... SO.MUCH.WASTE.

Monday, 3-22-21 ~ Picture Perfect Spring Day in Central NY!

Went out to do a few errands, and of course I HAD to take a peak to see what was in the local dumpsters...  After ONE (1!) dive, this is what the back of my car look like!!

Such waste.

Can you see the 'BEST BEFORE' dates?!!

2 boxes cereal

12 32oz bottles Tampico Juice

3 bags Animal Crackers

11 packages Oatmeal Cookies

14 pkgs Chocolate covered Grahams

23 boxes of Mini Muffin packets

17 boxes crackers

12 boxes Fruit Snacks

...and this is only what I rescued - there was MUCH MORE!!

All this, from 1 day, at 1 store, in one relatively small town, in New York State.  

I can't even begin to imagine how much USEFUL stuff, that could REALLY be helping people, is tossed across our Country - every day, week, YEAR!

 

Well, this is one diverted boxful, being packed and delivered to people who will appreciate.

baby steps... baby steps... baby steps...

enjoy

&

be well

...Cuisinart SUCKS!

Sorry to interrupt this blog by getting up on my Soapbox.

This post has Nothing to do with 'STUFF', unless you consider the possibility of Losing all of your Treasured Stuff to the hands of the CUISINART / CONAIR Co. and their lack of response to Customer Complaints spanning back FIVE YEARS!!

I must thank my Wonderful reader / commenter 'KIM' for her comment on my last post when I lamented my Woes of 'no coffee'!.  After alerting me to how common the occurrence of smoking / burning units is among the CUISINART brand, I did some research.  I found numerous sites devoted to 'just' the problems we encountered!!

Take a peak at CUISINART SUCKS ! 

Originally when I contacted the Co., and they told me they would replace it, I was a bit hesitant about using the same product again.  The agent (Latasha), reassured me, after checking records, that they had NEVER had this type of problem reported before

After my individual research, I called again, and demanded to talk to a Manager (Lenny) - I firmly expressed my displeasure at my findings and requested a refund - NOT A REPLACEMENT!

"Oh, Miss V...., I ASSURE you we have NEVER had any problems like this before!"

I'm NOT a Happy Camper, have been filling out all of the 'REVIEWS' that I can find, filed a report with the Better Business Bureau ~

All this, and NO COFFEE!

Now I'm trying to research other brands... QUICKLY!!

OSTER: BVST JBXSS41?

KRUPS KM7508?

MR. COFFEE  CGX23?

Any thoughts or recommendations - ANYONE???

PLEASE?!!

And if anyone out there has a CUISINART Coffee Maker - PLEASE BE CAREFUL!!

(Kim - will you please contact me privately with your e-mail address, so we can discuss this further?  You can find our contact info through our ETSY link on the sidebar - THANKS!!)

...HEAT + saling = BAD!!!

Did you just ever have one of 'those' days?

Friday started out normal enough. Yes, it was HOT. That has just been a given 'EVERYWHERE' lately - hasn't it?! I thought I would hit a couple of early morning sales on my way to work before it got too bad.

The first stop was a family clearing out their father's estate. They weren't dealing with the heat or any of the 'process' and just wanted it all to be GONE... so there were good deals to be had ~if you could avert your nose from the masses of people who hadn't bothered to shower during this heat wave (and NO, an extra layer of cologne DOES.NOT.HELP!). I would have liked to have stayed and dug longer but my nerves were getting frayed. I did grab this cup of eyeglasses ~ 'Dad' must have worn the same style eyeglasses for y-e-a-r-s!!!

I also fell in love with this set of Franciscanware 1950's Atomic Starbust China in Aqua, green and yellow. I'm probably crazy, but that left with me too!

