Cleaning out my "storage unit"

...also known as my parents house.

One thing about traveling and living in various places means that in order to keep track of things, one stores crap in their parents house. At least I do, and I know my brother does! Being latin, I never went through the whole "your parents eventually expect you to actually leave when you turn 18" thing (I'm pretty sure they never expected us to ever move out), and I have stored and kept a bunch of things there over the years (and yes I've lived with Brian since 2007 and yes I haven't really lived at my parents in a looong time and yes this is the first time I'm actually getting around to doing this). This includes my travel stuff, skis, clothes, paperwork from undergrad and god knows more. I finally went over and cleaned out the boxes of stuff my mom has in my old room. Most of it was clothing, some instruments and stacks of music, and lots and lots of books. As it turns out my mom has been slowly cleaning out my books and sending them to goodwill (sob!) which is just as well since I cling to books like Paula Dean clings to butter. If I really want them I can buy them again. 

So from my parents I cleared out: 

5 pairs of dress pants since I have't worn since I was at the state senate

3 wool and silk sweaters

2 dresses 

1 AWESOME Indian jacket I bought in 10th grade (yes, that long ago) that I am keeping cause it is awesome. 

2 coats

I also recycled most of my papers etc. I can't bear to get rid of my flute and piccolo so I brought them home with some music and my new goal is to start playing again. I think I'll look into local woodwind groups etc.

I took the clothes to the consignment shop in Columbia City, Gather Consignment, where I had taken my last batch of treasures and left most of it there. Almost everything I had taken a few weeks ago has already sold so I had a credit of $60 (or $50 in cash)! I love this getting rid of stuff I don't want and making money off it! I did find a GREAT mod silk dress and brought it home. Since I just cleared out 20+ things I figured I could get the dress and I love free (is this the start of the slippery slope?)! It feels good to clear things from my folks, but somethings remain, like the dresser in my old bedroom, which I'd love to take one day but we just don't have room right now. Technically its my mom's but she said I could have it :-) I have a soft spot for beautiful, handmade 100+ year old furniture (and I hate IKEA, which I'm slowly purging as money allows). We still have two things at my mom's actual storage unit, but technically both are Brian's and so he is going to have to decide what to do with them. My mom has his grandparents' desk and his uncle's speakers. There is no way we have room for these, so I'm not sure what he plans to do with them.

I have bought a couple of new things, including a new winter hat, new ski gloves and a pair of "trash me" ski pants to wear to the ski school (did I mention I'm teaching 5 year olds to ski this year?  I love kidlets, it's going to be a blast!). The old ski mitts are already in the goodwill bag, I need to clear out the hats the new one will replace but I don't have a pair of "trash me" ski pants. I figure since I got rid of 20+ items in the last month though, it will sort itself out. Slowly we are making progress!

I'm currently waging a war with the only closet in the house, which somehow has the same properties as Mary Poppins' handbag. That one deserves its own post. Stay tuned! HMB folks will find it entertaining.