The weather in my neck of the woods hasn't been great this past week. I'm actually not complaining it could be a lot worse. This is the first big weather event of the season, and as for me, I came out unscathed. Sure we got maybe 4-6 inches of snow, but we didn't lose power. The forecast of up to 3 tenths of an inch of ice didn't pan out either. In fact the meteorologists waited as long as they could to come up with the most accurate predictions and I think they did good. Anywhere from 1/10th to 3/10 of an inch or more of ice and anywhere from 4 to sometimes upwards of 15 or more inches of snow. Where we was the heavy snow stayed north of us. The ice stayed south and even parts of the state had thunderstorms. Kansas City even had some thundersnow. I love weather, but am also grateful that nothing serious happens. Sure the walk to the mailbox might be a slower walk for a few days until the snow melts, but I can live with that.
What the storm has done has actually been beneficial. It actually started before the storm came, but it has continued throughout the storms. One of my goals last year was to mitigate all my files onto a new external hard drive which I purchased in the spring time (or thereabouts). It is a 4TB hard drive, and I have 5-6 other hard drives of various sizes, and I knew that I could probably have leftover room on this new one. Even if I didn't lose all my music files a couple years ago, I would still have room for them too. I realized fairly early that I'd still have about 2TB left, and that was celebration itself. There were hardships along the way, like my chrombook which I admittedly haven't fully learned yet, it only has two usb ports. I use one for a mouse because I don't like the built in pads on computers. So only having one port and a chromebook with 40 or so GBs of space takes time. It also didn't help that the old slow desktop that I had wouldn't read the new hard drive, so I had to move about 600 GBs or more using other drives (sometimes taking days at a time). While expected, it also created an extra step. I had a device to use on the chromebook for multiple usb drives at once, but it is near 20 years old and finally gave out. I bought a new one and I'm not sure if its defective or what, but it has issues (maybe its the usb port on the chromebook). Either way, its a long process.
In November the process was about over, but I got busy with other projects. One I'll discuss in a bit, and the others just were things I wanted to do and get done with. Anyways shortly after Christmas I found some time, and just before New Years struck, all of my files made it onto the new hard drive (save a few which was actually duplicates). I was happy to be done, but the work isn't over, now I get to actually clean up all the duplicates, and I bet I might free up 100GBs or so. It just feels good to finish projects.
Before I mention other projects, I thought I'd break it up with a picture. Shortly after Christmas I made a trip to Big Lots. It was after they announced they were closing, but a day after they announced some might stay open. While still in limbo, the store had already started closing sales. I bought 2 sets of flyswatters. I saved 10 cents. Not the best deal, but I did also find a remote which I think I saved a buck on. I bought it in hopes of using it for a VCR, but I haven't tried it out yet. Projects still to work on.
Another project I had little hopes of completing but one I really wanted to do was a Christmas project. When I got the deal for Newspapers.com at 40% off, I jumped on it. However I might have made a mistake. I love it, don't get me wrong, but I have a bit of a writer's block on what to look up. So I'm not using the resources as much as I should. However a couple weeks after I started using it, I had an idea. My mom loves reading stuff on her tablet, however my mom does not use the internet...or a computer...or almost any technology that she deems is "too hard to learn". I don't fully blame her, but it was a miracle just to get her to use the tablet. So every few weeks I load some magazines and newspapers I find onto the tablet and she reads them all. Some is the usual, others I try to expand her horizons. I think she's learning the ins and outs of collecting thanks to Beckett magazine. Anyways, the idea I had was to create a newspaper for her to read on Christmas. What I would do it take sections of actual newspapers (pages, articles, pictures, whatever) and I would put it into my own newspaper. I had a lofty goal, and I started clipping articles and such. After a couple weeks I realized "how am I going to do this". Well Google has something where you can create a newspaper or many other things like newsletters, postcards, and other things (who knew). So I started to work on it, but it seemed really hard. Like something that might take months to do. So I put it on the backburner.
Then I forgot about it. It was about a week and a half before Christmas before I remembered. It was a few days later when I tried it one more time. This time it seemed much simpler, maybe because I really was focused on it. I started out doing 4 pages and ran out of stuff. So I looked at more newspapers, and I found more stuff. Eventually over 2 days it went from 4 pages to 8, to 12, to 16! I even had ideas for more, but it was two days before Christmas, and I was happy with the result. I had to find some filler on some pages on Google, but it was good enough. It wasn't perfect, but I already have hopes of doing another one next year, but it might be tougher to do since I think the subscription runs out in April. Still I might start working on stuff soon. If this works, here is the link to my creation.
