April 12, 2019
Dear Everyone:
It started with the CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure)
prescribed for me by the sleep specialist.
That meant making room for the machine, nicknamed “Caliban”, and
all of its accoutrements, which meant getting a night stand roughly half
the size of Candlestick Park.
That led to more changes in furniture in both the bedroom and living
room. All to the better, I
might add.
And that started me thinking about the outdoor storage closet, which is
meant to be a substitute for the garage that most condominium owners
don’t get. In other words, a
place to store all the odds and ends that fill our lives and closets.
Back when I bought my first condominium in Concord, it had plenty of
closet space. There was even
a closet that I nicknamed “The Christmas Closet” because I could fill it
with all the paraphernalia that goes with The Holidays.
I also filled it with tools and hardware.
You never know when you’ll need a hammer or screwdriver.
So I bought a set of stacking plastic bins that stood up on each
other, four high.
One bin held the aforementioned hammer, various boxes of nails and other
things used to hold things together.
It also had, balanced on the top, all of the saws and other sharp
objects that come in handy when you need to shorten something.
Or punch a hole through a wall.
Next down was the power drill, drill bits, screwdrivers, packages of
screws and so on. Below that
was a bin for electric devices, mostly extension cords and such, along
with anything having to do with televisions, VCRs and so on.
And finally, the bottom bin contained paint brushes, steel wool, twine,
tape, and just about anything else that didn’t fit in any of the other
categories. In other words,
literally, None of the Above.
A hodgepodge of miscellaneous stuff.
When I moved to San Ramon, the stacking bins came with me, along with
all their various contents.
They sat in another closet.
When I bought my current abode, the stacking bins landed in the outdoor
closet.
I started thinking that, just maybe, it might be time to replace those
bins with something else. I
researched a rolling tool chest that would, more or less, fit inside the
closet next to the plastic shelving unit that I used at one time to hold
birdseed and things.
Then I found out how much a small tool chest with drawers would cost.
Around $200. More
importantly, I found out that the one I was considering weighed close to
120 pounds, empty. I decided
to rethink the situation.
Instead, I bought a large plastic shelving unit, 6-feet high, 3-feet
wide, 1½-feet deep, exactly like the two that I already have in the
second bedroom, for about $45.
I also bought some large plastic containers, with lids, to fill
with things and store on all those lovely, large shelves.
On Thursday, purely by coincidence, “Jeannie” came by to visit the
Credit Union and join me for some lunch at a very pretentious new
hamburger joint. She helped
me assemble the large shelving unit and wrestle it into the just-emptied
outdoor closet.
After she left, it was time to start organizing all the stuff that had
made its way into those stacking bins.
I started going through the “electricals”.
Filled one whole new storage container with extension cords and
power strips. You don’t want
to know how many old extension cords I just threw out rather than clean
and deal with them.
Many, many coaxial cables of different lengths.
The one thing they had in common was that they were all stiff as
a board from not having moved in years.
Tossed multiple cable-splitters and switch-boxes all marked
“Radio Shack”.
I swear to God, I actually found a TV antenna, still in the plastic bag
that it arrived in. No
longer have the TV, still have the unused antenna.
In one case, I found a very old shoebox that contained metal shelf
supports. The kind I used in
the second bedroom of my first condo.
Which I sold in 1997.
Time for these to go.
By this time, The Purge was in full swing.
I filled one large plastic trash bag and dragged it out to the
dumpster. And cheerfully
started filling another one.
Old paint brushes.
Seriously, who uses old paint brushes?
You have a new painting project, you buy new brushes.
Ditto pages of used sandpaper.
And some things I have no idea what they were or how I came to be
in possession of them.
Nevertheless, into the dumpster with them.
Another thing that this outdoor closet came to be filled with was
seasonal florals. Garlands
for Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring.
And wreaths. At
first, I only used a wreath on the front door at Christmas Time.
But then I decided to use the very large hook on the door year
round.
In fact, last Autumn I bought a lovely wreath (on Sale!) only to
discover that I already had an Autumn wreath.
This is because I have been storing them in large, plastic trash
bags. It was only when I
went to put one away that I realized there was one in the bag already.
I gave the extra one to “Jeannie”.
Now I realize that, instead of hiding all those wreaths in bags where I
can’t see what I have, I can use some of those removable adhesive hooks
to hang them on the wall inside the storage closet.
And I bought more of the semi-clear plastic containers for all the fake
flowers that I have in various quantities of many.
Again, they’re all for different seasons, to go with the garden
flags near the front door.
And now I have a place to put all those flags!
I just have to keep reminding myself that it doesn’t all have to be
organized right this minute.
Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Fake florals that sit outside for weeks at a time can wait another few
days Or weeks.
In the meantime, relax. Have
a cookie.
Love, as always,
Pete
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