My wife calls me a hoarder. I call it being prepared for anything.
I have a garage full of tools, toys and general stuff that I use on a regular basis. Guaranteed, as soon as I throw something out, a day later I’m headed to the hardware store to buy a replacement for it, because after all these years, I can finally use it.
I consider myself a bit of a MacGyver – I can fix almost anything with a few tools, duct tape, bailing wire and a lot of determination. I like the challenge of keeping things useful, I like working on cars and building things. I have a large woodpile that is used more by the local raccoons than my construction products. (That will be taken care of this spring, for sure!)
That’s why Spring Clean-up is a celebration in our household. My wife revels in taking all my stuff to the curb, and I revel in bringing it all back into my garage. But at least this time, it’s more organized.
My wife was horrified when I came home with a lawn mower one year. But a couple hours (and a few choice words) later, it was running and mowing the lawn. It lasted a few years until the casing rotted away. Off to the curb with you, the metal collector’s next pick.
I have to admit, there are a few things I’ve left out that I didn’t really want to get rid of, but when they were gone I had a sense of relief. Even better is when we put something out and we see it get picked up by someone who could really use it.
When my son was very young, we found a ride-on backhoe. He loved that thing for years. I used all my MacGyvering creativity to keep it working. Finally, when he outgrew it, we put it out for Spring Clean-up. We saw a family driving around, stopped and picked it up for a very excited young boy. I hope he enjoyed it as much as my son did, until it either fell apart, or he passed it on to the next construction protégé.
Who knows what will be lining the streets next weekend. All I know is I’m not allowed to pick anything. At least until my garage has a bit of room in it.
