Rash decisions

10/7/09 Audio Cassette storage container, trashed

I know what you're saying.

You're saying, "Oh, dear God, no! That isn't a SoundDesigns SA48 Audio Cassette Storage system, is it? Only a limited number of them were crafted back in the mid-80's. The finest, most durable way to protect your Pointer Sisters and Huey Lewis and the News cassettes. Reed wouldn't actually get rid of that, would he? What has the world come to?!?"

Hey, it's late, I'm tired, and the clock is ticking. It's dangerous to downsize under such conditions. Mistakes get made.

Surely, I'll rue the day.

Listen to a story

10/6/09 Hummingbird feeder, given away.

You can get rid of stuff through ebay, and you can get ride of stuff through craigslist.

Ebay gets you money, in a cold, impersonal internet kind of way.

Craigslist gets you stories, face to face.

I love the fact that when I sell or give away something on craigslist, the person drives over to my place, shakes my hand, and tells me a story.

I ask, "Why do you want this?"

Why do you want these pillows? (Answer) Why do you want this dresser? (Answer) Why do you want this razor? (Answer) Why do you want these pool chemicals? (Answer)

They always have a story. And I always find it interesting.

Today, a delightful woman named Linda came by to take a glass hummingbird feeder we no longer need. (We have such busy, hungry ruby throated hummingbirds around here that Joanna surprised me last year with a larger feeder.)

Her stories? She'll give the feeder to her mother, to replace the a plastic one she now has. She scans craigslist for her daughter, who just moved into an unfurnished apartment with her two young children. And, she lost 150 pounds (and counting)! Well done, Linda!

You just can't get that through ebay. If its money vs. stories, I'll take the stories every time.

Book Swapping

10/5/09 Twelve books, donated to the Guy E. Rowe Elementary School Book Swap Library.

I'm really in the downsizing swing now. Today I got rid of three things, any one of which I could consider today's downsize. A month ago I would have thought of that as a waste, wishing I could have spread them out over three days. Not anymore. Happy to be rid of it all.

Which brings me to today's official downsize: a dozen books given to my school's Book Swap Library.

I'll be brief, but I need to give you the quick skinny on this inspirational project.

At our school, we have a little office that has been converted into a used book store. Every Friday afternoon, students can bring in old books they own and trade them for the books in the Book Swap Library. If they bring in three old books, they get to choose three different books from the stacks. The books they take are theirs to keep. Or give away. Or swap next week. Or whatever.

Just like adults, they get to make their own choices about what books they want and what to do with them once they get them.

Kindergarteners swap books. Sixth graders swap books. Sometimes, we see kids giving other kids books just so their friends can swap, too.

The fantastic part of this whole deal is that it was conceived by a parent. She came to us with the basic idea. She led the effort to get books donated to fill the shelves (and to get those shelves donated). She coordinates the parent volunteers who staff the room each Friday. She, and a bunch of other parent volunteers, do all the work.

This little project costs the school nothing. We didn't pay for the books. We don't use any paid staff to organize, run, or oversee the project. Our budget line for the Book Swap Library is $0.

And yet, it's a significant part of our school. The kids love it. It helps us cultivate a community of readers and get a lot of books into the hands of kids who otherwise wouldn't have such choices. It also gives teachers access to a huge selection of books that they can use for their own teaching or simply give to kids who may not have any books of their own at home.

In general, I think public schools could do a lot better job working with families. But, this is one case where a true home-school partnership is making a difference for a lot of deserving kids.

Trade your atoms for bits

10/4/09 Sixteen jazz CDs, donated to Casco Public Library

I love the digital age. I get rid of stuff while still keeping it. Paradoxical Downsizing!

Today, I donated sixteen great jazz CDs to the Casco Public Library. (Click here for my previous post about the library's new John R. Bennett Memorial Music Collection.) But, before giving them away I downloaded all the music to my computer.

To paraphrase Chris Anderson, author of Free, we can trade atoms for bits. We can get rid of the physical stuff, keep a digital version, thus eliminating clutter without reducing our access to the material. Very cool.

Sure, this applies to music, but what else?

Photographs. Take a picture of the picture (or, better yet, scan it), toss the original.

