Junk Snobs

Yesterday, Obbie and I set up at the local flea market. (up until very recently, there was one 'real' flea market in the area, but the owners were given a ridiculous offer to sell to developers. It'll be a Target and a Wegmann's grocery store next year at this time. All the flea people scattered and set up at another flea, or started their own fleas, now there are about 4 to choose from, but everyone wistfully refers to "The Spring" as the best local flea market EVAH) Anyway. We set out to get rid of some of this stuff we've accumulated. He's cleaned out his apartment and his mom's house (partially) and moved some of it here. I already had too much junk, so we're rapidly reaching critical mass (more like critical mess) in the 'stuff' department.

We got there by 6:30, and directed to park in the grass. I was afraid we were going to end up down there. It's off the 'main drag' of the market, and while people do come down there, you're not in the midst of all the other flea marketeers. We were told, for future reference, to come earlier (!!), or prepay for a spot, and that would put us up in the thick of things. Duly noted with grumbling.

As we were starting to set up, one of those little Honda/Nissan cars pulled in next to us. It had a spoiler, and was lowered to the point of almost scraping the ground. A boy hopped out, followed by his dope eyed girlfriend who was wearing her pajama bottoms. He inquired if we've ever been here before, and we told him only to shop. He started going on about 'The Spring', the he and dopey started pulling junk out of the back of the riceburner. Two or three pieces of car audio equipment and a boxful of pottery and glass junk.

On the other side of them was a guy wearing dark green Dickies work pants tucked into black hightop military boots, and an unbuttoned khaki shirt, displaying his quite ample beer gut. A greasy baseball hat completed his ensemble. His wife was a vision of loveliness, in a huge black holey t-shirt, and what appeared to be no pants. Upon further inspection, she did have shorts on, but they were hidden in the folds of her ass and thighs. She was perched on some poor nylon lawn chair, chain smoking and talking loudly about her sister, who got an email from someone confirming Dale Earnhardts death hours before the media knew about it, and about how she has every piece of Earnhardt memorabilia ever made. She make Kleenex box covers out of yarn in your favorite driver's colors and number...

We bailed at 11:30. Five hours was enough, and we did manage to sell some of our stuff. Besides, the big scary people were freaking Obbie out. We have come to the conclusion that we are junk snobs. We took turns going around the flea market, and nobodys junk was as good as ours. (The same thought process applies for yard sales, on Saturday we didn't see a damn thing we wanted to buy at any of the bazillion yard sales around here. We ARE junk snobs!!)

After sitting in the sun for five hours, observing life, the best we could manage was to get home, and sit down. We both immediately fell asleep, and later Obbie made home made pizza which we snacked on for the rest of the day. I managed to get concious long enough to hang up some laundry, weed and water the garden, and to plant some new plants. Today I'm cutting the grass at some point in time.

This slothfulness all stems back to Friday night. Neither of us had a good day, and we were in dire need of a change of scenery. So we called the Chef and invited her to meet us at The Bar for some beers and wings. Long before the Chef got there, Obbie started looking very trashed. I got him in the car and brought him home, then went back and met Lisa for a beer or two. I was home and sleeping by midnight. The spectre of road blocks, and bigger idiots than me out on a Friday night, made me happy to be in bed by then. I felt like deep fried shit all day on Saturday. Obbie had to take his son to the movies Saturday afternoon, so I had a little 'me time', where I messed around with the chain maille a little more. Eureka! I figured that out, and now have two lovely byzantine chains. I have to get some gold rings and make Obbie a bracelet next....

We also caught some of the special on PBS from DC for Memorial Day. Daaaaaam! Very moving, very sad, but it made me proud at the same time. Some of it was really hard to listen to and watch. It also really made me miss my dad, and I wished he was still here so I could hug him.

Today will bring lawn mowing, a little more laundry and a picnic later with Obbie's son. No couch time for, I feel like I'm sleep hungover, what with one night of debauchery, one early morning at the flea market and two marathon NASCAR races. (Which only afford me napping between wrecks....)