Farewell to the motor home that made a home in my back yard or who is the queen of ebay?

For the whole winter this 40' Fleetwood motor home sat in my backyard.  I had listed it on eBay early in the fall, but then one of the big boys with his own financing wanted the listing, so I gave it to him.  I just wanted the folks who owned it to be able to make a clean and easy sale.  And it sure looked like that was the way to go.  For the first few weeks I kept track of it, but then it got harder to find and I became less interested.  I was sure it was a go.
Alas, the best laid plans, or so they say.  Then the owner called a few weeks ago and asked if I would re list it so he at least would know where it was.  And so I did.  There was a flurry of interest and then the auction ended.  No sale.  So I dropped the price a silly $1,000.  That woke them up and I was busy fielding questions.  Of course no one was interested in paying the asking price and there were some offers that were downright insulting.  But we persevered until finally a guy named 4x4dude out of Oklahoma emailed with a list of questions that he needed answered.  I knew by the questions that he was a serious buyer.
Had it been smoked in?  Pets? Warranty?  Where was it located?   Maintenance records and things like that.  Then nothing.  So off I went to church that Sunday morning and when I got home I had a short nap.  Then I decided to check my ebay for sales.  My item sold!  My Fleetwood sold to a guy in Oklahoma for $100K.  My heart damn near stopped!  You need to remember I am in the bird cage cover /seed catcher business and my high dollar item is $25.00!
Phone numbers and addresses were exchanged and the date was made for 4x4 to come the following week to meet with the owner.   He would bring a check.  So early in May, Karl and his wife along with brother Larry and his wife arrived at my house.  The owner was already here and after a day of new batteries, mechanic checking things out, tweeking here and tweeking there and a couple nights in the motel, it was a go.
While we were standing around visiting Karl mentioned that he lived in Mustang, Oklahoma.  Bingo!  Do you know my niece, Cindy who lives there also.  Why yes I do!  Small world, huh?  Karl contacted Cindy and he was instructed to give me a big hug, and you people know how I like to get those.  And it was decided they would spend one more night and then get an early start.  And that is how that went down.

Mirrors are adjusted, black smoke bellowed out the back, dust kicked up on the road, and the motorhome with it's new owner at the wheel disappeared down my driveway.

And that, my friends is how I became the queen of eBay!

  

The High Tea at First Congregational United Church of Christ is now in the record books.

Don't these look like happy people?  They were.  Please meet Nancy Martin, her son Ross Barnhart, her daughter in law Terri Barnhart, and  Gail Barnhart.   They arrived in all thier finery at exactly 2:00 PM because that is what time the High Tea always starts.  Teresa and her friend Patty had arrived the day before and Mayflower Hall was festooned and beautiful.  Course my camera was at home through the whole thing, thus forcing me to go on facebook and steal pictures.

The tea was hot and the food at least looked good.  

This is a scone with lemon curd and yes, I made that from scratch.  Same with the dollop of clotted cream  getting ready to end up on that strawberry.

This was my first attempt at something this fancy, but I have been told that it was great.  Of course, I did not do this alone.  Jill arranged the tables.  Teresa and Patty decorated.  And when the High Tea was in full swing Pastor Jeannine was slinging tea like a trooper.  And plates were flying out of the kitchen thanks to the three of them along with my daughter, Sue. Amy manned the ticket table and sold tickets for the raffle.  Any great event is the result of a lot of hard work by a lot of people.  This one was our first, but it is not going to be our last by a long shot.  We will just be more organized next time.  

First Congregational United Church of Christ is going to be a force to be reckoned with in the very near future and  we would love to see you pop in our door next Sunday morning at 9:30 AM.    228 West Evans. 

Time for action!!

This is the only way I could think of to do what Sister Nancy asked me to do.  Hello, Facebook Friends!!

Leroy Garcia has introduced this bill to strengthen the office of the Consumer Counsel in the regulatory services of Utilities!  It's a quick read, 6 pages..with pg 4-6 being especially good!  

An activity in Pueblo on Saturday in support of the bill is in the works!   Can you pass it on?

