death certificates

Wake
May 10. 2007

The spring has been wet and stormy so unfortunately we are not doing as much boating. I had high hopes this week but each day the humidity built leading to unsettled weather in the late afternoon and evenings. Today was no different and even though it hasn't stormed yet it likely will. The air cooled a bit so we cleaned up one of the garden beds. The wet between high humidity and bugs has really put a damper on garden work as well slowing the refinishing of the kitchen cabinet doors. We are hoping to get a bit of work done this weekend since it is our holiday weekend.

All but one of the death certificates I ordered a couple of weeks ago have arrived. Now folks do a lot of complaining about government services but I have to tell you the Office of the Registrar General for Ontario is very nice to deal with and their service is usually well under the two week mark. I go fill out their forms online here, make the payment then wait for the certificates to arrive. The only thing I really don't like is ordering a birth certificate for someone like my great grandmother requires I prove they are deceased meaning I need their death certificate. By default I have to order the death certificate first, photocopy that and send the photocopy back to them as a second step when ordering the birth certificate. Essentially what this forces you to do is order both the death and birth certificates even if you have other proof of the death. A search before ordering a certificate is $15 within 5 years but in most cases if you are fairly certain this really isn't necessary. So each person without a search ends up costing at least $22 for the death certificate, $45 for the birth certificate and $22 for the marriage certificate. These are documents you definitely want for your parents, grandparents and greatgrandparents. Earlier than 1869 you have to go to church records and between 1869 and about 1875 some records might not be available. They are primary sources created at the time of the event so these are must have pieces of documentations for your direct lines.

There is a lot of information on these documents some of which you have to read between the lines as in addresses. At the time the document was made that was the address which may or may not agree with other records. Each piece of information on the document gives a clue. Birth dates and dates of death are confirmed with these documents but even then there can be errors on the documents. Little tid bits that by them selves mean little but end up being one more stepping stone to finding more information. Sometimes as with these certificates the cause of death is not notes. I really would have liked to know that. But now more questions are apparent and that is what each of these documents will do, some more than others.

I'm off searching while I wait for the next set of documents to arrive...

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

Storm Clouds
June 21, 2008

The weather has been very unsettled here so we have been seeing a lot of severe storms. It's either wet and cold or very humid and hot with threatening weather. We aren't getting a lot of work done outside and the work has slowed in the kitchen because of high humidity levels interfering with painting and staining in the garage. This picture shows a bit of the furies we have been under. Yes we had a horrid storm with these clouds.

The recent vacation in Las Vegus was a bit different in that I was under the weather for most of it. After we checked out the final day we went made a final stop at The O'rlean's. I was on sensory overload so decided to check out the cinema on the second level. For $7.50 I treated myself to The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. I seriously enjoyed both the movie and the down time from all the extra sensory stimulation! I won't give any secretes away but this really is a must see movie. There are a lot of overtones and similarities from the Harry Potter movies but if you haven't seen those then it's no problem. If you've seen them then it is more of a "this is familiar but different" type of thing. However, there are many similar aspects that I will go into detail in a later post so as to not spoil it for anyone who has not seen the Harry Potter and Narnia movies. Still this movie is well worth watching and quite enjoyable.

My husband taking an idea from one of our kids who frequents the movie theatres suggested we go to a movie last weekend. We stopped for dinner at A&W which has a special meaning to us as that is where we met although not that one. And the teen burgers don't taste quite the same but that same beautiful smile is on the other side of the table. We saw Get Smart. I won't ruin it for you but if you liked the old version of Get Smart you will love this movie. It really is a must see! The night was absolutely gorgeous with a nostalgic meal followed by a movie. The drive was nice as well. We chatted about nothing in particular just really enjoying each other's company.

We have decided this type of outing is something we would like to do at least once a month. We really aren't into eating a lot of fast food so I suggested we eat at home then go to the movies. It's now become a discussion between whether we eat at our favourite fish and chip place first or eat at home with eating at home coming out ahead. That's fine with me :) Now all I have to do is convince my husband he really doesn't need that bucket of popcorn even if it is in a souvenir bucket.

Garden Gnome
©2006 - 2008

Primus Canada
2008

I've decided to award those folks that really tick me off if only to give them the credit where credit is due. I created a special award called the Donkey Award. These will only be awarded to the top donkeys and trust me you really have to work at this one. You must be a total and obnoxious pain in the keester to even be considered.

