Burn Baby Burn

Almost a zen like experience

There is something liberating and empowering about clearing out and getting rid of clutter.   When the piles of junk take over the house, removing them has the effect of clearing ones mind as well as the physical space the junk occupies. 

I decided to begin with the boxes and bags of papers and save the heavy lifting for days when I had help, reasoning I could carry small amounts up the stairs and sort through them in batches while watching TV.   It was by far the most tedious and brain-numbing task I undertook.  I did  find a few nice mementoes and $50 cash, so at least there were a few perks along the way.  (I also developed a bit of an addiction to Dr. Who and quite a major one to Top Gear, but that’s another story….)

The one satisfying part of that process – sitting on the picnic table on a warm summer evening with a glass of wine, the dog for company and our portable grill while disposing of old documents.  Ahhh….Burn Baby Burn!

A Few Words About Clutter

I am by nature, a messy person.  I will never, ever have one of those 'model homes'.  You know, the kind that would be eligible for a magazine spread.  I admit that I keep things for too long before they go in the Goodwill pile, and I have yarn, beads and material I will probably never get around to using.  There is always a project of some sort laying about in my living room.  BUT, there is reasonable amount of clutter and then there is - ahem - the clutter that overtook a good portion of my house.  The basement was by far the worst, though the garage runs a close second.

I don't mind a little clutter, in fact, I think it's healthy.  My self-worth has never been wrapped up in material things; however,  when things get very cluttered and messy my productivity is hampered and I find it oppressive.  I simply do not need to search for literally 30+ minutes to find something I need because it was dumped somewhere.  Nor do I need to negotiate piles of boxes to get to the washing machine.  (Not to mention, my spine does not need to do the bending, lifting and stairs in my house.) Trying to keep up with things took a toll on my back & cervical spine and, after a while,  I physically couldn't do it any more.

What can I say?  I can ask, request, demand or just plain get angry, but in the end, some people will do what they do.  While I can list many, many wonderful things about my family and am very proud of my two children, minding my requests for a bit of organization was not in that list.   So, reality is reality and I am doing what I can to clean up this mess.  I do need to acknowledge that my children, though late in the game, have stepped up to the plate and are helping whenever they can.  Ahhh....maturity!

Some of the things I found when cleaning out the basement:

• Yarn & material I purchased 10+ years ago.  Off to Goodwill.
• Kids toys I wonder why I ever saved. Goodwill.
•  My lesson plans using overheads from back in the day before everyone had PP.  In the Trash.
• Crap I didn't even know I had.  Trash.
• Furniture I will never repair.  Goodwill / Trash
• Clothes so old and outdated that even poor people would refuse to be seen wearing them.  Trash
• Boxes to every cell phone that we have ever owned. Trash
• Literally boxes and boxes and grocery bags full of old bills (presumably paid) and junk mail spanning twenty years (I had no idea...).  Burn/Shred

and...... 

The strong box.  Hallelujah!  Could it contain what I'd  been looking for?  With anticipation, I opened the box and....

• The house papers - not there
• The car titles - nope
• The insurance papers - nope
• Other important papers - nope
•  Awh hell, 50 cents even - nope

                                                           However....

• Old springs, nuts, etc - check
• Paycheck stubs dating back to 1973 - check
• Bank Book from an account closed before the Berlin Wall came down. - check
• Notes and memos that pre-date the the end of the Vietnam war. - check
• FML - check

Entering Hell

The view from the bottom of the stairs. 

Looking to my left.... 

....and to my right

It was time to face the basement.  I took a deep breath, braced myself, opened the basement door, descended the stairs and entered  hell.



Then I swore, ranted and raved, picked myself up and with the help of my kids and neighbor to do the lifting began the process of clearing out.







 We kept slogging away at it and slowly things began to look better. Though I do admit on more than one occasion, during moments of weakness, the solution of a gallon of gas and some matches crossed my mind.






It was the sheer amount of it!  The way it was all strewn together made me want to give up. Physically it was doing me in - even with the help.  I should explain.  I've had four back surgeries, three of them on my cervical spine and experience quite a few unpleasant symptoms with bending my neck or head. My lower back is better than it was, but it is a bit dicey and I need to be careful.   I couldn't keep up with the mess years ago, how was I supposed to do it now?  Damn it!  So, I ranted and raved and swore some more, then went to get the ice and hot packs and a glass of wine (anti-inflammatory properties, you know).

Tearing Down the Porch

Almost done

Years ago, I knew the porch was beyond repair and had to go.  Past a certain point, no amount of bleach or mold remover will do the job. Finally, time to get rid of that eyesore!  I was able to cut a deal with a local contractor and the porch was down in less than a day.  The crew of 4 men worked non stop and did a fantastic clean-up as well.  Thanks Vinny!

The insides of the porch walls.  

Off to the salvage yard

Ahhh..... So much better!

Starting With the Porch

It was time for me to move into a ranch condo, but first I had to spruce up the house and clear the out the junk.  No problem, right?  So, my back is trashed.  So, I haven't been able to do much of anything for years.  No problem.  I could get the kids to help and have the house on the market by the end of summer. That was in June last year.  It's now March and I'm still slogging through crap. What the hell was I thinking? 

First Step, Clean Out the Porch

Old porches with leaky roofs DO NOT make good storage areas. 
Can anyone say 'white trash'?

                                               

OK, so how did we get traffic cones in the porch?

                                                  

Then There's the 'Little' Problem of Mold

What happens when the porch roof leaks for 20 yrs.

  

 Next:  Tear Down