I have begun the task of cleaning out everything I own and sliming my possessions down to the bare minimum. About 9 years ago, I had gutted my room, panted and re-floored. Back then, I had this enormous wall unit thing that took up one wall and held all this crap. I had boxed all the crap up. 8 boxes and 9 years ago and haven't touched it since. This weekend I decided I was going to clean house and get rid of everything. It really is quit alarming the amount of stuff I have kept and for what reason I don't know why. I just know I didn't want to end up like that poor sucker earlier this week that got buried under his crap.
My sister is having a garage sale this spring so some of this stuff will go to her to try and sell. The rest got trashed. In no particular order, this is what I found today:
Picture of Johnny Depp, Nadine and I from 1994
Letters from my cousin probably from 1986-1990
Diaries from 1986-1989
My stolen pint glass collection circ 1992
With stolen the pint glass collection there were various animals and swizzle sticks from bars like Houlahan's and Ski Bar ... oh and let's not forget the test tube shot glasses
My beer coaster collection
A collection of concert t-shirts all of The Cure
Glasses and flyers and stickers from 2 beer fest one at the Javits center circ 1993 and the other on the a pier on the Hudson circ 1996
Playbills from Stomp, Rent and E.S.P. (Eyes of a Supermodel Physic)
A little stuffed frog I got from graduating grade school back in 1985
My grade school and high school diplomas as well as a bunch of dean's honor list certificates from college (I totally forgot I actually made that list a few times)
2 glasses I stole from Bunratty castle in Ireland in 1993 (my friend Julie and I had gone to the medieval banquet they had and the mead was just awesome!)
an echo microphone
all my college notebooks and textbooks from my computer classes (who the hell programs in Pascal these days) (oh and sorry Pat I threw out that Tic-Tac-Toe project you did and that party store database project we did. I mean I doubt you wanted to take them into your next job interview)
a leprechaun in a can
an abs roller
some correspondences with Howard Fine (a story I need to write about another time)
various costume jewelry that I must have gotten from one of my mothers friends .. all the earrings were clip on and I had some glue or something spilled in the box so they were all full of gunk
a mini glue gun never used with some extra glue sticks
2 types of curling irons even though I never curled my hair
lots of books including a Carrot Top book, my collection of beer books, a collection of Calvin and Hobbes books, a collection of John Saul books, an autographed Clive Barker "The Thief of Always" book, and some old school books by Kafka and Camus. Oh and let's not forget "the Bell Jar" and "Catcher in the Rye" I was so goth it's not funny!
1 Manchester United scarf and 1 half Man Unit. Half Ireland scarf
2 band knit hats one Paul Weller the other James
a few puzzle games
photos of people I use to work with at Tower Records (1988-1994) including that one girl that was on the Miss Howard Stern pageant that was on pay-per-view. She was the Bug Girl.
My ID tags from Tower Records
A gift box I got from this boy Jesse when I was leaving Tower to go to Rolling Stone. It was Absolute Vodka in a box that he covered with clippings from magazines, soy sauce packets and a pin that said, "I'm Weird."
A stack of papers from 1994 when the Rangers won the Stanley Cup
2 Hockey pucks
some old bras and scarves
about 11 pairs of old shoes, (I think half of them were my sisters)
autographs from Jackie the jokeman, Urban Dance Squad, House of Pain and John Femia (John's is special because it's on a copy of the Weemawee Tom Tom newspaper from the series Square Pegs! It's all folded over, yellow, and about to fall apart. I think my sister got it back in 1982 when the show was on.)
My retainers (I got my braces off when I was 21 back in 1993)
various issues of Beano and Dandy comics (I don't think I even read them)
and a photo of road kill
I am sure I am forgetting loads but as you can see, I was a bit of a pack rat. Well no more people - it's the new Kelly. The "bare minimum so I can make my escape at any time" Kelly. The "I don't want to clean dust around this junk anymore" Kelly. The "what the hell was I thinking I really don't need this" Kelly.
It may take me a few years to part with some things mainly my Nightmare Before Christmas collection. I don't think I can give that one up yet. But remember this is just the beginning. It's just a small corner to the rest of the crap I need to go through. Next up is my cassette collection (I had about 800 of them but who listens to cassettes anymore). They're outta here!