A couple of posts back I wrote about a very irritating telemarketer. That call wasn't bad enough, it has been followed through with at least two calls daily since the initial call five days ago! The number always comes up as 123-456-7890 and when I answer the same person starts into the sales pitch which signals me to hang up. Well today, despite having one of the worst sinus headache I've had in quite sometime that has resulted in me be nauseous and walking crooked all day I decided to play along. What the heck my day couldn't get much worse. Oh I should mention everyone in the neighbourhood decided today was a good day to cut their lawns pumping all that great pollen back into the air to fuel my pounding sinuses. Well, really it was only three but it might as well had been everyone!

Ok so back to the telemarketer. Five days later and she could still not pronounce my last name! As promised, the telemarketer in this case was from Primus Canada. What is really funny is when you go to their website they have what is called "Telemarketer Guard" to stop unwanted telemarketing calls. Excuse me Primus but I didn't want your telemarketing call but I guess I would have to subscribe to your service to get you to stop pestering me. I guess it is ok for them to spam my phone service whether I want it or not. You know the phone service we pay money for so we can keep in contact with friends and family NOT as your personal advertising board. I was actually quite pleasant and let the girl get on with her sale. At each pause I politely said "I'm not interested in switching long distance carriers." at which point she would continue. I only had to repeat that sentence five times over the next 10 minutes. After that call I went online and got the contact information for Primus which I should mention is not easy to locate. I called their number and had to jump through a lot of hoops. Finally 10 minutes later (yep another 10 minutes) I got a human! I calmly told them what has been happening and that I would like our telephone number removed from their system immediately at which time after asking for my name and telephone number she wanted my address! What so they can spam my mailbox as well? Heck next she likely would have asked for my email address and all information in my address book!

Primus Canada has hands down won the Donkey Award for 2008! Seriously I doubt anyone is going to be able to top them but if they do I will award another since I'm in a generous mood of rewarding those who really deserve it. I reserve the right to disclose all donkeys as I see fit :)

Please Note: Primus Canada, you could be the only long distance service in Canada or worldwide and there is no way I would ever sign up for your service just based on your wonderful spamming telemarketing! Thanks for your warning (hic sales pitch) and you have a great day.


Garden Gnome
©2007

unbelievable!

Have you ever come across something that just baffles your mind? See I could ponder something like in the photo but the ones that really get me going is there is just the unbelievable factor. Here's one for you. Oh my gosh you have got to check this eBay auction out! Ian Usher aged 44 is auctioning off his life! Check it out here. The current bid is $2,200,600.00. Basically he is auctioning everything in his life including friends and job with the promise he will leave with only the clothes on his back and his identity. All I can say is Wow! Well, actually I could say more but I'm too busy laughing.

Can your really sell off your life? Personally, my life isn't as good as some but it is a lot better than others and for the most part I'm pretty much happy with it. I would consider selling off the centipede portion but hey that's just me being testy before the coffee kicks in. Selling my friends off (essentially what he is doing but only those part of his life package) would never occur to me because they really are worth a lot more to me than anyone could ever give me in terms of money. The material things well heck I could replace if I really wanted. Seriously, all I can say is Wow!

So now I know you can sell your life on eBay, I'm heading right over there to make a listing. Obviously I am going to need some pretty flashy videos but I think You Tube will work nicely for this purpose. But I only want to sell off portions of my life like the pissy parts. Up for bid will be all those things that really irritate me (aka telemarketers) but trust me my computer will not be part of the deal. No family, friends or home will be part of the deal either. My hubby could possibly be part of the deal (just kidding!) but I would want a lot to compensate for the many, many years of house training I have done and since I have no desire to retrain another, he's likely not going to be part any deal. A pocket puppy as an incentive could sway me a bit but I think I'll keep the hubby. Let's see I kind of like our vehicles except the maybe the "I'm not going to start if (insert it's issue here) because of issues and it does have a lot of issues! The tow bill for this vehicle will be gladly included. The boat will not be included but two tv's that need a box shortly are included. The house or property is not part of the deal but the repair and taxes are. The buyer will assume full responsibility of both as well as snow removal. Oh and the buyer gets all the centipedes and sinus headaches because I really don't want them but they could be of use to the buyer. I'm thinking my listing should bring at least $1,000,000.00 considering the offer that Ian has.