Personal letters & cards. Scan 'em, recycle 'em.

DVDs. This isn't easy yet for most of us, for two reasons. 1) We don't have the proper hardware or software to burn DVDs. 2) Most commercial DVDs are copy protected. However, I see both of these as changing soon. Like CDs, I think soon we'll be able to legally copy DVDs for personal use, just as we can now download digital copies of movies directly from iTunes.

Home movies. All those old VHS tapes can be converted to digital (not that we'll ever watch them anyway). Plus, with digital camcorders and Flip cameras (very cool, those Flip cameras!), our home movies from here forward are going to be digital in the first place.

Bills, receipts, invoices, statements, etc. Everything can be done electronically, as long as we contact them in advance and tell them to e-bill us. That's getting rid of stuff before it even arrives. Talk about efficiency.

What else can we digitally downsize?

Give me ideas, Dear Readers. You suggest it, I'll try it out.

George is THE MAN!

10/3/09 Talking Darth Vader pen, sold on ebay for 99 cents

George Lucas is a freakin' genius. There is no other way to put it, and I challenge anyone to dispute it.

There's no need for me to pull out the laundry list of reasons why he is justifiably exalted, but today's downsize does hint at his greatness.

I sold a little plastic pen that has Darth Vader's head on it and plays four of the villain's catchphrases when you push little buttons. Can you believe that there is not only a market for such things, but that they can even be RE-sold? It's astounding.

Thirty-two years ago, with a cowboy story set in space, he not only changed the way the movie business operates, but also altered marketing, merchandising, and pop culture forever.

Were the changes for the better? Certainly, that's up for debate, but the profound impact is undeniable.

And, heck, those movies sure are fun.

Detox

10/2/09 Six bottles of liquid swimming pool shock, sold on craigslist for $15

For the third day in a row, I've gotten rid of chemicals. This trifecta was unplanned, but I wonder if it means I have too many toxins in my life. At least there are less now.

Two days ago, I rid myself of a bevy of inherited chemicals, yesterday I gave a bottle of RV antifreeze to a teaching colleague (perhaps the RV stuff isn't toxic, but you sure wouldn't curl up with a glass of it and a good book), and today I sold six bottles of swimming pool chlorine solution.

During my years-long search for a pool dealer who could actually help me keep my pool clear, I briefly tried out the liquid shock, rather than the granular stuff most places peddle. It was sold at the pool store nearest to my house, but they also sell wood stoves, and the combination seemed too odd for me. Regardless, the liquid didn't work any better, and I ended up squirreling away six bottles of it (four of which were in box that was still sealed) for the last few years.

For the record, I've regularly shopped at four different pool stores, as well as Walmart and the internet. I'm at the point where I've decided to pretty much cut out the middle man and stick with on-line distributors. Hey, it's a new millennium.

The chlorine was probably worth somewhere between $40 and $80 dollars, but I'm in a downsizing state of mind, and didn't want to worry about finding the perfect price point. For a quick sale, it turns out that $15 was a very perfect price point.

I'm sure that Ray, an Auburn guy who joked that having a pool was especially foolish for him, since he also had a boat, will put the stuff to good use and, to be sure, he got a deal.

But, then again, so did I. Six gallons of foul-smelling toxins out the door. That's a good deal at any price.

Let us celebrate teachers

10/1/01 Gallon of RV antifreeze, given away

Let us celebrate teachers like Deb Stearns.

Teachers who quietly spend eight to ten hours every day at school, teaching and planning their hearts out.

Teachers who drive forty-five minutes each way on the weekend to come in and get their classroom ready for the next week.

Teachers who invite anyone into their classrooms, engage them in the students' learning, and invite them to share a favorite book with the kids.

Teachers who, after twenty years in the system, stay on the cutting edge of instructional practice by earning their master's degree in literacy.

Teachers who greet their children with the love of a mother.

Teachers who believe that EVERY ONE of their students can succeed, and then tailor their instruction to meet the needs of every one of those kids.

Teacher whom you'd like your own child to learn from.

And, in addition to celebrating teachers like Deb Stearns, let us also give them a nearly-full gallon of RV antifreeze that they can use to winterize the pipes of their campers.