I told dh we should have done before/after pics. So I did the next best thing. After pics!
Actually, I talked dh into the garage work around 11am. It was going to be a HOT day and we were kind of lazy, and slow getting to it, but I peeked my head into the garage right before 11 and it was still cool, so we got to work. (My sidebar says 96 degrees right now - goodness gracious - but there was a nice breeze - we were outside a lot of the day. I never guessed it was such a hot day - yeesh).
It was really almost too hot though, so I think we lucked out that we were able to do anything.
Anyway, my dh does a good job keeping the garage organized and neat. It wasn't so bad.
But I knew we had a lot of boxes in there. & I had a plastic bag full of dirt and wood chips, that had broken and was laying on the ground in the garage. I asked dh to help me clean it up because it was too heavy. This was like 2002. For the longest time he said he needed a shovel. So he bought a nice big shovel. But fast forward to 2008 and the bag somehow still remains. (With the kids, other projects to tend to, when we get the chance).
So dh kind of asked what I envisioned getting done. I said, I don't care as long as that friggin bag of dirt is OUT of the garage. ! That was about the extent to my vision - hehe.
I guess that was my anniversary present! Hallelujah, it is gone. I think dh just spread it around the yard.
I also only saw one or 2 spiders, and NO black widows. So it was a success. I would have done most of this sooner, but was scared of the creepy crawlies.
I went through most of the boxes and swept and got all the cobwebs and such. Dh broke down large boxes and scooped dirt out of the garage.
The interesting find of the day was a petrified sandwich. Don't even ask! LOL!
Tada!
In this picture - all we have is stuff to go. Trash (that didn't fit in the trash can today), and a lot of boxes. We actually have a dumpster at work which is only for paper recycling. So I can load up the van and take all those boxes to the dumpster, and get them recycled. Phew! I may be able to walk around to the driver side of the van once all those boxes are gone. Imagine that! (For now I just enter from the passenger side).
The back is our storage stash. The bulkiest thing back there is my old childhood bed. It was a very nice bed. BUT it's gotten a little scratched up. We figure we'll put it on Craigslist for $100 and see if we can get anything. Will be nice to be rid of it. It is a zillion pieces of wood for now. Was keeping it for the kids but we ended up getting them smaller beds. It was a twin water bed and these bedrooms here are on the small side. So we got them smaller framed beds.
We have our electric mower, a ladder, a coffee table (not kid friendly) and some outside chairs stacked. There were a few boxes over there too that I think we can be rid of. Woohoo. & the kids's bikes & swim stuff. Not bad - that's really most of our storage space.
Some of the stuff in the next picture will be Craigslisted (all the strollers for one) and some of the stuff on the shelves, etc. I need to make a list or keep on top of it somehow. But some of that stuff was spilling into the car area, so it was nice to clean it up a bit and make more room. The stuff left in the middle of the garage - one is my dad's power washer we are returning - and a pool toy we are giving to MIL - our kids have outgrown and she has a pool where all the grandkids congregate.
This picture is dh's crap. He has 2 boxes and 2 framed pictures he never brought into the house. I have the feeling those are permanent fixtures. !!
There are also 2 old car stereos we are going to recycle.
I also showed this last picture because it shows our water heater. Now that I can approach it rather easily I should look up the model number. It was installed in the house in 2001, but I think it is a prime reason our gas bills are so low. Biggest gas usage is hot water and we only used 5 therms for the month of August. I love that thing! I can't tell you what kind of water heater and why it is so efficient though. ?? It has a blanket wrap...
Cleaning the garage cost some money. I hadn't realized our hand-me-down large broom had broken. I found a small/cheap broom that sufficed, but since we were going out and had to stop by Target we figured we'd check out their brooms. Dh was skeptical but I found a nice large one for $12. I will finish the job once the boxes and trash are cleared out.
We also went to Best Buy and recycled an old vacuum cleaner and my ancient (13 years I would guess?) computer.
I mentioned in an earlier blog, they take 2 items per day. When I saw the vacuum, dh said he would call and ask. It was broken and I tried to freecycle it before, to no avail. Yes, I think they take everything!
Anyway, only 2 people had come in to recycle things since dh had last gone in a couple of weeks ago. Too funny (we saw as we signed on a log sheet).
We found 2 car stereos to recycle another time. (Dh was s'posed to sell them on ebay at some point - but just worthless now).
We went out to lunch, parked centrally and walked to lunch, Best Buy and Target. Must have been crazy in this heat, huh? Well, the breeze was nice enough.
Then we came home and I cleaned the interior of both cars.
I am now collapsing inside.
The other expense I guess is I was so heat exhausted I had to flip on the air. I might have been okay otherwise.
I washed BM's shirt with bleach and most the marker came out. Clearly washable. Phew! It still has a pink tint. Maybe one more wash will do...
I think I am going to collapse for the evening now. Phew.
Oh yeah, but besides the petrified sandwhich, hmmmmm...
I threw away an old mirror that I had tried to freecycle a few times.
I will Craigslist of freecycle one or both fans we found. We just don't use them because we have ceiling fans. & a whole house fan.
We just don't use stand alone fans.
I found a jacket that needs a wash. I also found a baby blanket, my old lunch bag, and a couple of dragon figurines. (It looks like a box I packed when the house was on the market and somehow missed it).
Some old shoes and a box of toys for Goodwill.
That's about it.
My dh likes to keep the original boxes for EVERYTHING. Drives me nuts. So the interesting thing was most of the boxes we had in there was for stuff we already sold or gave away. Honestly, I think I only found 2 boxes to keep. So that makes me happy too.
I think his theory is it is easier to sell, or transport old things, when we have the original box. But if you can't find the box and you don't get the box out when you sell things, well, it kind of defeats the purpose, don't you think?
I guess we agree to disagree on that one. I can live with the 2 boxes.
(I also think some of it was he offered the boxes when he sold things but the buyers did not want them. Imagine that).
Well, now you've glimpsed my garage.
Garage Bliss...
September 27th, 2008 at 11:58 pm
September 28th, 2008 at 12:53 am 1222563207
September 28th, 2008 at 01:07 am 1222564036
September 28th, 2008 at 01:14 am 1222564482
So I think that alone has always encouraged us to at least have room for the cars. But it was getting a tad tight... But I just threw that in if anyone was impressed with our discipline to leave room for the cars. It's more like survival for us. The weather is so mild, most people use their garages for storage, around here.
My dh's car is old enough we have not carried collision insurance on a while but it is covered for theft. Even though I wouldn't fathom anyone would want it, I guess things have changed with the gas crisis...
September 28th, 2008 at 05:03 am 1222578204
September 28th, 2008 at 05:08 am 1222578496
September 28th, 2008 at 02:10 pm 1222611029
BA - the home builder blanketed the heater - it is insulation actually, and does the job very well. The home is an "energy star" home so they had to do a lot of extra insulation around the home and such, and very efficient appliances all around, to get the energy star rating.
BTW, low flow toilets are nice. I am tired of people who have never USED them going on about how much they suck (in the media and such). I found a plunger in the garage and marveled how I don't think we have ever needed it. Even with the way the kids fill up the bowl with toilet paper sometimes. The low flow should suffice. (A tangent I know - but my pet peeve).
September 29th, 2008 at 02:22 am 1222654955