Twas the night before Mall Maddness! Black friday and "..revolutionizing the means of consumption."

The Muzak was piping "i'm dreaming of a white X-mas" ever so gently over the nearly 100 acres of abandoned mall space. Instead of the stammer of thousands of feet and pandemonium there was only the sound of a million gallos of water cascading over the rocks of "The Falls" shopping mecca in south Dade County (Miami) Florida.

I was meeting a friend and we were desperately trying to find a coffee house that was open or any place for that matter, but to no avail. All was quiet. All was closed on Thanksgiving Day...this day before "Black Friday"; the biggest shopping day of the year. A well oiled capitalistic American phenomenon. Where national holiday turns into a consumer holiday. Though in my opinion, its celebrants are the corporations raking it all in. More on that later.

At the Apple Store, little nano's (the new mini I-pod like music players) sat glowing in the palm of a gingerbreadman's hands. A sultry 2-D Victoria Secret model peered out of another window sporting little else than a Santa Hat made me wonder if they "photo-shopped" the hat onto an old ad campaign to save a few bucks on the window display and maximize the profits on the "unmentionables"? Hey, i'm a reporter, and observer.....and so i observed for a few minutes. Hmmm, definately wasn't on her head when the original photo was taken! But hey nice frilly lacy thingie, wonder if they make that in white lace...oh um Sorry, where was i.

Oh yes, so my friend and i decided, lets meet at the Mall, see what's brewing. should be curious. I'm glad i did so, for its calmness and "high noon" abandonment inspired me to observe the opposite the next day and trek to Dadeland Mall to partake and experience (with new eyes) this most joyous gift grabbing and credit card swiping holiday. So for those that might be in shock right now, especailly those that kmow i hate malls; Cesar A. Becerra willfully went and visited Dadeland Mall on the day after Thanksgiving.....and (thankfully) lived to tell the tale. Trust me, this was not an easy task, nor was i ecstatic to be there.

First challenge as u can imagine was the parking situation. Which was horrendous! No surprize here. This is Miami, and at the mall on top of that. I wont bore u with the details or give precious space to describing finding a spot. In all it took about 45 minutes to actually find a spot, on the roof of a 4 story parking structure that was as devoid of life and good design (then again most parking garages are) as they come. You'd think that if the lifeblood of transporting yur goods is attached to the automobile then they'd atleast make an effort to beautify, enlarge (as bad i hate to promote larger parking areas - but the narrow turns are just hellatious) and make parking a more pleasant experience.

Actually, this brings up a good point associated with the book i just read by George Ritzer called Enchanting A Disenchanted World; Revolutionizing the Means of Consumption. By the way, this is the holy grail of books to read if u want to see "how far the rabbit hole goes" (line that Morpheus tells Neo in The Matrix) in relation to how malls work.

One day this very issue of parking will be used to lure more customers into the mall. Some mall developer will (or already has) design a more pleasant parking experience that will make the desicion to go visit their mall as opposed to going to an older one where parking is still a hassle.

This phenomenon as Mr. Ritzer points out is the very reason that all malls and other "cathedrals of consumption" are almost at the moment they get built or newly renovated or expanded....are completely obsolete. The customers/consumers eventually grow tired of the very thing that brought them into that store. Once cutting edge, a new concept grows old. And corporate America, particularly mall developers have become very keen at realizing that they constantly have to out do themselves just to "keep em comin". Unfortunately they have to spend million of dollars each year, use up countless more natural resources, sometimes even cut down green areas....all to bring us a new shopping experience!

Several case in points. And surprizingly "ripped" from the pages of his books were details found particularly at Dadeland on the day after Thanksgiving when i visited;

The children's area was bustling with a soft play area and comfortable seating for adults- in fact hotel lobby like couches...COUCHES! for the adults to rest and relax.....so that, so that... parents dont get burned out by kids crying, getting cranky. So that...they will stay longer in the mall....not to admire mall architecture or buy Cinnebuns...but to spend more money in the stores! Buy more products, be exposed and plant more seeds of interest in other products to buy on the next trip.

This day was so important that the mall felt they did not want to take a chance on little Sue or Bobby having a melt-down so they hired three costumed faries (best description i can muster, anyhow one of them had wings - please see link below for rest of photos of my mall excursion) to hand out balloon animals to the (soon to be "formerly cranky") kids. Mission accomplished, little Bobby has his balloon and mom can go buy more stuff to put under the tree.

