Day: July 14, 2025

Without needing to call anybody, nor ask about town, you can usually bet that within two to three hours of carting your old scrap metal bits down to the curb, some industrious person will pull up and take care of it for you. I am now so much closer to emptying out both the shed, and the garage of all of the left over bits of junk from our former tenant. Only taken ten years, but I am down to just the last few bits & pieces. Paint cans and old tech is all I have left at this point. If I can muster the strength then I’ll get rid of an ancient computer, monitor, my busted karaoke machine, and the old water softener. I’d be willing to bet we have some crud in the laundry room I could see taken away too if I was so inclined.

For when the purge bug hits, it strikes deep, hard & fast. Right down into the marrow of you. My heart beats faster, and I feel so alive. So very productive! Make room for what’s to come. If I have the time I will sort clothes and take a bunch to the textile donation boxes. My closet, and the basement still houses quite a bit of clothing that nobody has worn in a long time. The house will never get bigger I tell myself, but it can start to feel a bit roomier if you take the time to let it. If you are willing to make the effort! I am that man. I do. And I will.

These are the Chronicles of my week ahead. The goal — to fill at least one garbage bag with junk to go out with the trash, and to reclaim as much closet space as I am able. Either by donation to the CP people whom come and retrieve bags from the porch, or by taking items to the drop off bins located all over town.

I don’t wish to live with nothing but the minimum viable amount of “stuff”, but I am comfortable getting rid of “things” with no value add to our daily lives. I always start with my own closet, shop, and spaces. I would not purge more of my children’s things, than I would do for myself. It’s not a case of one pair or pants and a shirt from me, and six garbage bags of kids items. I’m not that kind of asshole. Plus a slower, and more measured approach means lifestyle change, versus a life altering event, and it’s associated trauma. This is a good thing to happen. It nurtures growth, exploration, and expansion of what means something to us, instead of doggedly hanging on to things just because he got them at some point, but no longer have any use for it, beyond “but, it’s mine!”.

Life is too short to get bogged down with things, stuff, and physical entanglements that can hold you back. We have more than a suitcases worth each, so it’s not about depriving anybody of anything. But keeping just the good stuff, and letting go of the rest. For peace of mind.

If I remember to document my journey, be sure to follow along won’t you? Take care out there. Ciao Bella!

Started earlier but still got bit by the sun. So much left to do in the second field, but we are down to 1.5 rows left to unearth in field one. Glad for yesterday’s rain, as they mostly pull up ok. Still using my forks though because the Italian Soft Neck gets real slick, and the stem will slide right off the bulb with even the slightest resistance. With 8 varieties of garlic to pull, we have our work cut out for us.

Welp! With a massive isosceles sweat triangle down my entire back, pit stains, and chest sweat, and stinging eyes I find it’s time for a swim, and then home to my day job tasks for today. I also have a grocery delivery to attend to. I also need to get ready for tomorrow’s garbage & recycling pick up. I do need to cut the grass at some point too. Maybe if I skip garlic, I can do my lawn instead? Depends on the inlaws, and their desire to run through the garlic as fast as humanly possible. I don’t wish to see it moulds, and rot in the ground, but I also don’t want to spend every morning doing garlic, with the heat, sweat, big bites, and blazing sunshine.

It’s a real sweet treat to be able to collapse into the pool afterwards, of that there are no lies detected! 10 stars, would recommend to anyone. The heater has been off for a few days so it’s a very refreshing dip at that. Well worth the effort of pulling garlic for a couple hours each morning.

We are so close to finishing the first field, you really can taste it. The garlic that is. Gets into you. Pores and all. Sweat, breath you name it — Garlic. Ever present. You know when you are working with garlic. Better than hot peppers, by far, because you can still touch your eyes and face if you have too without giving yourself chemical burns. You can pee freely without having to scrub your hands for twenty minutes first. You only misjudge that once. Believe you me.

It’s taking so long because I have to pull the weeds in order to find the garlic stalks. If it had of been weeded properly then we could just fly up the rows. It’s a little different when you have five foot tall thistles hiding your rows from you, and crowding out the bulbs. My back is sore, and my legs ache. I dread to think of the state of the second field. Whatever weed mitigation they’ve used hasn’t worked, like – at all. Next year before they plant they should take a propane torch to the soil and burn it all away then plant the garlic in November.

Well we are back to a very hot Monday. I’m ready to eat some lunch. I have some cleaning up to do around here. Laundry, and floors, dishes and the kitchen in general. Everything needs a good cleaning up. If my wife does abscond with the kids & dog then I can really get after it over the next couple of days. Garbage bag(s) in hand, and Purge! Purge! Purge!

We are moving the teeter totter to the cottage along with some kids chairs. We got the old pirate ship water table over to my 3 year old nephew. So progress whilst slow, is moving forward. Onwards and upwards comrades!