Several Updates--So Sorry!

Hey y'all!  It's Rachel.  Holy cow has it been a busy summer!  I have a few Craigslist updates for you!

So, since the tire, I have received a few more things.  Yay!  I just never had time with my busy job to post, and with Kellen's busy work schedule, he never got time to even check Craigslist out.  So I'm doing a monster update here.

First, I had a big dry spell.  Monster dry spell--both because of work, then because of nothing good on Craigslist, and then when something good was listed, I never got responses.  Then I saw that there was fabric listed on Craigslist for free.  I called about it, and was told I could have a banana box saved for me.  "Good deal, I sew a lot!" is what I thought.  I went that following Sunday to pick it up, and the old lady who was giving it away filled my trunk and backseat up with fabric!  Holy fabric, Batman!  Her husband is a retired fabric swatch dealer, and she had so many old fabric swatches that she didn't know what to do with that she decided to give them all away.  

A few days later, I saw someone had listed a sewing machine.  I HAD FABRIC, NOW I NEEDED A SEWING MACHINE!  I emailed about the machine, explaining that I was a college student who sewed handbags on the side, and when I had enough sewn I'd sell them for profit.  My old sewing machine didn't work so well on old stuff, I said, which was 100% the truth.  I got an email back saying it was mine, and that if I gave her one of my purses I've sewn, that she'd deliver it to my apartment.  SOLD.  So that was my next amazing Craigslist find.  I even gave the woman two purses, because she and her 10 year old daughter helped me get the machine into my apartment.  They were just as thrilled over the handbags as I was over the machine.  And after I got it in my apartment, and started going through the extras that she gave me, I saw that I had about a bajillion buttons, tons of thread, and about everything a girl could ever need to sew just about anything.  Jackpot!

Sewing machine with about 1/4 of the fabric (to the left) that the old couple gave me...  I sent 3/4 home with my mother and plan to retrieve more as I need it.

A bit of a dry spell again, and then I found a listing for an "ugly lamp."  I texted for it, and low and behold, I was the only one who wanted it.  The man was friendly and I have since gotten a new lampshade for it, which I modge-podged after my friend Theresa showed me how, and it is absolutely the best lamp I have in my apartment. 

So you think this lamp is ugly, do you, Mister?  I got a new smaller less moldy shade, cleaned up the base, and decorated the shade with metallic hearts, lips, and stars!  Who are you calling ugly now?  Hehehehe!

 The latest find I had wasn't free, but darn near was, so I'll share it with you.  I found a listing for an Apple iMac.  It was listed in good working condition, price:  $10.  Holy schnikes, Tommy Boy, whether or not this was a lemon, I was going to get this computer.  I'm an Apple, not a PC...  So this was right up my alley.  I emailed him about it, and he said it was mine.  WOWZA, I drove to his house and he had it set up in the garage.  I handed him $10 and he pulled the plug out of the wall saying it was mine and that he'd carry it to the car.  "I don't know anything about Apple, just got this in a trade and want a pack of smokes."  Okay, so doing a hard shut-down wasn't good for it, but it didn't hurt the computer any.  I'll feed your addiction, young greasy punk, if I can get a $10 iMac.  It's super cute, and runs well!  I plan to install all my old WIN/MAC games on it that no longer are compatible with current Windows or Mac computers.  Happy day!

$10 iMac my butt, this thing is worth billions!  It sits on the desk next to my iBook and 27" iMac (the newest version).  I also have two iPod Touches that I keep as well...  I'm an iFiend who's worth her weight in Apple technology!

That's all for now.  I hope you are enjoying your Craigslist hunting, and I'll keep you more up to date if I get anything else!  Happy late summer!

Happy trails,
Rachel

Shhhhh... It's a Secret!

Psssst!  Hey you!  Yeah, you!  Pssssssst!  It's Rachel, and I gotta tell you something!  But you gotta promise not to tell Kellen, okay?  ...

So...  I went on Craigslist this morning, as I do most days.  I always check out the free section, and try to filter past the free non-working refrigerators and used toilets.  Today, though, I hit a jackpot.  I found a listing for used tires.

"Rachel," you may ask, "What's so great about used tires?"  Well, since you're so curious, I suppose I shall tell you.  When Kellen and I first started this project, we've been trying to get a tire.  He said, "Rachel, we need to get a tire.  We need to roll it down the driveway into the street into traffic."  Haha!  Why though?  "Because when I was growing up in Wyoming," Kellen told me, "We used to do that for fun."

