Mark Your Calendars
This weekend will be my first yard sale in years and man oh man, is it about time to parcel off some stuff.

Since Paula and I combined our lives together we have twice as much stuff that we really don't need. And its been an educational process going through boxes of stuff that I've had for a long time but don't use.

So this weekend we are combining our goodies with some friends and spending Sunday sitting in the sun, barbecuing, drinking beers and selling our unwanted stuff to passersby for a few bucks. I am trying to with hold any expectation of what we might earn out of this project. But the main benefit will be getting rid of lots of things. And if they don't sell at the yard sale then there's a Goodwill donation station less than two hundred yards away. And they'll get a donation alright.

So that's what tonight and tomorrow night are all about. Although tonight will have to wait until after we've both had our fill of the new bruschetta I mixed up last night. Which reminds me, we learned how to make a teriyaki salmon glaze last night that actually crystallizes on the salmon and gives it a really quite delicious flavor. And went exceedingly well with cous cous and the spinach salad that Paula spun up. I must say that there are some wonderful fringe benefits of being with someone who enjoys cooking and eating as much as I do. All we need to do is make sure we get our exercise in and all's good.

Now, everybody who rode their bike into work today, raise your hand. I only wish I had time to stop at the free breakfast station along the way.

One thing Paula and I did do is declare what the object of our desire from the yard sale was. I'm looking to pick up a flat screen monitor so I can ditch the behemoth on my desk at home. And there are 18 inch monitors around now $360 which is a pretty excellent deal even though I know we won't come anywhere near that total for the yard sale. But its nice to dream, isn't it?

Side Note: Where to Expend a Bonus Check?
My company's fiscal year ends in June and we normally recieve a profit sharing check which totally kicks ass. This year my check has been tied what I produce for the company in the way of media coverage. And that's just fine as we're steaming along really, really well so far this year, really beyond all expectations.

And I've been starting to consider what would be the most useful way to use the money. My inclination is to use the wad and get my eyes fixed, Lasik, PRK, whatever will work the best for my condition and situation. And the idea of not having contacts or glasses or eye drops or fear of swimming (and having said contacts float off my eyes) is liberating in a very real sense. Yes, there are risks and they do worry me, these are my only set of eyes (oh yeah, one of our fish got his left eye eaten the other day by the mean fish in the tank and its disgusting to look at, especially since it is, essentially, a death sentence). But the freedom aspect is extremely inviting and I have a pal who's had it done recently and locally by one of the leaders in the field. So I'm going to start thinking about getting a consultation at the very least.

Other ideas of where to use the money best: pay off a credit card and pay down another one to reasonable levels. Not exciting but liberating in its own way. Or putting the money into the wedding fund and stepping things up there a ways, and I think a portion of the money will go into that fund in any case. The date is fast approaching (though not as quickly as my friends, they're getting married next weekend! Yoiks!, sorry I couldn't make the BP in Big Sur but you wouldn't have wanted me around, all sick and snorty and oozing blood from my elbow still) so we've gotta get on top of that as well.

Other ways: bike parts, upgrade the hell out of the Szazbo, Mojo and Suzuki. Upgrade my computer system, either by a new machine or another internal upgrade. But that would be more dependent on outside companies finishing the G4/800 upgrade card I've been thinking about. And that would truly make my machine scream again. I could also put a good chunk into scoring myself a nice little Porsche 914 to play around in as OJ's dead in the carport now, poor guy made it 22 years and no more. Anyone need an 81 VW Scirocco with some mechanical issues? Real cheap, promise.

Anyone got any other good ideas?