The only area where sunlight peeked in was in the giant food court. This is by design so dont be fooled. In the land of malls they'd love u to loose track of time soo... around the main stores u will be in an environment where u will forget what time it is, (i.e. no sunlight) because yu really cant see outside...much like the Las Vegas casino environment. This is of course to lull u into thinkin u've been there only a few minutes, meanwhile 8 hours have gone by and the sun has long since set. But in the food court, they'd like u to be in an environment to re-fresh yur batteries. Be around nature. There will generally be an indoor palm or two. And of course lots of caffeine to get u thru the next part of the shopping experience.

There are no readily seen or centraly based clocks anywhere in the mall. This of course goes hand in hand with the whole loosing an entire day looking at gadgets, clothing and other related tcotchkies. The only clock i did find was at Macy's but thta didn't count cuz it was merely a decorative one projected on the floor, plugging away at the biological shopping clock of 24, 23, 22...days till X-mas! And anyway it had the wrong time so it represented a double whamy of misdirection.

Every year as we all know and hear, there is a major toy that comes out that everybody just has to have. And this year its the X-box. Only someone was crafty (or sinister) enough not to manufacture too many cuz there has been a "run on the bank"for those white boxed little suckers. Now i'm told thru the rumor mill that there is another version in another color but my inbox is full right now and truthfully i could care less. That's not the case with the throngs of folks snapping these babies up. You just cant get them. Anywhere. And if u do, you'll pay - from what i hear on a recent ebay auction - nearly 5,000 clams to bring one home. Hello folks they sell for only $350 bucks!

Well "Fernando", an industrious Cuban American student i found at Dadeland that day understands this law of supply and demand quite well and was willing to take advantage of this situation so he put up his own X-box store. Right in the middle of the mall where even those small boutique "carts" can fetch $3,000 a month in rent!

But Fernando was smarter than that. Fernando only had one X-box. So it didn't make sense to pay Dadeland Mall $3,000 dollars for a space to sell his one X-box. So Fernando, clever boy that he is, took advantage of the mass pandemoneum of Black Friday, the day after Turkey Day, and he plopped down a small white sign Fernando had printed on his HP Printer (maybe less than 5 cent investment, plus the $350 x-box) that said "X-Box, $1,000" and innocently placed it at his feet. Fernando, the rebel X-box store owner for a day, turned a $650 dollar profit from a small white box that everybody "just has to have!"

Well after my 3 hours at the mall, i just "had to go". And began making my way out of Dadeland Mall with a profit of 2 sample bites of a pretzel from Anie Q's, (i didn't pay for it so i'll just estimate its street value of maybe 10 cents) one toothpick sized bite of garlic chicken (again a free sample probably worth a quarter) from Panda King and the knowledge that it is indeed possible to enter one of the most profitable "cathedrals of consumption" without spending a penny. And that lesson is indeed....."priceless" in every sense and irony of the word.

Cesar, Signing off
Currently in Atlanta
Finishing Marji's Move


Notes on PHOTOS; here are some captions for above photos, sorry i have not been able to figure out how to put them under photos so bear with me.

1. A bemused (think that is a word) or stunned husband waits for wife, thinking, "i could be watching football now!"

2. Lots of encouraging signs that make it seem that this is the only day EVER that u can buy this much crap for these insane prices.

3. Hoards of Folks walking down Dadeland Mall, one of the most successful malls in America. Located in South Dade County (Miami) over the years the mall has undergone several radical transformations in line with the phenomenon that the customer gets bored - or rather his/her attention will go to another mall with some new fangled gimick - really quickly!

4. Macy's clock. Wrong time. Meant to lull u into thinking u've only been inside 5 minutes...meanwhile ur kids are at home starving and yu've more than blown ur "nest egg"

5. Me at Brookline/Brooks, whatever that damn store is that sells all those gadgety devices that end up in my garage sales. In anycase this massage chair retails for just about $2,000. This line of chairs -once just a bit player in the stores inventory - has become so popular and so popular that the company that manufactures them actually bought BOUGHT the actual retail store that sells them...hook line and sinker! Unbelievable. Are we that stressed out that we need to simultaneously sit down -in itself its own relaxing replenishing excercize - and be massaged at the same time!

