Enough already my ass

[protege]

Sort of a backwoods freecycle system.

I got rid of several cinder blocks that way. I'd taken down a garden divider in the yard, and grew tired of the blocks sitting on the patio. They all went to the curb, and I spray-painted "Free!" on them. They were all gone within hours.

I get quite a bit of grief when relatives see the mess in my basement. Yes, there's stuff piled everywhere--computer parts (to be given away), the model railroad, my workbench (which is piled with various projects), parts for the car (removed during the restoration, and not refitted), furniture, etc. It's a bit of a mess down there right now. But, considering that I work full-time, enjoy my hobbies...and the living space upstairs (well, most of it...my office is a mess too ), what do you expect?

Most of the office clutter is simply because I've been going through things, or sorting, and filing it away. Sure, there's a huge bookcase along wall, and another one in the corner...but I'm a bit of a packrat when it comes to reading material.

Since I'm heavily into models, most of the stuff is my research material. Everything I need is in one place--I have Model Railroader going back to '79, Classic & SportsCar to '91, several years of Practical Classics, etc. all of which are constantly being used when I build things. I also have quite a few brochures from various companies, simply for the color charts. They're great for seeing what various colors look like before I attempt to mix (or buy) them.

Yeah, I know that I can find the same info on the web. However, the photography isn't always the same--lighting and equipment (both my own, and that of whoever took the photo) always isn't the best, leading to poor color reproduction, and/or details that simply don't show up. Also, many "color charts" on the web, aren't all that great. None of them are "spot-on" when it comes to what the actual colors look like.

I'm not even going to mention the models themselves....

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Roadside drop off with "This Works!" signs on any working appliances is the way we do it out where I grew up. Stuff would be gone within the hour.

Sort of a backwoods freecycle system.

[ArcticChicken]

If you have stuff that is good and you don't want to throw away, consider donating it.

I have a trash bin, a recycling bin, and a giant box for donations sitting in my room right now.

It does make it easier if you can give it to someone who will enjoy it BUT (and this is a biggie...possibly a deal breaker...) if you are not the sort that will actually get off your backside and take the stuff down there, don't pretend you will.

I'm giving myself a deadline of two weeks after I finish sorting my things to take things to wherever I decide to donate them, after that they're going on the curb with a sign that says 'free'.

[Squeaksmyalias]

They don't have much. If the toys that made you happy can make some lonely kid happy, well, that's a good thought to have to motivate you.

That's why I picked the community center, I'm dropping off other stuff I found I had too next week, I had a bin full of blankets I didn't know I had. The women working there were just so happy about me donating my stuff. For them to be that happy that I dropped off stuff that I didn't need, just I'm not sure how to word it how I feel about it. I can only imagine how happy the kids will be. I know they also work with a therapy program for disabled children, one of the therapies is horse back riding. I have a saddle I don't use anymore along with a band new helmet I'm thinking would be best to donate, It's not a fancy saddle and I wouldn't make any money off of it and I would much rather it go to someone who needs it.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

It does make it easier if you can give it to someone who will enjoy it BUT (and this is a biggie...possibly a deal breaker...) if you are not the sort that will actually get off your backside and take the stuff down there, don't pretend you will.

That's how people get messed up, they say they're going to goodwill and then five years down the line the stuff is still in a box waiting to go to goodwill. Y'all know who you are.

I settle that by running an "Online Free Garage Sale". Sort of an on again off again freecycle. I offer the stuff free to anyone who will take the time to haul it off. I give a deadline. After the deadline, anything I still have goes to the dump. I've gotten rid of quite a few appliances and pieces of furniture that way. I actually cleared my yard of cut-down trees like that. But if you are a procrastinator, don't set up yourself to fail.

For toys you love, here is a solution: Take the stuff down to your local children's home. That's my one exception to the rule, mainly because it's a cause near to my heart and I actually WILL make a trip across town to the orphanage with a vanload of goodies. Goodwill, no. I can get lazy about that. Buncha abandoned children? I can get motivated about that. Those kids have had some of the worst of what life can sometimes throw. Some of them grow up in that place. They don't have much. If the toys that made you happy can make some lonely kid happy, well, that's a good thought to have to motivate you.

[Squeaksmyalias]

I know what you mean. I'm in the middle of a purge of the crap that was under my bed, and I'm having serious trouble getting rid of it.

If you have stuff that is good and you don't want to throw away, consider donating it. I just went though all my childhood toys and had a hard time giving up a ton. I found a community center in town and I realized that I might love a stuffed animal, but it's collecting dust here, and there might be a little kid who just lost all their own toys and would love it so much more then me. Made it so much easier to get rid of stuff, the same for clothes I don't wear.
I did prefer the community center over Goodwill, I wanted my fancy toys to be loved, not stuck on a shelf by a collector. That might be personal preference though nothing wrong with Goodwill.

Side note: Toy story screwed me up, I felt bad and found myself explaining to a box of toys that it was ok and the kids would love them as much as I did...I'm so messed up.....