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1DPCcOWq2a8TWHw9XkOHnZVguUvpDixQX0DkLhadYYTU/edit?usp=sharing
The best part of it was that it was completed just in time to add more stuff to her tablet on the 24th. I let my friend check it out slightly earlier, and my sister got to see it on Christmas. All seemed to enjoy it. There is things I would improve on next year, but this was a fine first edition. I might try other ideas from it too. My next idea is maybe a wrestling one. I also have an idea of a birthday one for my mom later this month, but that one I might not need that for.
So having completed a couple projects I figured I'd get around to another blog. Not a lot for today, but I thought I'd show off a few Christmas gifts and some other things as I clean up files. Another bonus of all my files in one spot- I found a few scans and photos from 2017 that I never posted on here. I bought a bunch of cards and never showed them off, so maybe 2025 might be the year to do that.
After the trip to Big Lots, we headed to Menards. There wasn't much I was interested in but it had been a few years since I've been there. I came up empty handed except for this Jack Links meat stick. While much better than that Dill Pickle one from one of the more recent posts, this Fritos Chili Cheese one was very lacking. I thought it would be a bit more spicy, but it wasn't. I'm glad I tried it, but not something I need to revisit.
As Christmas gathered my mom and I both said no gifts. Having a tight budget doesn't bother either of us because we give and get gifts for each other throughout the year. However a few days before we took a trip to Jefferson City (which I mentioned previously), my mom let it be known that a package was coming in the mail and it was going to be my gift. HMM, A GIFT? Welp, now I have to get one for her. So again, knowing it would be a thoughtful but not expensive gift I was thinking of what to get her. Well (this might sound cheap), on that Jefferson City trip I found her gift at Dollar Tree.
A $5 slot machine bank. She would love it. I think I told this part. Anyways I waited for the perfect time to wrap it and put it under the tree. On Christmas morning we both woke up late, and 9:00 AM we had breakfast. She didn't notice. 10:00 AM, she didn't notice. 11:00 AM my sister called, she didn't notice (I told my sister I'd wait until noon to see if she noticed). At noon my nephew called, but shortly after I decided "let's open gifts". We actually had a couple things under the tree, but more on that in a moment. She laughed, and we scratched off the lottery tickets, nothing. Didn't win Powerball or Mega Millions either. So I was like "what's this" SHOCKED FACE! She was perplexed. Who's that for? (well, a little context, my mom and I were the only ones there). It has your name on it....from Santa. "Where did it come from"? I guess Santa. "I don't recognize this writing". How about you open it. "Really, did someone stop by to deliver this?" O.P.E.N.....I.T.
A SLOT MACHINE, I WAS GOING TO GET THIS BUT DECIDED NOT TO.
She was very happy, and I totally tricked her. What is funny was at the time I had no clue she even saw it in the store that day. It wasn't until after I bought it my sister told me she spied it. Later that night she mentioned how she wanted to get this slot machine bank. I had to act like I didn't see it. Worse yet, I had to go to Dollar Tree again right before Christmas and was dreading the chance they might have it. They didn't and I was in the clear.
She then said something that surprised me. If you look on the back side of the tree, there is something for you....
This white bag? A couple days earlier, I was shifting stuff under the tree trying to decorate it a bit more and actually placed something on top of it. It was pretty flat.
I opened it and I loved it. She was upset. She had ordered a magazine and this was the gift she was waiting for them to deliver. It wasn't as it appeared in the ad.
"The ad said a luggage set, I was so mad when I got the mail that day and that was it. Luckily you was sleeping". However upset she may have been, I really do like it. I will be honest, I'm not sure how to use them yet, but I think they will come in handy. The smallest one on the right I have used already, but I also left it in my sister's car on her last visit. I think I can store small items in them, and come to think of it, maybe I can store my flash drives in a small one.
Either way we both surprised each other, and I was very happy. We had other gifts under the tree, but these weren't too surprising.
The popcorn popper and the vacuum we bought on Black Friday weekend at Dollar General. My mom wrapped them up though so we'd have gifts under the tree. We've talked about getting a popcorn popper for a while, and this was cheap. We've used it a couple times and it works good, though a bit loud. I'm glad we got it. The Vacuum was an impulse buy, but something I've kinda wanted for a bit. I know its probably more of a novelty, but I've wanted a vacuum to clean up the car for a while, and this might work for that. I haven't tried it out yet, but I might mess around with it in a couple days.
The popcorn we got after knowing we have the popper and needed popcorn for it. The Jolly Time we bought at Dollar Tree, and it tastes pretty good, and a good price. The other one we bought on our Jefferson City trip to Natural Grocers. We haven't tried it yet, but I'm sure it will taste fine.
