"S" cracks us up again, with a perfect Saturday morning guest post. Thanks for dropping by!
"Misc. metal lids that are not allowed in our recycling pick up, so I cart them over to the "transfer station" to the metal dumpster, along with this nice fancy Earl Grey tin that normally I would save "for something" and now--no! It will not be a planter, a receptacle for cat ashes, or a pencil holder. It will be - hopefully recycled."
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
Global warming?
What: fleece bottom sheet & two pillow
Origin: under the bed.
Last used: 2007
Why kept: out of sight
Destination: Amvets pick up Friday
Confession: I reached into the bag and almost pulled out the pillow cases. As I'm typing I'm thinking about asking The Boy if he wants them for his little bed. At any rate, it gets cold here in Chicagoland; however, it is a dry cold. Wearing flannel jammies on fleece.... Zzzzzzttttt. I have buried them deep within the recycled garbage bag (it transported hand-me-downs to us). I will not go spelunking for them! (And I didn't!!)
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®
Origin: under the bed.
Last used: 2007
Why kept: out of sight
Destination: Amvets pick up Friday
Confession: I reached into the bag and almost pulled out the pillow cases. As I'm typing I'm thinking about asking The Boy if he wants them for his little bed. At any rate, it gets cold here in Chicagoland; however, it is a dry cold. Wearing flannel jammies on fleece.... Zzzzzzttttt. I have buried them deep within the recycled garbage bag (it transported hand-me-downs to us). I will not go spelunking for them! (And I didn't!!)
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®
I've Bean Meaning To...
What: About 1 pint of dried organic black beans.
Origin: Vegan culinary ambition.
Usage: Uh, did I make some kind of vegetarian chili in the 00s?
How Long Kept: Cannot be determined -- they post-date the invention of the plastic takeout container, and pre-date my habit of putting a date label on all food in the cabinets.
Why Kept: Out of Sight, Out of Mind; and I might cook them (and thus they Might Be Useful).
Destination: They're soaking right now (and not in Palmolive)...they'll be traveling my alimentary canal starting tonight.
Confession: I contemplated composting them. And this may indeed be the destination for some red dal of a more recent "vintage", which, when cooked, proved to be as tasteless as it was unappealing to the eye.
Bonus: High in fiber! Low in saturated fat! Earthy! Vegan! and I can get rid of another plastic container -- I'm converting to glass food storage where possible.
Origin: Vegan culinary ambition.
Usage: Uh, did I make some kind of vegetarian chili in the 00s?
How Long Kept: Cannot be determined -- they post-date the invention of the plastic takeout container, and pre-date my habit of putting a date label on all food in the cabinets.
Why Kept: Out of Sight, Out of Mind; and I might cook them (and thus they Might Be Useful).
Destination: They're soaking right now (and not in Palmolive)...they'll be traveling my alimentary canal starting tonight.
Confession: I contemplated composting them. And this may indeed be the destination for some red dal of a more recent "vintage", which, when cooked, proved to be as tasteless as it was unappealing to the eye.
Bonus: High in fiber! Low in saturated fat! Earthy! Vegan! and I can get rid of another plastic container -- I'm converting to glass food storage where possible.
Guest Post: "R.I.P."
"S", this is a very Buddhist post...
"I found this perfectly intact (perfectly dead) praying mantis on my porch in November. We used to hang by the butterfly bush together, me sipping wine, she inspiring my awe and waiting for dinner. As a child, I was told never to kill one--it was against the law. Suburban myth or not, it instilled a sense of respect in me that has never dissipated. I brought this in and put it in a meditation area that I have, on a flat rock, for a few weeks over the holidays . Last week I inadvertently brushed my arm (in a sweater) against it, snagging it to me, and for a brief moment all I could do was freak out: "AAgghh! Bug on me!" So I gingerly picked her up and deposited her under my birdbath."
