First Timer

I'm marching out boldly - after decades of tiptoeing lightly - into the world of trying to sell something on EBay.  It's time for my french horn to find a new home and hopefully, there will be a little cash to us in exchange.  I've considered (carefully) donating it to the district I work for - but there are multiple schools with music programs and it's hard to go random on the selection of who gets it. You'd think I would lean towards the school my kids attended - but I lean way far from that school these days so....I just can't decide and I'm not willing to draw straws.  I'm setting a minimum and a reserve but it's reasonably priced - though I hope it will be bid on aggressively and sell for much more than my minimum.  I just can't bring myself to risk it and list it as a straight auction 'cuz if I had to let it go for very little, it would break my heart.  It's approaching 39 years new - I got it around Christmas time my Junior year of high school.... 1976!

It's cold here.  I'm dressed in a short sleeve shirt and jeans and wishing I'd remembered to bring a sweatshirt or something downstairs this morning, 'cuz even with the heat on, it feels cold.

As I've been expecting all week, I'm dealing with a side effect of the antibiotics that has me desiring to stick close to home.  Plenty of errands I need to run but I'm not venturing out of the house..yet. Concert tonight will be challenging but I hope I'll be OK.  Made Cracker Crumb buttered pasta for lunch - comfort food.  Hoping the pasta helps slow things down a bit.

J. is car shopping online and says 'I'm going to not get the parking assist feature'.  Um, OK.  But he is looking at the 'lane change' and rear view camera, etc. .  We've managed our entire lives without all these razzmatazz features but now, they're embedded into the other package features he does want, so...you end up getting things you really wish you didn't have to get (and pay for).  I don't begrudge him getting what he wants - something nice - but maybe my stomach is all knotted up and clenchy today trying to figure out how we will pay for it.

We will.  We will be fine.  :-)   We just won't be taking as many trips for a bit - we've had a trip to Paris, a trip to Rome (J. and H.), a trip to Cancun, a trip to Phoenix and Disneyland in April - so that's a lot of expense in one year that we most definitely won't be doing when there's a car payment in the monthly budget again.

I warned J. that my next car will likely be the Toyota Highlander hybrid - Escape Hybrid is no longer made - and that's going to be pricey.  But five to seven years from now - who knows what will be out there!  Maybe it will be a hover-car of some kind.

H. wants a hover-board for Christmas.  And Playstation 4.  Nothing inexpensive on his list at all.

We will depart for Modesto in a few hours so I think I'll try to take a quick nap.