[For Charleston-area readers: there is a sales pitch you might find interesting at the end of this post. If you don't want to endure the rambly stuff up here, skip to the end and subject yourself to what it is i have to offer].
Alison and i have had an ongoing discussion about "how much money is enough?" We've been in that sticky place of having a bit more money year after year, and consequently, having a corresponding higher standard of living year after year. This is good, but when does one have enough?
So we talk about how we can avoid the slippery slope of ending up like couples who collectively make a couple of hundred thousand dollars a year and still lament that they're "having a hard time making ends meet." We've notived how easy it is to get into that predicament, and don't want to be there ourselves. I think we both believe that this is an important ethical consideration--and not just one of economics or mere frugality.
Sometimes the discussions that surround this are heartfelt and realistic, and sometimes they're just dreamy. Example: Alison's car recently broke down and we're chosing not to replace it for the time being. We're gonna try and get by with one vehicle. (i want to point out that i try to remember and be grateful for having a choice in this matter. It's a wonderful luxury not having to ask how we're going to afford one car in the first place. I've been there and it isn't any fun at all.) We also are doing tiny things like trying to eat out as little as possible. We've gotten rid of cable television.
Sometimes, however, these discussions are the dreamy type: thinly-veiled ambitions concerned with how we both secretly wish we were mind-bogglingly successful (and not just monetarily, but, you know: famous). So one dreamy thing i've decided is that when Baxter Sez is a world famous blog, it still won't have advertisements on it. Isn't that considerate of me?
But anyway, i'm mentioning all that because i'm fixing to break that rule right here and stick an advertisement on our blog. It's for me, though. Hopefully that makes it better than putting an ad on here for viagra or something.
I've just gotten out of school. I've yet to decide what it is i'm gonna be doing for a livelihood here in Charleston. If i follow the arc of my graduate career i'll be an artist that depends on writing grants for public work. I'll probably also do some adjunct work teaching art this coming fall. I may just open me a gallery. One arty thing i'd love to do is buy some of these tiny, tiny houses here on the peninsula, rebuild them as effective, affordable living spaces and offer them--with the help of private lenders--to working-class single mothers, at affordable, achievable prices. They'd be called Freedwoman Cottages.
Anyway, the options are limitless. Currently, however, i'm in limbo. I'm here at the house blogging and cutting holes in the walls of our house. This is fun, but it don't pay the bills.
So, that's why (get ready for the sales pitch) i'm making this special one-time offer (replete with the sentence fragments that are the stock-in-trade of advertisements):
Have you been dreaming of finally having those built-in bookshelves? That special one-of-a-kind piece of furniture to impress your friends and be the envy of your neighbors? A redesign of the bathroom that will have you bathing in bubbly tranquility? That's why i'm offering to you, today, a chance at a discounted rate for quality, creative craftspersonship.
But seriously, i've got two weeks before i start teaching a short woodworking class here in town and want a gig in the meantime. If you actually do need some built-in bookshelves or whatever (the "one-of-a-kind" furniture isn't really a realistic option as i haven't set up a proper shop yet), drop me a note at walter.biffle@gmail.com, and we'll get it movin'.
If that weren't enough already i'm gonna follow alison's advice and play on your sympathies:
Please help pay the medical bills of this poor, pitiful, conehead cat.
inky needs your help...
10 years ago
13 comments:
whoa! what happened to mr buh-linky? his leg doesn't really match the rest of his body....
buh-link got in a fight, evidently. his leg swole up to the size of a small baseball bat. we had to--get ready for this part--drain the wound, and then wrap his leg up in a "wet" bandage. He had to have the cone because he was gonna rip of the bandage. poor, poor blink.
awwww poor mr. inky pie! (stuck out my bottom lip). give hime a slobbery smooch for me.
that is some pitiful looking cat.
good luck with your building business. Having enjoyed the mirror you made for a few years now and having seen your work, I'd be happy to provide a advert testimonial for the quality of your work (providing of course I don't have to sing).
-djl
I just want to clarify that "we" did not drain the wound or wrap Blinky's leg in the fancy, infection-fighting wet bandage--the vet did it, and they had to gas him to do it because he was pretty cranky.
As of today he seems to be healing up well.
Yea Walter
So, if you would consider coming to Cookeville for a few days, I have considered putting some sort of proper and style related cover/roof over our new deck. We are always getting leaves off of it and it is way hot in the daytime and of course we can't use it in the rain.
It may not be exactly the type of work you are looking for but we know if you built it, it would be of superior quality. It could also include places for plants and other things.
Let me know what you think.
The Dad
Poor, poor kitty cat. I am so sad for him/her.
Wow, Lee! What a good idea! Yes, Walter, come to Cookeville and cover the deck - & we'll have your Birthday dinner, too...
Not exactly custom furniture but I just fainted on the sidewalk after an $800 per window wooden shutter estimate for a Charleston single house. I suspect a motivated individual could come up with a more reasonable way to do it but perhaps not in two weeks.
You'll find something. My brother lands in town hungry and offers to paint for anyone. I line up all my contacts and he whips them into shape.
joan,
does that include paint and installation on those shutters?
if they are of an average Charleston Single window size, have operative louvers, nice hinges, the cute little things to hold them back AND are installed and painted, then that's actually a pretty realistic price.
The mom and dad:
i'll think about it. what kinda "deck cover"?
matt:
you're a funny funny boy.
Deandra:
Thanks for the testimony.
Yea Walter
We would like you come and do this. We really need it.
The Mom and I discussed it last night. We would need your assistance in fine tuning or directing our ideas. It would be made of pressure treated wood and consist of 4 or 5 (?) posts that would support a roof or cover design along with maybe some artistic direction from you. It would then be covered with some sort of material. Kirby Hamilton has one that we kind of like. He has covered it with what looks like green corrugated material (plastic...). We would want it to overhang the deck enough that we could place hanging plants in some places around the deck from the roof edges or supports. You could maybe build a shelf or shelves in the design that would allow for more plants or other items.
We could show you. AND along with your price, we could cook you ribs (mmmm...). I also told Alison that we were thinking of getting a new gas grill and she said she would like to have the Ducane.
Let me know.
Thanks
The Dad
OMG KITTY!!! What happened?
Oh Walter! If you were in NWAR, I would hire you to build me some bookshelves. I was online looking for info on this very subject, which is how I found you and the plea for help for your poor kitty.
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