Yep, yard sales are a pain. Deducting is easier, but I like having the 'found money' for vacation. Getting $150-200 spending cash for vacation seems more guilt-free than taking that money out at an ATM...
Spend an hour rambling on with my IC today about FOO issues. Amazing that my mom's extended family has such a hurricane of drama and yet I stand at a distance, watching the storm with a mild sense of detached amusement. Seems a little 'wrong' but hey I'd rather be amused by it than be stuck in the middle of it! She wants to talk next time about being wary of the 'allegiances' that will most likely be forming within the family, how to handle that, etc. She is once again amazed I came through the childhood experience intact and relatively sane.
I chalk it up to faith in God and a conscience that (usually) makes me do the right thing even if the family wants me to do something that fits their agenda. I notice the older I get, the better I get at staying out of the situation...
