ThinkingSkull.com

Two things: I was wrong, and boy was I wrong!

Even upon opening the storage container, there was a sense of underestimation. Inside were a washer and dryer, a full-size fridge, pieces to a bed, and over a dozen or so odd boxes, containers, and trunks covered with sheets of plastic (images coming soon!) So I asked innocently, “Which stack is mine?”

My friend laughed at me. “Here’s a hint: it ain’t the appliances or the bed.”

Uh oh. What I’d guessed to be a morning or an afternoon project turned into a morning AND afternoon project. I decided to do this in two phases. First, get rid of the stuff I definitely wasn’t keeping, like a fish tank, old lamps and antiquated electrical stuff, art supplies long dried out or ruined, and other general junk. Sadly, what was left could still fill over three foot lockers, much more than I could afford to ship back.

After a quick stop to eat at a west-coast-staple Carl’s Jr. (which Hardee’s on the east coast is quickly transforming into in every way but name), we sought the shade of the garage for the second sort. Sadly, all the magazines had to go to make room for the actual books and such, and there were many. Starlog, Fangoria, “official” film magazines, gaming rags, you name it, plus various pieces of outdated paperwork in the form of old bills, empty notebooks, and shreadables.

This second sort was hands on; I meant to touch everything to ensure it was seen to be sorted before keeping or tossing. Among the keepers were two college yearbooks, a high school yearbook, class ring, senior key, pictures and advertising for various theatrical work I’d done prior to enlistment, and an unusually sentimental number of pictures from events I didn’t recall documenting. There are enough images that I’m considering doing a mandatory half-life montage, but we shall see. Apparently I’ve reached an age where I don’t look back on old photos in horror but as a chance to think of my younger self as another person from another time (DeLorean and sports almanac not included).

In the end, two foot lockers remained that weighed in at 95 pounds each, so the whole bit on the plane was out and Greyhound Xpress shipping was in. Although their website estimated less than 3 days shipping and about $60 for under 100 pounds, that price of course doubled (two trunks), incurred a gasoline surtax of about 10% each on top of it, and would take a week. Fortunately it’s now all done and everything is on its way; on to the Winchester Mystery House!