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Post by doctorz on Jan 7, 2010 15:51:34 GMT -5
As I said before, there are guys with trucks that daily patrol our neighborhood looking for tossed out stuff. I do not know who or what they are affiliated with but if I put the stuff out in the morning it's gone by the time I get home.
Most of the 18 boxes I tossed were filled with old stereo equipment, VHS tapes, ugly ties, and a miscellany of assorted household junk. Some of it usable and some of it trash.
I know about batteries and save the old ones. I take them to our landfill where they have containers to properly dispose of hazardous wastes. (batteries, paint, computer equipment) My wife is an environmental engineer so I'm educated and know what nasty stuff can get in our drinking water by carelessness.
Books - the majority of these are donated to the library for their annual book sale. They don't get thrown in the trash unless they are filthy or broken.
Broken and stained stuff gets taken by me to the dump and properly disposed of. I love going to the dump. I even play special "dump" songs on my car's CD player and sing along. So I guess I'm just as much of a whack job as you are. It's like taking a really good...well, you get the idea.
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Post by doctorz on Jan 12, 2010 15:08:40 GMT -5
So far... 22 boxes (the large cardboard kind you get at liquor stores) of junk got disposed of. The kitchen drawers are next then the garage. I really think I have disposed of the great majority of the trash. There are still some isolated pockets to clean out but my work room. the attic, the main bedroom and the large bedroom closet are finished. Sic Transit Junk!
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Post by inlovewithcrow on Jan 20, 2010 14:24:41 GMT -5
One thing I've found out is that there are lots of guys that prowl our neighborhood with pickup trucks waiting to pounce on curb offerings. You don't have to donate stuff if you don't want to, they dispose of it for you. Very convienient. Everytime I've left a box of stuff on the curb it's been taken. It's dark in here, and I read that as "lots of gays." I thought maybe cruising for curb junk was some new cool hobby in the LGBT community. Oh, "guys." I see now. As most of the old-timers have noticed about me, because I mention it often enough, I got rid of nearly everything I owned (five rooms full of stuff) 5.5 years ago, bought a 23-foot motor home, and everything I own in now in there. It took two big trucks, one from Good Will, one from ST Vinnies (for the books and bookcases only) to get rid of it all. And that was after I sent some family heirlooms back to cousins and sold the big furniture through Craigslist! Oy vey. I tell you, I have not missed A THING. Well, no, when I got the guitar, I thought, oops, could have used that 100 pound box of piano music I gave away...but then I saw that you can download songs from on-line, and so I can't even count that as a regret. Now, with so very little storage space (the guitar really was on the verge of one thing too many!), if I buy something new, something old has to go, period. I think that's a cool philosophy to live by...and it my case, it's also a necessity! Good for you, Doctor Z
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Post by mystyfan on Jan 26, 2010 14:02:51 GMT -5
Watch that "Hoarders" show on AandE... I guarantee after first getting the skeevies, you will be on a week long cleaning bender.
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Post by doctorz on Feb 11, 2010 10:43:13 GMT -5
Watch that "Hoarders" show on AandE... I guarantee after first getting the skeevies, you will be on a week long cleaning bender. Yep, I watched it and got the heebie jeebies. It was the spark that triggered my month long throw out binge. I now am sorting through valuable left overs for our March yard sale. What a relief!
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Post by doctorz on Mar 23, 2010 12:53:43 GMT -5
Postscript - A lot of stuff is gone now. Last Saturday we had our Garage Sale. We made a little. Forget that TV crap about making over $300 selling your old diapers and he-man toys, we cleared about $150 minus the $20 I spent for a kid's party helium tank for balloons to show people there was fun and bargins galore at our house! We met a lot of nice people and sold off a tremendous amount of crap. Still 7 boxes of the unsold and unwanted ended up at Goodwill along with the old Nordic Track and a two-ton HP laser printer from the early days. It's all over now and you can see space in every closet and the attic is now half empty.
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Post by Bix Dugan on Mar 24, 2010 11:47:24 GMT -5
Cool! Everyone here, myself included, instantly imagined Dr. Z huffing some helium from a balloon...
(in an altered helium voice)
"That's three dollars...two? Weeeeeelllllllll Okay!"
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Post by spackle on Mar 24, 2010 12:27:44 GMT -5
Cool! Everyone here, myself included, instantly imagined Dr. Z huffing some helium from a balloon... (in an altered helium voice) "That's three dollars...two? Weeeeeelllllllll Okay!" Just imagining it makes me laugh like crazy! ;D
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Post by doctorz on Mar 24, 2010 12:51:46 GMT -5
Cool! Everyone here, myself included, instantly imagined Dr. Z huffing some helium from a balloon... (in an altered helium voice) "That's three dollars...two? Weeeeeelllllllll Okay!" I, of course, did the helium from the balloon thing. How could I not? Wish I'd thought of what you suggested though LOL!
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