May 27, 2022

Livin the Dream Yep Yep..

 I hooked up with a couple 'Event Coordinators' and found myself able to book up nearly every weekend this summer! We will be all over the county throughout the summer and well into the fall. Some are even Car shows! How exciting. 

 If you live local, mark your calendar and plan on coming out to meet us in person!

 Meanwhile, to help cover the entry fees, I've signed back up to a few 'mystery shops' and 'pricing audits'. No, you can't make a living mystery shopping. But getting paid $20 plus bucks for spending 20 minutes in a store. It helps. It helps cover the rising cost of gas and groceries. A few shops a week can pay the fees I need paid. 

We've bought the new 10 x 10 pop up. Set it up last weekend to make sure it was all there and no tears in the canopy. It looks nice. It even came with sand bag holders for the legs. We just need to buy one more bag of sand. I was able to fill 3 of the bags with the sand we bought last weekend. So my estimate was pretty darn close.

I also bought the small game rack to hold the 'cash and carry' games. If you've ever wanted to see the games up close and in person, events are a great way to play. I always try to have several choices in the ready to go section. I also have several 'demo's'. So you can see it before you order. 

Something fun we do at events is have a guest book. Everyone that signs in gets entered into a drawing to be our 'Guest Host' for the event. The winner receives all the 'Host awards' from the days sales. 

Pretty awesome, you can earn free games just by signing the book!! 

I also recruit for down line, while at events. 

If your looking for a way to supplement your income and combat the rising cost of EVERYTHING, becoming a "Playologist" might just be for you. 

Hosting parties is only one of the many ways to promote and sell the products. Our games are so engaging, they truly sell themselves. Your facebook friends, On line orders, participating in events and connecting with your local schools make for a great clientele.

You can build your business quickly or take your time... Being self employed puts you in control of the schedule. 

A base of 25% commission adds up quickly and can lead into a solid second income. Some folks move up the ranks and end up leaving their 'real job' to 'Play full time'.! Earnings can reach over 40% commission as you build your team.  

I'm hoping to grow our team this year and end my working @ 76 for someone else. 

The freedom of self employment was too hard to give up 

Blessed by God
Life's good @ the Bright side of the Barn
Thanks for stopping by
Until next time, Stay safe and Happy Trails.

May 24, 2022

My Breaking Point

 I think I've reached my breaking point. 

My checks have been consistently short a few hours, more than they have been accurate. It gets made up later, it's just a bit of a hassle the way the schedule is constantly changing.

My co-workers quite often leave early - 'because it's slow', yet my shift has no provision for leaving early as it 'closes' the store. The option to come in later when 'it's slow' hasn't been offered. Usually because the others have 'left early' already.

I screwed up and didn't card ended up selling to a minor...

That has thrown my concentration off to start with ....

My truck was recently hit in the parking lot. I have disability parking, but because I'm 'an employee' they prefer I park out in the lot. I now have a huge dent to live with, as of course, no one has taken responsibility for it. 

Today I was informed that my schedule the next 2 days is being changed. When I was asked a week ago about changing these days up, I expressed how that didn't work for my schedule. Apparently that doesn't matter. 

I'm now looking at working 3 hours tomorrow and 11 hours on Thursday. 

Which is not going to happen. 

I cannot do that much in a day. And with my anxiety, all this constant changing my schedule is causing me to have other issues and relapses on the stress levels. 

I won't be getting much sleep tonight, the whole thing has me stressed out. I don't exactly want to quit, I the people I work with. I don't mind the work for the most part. But this crap is killing me, and I don't know how much more I can take. 

Let's not forget, part of my disability is the whole anxiety and what comes with it. The physical issues are struggling just about as much. I don't know how this is going to turn out, I'm just not feeling good about it all.

When I first started and again when I went back I was willing to give up a couple days a week. I'm currently at 4 and they want more. 

I so much prefer working for myself and doing events. I love people I love the customers, I miss the 'control' over my own environment. 


Blessed by God
Life's good @ the Bright side of the Barn
Thanks for stopping by
Until next time, Stay safe and Happy Trails.

May 23, 2022

Hit & Run

 

   

   

While I'm at work inside the store, someone took it upon themselves to redesign the side of my truck. 