6. Another sign. Buy, but buy right now please!

7. Notice the palms and sunlight in the food court area. Food courts are meant to curb ur appetite....so you dont....Leave the MALL. So u can turn around and buy more stuff. PERIOD. They are not a convenience to the customers they are a convenience to the stores inside the mall and their cash registers!

8. This poor guy was taking a nap. But wait upon closer inspection notice this is not yur typical park or mall bench, nope....this is a hotel lobby like plush couch. Hmmmm, someone wants yu to be refreshed quickly so you can.....yu guessed it....SHOP, SHOP, SHOP!

9. PANTY RAID! Always wanted to say that. And here it is. Obviously the girls that hit this stand were a pack of wild teenagers with absolutely no manners. But its Black Friday, who cares, lets leave everything a mess. In the end, these big sales turn people into animals....in a way, if u dont get ur favorite pink panties...the world will end!

10. Ahhh yes the joys of finding a spot to park.

11. Who are these girls. I mean, we should have a contest to try and name or describe what it is they are representing. Mall faries? Pink boa like butterflies? You tell me. Ahh but there purpose is solid. Make those cranky kids forget they were cranky, sleepy or God forbid....bored! Kids....c'mon its the mall, lets get with the program. This is supposed to be fun. Mommy and daddy gotta shop!

12. Another poster plus it matches the ad campaign in the local paper. Actually a national campaign. This was after all an unofficial national holiday!

13. "Everyone has a Gift to Give" What does this mean? Note or question to Macy's. Hypothetically speaking... even though yu might have a gift to give, should yu really give it? What if u dont want to give a gift, or dont have one to give, or opt not to give to each and every person u know? Just asking.

14. More folks jamming the isles at Macy's inside Dadeland Mall.

15. "Fernando" our rougue non-renting rebel X-box vendor!

Fast Dog/Slow Ride. Why i leave the driving to Greyhound!

I am a world walker, yes, but i do plenty of travel in other ways. I love the train. Especially long overnights from Miami to DC or New York. Yes overnight! It takes nearly 24 hours to go what normally will take 2 hours by plane. So am i crazy? Well i don't think so. An even slower means of travel is by bus. But at a rate of 60 miles per hour, you gotta understand that is like rocket travel to me. I'm used to moving at only 2 to 3 mph by foot, still my preffered way of travel. At that rate, i don't miss a thing. There is nothing like plodding along, slowly crossing many miles of open spaces before i enter a town, city or metropolis.

But since i take copious amounts of breaks (in fact i'll take any excuse for a break) to work, see nearby communities, or just chill, i usually have to get to those locations by bus. That means Greyhound.

Most people recoil when i tell them how i'm coming to see them. I should say, most people i visit or jobs i take (whether it be a tour, estate sale, etc) aren't the type of folks that usually even would step on the bus, or haven't stepped on one for many years. I think they think its sort of below them in some way. That, there was a time in their lean and struggling days, that that form of travel was OK. Its too bad because they are missing out on what i consider to be the last real form of travel left.

For the record, i'm on planes quite a bit, so its not that i'm actively ignoring plane travel, its just i fly when i have to. As the lead guide for Educational Field Trips, for nearly six months of the year i am blessed with one of the most incredible jobs around. Get this. Not only do i get paid (handsomely i might ad) to travel, but they pluck me from the worldwalk route and fly me to either Boston, DC, New York, Philly or Florida to conduct 3 to 7 day tours where my every attraction, meal, hotel and entertainment (yes even Broadway plays) is paid for. This is all on top of my salary! Yes i know, i have it good.

So most of the time i fly to and from my walk (i always go back and pick up where i left off) on any one of the major airlines. Its sorta mission impossible like. I'll get a call or an e-mail from my bosses Mary, Patty or Monika (i call them Charlie's Angels - even though there is no Charlie) and "if i choose to accept" (my mission) i just show up at a nearby airport where electronic tickets are waiting for me at the counter. I love the extremes of my life and at times have been known to finish a section of the walk, get to a payphone in some small town, call a cab, be whisked off to the airport and board a flight....all within two hours of my finishing my walk. It gets better. When the plane touches down, i have been just 5 minutes away from meeting my intended group of 40 to 50 middle or high schoolers at a gate right next to mine and begin a tour. The group will have no knowledge that just three hours ago i was on some country lane in rural Georgia.

