Last week, i had a really nasty email, from Tyler at ebay, informing me that my account would never be re-reviewed and that the listing limits were permanent. Of course, I was crushed. I loved listed on ebay and I really believed if they would only take a close look at my feedback, they would change their minds. Needless to say, it was a real low point for me. Well, the next day I got an email informing me that my listing limits had been lifted. I was so happy, I cried. Then, I thought, this can’t be right. I sent them 2 emails before I could believe that I would be allowed to list as much as I wanted. I got right to work and I have been listing to my hearts delight. Something has changed, though. I feel the dog who was knocked down a few times and now I expect to be knocked down again.

I wonder when the other honest sellers I met on ebay will have their listing limits lifted? It’s hard to believe that this was the best way ebay could find, to get rid of counterfeiters and crooks. Innocent people shouldn’t have their finances ruined because, for too many years, ebay let the fakes get listed as long as they were paying customers. My family and I were seriously damaged during this time. Multiply this by thousands of families who depend on ebay for their income. Ebay used to be so proud of the fact that people made full time jobs out of being ebay sellers. Many of these people are the ones who lived for months with no way to sell and no clear information from ebay.

This has been a very difficult time for many honest ebay sellers. I hope this never happens again. I still believe we need some representation with ebay. A sellers union perhapss?

This afternoon I loaded 400 pounds on flagstone in the back of my Jaguar..Sorry Vito, but it had to be done. Michael brought home a can of roofing tar and quickly got to work on the roof of his guest cottage. The dark clouds moved in and it was clear he would need more tar and help. I drove over to an old neighborhood of San Jose and bought 4 more cans of tar. On my way back to his house I saw a tiny antiques store, complete with bars on the windows. I generally don’t go to stores with bars on the windows, but this one had something gold and unmistakably Paloma Picasso peeking out between the old black bars. I pulled over and bought a fantastic pair of Tiffany earrings. I’m sure I looked a sight, in my work clothes (Vitos old sweatshirt and pants.)
When I got back to Mike’s I went on the roof and we got the whole thing finished before dark and before rain. I stopped for gas, back in the neighborhood and I really did look like a wreak. Vitos old clothes (covered in paint and tar) and my hands, face and hair with splotches of tar. At least I was wearing a gorgeous pair of earrings! I am over worrying what people think of me.

Last night, my dear son, Michael, took me to see Little Texas in San Jose. I love this band and it was an amazing treat to watch them play, maybe 6 feet away. They played our favorites and I didn’t really mind the drunk cowboys. Michael and I both love country music. In the past few months, he has taken me to see Rascal Flatts and Brooks and Dunn. Very nice of him to include me. I don’t know what I did to have such wonderful sons, but I feel incredibly blessed.
I have always played music for the boys. Its been something we all enjoy. I don’t remember much music from my childhood, but as a teenager, I loved going to every Grateful Dead concert. It seemed like 3 times a week, a great band was playing in San Francisco. Somehow, the city felt safe to a group of rather spoiled teenagers from Los Altos. We used to visit this Chinese restaurant called Sam Wo’s, on the 3rd floor of a very strange building. Our waiter was called Edsel Ford. He had quite a temper and just brought us what he wanted us to have. It was wonderful and exotic food. He used to holler at everyone and sometimes send us down the street for some special “tea” that came in a little silver thermos. It was all part of the great adventure.