It was after being at work a couple hours, I get an opportunity to go out for a cigarette and look over to see....

As I'm walking closer, I'm realizing just how big and bad this puppy is!!

How FRUSTRATING

Oddly enough, a couple hours later, just before closing an officer came into the store. {How freaking cool is that}

We talked and he looked outside where my truck was and noticed a camera that may have a full on view of what happened. I just have to wait til morning to talk to that store owner.

If they can get enough information they will charge them with hit and run.

Be nice if I could get the funds needed to fix my rig!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

And to end things on a positive note.

It could have been worse. 

I was blessed to NOT have a broken window. That would have been a hell of a situation. and If you look, they came pretty close. 

I was blessed to NOT have a broken door, everything still works.

As always I'm .....

Blessed by God 
Life's good @ the Bright side of the barn.
Thanks for stopping by
Until next time, Stay safe and Happy Trails

May 20, 2022

It's my day off!!

Can you relate? 

My alarm goes off at 4 am and I have to be to work by 5. This morning it was my chance to sleep in and the cats started before 6!

I actually had forgotten what this whole 'schedule' and working for someone else felt like.

When you work for yourself you have a little more control in your schedule and the ability to make it more comfortable.

Working for someone else ~ 

My shift now is 5 to 8 am then back at 4 to 9 pm. { 8 hour lunch } { 8 hour night sleep } - 3 days a week, then I have one day 5 to 11 am. So 4 days total a week.

The other 3 days I work for myself and my kids. My daughters mostly. I watch the kids over night for one, then all day Sunday for the other. 

In between folks stop by for some Notary signing work, and I have booked a few Simply Fun game parties and events. Seems online parties are the thing now days. And I'm looking forward to getting back into doing events with the pop up tent this summer. 

I get asked to accomplish sewing projects, making different things for specific requests.

I 'friend sit' .... plant watering, house sitting, horse sitting, cleaning, . , what ever odd job that comes along where someone needs an extra set of hands. So they can go on a 'vacation'. 

I don't really know what a vacation is and the words 'day off' get blurred and the day progresses'. 

However crazy busy it is, it's still, my DAY OFF!!!! and I don't have to 'deal with ....' ~ publicly. 

I enjoy being home, watering my plants, dusting, vacuuming, cleaning up our own mess rather than everyone elses.. It's peaceful listening to the hum of the laundry, watching the cats lounge around the house. 

I enjoy time with my horses, grooming, playing, training, riding....

Now if Spring would continue to arrive and temp. would go up! 

My next day's off will be even better. 

What does a day off look like to you?

Blessed by God
Life's good @ the Bright side of the Barn
Thanks for stopping by
Until next time, Stay Safe and Happy Trails.

May 19, 2022

Event Calendar 2022

More New Dates

We'll be out and about this summer, working @ local events. So much to do, so much to see. Stop on by and save shipping fees on several available Cash & Carry games!  

Check the dates and mark your calendar.

Be sure to stop by our booth and Enter the Weekly Game Raffle.


UP NEXT ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ 

 July 22nd

Thunderdome in Enumclaw!


July 29th



July 30th

We'll be in Orting, South Park 

Need to shop early?? Here you go!

August 13th

SeaBeck WA for Crosby Days!

August 20th

Sept 4th & 5th

Black Diamond Labor Days!! {Flyer coming soon}

October 22nd

Kentwood High School Choir Harvest Boutique
9 am to 4 pm





Check back often 
as new events are being scheduled for the 2022-2023 season. 

Would you like to have our games at your next event? Contact me! 
3horseaddict@gmail.com. I'd love to hear from you! 

We travel throughout western Washington, and possibly to the east side!

Blessed by God
Life's good @ the Bright side of the Barn
Thanks for stopping by
Until next time, Stay Safe & Happy Trails

May 13, 2022

The Shadow of Cancer

 He's an amazing Man. 

We met 32 years ago. Together we brought up 5 children and currently enjoy most of the 11 grandchildren together. All relationships have their ups and downs. Ours went to hell and back. One ex an alcoholic the other a drug addict. We didn't get to be the hero's we'd hoped to be for all of the children. We did our best and for the most part, they understand and have grown up strong.