Sister Nancy

Second Regular Session
Sixty-ninth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
INTRODUCED
LLS NO. 14-1089.01 Duane Gall x4335 HOUSE BILL 14-1398
House Committees Senate Committees
State, Veterans, & Military Affairs
Appropriations
A BILL FOR AN ACT
101 CONCERNING ADDITIONAL CRITERIA GOVERNING PARTICIPATION BY
102 THE OFFICE OF CONSUMER COUNSEL IN THE REGULATION OF
103 PUBLIC UTILITIES.
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill
passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that
applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at
http://www.leg.state.co.us/billsummaries.)
Section 1 of the bill specifies that the "public interest", as used in
statutes outlining the duties of the office of consumer counsel,
encompasses consideration of:
! Disparities between the rates paid by consumers in
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Garcia, Duran, Foote, Ginal, Lebsock, Pabon, Salazar, Singer, Tyler
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Ulibarri,
Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters indicate new material to be added to existing statute.
Dashes through the words indicate deletions from existing statute.
different geographic areas of the state, where those
disparities cannot be justified by inherent differences
between the service territories of the utilities involved;
! Disparities between a utility's rate increases and the
corresponding increase or decrease in the quantity or
quality of service provided;
! Disparities between a utility's reported earnings and the
quantity or quality of service provided during the reported
earnings period;
! The economic situation of the utility's customers, or of
specified classes of its customers, within its service
territory, including their ability to absorb rate increases
without suffering undue economic or social harm;
! The utility's policies concerning the shutoff and
reinstatement of service for customers who fall behind in
their payments; and
! The utility's history of compliance with its legal obligations
regarding net metering and interconnection policies for
customers who wish to deploy distributed generation under
Colorado's renewable energy standard.
Section 1 also directs the consumer counsel to investigate and
report to the general assembly on geographic disparities in rates charged
to consumers.
Section 2 allows the consumer counsel to intervene in individual
complaints when doing so would vindicate the interests of a class of
consumers, under criteria borrowed from the court rules governing
certification of class actions.
1 Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
2 SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, amend 40-6.5-104
3 as follows:
4 40-6.5-104. Representation by consumer counsel - duty to
5 pursue public interest - definition. (1) The consumer counsel shall
6 represent the public interest and, to the extent consistent therewith, the
7 specific interests of residential consumers, agricultural consumers, and
8 small business consumers by appearing in proceedings before the
9 commission and appeals therefrom in matters which THAT involve:
10 (a) Proposed changes in a public utility's rates and charges; in
-2- HB14-1398
1 matters involving
2 (b) Rule-making, which TO THE EXTENT THAT THE PROPOSED
3 RULES MAY have an impact on the charges, the provision of services, OR
4 COSTS OF RESOURCE ACQUISITION FOR ANY UTILITY or the rates COSTS
5 THAT A UTILITY PASSES THROUGH to consumers; and in matters which
6 involve
7 (c) Certificates of public convenience and necessity for facilities
8 employed in the provision of utility service, the construction of which
9 would have a material effect on the utility's rates and charges.
10 (2) (a) In exercising his OR HER discretion whether or not to
11 appear in a proceeding, the consumer counsel shall consider the
12 importance and the extent of the public interest involved. In evaluating
13 the public interest, the consumer counsel shall give due consideration to
14 the short- and long-term impact of the proceedings upon various classes
15 of consumers so as not to jeopardize the interest of one class in an action
16 by another NOR TO PERPETUATE GROSS DISPARITIES BETWEEN THE RATES
17 PAID BY CONSUMERS IN DIFFERENT GEOGRAPHIC AREAS OF THE STATE,
18 WHERE THOSE DISPARITIES CANNOT BE JUSTIFIED BY INHERENT
19 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE SERVICE TERRITORIES OF THE UTILITIES
20 INVOLVED. If the consumer counsel determines that there may be
21 inconsistent interests among the various classes of the consumers he OR