"I found this perfectly intact (perfectly dead) praying mantis on my porch in November. We used to hang by the butterfly bush together, me sipping wine, she inspiring my awe and waiting for dinner. As a child, I was told never to kill one--it was against the law. Suburban myth or not, it instilled a sense of respect in me that has never dissipated. I brought this in and put it in a meditation area that I have, on a flat rock, for a few weeks over the holidays . Last week I inadvertently brushed my arm (in a sweater) against it, snagging it to me, and for a brief moment all I could do was freak out: "AAgghh! Bug on me!" So I gingerly picked her up and deposited her under my birdbath."
Blindman's bluff
What: eye shades for sleeping and a pair of shoes
Origin: the eye shades were a replacement for a pair I love and lost. This pair pretty much sucked as they weren't comfortable and sat on my lids. My old shades have since been relocated YAY! Last used, summer 2009. The shoes are from the mid 90s that I wore for a wedding. Last used probably 2005
Why kept: might need them.
Destination: Amvets pick up Friday
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®
Origin: the eye shades were a replacement for a pair I love and lost. This pair pretty much sucked as they weren't comfortable and sat on my lids. My old shades have since been relocated YAY! Last used, summer 2009. The shoes are from the mid 90s that I wore for a wedding. Last used probably 2005
Why kept: might need them.
Destination: Amvets pick up Friday
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Appearances Can Be Deceiving: "throwing in the towels..."
When I saw the photo, I thought this would be a post from "M"...thanks, "S".
"Found in the basement on a shelf--3 beach towels . Owned at least 20 years. A Keds promo giveaway, 101 Dalmations was a gift, and my favorite Japanese character whose name escapes me--the cat with no ears--acquired in the Harajuku neighborhood which enthralled me in 1989. Appropriately just got dropped off at the Mid-Hudson dog & cat sanctuary. I had to keep my eyes averted, or I would have come home with 3 more cats."
"Found in the basement on a shelf--3 beach towels . Owned at least 20 years. A Keds promo giveaway, 101 Dalmations was a gift, and my favorite Japanese character whose name escapes me--the cat with no ears--acquired in the Harajuku neighborhood which enthralled me in 1989. Appropriately just got dropped off at the Mid-Hudson dog & cat sanctuary. I had to keep my eyes averted, or I would have come home with 3 more cats."
Good Bye, Pain (Free)!
What: Borrowed BooksOrigin: A student wanted me to look at them. I tried to say no...I failed.
Usage: I scanned them when I brought them home, and really looked at them yesterday.
Why kept: Aaaargh. Mostly out of sight, out of mind. And I might read them, so They Might Be Useful?
How long kept: Less than a year. (Close enough, though.)
Destination: Return To Lender.
Confession: I took these because the student looked a little crestfallen when I explained that I had a lot of other reading to do. (This was the truth.) He responded that I should keep them as long as I liked. (Based on that, I should have brought them back the next week. I have pretty good boundaries, but have a hard time telling my students "no". That's how I wound up on Facebook, too. Sigh.)
Bonus: The information contained in these books looks like biomechanically sound advice that might work for the person in your life who might not ever find himself in a yoga class.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Pretty huge shirt
What: pretty shirt that is too big
Origin: I got this shirt for an event after my first son was born. Last worn, maybe 2007
Location: a closet I rarely use.
Why kept: might wear it again but it's way too big. I might fix it -- not! I'm no seamstress
Destination: Amvets pick up Friday
Confession: I have removed this from give away twice. I really like it! It's in the bag and I will not remove it!
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®
Origin: I got this shirt for an event after my first son was born. Last worn, maybe 2007
Location: a closet I rarely use.
Why kept: might wear it again but it's way too big. I might fix it -- not! I'm no seamstress
Destination: Amvets pick up Friday
Confession: I have removed this from give away twice. I really like it! It's in the bag and I will not remove it!
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®
Blog On, "S"!