Later on my friend stopped by and he had some gifts. I felt bad I had nothing for him, and one day I will get him something really good.
Sorry the puzzles are sideways, I don't want to edit the photos. The Captain Lou Albano was a really nice first gift. He's probably not one I would have seeked out, but I did really like him. In fact of those 4 legends you could get, the Captain is the one I'd want the most. I have to organize my figures better, so hopefully when I get around to it, all my wrestling figures will look nice.
The puzzles are also nice. The Disney one I think will be real nice since we've done a similar one and its a Thomas Kinkade. The other 2 are unique and look like fun to do. He said he found them at Five Below. I haven't been in a puzzle mood lately, but with a few projects clearing up, I have more time to do them. We are also saving the 99/1 ones for when we have a family gathering at the end of the month and my nieces will visit. There isn't a lot to do here, so they might enjoy working on them as much as us. In all I loved all the items, and will post pictures when I finish the puzzles and when I display Captain Lou. Now I might have to see if there is a Cyndi Lauper doll or action figure I could put next to him. Might need to keep Roddy Piper away from her though.
This year its not that I wasn't in the Christmas mood, but I didn't feel like decorating. I was like that for a few years until about 5-6 years ago when I had a sudden urge to make the apartment look real nice. Maybe next year I'll go back to that. As for this year, we did decorate the tree and I displayed a few things.
We didn't have a great spot for the tree this year. Next year I'll move it back in front of the front window. I must have taken that on Christmas morning because my mom's gift is right in the front.
Some decorations we've had for many years (or decades), others are more recent. The frog must have been my sisters because she collected frogs. The Winnie the Pooh stuff came inside a blu ray I got from Disney. My mom even decorated the cactus up. The amazing thing about that cactus is its over 20 years old and in the last year or two it decided to grow a bunch of smaller ones, its blooming like it never has before. The glasses on the gorilla is a recent addition, I think it makes him look like Dame Edna.
The Schmidt House is an oldie but a goodie. Its one of a few shirts we hang each year. The snowman is 20 or more years old. I won it at church and it was made from some of the church ladies. As they passed on, it brings back the memories of the good times I had at church.
The puzzle was something we got on a trip to our second hand store, and my mom finished it pretty quick. It said it glows in the dark but it didn't. The abominable snowman my mom thought was cute on a trip to Dollar General. I do agree it was cute, and he's soft. He still has his teeth even. Its a nice new addition.
My mom also completed this one by herself. She received this as a gift from Shriners Hospital since she usually gives them money. Its a nice puzzle, and while simple, I think it will be a nice addition. I might even find a nice frame for it one day.
As that wasn't enough, my sister visited a few days after Christmas, and while I knew she had stuff for my mom, I wasn't expecting anything. I shouldn't have been surprised though she did have something for me, in addition to the sausage biscuit from McDonalds.
I don't usually look at Matchbox cars, but I might have keep an eye out for them now, those are awesome. My food wall is almost full. In addition to the socks, now I have lip balm, hand sanitizers, bottles, cans, and even cars. I told my mom next year I think I'll have to move everything (AGAIN) so everything can be displayed. I'm about 20 socks behind now and more each trip I take, and probably have room for maybe 20 more after that. That doesn't include the room for all the extras. So a new project for 2025. As for these, I think I like the Junior Mints slightly more than the Sugar Daddy. Now I want to see what the other cars are in the set and see what I should look out for.
In addition to the cars, she also got me a reversible plush of the Chiefs. Surprisingly I have blankets of the Cardinals, Royals, and Pepsi, but not a Chiefs one. I do have a couple throw pillows though. This is really soft, and perfect timing for this weather. Having said that, I haven't used it yet. I need to clean all my blankets and don't want to dirty the Chiefs one with the others. Though I might still try it out when I set in the recliner. I might have to try it during the playoffs. I know she reads that and I've said this to her a few times, but thanks again sis. I really do love these gifts.
I forgot I took a picture of the remote from Big Lots. Nothing impressive, but I was surprised they still have remotes that have a VCR button on it.
While at Dollar Tree on a recent trip I still look at Hot Wheels. I usually skp most but I saw this one and had to get it. I've always liked double decker buses and this was too good to pass up. Again 2025 will see a serious reshuffling of stuff to display.
I wasn't expecting this to be a photo dump, but I still have a few more things to show. First we'll look at some recent book additions.
