Monday, May 3, 2010

Good garbage, revisited

    It started out so innocently.   As instructed by the good folks at Toshiba (with whom I've developed a closer-than-ever-anticipated-or-desired relationship) I was just dropping off my (completely trashed) computer at the UPS store.  And like a good momma, I graciously acquiesced to my Mojy's (all-but-rabid) request to stop at a yard sale across the street.  (Even though it was Friday.  And I had a house in desperate need of intensive attention.  And a Shabbos meal to prepare.)  We spent 10 minutes yard sale-ing and emerged with a mind-numbingly cute dress for Shani and a couple of books.  No great shakes, but for a buck, who's complaining? 
    Having loaded the troops into the Green Machine and taken roll call (yes, I take roll call...there are lots of them,  only one of me, and sometimes it's just better to be safe than sorry...) I assumed I was off the proverbial hook.  Until...(insert Jaws theme music here) we saw The Pile.  (For those of you who are unfamiliar with my legendary trashpicking-addiction, click here.) The Pile was large and fruitful, yielding a basketball hoop that required the full scope of my engineering skills to wedge into the back of the van.  Sweaty and triumphant, I reloaded the kids and we were off.

    Except that two houses down, we chanced upon  Another Pile.  Folks, I'll cut to the chase.  Here in the Des Moines, they have a  wondrous thing called Bulk Waste Pickup.  Every neighborhood has a designated date to dump all of their unwanted goodies on the side of the road, and then freaks like me can tear around, chortling manically, and gather them up. 

We scored a galvanized trash can (for the chicks' feed),

a wading pool, several boxes of vintage glass balls,

an on orange ottoman with a screw loose (ahem),

and an easel for the kidlets. 

Also an odd assortment of metal lock-boxes for the boys, who are key-fascinated these days, and a nifty little enameled tray, because I couldn't control myself.

If ever I questioned the wisdom of moving to the Middle of the Midwest, my qualms have been quelled.
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4 comments:

  1. mel @ loved handmadeMay 3, 2010 at 11:30 PM

    Fantastic! I love hard rubbish collection too! Sadly our little town doesn't do it so I make sure I'm roaming the streets when it happens in a great little town close by! Great finds, love the ottoman!

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  2. june at noonMay 5, 2010 at 9:00 PM

    Ha! What great finds. Sometimes you just have to be willing to pick through the piles. :)

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  3. Robin Winzler LaneMay 7, 2010 at 6:10 PM

    Wow -- we don't have specific days for piles...when we want to get rid of stuff, we just put it by the road. Somebody ALWAYS picks it up within a day. I would tag sale/pile pick every day of the week if I could!

    Here in Vermont, we can even charge for stuff left by the side of the road. A couple of our neighbors sell vegetables on the honor system (leave the money in the bucket), and once I was bound and determined to get $10 bucks for a perfectly good bike Calvin suddenly outgrew. I put it by the side of the road with a sign on it: "Put $10 in the mailbox for bike," and somebody did.

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  4. gottessMay 16, 2010 at 11:14 PM

    IT had a screw loose? ahem is right!! oh and the boys have a fascination with locks??? did you find a pic set for them too?

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Thanks for taking the time to comment...it makes me feel a little less like I'm talking to myself again.

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