The coolest place in the house during July and August is definitely the basement. But the basement needs organizing and updating. We ordered a small chest freezer for delivery in early August, but that necessitated finding a suitable location to install it in. So for several evenings this past week, I rummaged around in large totes full of double weave judi gis, children’s bedding and other miscellany. And that was just the nook in the laundry room where an old refrigerator came with the house when we purchased it in February 1999.
Once we got that nook cleaned out completely, we realized we needed to paint it the same color as what’s behind the washer and dryer. Terry also measured it and determined there would not be enough clearance around it for the chest freezer so I had to pivot 180 degrees and review the contents of some utility shelves we installed a decade ago. Which led me to pulling off heavy cardboard boxes from top shelves and reviewing their contents.
The first one I pulled down was full of items belonging to my son. I found several computer video games from 1995 through 2005, parts of an remote controlled car (in the very bottom of the box), an old Sony PlayStation console, a game cartridge (not for the PlayStation), a box of Magic cards, some movies (DVD and VHS) and music CDs. I took photos of everything and sent the album link to my kids asking what to keep and ship, sell, donate or trash. The first comment I got back was from my son who simply stated “I’ll take all of it.”
The only thing in the box which I decided to keep for myself is a VHS of a Miyazaki classic that I purchased a very long time ago. I wanted to see the film in it’s original format and length. This one had English subtitles (no dubbing thank god) and was uncut. I first saw this film when I was in high school (or early college) but it was the much maligned Disney edited and dubbed edition. The original is much better.
I lucked into snagging six of the seven VIZ graphic novels when I was actively participating in book mooching. The only one I am missing is the first one. And I just had a thought. I need to find a digital (preferably HD) version of Nausicaä and also the remaining missing manga and do a re-read and re-watch. I wonder if Mythgard Academy would be interested in something like this for a future read?
But I digress. Returning back to the basement, I also pulled another heavy cardboard box down from a top shelf (really, who puts these up on the top instead of the bottom?) only to find it full of VHS tapes of F1 races from the nineties and early oughts. Too bad I no longer have VHS tape player. I barely use my BluRay/DVD player (in fact it’s not currently connected to my home entertainment center). My husband corrected me though by opening the sliding doors between the laundry room and the unfinished storage room to show me my daughter’s old DVD/VHS combo box sitting on top of some more cardboard boxes. I harrumphed at him.
That was the extent of my attack upon the shelves. We must make a trip to a home improvement store for some totes and other supplies later today before I can make more progress again the chaos monster residing in our basement.
On my puzzle front, I’ve made slow but steady progress against the riot of colors surrounding the lion. Monday, before bedtime, the puzzle hadn’t made much progress from when I started it before the holiday weekend.
By Friday, I’d only been able to place ten to fifteen pieces per day so it still didn’t look like I was making much headway. The lion’s profile was beginning to emerge and most of the remaining pieces were dark colored, which meant progress was going to slow significantly in the coming week.
While playing Yahtzee Saturday afternoon, I continued filling in the remaining colorful pieces already sorted out. Terry managed to roll two Yahtzees in the same game while I distracted myself with puzzling out the next piece location. By bedtime, I’d starting sorting through the remaining dark colored pieces for some promising possibilities for today.