Books are 4/$1 and in addition I found a cookbook (picture was blurry, so I have to retake the picture). The first thing I spotted was the recipe book. It was brand new and it even had filler pages or bonus page packs. It was too good to pass up. Then I found the Soul Surfer book. I liked that movie, my mom did too, so I figure why not. Next I found the cookbook, it was thin, but a local one. I really need to take a picture of it because thats another future project (for this blog), so we'll see how that turns out. Lastly was the Jackie Kennedy book. My mom mentioned she might have it already, but she tends to collect books of first ladies. I think she might have every Eleanor Roosevelt book ever thought of.
Before I close out on socks, I wanted to show some CD's that I didn't last post. I was shocked at one of them.
I'm a sucker for unique Christmas CD's. Though I had two other reasons to get this one. First we seemed to misplaced my mom's Christmas CD's and so she wanted some tunes. Second, I've never heard Don McLean sing a Christmas song and was pleastantly surprised. It was worth the quarter. Next was the BASEketball soundtrack. While I'm indifferent to Smash Mouth's cover of Why Can't We Be Friends, the Reel Big Fish's cover of Take On Me was really good, and Supersuckers' Psyched Out is pretty good too. I think it was worth a quarter.
Next I found the Crossroads soundtrack from Britney Spears. If I'm honest, I didn't like her cover of I Love Rock 'N' Roll, but this was still sealed. In addition, I liked the songs Girlfriend from Matthew Sweet and Mystika;'s Shake it Fast. I also thought it was cool seeing Jars of Clay and Bowling For Soup on the same album. I still haven't opened it yet, but not sure I will. Maybe it will be worth something.
Speaking of worth, I also found a CD that blew me away. Not so much the CD, but the price I've seen it go for. When I'm out, I usually don't check prices online for stuff. i feel its a gamble and sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. In addition, most of the time, I don't try to resell stuff, I want it if its cool. The only time I will look stuff up is when I'm at Walmart, and thats because I'm now using apps for groceries, and more importantly I can access Walmart's wi-fi.
Anyway, here is the CD I was happy buying for a quarter and finding out what it was going for online.
This is still sealed, that's what caught my attention. The band is Shaman's Harvest. They are a local band that hit it big. Though saying that, I'm not going to say I'm a huge fan of them, or can name any songs. I do know at one time, they did the theme song for WWE wrestler Drew McIntyre when he was doing the Chosen One gimmick. Now while in store I saw a sealed CD of a local band, and that was why I wanted it. As many of you know, I like Missouri history in terms of like Sports, music, and such. So this was a nice find. I didn't expect anything beyond that.
When I got home, I discovered (in addition to a crack in the case), that this was their first album, and it wasn't their first major label album, like their first album ever. The Parental Advisory label on the front is a sticker stuck on the wrapping. I can't remember if my friend found it on Discogs or if I did, but I was quite surprised.
Granted it was last sold on Discogs in March of last year, but $250-$420 dollars? WHOA! I did look on ebay but didn't see anything, sold or current. I'm very tempted to throw a crazy number up and see what happens. If it doesn't sell, no big deal.
So with that I think I'll show off some socks and wrap it up. I think I have more stuff to show, but that can be next time. I think besides a couple projects this year, most of my posts might be just clean up posts of stuff I never showed off. It will still be exciting (or as much as any of my posts are) just not all current things.
Oops, I forgot I found another corkboard for $3 recently. While great to display stuff, we use them for puzzles. It is easy to transport and the pieces don't slide. The opposite side is cardboard and you can do puzzles on it if you want too. While we don't usually do two puzzles at once, we did want a backup. We might even use this as intended for a while too.
Okay, sock it to me!
Now technically the Sweet Hearts aren't in the same line as these other socks, they are a candy, and since my birthday is Valentine's Day, I make the rules, lol. They are slightly smaller than the others, but I still like them. Maybe I won't display them all year, but I don't see why not. Maybe I'll have them hanging up before Valentines Day.
The other three are nice additions, but I already have the Oreo's at least a different version. At this point its a bit tough to figure out what I have and don't so I am starting to be a bit more selective. Since my picture is outdated, its also to tell. I have Doritos, but pretty sure not like the black pair. I'm pretty sure I don't have the Mac & Cheese, or at least that version. I don't know how much longer I can wait before bagging these socks up, I think I'm about 25 behind now. So maybe I'll bag them the old way for now. I still want to get a cheap vacuum sealer and use the new bags at some point, they will look much nicer. Though here is the most recent picture without 20-25 pair I haven't bagged yet.
Also one last decoration photo.
So I think that will wrap it up for now, I hope everyone is safe from the weather and had a great holiday season. I hope everyone has a great 2025, and hope if you have projects that you can knock a few out. Thanks for reading and have a great day.
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