Monday, November 14, 2005

spare parts

Some random thoughts, since I had some time:

The Taxman (Almost) Cometh
Tonight I procrastinated on my tax homework and still had time to finish just before midnight! This is a new feat for me. Usually, it takes me a while and I’m unsure if I did everything right. Tonight’s work was a short chapter, but I think my comprehension of the material has increased as well. It’s a good feeling.

While I’m certain I got something a little askew tonight due to simple math mistakes (which has always been my problem) I feel confident about the process and I think that I could really do this for people either working on the side at H&R Block or on my own at home.

The exam is in a couple of weeks. I’m sure I’ll mention something again before it’s all said and done right after Thanksgiving.

Photos for the Uninvolved
My grandfather’s 87th birthday party was Friday night at the club. We had a great time. Well, everybody but me anyway. I had to take pictures. I tried to get them developed while I could so that I could get some well-needed folding money, but my lovely and loud aunts decided they wanted me to put all the night’s pictures in an edited photo album (with me doing the editing), meaning not only did I have to go get additional supplies including mini photo holders from Wal-Mart, I also have to wait until Thanksgiving to make any money off the night’s work.

As it was, I ended up with about $18.00 sales from people who didn’t need all the formality of the albums. The albums will fetch about $30.00 apiece, less than the equivalent value of the loose pictures, but I will likely be able to sell 4-5 of them, which adds up. I guess I’ll at least be able to cover expense.

Oh yeah. Would you believe than my cousin’s wife is trying to steal my photo business around the family? She shows up, uninvited (in-laws do not get much respect around here), and proceeds to snap pictures around me hoping to sell…in MY MOM’S damn building! I was somewhat outdone, but she’s so annoying and they like my work so much better that she didn’t sell any pictures she took Friday, or even get asked for copies of the PORTFOLIO she brought with her!

You’d think that would be enough. Well, she works in the vision center at our local Wal-Mart and would you believe she jumped off her job and went over to the photo center the same time I did to pick up the photo wallets on Saturday? She was so nosy about what I was doing that she watched everything and pretended that she had so much to talk about and talked for TWENTY MINUTES? I think she may be abusing the break policy on her job, and I didn’t appreciate the nosiness.

Anyway, the look on her face when I bought 25 photo albums was priceless. I din’t need that many, but it was proof to her that more was going on with my business than she though, and plus, as I like to say, if you gotta get it, get it in bulk.

Hole Truth
There still is a hole in our foyer ceiling. The handyman we originally got was being cagey, so we have to wait for a cousin of ours to get done with my aunt’s ceilings.

Sign of a Good Mom
Sunday afternoon at Foot Locker, suburban mall. Mother and teenage son are shopping for sneakers. Son is wearing oversized clothes and untied Nikes, trying to be cool. Loosens belt and begins “sagging.”

Mother notices and waits for unsuspecting customers (me and my friend) to walk by.

Mother says to son: “Pull your pants ALL THE WAY UP or I’ll pull them down right here!”

Unsuspecting customers start laughing. Son is embarrassed but gets the point and pulls up his pants.

That’s a good mom. Got her point across and taught a lesson. I’d hate to be that kid right then, but he’ll thank her for it eventually.

Anyway, that’s all for now.

6 comments:

  1. A few years ago I was heavy into reconstructing old photos of my grandmother and grandfather and several of my aunts and uncles. It sort of started as a whim...just to see what I could do with this little picture of my grandmother that was missing part of her hat and dress. Little did I know what I was getting myself into ::grinz:: My mom was so impressed with what I could do there, she bought me a new heavy duty printer and for the next year or so (still not sure Im completely done) I reconstructed, printed and arranged photos . It was wild. My mom sold them at a family reunion. (My pay was the great printer that I enjoyed). It was a nice arrangement. Now I have an even better printer..and told her I really wanted to reprint several of the better ones for her and myself.

    Hope you make many sales from the photos.

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  2. You're a good daughter, Muddy. Something like the photo restoration you pulled off has to be done by someone who cares about history and family, and you were the right one to do it. I know it came out wonderfully.

    If you happen to have a membership to any warehouse clubs, they are by far the cheapest places to get quality paper and printer cartridges. My printers came from Sam's and I get my paper and ink at Costco.

    PS: I added a story about a another "Good Mom" I saw today to the blog entry.

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  3. Shouldn't family members be entitled to memories "free of charge?" =)

    I've been trying my best to take more pictures when I go out, for posterity of course. I was leafing through my photo albums one day and came to realize that many great memories were missing for the sheer purpose I was too lazy to tote around a camera. I vowed to never miss an opportunity to photograph fun, friends, and family again! (Hence the fact I FINALLY purchased a memory card for my digital camera!)

    ~Carrie =)

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  4. The answer to this is simple: My mom has 10 siblings, Dad has 9. Add to that their kids and their kid's kids and if I did pictures for free, I'd be out of a lot of money. I don't charge a lot; enough mostly to cover expenses.

    Good idea on documenting things with the camera. I never realized how important stuff like that could be until recently. :-)

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  5. My mom has 5 brothers and 4 sisters. There were 10 children in all here . Couple that with countless cousins and their families, I agree it could add up if we were the ones footing the bill on all these photos.

    Generally among my own brother or sister, I generously share any pictures that are taken at family events among ourselves.

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  6. My brother really doesn't have much interest in that stuff, at least not yet. Having eveything on digital makes it easier to print as much as I can when it finally does hit him.

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