Back to flying. And yes eventually to my point as to why i prefer bus travel. It seems to me that for some reason, folks that fly are a bit to polished for my taste, a bit to.....how shall i say it....guarded, quiet, to themselves. Not all of course but many. Their patience level obviously is short too. They would never make it on a Greyhound Bus trip. I've seen folks loose it at a gate if a plane is gonna be 3 minutes late from taking off whereas on the bus delays are legendary or just part of the reality of "leave (ing) the driving to us!"

Sure its a two hour flight to New York from Miami or 5 hours across the U.S. but some folks don't really calculate the time and (sometimes hassle) of getting to an airport. Or the delays i have witnessed. On one occassion i was going from JFK to Miami. The flight was cancelled. I took the airline up on another flight from Newark, NJ, they said they'd provide a shuttle to get us there. So we boarded. Well in route we hit the worst traffic jam i've ever experienced. We were late of course to the other flight. Then the next flight out wasn't for another 4 hours. I bitched of course, got a refund, but by the time i got to Miami from the New York area, nearly 21 hours had elapsed for what should have been a 2 hour flight.

OK, that is an extreme case. I admit. But it does illustrate that at times, the fastest way to go, can sometimes match the slowest. Besides i like to read, i like to think and i like having time to do both. LOTS OF TIME! So with the bus, i can just board, get as comfy as i can, and read to my hearts content! I once read no fewer than 3 books on a 32 hour trip from Boston to Miami. And to tell you the truth, the time just evaporated. No it is not for everybody. But it works for me. Other great pluses are price; (I've been known to get 50 dollar deals from New York to Atlanta), easy access to stations (most are located centrally in major cities and of course in the middle of nowhere on my worldwalk route) and major entertainment (the crux of my argument below).

Ah yes, the real reason i prefer long distance, slow travel by Greyhound is dollar for dollar its one of the most colorful experiences you can have while travelling in the U.S. And some instances are dooseys. All provided free of charge, not by Greyhound, but by the very riders who hop aboard!

Ah, yes, the riders. Most folks who hear i just came off the bus, drop their voices 2 octaves, lean in, look around and say; "aren't there funny, weird people on Greyhound" (clearly meaning phychos, former prisoners and just plain low income scum - to be honest). I get this all the time. They are shocked when i say, its my most prefered way to travel. They just dont get it.

So i begin telling them of all the moments that just can't be replicated at 30,000 feet. Like the time the bus broke down outside of St. Augustine on my way to Jacksonville to resume a segment of the walk. What looked like an annoying disaster turned into a beautiful moment the likes of which i dont think anybody's ever seen in many years. One by one we filed out to see the bus driver's head totally engulfed inside the engine compartment. This did not look good. "We're gonna be here for a while", someone mumbled "so we better make the most of it!" Another person stepped off the bus with a big blanket, spread it out on a grassy embankment right there along the small highway. One by one, at first reluctantly, folks began sitting down. Someone made a dash across the street and bought some Kentucky Fried Chicken. Others shared cell phones to tell loved ones they'd be late. Yet others volunteered to watch the kids that were on the bus, play in a nearby field. Everybody began sharing stories of back home, hurricanes and family. We bonded. Here we were having a pic-nick on the side of the road in the sade of an oak tree, on an honest to God blanket the size of Missouri.

Who has pic-nicks any more? Who has pic-nicks with virtual strangers. Who has patience levels that rival open heart surgeons? None of this exists anymore in the hurry up and wait world of plane travel. This type of bonding doesn't happen in the Hertz rental car world. It happens on Greyhound though and it happens every day.

Yes there are the weirdos. Lots of which have just plain entertained the hell out of me. Yes there are the former, just-let-out-of-jail prisoners. On one occassion i overheard two just released jail birds openly planning their next heist and theyt had just met on the bus! That conversation is one i'd like to turn into a play one day. Yes, there is even the down and out folks who's lives are hanging by a thread. Who bring u back to earth. Who inject copious doses of reality in this growingly gussied up world.

There are the mexican immigrants, shuffling back and forth from region to region as the seasons change. With their big tall hats and their thinck accents. I help them quite a bit when they seemed puzzled as to what bus to connect to.

There are the plethora of blacks who singlehandedly i suppose keep Greyhound rolling. Not only are most of the drivers black, but the handlers, ticket agents and of course riders. To understand the state of black America today - one of subjects i'm most passionate about - u must experience Greyhound. I don't know the hierchy in the upper management echelons but at the core level (on the street) this is their network. They ride. They work. They move items (Greyhound has a vast shipping business that most of America is unaware of). All of it under a banner of a skinny dog that sprints at speeds that defy logic.