Thanks for the guest post, "S"
"Ethnic pantry cleansing
These have been stashed in the basement for a while (the bamboo shoots probably date back to Brooklyn), and as I try to recall 1950s fallout shelter suggested inventory-- itemized in "Duck and Cover" Nuclear Defense Council booklets that were tucked next to my Nancy Drews--I don't think any of these items were listed. Spam, yes. Sake...no. All went down the drain--except the bamboo shoots that joined the general garbage. Containers recycled, of course. I have 6 other types of hot sauce in the kitchen pantry, so I'm still set for the next catfish sautee."
"Ethnic pantry cleansing
These have been stashed in the basement for a while (the bamboo shoots probably date back to Brooklyn), and as I try to recall 1950s fallout shelter suggested inventory-- itemized in "Duck and Cover" Nuclear Defense Council booklets that were tucked next to my Nancy Drews--I don't think any of these items were listed. Spam, yes. Sake...no. All went down the drain--except the bamboo shoots that joined the general garbage. Containers recycled, of course. I have 6 other types of hot sauce in the kitchen pantry, so I'm still set for the next catfish sautee."
If I Want To Call You, I Already Have Your Number
What: 2009-2010 Downtown Manhattan White pages, unopened.
Origin: Delivered by phone company
Last used: Unless being dusted, vacuumed, or moved around counts as "usage", never.
How long kept: Can't remember, but it probably arrived in late 2008/early 2009?
Why kept: I Might Need It!
Destination: Phone book: recycling; envelope showing my address: trash; plastic bag wrapper: recycling container at the grocery store.
Confession: the semi-colon is my favorite punctuation mark.
Origin: Delivered by phone company
Last used: Unless being dusted, vacuumed, or moved around counts as "usage", never.
How long kept: Can't remember, but it probably arrived in late 2008/early 2009?
Why kept: I Might Need It!
Destination: Phone book: recycling; envelope showing my address: trash; plastic bag wrapper: recycling container at the grocery store.
Confession: the semi-colon is my favorite punctuation mark.
More Exotic Stuff from "S": Me so stinky!
"OK, these are some kind of rubbing ointment bottles that stink to high heaven, acquired in Vietnam back in 2003. I think they originally were intended as souvenirs, but I had to wrap them up tight and stuff them back in a closet while I reconsidered. Seven years later, I have reached a conclusion: no one, not even me, wants a stinky seven-year-old souvenir.
I am trying to recollect the obvious question: why? Maybe I thought it was something exotic yet useful, like Tiger Balm. I am sure I liked the little head on the graphics. I'm gonna give them one shot on ebay, then to the garbage by Tet (Feb. 14, Year of the Tiger)."
Thanks, S. (I never "got" Tiger Balm...I remember people selling it on the street in more than one Asian venue, and figured that sometimes it was code for something more contraband...)
I am trying to recollect the obvious question: why? Maybe I thought it was something exotic yet useful, like Tiger Balm. I am sure I liked the little head on the graphics. I'm gonna give them one shot on ebay, then to the garbage by Tet (Feb. 14, Year of the Tiger)."
Thanks, S. (I never "got" Tiger Balm...I remember people selling it on the street in more than one Asian venue, and figured that sometimes it was code for something more contraband...)
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Totally unsupportive!
What: Barely too small used nusing bras.
Origin: Kohls.com in October. They get the photo credit. This is NOT me.
Last used: last week.
Why kept: they're Perfectly Good. They might fit/wear again Actually, these exited my house rather quickly. I decided why store totally uncomfortable underwear!!!! OUT!
Why kept: they're Perfectly Good. They might fit/wear again Actually, these exited my house rather quickly. I decided why store totally uncomfortable underwear!!!! OUT!
Destination: Freecycle.
Geographically Undesirable
What: A stack of National Geographic magazines.Origin: Desire to be more worldly and educated than I am.
Last used: Uh, some of them, never.
Why kept: I Might Need Them to achieve the forementioned desire to be more worldly and educated -- and after all, they're Perfectly Good. They also Might Be Useful for various craft projects or as raw material in one of my art classes.
Destination: Recycling.
