Before I get into my condition a little background is in order. When my wife's sister retired and moved to Florida she had a basement full of stuff. This particular stuff came from the refusal to get rid of anything. Worse, when the parents died some of their stuff came to my sister-in-laws. The 4 lawn sales that moved that little of it should have sent the message 'hey lady no one wants your stuff'. What was this stuff you say? Glasses, lots of old liquor glasses, ice buckets, ash trays and all manner of old junk. Well when she did move 30 to 50 boxes of this stuff went with her. It cost a couple of grand to move it and the last time I was over there it sits and makes 1/2 of her 2 car garage in her beautiful new home unusable. This stuff is like parasite once it gets hold of its victim it stays until the host is dead. It is particularly insidious since its new victim will willingly bring it home and the cycle begins a new. Stuff also poses a tripping hazard, something a double knee replacement is very fearful of. Oh and did you know stuff attracts stuff? Let me ask you how likely are you to notice another something in a pile of too many somethings?
With a goal of eventually relocating I am determined to get rid of anything I don't want to pay to move. The Mrs and I have already emptied and repainted the garage and It is awesome. I keep going out there to bask in the glowing cleanliness. (Symptom 1 of purge fever) when the Mrs. Said "it looks so empty out there" I felt a rush of joy. The neighbor stopped by and said "I wish my garage looked like this" again that same sense of jubilation (Symptom 2). I can actually easily fit my car in there!
Yesterday the shed was my next target. I tossed all manner of stuff: tar paper roll, old garden hose, old bands of fertilizer, etc,. I moved to the garage, assembled and photographed the leaf sweeper, the 2 man cot tent, a trailer hitch bike carrier (I don't have a car with trailer hitch). I put them online for sale by owner with nominal price. They have 2 weeks - either they sell or they go to the curb. When I rolled my trusty John Deere tractor into the 'broom clean' shed Id swear it heard it whisper 'Thank you'.
I should say Purge Fever isn't all roses, remember the aforementioned 2 person tent cot? The Mrs made the mistake of mentioning the tent to my 22 year old daughter. "Your daughter wants the tent" I can attest when the fever has a hold of you any suggestion about keeping some stuff already targeted for purging things get ugly. (Symptom 3) "Fine you want it OK but it has to be out of here tonight" (moved to the boyfriends). I know it was in that shed for 10 years would a few more hours manner? I and the fever says yes! It was gone by 8PM.
Im taking a break form purging today but i have big plans for that basement.
With a goal of eventually relocating I am determined to get rid of anything I don't want to pay to move. The Mrs and I have already emptied and repainted the garage and It is awesome. I keep going out there to bask in the glowing cleanliness. (Symptom 1 of purge fever) when the Mrs. Said "it looks so empty out there" I felt a rush of joy. The neighbor stopped by and said "I wish my garage looked like this" again that same sense of jubilation (Symptom 2). I can actually easily fit my car in there!
Yesterday the shed was my next target. I tossed all manner of stuff: tar paper roll, old garden hose, old bands of fertilizer, etc,. I moved to the garage, assembled and photographed the leaf sweeper, the 2 man cot tent, a trailer hitch bike carrier (I don't have a car with trailer hitch). I put them online for sale by owner with nominal price. They have 2 weeks - either they sell or they go to the curb. When I rolled my trusty John Deere tractor into the 'broom clean' shed Id swear it heard it whisper 'Thank you'.
I should say Purge Fever isn't all roses, remember the aforementioned 2 person tent cot? The Mrs made the mistake of mentioning the tent to my 22 year old daughter. "Your daughter wants the tent" I can attest when the fever has a hold of you any suggestion about keeping some stuff already targeted for purging things get ugly. (Symptom 3) "Fine you want it OK but it has to be out of here tonight" (moved to the boyfriends). I know it was in that shed for 10 years would a few more hours manner? I and the fever says yes! It was gone by 8PM.
Im taking a break form purging today but i have big plans for that basement.
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