22 SHE represents in a particular matter, he THE CONSUMER COUNSEL may
23 choose to represent one of the interests or to represent no interest.
24 Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit LIMITS the right of any
25 person, firm, or corporation to petition or make complaint to the
26 commission or otherwise intervene in proceedings or other matters before
27 the commission.
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1 (b) (I) DURING THE 2014 INTERIM, THE CONSUMER COUNSEL SHALL
2 CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION OF THE DISPARITIES IN RATES CHARGED TO
3 CUSTOMERS IN THE SERVICE TERRITORIES OF ALL ELECTRIC UTILITIES IN
4 THE STATE AND DETERMINE WHETHER THOSE DISPARITIES CAN BE
5 JUSTIFIED BY INHERENT DIFFERENCES IN THE COST OF PROVIDING SERVICE
6 TO CUSTOMERS IN THOSE AREAS. THE CONSUMER COUNSEL SHALL REPORT
7 THE FINDINGS FROM THIS INVESTIGATION, TOGETHER WITH THE CONSUMER
8 COUNSEL'S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LEGISLATION, IF ANY, BASED ON
9 THOSE FINDINGS, TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 15,
10 2015.
11 (II) AS PART OF THE INVESTIGATION UNDER SUBPARAGRAPH (I) OF
12 THIS PARAGRAPH (b), THE CONSUMER COUNSEL SHALL CONVENE AT LEAST
13 THREE PUBLIC HEARINGS AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE
14 STATE AND SHALL INVITE PUBLIC TESTIMONY.
15 (c) AS USED IN THIS SECTION, "PUBLIC INTEREST" MEANS THE
16 HEALTH, SAFETY, DISPOSABLE INCOME, PROPERTY VALUES, AND ECONOMIC
17 AND SOCIAL STABILITY OF UTILITY CONSUMERS. WITH REGARD TO RATE
18 CASES AND PROPOSED RESOURCE ACQUISITION PLANS SUBMITTED BY
19 UTILITIES, THE PUBLIC INTEREST ENCOMPASSES CONSIDERATION OF:
20 (I) DISPARITIES BETWEEN A UTILITY'S PAST OR PROPOSED RATE
21 INCREASES AND ANY CORRESPONDING INCREASE OR DECREASE IN THE
22 QUANTITY OR QUALITY OF SERVICE PROVIDED TO CONSUMERS;
23 (II) DISPARITIES BETWEEN A UTILITY'S REPORTED EARNINGS AND
24 THE QUANTITY OR QUALITY OF SERVICE PROVIDED DURING THE REPORTED
25 EARNINGS PERIOD;
26 (III) THE ECONOMIC SITUATION OF THE UTILITY'S CUSTOMERS, OR
27 OF SPECIFIED CLASSES OF ITS CUSTOMERS, WITHIN ITS SERVICE TERRITORY,
-4- HB14-1398
1 INCLUDING THEIR ABILITY TO ABSORB RATE INCREASES WITHOUT
2 SUFFERING UNDUE ECONOMIC OR SOCIAL HARM SUCH AS EVICTION OR THE
3 INABILITY TO AFFORD FOOD OR VITAL MEDICATIONS;
4 (IV) THE UTILITY'S HISTORY AND CURRENT PRACTICES REGARDING
5 SHUTOFF OF SERVICE FOR NONPAYMENT, INCLUDING ITS POLICIES
6 REGARDING WARNINGS AND GRACE PERIODS, STRUCTURED REPAYMENT
7 PLANS FOR ARREARAGES, AND REINSTATEMENT OR RECONNECTION FEES;
8 AND
9 (V) THE UTILITY'S HISTORY AND CURRENT PRACTICES REGARDING
10 COMPLIANCE WITH ITS LEGAL OBLIGATIONS UNDER SECTION 40-2-124,
11 INCLUDING ITS ADOPTION OF, AND ADHERENCE TO, REASONABLE POLICIES
12 GOVERNING NET METERING AND INTERCONNECTION FOR CUSTOMERS WHO
13 WISH TO DEPLOY DISTRIBUTED GENERATION.
14 (3) The consumer counsel shall be served with notices of all
15 proposed gas, electric, and telephone tariffs and he shall be served with
16 copies of all orders of the commission affecting the charges of
17 agricultural consumers, residential consumers, and small business
18 consumers.
19 SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 40-6.5-106, amend
20 (2) as follows:
21 40-6.5-106. Powers of consumer counsel. (2) The consumer
22 counsel may petition for, request, initiate, and appear and intervene as a
23 party in any proceeding before the commission concerning rate changes,
24 rule-making, charges, tariffs, modifications of service, RESOURCE
25 PLANNING AND ACQUISITION, and matters involving certificates of public
26 convenience and necessity. Notwithstanding any provision of this article
27 to the contrary, The consumer counsel shall not be a party to any
-5- HB14-1398
1 individual complaint between a utility and an individual EXCEPT TO THE
2 EXTENT THAT THE INDIVIDUAL COMPLAINT IS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE
3 INTERESTS OF ALL CONSUMERS OR OF A CLASS OF CONSUMERS AND THOSE
4 INTERESTS WOULD BE VINDICATED THROUGH A SUCCESSFUL RESOLUTION
5 OF THE COMPLAINT. IN DETERMINING WHETHER TO PARTICIPATE IN AN
6 INDIVIDUAL COMPLAINT PROCEEDING, THE CONSUMER COUNSEL SHALL
7 APPLY SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME FACTORS AS APPLIED BY DISTRICT
8 COURTS IN DETERMINING WHETHER A CLASS ACTION MAY BE CERTIFIED
9 UNDER C.R.C.P. 23.
10 SECTION 3. Safety clause. The general assembly hereby finds,
11 determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate
12 preservation of the public peace, health, and safety.
-6- HB14-1398

