The Good, The Bad, and the Very Ugly

The Good:
On Jan 8, 2008, The Hubby and I fly to London for 6 nights of child free bliss in my favorite city on this earth.  My folks fly into Denver on Jan 7, 2008 to stay with the kids!  We found a deal that was too good to be true, but, isn't.  We booked through a reputable website, are flying a real airline, and have already checked the hotel out online...  Thank you, Travel Zoo!

The Bad:
My quilt sold at auction for the suggested retail value.  The suggested retail value was exactly one half of what I would have told them, had they asked me before-hand...  They asked me today, the day after the event, for tax purposes.  It is my professional experience that once an item at a silent auction reaches its actual stated value, bidding stops.  People like to feel they are getting a bargain, at least, at a silent auction.  Live auctions are different.  Sigh.  On the bright side, my quilt went to a good home- a former co-worker who is now the Executive Director of yet another local non-profit bought it to display in her apparently bare office...  So at least I know it will be loved.  (To prevent a photo-less post, here's the back of the quilt in that photo I promised to take...)

 

The Very Ugly:
For the 2nd time in 9 months, our mailbox was vandalized.  We have a VERY funky mailbox (ours was custom designed in purple and green), and it appears that by installing this one-of-a-kind art piece, we made a tacit agreement with the spoiled neighborhood brats that they could destroy it one piece at a time.  Last Sept., they ripped off the right front leg, and stole it as well, so we couldn't even repair it.  This Tuesday they attempted to rip off the left front leg, and when it wouldn't come off, they bent the entire thing upwards to a nearly 90 degree angle and also bent the mailbox door out of shape, leaving us with sopping wet mail thanks to a rainstorm.  We have some other neighbors with a cool tree-stump carving of a gnome, and they have as of late had vandalism issues as well.  While police reports have been filed in all cases, it is apparently NOT a tax payer priority to have a 24/7 stakeout of my block to catch what everyone assumes are just bratty kids.  Grumble.  The Hubby is seriously thinking of installing a security camera.  We have a strong suspicion that it is a particular kid who lives up the block, but no proof.

Comments

[Schrodinger]

Wow, you're going to have a great time in London (don't forget that the exchange rate is pretty bad at the moment though, so you can budget accordingly). Sorry the quilt didn't make as much as it deserved - but I'm glad to hear that it's going to a good home. What a shame about the mailbox, that's really annoying!!

[Cathi]

Congrats on the trip! Are you going to take the chunnel over?

[Miss Scarlett]

That really sucks - why don't people keep a better eye on their kids? Somebody give me an explanation I can accept.
Sorry to hear about the quilt too - if the back is any indication, it looks like a real piece of art. It is reassuring to know that the new owner appreciates it.
Whoo hoo London!! The time is going to fly, before you know it you will be sitting down to bangers and mash!

[Beth]

That just reeks...have something decent, and some kid's looking for kicks..

I'm sorry the quilt didn't go for more, but I know she's going to enjoy it. It's great!

London! Holy cow! I'm still waiting for a long weekend 5 years later! LOL! Ya'll have fun, and I know you'll take good pics.

[Marne]

It's so frustrating to make a quilt (with hours and hours of time and thought in it) and then have it sell for what feels like a lot less than it deserves. And of course, our friendly IRS doesn't help because they say you can only "claim" what you spent in materials. Your time is without value - in their sense of the word.

Keep at it!

[Jan Andrews]

The twerps in my neighborhood have done this to numerous boxes and periodically, mail even gets stolen. Sheesh.

[Ruth]

Sorry to hear about your mail box. Some children should be drowned at birth (joking), but their parents obviously aren't great.

London! Sounds wonderful.

[cher]

oh...yeah, mailbox vandalism...we have a regular type mailbox-and each time "someone" takes a baseball bat to it, and we pay to have it repaired...it just happens again the next graduation go round. So, we have left it as is..until we can afford a much more solid and less enticingly easy target. With a park next door-we will always have "kids" cruising through our neighborhood and why tempt them anymore than necessary is our opinion. What a stunning mailbox you have-except for the obvious missing leg/bent up aspect! I lament the lack of respect folks have for other people's property-whatever their age-it's just not right, but certainly happens all too frequently! London huh? sounds like a wonderful time away, though January would not be the time of year I would pick personally. I am sure it works great for you however-so I hope it is the most smashing time ever! and....on the charity quilt bid thing-exactly right-folks always stop at the "suggested" minimum unless....you get a few folks bidding against each other because they find the quilt so appealing. I hope this group learns from the feedback you provided should they try another quilt auction. Good going on another quilt finish....way to use up that fabric line, though having to go online to order the remainder of fabric you ended up wanting is not so great-again, though, you did find it which is fabulous.

[Laurie]

We live out in the country and the first month we were there someone shot our mailbox with a shotgun. We took the mail with holes in it to the cops, but they didn't really care.

[Amy]

Too bad about the mail box... & the quilt, but you are right about the S.A. thing, unless it is a quilt-centric S.A. I guess you just have to chalk it up to some $$ is better that no $$.

[Angela]

I'm jealous of London. Sorry about the value of the quilt -- but it will be loved! And the child who has decided that other people's property is there for distruction? Umm -- we've been having similar problems in our neighborhood. Some lovely young kids decided to steal my neighbor's goose and wooden tulips -- both gifts from her now deceased husband. Do you know what it does to you to see a great grandmother cry because of some little punk? I'd say install the cameras -- then turn em over to the police in action. They would have to do something at that point.