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Plates On
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Blog
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Monday, volunteer, then insure jeep. Back out to Balfour to pick it up. Plates on, it still starts, back to town.
A rainy day, rainy, rainy, rainy, and at night I'm glad of it, lay down the back seat, just enough room if you lie on the diagonal. 6 Feet I'm guessing. My home for the summer. Pick up a couple of extra sleeping bags at Share - gotta keep warm, and I'm due - when the weather improves - a trip to the locker, to get my maps, pickaxe, shovel, other tools - when the thrift shop is done (they know, 2 weeks I've told them) I'll be off, first stop Revelstoke, this weather, won't make Crystal Mountain until August - earliest, but there's a lot of other places waiting to be discovered and summer is merely delayed, not cancelled...
Amissa
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Blog
- Hits: 341
We'd been looking forward to this for months. Bu the weather. The weather. Pouring rain, nonstop.
Ken's unsure, as am I, but sometimes you have to take the chance. Fortune favors the bold.
We drive out of the pouring rain, clear it finally North of Kaslo and it's going to be a fine night. Mighty fine.
The past two days at the restaurant have been busy, and we're stocked. Vodka, Pepperoni, Cigarettes. By the end of the night these are always in demand. We leave around 8:30, find it around 10:00 PM, set up my tent (lent to me by Chris, who couldn't make it, first day caving - his new job guiding at the local Cave attraction), and then check it out. As good as I remember. Dose up, there's 200, 300 people there. And Ken, when he takes MDMA becomes the self-appointed security guard, wandering around the campsite to check up on people, make sure they're OK, helping all the "Took too much" people to the first aid tent...
Eventually the rain catches up to us, more a drizzle than the downpour we were having in Balfour, huddle around the campfire, get warm, go out and dance again.
We're asleep at 7:00, back at work for 1:00, I'm shattered. Ken had an absolutely amazing time, I follow up with a poster to the Solstice Rave - 3 days, he's enthused, and within a few minutes he's already bought tickets. He's lived here 10, 12 years and he's only now just discovering why...
The rest of the day at the restaurant, largely single people - perhaps a dozen of them, some few other tables, quiet, which suits my diminished abilities, one single person, an older magician quietly practicing card tricks, quietly shuffling, forcing cards, he seems a little quiet, not showy, for a magician, this is the rehearsal. Another an older woman complaining about the prices. I know, I know. A younger woman - was she at the rave? Others.
And by Monday I'm back in town...
Thrift Shop Roadshow...
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Blog
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I've had an idea for a new TV Show. The Thrift Shop Roadshow.
The point of it being to stop donors as they're handing off their donations (or "Dumping" as is often the case) and going through their boxes and quizzing them about the items they're donating.
- "What is this? Two thirds of a Salad Spinner? Why have you decided to give this up?"
- "This raku-made-to-look-like-a-rock with 'Believe' on it, you haven't lost your faith, have you?"
- "3 New Cock Rings? You haven't even tried them on? Were they all too big?"
- "Did you know you could take these empty soda/beer tins to the bottle depot and get a refund?"
- "How much do you think we should charge for this 1/2 tin of cat food/3 pretzels/half a ream of coffee filters/stained sofa cushion?"
- "How did you come by this resin hobo teddy bear? It says it's collectible....are you sure you're ready to give it up?"
- "When did you stop being the world's greatest Mom/Lover/Dad/Grandmother/Teacher/etc.?" While holding up and reading their coffee mugs...
- "Eat - Pray - Live - Laugh - Love -..." You no longer need the constant reminders? Do you teach or have a Yoga Studio?"
Anyways, sorting through and quizzing people about their donations would stop a lot of trips to the dump. And save a lot of man-hours rifling through rubbish - it would be doing the whole second-hand business a huge favor...but I don't think it's ever going to happen.
Thrift Shop, Progress...
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
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Michael, my partner (thrift shop) has been off the past 2 days. We had made a big dent in the back, and with him gone I make it a full court press. I get 2/3's of the back clear. I mean, it's heads down, don't look up, box after box after mind-numbing box.
The delivery boys, they're having a laugh, saying I got more done in 2 days than Michael in 18 months. This is somewhat true, but bear in mind that for the people that work there this is as much a socialization as it is a job, much like me in the restaurant. I'm dedicated, head down, hands free. Michael can't go onto the floor without being accosted by locals - with whom he is a bit of a celebrity, being a thespian and all, and having a long history in the town. This eats into his time. And he's forever being accosted. People that want to chat, catch up, place orders, harridans of a certain age that still believe he's an eligible bachelor, etc, etc.
Anyways, a few photos of the finds of the day and other miscellaneous observations:
Little glass trays. I've suggested to the thrift shop that we should "Stage them" - meaning display them with rolling papers and a bit of sprinkled pot, or mirror them with the mirror paint (apply on the backside), then "Stage them" with a few lines of baking soda and a razor blade, straw.
The charity is a Christian organization, they don't approve, but they'd sell like gangbusters out here if people knew what they could be used for...
A charming bit of vintage kitsch, well done, and I've a mind to throw it into the "Gold Recycle" bin that I haven't laid out.
Which I should lay out. As you will see why shortly.
Some porcelain, "Made in China" "Collectible" figurines of old-west/Outlaw types playing poker. "Collectible". Not. $20 each.
"Collectible" Resin figurines, also from China, letter of authenticity included, regular retail $30, now yours for a mere $10. Or less. Just fucking take them for Pete's sake.
A pair of "Love" and "Hope" Coffee (??) mugs. With inscribed quote. Or embossed. With real gold leaf. Or real gold.
Vintage "Love Grandma" "Love Grandpa" mugs, Grandpa got the flowers, Grandma the mushrooms. Mushrooms and Frogs were the theme of the day, I found a mushroom patch (to be sewn onto clothing), pendant, black velvet "Doodle Art", people out here, they love their mushrooms.
Unboxing, a porcelain flower arrangement, vintage, of the day, nightmare dust accumulator. Small Raku rolling tray. Cardboard bowl filled with "Made in Japan" ceramic porcelain figurines. A fabric wrapped coat hanger, a dirty cloth to wipe the dust off with, a basket, clean, with liner. A metal juice press.
A beautiful gilt gold bowl with butterfly, with 2 gilt cocktail glasses, vintage.
A blown-glass gilt hummingbird ornament, as-is, one hummingbird has managed to break free...
A nicely gilt ice bowl with a wheat motif.
A jigsaw puzzle, only one piece missing. They show you where. Into the garbage...
A standard box. Throw away the trash, what do you end up with? A ceramic "rock" that reads "Believe". Did they stop believing I wonder? A dirty bottle topper, frog. 2 porcelain/ceramic angels. A frisbee and two worthless baskets.
A "Live, Laugh, Love" picture frame, never used. They never are. 2/3rds of a "Salad Spinner". Other Tat.
Hand Painted wine glasses and a festive beer glass. These will never sell. I put them out nonetheless.
A full box of shit that must be edited before the remainder is thrown in the 25 Cent Bin.
So, anyways you get the idea. The "Signal to Noise" ratio is pretty low - an awful lot of rubbish, very little quality. Like 99.3% rubbish. And - Oh, I didn't show you any of the coffee mugs, pots, pans, baking (all unwashed), coffee mugs, ....
So. Getting through it. And all this gilt-edged nonsense - I mean, surely there has to be an ounce per ton? And I'm finding tons...
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