Sunday, January 10, 2010

Let the compression begin.

Well, we have actually started to downsize, and think about how we will squeeze a house into a boat. We have one room done, all repainted and cleaned out, with only some stuff belonging to Nicole. I still have my old record albums in there, and I am trying to figure out what to do with them. I thought about buying one of those turntables that convert the tracks, but I hesitate, as that would require time to convert. Do I really want to listen to those old songs? Wonder what others did with all their albums? We have a local music store that buys old records. I'll check them out.

We now have some of our boat stuff stored in the girls bedrooms. It's kind of funny actually. There is our mattress and davits in one room, and our canvas in another. Our house is becoming a marine storage facility.

We may have to have a dumpster delivered, just for the basement alone. My God is there a lot of stuff in here. Amazing what you accumulate over the many years. I used to laugh at the folks who had trouble parting with stuff, but now I realize how hard it is. What to do with all the things folks gave you, and the trophies the kids won, or the sailing trophies?  Our kids do not want this stuff, and I surely do not want to put into storage for 10 yrs, then throw it out. When I was a kid I would marvel at all the stuff my grandmother had in her house. I used to love looking at old photos, and holding my grandfathers old watches. He was a bicycle racer in Germany, and had a chest full of trophies. I loved that stuff. My grandmother hid all that, when I came across pictures of him as a hitler youth member. He soon changed his tune I guess, as he arrived here when he was 16. Stuff like that intrigued me.

Now I have to get rid of all my treasures. You know, stuff like The Kinks albums, old Strohs beer signs, little league football trophies, Beatles albums, WWI compass, free beer chips from old hangouts, a bugle, German Elk horn.......