SecondMoonshot

We were lucky enough to get COVID this week and lets just say it was not asymptomatic. Mostly all ok now, but just to be on the safe side, Sydney and I took a well needed cat nap after hitting a few estate sales. John

Sunday, Zabrina and I decided to take a day trip and head up to Hanging Rock State Park by Danbury NC. We went to the Welcome Center area for parking and took the initial gentle hike to Hanging Rock which got a bit harder, but not to bad, probably 4 or so miles total. Some spectacular views to be had for sure and then we went and took a short hike to one of the less-than-spectacular waterfalls.  After we finished hiking, we decided to go over and get a bite to eat at Hillbilly Hide-a-way Restauran t. We went there 3 or so years ago and the claim to fame for this place is that Billy Ray Cyrus had eaten here and I think played on occasion at the music hall in the rear. We were told by the owner that she and her daughter had followed Billy Ray and Miley around on tour for a long time, maybe a full tour or something…so they have pictures of the Cyrus family all over around the register.  For some reason, the food seemed like it was better 3 years ago, not that it was bad, just pe...

Having nothing better to do, figured I would capture some of my greatest thoughts since they come so few and far between. One day you may find one of these gems in a quotation book in your bathroom. “It’s not that ‘Life Got In The Way’, but that it ‘Is Life’. So embrace the good, the sorrowful, the bad.”    -me, on life in general “The best part about working for yourself is that you can do the right thing without fear of getting fired.”    -me, on starting a business “There is no  quicker way to learn something than to lose money at it.”    -me, on eBay selling “Love me for what I am and not what I could be.”   -me, whenever Zabrina tries to change me, inspired by my sister who told me “you’ve become the man you should have been” “The joy is in the journey, not the destination.”   -probably not me, but the dream and execution is so much more fun than attainment. Just core to my happiness. “The employee is the most important asset to the comp...

  Amazing moon and cloud phenomenon that I only noticed after zooming on on our Surf City day trip pictures. Learning some photo editing tools.  This is me in January of 2017. A before and after…this is what COVID does to you. Looks like it ages you 20 years.  Some fun while learning about photo editing: Cat tattoo, nothing better than a cat that supports the brand. Branded flag flying high. John

Me…not so much. John

Friday evenings are usually booked for the OMT 6pm auction, but Zabrina and I wanted to do something, so a drive and a hike or new small town tour are always great candidates. Looking for a state park within a few hours didn’t turn up anything that sparked our interest, so decided on a small beach town where a friend of ours moved to last year…Surf City, NC. We tend to like smaller towns and cities, and this place was great, walkable, excellent beach vibe, less than average tourism domination (but still plenty) and a good locals spots and trendy spots to eat. We walked the beach when we got there for an hour as the tide was coming in, and true to the name, plenty of surfers. Wind was blustery to say the least and my beard felt like a sail. Great beach.  When we headed back to the car, we were a little disappointed there was no place to wash off. We later found the central strand beach access had decent bathrooms and two showers outside which we took advantage of. Parking was not to...

I know some people go all out with light boxes and making perfect pictures for their listings. Not sure why, but I like the raw, almost a amateur look to my photos, but want them to be clear and properly represent the item for sale. I never do the masking of the background which eBay app can do. In most pictures, I keep a folded bed sheet with a light pattern for the background and as that gets dirty I simply fold it over and over to a clean section until I have to wash it. Clothing and pictures I usually just put on the sleeper sofa in my office and point the lights there. Anything large hanging goes on a door hinge to a closet and just take the pictures there…making sure to shut the door as my other half is working from home across the hall. I broke the light I have been using…one of those high end (over priced) crafting lights (Ott or something) and found some new LED-based lights with built in diffusers which were under $75 for two and work great. Probably last years model, but the...

Decided to take a drive up to Brevard where my wife and daughter are doing a girls week getaway in Brevard, NC. Also meeting a friend on Sunday to go do a few hours of driving around. I had one SecondMoonshot sticker left in my wallet, so added it to the wall. Cool place. Guess I should be prepared for a spike in sales on Sunday! John