Did I ever tell you about the bridge I am planning to auction off ;)

Garden Gnome
©2007

Recent Blessings

Majestic Palms
Las Vegas Valley
May 21, 2008

Although I have been talking about my blessings, it has been awhile since I did an actual Blog Your Blessing Sunday entry. If you have been following this blog you will already have seen several entries regarding our recent vacation in Las Vegas. We are very fortunate to even afford to be able to take a vacation both in terms of finances and time. Getting a break from normal routines makes it possible to look at daily life events in a whole new perspective. Suddenly those little irritants melt away and larger problems are easier to deal with. At the same time a break can make you appreciate those relationships and material possessions you do have. This is especially true when vacationing in a place like Las Vegas with vivid contrasts in every facet of it's existence. It's a city that ecologically shouldn't exist filled with obvious excesses yet lacking in essential resources. Residents and visitors filled with hopes and dreams of striking it rich are a marked contrast to those down on their luck. Vacations are lovely blessings. Returning home to be surrounded by the love of family and friends is a greater blessing!

Picture Comments: For me this photo is total eye candy! I don't know what it is about palm trees but I love them. They are tall, reaching to the heavens yet sway gracefully in the wind.

Have a blessing filled week,

Garden Gnome
©2007

telemarketers!

Peony
June 16, 2008

I'm sitting cuddled in a fleece blanket feeling rather warm and cozy just nicely getting into the latest Corrie episode. David is out on his little duff but not really because Audrey (his grandmother) has taken him in. Sarah and Jason brought Bethany home from the hospital. Sarah wants nothing to do with David but Bethany gives him a hug, quite pleased to see him not knowing it was him that caused her to be in the hospital. David is slunking away to his grandmother house when...

... a very lovely telemarketer decided that would be the perfect time to bug the snot out of me. See now they only do this when they know I am relaxing, enjoying the moment and I would have to get up to answer the phone. So I answer the phone to get a "Hello, is the Mrs [husband's first name][grotesquely mispronounced surname?]" I corrected the last name and replied yes to which the sales pitch started with a "Mrs [even worse mispronunciation] blah blah blah" to which I simply snapped. Ok this person is trying to sell me telephone service above and beyond what Bell offers YET cannot get my last name correct? Well that sure builds confidence in their service for me! The problem is once they start the sell they don't come up for air so the first pause about 5 minutes later I politely said "Excuse me, twice you have mispronounced my surname, you've called me during my favourite show which is the dinner hour for most people and please do not call me again until you can say my surname properly. Have a nice night." Yes, I was rude as I could have simply hung up while she was still talking but that too would have been rude.

So, we pay X amount of dollars for phone service. Hello telemarketers, that is our money paying for phone service to call those folks we need or want to call. At the same time we don't mind family and friends calling us. That's why they have our phone number. If I wanted to be sold something I could go shopping all by myself, turn on network television or go online. Guess what? Anything I find would likely be cheaper than what you are trying to sell me because it would be sold directly to me instead of having to pay you the telemarketer, a commission. Having a telephone number does not give you the telemarketer the right to contact me. So next time you call please give me your home phone number so I can call you just as you are enjoying one of your favourite television shows or better yet just as you get into a nice hot tub of water. Wait a minute perhaps I should call you about 3 am when I can't sleep so am up doing genealogy research and just need someone to talk to even though I can't say your last name.

Telemarketers! They are the bane of today's world. They are the reason call block and call display exist. They know it which is why they use numbers like 123-456-7890 like this one did. Seriously that is the number that came up on the call display.

Here's fair warning to all telemarketers out there calling our house.

You are on my dime using a service we pay good money for. I'm not answering that phone for any reason unless you have an identifiable phone number. If you are a telemarketer my rate for listening to your sales pitch $5.00 deposit then $1.50 per minute payable in advance. Mispronouncing my surname costs an additional $20. Mispronoucing my given name will cost you $100. Misspelling either will cost you an additional $150. Trying to sell me any coverage or service I already have and am happy with (ei. hubby, electricity, phone, natural gas) has a surcharge of $50. Oh and I don't need any funeral coverage either since that's going to be someone else's problem when I dead and we have a fire pit so problem solved. I take PayPal and cash, no cheques please. I require your first name, last name (please spell it correctly and speak clearly into the mic so I can repeat it if needed), your address, your first born and the times most likely to inconvenience you when I call. If you don't have a first born, please refrain from calling until you do have one. Kindly make all arrangements through my online site (just google for it). Once you have your confirmation number please call between the hours of 10 and 11 am Tuesday and I will work you into my schedule between 2 and 3 pm sometime within the following two years on a Thursday. I reserve the right to call block you at any time and post your phone number online so that you can get a lot of attention from lonely folk wanting to talk to someone. I reserve the right to totally lamblast your company online for spamming my telephone line and wasting my time even if the only reason is I'm just feeling a bit pissy. I can be bribed with gourmet food but my husband prefers golf green fees. High amounts of money or a tank of gas may work as well again payable in advance but that does not guarantee a sale. Just chock it up to the price of doing business and the cost is tax deductible anyway. You have a very lovely day and I look forward to your call - not really, I'm just playing with your mind but at least I will finally be getting paid to do so!

