Renovation and Business Picking Up

Wow, things are starting to get busy at BTHE HQ.  My eyes are buggin’ out like Jeremy Borash just thinking about it all.  Let me check my schedule…

• It looks like I’ve got no less than three(!) packages currently headed my way to prepare for.  The cards I have to send back are set aside (and in one case, pretty much ready to send) at least.

• I’m also in the process of trades with both Marie and Sooz of A Cardboard Problem, as well as Shot Not Taken.  All three trades continue to expand exponential-ish from very humble beginnings.

• I’m also in the beginningest of stages of trades with Dayf (doing my trading specialty, aka the “Lonestarr Classic”: send random cards attuned to a person’s liking and hope there aren’t many dupes and then see what comes back) & Ginter Code co-cracker JD’s Wild Cardz (because I’m apparently the only card blogger that ♥’s them some World Baseball Classic).

A public thank you for the assistance with the bubble mailer SASE btw, Dayf.  Can I post the guide on it’s own page here on my blog?

• My specific ’09 Allen & Ginter wantlist has been requested by Chris of Nachos Grande and a certain Box Opener, so there may yet be more trades soon.  I will post it sometime Wednesday afternoon I think

• I’ve still got my googly eyes on Chris from Sac Bunt‘s available for trade list, and intend to deal with that soon as well.  I wonder how far into the list of what I want from him a ’98 Stephen Davis Skybox Autographics auto, a Clinton Portis UD Graded rookie jersey (not actually graded, btw; #ed to /350 though), a Carlos Rogers jersey, and few other Redskins will get me.

• I’ve still got Gint-A-Cuffs scans to edit and blog (totally forgot to scan the backs of the Ginter Back Minis, so it’ll be a bit longer before I get to it still).  The rest of the package from White Sox Cards needs edited and posted too.

• Finally, I seem to be heating up artistically, busting out with some somewhat successful sketch cards.  I’m starting to think that, even though I’m a total rookie artistically… maybe I don’t suck, and can make something of it.

How do y’all with actual lives & jobs & families & stuff keep your bloggin’s & trades rollin’?  I’m getting totally consumed by this without much of that other stuff to worry about… Am I just that immature & disorganized & inefficient? @_@

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Now for the renovation part.  My linkies are back! I dunno why that widget deserted me, but it’s back. I’ll put some more people’s up there once I get a little more organized. I tossed a couple other widgets up there too.

My heart is all in on my blog for the first time, so I’m tryin’ to class it up a bit. I’ve made a conscious effort to include more pretty pictures and shamelessly self-promote the blog on twitter.  It’s even payed off a bit too. My daily hits have more than doubled (to around 30, but still) as of late.  If I ever figure out gimp someday and make myself a banner or something, watch out! 😛

My Joey Votto auto, just because...

And there ain’t no more to say…

To Do List~!

I intend to finish all these things before my box of 2009 Allen & Ginter comes, probably in the middle of next week, judging by the time my first box took.  These are in not listed by order of importance, by the way.  I’m just writing them as I think of them.

1.) Get all my baseball cards sorted by team (except for ’08 Allen & Ginter and a couple others that I have a bunch of that may be useful to set-builders). [Somewhere between 1/2 and 2/3 of the way done I think.  Unfortunately, my urge to do the Gambit sketch card is outweighing going any further, but I think I did pretty okay overall.]

2.) Send SASE to Mario at Wax Heaven for the ’09 Football Heroes inserts. [With the mighty Dayf’s valuable information, I might be able to send this as soon as the next time I’m out.]

3.) Figure out what a SASE entails, because I’ve never sent one before. [Done- Wow, Dayf really is the expert at doing the bubble mailer version!]

4.) Finish Marie & Sooz‘ sketch cards.  Albert Pujols for Marie, Kevin Kouzmanoff and oh, maybe Gabe Kapler for Sooz. [We’re all done… unless I add some color to Kouz, Kap, & Pujols.]

5.) Get the sketch cards, as well as the rest of Sooz’ trade ready to send. [Think I’m done, since I’ve only got about two cards that she’s after.  Working on another trade with Marie as well, since I found my Canos, Jobas, & Phil Hughes’.]

6.) Get a bigger bubble mailer for the cards I’m sending to Matt of Heartbreaking Cards of Staggering Genius. [Done]

7.) Find the Bazooka Gold Chunk Aaron Rodgers rookie for what I’m sending to Matt, and then send the cards. [Yatta, I FOUND IT~!!  Always in the last place ya look. >.<  Also found a 2003 Donruss Elite Series Glavine #ed /2500 & some other stuff with it.  So, umm… w00t~!]

8.) SEND DINGED CORNERS THEIR FREAKING CARDS ALREADY~!!!!!!!!!!!  It’s only been what… 9 months, since you made that trade?  Good grief Lonestarr, send them something at least! [Asian players are packed up & ready to be sent.  Will send next time I’m out.]

Yes, I fail.

9.) Send Baseball Dad my pathetically small list of Sandberg cards. [Done- I had a few more Rynos than I thought!]

10.) Prepare some Indians to send to Baseball Dad. [Done]

11.) Get my Orioles cards organized to send to some people in the Orioles card blogger nation, just because. [Done.  Now when will I ever get around to contacting any of them?]

12.) Get my Washington Redskins cards in order because I want to make a trade with Chris from Sac Bunt because there are a bunch of cards on his trade list I’m interested in. [At least half done.  Will contact you soon about a trade, Chris.]

13.) This one I have to get done tomorrow.  Pay for the box of cards I picked up in the big sale at Dave & Adam’s. [Done]

14.) Get over wanting to call them Dave & Buster’s.  *stomach grumbles* [Done- Though now I’m doing the opposite! >.<]

15.) Get the UDX cards ready for McCann Can Triple. [Done, but need to to double-check them sometime.]

16.) Get some more White Sox Cards ready for Steve. [They are in order, but I’m not too sure I have anything he doesn’t.  Will have to check later.]

All that’s left that I can do before I bust my box is to finish organizing my cards, send an email or two, and check a couple of want lists.  Won’t be able to send any stuff out until next time I’m out.

I will not open my 2009 Allen & Ginter box until I get pretty much all of this done.  I will check things off the list as I get through them, so you can keep up with my progress, especially if you appear on the list.  Let me know if I’ve forgotten anyone or anything, or if you want to be added to the list too.  It’s gonna be a busy week. 🙂

It’s go time~!