Kitchen Set

Sunday turned out very fun. Did the usual in the morning, then Ellen called. She said she wanted to go to a real estate open house in Riverview, where she lives, to kind of check out the competition, so she asked if I'd bop over there first instead of her coming here. But of course, and I got there at 11:00.
I thought the house was very nice, but it didn't have many of the features hers does and didn't seem as large. She was heartened by the price (this is southern California, so it's listed at an arm and a leg, and every drop of blood in the buyer's body), as she thinks she can get at least as much for her place.
We went to Subway for lunch, then I remembered that on Saturday, I had seen a small kitchen set--table and four chairs--at Goodwill Considering that it was very attractive, just a plain, rectangular wooden table, which is what I wanted, I thought it would fit perfectly in my tiny eating area. It was in excellent condition and included four matching chairs (which I didn't need and see later). Incredibly, the price tag read $24.99.
So after lunch, I asked El if she'd go back with me and take a look. We did and I saw it was now featured in the front of the large store--no wonder, it's really a terrific buy. To my amazement, the price sticker had been changed, and it now said $49.99. Of course, we slunk away after that...
NOT! I complained to some of the workers, then to the floor manager, then the assistant manager, furiously angry that they'd double the price over night. In fact, it was well worth fifty bucks, but would Miss Cheaparita dream of paying that price?
Long story short: They backed down and I got it at $24.99. They even took the legs off for me and El was able to get three of the chairs and the table legs in the back seat of her car and the top of the table partly into her trunk. We rode carefully back to her place, I got my car and went back to get the fourth chair. Went directly to my apartment, El put the legs back on, we moved the inappropriate-for-eating antique mahogany table across the room, set the new up and it looks terrific. Gives me so much more room and is much more in keeping with the rest of the decor.
After that, we drove off to Ojai and looked at several large and beautiful mobile homes. At first glance, the prices seem so reasonable compared to regular houses here: from the hundred eighties or so to the middle two hundreds. The kicker is space rent, which in Ojai ranged from $900 to $1000 a month! AND--unlike mortgage interest, you can't take it off your income tax.
We were out until almost 5:00, then said goodbye (El had to finish her report cards) and I went to WinCo for this and that. When I got home, I switched out the chairs that had come with my spectacular buy, substituting the Swedish modern chairs I bought years ago at the Workbench in Princeton. I like them better and they look great with the table. I'll put the others on Craig's List and if they don't sell--well, I'll donate them back to a thrift store.
I had been wakeful the night before last and I blame that on sitting too much of the day at the computer. Yesterday, we had walked here and there, in and out of the car, up and down stairs, and I had no such problem; slept soundly last night.