Sure, it sounds awesome!  I want to do this!  I used to roll tires around the yard, but never down the street.  So yes, let's try and get a tire.  We asked probably dozens of people for tires, but no one responded.  Perhaps that's because we stated our intentions in the emails.  This time, however, I said we'd just be interested in one single tire.  Sure enough, I get a response.

I called the guy who said to call him to get directions to the tire.  His name is Rich, and he seemed like a very nice guy.  I really thought he was trying to help me out, so I lied to him.  He asked what I'd need the tire for, and I didn't want him to not tell me where the tire pile was!  I didn't want him to think I was nuts!  So I told him Kellen and I have a small child for whom we wanted to make a small tire swing for.  He then told me that the tires were near a nearby high school by the tech shop, and we could take whichever one we pleased.  Thanks very much, Rich!

So I then drug Jim along (he was with me at the time) and we snuck to the high school.  Kellen's in North Carolina, remember, on a work conference.  He knows nothing of this.  We pick out the nicest tire and throw it in my trunk, after Jim threw it around and bounced it up and down to get the water that collected from the recent rain showers out of it.  

I felt so giddy about this, and can't wait to see Kellen's face when he sees this latest Craigslist treasure.  It reminds me of the time we were at a local diner and he was talking about rolling tires down the street into traffic as a child, and a man at a nearby table started laughing his arse off, trying not to let us notice he was nearly crying form the laughter.  Perhaps this is one of our best finds yet!

Other than that, there's nothing new to report.  Watch my video, and don't tell Kellen!  

Happy trails!  

Rachel

End of Chopstick Challenge Before She Knew It!

Hello to all my friends inside of my computer!

It's Rachel, and I'm writing to update you on my chopstick challenge.  Holy wow, was it a long thirty days!  But yesterday was day 30.  I used a fork for breakfast today and felt like an idiot when I was having trouble working it.  Or maybe it's the fact that I was eating lettuce-y food, but that's no reason a metal fork shouldn't be able to pick it up. 

All in all, I only had a few times where I didn't use just a set of chopsticks and a knife.  Once, when eating watermelon while having a bad day, I used a spoon.  And I used a fork at a restaurant with my mother and grandmother after forgetting to pack chopsticks.  And that day of my year and a half anniversary with Jim where I went to Fazoli's twice without chopsticks.  But other than that, I stuck to using chopsticks, and I feel I did very well!  I'm proud of myself!

"What's next, Rachel?" you may ask.  Well, I'm thinking of writing and recording a song 1x a week for 5 weeks.  Starting on Sunday, so every Saturday or sooner I plan on uploading an original song.  Wish me luck!  I will need it. 

Oh, have you ever wondered how The Omega Virus board game ever turned out?  It's awesome.  Check out our video: 

I may go pick up an Easy Bake Oven today, if it's still available.  I've been corresponding with a lady about it, and after I'm off work at noon, I plan on going to go get it, along with getting some lunch at Arby's (I have a coupon for a free Roast Beef sammich with a drink purchase!).  Gosh, I'm cheap.  Haha!

Kellen's in North Carolina, but will be back tomorrow.  I miss that kid.  He's an animal dude at the humane society in town, so he got shipped out to a conference to learn more animal-y stuff to help the society out.  Well, it's more technical than that, but what do you really care anyway?  Haha!

Also--we've been planning some other fun adventures for y'all.  Wanna know what they are?  Maybe not, but I'll tell you anyway.

First:  Did you ever hear of the MyPlate.Gov new food pyramid?  It's a plate, where you basically fill half your plate with fruits and veggies.  Well, we're going to, starting Sunday, go for 90 days (or as long as possible) doing 3 MyPlates per day plus one snack.  I'm not sure how I'll be able to hold up, but Kellen seems determined.  That's okay with me...  I'm willing to try anything to shed a few pounds and feel healthier! 

So to do this, we'll monitor our weight and mood each day, and for sure eat just 3 plates of food, one for breakfast, one for lunch, one for supper.  For 90 days.  No one would do this for 90 days.  We'll blog about our progress, and see if this new MyPlate acutally works.  If it does, maybe we'll publish our findings on more than just our blog.  Haha!  Wish us luck, and wish me the strength to not get sick of cooking and meal planning!

Second:  We are going on a road trip this summer.  "Wow," you say, "That's great.  Where are you going?"  Well, hold onto your socks, because the answer may knock them off!  We're going on a road trip around Wisconsin to see offbeat roadside attractions.  We have 50 picked out, and have 72 hours (3 days) to see them all.  The kicker?  We're only paying gas and campsites and picnic groceries.  We are not going to buy any attractions, as we picked out 50 free ones.  We are also not paying for hotels, as it's cheaper by far to camp, and Kellen has a tent already.  And we're not buying meals out!  We're going to pack picnic food.  That'll be interesting with the MyPlate challenge.  But we'll do it!  Well, the only place we may eat out is at Cracker Barrel.  It's our favorite.  And we know there's one in Madison where we're seeing a few sites.  But that's beside the point.

