Kyle and his girlfriend Melanie and both our dogs were out at the park walking and visiting and we talked about Jen (next door neighbor in the duplex) for a few minutes then moved into talking to the more pertinent issue of the garbage dumpster. Kyle and I have an agreement. I fill a box up with trash everyday so I can get ready to move and he takes it to the dumpster when he gets home from work or first thing in the morning. He spent quite a bit of time at work or at Melanie’s house this week so he hasn’t been around to take the trash out.

Now I have to tell you about our dumpster. It lives right in front of our part of the duplex. We’re the very first domicile on our private road. All the houses on our road use this dumpster. I have never seen so few people put so much garbage out at one time. Okay, maybe I’m wrong about that. I’m sure there aren’t too many studies done of watching who throws away what and how much. My spot in the living room is right in the corner where when I look outside I see the yard and the dumpster. Day before yesterday I watched a couple back their very familiar truck up to the dumpster, flip both lids open on the dumpster and start emptying the contents of the bed of their truck. It isn’t even summer yet and still, they’re already throwing away more liquor bottles than the local bar does. On top of that they put a bunch of that black PVC tubing that was loosely wound in. I fumed a bit that Kyle wasn’t home still to take my trash out. I was running out of places to stack garbage in the livingroom.

Then Jen cleaned out her garage and filled up the other side half way at least. I don’t know where she gets stuff to throw away from every spring. Every single spring since we’ve lived here she’s bitched and moaned about how much stuff she has to clean out of her garage. There wasn’t that much, but it did fill the dumpster nearly half full on that side. I watched with dismay as my dumpster quickly filled to the top. The right hand side wasn’t even closing all the way now.

We have some new neighbors, whom I’ve not met, that live in the left hand side of the duplex next to ours. They, brought out a huge roll of carpet and filled up the second side of the dumpster. Now both ….. Wait a minute, someone else has crammed more on top of the already full dumpster. Shit. Now we have to wait for the garbage truck to come on Tuesday. I’ll tell you what, I’m going to have a huge pile ready to fill it up myself this time.

Isn’t it funny how we jockey for position in the dumpster. I know the neighbors do it too. Some Tuesdays as soon as the dump truck comes and empties out the trash … oh you are kidding me. Someone is trying to put more garbage in. He’s over there jamming three more white trash bags on top. Good heavens. What did everyone decide to take out their trash on Sunday this week? It’s a good thing I don’t have any smelly trash to take out.

Well, the dumpster is now much fuller than it was yesterday while I was at the park with the kids. Kyle spent all of his time off of work Friday evening and Saturday at Melanie’s so he wasn’t around to take out the garbage I’d prepared for him Thursday.

Am I making a big deal out of nothing? Probably not. After all, when the crows start ripping it all apart it is my yard it all goes in. And, I have piles of trash all over the house too.

You know what this reminds me of?

I dunno.

I was hoping you did.

I’ve got my website up and am working on putting content in it. If you drop by let me know what you think. The Etiquette of Madness.

My son is my last child at home. He recently turned 21. He has his first girlfriend and a job and a car. I’ve been waiting for him to say he’s going to move into a house with some of his friends. This morning (Monday), before he went to work, he did just that. “What do you think mom?” He asked. What was I supposed to say? I knew it was coming. I just wish it hadn’t. I haven’t lived alone since 1986.

I’m looking for a house to buy. Since I’m on disability and without an income other than what I get from the government my mother is helping me with the financing. I’m hoping my son will stay with me until I move. There are two reasons for this. First, I need his help throwing stuff out. I make a small pile every day to go to the dumpster and he takes it out for me. I need his muscles. Second, I feel like it will be easier for me to be alone in a smaller house that I can take care of things myself in. Here I have to go up or down two sets of stairs with groceries. He usually does that for me. There are a lot of reasons I want him to wait, but let’s be honest… I’ll miss him and feel like I need his support with this whole moving situation (mine and his).

I don’t know what will end up happening, but it will be a challenge. It scares me.