Garden Gnome
©2007

the elusive search

Breathless
June 15, 2008

I'm seriously out of sorts. About 2 weeks after buying this house last year, one of our kids moved in with us through no fault on their part but due to waiting for the proper paperwork for a visa to move to the US. So my husband and I have never really adjusted to being in this house just the two of us. All of a sudden there is no one to share those little ups and downs of the day with. There's no spontaneous chit chat. The house is so quiet not that there was any noticeable noise before but rather the awareness someone else was in the house.

A week ago last Saturday our soon to be newest family member made the long journey here. After a couple of days they made their way to Montreal for the final hoop to jump through at least to get into the US. Now there are hoops to jump through to be able to get back into Canada but that is another story. After arriving back here they settled in awaiting the coveted visa that arrived early Monday morning. In the meantime I pulled out my genealogy binders. It's always good to have a diversion when stressed.

I'm at a pulling my hair out stage in a couple of lines. It is really bothering me because I know the information is there just that I must be looking in the wrong places. I'm not one to settle on using only internet resources either. I want the primary source aka the person was living at the time of the event and signed or there is a trusted signature at the time of the event. That means a lot of leg work and traveling as well as costs.

I opened up the binders while slightly cursing under my breath then typed in the name and did a small google not expecting to find anything. This time however, I found someone looking for information on the same person but they had one little tid bit that I didn't. It really was a minor tid bit and one that could easily be over looked but I decided to follow through. This would mean some serious leg work so in the meantime I ordered the death records for four grandparents. In Ontario you have to prove the person is dead before ordering the birth records so essentially at $22 per long form each you order the death record (here) which can be quite revealing. Then you order the birth record at $35 each and send them back a photocopy of the same death record they sent you along with a guarantee contact. So you are basically spending $57 per person for birth and death records but if you do a search before ordering any certificate tack on an additional $15. Of course the prudent genealogy researcher is going to get the marriage records as well at another $22. Are you seeing a trend here yet? Serious genealogy research is expensive. Thinking back to these 4 individuals and a total cost for information from the Office of the Registrar will cost me $158 without the expense of gas for traveling to take photos of the tombstones assuming there are tombstones which is always a crap shoot. But when I look at how much money I have already spent on these two couples ranging from ordering microfilm, traveling, getting records like wills and oh so much more, well I really don't even think I could come close to estimating the costs. I once thought about $1000 per person in my database of almost 7,000 people but now I'm thinking it is a lot more than that. But it's only a hobby!

Wrong! It an obsession as the soon to be newest member of the family found out. The question was "will you ever be finished?" The immediate answer was "No". I am at the stage where back-ups of my database and photocopies of all written work are kept off site in a safety deposit box. On site everything is backed up on three computers, three flash drives, several CDs with written work being kept in a fireproof safe unless being worked on along with two flash drives and the CDs. Sound anal? If it does see the second last sentence of the last paragraph then do the math.

Now I'm not so patiently waiting for more records to arrive :)

Garden Gnome
©2007

Skies on Fire
June 15, 2008

Anyone who has followed this blog will know I am a die hard Coronation Street fan. I'm sorry but life does stop when Corrie is on. Thanks to satellite television I can watch it a few times through the evening or all of the weeks episodes Sunday morning. The current story line involves David Platt a seriously "love to hate" teenager. What he did (and I did miss the episode just before) was to put street drugs into the head of a doll of Bethany's. Bethany is the very young child of Sarah, David's sister born when Sarah was a young teenager. Gail, Sarah and David's mother but I think they have different fathers because David's father is Martin (a male nurse) got mixed up with Richard Hillman who tried to kill all of them by drowning but only ended up killing himself. Ok, so Richard was a little messed up but in the aftermath he left a lot of damage. However, David had a lot of hangups before this tragic event. He had found a diary by his grandmother indicating that she had stopped his abortion well really the writing was on the wall. Anyway back to the plot, Bethany is now in the hospital in intensive care although yesterday she came out of her seizures. This really is a kid in trouble. Audrey, Gail's mom and David's grandmother is against Gail kicking David out, the only real set of balls Gail has displayed since I've been watching Corrie and has now said David can move in with her. Bad news, Audrey!

