Sorting and packing: My adventure with what the hell is this....

January 21, 2017  /  Ronda Chadwick

Hello my lovelies,

It's a glorious Saturday and I am once again trying to purge some of the crap that we managed to amass in the last 20 or so years.  I'm trying diligently to reach out to people when I have something that they might want.  This has worked brilliantly as a way to get rid of some flat panel monitors (we had FIVE of them - WTF?) a GoPro camera that I didn't even know that we owned, a green laptop backpack which saved mom a trip to the store (and probably $50) replace a stolen/lost backpack and numerous other items.  I'm opting for barter on many of the items rather than money, you help me clean my basement for 6 hours, a backpack is the LEAST I can do for you.  You invite me to happy hour and pay for my beers, here are some video games for your son.  Getting rid of stuff this way makes me feel good and it's a huge help because it gets stuff out of my house.  The challenge arises when I don't actually know what the thing is or does.  There are a lot of those things!

I'm sure you are all keenly aware that I consider myself fairly smart.  Seeing all of the stuff in my house that connects to a PC or an electrical outlet in some way or another is really making me question that.  Today I was boxing up the video games.  Ray has games for a PS3, PS4 and for the PC.  Apparently, that means we also have both a PS3 and a PS4, but I don't actually know where either of those things are.  I might assume one or both is connected to the TV in the living room, but I honestly don't have a clue.  Frankly, I am terrified to touch anything near that TV.  Even though I am not a huge TV watcher, I do want to have a TV available, so I have the option available to just veg out and watch something stupid once in awhile.   

Just to entertain all you I thought I would compile a list of things that I've found that I can identify:

  • Camo walkie talkies (Don't ask?  I have no clue why we have those)
  • Three flat panel monitors (There were five, but I am giving two of them away tomorrow)
  • Three digital cameras (though I found an instruction manual for a fourth, so I'm assuming there will be another surprise in my future) 
  • Four TV's (the smallest of which is 36")
  • Four DirecTV receivers (we haven't had DirecTV in nearly two years)
  • Two camera tripods
  • One sound mixing board with at least three microphones
  • Two iPads
  • Four Kindles
  • Seven cell phones (with various cases and accessories for each)
  • Two Blu-Ray DVD players
  • One six-disc DVD player
  • Two black things, that might be one of the aforementioned PlayStations, but if that's the case then we probably have THREE PlayStations
  • One PSP (it's a little PlayStation, I think)
  • One cassette walkman (HA! that was a hilarious relic to stumble across)
  • Four printers (I have now given two of those away)
  • Three pellet/BB guns  - Full confession I knew about two of those, one of them is the Red Rider that Ray gave me for Christmas the year after I gave him the leg lamp
  • Five old laptops
  • Four audio receivers (pretty sure that's what they are, but I can't really say with absolute certainty)
  • Two weather stations (How much weather do we really need?)
  • Countless cables, cords, plugs, pointing devices (aka mouse type items) and various other accoutrements to connect the various gadgets together

I've literally begun gathering various electronics and stacking them in one of the guest bedrooms and I am recruiting a friends husband to tell me what they are, what they do and give me an approximation of what they are worth.   I think it's prudent that I have at least some idea of the value of the shit I am giving away.

Until next time....

XOXO

PS - if any of you are interested in anything on the list PLEASE let me know.  I am exhausted sorting through all of this crap and would love to give it away if you can offer me something of value in return.......