I have learned how to best procrastinate. Pinterest. Today, I downloaded a bunch of dumb pictures I had taken. It's addicting and way more fun than sorting through old stuff I think I might want to get rid of but can't quite let go of for some reason. So far, I've actually deployed one box while retrieving the box. I only have six of boxes left for other stuff and we're going to put the whole downstairs into storage so we can get new flooring put in.
I managed to discover that I had eleven paper bags from Taco Time that I could use for donations. Hey, I really adore that Taco Time has moved away from plastic bags and stuff, seeing how the flotilla of plastic in the Pacific ocean is the size of Texas. That's great. If Taco Time only used handled paper bags, I'd get more use out of the brown recycled bags that they give me with my salads. Now, I have the perfect use for them - to carry out all my donations without losing those storage boxes. I can probably even get away with going to Taco Time tomorrow and getting another brown recycled bag for my donated items.
Today, I logged in a new lego set still in its box, a pair of ski gloves, nearly new dress shirts, six pair of shoes, a new food processor in the box, Webkinz animals, and a shell for snowboarding that was used as a raincoat. This is some heavy stuff, folks. It's going to bring somebody some cash. If I only liked garage sales, that person would be me.
I'm telling you, I hate the idea of putting out a sign saying, "Garage sale! Come buy my junk." Even if I'm giving away some decent stuff, I don't want to have to sit in my driveway watching people plow up my grass trying to turn around for eight hours. That is worth the loss of any cash I might bring in. It's worth it, I'm telling you.
That said, I'm hoping I can go to the consignment shop and sell some of the larger things that I'm trying to get out of my house too.
Here's a sad thought. Nick used to have this friend to whom he gave all kinds of great stuff when donation day came. I mean, if this kid wanted it and Nick was even half way done with it, off it would go. Sometimes it made me mad to see Nick give away something I didn't think he was done with. We never missed a thing though. That's the truth. I never thought, "Boy, I wish Nick had that xxxxxxx back." Never.
But now, the sad middle-school truth of the matter is that Nick's friend started being a little mean to him now and then. He makes fun of him and Nick hasn't asked the kid over to the house in a while. The interesting yet sad thing is that Nick and his dad had a conversation about selling Nick's skateboard.
"Dominic wants my old skateboard."
"Does he?" Mike said. He has that gift for nonspecific replies.
"Yeah, he says he'll buy it if I really want."
"What do you want to do with your skateboard."
"I could give it to him, but I could also sell it."
"You could sell it on eBay or Craigslist." They talked about how much Nick might get out of it. It wasn't much, but Nick was a little excited earning money for it. More than that, his eyes looked sad. There was more to this than money.
"I think I'm going to sell it somewhere else. Dominic kind of wants me to give it to him for free. I don't think it's fair that I have to give it to him for free. I think I'm going to see if I can sell it for thirty dollars somewhere else instead."
The whole conversation made me sad. Here was a boy who used to give barely used toys to his best friend. And now, something happened to that relationship. I'm not really sure what it was, but that best friend isn't a best friend any more.
Middle school is hard the second time through too. I may not be living it, but it's still hard to think of this lost friend. And he is probably well and truly lost at this point.
Nick has plenty of friends. He does. He's got a group of boys coming to the house on Friday night. They'll have a great time. I know they will. But part of me will wonder if Nick will think about Dominic sometime during his party and the way the two of them used to be together.
I know I will.
Thank you for listening, jb
I managed to discover that I had eleven paper bags from Taco Time that I could use for donations. Hey, I really adore that Taco Time has moved away from plastic bags and stuff, seeing how the flotilla of plastic in the Pacific ocean is the size of Texas. That's great. If Taco Time only used handled paper bags, I'd get more use out of the brown recycled bags that they give me with my salads. Now, I have the perfect use for them - to carry out all my donations without losing those storage boxes. I can probably even get away with going to Taco Time tomorrow and getting another brown recycled bag for my donated items.
Today, I logged in a new lego set still in its box, a pair of ski gloves, nearly new dress shirts, six pair of shoes, a new food processor in the box, Webkinz animals, and a shell for snowboarding that was used as a raincoat. This is some heavy stuff, folks. It's going to bring somebody some cash. If I only liked garage sales, that person would be me.
I'm telling you, I hate the idea of putting out a sign saying, "Garage sale! Come buy my junk." Even if I'm giving away some decent stuff, I don't want to have to sit in my driveway watching people plow up my grass trying to turn around for eight hours. That is worth the loss of any cash I might bring in. It's worth it, I'm telling you.
That said, I'm hoping I can go to the consignment shop and sell some of the larger things that I'm trying to get out of my house too.
Here's a sad thought. Nick used to have this friend to whom he gave all kinds of great stuff when donation day came. I mean, if this kid wanted it and Nick was even half way done with it, off it would go. Sometimes it made me mad to see Nick give away something I didn't think he was done with. We never missed a thing though. That's the truth. I never thought, "Boy, I wish Nick had that xxxxxxx back." Never.
But now, the sad middle-school truth of the matter is that Nick's friend started being a little mean to him now and then. He makes fun of him and Nick hasn't asked the kid over to the house in a while. The interesting yet sad thing is that Nick and his dad had a conversation about selling Nick's skateboard.
"Dominic wants my old skateboard."
"Does he?" Mike said. He has that gift for nonspecific replies.
"Yeah, he says he'll buy it if I really want."
"What do you want to do with your skateboard."
"I could give it to him, but I could also sell it."
"You could sell it on eBay or Craigslist." They talked about how much Nick might get out of it. It wasn't much, but Nick was a little excited earning money for it. More than that, his eyes looked sad. There was more to this than money.
"I think I'm going to sell it somewhere else. Dominic kind of wants me to give it to him for free. I don't think it's fair that I have to give it to him for free. I think I'm going to see if I can sell it for thirty dollars somewhere else instead."
The whole conversation made me sad. Here was a boy who used to give barely used toys to his best friend. And now, something happened to that relationship. I'm not really sure what it was, but that best friend isn't a best friend any more.
Middle school is hard the second time through too. I may not be living it, but it's still hard to think of this lost friend. And he is probably well and truly lost at this point.
Nick has plenty of friends. He does. He's got a group of boys coming to the house on Friday night. They'll have a great time. I know they will. But part of me will wonder if Nick will think about Dominic sometime during his party and the way the two of them used to be together.
I know I will.
Thank you for listening, jb
No comments:
Post a Comment