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Tue 11 Apr, 2006 10:16 pm
I had my first trash can moment of this spring. I live in a high-density neighborhood, we all put out our trash tuesday evenings. I ran into the two guys who own condos across the street and the woman who owns and rents behind them.
The one guy is teaching math to math teachers - teaching them how to teach math to their students. He focuses on teachers who work in failing school districts. He works through the same school I am taking my masters at. We have lots to talk about. We also have occasional movie nights and dinners.
The other guy is in the public health business and started a non-profit to get money to funnel into AIDs programs in Africa. He doesn't have a website yet. He needs one.
And I spoke with the women in the back who may or may not have a three-bedroom apartment available soon. She's great and is willing to knock off a little for gardening work.......
Life is good, trash can moments are great! Viva La Spring!
I've had some good trash can moments.....at many fine seafood restaurants....
Tiffany Sedaris, David Sedaris' sister collects trash all over somerville every Wednesday. She makes wonderful sculpture things out of it. I lived two houses down from her a year ago. She's a little coo-coo, but a fantastic artist. Plus she and her blue cart really brighten up the trashcan moments.
I was once walking down an Manhattan east side street on trash day when I saw a man putting out a few boxes and bags. I noticed a gold frame sticking out of a box and when I got closer I saw it was a little landscape. I called back to him as he was reentering his town house and asked if he throwing the stuff out and if I could have it. "Help yourself" he said "it's just junk". Well, that junk consisted of a the little 18th century landscape (dirty but cleanable), a tea pot of flow blue porcelain with a silver handle, two leather volumes of Dickens from the 1920's, circa 1960 postcards from Paris and a paisley shawl. Some of the stuff was junk (broken plates, cat ripped sofa pillows), but I flagged down a cab loaded in the boxes and went home happy with my trash treasures.
us Brightoners don't converse while putting out the trash.
to us, its a serious business what requires full concentration...
I read full CONTRACEPTION! Heehee.
Greenwitch, once while visiting San Fransisco I found myself walking down a residential street looking into trash bins. I found a gorgeous pink damask throw among other things.
Greenwitch wrote: Well, that junk consisted of a the little 18th century landscape (dirty but cleanable), a tea pot of flow blue porcelain with a silver handle, two leather volumes of Dickens from the 1920's, circa 1960 postcards from Paris and a paisley shawl.
Nice little haul, Greenwitch.
Is Tifanny Sedaris the sister with the Minnie Mouse voice who often is heard on PBS?
Actually David kinda sounds like Mickey Mouse. Good writer though. I think his redings of his work are perfect matches. You hear this squeaky voice guy telling these tales of being one of santas elves.
So I have a Marimekko enamelled steel dog bowl, and several yards of taupe brocade that I found in an alley placed neatly by the trash bin...
I admit I went back to that building the night before trash day for almost a year. I became like one of those celebrity stalkers, except I was a trash stalker. I kept waiting for that guy to come out with another box. I never had the guts to look into any of the black plastic bags they put outand much to my disappointment no other goody boxes appeared.
I've been lucky in finding neat stuff in odd places. I once found a small George Orr pottery bowl at thrift shop for $5 and I bought one of those junk boxes at a country auction for $2 that had a set of 19th century metal toy soliders. I sold the toys on ebay for a couple hundred dollars. I wish I could make a career out of this talent, but with shows like Antique Roadshow people are becoming more savvy about their stuff.
was the George Ohr pottery one of his bent up pieces?
I hope you still have it.
Yes Farmerman, it was one he pinched and it had a very nice glaze. I sold it in 1992 for $3500 to a friend. I used the money to put a new metal roof on my barn. The barn was more important than the pot.
Wow.
My business partner used to find great stuff when she was a landscape contractor in Bel Air and Brentwood...
my favorite trashy moment --
when we first moved into this house, we discovered that the previous owner had left behind a rusty old boat hitch in the back yard.
it was literally embedded in the soil, it had been out in the elements for such a long time.
they get our trash on monday mornings, so i dragged the thing to the front on sunday afternoon.
not more than 30 minutes later, some guy in a truck pulls up and takes it!
Region Philbis wrote:my favorite trashy moment --
when we first moved into this house, we discovered that the previous owner had left behind a rusty old boat hitch in the back yard.
it was literally embedded in the soil, it had been out in the elements for such a long time.
they get our trash on monday mornings, so i dragged the thing to the front on sunday afternoon.
not more than 30 minutes later, some guy in a truck pulls up and takes it!
In my neighborhood they'd call it a planter.
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