Disposable Goods

I’ve learned the other downside of the snow.

It’s frustrating to those of us who are “pickers”, because initially it provides a clean palate for things that are discarded. Right out there in front of God and everybody.

You can’t help but be amazed at the mere quantity of trash that is placed curbside in New York City. When trash and recycling services were suspended during the blizzard, that didn’t mean that people weren’t throwing stuff out. It just meant that the stuff that was discarded was on top of the snow and sat there, contributing to the mountain at the curb.

As an inveterate dumpster diver, I find it amazing what New Yorkers throw away anyhow. Plastic bags are of no interest – they’re almost always trash, but the big pieces – that’s pretty tittilating.

Leather chairs. An entire sofa – I thought “One of those cushions would make a great bed for Yoko,” Never mind that he doesn’t need another bed, and I couldn’t possibly get that into carryon, even if it weren’t likely infested with bedbugs.

Computers, television sets, dressers, mirrors -- you could set up house with a single pass through the streets before the garbage men come by.

What possesses someone to simply pitch a sofa and matching chair curbside? I guess it’s because without a truck it takes too much energy to try and haul it to Goodwill (assuming they collect things like that here, anyhow).

Thinking back, there are times we’ve put things curbside because we know that someone will stop and load it up and haul it off, presumably putting it to good use. The difference is that in NYC, there’s no convenient way to stop and do that – especially with all the other drivers on their horns while you’re trying to load a couch into the back seat of a Subaru.

I have to keep telling myself, “You couldn’t possibly need that, you couldn’t carry it and besides, it’s just disgusting,” while at the same time the other voice on my head is saying, “That’s so cool! I could make (something that will never happen) out of it.” “Why would anyone throw that away, it’s a perfectly good ______”.

With the snow, the stuff is just more obvious and difficult to overlook. While walking down the street yesterday, I came across a box of music CD’s.

Not an assortment, the same CD – probably 40 of them in a box. That can’t say much for the quality of the content, though.

I didn’t.  Not even a single copy.

I’m not a music fan, despite the fact that CD's very portable and will, in fact, fit in the luggage.

The reality is, I have more unfinished projects at home already than I could deal with in 5 lifetimes. If I were here, I might well end up with one of those apartments like you see on “Hoarders”, with just a trail through the piles of “good stuff” that I’ve saved.

Weight limits on the luggage with US Airways will likely save me from that fate, at least as long as we don't move here.

Besides, some things truly aren't worth saving and simply need to be thrown away.