But on Greyhound, nothing is quick. Nothing is fast. It's a virtual time machine back to another era. But it is in the here and now. It is the best value in the transportation circuit. As long as you are not looking for speed as your primary concern for travel. There is more to life than how quickly u can get from point A to point B. Luckily, thankfully, there is a more human alternative.

Leo, Larry and enviro-friends "entertain" global warming cause!

A few weeks ago while finishing a 10 mile stretch in northern Tennessee, i decided to give in to a guilty pleasure; i checkeed into a hotel room on the side of US 41. While i rested my weary feet, soaked up a hot bath and channel surfed my way into oblivion i caught a quick glimpse of Oprah Winfrey and Leonardo DiCaprio sitting along side some suit/professor guy who had a somber look on his face.

I turned off the boiling water, reached over for the remote and turned up the volume. The professor was yapping about the end of the world so it took me a while to figure out why Oprah and Leo were yapping about the end of the world but a few minutes later, Leo chimed in; "and that Oprah is why we have to begin changing our ways....we can't rely on gasolene forever...the planet depends on it!"

Oprah listened intently, the mega media mogul, who just last year gave away like 250 carbon monoxide emitting vehicles to her entire audience was singing another tune. That of environmentalist. Or was Oprah just desperate to get a big name star on her show, no matter how unpopular the topic may be. I mean c'mon, just a few months earlier a monkey-like Tom Cruise could barely be heard over the roar of several hundred screaming women as he gushed over his new fiance (Katie Holmes). Lets face it, the environment is not sexy. So if Leo wants to yap about Hybrid Cars, then Oprah's gonna let him.

Leo had two messages; change your lightbulbs and drive the new "it" car. A Hybrid. Hell, he even told Oprah, she's gotta get rid of her SUV. Oprah politely declined but said she's buy the bulbs. At 30 bucks a piece, and on a subsequent show i learned that Oprah has like 30 homes, you sorta gotta be as rich as Oprah is just to afford the switch. He also ended the show by plugging www.virtualmarch.org and www.stopglobalwarming.org as well as his upcoming special that would air some upcoming Sunday. I made a mental note and forgot about it.

Last night, while awaiting my Greyhound to Miami to see the "fam" it just so happened that i caught a glimpse of Larry David (creator of Seinfeld and star of HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm) riding thru the streets of Las Vegas on a horse, dressed in Colonial garb yelling; "Global Warming is Coming, Global Warming is Coming, save yourself." An exhausted David was then pulled from his horse, given water and cleverly told people to head to Caesar's Palace to get the rest of the message.

This turned out to be the TV special Leo had elluded to on Oprah. That night folks like Ben Stiller, Tom Hanks, Leo himself, and a who's who of Hollywood heavy weights entertained the crowd with stand-up bits that every now and then would mention the word environment or global warming.

Inside the Greyhound Terminal, where most riders clearly were black, hispanic (mostly mexican immigrants) or some other lower income group, the TV special was almost completely ignored. Hard to do with folks that have nothing to do inside a building that is about as exciting as watching paint dry. Some glanced excitedly when they recognized a star they knew but after a few seconds would go back to polishing leather boots, pacifying bored and crying kiddies or fighting with the vending machines over a lost quarter. That is....until Cedric arrived. That is Cedric "The Entertainer", the black comedian who made a splash on the runaway hit documentary "The Kings of Comedy". What he said spoke volumes about the state of the environment, or at least what groups of people even have the time to care. But for now you need to just know that at this moment, a hush fell over the room. Folks took notice. "Hey man, look, its Cedric"...."Check it out, that's Cedric, quiet up, he's speakin"

Of all the stars, of all the millions spent on this production (in the most environmentaly unfriendly city in America, i might add), Cedric told it like it is, and his thoughts spoke volumes about the state of environmental awareness today; loosely translated here is what he said; "Now i gotta be honest, i'm still tryin to figure out why i was invited tonight, cuz Black folks, i mean lets face it, black people are the last ones to give a crap about the environment. That's because, i mean, we're just thinkin about the rent man, trying not to get shot, i mean the environment is a tough thing to focus on when u got like 10 kids runnin around the house."

