This really happened

I've really been running on empty the past few days regarding ideas for blogs. Not that I haven't been really busy...My mind's just been ridiculously turned "off."

I was reading Brooke's blog about the results of her weekend garage sale when I started to remember the two garage sales I have participated in during my life, and...well, the first one, at least, is definitely interesting...

"It's the garage sale EXTRAVAGANZA!!! Books, clothes, furniture, DVDs, and so much more!! All to benefit the American Cancer Society!! Participate in the cause with our garage sale!!"

That was the gist of our ad we placed in the paper. Tina, one of our relay team members, was the classifieds director. Can you tell?

We got up in what I thought was the middle of the night (about 5 a.m.) to get things ready for our 6 a.m. opening time. People began showing up at 5:30...with flashlights.

But they weren't our first customers. Tina had people come to her house (the garage sale site) the night before. Yeah. That's right.

Around 6 a.m., when the sun was finally beginning to rise, we had a ton of people -- and a ton of stuff. A lot of our coworkers had donated for the cause, which definitely helped. Heck, we even browsed the area, looking for clothing that we'd want to purchase.

But first...the fight for the votive holder.

"This says it's a dollar," some woman called out to Tina. BTW, she was fighting for it with another lady, who was glancing over the clothing at the time. "Can I get it for 50 cents?"

Tina, who'd been through garage sales before and knew how to handle this, glared at her. "It IS for finding a cure for cancer," she replied.

The woman stormed off in a huff, but Tina did have a point. I mean...all profits DID benefit the ACS.

A few minutes later, after Tina walked inside, the other lady who'd been eying the holder, came up to me. "Can I get this for 75 cents?" she asked.

"Um...sure?" I said warily. I mean, this was my first garage sale. I didn't know how these things worked.

"Sold," she said, smiling, and walked off.

When Tina heard, she just laughed. I miss that girl.

(But I will see her in just a couple of weeks!!)

But the highlight of the garage sale came around 9 a.m., when we were lazing around and mainly goofing off. We still had a few customers, but they were trickling out.

And we did this to my dog.



She was not happy. And neither were we a bit later when some woman saw Superdog, sitting in my lap, and said, "I'll pay $200 for her."

My mouth dropped. "Uh...she's not for sale."

"Well, it SAYS 'Make offer,'" she retorted.

"It's a JOKE," I replied, holding Superdog tighter. I would punch people for my dog. I would.

And so this woman goes on this mini-rant, saying how she had been to this other garage sale where they had a price sticker on an (inanimate) object and it wasn't for sale, and she told her husband when they got in the car that she wasn't going to take it anymore, and she was going to buy the next thing that had a sticker on it, whether or not it was for sale.

Tina came over and pulled the sticker from poor Superdog's head. She seemed annoyed, but thankfully, it didn't seem to hurt her.

"She's not for sale," I repeated.

Oh, and then the woman talks about how her husband just lost his little Chihuahua and how happy it would make him to have another one. Uh...I really hate that, but...NO.

She finally, FINALLY left, thank goodness, but not before saying, "If she follows me, I'm taking her." And then whistled for Superdog to come.

Superdog didn't move. I held her collar fairly tightly, but she wasn't eager to follow.

She knows who loves her. ;)

We made about $300 on the garage sale (that's what happens when about 10 people contribute), which was good. But I did learn one valuable lesson:

Leave the pup inside.