Food Poisoning, Garage Sale and People Watching — Oh My!

by Katy on August 16, 2009 · 6 comments

sundayparkways

The last day-and-a-half have not been very fun for me. I got food poisoning and was not able to enjoy my sister and her family being in town.

Luckily today I was mostly better, and was able to sit in front of the house minding a one-day garage sale, all the while watching the thousands upon thousands of cyclists who passed in front of house for the Sunday Parkways event put on by the city of Portland.

The weather was perfect, (sunny but not hot) and I parked myself in the shade of my thickly leafed tree.

I knew that cyclists would not be able to carry much, so I left a few of the bulkier items out of the sale. And if I had a dollar for every cyclist who passed the house yelling out that it was a “great idea to have a garage sale today” and then didn’t stop, I’d have a lot of money. Instead, I made $115 which will go into savings. Plus, a neighbor knew I was raising money for my son’s Japan trip and he paid with a 1000 yen bill.

Spending money!

The best part was the people watching though. There must be a couple dozen of ways to transport a child on a bicycle which I found to be fascinating, (although my 13-year-old informed me this was actually a “boring thing” to be interested in.)

I did feel kind of bad to be watching all the Portlanders having such a fabulous time from my sedentary spot on the sidelines, but there’s just no way I could have strayed any distance from . . . well . . . indoor plumbing.

In the end, I got rid of a bunch of crap, made a little money and got to enjoy some pretty entertaining people watching.

Not a bad day after all.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }

Kristen@The Frugal Girl August 17, 2009 at 4:26 am

“got rid of a bunch of crap”…that was an interesting phrase to use considering the ailment you are suffering from. 😉

Hope you feel better soon! and yay for $115!

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Tonya August 17, 2009 at 12:24 pm

“In the end, I got rid of a bunch of crap”

Well, that’s one way to look at food poisoning! Good job on your addition to the trip fund.

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Leigh @ compactbydesign August 17, 2009 at 1:32 pm

More financial gain and entertainment than sitting in front of the TV, which is what most everyone else recovering from food poisoning does!

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Elizabeth B August 17, 2009 at 1:34 pm

Ugh, food poisoning. Are you feeling better now? At least you made $115. That’s a pretty good take for a garage sale!

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