Patti O'Shea's Blog

When it comes to items I love, I have a streak of bad luck. As soon as I think something is the best ever, the manufacturer stops making it. It’s happened time after time and it’s very frustrating, but I’ve come up with a plan: Back-Up Items.

Those shoes I totally love? I bought a second pair. I can’t even find shoes now that are semi-close to the ones I love.

That coffee mug that’s the perfect size and weight? I bought a second one for work. I could actually use a new one since carrying around a mug with Northwest Airlines printed on it probably doesn’t show that I’ve embraced the Delta family. BTW, I did try to buy a Delta mug, but not only was it too small, it didn’t have a handle! Someone as clumsy as I am definitely needs a handle. Plus, it’s easier to carry into meetings when there’s something to hold onto.

When I didn’t buy backups? I had the cutest little evening bag ever. I loved the tassel on it, but it never dawned on me to buy another one just like it. After all, I only use the bag for dress-up occasions, which basically means the Rita Awards when I go to RWA National. I hardly need a backup, right?

Wrong. While at RWA National in Atlanta, I think, at some point during the evening, I hooked the purse on something and ripped a huge gash into the fabric. It’s beyond being fixed. I paid for not having a second on hand.

Then there are the other two purses I really like. One is huge with all kinds of compartments. Perfect for when I need to have bookmarks and autographed by author stickers and what not with me. I was able to purchase a new one whenever this wore out, so I never worried about having a backup. You can guess what happened, right? I went to replace it and ::gasp:: it’s no longer available. ::sobs::

The other is a tiny bag that’s almost a wallet on a string. It’s a really awesome, versatile every day purse. But I bought it a while ago, long before I started using it. It was only after I started carrying it every day that I realized I better back it up. Too late. Between the time I bought it and the time I realized I loved it, the purse disappeared.

It always pays to have a backup ready to go when the first one wears out, but with a few things I’ve reached the point where some of the backups are in need of being replaced. That puts me in a now what do I do? position.

So in the last Woot Off I managed to get through and buy a Bag of Crap. For those unfamiliar with Woot and their Woot Offs, every once in a while, Woot.com, which normally does one deal a day, runs item after item until they sell out. The highlight of the Woot Off, though, is the Bag of Crap (abbreviated as BoC). No one who’s buying knows what they’ll get in the BoC until it arrives, but sometimes it’s awesome things like an XBox or a TV. The cost is $8.99 including the shipping.

I’ve “won” a BoC once previously and my haul included a digital picture frame that cost more than $100 and a camera case. I didn’t have one of those and it’s been nice to be able to carry my camera inside something to ensure that the back screen doesn’t get scratched in transit.

Well, in the last Woot Off, I wasn’t sure whether or not I’d made it in on time. My computer hung up, processing my BoC order forever and I was too lazy to go back to the site later and check my account. Yeah, I know, but I’m so busy most of the time that it’s just one more thing to do that I don’t have time for.

Yesterday, the box from Woot arrived, telling me that I did get a BoC. It was a small box, so I knew there wasn’t a TV or XBox in there, but surely there must be something cool, right?

Too eager to even bring it into my kitchen to get the scissors to slice the tape, I used the edge of my key in the laundry room (It opens into the garage, so it’s the first room when I enter my house) to open it. I moved aside the packing material, trying to see my haul. Another box. Okay, cool. I open that with my key, too. Some kind of Disney software. Six of the exact same Cinderella thing. Oh.

Now I look at what else is in the box. A package of Disney AAA batteries. I only have one thing that uses AAA batteries in my house, but eventually I’ll use them. Another package of those round batteries that are about the size of a nickel. As far as I know, nothing I own uses those. The last item? A green bag imprinted with the word “Wine.” It appears to hold two bottles of wine for transport. I don’t drink wine, but hey, if I’m invited somewhere and someone asks me to bring wine, I’ll have something to carry it in, right?

I have no need for the six copies of the Cinderella software, so my first thought was to offer it up as prizes. A little closer checking of the box nixed that idea. The software only works with some special Disney movie camera. The odds against anyone who follows me owning that particular Disney camera as astronomical, so I’m going to donate it to one of the charities that sells stuff—Goodwill, Salvation Army, ARC or the Vets.

A disappointing BoC to be sure, but I’ll try again next Woot Off because sometimes you do get lucky.