Dumpster Diving Spring 2009

Me: "Hey Kerry (my boss) I have something for you son to tinker with!"
Kerry: "What is it?"
Me: "A PS2 (Sony gaming system)"
Kerry: "Really? Cool!"
Me: "I pulled it out of the dumpster."

Me: "Hey Robin! Do you like the rice cooker I left for you in your office?"
Robin: "Did you get that out of a dumpster?"
Me: "Yup!"

Me: "Hey Ben! I got a solid wood table with two broken legs in the car!"
Ben: "Great...another thing to take up space in the shop!"
Me: "I just couldn't let it go to the landfill. I'll find a home for it."


Well, here we are again rummaging through the garbage and "looking for boxes." But this time, I am not that into it. It still upsets me to see perfectly fine things heading to the landfill, but I do not want them in my house.

If you recall, last year I took just about everything that was in good condition. I stuffed the garage with all these things and later had a yard sale. I made a pretty penny but the stuff started to control my life!

The glitter of dumpster diving has been dulled by my mother, but not in the way you think. My folks moved overseas and I had the pleasure (shaking head no) of helping (banging head on wall) pack and move stuff. Tons of stuff...One air container, one shipping container and one very large semi-truck full of stuff. Oh, and there was the ton (literal weight) of donations and trash.

In my parent's defense, this is not unusual. If you have moved your parents out of the family home, you know what I mean. Living in a home for 20 years means you will have a lot of stuff. What is unusual is that my mom was afraid of Y2K and a lover of Costco. We had a lot of powdered milk and obese olive oil jugs to find homes for.

I did realize my love for deep fried food is genetic. My mom had 3 deep fryers still in the boxes in the garage. Or, as I like to remember it, Mini Costco.

My mother is very giving and I was overwhelmed with the shower of material affection. I stuffed a U-Haul full of very nice things. Things that have sucked my will to shop. Things that cry out for maintenance and my attention! Things that are 2inches too wide to fit in my door! Things that will really enhance my life and help organize my 900 sq. ft. home if only I had the room!

Yeah, that is why I am not that into dumpster diving this year. My mother, like always, has filled my needs, and I want for nothing.

So I took a friend and gave her everything but a rice cooker, solid wood table and PS-2.


This is my friend, sad to see all the waste.



Here she is after lifting out two lovely end tables. The glass that go with the tables were gently set inside the dumpster. She shows me the text book, "Social Problems" and we laugh at the irony.



This week, I will take a Northwest Public Radio listener out to "look for more boxes." She's an artist and I am sure she will be inspired!