Subject: Re: [pafree] Offer: more stuff--you supply the nonsense

From: David Harris <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 31 Aug 2006 21:07:51 +0000

Dear Stephanie,

I like your creative writing in all this. First "stuff and nonsense", 
and now THIS.

I'd like to apply for the big blanket and the duvet.  The big blanket is 
to be used on a California King sized bed that my ex-wife and I bought 
from a Russian couple back in 1997, shortly before we separated.  $200, 
cash only.  Now I am preparing the rooms of my little house to rent out 
so the mortgage (which grew with refinancings in the early 2000's) can 
be paid by the rental income.  And this winter some renter needs to 
sleep under a warm something or else we'll have to put the thermostat on 
a higher setting.  I'm hoping that the "warm something" is your nice big 
blanket.

Why am I needing the extra income?  Well, back in 1998 I invested my 
$142,000 retirement savings in the stock market, and it did WELL.  I 
thought I was a really great stock picker, since my money grew to 
$377,000 by 2001. Hey, I knew about the potential of the Internet and 
biotechnology.  I'm trained as a biochemist and worked with computers 
for biotech firms like Genentech, Affymetrix, and Syntex.  Gosh, I had 
made more money with the stocks than if I'd worked as a programmer for 
the years since being laid off by Syntex when its patent on Aleve ran 
out in 1993.  I was RETIRED!  But then something life-changing happened: 
80% of my retirement wealth went away!  My $377,000 turned into $72,000 
and I had to admit I was no longer RETIRED, but only UNEMPLOYED.... 
Alas, I had to return to work at age 60, when age discrimination is a 
real problem.  So I found a half time job doing interesting science 
education on a Web site, but not earning quite enough money to maintain 
my retirement savings.  I'm going to try to retire again, just kinda later.

Oh, the duvet.  I am sleeping on a futon frame in the living room, where 
I intend to define a 3rd bedroom, for myself, by lining up tall 
furniture pieces to make the "walls".  Then I'll be able to rent the 2 
real bedrooms and the RV in the driveway to other people, thus helping 
the housing shortage and helping me pay my mortgage.  The duvet will 
help me by enclosing a queen size down comforter (Costco, source of all 
great bargains) and making it last longer than if the comforter were 
uncovered.  I love down as a bedding cover: aside from that first minute 
when you go "aaaeeeiiii, that's cold", it warms up to just the 
temperature of a nice cuddly body (your own, but we can pretend) and 
feels wonderfully toasty all night long.  So I'd like to get the duvet, too.

By the way, my father actually considered worm farming during the time 
he was recovering from active alcoholism.  His esteem was seriously 
damaged and he wasn't considering regular work in those days.

Sooooo, if you deem my uses to be worthy of the blanket and the duvet, 
I'd be very grateful for a chance to give them a second home: mine.

Sincerely (it's all true! honest!),

  - David  Harris, south Palo Alto

PS: does btnurture mean you are growing the Bacteria thurogenosis (or 
something like that), the creature that kills caterpillars and stuff in 
an environmentally friendly way?

PPS: Are you feeling entertained?    ;-)

btnurture wrote:
> 
> 
> And the purge goes on (with apologies to Sonny and Cher).
> 
> Available:
> 
> King size woven blanket with ribbon binding. Soft and warm, gently used. 
> Works great on
> a twin when doubled.
> 
> Queen size duvet cover with two pillow covers. An Ikea special--thin 
> multi-colored stripes.
> Red, turquoise, gray, black, and who knows what else.
> 
> Turquoise Ikea round wastebasket (matches above--hint! !!).
> 
> Pair of oven mitts--abstract pattern in pastel-ish colors. I guess I'm 
> just not an abstact
> type.
> 
> White 9' (?) extension cord.
> 
> Eddie Bauer ceramic travel mug--the big-bottomed kind with a rubber 
> bottom to keep it
> from sliding.
> 
> Avon breast cancer fund-raiser mug. White ceramic w/pink flower (I 
> think). Still in box.
> 
> Braun coffee grinder--complete with some leftover Peet's coffee.
> 
> Hair turban towel for after your shower. Still in box.
> 
> Green ice cube trays from my "new" fridge.
> 
> Pull-out vegetable crispers from my now-defunct fridge.
> 
> Small canister of Betta food--if you don't know what a Betta is, you 
> should probably pass
> on this.
> 
> Two ~18" wall-mount CD racks. Black bentwood.
> 
> Collapsible black hard-sided zipper case--perfect size for DVD's, Tapes, 
> CD's, Electronic
> games, etc. ~18"x6"x12". I'm no engineer, so don't hold me to the 
> dimensions.
> 
> All in Mountain View near downtown. All will be donated to Goodwill-type 
> organization if
> not picked up by Sunday evening.
> 
> A good story for why you want any and/or most and/or all of this stuff 
> wins over an
> immediate response, so feel free to entertain me. (Like the women who 
> wanted the paper
> shredder to make worm bedding!) I need a respite from all this delayed 
> spring cleaning.

You're having fun with this, aren't you?  ;-)

> Thanks again,
> Stephanie