It's a bit ironic that though it affects us all, the issue of global warming might be something only folks that have leisure can think about. Or better said even have the time to care about it.

Another thought crept into my mind. There at this station, folks that don't even seem to have the time to think about such problems as global warming might just be doing something more about combatting the problem than most economically advantaged parts of our population. I mean the shear act of conserving energy by sharing a vehicle to travel - and there is nothing more efficient and more environmentaly friendly that 55 people sharing a bus - is much more of a proactive step than driving hundreds of miles in your air conditioned SUV.

Now that is not to say that poor folks dont drive big cars. But i don't see (and i go Greyhound quite a bit) lots of white folk, lots of Leo DiCaprio's conserving energy either. So i don't know, it seems like a wash to me. On the one hand i see folks with lots of money, foolishly driving Humvees, building (and of course needing to consume more energy to operate) mansions that call themselves environmentalist. Oprah will reluctantly (and can afford to) change light bulbs but wont ditch her Expedition. And Hollywood will come together to bring attention to a cause that only Hollywood Heavys can bring attention to. But are folks just being entertained. Or are they listening?

The bigger question is; Does it even matter? I don't think even the experts can agree on that one. I'll have to lean towards my pessimistic side on this one. I just don't see how we can stop the runnaway train that is our modern world. We consume much more than we conserve. And because of that we'd have to radically consume a hell of a lot less to even come close to making a difference. I wonder if Leo and Oprah could have bought a mess of 30 dollar light bulbs and mailed them out, one per household, to like a small city.

I would gladly take one. But i'd have nowhere to screw it in to. But that's another story. One day, maybe i'll share my radical plan for saving the environment...for now i gotta head to the Metro Rail Station where 100,000 other poor but dedicated envirionmentalists fight for the environment in Miami as they commute, mass transit style, each and every day. In comparison, i'd mention Miami's population figure here but that would just depress you.

I'm out. I can smell the turkey now!

Mega Garage Sale on Wescott Lane

Its over.. The last person strolled in at 5:45pm to buy some Christmas lights and used shoes. "I was soooo glad you were still open." said a tired but excited bear of a lady "I was driving to work when i saw your sign and at work all day, i just kept watching the clock and hoping that when i went home, you'd still be open...i just love Garage sales, i live for them."

Well she's not alone. Hundreds more people do to and despite the chilly weather (there was frost on everything in the morning - since i had pulled everything out the night before for the pre-sale) at 6:45am five cars came streaming down Wescott lane, parked and raced to be the first shoppers at what i billed on Craigslist and in an ad in the Atlanta Journal Constitution as "The Last Mega Estate Sale of the Year".

Well i probably elaborated a wee bit too much but lets face it, next week is turkey day weekend and most folks will be buying new, high end, high priced crap to haul home and put under the tree. Items that ironically will one day end up where most high end high priced crap ends up; in somebody's garage sale. Besides its too cold for Garage sale-ing beginning next week anyway. This morning barely cut it. I was out there in my regular jacket and decided it was way too nippy so i looked around and quickly donned a faux mink coat ($25 - did not sell) and a santa hat (2 bucks, and yes someone bought it right off my head), plopped down under a down blanket ($3 - sold also) and lounged on a $350 designer italian leather seat (did not sell, but might get bought on ebay) and stayed toasty warm as folks attacked the garage sale.

Its always an interesting phenomenon. The act of putting one on. Its in my blood. I'm hard wired to handle them. I love stuff. Even though i own very little. (well i once owned lots of stuff, but i think it owned me - more on that subject in the future) So now i love handling other people's stuff. I love people. I love to get them a good deal on something. But I also know how to get them to walk away with more than they originally thought they'd buy. Well its partly their fault, as they are looking for a good deal. Its quite an art form.

First of all, i never price anything. That is a recipe for disaster. If you do. And you price it too high. Someone during the sale that really wants that item, might stare down on it, say silently - in their mind - "hmmm nice but too pricey" and walk on by. Meanwhile, i have no idea that he or she is interested. If they have to ask me "how much for this" DING! i know i have an interested buyer. Before i quote the price, i immediately begin yapping about that object, history, popularity, original price is was bought for, how many times it was used....and then only then, do i price it.....then i listen and look for a facial response.

