gridlore | Jul. 5th, 2010

I'm starting to dig into the terrifying second bedroom and doing triage on our books and I've come to a realization.

We're going to need help to clean that room out. There is simply too much crap for us to move out alone.

So I'm asking, begging really, for any locals who can come down next Saturday and/or Sunday (that would be the 10th-11th) and help haul stuff down to my truck for Goodwill or to the dumpster for future archaeologists to drool over when they dig up the landfill.

As an incentive, anything you see that you like an isn't on our very short "keep" list is yours. This includes furniture, books, pretty much everything. Just ask before tucking it away.

Folks, I wouldn't ask if I wasn't completely overwhelmed. Any help is appreciated.

On the good side, we are making progress. We've already done most of the bedroom, which cleared several hundred kg of clutter from our lives. That was just the first pass. I'm also finding it easier to look over the book cases and decide on the books I really want to keep and will read again. Using this method has given some interesting results. For example, pretty much all my Niven stuff is on the "out" list because I have his works pretty much memorized. Kiri and I need to go through the boxes of CDs and do a thorough culling there. Rasputin pays cash. Also finding some interesting leads on the apartment hunt; places that would satisfy both our needs. Kirsten has put ground floor at the top of her wish list, and I've found a couple in our price range. Just need to find a time to go for a look and talk with the management.

On other money issues, my friends are amazing. Thanks. I also managed to go to Safeway, get everything I needed, and come out with almost the same amount of money that I came in with. No, running from Loss Prevention and the police was not involved. Last Friday I had to pick up some Cokes, and there was a sign stating that if the cashier did not ask me to make a donation to prostate cancer research, I'd get a $10 gift card. Well, she didn't, and argued with me when I asked for my card. A line was forming, and I wanted to get home, so I let the matter drop. But it bugged me, and ten bucks is a lot of food if you stretch it right. Called customer service at the store, explained what had happened, and was told to bring the receipt in for my card. Yay! I also brought in the coins that had been accumulating in the penguin change jar (we call loose change "penguin food") and ran it through the Coinstar machine. Got $30.25, which, along with the card, covered what I had bought!

It's just been my day for good luck with money. isomeme and madelineusher sent me a gift card for Amazon, thanks guys! I went in to use it, and found we still had a pretty good balance from a previous gift card. So I was able to pick up a few books I've been wanting for a while.

But anyway, if anyone can come down and help, it would be awesome. Not promising anything, but a trip to Chili's after the demolition is done might be in the plans.

Douglas E. Berry