Today my mom and I rented a booth in a local doll and toy show for the second year in a row.  As always, it was a lot of fun, but this year was especially lucrative — we brought in well over three times what we usually make.  My mom and I aren’t really sellers — we collect hard plastic dolls from the 1950s, and just sell the ones we don’t want anymore as our collections grow and change.

I was really impressed with the show this year.  It is always held in the same place, in the ballroom and lobby at a local hotel.  The hotel has wheelchair ramps, handicapped parking spaces with plenty of space on either side for a wheel chair lift to operate, and various other luxuries such as a lovely hotel dining room. We found out a little too late that there was even a special room rate for attendees this year — if they do that again next year we plan on staying in the hotel.

I don’t know why it was, but the show was especially busy today, and we sold a lot of stuff.  Most of our customers were the folks we always see there, many of them dealers themselves, but perhaps they were buying more than usual because they were so encouraged by the good sales themselves.

Whatever it was, we really had a great time, and look forward to selling at the show again next year!

I’ve changed my mind over the years about how important an education is.  When I was younger, I didn’t think it was that important — I went right to work after high school, and worked full time for four years.  During this time, I worked minimum-wage child care teacher jobs and dealt with a lot of uneducated folks before realizing how much of a difference education makes — not the least in the type of people you work with and befriend.

So I went back to school, got my degree, and got my first professional job.  After about a year there, I went into business for myself, which I’ve been doing ever since.  Getting an education changed my life — not the least because it changed the type of people that I befriended.  I’m still friends with some of my old friends, but we have less in common anymore, and from an outsider’s perspective I can see how their lives get harder every year.

This is why I believe in emphasizing your educational achievements.  Whether that means just putting your degree and other achievements (such as GPA, associations, etc.) on your resume, or buying a nice university diploma frame and prominently displaying your diploma, indulge yourself and show off a little.  You’ve earned it, and that’s why I think diploma framing is such a great idea!

It seems like it has been ages since my wife and I had a chance to get away and go on a trip together.  Sure, we take trips with the kids, but sometimes it is just nice to spend time alone.  In fact, I would almost argue that it is an important part to having a healthy marriage.

So, my wife and I have finally found a way that we can have a romantic weekend: her mother will come and babysit the kids.  Though it will be short, we are looking forward to the peace and quiet.

We have decided that Price Rupert will be our destination of choice.  I was there as a child and it was one of the most amazing places that I ever visited and I wanted to share it with her.  There are also some great deals on coast accommodation at this time of year, so I know we will be able to keep costs down.

There are a few tourist attractions that I want to show her and maybe we’ll have a chance to take the ferry to Queen Charlotte Islands and check out some of the places I visited in my youth.  Even if we don’t see anything it will just be nice to spend some time with the love of my life alone for a change.