SECOND ROUND of our virtual yard sale to benefit WATCH

Our idea of a virtual yard sale could have been a bust but it was a huge success, for WATCH, for the recipients and for us.  We moved along a weed whacker, a snowblower, 2 tall books shelves (both to wonderful teachers for their classrooms) a big brown recliner to a college friend of Bethany's who stayed with us for a summer and is now relaxing once again in that recliner, a leaf blower to Chris's best man, composter to church friends, and the Keruig is in a lounge at Tufts Vet School, taken by one of Bethany's best friends.  The best donation in my mind though was for the roof rake to be used in the next 10 foot winter.  Dear friends are the owners of that precious commodity now.


We have discovered in our clean out some other items that folks might want.
SO here is what we have available in round 2.  Some are repeats.  Come on, no one wants 2 floor lamps to help read at night?  Rod got them for me to counteract Seasonal Affective Disorder.  

• Oil filled space heater

• TV with VHS player built in (don't you still have VHS tapes?)

• Small wooden desk perfect for student or sewing table (wait, maybe I should keep this for sewing!)

• HDTV

• Weber Grill - in full disclosure, we cannot find the piece to connect to the new propane tanks.  If someone is handy or clever this grill is in great shape

• 2 hoses - there might be holes, but if you are handy they are perfectly good

• Dog cable and post you drive into the ground for when you travel with a dog to contain them.  We used it when we visited people who did not like dogs (yes there are those kind of people in the world.

• UPDATE - 2 box fans, and in this September weather they can still be used this season - NEWS Flash - taken, while I was writing this post, to cool down a church tomorrow!

• 2 fluorescent floor lamps referred to above from my thoughtful husband NEWS Flash:  1 taken for an older person to light her apartment while I was writing this.   1 still available.

• 2 camp chairs

• A lawn seeder

• A desk perfect for a small business, L-shaped, with each side 77".  It comes apart in 3 pieces and we will help you move it.  Know anyone looking for nice wooden office furniture?

We don't want to make any money, rather we ask that you make a donation to WATCH which is a non-profit in a neighboring town, Waltham, that both Rodney and I support through barn raising activities and tutoring a Guatemalan woman who has become a friend.    

Here is the list in rough order of the pictures below:
 and below are pictures of the items:

Here is how it will work.  Call or email me which item you would like.  We can discuss a donation amount, you can ask any questions and we settle on a deal.  I will note in the comment area below which items are taken.  First come, first settle on a deal and pick up item!  Leave a comment below if you do not have my cell phone or email and I will get in touch with you! 

Only 1 left

GONE, sorry

Yoga studio versus YMCA

I have just finished a month of a special at Black Crow Yoga in Arlington.  $30 for 30 days of unlimited yoga.  I probably attended 12 classes and they were all terrific.  They have excellent instructors there, and I felt challenged every day that I went.  It is a small, aesthetic studio in Arlington Center, and with no traffic I can get there in 12 minutes.  As well, a friend joined at the same time an we have a coffee date at Barismo in Arlington Center after our yoga.  Go there if you are in the area.  It is a real treat.

I started looking for a studio when my favorite teacher was not rehired at the Woburn YMCA, because she visit her home country and family every summer and they did not rehire her the last two summers she has gone.  I understand that they cannot keep the slot open for 6 weeks, while she is away.  However, she is technically the best instructor.  I tried the other classes and they were not up to the quality of Ruth's classes.  They were too gentle, too short and not personal enough.  Some of them were just not good yoga teachers.

SO now I have a decision.  Join Black Crow for $89/month for unlimited yoga or try to piece a yoga practice attending the ones at the Y that challenge me, and finding Ruth, or Ruth like instructors in other venues.  My considerations are 1) flexibility, 2) timing, 4) my travel calendar and 4) quality of yoga.

Black Crow wins on the 4th one, and the Y wins on the other 3.

I met with the new operations person at the Y on Thursday, and shared with him my concerns and the history of yoga and yoga instructors.  I don't think he knew what hit him when he scheduled this meeting.  He is only a month on his job and promised to get back to me after doing his research into this.

In my 5 years there the yoga/wellness programs have deteriorated.  I attend primarily for the yoga however, I do other things as well.  When I had injuries last year, I used the recumbent bike and elliptical, and I did some water aerobics.  For flexibility the Y wins.

My decision is made and staying at the Y makes the most sense.  I will then take one class a week at Black Crow when they have their $10 community drop in.  It is not perfect but the best for me right now.  I will miss my coffee dates at Barisimo after yoga though.

But, I want it all

As Apple is releasing their new iphone and ipad today I am very confused. I was an early adopter so I have an iphone and ipad which are first generation. I am also a frugal yankee, so unless something is broken, I do not feel as if I should buy the newer model, and I could NEVER buy two things.

Recently, as I continue to adopt technology, I have been meeting with people on a video call. Neither of my old pieces of technology allow the video call. I can participate on my old and ipad with audio but not video.

Concurrent to this, I have been contemplating a new laptop and it WILL be an Apple product. I am eyeing the Mac Air. There are only a few things I still need a laptop for, but when I need it, I need it badly. Examples are emails older than my ipad will store, marking spam in my email inbox, typing long documents, some apps on the ipad have less functionality, tagging posts in my blog, etc.

So ideally, I want a new Iphone, Ipad and Mac Air. Santa? Can you hear me now? The frugal Sally steps forward and starts a pro and con list and a limitation of only buying one piece of hardware. I usually end up with the Mac Air as my choice.

Help me friends. What should I buy?


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It is Official, we are NOT moving

The last few months have been uncertain for sure, in that Rod's job was moved to Raleigh NC. This was officially announced the end of March. The rumors were swirling for a few months before that.

We spent this past weekend there on a "house hunting" trip which was lovely. Fidelity put us up in a 5-star hotel, fed us very well, had management staff present at receptions to schmooze with and encouraged us to take whatever time looking around that we needed.

The great part about this decision is that we do not have a BAD decision. We would be well compensated if we moved.  On the other hand, because of Rod's age and tenure, we will also be well compensated if he stays to the end of the project, September 2013.  At that point he leaves Fidelity after almost 25 years, with a very generous severance and retention bonus.

We always said we wanted to retire at 55. I loved my job so worked until 56.5 and Rod will be a similar age in 2013 when he leaves Fidelity.

Our interest was peaked as we both love an adventure, and that is how we viewed moving there for a couple of years. Financially it did not make sense to be disrupted. In the process of this decision, we realized that we have never had to prepare a house to sell. The thought of removing all of the clutter from this house was enough for me to stay here, but I would have done that if we had decided to move.

So, we will remain in our house, and stay with our community and my family, and we will search elsewhere for an adventure.
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