~~Then onto unchartered territorty~~

I had read an ad for another sale, rather 'out of the way' for my route to work, but I was game. It was at a Very Nice looking 'horse farm' ~ big house, wrap around porch, lots of barns. Porch was piled high with 'stuff' - old and newer. As I was browsing, kinda got the feel that there were 3 generations living on the homestead - Mom/Dad (60ish?), Daughter/Hubby (30ish), Gdaughter(3ish). Okay, you know the scenario, you are the only customer so you get chit-chatting with Mom & Daughter ~ weather ~ hoarders tv shows~ yadda ~ yadda.... . They have SO.MUCH.STUFF that I can't possibly take it all in so I ask Mom if there are any scarves anywhere that I am overlooking? She says no, but she has a bunch inside she'd be glad to get rid of, just give her a minute... She came back with this Big rubbermaid tote - takes the top of and hands it to me. I find a step, sit down and start to dig through it. All 80's tacky, Polyester, nasties - I was feeling bad that she had gone to all of that effort to go get this out for me, so I was digging to the bottom, desperately searching for something, anything to buy - guess what I found in the bottom?! VERA? ... NOT!!!! How about packages of vintage, unused condoms! Yeh, that just made my morning complete. Alrighty now. I.will.not.be.buying.anything.out.of.this.tote.! My first thought was "Why would a 60 yr old?", then I realized these scarves were from the 80's and probably the condoms were too, as much as I may hate to admit it, that was 30 years ago and that would put 'Mom' in her 30's... okay... but 'why with the scarves?' OH, I try not to think about that connection!!!!!!!!!!! So, I neatly replaced the scarves back into the tote, and told 'Mom' that they weren't quite what I was looking for, but thanked her for getting them for me. She was fine with that. Good thing! Had 'Mom' given me the SLIGHTEST bit-o-attitude at the fact that she had gone through all that trouble for nothing, I would have whipped one of those little wrapped packets out of the tote in a flash and LOUDLY made some snide comment like "You might want to check the expiration date on these" ~ I'm sure her daughter would have been impressed ;). Anyways, it was just TOO HOT for that whole episode!! I bought NOTHING. I went to work.

~WE HAVE NO A.C. @ WORK ~

THANK GOODNESS the AC works in my vehicle!! After work, I got half way home, then had to sit for 1/2 hr ~stopped~ due to a couple of accidents closing down 'the' road, then I was detoured 1/2 hr off route to try and get home.... Do people forget how to drive in the heat??

One bonus was that the detour DID take me through a small town with a THRIFT store!

Can you believe I bought a scarf?? That I even looked at / touched scarves? The lure of VERAs is just too great! This isn't a VERA - but it is a Burmel - just thinking Fall makes me deal with this heat a little bit better!

Okay, to heal all of the wounds of a REALLY, REALLY, DISTURBING FRIDAY ~ the Thrift Karma tossed a sweet, sweet Sweater Clip my way for only .99¢ (2011#5)

I didn't venture out to any sales on Saturday.

I think I shall wait for this weather to break, and just spend a little time listing in ETSY 8-)!

...leave it.

(From my PAGE-A-DAY online Green calendar)
"Eighteen percent of the waste produced by the average family in the U.S. comes from the yard and garden, according to the Environmental Defense Fund. Keep yard waste out of the landfill by composting, or give organic garden debris to your city for municipal composting. Start with your city’s website for more information. (And remember: no leaf blowers!)"

That is a WONDERFUL thought, but in our city's infinite wisdom, they have created a new policy for this Fall's leaf 'pick-up'.... They can no longer be raked to the curb, they must now be bagged in CLEAR PLASTIC bags for pick-up!
♦ Leaves may not be raked to the curb. All leaves must be bagged in an approved
bag and tied. Raking leaves to the curb is prohibited and may result in
fines or separate collection charges that will be billed to the property owner

How's that for making something that is completely biodegradable into Trash!?!!

Our 'leafing adventures' on Sunday did NOT include any Plastic, however it did include the lawnmower mulching the leaves. But Hey, I hand raked - no leafblower (I have the blisters to prove it!!), does that even things out?

Off my soap box ~ Happy Wednesday.

...one of 'those' days!

