SHOVELED OUT THE GARAGE
Yes, “shovel” is a metaphor, except I really did use a shovel at one point. I should have taken before-and-after pictures but I left my camera in Fresno and was too focused on getting all that crap out of there to think straight. Here’s what we did:
- Removed a buttload of (mostly empty) cardboard boxes, many of which we cut up for recycling but a fair amount were water damaged and literally disintegrating so we threw them in the garbage. (Yes mom, we THREW THEM IN THE GARBAGE. Let the wailing and gnashing of teeth commence.)
- Took a shovel to what was left of the disintegrating boxes that were now stuck to the floor along with several years accumulation of dirt. Where the dirt came from I’m not quite sure. It may have simply been the biodegraded remains of the boxes and whatever was formerly in them.
- Shop-vac’d up the loosened dirt, a forest of spider webs, and I’m pretty sure several black widows. (That reminds me: I need to empty the shop vac before the widows find their way out through the hose and set up shop in my garage. BRB.)
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I’m back. I got a little carried away at mom’s and vacuumed all the gunk out from behind and underneath the dryer, too. Have you looked under your dryer lately? Be afraid. - Karen took everything out of the built-in cabinets, culled, then replaced what was left in an orderly fashion. You know what was left? Mostly old glassware – Remember when you’d get a free glass every time you gassed up your car? Yes, youngsters, that really used to happen. Sometimes it was a free doll, each representing a different country – but also old Coffee-Mate canisters, the jumbo kind. She won’t let us throw them away because they are perfect for the homemade Chex Mix she gives away every Christmas. We counted: she has 30 canisters. People: if she gives you Chex Mix this year, DO NOT RETURN THE EMPTY CANISTER.
- Mom said Karen could have any canning jars she found since mom no longer cans. At last count, she was up to 2 unopened boxes of smaller jars and 8 grocery bags of loose jars of various sizes.
- Moved the old end tables back inside that match the coffee table we used to put pillows on when we were kids and run and slide across like an indoor slip-and-slide. One end table went back in the living room and the other to the guest bedroom as a side table. They are the hollow kind with doors so she can shove stuff inside them and out of sight. Though I suspect she will also pile stuff on top of them, hoarder-style. ::sigh::
- Lastly, we moved all the stuff that had been piled up in front of the built-in work area on one side of the garage to the newly vacant and clean area on the other side. Now you can walk around both sides of the car without tripping over anything. It’s a miracle!
Do I know how to vacation, or what?
