My name is Linda and I'm an addict

I am addicted to craigslist. Yes, I know...their reputation has grown a bit tarnished of late. But let me say this about that (a nod to Forrest Gump). If you happen to shop at the same grocery store where a serial killer shops should you feel guilty? If you patronize a video rental store with an adults only room should you stop renting videos?

I don't go into the adults only rooms on craigslist. My obsession is entirely focused on the furniture listings. Browsing through the furniture on craigslist combines two of my favorite activities; yard sale shopping and not getting up before the sun.

I LOVE yard sale-ing. I hardly ever buy anything. The attraction, for me, is looking at what other people own. It's a socially sanctioned form of snooping. The problem with yard sales is that around here they start as early as 6:00 am and all the good stuff is gone before it's even daylight. That's the main reason I don't go more often.

But now I have craigslist...

I can go virtual yard sale-ing in the middle of the night, at midday, in my pajamas, or when I take a quick break from sewing. I can look at what people own, read their stories about downsizing or divorce and criticize their spelling. You'd be amazed at how many "dinning" room sets there are for sale. And today I spotted a child's "play pin." Sounds dangerous.

I like to browse with a purpose. I started checking craigslist a few months ago when I decided I needed a comfy reading chair for our bedroom. I found one--I paid $100 for it which included 10 yards of matching fabric in case I decide to make drapes. Which I'm not going to do. When Carl saw my chair he said it was one of the ugliest chairs he'd ever seen. That's because he still values style above comfort. As we age (and get our priorities straight) we come to realize that whether it's chairs or shoes, comfort is the only thing that really matters. Here is my chair which I love:


Having fulfilled that mission, I moved on to checking the St. George craigslist where I located a bunk bed set for Sarah and Sean's boys. Currently, Clare has me looking for book shelves for their office. Yesterday I thought I was on to something, but I haven't yet figured out how to talk her into it:


They are asking $100, but their listing says that they are "motivated," which is code for "I'll take whatever I can get." I have spent two days wandering around my house, trying to figure out where I could use a boat shelf.

It is hard to talk myself out of some of the real bargains. Tonight, for example, I came across this gem. A mid-century retro table and all they want for it is $12!!!

The nice thing about being obsessive-compulsive is that I can turn almost anything into a time-consuming hobby...temporarily, at least.