On Sunday I placed a Craigslist ad for the 21-year-old leaky washing machine we'd replaced with a more energy-efficient model that read, "FREE: If you can haul it away and fix the internal leaks, it's yours." Within 20 minutes of placing the ad I had an email reply:
i was intrested in the washer and would be able to pick up you can call me at xxx xxxx and ask for pablo thanks
Pablo and two other young Hispanic men drove 45 miles to our house in their rusty Dodge truck to grab that washing machine. As I'd guessed, it wasn't for his family; he intended to repair and re-sell it. Pablo, it turned out, kept an eye on Craigslist all day long for saleable items. We stood around the driveway grinning at each other at the win-win situation: Pablo and Co. had clearly scored (the washer was a heavy duty Kenmore that would probably run for another 10 years with some minor repairs), and we were tickled to get it hauled away and help someone in the cash economy.
The feel of the entire exchange reminded me of my brother-in-law Gus* and how he'd introduced 10-year-old me to swap meets and other ways to make a living that had nothing to do with 40-hour work weeks and regular paychecks.
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Ever sold stuff at a Swap Meet?
First, a little background music to get you in the mood:
When I was a kid my brother-in-law Gus* often took me with him on his various fill-in jobs. We'd get up for a before-dawn shift of baking donuts at a friend's shop, or arrive at midnight for an overnight shift of cleaning empty office buildings. Gus didn't seem to be able to hold a regular job (he'd gotten laid off at the 7-Up Bottling Co after hurting his back) but what Gus really loved was buying and selling what looked like junk to me. On many weekends I'd join him at 6:00 am to work the local swap meet where I learned that one person's trash is definitely another's treasure.
This particular swap meet was a grungy affair held at a local drive-in, and Gus had no display tables or awnings; just a blanket on the ground strewn with his wares. Gus would scrounge for materials throughout the week, and we'd arrive first thing in the morning, pay our stall fee and open up the back of his station wagon.
While I spread a blanket on the ground and laid out an assorted pile of carburators, chipped vases, scratched-up vinyl records, rusty lawnmowers, swag lamps, mismatched tools, battered paperbacks and the occasional Velvet Elvis painting Gus would make a couple quick sweeps of the place to be the first to buy up cheap wares from other sellers, admonishing me not to sell a thing to anybody without his presence.
Once Gus had picked through the other sellers' stalls and come back to gloat over his acquired treasures, I'd paw through the paperbacks for the more salacious entries (I remember reading Peyton Place, The Amboy Dukes, and Forever Amber there) while Gus would spend the day happily dickering and collecting stacks of dollar bills. And, just as we were among the first to arrive, we were always among the last to pack up and leave.
I appreciate the entrepreneurial spirits of the Gus's and Pablos of this world, but it's a hard way (and sometimes the only way) to make a few dollars.
Now, On to Top Comments!
Thanks to tonight's Top Comments contributors! Let us hear from YOU when you find that not-so-ordinary comment.
from nominalize:
in mdmslle's diary Protesters try to close B of A accounts. B of A and Police say: No can do mama jo shakes her head in wonderment and asks where the hell am i?
during the summer of the health-care debate,
tea-baggers showed up with guns...
and the police had no problem with that.
now they are using batons and pepperspray against
unarmed civilians,
and refusing them access to their bank accounts.
who would have thought any of this possible, here?
from maggiejean:
This comment by laserhaas welcoming new user remembrance to J-Town with a succinct description of some regular J-Town contributors really made me giggle.
from lineatus:
I posted my diary Thanks, but no (t)Hank an hour or two before Lieber shows up for the first time in nine months. But it's okay, because Julie Waters left this gem of a comment.
from belinda ridgewood:
Many of us were delighted to see a JeffLieber diary appear today! Although its main topic was Hank Williams, Jr, Jeff took a jab at Rick Perry's summer home in his tip jar. Bindle followed up with a sentimental reminiscence, whose thread went off in an unsurprising direction.
From Dragon5616:
T Maysle summed up Hank Williams, Jr.'s quitting after he was fired in JeffLieber's awesome diary, On being a Worthless Flesh-Sack. (Welcome back, Jeff!)
from samer:
Bindle answers how Michelle Malkin can think that the Occupy Wall Street crowds are "99% white" in my diary Michelle Malkin: Occupy Wall Street "99% white"
and from yours truly smileycreek:
Only JeffLieber can create a tip jar worthy of a Top Comment, in his diary about Hank Williams' Jr, On Being a Worthless Flesh Sack:
If my father named our summer home KillAllWhitePeople could I still get the Republican Nomination for President.
koosah saw a metaphor for the Occupy Wall Street protests in kestrel9000's progression of kestrel photos in this week's Cheers and Jeers.
And Now, a Little Top Mojo!
(excluding Tip Jars and first comments)
Got mik!
1) Remember February and Madison, WI? by Angie in WA State — 202
2) I hope he gets a career out of this! by dakinishir — 192
3) Palin© whoâ„¢? by JeffW — 173
4) I did my part by TheBlaz — 152
5) she may never be Wall Street's by sodalis — 128
6) Here's how to recognize a genuine by blue aardvark — 127
7) Looks like a 'white shirt' is doing most of the by crankyinNYC — 105
8) Wow, from Kossack to media darling in a week by ontheleftcoast — 102
9) I hear she's working on another book: by TheOrchid — 99
10) God bless your Mom. Until eternity. by SpamNunn — 98
11) Screw 'em, Draw It Down to $0.01 by Gooserock — 95
12) Jesse has by TomP — 94
13) I'll give you this: by pico — 89
14) Is our teabaggers learning? by Crashing Vor — 88
15) We can't get enough of these photos by ontheleftcoast — 86
16) A few more: by Wee Mama — 85
17) I remember. by The Troubadour — 83
18) She's great! by TomP — 83
19) So at this point Bank of America is stealing by Chacounne — 78
20) I closed my account today and had to by frustrated1 — 78
21) I know this is unkind... by Bob Johnson — 76
22) Yep! by reflectionsv37 — 75
23) that still sends a shiver thru me-- by mama jo — 74
24) My sincere condolences. by tardis10 — 73
25) i occasionally have to shake my head by mama jo — 72
26) Here! Here! by ontheleftcoast — 72
27) That was good. by Mike S — 71
28) That is my hope. by dakinishir — 70
29) I Sense Another SNL Transcript Performance by Gooserock — 69
30) It surprises me how many... by itzik shpitzik — 67
31) Delete my f--k--g account BofA! by Red Bean — 67