Cinnamon Rolls, Chandeliers, and Hello! Dolly!

 

Before I left the house yesterday, I rolled out my cinnamon rolls, cut them and put them in pans.  I crammed the whole mess in the refrigerator, because I knew timing on this little chore was going to be crucial.

 

 

This was the sky as I waited for Lawrence in the parking lot.  He was driving, you see.  Looks very scary, doesn't it?  Soon he popped up and away we went to the SCAP Red Ribbon Ball at the beautiful Antlers Hotel

 

Ok, I can hear you now.  Most of you know what a control freak I am and I must be at the helm of whatever vessel is hurling me through time and space.  That is why I do not fly!  But Lawrence seems like a reliable sort and he does run the SCAP office down here, so I at least know where to find him.  We parked in the parking garage and from that moment on, I was completely lost!  Phone was somewhere in the car and I was completely at his mercy. 

 Ah!  there is Valarie! 

And there is the door to the shindig!

And the silent auction!

 

This is what the chandelier looks like with my head in the salad plate looking up!

I did not get a picture of Lawrence, or John, or my food.  I thought I was eating a piece of roast beef on mashed up beans, but as it turned out it was pork on purple mashed potatoes.  So much for my taste buds!  I was astute enough to know what ever that dessert was it was gross, but everyone else at the table oohed and aahed, so I kept my opinions to myself.

All things considered, I did have a very nice time and the new staff at SCAP, Colorado Springs sure made me feel welcome and important.  Of course, my witching hour came right after the dessert was cleared away.  To my amazement, Lawrence did find the car in the parking lot in section P1, right where we left it.  The ride home was uneventful and we both stayed awake. 

When I got home I pulled the cinnamon rolls out of the refrigerator where I had crammed them before I left.  This morning I jumped up and baked them.

                                         
So here we are ready to go this morning.  Church is at 9:30 and coffee hour is right after that.  See you there? 

First Congregational United Church of Christ

228 West Evans

Pueblo,CO

9:30 AM

 

 

 

 

Tit for Tat on the Starbucks scene?

I love Starbucks.  I especially love the one on 4th by the bridge.  I met a very special person there several years back.  I used my other blog site to keep you abreast of how that went.  First there was the getting to know him, then the break up, and then the reconciliation, the getting to know him again, his decline  and finally his passing.  It was a long 2 years, but Starbucks was there through it all.

Coffee at Starbucks and then the walk along the river by his house were every day  occurrences since he had a dog who needed that.  But that is all history.  If you are really wanting to read that it is still available online in pdf. format.  One of my final chores in completing  things Sherman asked me to do was to find a good home for Cleo.  She went to live with Todd and his wife, who was President of the BMAC which Sherman had founded years ago.  Todd brought her to the estate sale and she remembered me.  We took our walk on the river.  When it was time for her to leave, she looked up at me, turned and got in the car with Todd and Dana.  Left me with another hole in my heart.

I did have one more task and that was to return a ring to it's original home in St. Louis.  I did that on March 10 and it arrived at it's destination on Jeff's birthday.  Karma?  Maybe.  They sent me a card for Starbuck's  so guess I will treat them when I meet them at Starbuck's on 4th Street on May 12.

 

  We have a few things planned, one of which will be a stroll along the river.  Cleo will not be there and I am sure at least one of us will have to shed a tear.  Maybe all of us.  One of those would'a, could'a,  should'a, if only days.  But such is life and life goes on until we all reach our inevitable conclusion.  In the meantime, we will cherish our memories and continue to make new ones.

See you in 42 days, which is exactly 6 weeks!

Back to square one, thanks to Mesa Nails

So I had told Tracy I would drop her off some cookies.  That was two weeks ago.  Well, guess she did not want them very bad, because when I stopped a couple days ago I was greeted with a locked door and a note that gift certificates would be redeemed for cash by mail and thank you for supporting us all these years.  Damn!

So, all you people out there, I am in dire need of a pedicure and a manicure.  I want some one who is fast, gentle, listens to me babble and makes my hands and feet look good.  Click on the comments and leave me a name and number and I will tell them you sent me.