If they frown or recoil, i know that they feel its too high. If they quickly say yes, i know i probably could have gotten more for it. If they counter offer, then i'll usually go down, but always say, "if you buy some more stuff, i'll give it to ya at that price" then i will add "keep lookin around, make urself a pile, the more you get the bigger discount i'll give ya"....then the magic happens....after the 2nd or third time, they stop asking about price and begin piling up stuff. Once they are that engaged and physically involved, then they are more likely to buy it all at a pretty decent price since now, they've been both hauling stuff to their pile and protecting their pile from the other garage sale vultures.

The sun peeked out around 8:30am and the rest of the day was beautiful. Cars streamed in to the gated community (we got permission from the home owners association to keep the gates open) and parked willy nilly all over the place (some dillapitated junked out cars - the true sign of serious garage sale junkies - yes they exist and quite a breed of folk they are - were parked in driveways of pissed off neighbors, some of which came bitching out of their homes, looked at the spectacle and wished they could kick everybody out). But alas, it was an approved event, i would find the owner, get them to move the car, and 5 minutes later the entire cycle would happen again.

Ironically, on the same day of the sale, the actual house had its closing, so even the house sold. So you could make a point that even the Garage got sold that day! Throughout the day, the long rows of stuff that were both inside and (flowing like a river of post or post popular consumer junk) outside the garage, slowly, slowly, thinned out. It practically dissapeared. By nightfall, as i was separating trash from the stuff i will haul off tomorrow to Goodwill, i thought once again of the deeper meaning of this most American ritual. It still amazes me how excited people get when they are in buying mode. Hunting for a deal mode. We are a nation of shoppers. some shop in malls. some in box stores. some even shop out of the most popular of ready to open retail shops; The American (2 car) Garage!

I'm off to Miami for turkey day. See my family. Warm my ass up in the sun.

Cesar

In the land of boxes. Garage-a-sailing in the ATL; step one - empty the boxes.

It was aliitle like the scene in Being John Malcovich when they find the 14th and a half floor, or whatever floor it was. Well i felt that way when i thought; "i'd better quit for the day!" I was in this little nook in the basement of Marji's grand home. Inside this storage area were litterally hundreds of boxes. all sizes. little ones from shoe boxes to old excercize equipment boxes. Sure some were full with clothes, assorted nic-nacks, etc... But the rest were empty?

It was not her fault. It is far from her fault. I used to think folks were weak, and they just couldn't possibly resist buying stuff. but the reality, as i've come to know is that the system is strong. too strong. And so we buy, without knowing why we buy. Without knowing that sometimes we buy the very same things we have squirreled away.

Anyhow more on my realizations on that subject later (trust me u'll hear about this in later blogs - its what i've been obsessed about for like the last 4 years). But the interesting thing was that, here was a room of boxes that were in a sorta like box room, tall enough for me to barely stand - and i'm pretty short - and this room exited into the garage, which in itself is another box, and that box of course is part of the house, that, from afar looks like a great big box, with little box-like windows, and...you guessed it, inside that are many rooms, which are boxes with doors.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm not against houses. And this is a really nice house. but do we need that many boxes..within boxes. I think its gotten a wee bit out of hand. Even Marji thinks so. "I'm such a different person, this house, well...it used to be me, but i've changed, and really it doesnt match who i am any more."

So she is moving. Which is where i come in. Before i assist her in moving, i'm helping her downsize and sell off some stuff. That is what the garage sale is for. And step one is to empty the boxes within the boxes. That means, closets (nasty boxes), drawers (we'll they are pretty nasty but luckily they are smaller than closets), and storage areas (like attics and basements). We'll continue the lesson in the next blog.

Bye.

Introducing Cesar Becerra, Modern day nomad, worldwalker

Hi there. I've finally done it. My first blog. Been debating for like eons on whether or not to do this but here goes.

Just crossed the Kentucky border just about a few days ago and finished my 1,600th mile on my quest to circumnavigate the globe. ON FOOT! Yes, by walking. I began in Key West on Jan. 4th, 2004, on the 4th anniversary of being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. It changed my life. And that is the understatement of the millennium.

Yes, i'm different. A wee bit crazy. But happy and blessed to be doing so. Check out my website for that story but remember its only a part of why i'm doing this.

The rest you'll read about as the walk goes on.
Welcome to my page. Forgive my typos, gonna keep this real. Gotta garage sale to plan for this weekend in Atlanta.

If u are confused just know that i like to wear alot of hats.
I'm out...for now

Cesar