CD storage solution

I found a rack this morning that folds into itself to save space or it can extend to accommodate a very large amount. This thing is perfect because our music CDs are sitting in a box right now.

The grill is back in the garbage. It had a good run, but the tank is empty. I saved the tank because I think that I may be able to get a discount on another 20# tank that can be used on our camp grill and stove.

There are other ways that I conserve to try to reduce my own pollution. For example, I really like the idea of bringing your own grocery bags to the grocery store. You can hold more in backpacks or canvas bags. By not using additional material then that is less material in the land fill or that has to be processed using even more energy.

Jack Benny DVD

That's it for today.

A pretty good week

Wednesday morning I found a wicker desk organizer thing with a drawer in it that goes perfectly with the found desk that I am using. I also found an airbed and an electric air pump to fill it. Unfortunately the air bed had a hole in it so I was not able to keep it. Tonight I found a coat rack and a flashy light up little kids keyboard. It folds in half for easy transport. I put new batteries in it and it works fine. I am going to give it to my cousin that plays keyboards. Tonight there was a seemingly perfectly good stroller that I had to leave because we already have one.

Free bag.

Yesterday, I was walking by the trash and I caught a bag out of the corner of my eye. It was kind of purple. I thought "great just what I need is another bag", but upon closer inspection this bag was brand new. It still had the tags on it. I walked up and grabbed it but soon discovered that it was full of something. I peeked inside and found a bowling ball.

Honorable mentions

The dumpster business has been pretty dry lately. It usually picks up on Sundays, but lately I guess people have not been throwing perfectly good things away. The end of the month is a good time too, I think because people are moving in and out.

I decided to list a few things that we are using that I have not already mentioned:

My dog has a bad habit of tearing up blankets when we are gone, so I keep my eye out for good dog blankets.
I found a monopoly and a Risk game. I basically doubled my risk army's reserves. This is good news because it always seems like you need more when you are playing.

I found a gas grill that has the old type of tank on it but it is 80% full so we are using it until it runs out.

The 2 computer chairs that we are using were salvaged. Two large computer monitors.(I ended up giving away 4 CRT monitors because I already had a spare so I figured that I did not need 5 spare computer monitors) We also got two desks. The computer entertainment stand in the living room was also found.

I found enough christmas lights to wrap around the apartment a couple of times. I found a cool green cooler with bottle openers on the sides from the 70s. The other day my dad found a nice red igloo cooler.

2 coffee tables. Living room lamp with five movable light sockets. The lamp in our living room is made from a recycled glass water bottle. I stuffed christmas lights in the inside so it emits a little color. The guts I used from a discarded ceramic lamp. The only part that is not recycled is the CFL bulb. 2 bedroom lamps, they both look Asian; one is ceramic and the other is translucent paper.

I found several containers to keep my massive cd archives in. The living room chair, a "van gough" chair. A wicker sorter that we keep in the bathroom. A sony clock radio that we use as the bathroom radio. Many wicker baskets. Various picture frames. A couple of stools that are square on top.

In the kitchen, we have a microwave, a toaster oven, 3 garbage cans(2 for recycling), assorted cups, glasses, cutlery, utensils, glass lids for pans. A glass cake cover, a portable pantry that has glass panels with potatoes onions and bread painted on them.

Outside we have 2 lawn chairs, and A radio flyer wagon.
We had a garage sale this summer, selling almost exclusively found material we made $69.

I feel bad when I have to purge some things. But I just have to keep in mind that since I found it in the garbage I am not putting something in there that was not there before.

Update: I put a lampshade on my recycled water bottle lamp. It actually makes it look a lot nicer.

More books

It occurred to me that when starting this log that I may not have quite been clear about my intentions for this project.
My hobby is walking the dog. Every so often I would see something that I thought that I could use outside of the garbage can and take it home. Over time I thought to myself, "well it can't hurt to look". It sort of reminds me of a video game like legends of zelda I go up to a box and it maybe gives me something.
My theory is that I can offset the amount of material that I am adding to the landfill by removing material and use it in a different way.

I have three rules for myself.

1. Don't dig, unless you see something fantastic underneath.

2. No matter how tempting, don't take food.

3. don't climb inside the trash receptacle.(I broke this one to get the dvd player)

New book list:
Kalki, Gore Vidal :Donated
I, Claudius, Robert Graves :Donated
Claudius the God, Robert Graves :Donated
The Greatest Generation, Tom Brokaw
Children of Dune, Frank Herbert :Donated
Dune Messiah, Frank Herbert :Donated
The Covenant, James A. Michener
The Plains of Passage, Jean M. Auel :Donated
Basic wiring, time life books
WWII:
Unrestricted Warfare, James F. DeRose
Blood, Tears, and Folly, Len Deighton
Miracle at Midway, Gordon W. Prange :Donated
Shindler's Legacy, Elinor Brecher
Pearl Harbor photo book
Pearl Harbor life magazine collection
World War 2 wall chart :Donated

Golf time

I found a nice black duffel bag. I was expecting it to have a broken zipper or something, but it was in perfect condition. Yesterday I also found a golf bag cart. This thing is also in perfect shape. It came with a golf ball collector. I think that I may donate it to the lake cottage.