Bonus: I got these in a recycling trade -- I used to swap my already read issues of Cook's Illustrated with a friend who got National Geographic. She got her own subscription to Cook's (which I stopped getting). Though I'm sure that she'd probably still recycle her National Geographic to me, there's no point if I don't read it!
I'll live with my current level of education and worldliness -- as a trade off, there's one less stack of unread magazines to dust.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Guest Artist: Running on empty
Or should I say, our resident artist, "S":
"Three different brands of black ink of differing ages (I still haven't settled on the best that addresses my purpose, which is to draw traditionally and then neglect to methodically clean my pen afterwards)...so when I had a job to do this weekend I opened all 3 to discover the wells had run dry. And had probably been that way for months. Luckily there was a fresh bottle of good old Higgins tucked in a shelf corner. And a pen that didn't need pliers to pull the nib out and clean. This little mess was dispensed directly into the garbage. The art work that evolved will be on a blog this week for about 2 days. Pretty dispensable as well."
"Three different brands of black ink of differing ages (I still haven't settled on the best that addresses my purpose, which is to draw traditionally and then neglect to methodically clean my pen afterwards)...so when I had a job to do this weekend I opened all 3 to discover the wells had run dry. And had probably been that way for months. Luckily there was a fresh bottle of good old Higgins tucked in a shelf corner. And a pen that didn't need pliers to pull the nib out and clean. This little mess was dispensed directly into the garbage. The art work that evolved will be on a blog this week for about 2 days. Pretty dispensable as well."
Never a dull moment
What: Knife sharpener (I'm cracking myself up)
Location: kitchen counter next to the new, smaller one we received in August last year
Last used: not sure. The Hubby usually takes care of such things
Why kept: I'm not really sure. It might be useful?
Destination: AMVets pick up
The new one is much smaller!
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®
Location: kitchen counter next to the new, smaller one we received in August last year
Last used: not sure. The Hubby usually takes care of such things
Why kept: I'm not really sure. It might be useful?
Destination: AMVets pick up
The new one is much smaller!
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®
Community Disorganization
What: Souvenir button from a fund raising event.
Origin: "Interesting" learning experience in community participation.
How long kept/last used: A neighbor probably convinced me to wear it at the fund raiser, which would have been in 2003, maybe 2004. (And I'm not much of a button person.)
Why kept: Definitely OOSOOM -- it was uncovered in a box of electronica (stay tuned) I found on a top shelf in the closet, Storage Boxes Are Evil.
Destination: Landfill.
Confession: I unearthed this last week -- why didn't it go right into the trash? Aaaargh!
Confession (cont.): The desire to be helpful in my community is probably something else I should "release" my grip on in this decade. A couple of volunteer efforts I engage in are enjoyable and useful. Others, not so much.
Origin: "Interesting" learning experience in community participation.
How long kept/last used: A neighbor probably convinced me to wear it at the fund raiser, which would have been in 2003, maybe 2004. (And I'm not much of a button person.)
Why kept: Definitely OOSOOM -- it was uncovered in a box of electronica (stay tuned) I found on a top shelf in the closet, Storage Boxes Are Evil.
Destination: Landfill.
Confession: I unearthed this last week -- why didn't it go right into the trash? Aaaargh!
Confession (cont.): The desire to be helpful in my community is probably something else I should "release" my grip on in this decade. A couple of volunteer efforts I engage in are enjoyable and useful. Others, not so much.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Mom--I still play with it!
"S" has even gotten her feline companion in on the game...
"No she doesn't--this toy was acquired when Tizzy's previous roomie, Rufus, was buried next to my bird bath (jeez, can it be almost 5 years?) I figured when I was gone (as in, out of the house, not buried under the bird bath), she'd have something to play with. Because Una (her other roomie at the time) wanted nothing to do with her. Only it sat in the living room like a little kitty-Calder floor mobile...ignored except when I vaccuumed. Now that I have brought it upstairs to photograph, she is showing a little interest, and clearly the trauma of the squirt gun has been forgotten. No matter--to the cat sanctuary it goes. And if NYPD Commish Ray Kelly is accepting returned firearms in crayola colored plastics, great! If not--to the garbage. (The trigger is broken from a lot of enthusiastic target practice)."