Garden Gnome
©2007

reflecting on life changes

Mute Swan Cygnets
June 12, 2008

A family of Mute Swans (Cygnus olor) have been visiting us each evening. If you have been following this blog you will know these swans are one of my favourite photo opportunities. They are simply magnificent water fowl, gracefully gliding over the water or flying overhead. Mute swans mate for life. Like many males of other species the drake is quite protective and can be aggressive if it perceives harm towards its mate or cygnets. This couple is likely the same couple that visited last year as they know which docks to stop at for a free meal. They really are quite trusting as well even letting me get close to the babies and take pictures. This years clutch is two male cygnets (grey) and one female (white). They are just so adorable!

Yesterday I sat on the dock waiting for their visit. I really needed a bit of down time to reflect the coming changes in our lives. After a much awaited and very complicated process one of our kids made the final trip to Montreal for the interview last week then returned home to wait for the coveted visa to arrive. Knowing it would likely arrive this morning, I was very emotional last night. Letting go of one of your kids regardless of their age is always a hard thing to do. As the swans approached I noticed one of the male cygnets was missing. Momma swan wasn't carrying it either. It was a poignant moment intensifying how I felt. I sat for quite some time after they left listening to the comforting sounds of the water.

Garden Gnome
©2007

Las Vegas Valley

Las Vegas Valley
May 20, 2008

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there!

Pictured is part of the Las Vegas valley. When visiting Las Vegas there is so much more to do than just gamble. I highly recommend renting a vehicle when in Las Vegas for two reasons. First, Las Vegas is in a desert and the casinos especially on the strip are spread out meaning a lot of walking in the hot sun if you don't rent a vehicle. Second, renting a vehicle gives you the opportunity to explore the Las Vegas valley, a must see. Las Vegas lies in a valley so you can see the surrounding mountains from any direction. Driving up through them is a wonderful way to get away from all the glitz and noise. Nearby is the Hover Dam where you can take a tour, Mount Charleston and the Valley of Fire aptly named because when the sun hits the valley it does look like it is on fire. Even touring down the strip or hitting the outlying casinos is a nice drive. We have driven through residential areas as well just enjoying the scenery.

Garden Gnome
©2007

we're off to see the Wizard

Wizard of Oz Slot Machine
Four Queens
May 19, 2008

Las Vegas is definitely the place to go to play the newest slot machines. When I first discovered multi-line video slots it was there. They were 9 lines at 5¢ or 1¢ per line so a $20 bill went a long way towards entertaining me. Over the years the number of lines has increased from 9 to 30 or more with multiple amounts bet per line of 10 coins or more. Don't be fooled though as a penny machine can pay of big especially the progressives but at the same time you can still lose a lot of money in a slot machine. The thing about penny slot machines is psychologically you think it's only a penny a line but consider a 30 line machine bet at 10 pennies per line is $3 per spin and more if you play the optional bonus feature on some machines. To put that in perspective your $20 bill now gets you 6.67 spins or less than 5 minutes if you don't get any winning lines.

The multi-line video slots are set up so that certain spins trigger a bonus. Let's face it the only reason to play these machines is to get the bonus feature.

Each year we go to Las Vegas I discover a slot machine I really enjoy playing and by all means there is no point playing a slot machine unless you enjoy it. It started with Reel 'Em In then moved onto the Adam's Family, Monsters and I Dream of Genie. I never really got into Wheel of Fortune. A couple of year's ago my ultimate favourite was the Beverly Hillbilly slot machines followed by Goldfish (WMS Gaming). The Adam's Family slot machines are few and far between now as are the I Dream of Genie and Beverly Hillbilly machines. The Las Vegas Club still has a bank of Beverly Hillbilly slots but I'll bet by next year's trip they will be gone.

My favourite this year was the Wizard of Oz slot machines (WMS Gaming) that have sensory technology in the gaming chair seat (not pictured) and Bose speakers in the head rest and machine for surround sound! The gaming chair vibrates as well. To get a brief overview of this amazing slot machine click the link then watch the video. It is a 30 line penny machine with upto 10 times per line bet. There are a three main bonuses if you get the Emerald City symbol on reels 1, 3 and 5. Choose a symbol to get the Flying Monkey bonus, Emerald City bonus or a set amount of win. In the Flying Monkey bonus the monkeys fly in and turn various symbols to wild so the win can be substantial. In the Emerald City bonus you collect emeralds looking for the tin man, scarecrow, lion or Dorothy. If you click an emerald that uncovers one of these characters you then have to choose between 2 symbols. If you click the right one, once you get to the Emerald City an extra bonus will play in the top screen. However, if you are unlucky you will end up clicking an emerald that says Emerald City and go directly there . On that screen there will be five choices, one of which will be character granted. At worse you end up with a low bonus reward but if you find one or more characters along the way you can end up with a fairly nice reward. At the same time Glenda the good witch appears from time to time. The reels will giggle then a large sphere will float in from either side with Glenda inside. She turns some of the reels wild anywhere from 1 to 3 reels so you can get really nice payoffs this way.

