Sunday, May 2, 2010

I Hate Computer Hackers. But I Love Salt & Pepper Shakers!!

I finally got my computer back on Friday and now feel secure enough to start posting.  There's nothing like getting attacked by about five or six computer viruses to seriously consider departing the blog world.  And here's a word to the wise: DO NOT EVER EVER EVER GO TO THE "FINALLY FAST" WEBSITE!  It is a scam, they take your money and trick you into thinking they're fixing your computer. 

OK, now I have that out of my system.  No, I'm not going to buy a Mac, however wonderful and virus-free they are.  I'm just going to be really really careful about where I go on the internet and run my brand-new malware and anti-virus software about every fifteen minutes.  Oh, yes, I had Norton protection but apparently whatever attacked me also attacked Norton and crippled it enough to where the 'pooter docs had to remove it.  When they told me this, they said, "Oh but you can just re-install it with the codes you got when you bought it."  Codes?  What codes?  I don't got no steenkin' codes.  I may have had codes at one time but that was probably before my office started looking like a tornado used it for target practice.

OK.  Enough.  So this weekend I'm cruising around eBay, inspired by Miz Atomic Ranch and her ashtrays.  Without knowing why, I veered into the dinnerware sector and won a cute pair of  Vernonware "Gingham" salt & pepper shakers to go with some tumblers I bought recently.  When you sign off eBay, they're quite reluctant to let you go without a last attempt at getting you to buy something more, and so up pops little pictures of all kinds of salt & pepper shakers.  One pair, in particular, caught my eye so I dutifully signed back in and visited.  I am SUCH a good eBay customer!

These were described as having been found at an estate sale (oh, la de dah) and from the 1940's.  BUT WAIT!  Wait just a blame frickin' minute there.  I REMEMBER seeing these somewhere!  

Voila!
 

Back in 1957, you could buy them from the Mrs. Dorothy Damar catalog for $1.98 plus 15 cents shipping.  In 2010, I paid $6.99 plus $5.48 shipping.  Let's see, the actual product went up 3.5 times.  The freaking SHIPPING went up 36.6 times! 

Now if I can just find one of those Enchanting Candy Ranch Houses I'll totally be in heaven . . .

Oh, and one more thing: thank you SO MUCH Miz Atomic Ranch for the blog award!  Of course I received it when I was dead in the water, computer-wise, but my thank you, though late, is still very much heart-felt! 

I'll pass it along tomorrow after we get through this latest spate of bad weather.  We're under a tornado watch again.  I feel very Dorothy Gale these days.

10 comments:

  1. Hey hey! Glad to see you up and running! We all missed you!

    Funny. Whenever I see an auction end, I too get sucked in by the "check out these other items" deal, and yes, get sucked into buying some of them lol~~

    Love the pineapples! I've never seen a pair like that...

    Oh and oooo ahhhh "Make your own Ranch Candy House!"

    Hmmm MAYBE if I get crafty and feel like Betty Draper injected me with a shot of housewifery, maybe I'll try to build a Ranch Candy house of my own for Crimmus lol... Looks like fun! What do you think? or does the idea sound better than the doing? lol...

    Glad to see you back!

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  2. Welcome back! It seems like you've been gone for weeks! I think you should collect all things sold by Dorothy Damar. Very interesting!

    I think folks who create viruses should have their brains removed! Such a waste! I can't figure out what they get out of it!

    Anyway, glad you're back!
    Anna

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  3. Missed ya.
    I was addicted to eBay. I had to quit cold turkey. Sigh.....

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  4. So glad ou are up and running again! Missed your posts, I did! And those little salt and pepper shakers are adorable. Exquisite!

    Liz

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  5. Oh man, on the computer front - let me just say UGH. and UGH again. Its getting harder and harder to venture out anywhere... About a week ago I almost thought maybe I will just go to the library every day and do what I need to do so I don't have to set myself up to be vulnerable.

    It's really awful. I don't even know what the solution is...

    I've seen those commercials and thought about it once or twice but had my own bad experience with one internet security program which is top rated - put it on, wasnt working for me and took it off and when it took itself off it took vital windows files with it.

    um, can you say windows no longer booted?

    I now don't use anything that doenst have a name I havent used before...

    its an awful state of affairs

    Tracy

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  6. Oh boy,you're back! Sorry about the virus mess. I lost about 600 itunes last time I was hit with a virus. I don't buy music anymore. We just listen to Pandora.com. I agree with Anna, remove their brains and a couple other body parts! I love the little shakers.

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  7. Yeah you are back!! Love the little shakers! tooo cute!

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  8. Welcome back!! I missed you!

    How cool is it to find something and have the catalog for it? I remember finding my Sears wall mounted mixer at a flea market just after seeing it in a 1960s magazine. And in orange! Still works!

    Stay away from those viruses - what is it, feed a cold, starve a fever? Drink lots of fluids too. :)

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  9. Yikes! Sorry about all of your computer issues.

    Being a Mac girl myself (by way of hubby), I promise not to spout off about them, but I could never do anything else myself. ;-)

    Cool salt and peppers.

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  10. Thank God You're Back. I hope your computer virus brought you similar joy as do all viruses- rest...pay per view...weight loss...fun perscriptions...

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