A Week in Review: Gov. shutdowns, puppy-dog tooth extractions, eBay, and hair cuts

When people ask me, "How was your week? What did you do?" I generally stare at them for a moment, trying to remember what I actually did in the past week. If somebody asks me this week, I'll ask them to pull up a chair because it was a doozy of week!

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Earlier in the week, the government shut down. For some, this just comes as a minor inconvenience; others don't even give it more than a passing, "That's unfortunate" or "No surprise" thought. But for many, especially in the area where we reside, it's a huge deal. Many people have been furloughed (no work, no pay). My husband gets to still go to work, but he doesn't get paid (until everything gets settled...and then theoretically we will be paid retroactively). That was how this entire week started for us. I count us one of the lucky ones, at the moment, as we still have a job (sort of) and we will get paid (eventually...we hope). But for all those who live pay-check to pay-check, my heart goes out to them.

My husband said that the day notices went out, he saw a man walking down the stairs, crumpling up a piece of paper with a look on his face that said it all: "How am I going to afford to live?"

The feeling is terrible. For those of you who have steady, paying jobs right now. Count your blessings and don't belly-ache about stupid things. Have some consideration for those millions affected who suddenly went from stability to uncertainty in a matter of hours. Cross your fingers that our government can put aside their petty differences and start working together.

I won't say anymore on the matter as it's something that is largely debated and could end up being an entire novel. Suffice it to say: I'm grateful that we have savings, that I work (even though I only pull in enough to pay half a mortgage), and am equally glad that we have great family and friends if we end up needing help.

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As the week progressed, we found out that our puppy-dog had a cracked molar. :(

Good thing my husband has been good about brushing her teeth, as he noticed it. She went in for a vet appointment on Friday which confirmed the situation. The vet gave us two options: root canal (no bueno) or tooth extraction. On Saturday morning, my husband took her into the vet again for a tooth extraction surgery. Later that day, she came back to us, sounding like a tea kettle and completely out of it. Poor puppy :( Already in her life she's had two knee surgeries, so we have gone through much more major "after anesthesia" deals, but it still doesn't get any easier.

Ellie is no longer allowed to have any nylabones (sad day), but on the plus side she gets a steady diet of chicken and rice all week (soft food)! Lucky doggy! She is already sounding and looking a lot better. Though drooling a lot...hopefully that'll stop sooner rather than later ;)

Now of course Murphy's Law says that this'll happen as soon as the Gov. shutdown happens and we aren't getting paid, but that's why we have pet insurance (GET IT!!) and hopefully this will be covered! (Ironically, we also had to buy new tires for my car the day after the Gov. shutdown, but again, sometimes you just have to roll with the punches...and now all those who ride in my car are much safer!).

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This is just touching the surface of the many strange and unusual things that occurred this week. There were a lot more frustrating moments, some learning moments, some very exciting moments, and a lot of good that really did happen this week along with the unfortunate circumstances.

Like, for instance: my first eBay experience!

Now and then I poke around eBay, usually hunting for nerdy clarinet paraphernalia. (There was that one time I bid on a clarinet using my husband's account.) But I never actually buy anything, in fact I didn't (up until this week) have an account at all.

This week, my life changed. I—became an eBayer.

What, you may ask, compelled me to actually make an account when not even a prior clarinet bidding convinced me to get my own?

Two words (try not to laugh): Polly Pocket.

Yes, that is right my friends, if you didn't think I was a nerd before, now you really know I am one!

Back story:

I used to play with Polly Pockets as a young child. Not the ones you see nowadays, but the legit inch-high dolls that came in the little shells. They were awesome. You could take them with you and entertain yourself for hours.

As I grew up, my two precious Polly Pocket sets were packed away along with my other dolls, stuffed animals, Beanie Babies, and all the other countless toys. In the attic they sat, for years. Then I moved into my own house and found myself poking through all my boxes as I moved all my stuff out of my parents' house. Strangely, my Polly Pockets were no where to be found! How could this be?!

I brushed it off for a for more years, mentioning it to my mom who also found it strange. For some reason, just this past week, I finally decided I'd had enough. It was time to accept that for some reason, two of my favorite toys were officially AWOL.

I began an intense online hunt, finding out more than I ever thought I'd know about the Polly Pocket world (and that there are some crazy enthusiasts out there). But, given the power of the internet, I found my two sets floating around on eBay.

Naturally, I stalked every option and finally went in for the kill. Never having actually eBayed on my own (I'm making up all sorts of words in this blog today), I watched the countdown eagerly for the first set, face plastered to the screen as the one hour mark turned into minutes...45 min...30...15...10...I am still the highest bidder!...8...5...3...30 secs and I WIN!!! Yes, I did a happy dance. I love winning. (Who doesn't?)

Polly Pocket Beach House with two original dolls AND a bonus doll. Also in the original color that I had (other ones have dark purple scheme in the seating and beds, but this lighter color is the one I originally owned).

Thrilled with my first awesome encounter, I eagerly pushed forward into my next bid for my other set, this time being even more daring and finding not just the one original that I was missing...but the entire set! WOWSERS!

Original  Polly Pocket
Jeweled Sea that I used to own.
Comes with a little otter
as well as the mermaid doll!

The entire jewel Polly Pocket set! Wahoo!

This one I couldn't watch actively, so I just had to cross my fingers that nobody outbid me. And nobody did. Because nobody messes with me and my Polly Pockets. WINNER AGAIN! Even more exciting though because I get not one, but FOUR! (They should arrive in the mail today or tomorrow.)

Perhaps one day my two sets will show up, but if they don't, now I have them again. I feel pretty darn good about my eBay experience! (Also, I think I may have lost the boy polly from the beach set in our family Oldsmobile when I was playing with them in the car...pretty sure he slipped down where the seatbelt comes out...so now if I do find them, I'll have all the pieces again!)

Laugh all you will, but everyone has something that they would love to see again. In fact, I told my in-laws we should have a vintage toy Christmas this year. :) Wouldn't you love to open just one gift and have it be something special from your past? I think it'd be pretty neat.

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Meanwhile, the most exciting thing that was supposed to happen last week was getting my hair cut:

Before

After

Neither are great pictures, but you get the point. I love my new hair cut. It's a bit more "Short 'n' Sassy" ;)

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As I said, this only barely scratches what happened this week. I didn't even go into the Tea Festival, staking out the grand opening of REI in our area for free water bottles and gifts cards, my sister adopting her first cat, one of my best friends adopting her first dog, teaching a lesson that tested my patience (I wanted to pull my hair out by the end), or really any of the other myriad of subjects I could talk about.

But at least this time, when somebody asks me how my week went, I'll have something to say!