"No she doesn't--this toy was acquired when Tizzy's previous roomie, Rufus, was buried next to my bird bath (jeez, can it be almost 5 years?) I figured when I was gone (as in, out of the house, not buried under the bird bath), she'd have something to play with. Because Una (her other roomie at the time) wanted nothing to do with her. Only it sat in the living room like a little kitty-Calder floor mobile...ignored except when I vaccuumed. Now that I have brought it upstairs to photograph, she is showing a little interest, and clearly the trauma of the squirt gun has been forgotten. No matter--to the cat sanctuary it goes. And if NYPD Commish Ray Kelly is accepting returned firearms in crayola colored plastics, great! If not--to the garbage. (The trigger is broken from a lot of enthusiastic target practice)."
I'm not late!
Nor will I be again. Well, not the kid of late that I'd require these books
What: various books on pregnancy & a belly supporter (I called it my belly bra)
Last used: two + months ago
Origin: my first pregnancy
Why kept: out of sight
Destination: Freecycle pickup
Woot, my closet is maternity free I believe!
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®
What: various books on pregnancy & a belly supporter (I called it my belly bra)
Last used: two + months ago
Origin: my first pregnancy
Why kept: out of sight
Destination: Freecycle pickup
Woot, my closet is maternity free I believe!
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®
Yeah, I'm Organized
What: Informative articles, clipped or downloaded.
Origin: Self improvement and professional development impulses.
Last used: They were stored in a 2" binder I constructed in a 2004 job search.
Why Kept: Aargh. Mostly Out of Sight, Out of Mind. Also, binders -- for me -- can become a variation on the storage box theme. And Storage Boxes are Evil.
How long kept: One WSJ article is dated September 30, 1994.
Destination: All will be recycled.
Confession/Bonus: The yellowed newspaper articles, probably 2 or 3 pages, are actually going into a file of papers I'm using for materials in a mixed-media art class. I'll be using it to make "paper fabric" this semester. Old newsprint adds a cool antique look to this material.
Bonus: I almost kept most of this 2 inch stack of paper, a career development guide I downloaded from my university's website in 2004. After all, Someday I Might Need It. Realized that I can always download it again. (And it's probably technologically obsolete.)
Buh-bye.
Origin: Self improvement and professional development impulses.
Last used: They were stored in a 2" binder I constructed in a 2004 job search.
Why Kept: Aargh. Mostly Out of Sight, Out of Mind. Also, binders -- for me -- can become a variation on the storage box theme. And Storage Boxes are Evil.
How long kept: One WSJ article is dated September 30, 1994.
Destination: All will be recycled.
Confession/Bonus: The yellowed newspaper articles, probably 2 or 3 pages, are actually going into a file of papers I'm using for materials in a mixed-media art class. I'll be using it to make "paper fabric" this semester. Old newsprint adds a cool antique look to this material.
Bonus: I almost kept most of this 2 inch stack of paper, a career development guide I downloaded from my university's website in 2004. After all, Someday I Might Need It. Realized that I can always download it again. (And it's probably technologically obsolete.)
Buh-bye.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Not so spicy
What: a bowl of bland crushed red pepper (about a cup)
Origin: a pizza party in fall of 2008
Why kept: it might be useful, we might need it and out of sight
Where found: the pantry
Destination: the peppers went in the trash, I didn't know what it would do to the compost. I recycled the bowl.
"A" sent us some delish organic stuff that really packs a punch. We haven't used all of that yet, I don't see ever getting to this. I did try to freecycle this but there were no takers.
Origin: a pizza party in fall of 2008
Why kept: it might be useful, we might need it and out of sight
Where found: the pantry
Destination: the peppers went in the trash, I didn't know what it would do to the compost. I recycled the bowl.
"A" sent us some delish organic stuff that really packs a punch. We haven't used all of that yet, I don't see ever getting to this. I did try to freecycle this but there were no takers.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
