Thursday, June 15, 2017

Thursday This n That

This morning I was reading a news story about a car dealership in Michigan that had offered a panhandler a job.  The panhandler laughed at them and told them he makes more money than any of them.  Something to think about when you see them with their signs.

Yesterday I went to a new-to-me thrift store that benefits a local animal shelter.  I won't be going back.  I hadn't been there before because it looked hard to pull into and hard to pull out of.  It was.  I got there right when the doors opened.  At the counter stood a man putting on his deodorant*.  I mean, I'm appreciative of anyone who wears deodorant, but no.  Just no.  The place smelled of mildew.  The books, what little they had, were in the basement down a narrow stairwell, and were two to three times more expensive than my usual thrift store.  I did find some books, though.  When I went to check out, I noticed a bullet-hole in the front window.  I said, "Is that a bullet hole or a stone chip?"  They said "It's a bullet hole. This used to be a pawn shop."  Like that explained it all.  Then the gal was all like "was that you that parked over there?"  Yep, it looked like a perfectly normal place to park in their dirt lot.  "Don't park there.  People like to whip through the parking lot to turn around and we've had a lot of people hit backing out of those spots."  Ummmm.  Ri-ight. 

The reason I was looking for a new thrift store is because my regular thrift store was snotty to me the last time I stopped in. (And had been snotty in the past.)  Plus, their 'new management' jacked up all the prices.  I'm not ever going to be a premier donor or shopper at these places, but I do donate stuff regularly and I do shop regularly.  Driving away small customers like me seems unwise.  But maybe that's just me.  Next try?  The Salvation Army location.  I just want someplace that'll take my donations and offer me stuff to buy without any irritations.

Anyway, back to the books.  I found some really cool stuff - a mystery/suspense anthology with a lot of awesome older crime novelists, a SF anthology with a lot of awesome older SF novelists, an Agatha Christie in the same edition as the one my mom had on her shelf when I was growing up (which I, oddly, never read), a fantasy paperback in a series I've been reading but haven't bought that one yet, a paperback UF by an author I've been meaning to read, and a mystery novel by Isaac Asimov.  I didn't even know Asimov wrote any mysteries. Oh, and a Nero Wolfe I hadn't read yet.  In hardcover.  Score.

Okay, I think that's just about enough out of me for this morning.  What have you got?

*Lest you think, 'well, maybe he was homeless', he was later telling me about his two houses and his 20 acres of land.  He has a full-time job and volunteers there on his day off.  And I saw the brand-new SUV he got out of when he arrived.  Plus, I'm pretty sure the place has a bathroom where he could've applied his toiletries.  :shudder:


  1. Sadly, most "thrift" stores are run for profit, despite saying they support a charity. Crossing fingers the Salvation Army store works out.

    I decided to take the week off from blogging. I'm in a huge hole of blah. Must get over this ASAP.

    Summer decided to finally make an appearance--hot, humid, higher electric rates during peak hours, plus chance of hail, wind, and t-storms tonight. Looking at radar, you guys are under a deluge.

    I'm almost done with my re-listen of Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling series. I have one more book and then I can start the first book in her continuation series, SILVER SILENCE. I <3 that the MC is named Silver. LOLOL

    I have three Scrivener projects open. I've written a total of 900 words across the three of them. :( This week. I need to rectify that.

    That's all I go. Well, that and coffee. I got coffee! ;)

  2. I have no problem with profit, but the way they act isn't helping them profit. Dorkbutts.

    Sorry about your blah. You know I'm here if you need to talk or vent or spitball or whatever.

    Yep, we got a deluge this morning which turned to clear and sunny and HUMID. Blech.

    LOL, I saw you were reading that series and I wondered if the character's name was Silver, too. Too cool.

    Okay, so this week, work on one and nail that sucker.

    I hope you found coffee! And that it did its job. Nothing worse than slacker coffee. ;o)

  3. Your observation about the panhandler reminded me of a trip I took to Italy. I had a nice room overlooking the Spanish Steps. Every day, I would see a panhandler limp on one leg, begging tourists for money. Lots of people donated.

    Every night, a big fancy car drove up to pick him up. The woman got out and slipped into the passenger seat, and HE smugly walked over to the driver's seat and drove away.

    Every. Single. Day. I was there.