For Goodness Sakes...

The garage door opener... You know... The one I took down...

I listed it on a few sites as "Offer: Garage Door Opener (Scrap Metal)" then elaborated in the post about the brand, that the track, motor, and chain were included, but there were no controllers. I've boycotted my local freecycle group due to what happened last year, btw.

Right away, one lady emails me asking if I could hold it until 4:30pm because she thought her husband needed one. I didn't reply back to her, but I was thinking: "Lady, whoever comes and gets it first is the one who I'll give it to." I'm naughty, aren't I? LOL

6:40pm -- Another email: "if you still have this please let me know i will come git it" (Git it? LOL) I responded back that I was home, and gave him the alternative option of any time after 5pm during the week.

7:00pm -- Second email: "is it down and appart or still up? give me a call at xxx-xxxx" (Ahhh no, I don't give my telephone number out to strangers) I responded: "It's down... all in one piece. There are no remotes or controllers. You'll need a truck to haul it."

7:13pm -- Third email: "Can it come apart at all? its the opener and it it's chain and track right?" (Hmmm... did he READ the post at all?) By this time, I'm thinking -- For goodness sakes, it's FREE! If you want it, come get it. I responded: "That would be correct. I don't know if it comes apart. I took it down in one piece, but I'm not going to take the time to dismantle it."

7:19pm -- Fourth email: "O no thats fine i will i was just asking if you knew if it did. i wouldnt ask you to do that i mean you are just given it away thats a good reason for me to do all the laber. well thats what i think any ways but ya can i come git it now?" (LOL... like those run-on sentences?) I gave him directions.

7:26pm -- Yet ANOTHER email: "i will be on my way in about 15 minutes i should be there within 30 mins." (Which will make it 8pm.) So, I'm sitting here twiddling my thumbs and writing this post. Aren't you wondering how I'm accomplishing both those things at the same time??? All this just to *give* something away, LOL

Revised:
8:10pm -- The guy shows up and he was polite... called me "ma'am" and everything, LOL He carried the opener out of the garage and dismantled it on the driveway using his headlights. (Yes, I had my yard light on, but it didn't shine where he needed it) He was *really* excited to get it. :)

Marvelous Monday Update 4/13/09

Stitchy Stuff
Guess what? My Needlebook Tutorial has been added to Needlepointers.com in several places! (Sewing Tutorial, Needlework Finishing Techniques, and Needlework Free Projects) Plus... In May, it will be featured on the homepage for a week!

I was the winner of a giveaway Lisa was hosting on her blog. I'd forgotten all about it until I received it in the mail last week. Look what the postman brought me!

A big thank you to Lisa for hosting the giveaways!

Finally, my WIP photos for the week... With how busy I've been, I'm surprised I even have anything to show!

Mona & Miles
Quaker Pin Cube
(Sorry for the bad pic)

School
As most of you know, I'm enrolled in an online class this semester: Intermediate Accounting. I'm in the 3rd week of 8, and so far it's been uneventful. Since I work in the accounting industry, the chapters so far are remedial for me. I had my first test last week and got an "A". I could've kicked myself for changing an answer (I had it right before I changed it). Oh well.

New & Improved!

Shortly after I moved into my house, the remote to the garage door opener quit working. Cruising Sears' website, I found out the opener that came with the garage is at least 25-30 years old! I drove 90 miles (round trip) to the nearest Sears repair center (as recommended by the 800-Line) only to find out the repair center ceased existence "a long time ago". Hmmm... Maybe the 800-line needs to be informed? The friendly store clerk suggested I get a $40 universal remote. I can still hear his words now... "It'll work. This works with everything." Uh huh... I bet you can guess it didn't work! So another 90-mile trip to return it.