We're going to photograph every sight we see, journal about it, and share it on the blog.  You're going to know about all our shenanigans, problems, and fun times.  And you will like it.  I guarantee it.  Besides, if you already like the blog--this is going to make you like it 100x more!  Look out for us to do this from July 15-18!

Let's see, what other updates may I possibly have?  ...  Hmm.

I'm going to the Kenny Chesney concert tomorrow.  My wonderful boyfriend Jim bought us tickets, so we get to go to Lambeau Field for a kickin' concert with Uncle Kracker, Billy Currington, Zac Brown Band, and of course, Kenny Chesney.  Jim said he heard there's supposed to be a special female guest at the concert, too.  I don't know who it would be though--but I'll find out tomorrow!  Yay!

If you have song ideas for me to write on, please let me know!  Comment!  I'm up for a challenge!  I love you all, and your ideas would be helpful for my next challenge!

Happy Trails,

Rachel (and Kellen in spirit all the way from North Carolina where he ate alligator!)

Halfway Point--Rachel's 30 Day Challenge

Hey y'all!  It's Rachel, and I'm here to tell you that it's Day 15 of my 30 Day Chopstick Challenge!  Here are some updates:

I've been doing so much better with this challenge than I originally thought I'd possibly be able to!  There were only 3 meals so far that I forgot, and that was very early in the challenge.  For one of them, I had gone to Fazoli's twice because I had a coupon for $0.99 spaghetti, and went with my friend Kerri and my boyfriend Jim.  Each time I forgot chopsticks, and when you're eating in a restaurant, what can you do, right?  The other time I had made Jim and I a wonderful dinner of roasted herb chicken breasts, and forgot to bring my chopsticks to his house.  I've remedied that by leaving a pair at his place!

Other than that, it's been very interesting to use just a knife and chopsticks to eat my meals.  I can eat lots of things I never knew possible...  Mashed potatoes can indeed be eaten with chopsticks for example!  However, the hardest thing to eat with chopsticks?  It's a tossup between corn and Spaghettios.  "But Rach, you can put the chopsticks through the Spaghettios, can't you?"  Yes, but that's hard, and tedious, and will take years if you do it with chopsticks.  End of story!  Haha!

I'm starting to think of what my next 30 Day Challenge should be.  Any suggestions?  I'm thinking perhaps writing a new song every week for 30 days?  (So 4-5 songs total...)  Is that a good one?  Let me know!  Also, let me know what your 30 Day Challenge is!  Comment on our blog to let us know!

Happy Trails!
Rachel

Free Craigslist Item #4: The Omega Virus

Hello y'all!  This is Rachel.  I just wanted to let you know that I got an item for the project today!  Huzzah!

I clicked on a Craigslist free item link, rather warily I may add, that was simply entitled "The Omega Virus."  I was a tad nervous I may get a computer virus, or go pick up an item that was simply a virus!  Well, I was wrong.  The description was for a board game called "The Omega Virus."  It's a talking electronic board game by Milton Bradley, copyright 1992 for that matter.

I emailed the person who put up the listing, and got an email back!  It more or less explained that it was the same person we got the awesome, fantastic clipboard from, and that since we were first to respond, it was ours.  This is awesome.  A great board game that I know the location (more or less, it was daytime when I'd get it this time, not nighttime) of.  And I know the location is safe--I won't be mugged or worse as a single female going to this house alone.

Upon getting this (rather large and heavy!) board game, I noticed it was an electronic board game where you are an astronaut trying to save the earth from a virus in 30 minutes.   It looks like total geek-fest fun...  I've never played it, nor has Kellen.  We'll have to play it soon--still planning our play-date. 

So other than that, there isn't much to report.  Same place, same person (thanks, Andrew!)...  Just a different item.  Until Kellen and I play the game, though, we can't say truly how amazing it is.  So until we play the game (looks like it'll be tomorrow night!)...

Happy Trails!
Rachel

Rachel's 30 Day Chopstick Challenge

Hey everyone!  It's Rachel.  I don't have an item to share at the time of this post, but I wanted to let you know about a 30 day challenge I've decided to start today.  I figure it's a fun thing to share with everyone, and it may even inspire you to do something new for 30 days.

