Meandering Missive: Miscellaneous things

Monday, November 28, 2005

Miscellaneous things

Like the Island of Misfit Toys, this blog entry serves as a home for miscellaneous things that I wasn't sure where else to put. But that makes them no less worthy! :)

First things first, I am gleeful about the 31 items I put up for bids on eBay in the last 24 hours or so. They include books on several different genres (mainly cooking and gardening) and a hodgepodge of gifts and collectibles. There's also a 1970s set of Kenner Sea Wees & Babies (and a ton of the accessories) that has already received 10 bids and gone up to $57 from a $3 starting bid! And there are still 6 days left before the auction ends. I'm mortified that I'll be earning so much money for a bunch of old, used toys!! *blush* Though I can definitely use this money!! I found the mermaid-themed play set stored away in my garage and something told me that before I donated the toys to the thrift shop, I should see if they're considered collectible on eBay. GOOD intuition there, self! ;D If anyone wants to see all my current eBay bargains (you might find some nice holiday gifts) please click here.

Sometimes I have dreams that are so memorable I think about them days afterwards. Not last night but the night before (sounds like a childhood jumprope song!) I had such a dream. It reminded me of some of the shows on the Sci-Fi Channel where people are terrorized by a malevolent creature. Its origin may be alien, supernatural or animal, but it's always scary and relentless. In my dream, I and a group of assorted "extras" (I didn't recognize them) were trapped in a sprawling, ranch-style house with a lot of trees in the landscaping surrounding it. I don't know how long we'd been hiding out there, trying to avoid and/or attack the monster, but I seem to recall some people who once belonged to the group, were no longer with us. (Draw your own conclusions!)

Fortunately, I discovered the monster was repulsed by the smell of camphor, though I've no idea HOW I came to acquire this knowledge! Interestingly enough, there were a handful of camphor trees growing nearby. Whenever we thought the coast was clear, I and some of the other folks dashed out of the house, jumped into the trees and grabbed handfuls of leaves and berries. We'd then dash back into the house and scatter camphor leaves and berries around all the windows and doors, to keep the monster out. I remember we even ATE some of the berries to make ourselves less appealing to the monster, should we have a run-in with it! (The berries are not edible in real life, except to squirrels and birds). I don't know how the dream ended, sorry. :( But I do recall that when I awakened, I felt all hyped up and my neck and back muscles were very tense!

Speaking of trees, one of my online friends (who knows I love gardening and horticulture) recommended I check out a new website called DotFlowers. She didn't say why, but rather suggested I "look around." At first glance, it looked like most other online florists, with arrangements ranging from birthday sprays to funeral flowers and everything in between! I was impressed that they also have exotic plants, gourmet food and dessert baskets, candles, kid treats and other things, but no matter how tempting these items were, that didn't make Dot Flowers stand out much from the competition. Was the cute "busy bee" logo with the funny zoning eyes what my friend wanted me to appreciate? Was the business started by someone local to my area? Or something else?

Finally I discovered what it was! When I scrolled to the bottom of the website and reached a navigation bar down there, I noticed a link that said Botanical Database. I clicked on it and THAT'S when I realized what sets this site apart! Not that I've been to all the online florists in the world, but this is the only one I've personally seen with a database that sounds like it belongs on a horticulture website, not a florist! Even plants and trees that have nothing to do with florists are in this database. You can search alphabetically by name, or by the state the greenery grows in. There are probably thousands of trees, shrubs, flowers, vines and even "weeds" in the database! Although there are no photos, and there's no cross-reference by Latin name, it's still a happy surprise to find this on a site where I wouldn't expect it. (It appears to be linked to a database called the Integrated Taxonomic Information System for you nerds like me. ;)

On a completely different tangent, are Miss Manners and myself the only people who follow the lost art of the RSVP? As someone who plans several group parties/outings each year, and who runs a monthly bingo group, I'm perennially puzzled by the fact that so many people have an aversion to RSVPing. I know some folks live their lives at the last minute and never know from day to day what they might be doing, and while there's nothing WRONG with that, it strikes me as a hard way to live if you expect to be included when people plan events. If you're never willing to commit to anything, eventually people will give up trying to include you. (Except for naive and idealistic me, who keeps trying).

But I wonder: how hard is it to look at a calendar and write down an event if you don't have anything else already written on that day at that time? It's not rocket science! *chuckle* I was brought up to actually TELL people if I am a "yes", a "no" or a "maybe so" when they invite me to something. I'm as forgetful as the next person (probably MORE forgetful) -- that's why I write an event on my calendar so I don't forget I was invited to it. It seems other people receive invites (whether by email, Evite or paper) and promptly forget they were even invited, let alone asked to respond. I was also brought up that if I committed to attending, for example, Party A, I would not diss it for Party B unless there was a very compelling reason that Party B was more important. If both parties seem equally fun, I will stick with the one I was invited to FIRST. I feel it's important to stick to my word.

I guess I'm a freak because obviously most people prefer to be totally noncommittal. It makes me feel like some kind of stupid nag when I have to follow up with them later and ask if they got an invitation (how do I even know they got it if they don't respond?) and then I have to ask if they are coming or not. Is RSVP'ing so horrid? Does everyone have to wait until the very last second to commit to attending something? Even if someone isn't sure, can't they say something like "I might have to drive my kid to a such-and-such that day; I'll let you know when I know." Do my events suck so badly that people only attend them if "nothing better comes along"? (I know that's not the case, but sometimes I feel that way).

Anyone who has ever planned a birthday party (for themself or someone else), a holiday party, a farewell luncheon, a group road trip or a wedding knows how IMPORTANT it is to get RSVPs, and how frustrating it is when you have no idea how many people are coming, or if there will even be enough people to warrant having the event in the first place! (Well, obviously you'd still have a wedding, but I mean events like bingo, a group trip, a luncheon or a party). Sorry for all the griping. I got carried away! *blush* But I feel better now. I guess this is one of those things I will never understand, and will always find hurtful, despite my best attempts at not letting it get to me. :(

I don't want to end this entry on an aggro note, so I will mention something happy instead! :) Remember the Sea Wees eBay auction I mentioned earlier? Well, it has now jumped from 10 to 12 bids, and from $57 to $71! I can't even imagine how much people will "bid it up" by the time next Sunday rolls around, which is when the auction ends. I've decided that if the bidding goes over $100, I will express my thanks by giving the winner FREE Priority Mail shipping, no matter where they live! :)

One other happy thing: there's still time to become a "virtual" Secret Santa and participate in a REAL gift exchange with bloggers (or any Internet user) around the world! The link I just gave leads to the Secret Santa website, but for more info (and very amusing commentary *grin*) please visit my Nov. 21 blog entry on the subject. It's such a fun and cool idea that I really want to help spread the word!

Today I am feeling a mix of emotions.

posted by ScaryShari @ 9:02 PM

1 Comments:

At 9:59 AM, Anonymous said…

I do not appreciate people not RSVPing for the exact reason you just named of trying to figure out how many people are actually showing up. People of all generations seems to do it now, not just ours, but my parents' generation too. My parents would never do that, as they have a calendar and stick by it..but I think others want to be more spontaneous these days. I have a calendar and try to stick by it, but if it involves other people, I just have to be flexible.

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