A milestone for me

Well, I finally did it.

Yesterday I started the process of cleaning out the garage.

It's something I have known I needed to do for years but just couldn't bring myself to do it.

But I told myself this was going to be the year to get things done.

With my friend's help we made a very big dent in the garage project.

It took us only 3 hours to get most of it done.

The trash guys are coming on Monday and after they remove the bulk of what we tossed [there are hazardous chemicals that need to be disposed of separately] then my friend will come back and we will go through the rest.

But that should take us less than two hours.

After that I can finally organize it so that I can store things I need to and then I am going to have the floor epoxy painted.

It will feel good to come home to a more open space.

And I think it will be better for me mentally not to hang on to it the way John had it arranged.

We kept saying throughout our work that John would want me to do this and I think he would.

We had some laughs over some of the things we found - John had lots of scissors for example, some still in the original unopened packaging.

And hammers.

And wrenches.

My friend had fun shopping - he's going to keep lots of the useable stuff and then make a donation to the AZ Humane Society in John's name.

But there were many sad moments too.

I even found a little ceramic ashtray that John's older daughter made for him back in 1983 [she was 10 years old] that he had saved all these years through 3 moves. I didn't even know he had it.

I threw it away because I am so upset with her for the way she treated him.

But then I had second thoughts so I retrieved it after my friend left.

I don't know what I'll do with it. Leave it stashed on a shelf probably but if it meant that much to John to keep packing and unpacking it, I don't have the heart to throw it away.

For the trash pick-up

Clean and empty shelves