Until then, it is back to the broken finger nails, the phenomenally long toe nails and I am talking to myself.  Oh, and Tracey if you are out there, Bret ate your cookies!

Sister's Courtyard Tea House (of the August moon?)

Our friend Tere had taken a position way back in Tennessee, turned in her resignation at PCC, and notified all her friends that she was leaving in 2 weeks.  So Ross thought it best we have a small going away celebration (?).  Guess we had to call it something.  Our loss is her gain as she has family back there.  In life we are often called on to make changes that, while we may not like them, are necessary.  This was one of those things.  So Ross, in typical Ross fashion, pulled together a very elite group of her friends and , believe it or not, I made the cut! 

He chose a very intimate setting and we had our "party" after hours so we were there all alone, except for the owner and the chef.  I had never been to this place, but had heard nothing but rave reviews.  Our Pueblo Handweavers Guild had their Christmas party there, but I did not go because they told me I had to dress up and I have not played "dress up" since God only knows when.  So the evening of the soiree I pulled on one of my better pairs of jeans, picked up Ross's mom, Nancy, and off we went to Sister's Courtyard which is located in a corner of a small strip mall at 517 W. 5th St.  This was a good omen since I owned and lived in a house in Hutchinson, Kansas for many years which was located at 217 W. 5th St.  Omens are omens you know.

The entry way looks pleasant enough.

 

The owner greeted us and made us feel right at home, despite my tacky attire!  There is Ross in the background spinning a tale about something or other to some one.  The perfect host for the perfect party.  See that pink ball in the upper left corner?  There are lots of those suspended from the ceiling.  Hey!  I wonder how they got those up there?  Up the stairs is a small loft where they have things for sale and Michelle found a hat and parasol.  I found something to eat right on the table so I never made it up the stairs!

Oh, look!  Glass tea cups and a glass tea pot that sets over a candle so it stays warm!  How cool is that?

That hand pouring the tea into my cup belongs to the fellow who sat beside me through the whole tea and kept me entertained with computer talk and the furious clicking of his new camera.  Did you ever try to drink hot tea with a camera lens in your ear?  I will make a small interjection here; This is Chaz and Chaz has computer mind that would rival Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, or anyone else. He has his own business which I will profile here in a day or seven, but in the meantime, if you need a guru, this is the boy to call.  (I have his number) ((In  more ways than one)).

Nancy and I were having some sort of Blueberry tea which was out of this world.  I could see that since we were having the Full Tea Service that I would no doubt have to make a stop at Burger King on the way home.  Boy, was I surprised!  It is called Full for a reason!  The first thing to hit our table was Cheddar Cheese scones with some sort of garlic or something to spread on it.  On the "tea" deal I figured out that everybody gets one of what ever it is you are getting.  This keeps everyone on a level playing field.  Next came a small serving of quiche along with about an inch of soup in a bowl.  Yummy dabby doo!! 

I was beginning to think I probably would not starve when they brought out a 3 tiered thingy with tiny sandwiches, and little sweet things, along with little bitty servings of like fruit and other stuff!Hell, I was beginning to feel like Alice in Wonderland at the Mad Hatter's Tea Party.  My tummy was full, I was sloshing with all the tea, and they were not done with me yet!

OMG!  Cheese Cake!  Now where am I going to put that?  I am already stuffed.  I have no doubt consumed enough tea to keep me awake for hours or at the very least, well, you know as well as I do what happens when you drink a gallon of liquid right before bed!  Nancy and several others were asking for "to go boxes", but you know me.  I will eat that if it is the last thing I ever do, and to my credit, I did.  It was worth every delicious bite!  The whole tea was.

 

So after 2 hours of non stop eating and drinking, Nancy and I waddled out to the car, loaded up and headed east.  We did not stop at Burger King, but rather hurried home to our nice warm beds in our nice warm houses.  When I got home I jumped in my jammies and hurried off to bed with visions of Sister' Courtyard dancing through my head.

 

Now, have I ever given you a bum steer?  I think not.  If you are in need of a place to go with someone and kill a couple hours in an unhurried, casual  atmosphere, I highly recommend you call and make a reservation for 2 or 3 or more and have yourself a little tea party.  Prices range from $20 for the Full Tea Service down to $7 for the Crème Tea Service which is scones and tea.  The also have a lunch menu and that is out of this world!.

Reservations are recommended for lunch and required for Tea Service.  719-543-1947

or visit on the web at Sister's Courtyard 

and, as always, tell them Lou Mercer sent you!