Over the past year and a half, I've been using the wall-mounted control units to open and close the garage door. Yes, it involves getting out of the car to close the garage door... Kinda defeats the purpose of having a garage door opener, doesn't it? LOL



Last fall, Farm & Fleet had a grand opening and one of the featured specials was garage door openers. I bought one and it's sat in my garage all winter. I finally opened the box and looked at the instruction manual. Thought to myself: "This doesn't look too hard!" (You know where this is going, right?)




All the little parts came in a bag. I dumped them all out and set to work!




Work in Progress
Getting ready to attach the chain
Attaching the motor
I was so proud of myself when I had the entire thing together! All I needed to do was disconnect the old one and install the new. I ran out to my Dad's to get a 2x4, which was supposed to be used to hold the motor up while I bolted it to the supports. While there, he offered to come into town and help me get it installed. Four hours later....

A New Opener! A New Wall Control Unit! A New Remote for the Car! And even Safety “eyes” to prevent the door from closing on small children and animals (didn’t have that with the old unit).

It shouldn't have taken us 4 hours to get the thing up there, but we had technical difficulties due to (what I think) an overheated motor (as mentioned in the instruction book). Men use some "colorful" language when things don't work they way they're supposed to... and my Dad is no exception. LOL!

Revised: See the lightbulb in the first photo? My Dad was unscrewing it as he was doing so, I was saying "That's a new bulb. It's still...." My eyes went from looking above where the bulb was and traveled to the concrete where it shattered into a billion pieces. I then said, "Well, it *was* still good. Not anymore."

Later, after we got the new opener up, Dad says to me, "Gotta bulb?" I said, "I *did* have a bulb. You broke it." LOL Then I went in the house to get another one.
Amazing how many little pieces a bulb can create when it meets concrete!

Marvelous Monday Update 4/6/09

Literacy Liason
A couple months ago, the adminstrative assistant at work almost fell over when I told her I was thinking about becoming a volunteer literacy tutor. "When do you have the time for THAT?" she asked.

Since that time, I've been in training... things have changed a LOT since I was a literacy volunteer a decade ago. There's *actual* structured training now. To become a tutor involves 14 hours of various training activities: observation of literacy classes (I've observed 5 different classes), seminars, and R/T and online training. Two required group training sessions occur at the end of this month. Last week, I attended a diversity seminar for the college staff (Adult Ed Dept is on the college campus). Meanwhile, I've been plugging away at the online courses.

I got word that I may already have my first literacy student! I'll be meeting with her and the coordinator on Wed.


Stitchy Stuff
I've been doing a little stitching on Mona and Miles by Sugarplum Express. It's 14ct plastic canvas, and about all I can handle after a long day at work (It's tax season, ya know!). Here's what it looks like so far:


Friday night, I spent about an hour doing over-one stitching on JG. I seriously think I've reduced my vision to almost blindness, LOL. I know I could work on other sections that are over-two, but I'm stubborn! I refuse to move on until I have *this* over-one section done. Why? Because there will be 3 others to do later and I don't want to leave them all for last. Ick.

I received some wonderful goodies from Lillie for the mailart exchange. I felt a little silly asking what the little teacup attached to a cord and bell was for! It can be used as a scissor fob or cell phone fob. Scissor fob it is! I made a cuppa of the BOH Seri Sonket Lemon with Mandarin tea this morning, and OMG... it's so yummy!



Lillie did a beautiful job on stitching the design by Sampler Girl and I really like the border/lining fabric that matches the buttons on the envelope. Thank you, Lillie!


That Naughty 4-Letter Word!
S-N-O-W! Yes, my area was hit once again with sleet and snow yesterday. Luckily, it's warm enough that it melted right away. It was a yucky, cold day and very windy! This week forecasters are calling for rain, rain, and more rain. Depressing, but Hey! it's better than snow!

Quakers Rule

My latest finish.....

Designer: Milady's Needle
Time: 15.25 Hours
Fabric: 40ct Navy Bean Lakeside Linen
Fibers: Olde Willow Linen Floss, DMC Floss