A couple nights ago a friend said to me, "I got your email about giving away some fishing poles and thought, 'Yup, it's summer again! Hilary's getting rid of things!'" And it's true--it's a seasonal ritual where I send out lists of random things to sell or give away. Favorites include the vintage meat cleaver and an old hatchet--and yes, there were takers.
This summer I'm proud to say my load is lighter, but I'm left to ponder about some stuff--like what do I do with a electric-start gas mower that appears to be broken? Sell it for parts? And now that I don't have a truck, how do I transport it to a shop? Maybe craigslist is the way--or the super easy but no-cash-flow trick of putting it on the curb.
I will say it takes time and having more urgent things taken care of to even have the energy and, dare I use the term, "bandwith" to ponder such things. Disposing of this stuff can get so particular and detailed, and I don't think my brain is really suited to deal with stuff stuff stuff all the time.
Speaking of the brain and having time, I discovered open (i.e. free) university courses online...so if you want to check out free lectures, I find the MIT Intro to Psychology course pretty fascinating--especially the part about how the left hemisphere of the brain deals with details and the right side deals with things holistically. And the prof is delightfully nerdy and knowledgeable.
Tying back to my blog topic, I think decluttering is more of a left-brain activity and bet it's easier for folks who tend to be left-hemisphere dominant. And that would not be me! That's why some are suited to be professional organizers and some... are not!
Friday, May 23, 2014
Sunday, May 18, 2014
UFCU Shred Day 6/14
I made it to the Austin shred day yesterday and oh, it felt good! Papers from three generations went bye-bye and out of my trunk. But if you still have papers or missed it, the local credit union is offering another one in June. Get there early--at the city one yesterday, it looked like I might have arrived as they were using their last truck out of four!
From UFCU's site:
*Weather permitting
Please note updated hours for event
From UFCU's site:
*Weather permitting
Please note updated hours for event
| Date: | June 14, 2014 |
| Time: | 10:00 AM |
| Duration: | 2 hours or until the truck is full |
| Location: |
UFCU N Guadalupe Financial Center 4611 Guadalupe St Austin, TX 78751 |
Thursday, May 1, 2014
City of Austin Free Shred Day Sat. 5/17, Road Show, and the Pickup Left
It's back at the Austin High School parking lot this year--the FREE City of Austin shred day, where they'll take a whopping five boxes off your hands! I have about five boxes still in my trunk from when I missed the UFCU shred day in March...just as I was pulling up, the big truck was driving off. So get there early enough--I heard the lines at the March one were long! Time to get the dusty boxes out of the car.
Time: 8-1:30.
More info: "The Austin chapter of ARMA International is sponsoring their 11th annual free SPRING Shred Day. With the increased awareness of identity theft, it's important to carefully dispose of personal records. Households can bring up to five boxes of paper records per household. All of the shredded material is recycled. Please make sure your records are paper only (no hard plastics, no plastic bags, electronic media or three-ring binders) and are not wet or moldy. Mobile shredding trucks will be provided by Balcones Resources, Cintas, and Iron Mountain.
ARMA International is a not-for-profit professional association and the authority on governing information as a strategic asset. Monetary donations will be accepted with a portion of the proceeds going to ARMA Austin and the Capital Area Food Bank."
In other news, I was NOT selected in the drawing to receive Antiques Road Show tickets. Kinda bummed b/c how often will that show be here?
Happier news: This week I sold the 23 year-old gold Dodge pickup truck that had been passed down from my great-uncle all the way down to me. I hardly ever drove it, but man, I miss seeing a truck in the driveway because I associate "truck" with family. I've often had a diesel pickup in my life somehow--funny how I'm not a country girl but find trucks comforting because my dad usually owned one. But now, when would I get one for myself? And why? I'm considering a Honda or Toyota to replace my current main car...compact = less gas. But car shopping is another story.
I still feel good that I decluttered my driveway if someone else will get more use and pleasure from that truck. It's had little use in the last decade in my family. So farewell, loud truck. I'll miss your dusty smell and cozy fabric seats. May your huge engine and non-computerized parts make others happy. Vroom vroom.
Time: 8-1:30.
More info: "The Austin chapter of ARMA International is sponsoring their 11th annual free SPRING Shred Day. With the increased awareness of identity theft, it's important to carefully dispose of personal records. Households can bring up to five boxes of paper records per household. All of the shredded material is recycled. Please make sure your records are paper only (no hard plastics, no plastic bags, electronic media or three-ring binders) and are not wet or moldy. Mobile shredding trucks will be provided by Balcones Resources, Cintas, and Iron Mountain.
ARMA International is a not-for-profit professional association and the authority on governing information as a strategic asset. Monetary donations will be accepted with a portion of the proceeds going to ARMA Austin and the Capital Area Food Bank."
In other news, I was NOT selected in the drawing to receive Antiques Road Show tickets. Kinda bummed b/c how often will that show be here?
Happier news: This week I sold the 23 year-old gold Dodge pickup truck that had been passed down from my great-uncle all the way down to me. I hardly ever drove it, but man, I miss seeing a truck in the driveway because I associate "truck" with family. I've often had a diesel pickup in my life somehow--funny how I'm not a country girl but find trucks comforting because my dad usually owned one. But now, when would I get one for myself? And why? I'm considering a Honda or Toyota to replace my current main car...compact = less gas. But car shopping is another story.
I still feel good that I decluttered my driveway if someone else will get more use and pleasure from that truck. It's had little use in the last decade in my family. So farewell, loud truck. I'll miss your dusty smell and cozy fabric seats. May your huge engine and non-computerized parts make others happy. Vroom vroom.
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