jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I put a trailer hitch on my garden cart so I can pull it behind my riding mower. The regular connection broke off the trailer, and I thought a hitch would be perfect. I tried to hook it up to the mower today. No good.

I didn't realize that the tow arm of the trailer is angled down quite a bit, and I should have angled the hitch up at the same amount. Looking through my "supplies," I found the support legs from an old swing set. My son is 47 now, so I've had them for a long time. The angle at one end is exactly the angle I need for the hitch. I cut a piece to length, and I'll clean it, paint it, and get some long bolts. Then I'll be back in business. It pays to keep everything.

When we had our roof replaced, they removed the three-foot stainless steel "chimney" for the oil burner, and made a new one. I kept the old one, and I've gotten quite a bit of use out of it over the years.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

I have always collected stuff. When we moved to Massachusetts the house had a two-car garage. After a few months it was a one-car garage. After a few more months it was a no-car garage.

Then we bought a farm. We tore down the big barn and the house before they fell down all the way. That left us with a two-story barn and a shed without a roof. The second floor of the barn was full of rotted wood since they had stored lumber in there and the roof leaked. So I put a roll roof on the shed and repaired the leaks in the barn and shoveled out the compost. Of course that gave me storage space, so I resumed storing stuff. (And went back to a two-car garage at home). I had a pickup so I picked things up off the side of the road and stored them.

After a couple years I decided I had to throw some stuff away. I looked for a nice two-yard dumpster but the only thing that was available was a 15-yard dumpster.

I filled it.

Among other things, I threw away about 8 kitchen sinks. That left me with only 4, but they got put to use. A friend did kitchen remodeling so I collected about 3 kitchen countertops (along with some of the sinks). They got used in the wash stand for the farm.

I just got an email from the guy I sold the farm to. He wants to get rid of the anvil. I'm currently in a 1000 square foot apartment, but I can't pass it up. Every small apartment needs an anvil. I will leave behind the 18" by 3' high oak stump it's attached to. They're easier to come by than anvils.

RiJoRi Loc: Sandy Ridge, NC

Ancient engineer's (Noah's?) maxim:
Two weeks after you throw something out, you will need it desperately!

--Rich

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I have a two-car and a one-car garage. Both of our cars are parked outside. I plan to get both garages ready for cars before winter. I said, "I plan."

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Exactly!

And two days after your buy a replacement for something you lost, the original turns up.

DougS Loc: Central Arkansas

I 'MIGHT' need that someday... I identify with that!

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Ever since I was a kid working on cars, I never hesitated to buy a specialized tool rather than pay a specialist. Buy it once, and use it indefinitely.

DougS Loc: Central Arkansas

Me too! Except my sons 'borrow' them. I wonder if I will ever get them back...

Lucasdv123

I too collect a few things here and there. I have lofts in my 2 car garage. I got 4x8 sheets of plywood and places 2x4s around them and 3 more 2x4s across ththe middle for support. Placed them at 6 foot level from the floor since I am 5"8".placed 5 with 2 ,500 lb cable.the wife has about 60 x mas storage boxes there.i now have a 14x20 portable building in the backyard for my stuff which also has lofts on it.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Very nice! That looks like what I see recommended on the handyman sites. My storage is more "free range."

RiJoRi Loc: Sandy Ridge, NC

It wouldn't be so bad if the thing that was lost didn't giggle so hard!

JBuckley

I have the same gift of "saving memories" at my house
After my grandparents died, I inherited a few pieces of furniture, (100 year old) rocking chair, and
dozens of photographs, [if not hundreds].
Now that my parents have passed on, I now have an extra 100 cubic feet of memory items to add
to the collection.
(To say nothing of my wife's parents collection of Norwegian (stuff) that belonged to her parents....

Thankfully, I don't have a garage to store things in, but I do have a small basement and 4 sheds that I have purchased to keep all the "stuff".

To add to that my wife was a school teacher for 40 years, and has a collection of children's books, and
arts and crafts things that she holds onto. ....Actually, her school collection takes up two sheds, alone.

My two children just roll their eyes, when they look at all the stuff. My biggest problem is that I have
stored over 500 slides and 8mm movie reels that go back to 1960.
((I'm in the process of having them transferred to DVD)). That is if I don't run out of $$ first.

cyan Loc: Northern NJ

Just like losing something. You look for it for weeks, then buy a new one. THEN you find it!

go2hale Loc: North of , Abilene, TEXAS

I keep everything that I know someday I can use. NOW, if I can just remember where it was !