First of all, I know.  I know.  Shock and astonishment.  She has a new blog entry! 

This week Leo and I spent a couple of days in Camden.  We don't get to visit with the family too often, so it's always nice. . . and a little hectic.  Unfortunately this time, our trip was under unfortunate circumstances.  Check out Leo's blog for more details.

But it was still good to be with family, and as always, never a dull moment.  Okay, maybe there were a FEW dull moments.  Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that with my parents, hilarity is inevitable.  If you've read many of my blogs, or spent much time with me, you probably know that my dad is . . . a collector.  From glass eyes, to dinosaur dung, and everything in between.  What's between a glass eye, and a piece of petrified prehistoric crap, you ask.  You'd be surprised. 

Just a couple of my favorite moments.

1)  After a brief conversation about how Leo and I think that there's nothing cuter than tiny cat teeth, my dad left the room and returned with a small skull.  "What do you think of this?"  I've known the man long enough not to be surprised in the least by such impromptu show and tells.  It didn't look like one of the Prairie dog skulls that he often sports on a bolo tie with custom antlers.  "Is this a squirrel?" I asked examining the little teeth with all the interest I could muster.  "No. . . it's a cat."  He looked at me like I was crazy for suggesting a squirrel.  Clearly, we were talking about cats.  "Where did you get this?" I asked suddenly wary.  "It's the neighbors'."  Of course it is.  Of course he has the neighbor's dead cat's skull.  I just. . . I can't.

2)  Imagine, if you will,  a magenta room.  In this room there are 26 million undersea treasures.  There's a 50 gallon tank, filled not with water and living fish, but corral and skate eggs, and saw fish bills, and every kind of shell imaginable.  There's also a net full gracing the wall.  This one even has taxidermied piranhas and spider star fish (actually, they're just star fish legs that are stuck into dried okra).  Besides the sea treasures, there are all sorts of other wildlife representations, and artifacts from around the world, and wicker furniture, and a corner full of antique toys for the grandkids.  It is a veritable museum.  And now imagine yourself sitting in this room when your attention is directed toward a new acquisition.  A three foot by four foot Chinese tapestry that is a fuscia color and is impinted with some Chinese people and all of the creatures of the Chinese Zodiac. 
My mom mentioned that they thought it might be pretty valuable (despite the deal that they got it for), and that they're thinking of finding a museum that might be interested in it, because (and this is the kicker) no one would want to decorate with it--it's just too crazy.
Too crazy indeed.   

First of all. . . I DO realize that's it's been nigh on a year since my last post.  My bad.  My life got busy, or uninteresting, or something.  Or I just didn't feel like blogging, but this just HAD to be blogged.

Some of you may know that I am a huge proponent of Craigslist.  I check it pretty much every day.  I track (and sometimes aid) pet rescues, I've bought furniture and appliances, and I've made a fair amount of spending money selling off unwanted items (and the occasional evil bunny) of my own, but recently, every time I post an ad, I get targeted by scammers (to their shame, as I am many things, but an idiot is not one of them). 

I've found out that I can't report them simply for offering to send me an e-check and/or asking me to wire them large amounts of money Western Union UNLESS I actually am stupid enough to comply and LET them take my money.  So, basically, all I'm left with is my viscious rhetoric.  And oh how I love to wield it.

Here is just one example of the stupidest/most insistent scammer I've come across as of yet:

His/her original email:

Good day, I am Mrs. Meredith, I saw your posting on craiglist, i am interested in  the good and i want to know the present working condition of the good before  i continue with the transaction, so get back to me if the good is still  available.  Thanks  Meredith My stunned (and a bit ascerbic) response:   The good? Working condition? Do you know what you're trying to buy? Not only are you CLEARLY a scammer, but you're not even a good one. Hint--edit your crap. The present working condition is, it's a DRESS! You WEAR it. Works fine. Yeah, it's still available. I'm guessing you don't want to come by and check it out? If you want to offer me cash (or a paypal transaction) to come pick it up, I will recant my harsh words, and be GLAD to deal with you, but I'm assuming I won't hear from you again. And I'll probably be reporting you as well. Get a job. His/her unexpectedly cordial reply: Thank you very much for your reply to my request, but i am very sorry that i will not be able to come over there to look at the item or offer you cash in person, but i will make your payment out of my Bank Account Via Electronic Cashier's Check in Bank of America.  But i will wait till you have the check clear in your bank before discussing about shipping, so let me know if we can proceed on the transaction, Thanks. NOTE: You can read more about the check at: www.insticheck.com