Sunday Musings: Lampshades and Freebies (NOT!)

Happy Sunday!  It is warm and sunny and beautiful--finally.

Lamps Plus

I'm prepping for a staging next week.  I'm sitting here cleaning lampshades to be packed.  You know how nasty lampshades get with dust and dirt?  How do you clean them?  I use alcohol and cotton pads and gently rub, rub, rub, down, down, down.  Then I hit the tops and bottoms which is often tricky where the cording is attached.  It is a very zen activity that I find quite satisfying. 

CVS

During my swiping, an incident popped into mind.  This week, a friend asked me if I would like a small table and some other accessories for my staging loot. I'm not typically a skeptic, but I have a history of being put in an uncomfortable position.  One time I was 'offered' two beautiful pottery urns.  I oooed and aaaahed over them and gushed profuse thanks.  "I thought you might want to buy them from me!" Even second hand, they were not a bargain.  Being a coward, I picked one up and told him, "Wow! These are sooooo heavy!  You know I am going to have to pass. It is difficult to lug heavy items around for staging."  Lame, I know but it was the best I could come up with.

Then I reached deep in the recesses of my memory and remember another time I felt 'burned'.  (Or maybe I'm just stupid and can't read between the lines.)  Anyway, someone invited us to their beach house, gave great details about the dates, location, etc.  When I said, "That sounds divine!" The beachcomber told me that her husband would be in touch with our portion of the rent.

(Least you think I am a loser magnet, I have been the recipient of many gracious offerings.)

So, how do you handle it when someone offers you tickets to a concert, show, or sporting event and you don't know the deal?  Do you offer to pay for something you don't particularly care to pay for but would go to if it was a freebie?

Thanks for listening lovelies!  Appreciate your thoughts!