I just got done eating an amazing breakfast of Great Value brand generic Cheerios with skim milk, Splenda, and fresh strawberries all in one amazing bowl.  How delicious!  Oh, did I mention I ate it all with CHOPSTICKS?  Yup, that's my challenge.  I will only eat with chopsticks for the next 30 days.

"Okay, Rachel," you may be thinking, "How are you really going to do this for 30 days?  Have you thought this out?  Eating only Chinese food may be hard for 30 days."

Well, I've thought that all through.  I will not be eating only Chinese food.  I'll eat the same foods I usually eat.  Foods like cereal, popcorn, fruit, etc, will be eaten with chopsticks.  Pizza will be hard unless I slice it into tiny bite-size pieces, so that'll likely be what I do.  I'm allowing myself to use a knife during this challenge in order to cut large foods up into smaller pieces.  But as for foods that don't make much sense to cut up (crunchy tacos and similar foods would be not tasty at all if I broke them up and used chopsticks), I will eat with my hands.  So I'm eating with my hands, chopsticks, and a knife.  My only utensils.

"But Rachel," you may say, "You could totally cheat and only eat finger foods!"  Nope.  Not happening.  I get sick of the same foods if I eat them more than once or twice a month.  I'd get so sick of finger foods I'd stop eating altogether if I was refusing to use chopsticks.  So there.

"What about liquids, like soup and yogurt, Rachel?" you may be thinking.  Well, I thought about that too.  It's nearly summertime, which means I won't be eating much for soup.  And I've never been a big fan of yogurt, but I can always put it in an ice cream cone with fresh fruit and honey and eat it that way.  The same goes for ice cream, since I won't have a spoon.  Liquids can be drank, too, for all you Negative Nancies out there!

Yes, it'll be tough, and I'll need to probably always carry a knife and a pair of chopsticks with me wherever I go, but I'm going to do this.  I invested $9.95 in 5 pairs of high-quality finished wood chopsticks, so I'll be able to cycle through.  I also have 2 pairs of cheap unfinished bamboo chopsticks that I can also use if I don't have time to wash my nice ones. 

These next 30 days will be interesting!  I'll let you know how I'm doing now and then with it.  In the meantime, comment on this post and let me know what you think about my challenge, any ideas you may have for my next 30 day challenge, and what you'd like to do for a 30 day challenge (if anything). 

Happy Trails!

Rachel



Craigslister #3: We gave up a Paino for a Clipboard instead

Greetings from both of the Craigslisters today!  Boy, do we have quite the story for you!

We've been trying to get a free piano.  No doubt about it, we really really want one.  However--we have no means to haul it to Kellen's house.  We cannot afford a piano mover, nor can we afford just a moving truck, nor can we afford a truck we'd drive ourselves, nor can we afford friends that are strong males who would be willing to lift the piano for us (Anyone interested?  We'll buy you pizza...). 

But there was one piano we were working our bums off trying to get home.  It was listed as a paino, so in all the correspondences with the woman who owned it, we called it a paino.  Then all of a sudden she quit responding to our emails.  When she did respond (on Friday), she said she was out of town on vacation.  That's understandable, we just wish we were able to galavant everywhere ourselves.  We're just too busy being awesome to do so. 

So we were unable to move it.  Rachel wanted to walk it down the street the three miles to get it to Kellen's, but Kellen objected.  The sidewalks aren't very level anyway, and since there was a porch we'd have to take it down, we'd kill ourselves in removing it from the house.  It was best left there.  Maybe the woman could get her children paino lessons someday.

Today we were just hanging out, eating Coldstone Creamery, getting our $10 bills rejected by old Asian men at garage sales (Damn you in your fancy blazer, old man!  It just had a nibble in the corner!), and getting laughed at by some stupid sixteen year old girl working a pathetic part-time job at Sir Bounce-A-Lot's when we asked if we could bounce.  She wouldn't even let us eat pizza there without children between the ages of 3 and 14.  Screw you.  We're writing a letter to your boss and the company about your behavior.  We were in the height limit, and your sign said nothing about ages.

However, after our adventures out on the town, we went to Kellen's to be attacked by his now healthy and totally psychotic cat while looking to see if there were any promising items on Craigslist.  We found a few cool things, but immediately got a response from a man named Andrew.  He seemed polite from his email, and told us that the clipboard he listed was ours and on his porch waiting to be brought home.  We had also inquired about lampshades, but those were already claimed.  He did mention, though, that if no one took them by tomorrow, that we could come back for them.  Huzzah!

