Monday, October 25, 2010

The mess, the mess!

Some rain finally to wash away all this damned pollen collected over the past couple of months. Don't know how much we got yesterday and this morning, but surely more than an inch, inch and a half. And possible severe weather on tap for tomorrow as a cold front comes through. We didn't get any extreme weather with this first round, although there were tornadoes spotted some distance southeast of here. Screw those whirly winds, I can live without them.

Plan to start the back room cleaning project today. The operative word there is "plan," since it's 10 AM and I haven't started on it yet, although I've been up since about 6. Oh well, maybe I'll get a surge of energy after while and go after it. Or maybe not, depending. The problem with letting things get so cluttered and out of hand is that it seems futile to even tackle them. That's the case with the back room--which is actually a miniature third bedroom, but which I've been using as a book storage and "junk room" for years. Needless to say, I've collected much more junk than books, although the latter are numerous, too.

Some of the stuff I plan to throw away is not actually junk. There's my old portable typewriter, which I will never use again. There's one of those electronic typers with the thermal tape, almost new and seldom used since I bought it many years ago; the freaking tapes cost a small fortune and last a very short time. (Some years ago I threw away 3 electronic typers and an old word processor.) And, there is an antique home copy machine, one of those made years ago by 3M, which required all those chemicals and produced shitty copies on very thin, shiny pages. I never used it, just bought it at a yard sale about 15 years ago and stuck it on the metal rack that's bending under the weight of mucho bullshit.

Boxes and suitcases full of papers and correspondence. Old broken tape machines, answering machines, radios, all sorts of electrical switches and wiring. Early Nintendo game. Xmas wrapping paper, foam stuffing, collectible bottles. Fishing tackle boxes, window shades, hats. Cooler chests, hard and soft-side. 200' feet of 12-2 Romax w/ground. Assortment of electrical junctions, fixtures, etc. Motorcycle helmets (2), variety of tools (router, Skilsaw, drills, miter boxes w/saws, et al), CB radio w/whip antenna, numerous computer components along with an old early 90s Sun DOS computer, cigarette stuffing machines (old and worn), variety of cigarette tubes. Large metal wardrobe filled with clothes, sweaters, books. Two electric guitars. Card table. Folding buffet table. Folding wheelchair. Ironing board, mops, brooms. Christ, big string of homegrown peppers that have been hanging about 4 years.

This barely skims the surface, but of course I won't be throwing all these items away. Figuring out what to save is the big problem.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Not much happening

Haven't posted in some time. Not much going on and I've felt poorly of late. Same old same old, breathing problems foremost among them. I suspect part of that is caused by this drought and all the pollen that has collected on everything because of it. But some rain predicted for tomorrow and slated to extend into late next week might take care of that, if it happens. I wouldn't bet the farm on it. . . if I had a farm.

I'd planned to start on another book by now, but haven't. Just don't have the motivation at this point. Not sure when I will have. Or maybe IF I will have, I should add. I had also planned to have the back room cleaned out by now and that hasn't been done either. Again, no motivation. It's so much easier to just sit here on my ass and browse the Internet. Or watch TV. Haven't been reading either.

I gave splake the option to retrieve some of these publisher's copies of his books that I have--on his nickle, of course. He responded with enough to acquire 4 of those largest flat rate USPS boxes, so sometimes next week I'll load those up and get them in the mail. I'm sure that won't take them all and the rest will go into the trash bin, unless someone wants to pay postage for them. Course, I'm keeping a copy of each, since I edited/published them. But I don't need a ton of them and truth is, I have yet to sell the first copy of any one of them.

Must go to Camden this afternoon for Gwen's doctor appointment. Only good point about that is I'll pass right by the liquor store in Bruceton. Be surprised if that van doesn't make a turn there.