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Tuesday, March 10, 2009

TOWN TIME: COLD, COMPUTERS, AND COOKIES

Another time change – another adjustment. Today was crisply cold – still 34 when I took Nellie for her walk at 3:00. The paper says the overnight low might be 15 and that temps will warm to more nearly normal (highs in the 50s) later this week. I don't know if this cold snap will adversely affect fruit trees or not. Hopefully it's still too early to be a consideration and it won't last long.

Mike has never been exactly happy with the Dell computer we bought in 2005, so he has shopped and considered options and last Saturday he ordered a custom-built model from the local "computer guy." He'll pick it up this afternoon. It remains to be seen if this was really a good move. I so hope we like it. I don't use the "desk" computer much, but I need it for scanning and printing and I'm glad the new one is ready so quickly. The Dell will now replace the "slow-as-molasses" model on the farm.

Some weeks ago, two fifth-graders from Asotin Elementary School, one of them the next-door-neighbor, came to my house selling cookie dough – three dozen pre-shaped cookies, ready to bake, for ----- $15.00. I bought the oatmeal raisin variety. "Wow!" was Mike's response. "I agree with you," I explained. "But the neighbors helped our children when they had to sell stuff for the school, and we believe in helping the school and supporting the neighbors. So, I bought three dozen cookies for $15.00." Frankly, I would like to have ordered more, but that would have been six dozen cookies for $30.00. It just seems to get worse. I also briefly considered just making a donation to the school, but when I looked at the girls' shining faces – so happy that I might buy some cookies dough – I just couldn't say no. Anyway, the cookies were delivered this afternoon, so without further ado on this cold day, I'm baking them.

The thing is – I belong to an organization that asks each member to donate three dozen large home-baked cookies for a fundraising event, and those cookies are priced at $3.00 per baker's dozen. So, for three dozen, you would actually get 39 cookies for $9.00, and the cookies are already baked! Most people recognize that as a good deal – if they want cookies, that is. Last year we sold all the cookies and that was great. But I watched people think about spending that $3.00, and I wonder if our students are really successful with their sale in support of the school. And how much does the school realize from that $15.00? KW

2 comments:

  1. I'd love to hear about the new computer!

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  2. Chuck, the Computer Guy, put it together for us, and we can't find the specs. It has an Intel processor and we added battery back-up. Mike made comparisons between Chuck's bid and another business in town, ultimately choosing Chuck's. However, having gone back and forth between the two bids, he doesn't remember the specs. He says, "pretty good stuff." So -- there you have it. I worked with it this morning to print coupons, patterns, emails, etc. It's great to have the speed!

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