Monday Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff: Dumpster Diving

This has been our friend for the past two months. 

Broken chairs, replaced toilets, rotting boards...anything and everything has made its way into the gaping maw of our Large Orange Friend, with our blessings. It looks terrible in the driveway -- but like the smelly dog who cheerfully takes care of your leftovers, you can't always have perfection.

Hey -- we resemble that! 

 
Last Thursday, our contractor friend said the dumpster was going away today (Monday). That meant ramping up the throwing-away process -- and fast. The Brick spent Saturday afternoon getting rid of old drywall from the garage. Yesterday, we spent much of the day dragging out all sorts of items, and topping it off with selections from the wood trashpile behind the garage. Daughter #2 and Son #1 showed up in the evening to help finish off the job. (Either they were really kind...or stupid. Either way, we were very grateful.) 

     It's still HOT, with a bit of cooling-off toward night. Someday, we hope to take a vacation. Go swimming. Have a picnic. ANYTHING that doesn't mean sorting through fabric, filling up bags and throwing wood, javelin-style, into the dumpster. 

     It's full, by the way, and waiting for pickup. I won't be sorry to see it go.

Abby, on the other hand, stays. She's priceless1

AUGUST 27th is the deadline for buying your senior national parks pass at $10. (Actually, it's $20, if you buy it online -- $10 for the pass, $10 for the processing fee.) On August 28, the price goes up to $80! If you're 62 or older, you should seriously consider getting this NOW.

A black cop, doing her job, is murdered while on duty. How come we're not hearing more outrage about HER death?

Ten ways the Victorians poisoned themselves. My old favorite, fabric dyes, isn't even on this list.  (From Listverse)

Dealing with the heat, when you live in a truck.  (From Inside the Box)

"What's with all the haters?"  From Thrifty Mom in Boise... the way I've been feeling lately.

What they found when renovating a dimestore in a small town in Michigan. (Our cousins own this place!)

Basting a quilt by using pool noodles. I knew about storing them this way, but makes sense. (From Quilt Digest)

A Swiss couple went out to check on their cattle -- and disappeared. Seventy-five years later, their bodies emerge from the snow!  (This happens more than you think: like the two young Japanese climbers whose bodies were found on the Matterhorn -- 45 years after they disappeared.)

Six normal people who made split-second decisions to do something crazy -- and brave.  (From Cracked) Also from them:

Five historical buildings with weird hidden stairs, buildings and such. Including the Lincoln Memorial! And yet another one:

Five everyday places with dark historical secrets. Case in point: Hitler's suicide bunker is topped by a kids' playground!

Cats and rats, living together.  I don't know what I think about this...but the Creepy Index inches up every time I think about it.

The quinoa whisperer...and a look at gardening, Alaska-style.  (From Survive and Thrive)

Martin Landau died last week. An elegant man.




John Heard also died -- only 72.  He is probably known best as the dad from Home Alone, but he had some incredibly complex roles, including 'good' guys who are really 'bad.' (But you don't know it until the very end.) An amazing actor.


Have a good week. Stay cool, and go SOMEWHERE.