So we immediately went out on a walk around 9PM to find our clipboard.  It was dark, creepy, and the item would be in an enclosed porch.  We found the porch, but there were no lights on.  Kellen got scared and made Rachel go first inside to investigate.  "I hope they have no guns," he said.  But we safely found the clipboard, as well as a lampshade (which we did not take, because we're good American citizens), and made it back to Kellen's house in one piece.

While blogging about our clipboard, however, we were interupted by Roger, Kellen's roommate, who was downstairs watching the news.  Osama bin Laden got dead.  Huzzah!  Now hopefully the hard-working men and women overseas can come home and be safely reunited with their babies and partners once again.  Hah, if only it were really that easy.  But we do want them to come home. 

Prediction:  With Osama bin Laden's death, President Obama will be re-elected next term.  (Comment with your thoughts on this!  And the video and blog too!)

Craigslister #2: Creepy Coin Wrappers

This is Kellen. I got an email. "coin wrappers are still here. pick up on my porch between 10pm and 8am. here is my address-"

I drove across town to a street with no lights on. driving up and down the street trying to find the address off of google maps. I parked. Walked from one place to the next until I found the address and searched the porch. There was a plastic bag sitting on the front door mat. I grabbed it and ran back to my car. I sped off.

The street was so creepy and these people obviously didn't want to meet the ones that were taking their things. Little did they know their coin wrappers were to become a part of our project for the internet to see.

Free Craigslist Item #1--Photocopied Childrens' Poems and Stories

On April 12, 2011, we started our journey of receiving free Craigslist items in the Green Bay area.  We saw a listing for free childrens' items, and thought it was worth looking into.  The seller was offering several different free items, but it was the photocopied children's poems and stories that caught our attention.  We emailed the seller asking if they still had the item and if they'd be willing to let us have it.  Our first email went something like this:  

Hi, has anyone posted interest in your stack of photocopied poems and stories?  My best friend and I have just decided to collect as many fun awesome eccentric free things as possible off of Craigslist because we have an empty new tiled room to fill up.  We are looking for something fun to do this summer, and photocopied poems and stories sound like an adventure waiting to happen.  We’re not sure what the adventure is, but we will find out.  Respond to this email or text xxx-xxx-xxxx. 

Happy Trails!

Rachel & Kellen

Surprisingly enough, a woman named Melissa responded who didn't think we were completely crazy!  She lives in East De Pere, so I drove out there on April 12 around 5:30PM.  I park my car and see a woman and two children doing regular spring yard work.  The woman is relatively young, I would guess around mid-thirties, and very pretty as well.  She had a sparkling smile and a great laugh.  

Melissa explained that she used to home-school her children, which is how she came to have the packet of poems and stories.  I told her Kellen and I are educators of sorts, which isn't far from the truth, and she instantly wanted to know why we came to get the poems and stories.  I told her what we had decided to do after sending her the initial email.

Kellen and I came up with a goal for the next 6 months.  We were going to pick up as many free Craigslist items in the Green Bay area as possible and write a blog and possibly a book about the items we receive and the people we meet in doing so.  She seemed quite impressed, or at least pretended to be.  She wished us luck in our endeavor and we were off.

I didn't open the manila envelope until Kellen came to my apartment that evening so we could check out our spoils together.  We spent a good thirty minutes looking through our new-found poems and stories, reading them aloud, and laughing at the funny lines and pictures.  It was a great first item--now to find more!

If you see any good Green Bay area free item listings on Craigslist, please email them to us!  We would love your help if you're willing to give it!  Also--check out or vlog (video blog!) on Youtube! 

Happy Trails!

Rachel 

And So it Begins

There are two tv shows we are watching at the moment. One of them is called "American Pickers." Its where two men drive all over the country to houses that are filled with a lot of junk and say "Wow! This is amazing! We want to buy this!"

The other show is called "Hoarders" where a group of therapists drive all over the country to houses that are filled with a lot of junk and say "Wow! This is horrible! You really need some help..."

After discussing this a bit, we found the difference between these two shows amazing. What is it that makes people attached to something? Why is it that people are willing to give some things away but not other things? This led us to think about what we could from people who are free, what stories their "junk" tells, and why they are no longer attached to it.

So we logged onto Craigslist, sent out some emails, and decided to see what we could get in six months time from other people. What is it that people find useless but others may find a treasure? Our goal is to collect as many weird and interesting items from as many people as we can in the Green Bay area. We only have a few rules for this project:

-Everything must be free.
-Nothing can be more than 50 miles from the Green Bay Area.

We are going to chronicle our journey, catalogue the items we recieve, and tell the stories of the people and the things they want to give away. So let's see where this goes!

Happy Trails!

-Kellen and Rachel