[AriGriffin]

I have a ton of junk I need to get rid of- most of it is stuff I have gotten for my birthday or Christmas that I didn't like, want, or need. I feel that I would hurt the giver's feelings if I get rid of the items.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I find stuffing it into a big black plastic garbage bag helps. Then I can't see it and start thinking about it.

[ArcticChicken]

Frankly, I recognize some of my own tendencies in the people in those shows. I am not a hoarder...but I bet I am walking a fine line.

I know what you mean. I'm in the middle of a purge of the crap that was under my bed, and I'm having serious trouble getting rid of it. I've decided that the only way I'm going to be able to get this done is to do it in several rounds. Round one is getting rid of actual trash (no food or anything nasty, just old papers and things, crafty things that aren't for specific projects, and gifts that I hate but haven't been able to get rid of because it feels like a rejection of the person that gave it to me.

Not quite sure what round 2 is going to be, but eventually I'm getting it down to a single trunk of stuff.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Could friends come over right now? Depends on the friends. I'm doing laundry, and right now my tiny living room is full of baskets and folded laundry. I would rather nobody see my flimsies all over the damn room. But the room's otherwise clean. I like nice open spaces in a house. (and to the CS member that was actually over at my house a couple weeks ago for a few minutes and saw that unspeakable disaster that was my front room...well...me and the husband had words about that Sunday afternoon. That was a damn shame and I am mortified that you saw that. So much for my request to "not fuck the house up while I'm gone". )

Sound like some of those questions are misleading.

Frankly, I recognize some of my own tendencies in the people in those shows. I am not a hoarder...but I bet I am walking a fine line. I don't hold onto shit like I used to (I used to be poverty stricken, I have a feeling that has some bearing on things), but I do often find myself having conversations with myself in order to make myself be okay with tossing shit out. I have to say things to myself like "Have you even used this ever? Will you even remember this thing? Can you buy this if it turns out you DO need one?" I have to do that.

There but for the grace of God go I. It scares the hell out of me. My dad is a hoarder, but my mom's got him enough under control it's limited to his two workshops outside. And fortunately, he's got enough OCD contamination phobias he would never hoard food in a million years. It's not out of control, floor to ceiling, "oh my Lord in heaven this man is off the rails" hoarding, but it's bad enough his shops are almost too cluttered to work in. I'm sure I get the tendency from him. He gets mad if you say "Dad, wouldn't you rather have the space than the [fill in the piece of random crap he could just go out and buy if he needed to].

On the flipside, he's incredibly resourceful and builds cool things out of junk. And he invents helpful items. So I can totally see where he might go "Huh, I could make x out of that."

But let me tell you, when you recognize that if your cheese slips off your cracker just a little bit more than it already is, that crazy broad doing the dumpster dive could be you, it's a sobering thought. Hopefully, recognizing it for what it is will stave it off.

[AdminAssistant]

Plus I've heard plenty of stories about people then loosing those houses because they can't afford to pay the heating bill or there's still a mortgage on the property and they can't pay that, or whatever.

Yeah, I know one of the KC families either lost or almost lost their house because they couldn't pay the taxes and utilities on it. They *did* lose the new cars that were given to them, IIRC. And then there's the other problems that come from...building a house in matter of days and not letting the foundation or framework settle.

Ugh. "Reality" TV.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

a lot of screwed up people identify with her. I mean, a bunch of viewers got upset because she lost weight, because they couldn't identify with her anymore. That is completely eff'ed up. Well, now she's fat again, so I wonder how much her audience will change.

If I told people I identified with Jerry Springer (another talk show host), they'd probably recommend I seek professional help.

So why are these Oprah-holics any different?

[ArcticChicken]

Extreme Makeover? They do build a house (usually in 9-10 days, not 7), but Ty Pennington only makes a presence on the first and last day. A friend of mine has volunteered a few times, and noted how little work the ABC folks do on those houses.

Plus I've heard plenty of stories about people then loosing those houses because they can't afford to pay the heating bill or there's still a mortgage on the property and they can't pay that, or whatever. Mind you, I haven't done a lot of digging to find out if it's true, but it wouldn't surprise me.

[wagegoth]

If you ask me, Oprah Winfrey is a lot of what's wrong with society.

She's not the Queen of the world, not Jesus Christ. She's a talk show host. So why do so many people hang on her every word and tune in to the shows of her friends (Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz, Suze Orman) just because they're her friends?

Oprah has so many personal issues that she really needs to shut down the show and get help, but the adulation she gets feeds some need, and a lot of screwed up people identify with her. I mean, a bunch of viewers got upset because she lost weight, because they couldn't identify with her anymore. That is completely eff'ed up. Well, now she's fat again, so I wonder how much her audience will change.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

If you ask me, Oprah Winfrey is a lot of what's wrong with society.

She's not the Queen of the world, not Jesus Christ. She's a talk show host. So why do so many people hang on her every word and tune in to the shows of her friends (Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz, Suze Orman) just because they're her friends?

When she finally ends that talk show of hers, I won't miss it one bit.