As you know, Easter isn't exactly my 'thing', so I 'm not real sure WHY this 2' tall paper mache' & plaster Chick followed me home today! The only reasons I can come up with is that it 'brightened' my day (tell you anything about the kind of day I had?!).

...woke up with a nasty headache - couldn't have been from the WhiteSnake / Judas Priest concert I was coerced into going to last night w/ DH and his siblings?! ~or~ the Mojitos required to make it tolerable?! (FYI: the hardest 'rock' band I had ever paid to go to before is Foreigner...)

...tried to go thrifting. SERVICE ENGINE SOON light put an abrupt halt to that. THIRD time this week I have been to the garage...

When I agreed to a 'loaner vehicle' I was thinking something a little sportier than a MINI-VAN!! (Yes, I was cruising around town in a Mini-Van today - with a Chick in the passenger seat!)

...stepped in gum on the way into my Dentist appointment (had to scrape it off, so I didn't 'muss-up' the Mini-Van!!).

But my last stop of the day (with the Mini-Van) was a thrift where I found these FOUR little lovely VERA's!! EBOR in action... I guess.

...this is an 'other' day!

Some days, I love chatting with our retail customers.

Other days, a couple will come in and I just think "Damn, she must be good in bed - why else would he put up with her?!"

(random garden photo to balance this post!)

...June?

June 1, 2009: Long Jeans, turtleneck, sweater and socks. It's just WRONG!!

...one step forward, two steps back

It's only Tuesday, and this has already been a rather disheartening week...

I have always tried to minimize my consumption of our natural resources. True.- that is NOT the only reason I hit the Thrifts and Garage Sales, but it helps! Lately I have been trying to step up our household awareness of our 'Carbon Footprint', and we have started composting, changing out light bulbs, etc. - nothing major, but 'small steps'. As the economy plumets, my main consoling thought has been, that maybe this will require people to start rethinking their 'disposable' ideas. I think it was.

Then, Sunday I stumbled on this LA TIMES ARTICLE. In other words, The total downfall of the economy is blamed on us Thrifters, Rummagers and second-handers. We aren't pumping enough 'retail' money into the economy.

Then, this morning on the news, I saw that Scrap and Salvage prices are WAY DOWN. To the point where it almost isn't feesable to 'recycle'.

What are they going to drop on our shoulders tomorrow??

..."MAKE OFFER"

Is it just me, or are those the most 'horrible' stickers to ever have been created for Sales??? Usually found at a sale FULL of 'new' stuff, on the ONE item I am interested in!! I refuse. I just plain refuse! I will ask them what they want for 'it', if they say "Make an offer", I will just shrug and walk away. I WON'T play that game! I hate to insult them by offering what 'I' am generally willing to pay, but I'm also NOT going to give them a high amount when they don't even have the %@!!$ to put a price on it!!Such was the case with this sweet old 'Pirate's Chest' toy box! Found at a sale in a newer housing complex, this was the only item there that pre-dated 1985... 'MAKE OFFER'. "How much do you want for the trunk?" "Oh, I don't know, what do you want to pay for it?" ~now THAT is an open ended question that is better left unanswered!! ... I shrugged and turned away. The seller then YELLED to her husband inside the house "Honey, how much do you want for that old trunk you had in the shed??" The husband "A buck... fifty cents... a quarter... I REALLY don't care!" the seller then looked at me "Is a dollar okay?". Well, you know the story from there!

It's pretty worn, but the graphics are SOO darn cute!! Look at that face on 'The Moon'!!

A few other 'finds' included...

~an adorable 'Mexico' themed vintage table cloth - a couple of small holes, but that just makes it all the easier to serve Margaritas on and not worry about! (.25¢)

~a tiki mug - I think the porch may have a Hawaiian theme next summer (.25¢) and an enamel MacKenzie Childs cup (resell - their enamelware doesn't do much for me.)

~AND~

(the Grand Finale you've all been waiting for - ha,ha)

~another different Sweater Clip!! Found in a bag of junk jewelry. The bag also had a 'ROLEX' watch - it MUST be real... Right?! Right?! (ha,ha).

