

8/24/10 I walked three miles around my neighborhood, it took me about one hour. I am going to research the Galloway method for running and start to follow that, I believe I have been told it is part running and part walking. I will keep you posted. Thanks for sticking with me!

9/13/10 I JOGGED 1.5 miles this evening around my neighborhood. I jogged to the beginning of the neighborhood and back towards my house and I included one cul-de-sac. I was feeling good by the time i got to the cul-de-sac and didn’t want to wear myself out completely. I am very excited that I was able to jog the entire route without stopping except to check that my pedometer was working. Those of you who know me, know I am not a runner, but I now have a goal to complete a half marathon and along with my new found discovery of my strengths, I am not going to back down from my own challenge. The big challenge now, will be to find a MUCH better sports bra because the girls are not happy with me at the moment. They will just have to suck it up and deal. I JOGGED!!!

I had a slight set back that week, if you read my post on my accident, I really wasn’t up for anything more physical than getting up and getting out of bed, which was fine for me. On to the next week.

9/20/10 I was up early and decided to go for a run. I ran just at 1.5 miles! I ran the length of my neighborhood and I added an extra cul-de-sac

{August 25, 2010} My 40 By My 40th

My sister has many wonderful and clever friends and one of them inspired me to follow her idea. As they say, imitation is the finest form of flattery. She turned 39 this past December and decided to embark on an adventure for her 40th. She has made a list of 40 things that she would like to complete by the time she turns 40 years old this coming December. How fantastic is that?

So… as I said, imitation is the finest form of flattery and here is where I will create my list of 40 for 40 her and check them off with the dates completed. If you have some ideas, I would love to hear them!

1- Go to Ireland

2- Find coins from 1971 – Have a penny! THANK YOU to my BF CM! She even framed it! 10/3/10

3- Eat a snack that first premiered in 1971

4- Skydive

5- Hang glide

6- Learn to scuba – Completed 9/30/10 test class, signed up for classes, now working towards certification

7- Go scuba diving

8 – Complete a half marathon

9- Finish my book

10- Change my last name – Completed 9/30/10 I am once again JRS!

11- Take dance lessons

12- Get my motorcycle license

13- Get my website completed with inventory

14- Host a monopoly marathon

15- Go whitewater rafting

16- Snowboard

17-Take a French class

18- Finish packing my house

19- Take a cooking class

20- Lose the rest of the weight

21- Go on a shopping spree for my new fabulous figure

22- Get my Disney tattoo

23- Become certified as a Zumba instructor

24- Purge my house

25- Volunteer

26- Finish my t-shirt quilt

27- Sell inventory – ongoing processes, but 10/11/10 I sold a Halloween Village!

28- Complete e-bay and Craig’s List sale

29- Get the car in the garage

30- Paint my bedroom and bathroom

31- Complete 40 movie reviews on my blog

32- Complete 40 book reviews on my blog

33- Update blog each day for one year

34- Write and send 40 letters

35 – Go to Liberty Island and tour the Statue of Liberty

36 – Tour Ellis Island

37 – Tour the Museum of Puppetry Arts – 10/13/10

38 – Take a Glass Blowing class

39 – Getting my motorcycle up to 12,500 miles or get a new motorcycle

40 – Experience the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios, Orlando

Email Subscription

What was I thinking?