Articles written by Jim Thomason

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About me - Jim Thomason

A yard sale addict who can't resist other people's books. Always looking for a rare find-a first edition Hemingway, or perhaps a heavy tome on ancient history.

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Food & Drink > Cooking (Other) Cooking inexpensively on a student budget: 4 of 35

As you work the cramp out of your writing hand and toss the checkbook on the table, you notice a steady rumbling in the pit of your stomach. Tuition is paid. A semester's worth of books lay on the bed. You have a place to sleep and shower but how are you going to feed the beast growling in your belly on the meager balance re...
Creative Writing > Humor Christmas disaster humor stories: You know things are going badly when...: 4 of 18

Our family sat around the artificial Spruce the night before Christmas. The tree was dressed, the twinkling lights reflected off the tinsel strands. Ornaments hung from branches and a star perched somewhat haphazardly atop the tree. We were listening to an Andy Williams CD, sipping Eggnog in our Christmas robes. Stockings hu...
Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections: Family stories and memories: 43 of 191

My dad's people are all Southern born and Southern bred. They are a self-sufficient lot, experienced in the rural arts of canning, farming, hunting, and making do with what is at hand. My mother's relatives are city dwellers, familiar with tenement living, bustling streets, and dealing with the dog what ate the other dog in ...
Creative Writing > Memoirs Memoirs: My best yard sale buy: 8 of 24

Readers share their best yard sale buy I spend Saturdays rummaging through other people's junk. It started as a way to save a buck on book purchases and has blossomed into a serious addiction. Three years ago, when I was 'chasing the horse', I stopped at a sale which didn't seem to hold much promise. They had a lot of clothe...
Hobbies & Games > Card Games How to keep a poker face: 8 of 23

The eyes may be the windows to the soul, but at the poker table, the eyes are the windows to the hole. Hole cards, that is, and if you want a shot at the pot, you need to pull the blinds. Successful poker play is a combination of skill, luck, and the ability to read your opponent. The art of poker is to penetrate the veil of...
Hobbies & Games > Antiques & Collecting (Other) Tips for buying at an auction: 4 of 11

After a week of dealing with a terminally ill-tempered boss and grousing co-workers, you deserve an exciting night out. Your pulse quickens as you contemplate the paddle, the excited cries, and the sudden rush of adrenaline. As you head out the door, you are determined to bring something nice home tonight even if you have to...
Business > Sales Mistakes to avoid when selling on eBay: 3 of 8

As with any business, mistakes can cost you more than money. Make enough of them and they can cost you your business. When selling on eBay, consider the following pitfalls and take steps to avoid them. List your items as accurately, and as honestly, as possible. Nothing turns a potentially successful sale into negative feedb...
Relationships & Family > Cheating Spouses & Affairs Signs your wife is cheating on you: 2 of 5

You walk into the room and your wife breaks another nail on the keyboard as she whips the mouse across the screen, slamming shut the virtual window. Third nail this month, and she blames you for sneaking up on her. You leave the room feeling like the rocking chair your cat belly-drags past, wondering why the wife has been so...
Creative Writing > Short Stories Short stories: Horror: 93 of 208

UNSPOKEN The phone quit on the seventh ring. Three minutes later it rang again. This time Bill answered. "Hello?" A computer generated voice told him to hold for the operator. He fished a cigarette from a fresh pack and waited. "Can I help you?" Her voice was flat, two dimensional, like the light slipping through the venetia...
Creative Writing > Memoirs Memoirs: The most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you: 135 of 278

What is the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you? I was seventeen, a senior in high school, and working weekends for my dad. He owned a small bait and tackle shop in a sleepy fishing village. I worked the register, cleaned fish, spooled line on fishing reels, and informed tourists about our historic town. We had...