Here are some things I’ve gotten rid of this week:
- A computer accessory (thanks to eBay)
- A self-inflating camp mat (thanks to Craigslist)
- An electronic pocket dictionary that translates among five languages (thanks to Freecycle, it went to a nearby rural EMS department where about 10% of the clients, but only two of the paramedics, speak Spanish)
- A beauty-(is-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder)-full Schwinn bike farm (thanks to Freecycle)
- Miscellaneous fabric (thanks to a craft supplies swap at Haley’s house – although I’m not sure this counts, since I think I brought home more fabric than I got rid of. But it’s fabric I’m more likely to use, so that makes it all good, right?)
And of course there are the love letters and the miscellaneous items I’ve thrown into a box for St. Vinny’s – but the latter definitely doesn’t count until they’re in the hands of the saint himself, or at least at his nearest retail outlet.
In case you’re wondering whether I’m still emotionally attached to any of this stuff, well, here’s what I wrote when I posted the bike frame to Freecycle:
This is a lovely Schwinn frame that has not been stored in a dry, covered space. Although fork, cranks and handlebars are attached, they are rusty beyond hope. The previous owner did a not-so-great paint job that is peeling off and leaving rust spots on the frame.
However, it’s a gorgeous frame and can be revived with proper care. (See photos.) A professional powder-coat paint job would run $100-$200 and would allow the bike to be stored outdoors most of the year; a good spraypaint job would take at least a couple weeks (to allow for drying time and sanding between coats)and the bike would need to be stored in a dry and covered area if you don’t want to have to respray it every year. The rest of the parts could be picked up cheaply.
Despite my tear-jerker of an essay, the guy who picked it up was not planning to restore it, but to use it in an art project. Oh, well. I guess art is cool, too.