Discovery

My house is full of junk.

The decoration is well underway and that means that rooms have to be emptied.

This is my hall before the addition of a box of technical books, a box of electronic components, and a large laserprinter.

CJ is a veteran of clearance. He tells me short, sharp bursts of sorting things out and getting rid of things is the way to go.

When I mention getting a skip to junk stuff in to make my life easier TD clucks in a disapproving fashion and tells me to 'freecycle'. "You'll be amazed what junk people will take off your hands", quoth he.

I didn't believe him that anyone would want the rubbish that I was looking to dispose of, and yet it would take an age to get out in the fortnightly rubbish collection.

So - I dipped a toe. Put a Palm Pilot IIIc and a Laserprinter on the local freeserve group. My hand was practically bitten off.

In addition to stranger freecycling, I've put the word around a few friends who have asked their friends.

To date I have managed to offload:

A printer
An obsolete hand held computing device
A keyboard stand
2 CD racks
2 old, tatty cartwheel back chairs
Loads of tools
Electronic components
Reels of various cables.
Countless books

The best bit about this is there really is no downside.

The people taking the stuff off my hands are as enthusiastic about receiving it as I am at getting rid of it.

Buoyed by my success so far I'm going to continue simplifying the contents of the house.

Who would have thought that a 30cm x 30cm space on the carpet in the music room could be so satisfying?


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