I have issues with thrift stores. In Kamloops my mom was being moved from a nice little apartment in a senior establishment to another one...a more appointed, less self sufficient apartment. As such my two siblings and myself and Spod cleared out her place, made a few boxes to go to her next place and lots of boxes to go to a thrift store. All of the stuff we didn't trash was deemed good stuff. And there it was.
I didn't realize that thrift stores are NOT grateful to get stuff. I didn't realize that thrift stores mistakenly dubbed our stuff as 'garage sale rejects'. Now let me make it clear I am not talking about the diabetes people. They are awesome. Not only do they pick up the stuff, but they take everything.
We took that stuff to at least two very unwelcoming thrift places and were rejected right out of them. We then drove straight to the dump and threw it all out along with what we had deemed trash when we cleared her place out.
I did keep a box of dead Bob's stuff for his kids. He did a lot of writing and drawing and letter writing. I kept very personal things like his wallet and pictures. I let his kids, who lived in the states and the Kooteneys, know I had a box of his stuff. I never heard from them so Monte, Spod and I took it up a logging road here and burnt it all.
We live in what is basically a very poor town. Work is hard to find. There are an extraordinary amount of fellow citizens on disability. As such we have a number of thrift stores...the usual...Sally Ann, Hospital thrift, Bread of Life etc... Thank goodness we don't have a very overpriced Value Village.
Anyway, in Ange's and my endeavour to purge this house, we made ten boxes of food. Good stuff. Canned soups, cereals, pastas, giant tin of ground coffee, a massive jar of mayonnaise, cake mixes, bisquick, etc...all date checked. Monte hauled it all out to the van and off he went. I must admit I didn't have the best feelings as he disappeared down the street.
About fifteen min. later he phones me. They won't take it unless we double check the expiry dates. It is done he says. Well they wanted it done again.
Now I don't like to think this but here is a giant young man, torn raggedy sweater, many chains around his neck, knife hanging off his belt and a fedora type black hat on his head who just maybe didn't present your average household donator.. Very cute for a musician, scary for fat old Sally Ann worker. According to Monte she was very rude and unfriendly. "Get out of there!" I immediately said.
So the next day Monte made the executive decision to try the Bread of Life. They aren't actually a formal thrift store. They are more of a food bank, feed the real down and outers, type of place. They welcomed him with open arms and smiles and joy. He told them that they had all been double checked for dates and he was believed. What a difference! That is the place we shall be dealing with from now on!!
We had an earthquake!!! I was hiding out in my bedroom while the housekeeper polished up my house. I heard a rattling, turned off my tv and sure enough, my blinds were rattling. Then stopped. I bet that was an earthquake I said to myself.
Two minutes later my phone rings and it was April. It was so bad there that she had to catch a little dog going nuts and go stand in the outside door doorway. A few minutes later Aryn called. She and Bradley were under the kitchen table. Holy Cow!!!!! I think their third floor cement place would be okay, but April's? Not so much. That decrepit old piece of crap is either going to fall apart from something or burn to the ground. April was worried the roof would cave in. Anyway it was exciting!
Well today's task is to fill two giant garbage bags of stuff for the diabetes truck to pick up. My bag is going to be full of shoes and closet clothes. I am going to make room in my roomy but stuffed closet. All my ugly sweaters, long sleeved stuff, goofy idea outfits I have never, and never will wear, fancy clothes that I will never get to ever wear again...no cruising in my future, shirts with rude sayings that offend me now that I am out of my ribald years and entered my respectable old age years. Sad but true.
I made my very 'last in my life' shirt purchases last week. Theyarrived yesterday. I shall get old and die before they are worn out. I have worn all my current shirts since our house burnt down in March 2003. That is 22 years. If I live another 22 years I would be 95. No thank you. Being a Queenager is tough enough. I wouldn't mind 82 but 95 is pushing it. Getting old is too slow and painful. But worst of all is you have to constantly ask for help and be a burden on people. Oh I know there are those few old people out there that are like the freaking energizer bunny, but most of us are NOT that!!! By 82 I will be ready to surrender and go bug Bill out there somewhere.
Jeez!!! How did we get from thrift stores to dying? This sort of thing kind of happens when you get older and that rainbow bridge isn't a distant thought anymore. Hahaha!!!!!
Thats it for today. I hope you are all happy out there. You sure do me a lot of good! I thank you for letting me use you all as a cathartic dumping ground! I love you all and come visit me anytime at all. TFL and TTYL
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