Now what is really funny about this is I already posted how I was terrified of the Wizard of Oz movie as a child and I don't even think I've seen it as an adult in its entirety. Seriously those monkeys really did me in not to mention the wicked witch! Despite those this machine triggering some of those feelings especially the monkeys, I still really enjoyed this slot machine and played it daily during our trip. It was a good paying machine as well with my payouts being an average $60 profit per day. Not bad for a penny machine :)

I might just have to watch the Wizard of Oz now...

Garden Gnome
©2007

celebrity gnome

The Roaming Gnome
May 19, 2008

The neat thing about Las Vegas aside of all the glitter and noise is you never know when you are going to run into a celebrity so do be sure to always dress right to the bling. Bling is for those who don't know and I didn't until this trip, your jewelry. In Las Vegas that means big is better so if you like big rocks on your fingers this is the place to be but I'm digressing. We were doing a little road trip to see the new Palazzo so I dressed in my finest denim shorts with love shell (sleeveless top) paired with dressy flat sandles. My bling consisted of my normal jewelry, nothing special and as always my trusty camera. Well imagine my excitement when coming up the esculators at the Venetian who did I run into but The Roaming Gnome! In case you haven't heard he is the current most famous gnome although other gnomes are not fond of his roaming nature. After our photo shoot and a bit of friendly conversation I headed on down to make friends with the Blue Man Group. I tell you bling is good but a camera is better :)

Garden Gnome
©2007

he said, she said

Defending the Caveman Poster
Showroom at Golden Nugget
May 17, 2008

There are so many shows to choose from when in Las Vegas. A group of us decided to take in Defending the Caveman at the Golden Nugget. Ticket prices were $54.98 for the evening show and are available to purchase in advance here. Purchasing ahead is a nice way to have larger priced entertainment planned for ahead of time however we never buy entertainment tickets ahead of time as in before leaving home. The reason for this is if my husband gets onto a hot table and is winning then he won't want to walk away from the table. You always ride a hot table or even a hot slot machine until it goes cold! Drink prices for this show were horrendous at $7 compared to the same drink bought at an on site bar for $3 or free when gambling so needless to say we did not purchase drinks. The show itself is live comedy presenting the differences between men and women while explaining the evolutionary reasons why these differences exist performed by Kevin Burke. A good synopsis and video clip of this can be found on YouTube here. I found the show quite funny. In humour there is always an element of truth and Kevin Burke combines a good element of truth with humour. This is a good show to see when in Las Vegas.

Garden Gnome
©2007

I need one...

Rhinestone White Tiger
The Shoppes at The Palazzo, Las Vegas
May 19, 2008

I spotted this lovely rhinestone studded white tiger at The Shoppes at The Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino. He was rather impressive in all his glittery shininess. I was quite prepared to bring him home but my husband did not agree he was worth $25,000. Yep folks, that's $25,000! We would likely would have had to pay for the extra weight to bring him home on the plane and then those fine folks guarding our border would have charged an entrance fee (13 %). Still if put in the right spot in the family room this tiger would have amused the grandbabies for a several years as they picked out the rhinestones ;)

A few points to ponder on this tiger:

• I wonder how many rhinestones it took? That would be a good party game guessing providing we could get someone to count in the first place.
• How long would it have taken the artist to stud this tiger with rhinestones?
• Why?

I'm heading on over to eBay right now and getting a large lot of clear rhinestones. Then I'm going to get a large squeeze bottle of craft glue. Armed with these two supplies and a pair of tweezers I'm going to find me a gnome looking to be glitterized to join Travelocity's Roaming Gnome (whom I had the great pleasure of meeting in Las Vegas and getting my picture taken with him this trip) in his quest to wander the world. I figure a few hours spent gluing on rhinestones will easily get me $25,000 on eBay. Hey, it can happen because anything is possible with eBay :)

Garden Gnome
©2007