Tuesday, September 29, 2009

October Fast Buys at Oldtimer & Lily

Just a quick note to those of you who follow this blog but are soapmaking customers...

I've just posted the Fast Buys for October, here:
http://oldtimerlily.com/cart/index.php?cPath=40

Each fragrance name is a clickable link, where you can read the description. Hopefully, you've already read this information on the site or in the newsletter, but I don't want to leave anyone out. Limited quantities!

Thursday, September 17, 2009

We're Hot Stuff!

I just wanted to show all of you what happened to us Monday night. This is the Char-Broil gas grill I bought for Gerry for father’s day in June last year – June 15, 2008 to be exact.

We only used it a few times last year, then covered it for the winter, and have used it once or twice a week this summer, at most. About two months ago, the electronic ignition quit working, so we turn on the igniter burner and light it with one of those long lighters. Not a big deal.

Monday, I planned to use the grill and asked Gerry to light it so it would be warm enough when I came out with the burgers. I stepped to the door a couple minutes later, and asked him where the knob was for the right hand side. He didn’t know what I was talking about.

See that black and silver piece of charcoal on the deck above? That's not charcoal - it's the former knob. I found it laying on the deck, mostly charred, with one lone flame dancing from it.



You can also see the damage around the place it belongs, the high yellow flames in the grill, and the scorching of the handle on the lid for the grill.
Gerry called Char-Broil the next day. Apparently, it’s all our fault – you are supposed to clean the burners twice a year, or they can back shoot like this. The customer service rep was very cavalier about the whole thing when Gerry talked to her, and told him it didn’t matter how little we used it, maybe there were spider webs in the burners (wouldn’t they burn out?).

So – be warned. All I can think about is what a shock it would have been to be standing there and have flames come shooting out the hole for the knob. It obviously flamed in a big way. Oh, and just in case you are as clueless as I was – the electronic igniter has a battery! We replaced that and it works fine now.

And - according to the customer service rep, we are never to leave the grill alone when it is lit. Never. I'm wondering what one does if you slow cook a roast or put a chicken on the spit. And don't forget to read your manual cover-to-cover. Don't you dare skip a page or think that you know anything. Sure am tired of "customer service" people treating me like my brains leaked out. Since we are going to replace the grill, and it won't be a Char-Broil, I wonder if we should call customer service for the other places before we buy and see how they treat us.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Farewell to Warrenton

It's official. As of noon today, we no longer own property in Warrenton, NC. I have mixed emotions, especially when I think of all the plans I had that did not come to fruition, but - I am so very happy for the new owner of our properties, and hope there are many, many years of happiness ahead.

We're grateful for all the interest in our special offer, for the wise people who made back-up offers, and for the hard work of our friend and agent, Sherry Carroll.

We had a crazy weekend, trying to coordinate signed documents with overnight shipping, but the friends who remain there helped us out to the end. Warrenton is a special place - we'll never forget our time there.

Friday, September 11, 2009

A Piece of My Heart...


...stayed in the Phoenix area. Of course, anytime I visit any one of my children, a piece of my heart stays behind, but I left just a little bit more this time in this fantastic area.

I fell in love with fabulous vistas, beautiful sunrises and sunsets, and the generally lively and happy feeling of the people.
Much as I love the photo above, I have to mention that it was one of the few places I saw power lines! When I returned home, the first two things I noticed about the Cleveland area were the comparatively horrible condition of the roads and the cluttered, industrial look with power lines and poles marching everywhere through the landscape! Funny, how quickly you adjust to different vistas.