I wish we had a scheduled "trash" pickup day like that to get rid of large items. The city will only pick up appliances at the curb only if you call and arrange it. I often put large things at the curb and it isn't long before they are picked up by someone. Every night before garbage day people go up and down the streets in pickup trucks looking for metal and any other perceived "useable" items. LOL I cleaned out my basement and one guy came and took everything including old broom handles. Walking down my street a few years ago I came across a box that had all kinds of items in it. The woman had died and her family threw out some of her knick-knacks they didn't want. I picked up some "blue mountain pottery" figurine pieces which I sold for a good price at my yard sale and a few pieces I kept. My best friend's grandfather put his old unwanted fireplace andirons at the curb of his house more than 50 years ago and my brother David picked them up and brought them home where they have been used the fireplace in this house ever since. I love them and would never get rid of them. When my friend and her parents moved in with their grandfather the only thing I remember their fireplace being used for was for holding their toys box. LOL I wonder if old grandpa closed off his fireplace because a new baby was coming into the house and tossed out the andirons because he wouldn't need them. I see good stuff at the curb on my walks or after yard sales and I wished I knew how to refurbish or refinish. My sister was good at finding things and making them work in her house. Now that I think of it the old shutters that used to be on my house to frame the front door came from someone's garbage and I remember going out with my sister at night and taking them from someone's trash. She sanded and painted them black and they were good as new - something we would never have been able to afford back then. Anne

I'd rather pay a LOT less, as you put it, for something I can fix up myself.. for instance, I'd rather pay, say, $8, for an old chandelier, then take it home, paint it myself, add my own crystals, etc. INSTEAD of paying $25 for one that's already 'prettied' up.... some of the things I look for a lot are: iron/metal doo-dads, crates, windows, glass ware, vases, cups, saucers, little animal statues, baskets, wicker anything, small tables, table legs, old spindles, candleworks, old chandeliers, candleabras, votives, lanterns, plates, anything made out of clear and colored glass, old jewelry, beads, costume jewelry, gaudy earrings, mardi gras beads, anything miniature (for fairy houses/gardens), etc. etc. you get the idea... :) some of this I find at garage sales, but a lot of it I find at thrift/junk shops... I'll usually go with about $20 and end up leaving with the back of my SUV filled with stuff.... hope this was helpful... from the sound of things, I'd love to shop at your booth!!! *lol*

I was paying $190 (with HBO)to Comcast. I switched to Verizon for $117, still way too much for the junk that is on tv. I actually used to enjoy the HBO documentary programs, but not enough to pay that amount. Once my intro price runs out, I will consider going to the most basic cable and getting programs through Netflix or something similar. I am most disappointed with the morning news shows. They have become so fluffy. Every day it's showing silly youtube videos, cooking segments, interviews with idiots like that Snookie person and very little real news. Bring back Dave Garroway. The Today Show is the worst. I like some of the HGTV shows, even though I know they are staged. I like Modern Family and Suburgatory and the one about the rich girl who works as a waitress. Most nights I turn off the tv and play around on the computer. There are some great shows on The Smithsonian channel but I no longer get that with Verizon.

I read the article twice and I still don't see where he's " bashing her character ". IMO, it's another one of those sensationalist articles that turns out to be nothing like the headline suggests, and exists only to draw attention and stir up dissention. I feel sorry for the young lady, and I'm sure it was a huge disappointment, but why would she want to keep the medal - as a reminder that she lost ? I'm certainly not a follower of Mike Rowe - too rough around the edges and too full of himself to suit me - but I think we need to stop reading things into these articles that aren't really there.