I stopped at the monthly card show Saturday. It was the second straight weekend card show I had attended. This would have been crazy talk in the first 10 years of my blog, but it's something that could easily happen two or three times a year now -- and if I wanted to do a little more traveling around the state, I might be able to go to a show nearly every week over the next six months. I'm not quite that obsessed. Two in two weeks is quite amazing enough for me. So you may remember in the show write-up last week that I said I actually finished the show with cash left over. That means I carried that cash into Saturday's show. I padded it just a little, but I budgeted about half the amount for this show that I did for last week's. It turned out to be plenty because I left this show with money left over, too! I'd like to blame the expanding number of tables selling Pokemon and such -- it's getting so pervasive that I'm starting to see a world where the...
In one day, I will be on a long-awaited vacation. It's my first vacation since Thanksgiving -- and, yes, I know that's a cue for someone to say they haven't had a vacation in 20 years -- but it seems like a long time to me. Also, this vacation actually ushers in "The Vacation Season," which lasts until the sad, sad final moments of August. During work week-after-work week I think about the things I'll do on vacation and plot out strategies. These usually have to do with the hobby, but also mundane things like shopping for clothes and visiting that flea market I keep forgetting about. It's amazing what gets lost in the rubble of having a job. Because it's just one week off -- and some of that involves family obligations -- I won't get to everything. But here are some of the things I hope to get to: 1. Send out those Dodger packages I've promised mailings of extra Dodgers for several folks. I sent out two earlier this week and I kno...