Now, I'm off to the garden. Until next time...

...BRING IT ON!

Okay,
so would you care to vote for what you consider the most devastating of this weeks 'Trials and Tribulations' in My world?

1. ...Breaking, or rather 'Smashing into little pieces' one of my favorite old concrete garden buddies while trying to give it a fresh coat of Summer paint...
2. The "Are You Pregnant?" question from somebody who sees me at least weekly (a GUY none-the-less)... and NO it wasn't the outfit -( fitted Tshirt and low-rise, straight leg GAP jeans )- NOT even any 'Mushroom/Muffin top' happening! (you know... "...extra back fat and shit that forms a muffin-top like effect surrounding the jeans.") ~OR~
3. "Oh yeh, I've seen those things crochet from grocery bags - my grandmother did that in Sr. Citizens." See BAG LADY TOTE entry.

...Happy ...Happy!

HAPPY CINCO de MAYO!!

...and with that said 8-)... I must now climb back on my soap box for a quick moment

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

First, I would like to thank APRON THRIFT GIRL for bringing a new term/idealogy to my attention... FREEGAN. As the term was new to me, I did some digging... I am really interested and open to anybody else's opinions on this 'way of life'. I keep hearing my Mother's favorite saying rattling around in my head...'Everything in moderation'. I like the ideas behind what they are doing, but I think that they have gone to an extreme - way past 'moderation'. Keep in mind that I am considered the 'tree hugger' in our family, ~BUT~ for these people to condemn 'the checkout clerk at the meat counter' and 'the factory workers at the refrigeration plant' and feel that people's personal property, just because it isn't inhabited should be 'free game'... doesn't sit well with me. Sure these people are conserving on their use of certain things (ie: fuel by 'hitchhiking') - but they ARE still using it... still using products of refrigeration, still wearing clothes made in sweatshops, still using 'imports'! They may not be purchasing them, but they ARE USING THEM! Reminds me of the person who has 'Quit Smoking.' They are not buying any more cigarettes (because the quit.), but they continue to bum them off of others 'who smoke'.

What is the 'marketable term' for the lifestyle defined as 'reducing ones footprint' - period.??

^^^getting down off my soapbox ~ thanks for letting me vent!^^^

...it's all in how you 'market' yourself!

The weather in Upstate NY has reverted to Brisk and rainy. It's almost kind of a relief after a couple of sunny warm weeks to retreat inside without feeling guilty about not being outside enjoying the beautiful weather! I've been baking some new recipes, spring cleaning and catching up on magazine reading.

^^^^WARNING: I'm climbing up on a Soap Box ^^^^^^^^^^

Is it just me, or are ALL of the magazines centering on 'Going Green'?!? Hey, don't get me wrong, I'm all for it... ~BUT~ I'm tired of all of the 'back-patting' of the Newly Enlightened !! Aren't conserving and recycling ideas that are ingrained and second nature to many of us?! Many of us have been heavily influenced by our 'Depression-Survivor' Grandparents - to be frugal, don't waste, 'clean up our plates' & be thankful for 'hand-me-downs'. So why do 'they' (the newbies) get endowed with the glowing titles of 'Green', 'Earth Friendly', and 'Eco-Savvy' while the rest of us are still 'Cheap, Dumpster Diving - Garbage Pickers' ?? I guess it IS all in how you market yourself.
^^RANT OVER... climbing down off my soap box - thanks for letting me vent ^^^^

No new 'finds' to post. Stopped by quick to SA last night... found a small Vera Bradley bag... Most handbags there are 99¢-$4.99 (the high end reserved for 'Real Leather'!)... "Is this tag right? $24.99 ?!? Maybe that is a good deal to a die-hard V.B. Lover... but that would not be me. I put it back amongst the 'pleather' wannabees from CHINA and went on with my errands.

Hope you all are having a Good Week! This Saturday is a Street Wide sale that is usually good, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for some sun!!