Pandora's Casket

I guess it slowly started when I had the flu the past couple of weeks. I began not to drop as much. To sick and did not want to be bothered. I did drop off and on but nothing like the usual every single day. Dropping just seems to be more of a hassle than taking a weight loss supplement when you just do not need it.

I saw that my cards went from on the front page of the category to now third or maybe even fourth. At first I was a little pissy when I saw that I was no longer in the 1st place but shrugged and moved on.

Finding that by not dropping I was actually utilizing my time where it was most needed. Either working on something small or just relaxing doing nothing.

Dropping has become a chore. Slow loading sites with thousands of videos, music and widgets that drive me crazy and take forever to load. Or the site its self loading at a snails pace. The waiting is the killer.

I dropped this week but found that I was only doing it if I had the time. Really not missing doing it either.

Not that I am going to stop completely right now, just do it when I feel like it.

This week has really been weird. From our normal family events to the impending snow alert it just was odd. We had a few days that they actually said we might get snow. Snow in October? I know that those people in different states had snow. I felt sorry for the New York Moving Company that had to work in the white chill!

We usually get snow, or at least a little on Thanksgiving. Always been a joke since we moved here that there are no Thanksgiving songs that sing about snow and turkeys. Should make one up, might sell. Who knows.

We did have the first frost and boy was it ever so cold out. In the four winters that we have been here there has been no snow in October at all. We had some slush fall but that was about all we had during the snow warning.

Looks like a long, cold winter ahead of us here.

Since all the bail outs and credit issues are so very important right now there is a new credit card blog that explains a lot of issues in plain and simple terms. I went over there the other day reading the various postings about the credit card companies and found a lot of valuable information.

Not to mention the way in which it was written, not really technical, was easy to follow. The articles were very well written and I actually bookmarked it to go back in a few days to read new posts.

Right now that is what most people need. Sites that help explain what is either going on or what to do next in the various financial areas. I know that it cleared up something that I was wondering about.

I was more than content to sit and read the information that was presented. I also sent it to a couple of my associates as well for their reading pleasure.

I was looking at the program keylogger and am realy undecided about whether it is a spying or prevention devise for those that install it.

I can readily understand if you have employees that are misusing the computer access they have at work or have sensitive material at their fingertips. You want to safe guard that they are not sending out that material to others which should not have it. Or they are actually working and not just playing on the computer wasting valuable man hours.

I understand that some parents use this as well in order to see what their children are doing on the internet. Yet is there not a fine line between prevention and spying? Parents and employers should have the ability to utilize a program such as this but under what circumstances? Just to put this in effect on your child's computer to me is just wrong. Unless there is a clear and concise reason in doing so. Otherwise, it is, only in my opinion, an invasion of their personal privacy.

I am not saying that it should not be made available to those employers and parents that really need it. I am just saying that there should be a reason not just done for the heck of it.

My son has finally and I mean finally arrived at the conclusion that he needs to open a savings and checking account. He has found that by having his cash so readily available to him he spends more than he saves.

Looking into the various Outer Banks he did not like a lot of what they had to offer. I told him he should look into either Citi Bank or Wamu. I have accounts with both banks and have not ever had a problem with either.

This weekend he is signing up with Wamu since it is so easy to do so online. My daughter just did the same thing and was thrilled with the ease of opening her own account.

At least with his having his own accounts now he will be able to save his money for what he wants. Right now it is a PS3. haha

I am just glad that he finally decided to open an account!

Our entire family has begun to think about making certain lifestyle changes. Due to a family crisis it was and is a very loud wake up call to all of us.

If you take a look, I mean a hard look at the way you are living what do you see? Are you eating right? Exercising enough? Sleeping the amount of hours you need? If you can answer no to any of those questions it might be time to think and act on changes for the better of your life. No, this does not mean that you will need to completely change over night but slowly.

Just as your cell signal booster is needed your body and mind needs boosters as well.

What can it possibly hurt to exercise, eat right and sleep more? Especially if it is going to improve the quality of life, your life?

This weekend I plan on sitting down making a complete, and I mean honest and complete list of the things that need to be changed in my own personal life style. Since the 31st is my new year as it is for many others, what better time to start a change for the better.

It really should not take a crisis to make you realize you need to change

One thing that is really annoying me and that is in our fair town tonight all the children have to go trick or treating. Strapping on the pulse oximeter and going out there a day early to celebrate.

Yesterday I was reading one of the local papers with the lists of times and dates that Halloween now is to be celebrated I found that our town is the only one that is choosing to do it on the 30th instead of the traditional 31st. Children can only trick or treat from the hours of 5-8PM.

The time does not bother me as it is chilly, no, it is down right cold at night so getting it over and done with early is a blessing. What I object to is the celebration on a day that is not Halloween.

What has been decided in our family is to go out tonight and on the 31st. We will do our town and then go to the younger boys dads town (20 minutes away) and celebrate the traditional day.

My youngest thinks that is so cool. haha I think the entire situation is stupid

Have you ever noticed that when individuals do something a few times they act as if they are automatic experts in the area? Let's take for example a person that has sold on eBay. They may have sold 1-10 items and now they know it all. From the posting to final shipping they are now an expert.

If the items that they wanted to sell did not, boy do they have a lot to tell on why it did not sell and what to do to make it sell. Not all the advice is that that great as they do not understand the total workings of selling an item. Nobody really does as the public demands for various items changes with the weather. What is hot today is cold tomorrow. Yet these experts demand that they know all.

One of the first things that I hear is that they charged over the amount of shipping. This is one of the many reasons that now sellers have a ceiling on the shipping amount in media mail. Making no difference if it ships for over the maximum amount we are only required to ship at one flat cost. So I personally want to thank those that are not regular sellers for continuing the practice as it helps to screw those that do not over quote shipping prices. If you want $5 then start your item at that and adjust your shipping cost to reflect something reasonable. Stop trying to make money off shipping.

The next advise that they offer is how to sell the item. Auction or Buy It Now. Both are good ways to sell your item but each has its pit falls as well. A Buy It Now does not insure that your item will in fact sell at all. There are many items that you would fair better at listing at an auction price and adjusting your price at the same time. It may in fact save you on listing fees as well. Research your item first. Spend the time to look it up and use other sellers prices to sell your item. Yes, it takes time to do this but it might help you sell the item and not sit there for days on end only to not sell and you are paying the fee no matter what.

Complaining about questions asked to you. That is part of the auction selling. People do not always understand the way that a posting was written. Maybe it is unclear to them what you are trying to say. What is clear to you makes someone else dizzy. Yes, there are questions that you will answer that you just do not understand why they are asking. Such as in your listing you stated you combine shipping, only to be asked Do you combine shipping? Many people only skim the posting. A question, no matter how stupid to you is a potential sale.

Yes, there is money to be made on eBay. Obviously there is otherwise I would not have had a store front for a few years on eBay but there is work in it. Watching the trends, your costs, buyers reactions and of course w careful watch on shipping. Customer relations is top on my list as well as I have many, many returning customers. It is not as easy nor as hard as people say it is. It is up to the individual to decide how they are going to sell. The more you sell the higher your profit margin is.

For those that have sold a handful of items and now proclaim that they know all, you really do not. All you are is a sometime seller that wishes to make a quick dollar, which is great. But do not go around spouting off information that may not be good for another seller that is new.