 He had a major set back several years ago.  Most woman would have completely left and shut the door. No one should have endured the abuse. Me.... I had to understand what happened.  I had to understand why this man went from point A to point Z. I knew something was wrong.

 Eventually reaching a breaking point, we separated twice. Once a period of years living in 2 different countries. An attempt to reunite ended after only a few years of joint habitation.

 After many many trials and struggles, over several years...  he finally found a doctor, a place that understood and the journey to begin to get some answers. 

 Bi Polar 1 with psychotic episodes, and a touch of associative identity disorder.

 AND THAT explains a LOT!

 So therapy, medication and much learning on all of us. Things began to get better

Everything including stress, circumstances, now medications.... the body goes through hell.

 He's been bleeding internally off and on over the past year. He's having stomach problems and prostrate issues..

 So finally a colonoscopy.

 They took FOREVER, over an hour... and today we got the final word. 

 The polyt they removed was the cancerous type. Had he waited any longer... He had a blood clot on his intestine and has several other smaller things going on...

 Colon cancer shadows our lives now. HIs father died young at 54 of cancer.

Our relationship now is more care giver for one another. Helping when needed, with little expectations in return. Being there is more important than being 'happy'. {If you live with someone that has a mental disability you understand 'happy'.} 

Financially stressed and the future clouded, life has become a greater uphill climb than it was before. 

May is mental health awareness month. Mental health and physical health are connected. They are part of the same body. We need to be more openly willing to take about the mental/emotional side of 'self'.

That concludes the blog for today....I do apologize for not writing as often as I should. I get the thoughts when I'm driving and when I get home, I sleep.... life has been very tiring on me lately.

The sun is out, I need to go visit my horses. The weather here has been horribly wet and cold. I work crazy hours and sleep a lot more than I want to, and it's my day off.... I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and be kind to those who struggle. 

Blessed by God
Life's good @ the Bright side of the Barn
Thanks for stopping by
Until next time, Stay Safe and Happy Trails.

May 7, 2022

The Solution is Simple

or, it should be.

 AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

Cap the rent! Limit how much richer the rich can get.

Rent decreases. 

Long term tenants should pay less each year they are there, not more. 

It makes me sick to see these large scale apartment complexes build in our state, owned by some company in Texas. Rents are not set at the rate for the area, they are set at a county average... Making them unaffordable to most of the folks that need to live there. 

Minimum wages set at $15 an hour do no good when a studio apartment is still over a $1000 a month. Forget about having a pet - the deposits and 'pet rent' are ridiculous, and you end up buying someone else new carpets when you move out anyway. 

Gas and a gallon of milk are running neck in neck at $5.00 a whack. Those with small children.... formula is hard to find and unaffordable. Diapers. Daycare.... Yes, people that are working need welfare assistance to pay for day cares and eat.

So a 'job' isn't enough to live on...... 

Good people with families, end up homeless, and We assume they are drug addicts.

BUILD PROPER MENTAL HEALTH LIVING FACILITIES

There are so many out there not on the proper meds and unable to take care of themselves. They end up on the streets with the wrong crowd and We call them homeless drug addicts.

MAKE CRIME ACCOUNTABLE

Break the revolving doors on our legal system. Enforce the laws, support the law enforcement personnel. Lock people up!!  Create facilities that help people with life skills that can return them to society as productive parts of the whole.

Well, There's my thoughts anyway, what's yours? 


Raising minimum wage and handing out free money is like a band aid. And once a band aid gets wet it's no good. Using a whole box of band aids doesn't fix the wound, it only covers it up and wastes band aids. You have to cure the infection and heal the wound.  


Blessed by God
Life's good @ the Bright side of the Barn
Thanks for stopping by
Until next time, Stay safe and Happy Trails.

May 1, 2022

Host a Catalog Party in May!



Share the savings with your friends.

Blessed by God
Life's good @ the Bright side of the Barn
Thanks for stopping by
Until next time, Stay Safe and Happy Trails.

2024 Event Schedule

2024 Event Schedule ~

Mark your calendars and  join us at any of the following events this summer. July 9th ~ 16th ~ 23rd ~ 30th ~ Hometown Market  Tues Nights in...

Like what you see at the Bright side of the Barn?