Wherein I assert dominion over the basement.

So! I have not posted in forever, because I was eaten by the large piles of crap in our basement and our garage, although never fear, I fought my way out, and then I managed to break not one but TWO computers in the space of 24 hours, because you know moving across the country is not expensive AT ALL and of course you will want to replace not one but TWO computers a few weeks before you move.  Anyways, that  is my excuse for not blogging or commenting on any of your blogs, although I continue to read them on my phone, because oh my holy heck I am sick of purging and reading the internets is a nice break from that.

So! The basement.  Yes.  I finally finished that.  Sort of.  It needs to be packed, but I purged it of all the crap.  Most of the crap, anyways.  We still have a lot of crap but its now organized crap.  This took me most of an entire day.

This is the far wall at the end of the workbench, containing mostly boxes of the Mister's work stuff from a previous job.  Also, decor crap.

As you can see on the right hand side of the above picture, and again below, is a shelving unit that holds....crap.  Kitchen stuff that we don't have room for in our tiny kitchen, old checkbooks, Ikea decor boxes, three dead computers (that pile has since grown to five dead computers), and a number of plastic filing bins. One of my must-be-done items of business upon arriving in California is to buy a large filing cabinet.

Rounding the corner, we have more shelving full of crap.  FYI, if you are thinking of renting or buying a house, and in the basement there is lots of built-in shelving, it is not because the former owners are ever so handy or generous in providing storage. No, the shelving is there because that basement leaks and has water issues, and the shelving is so that their belongings don't get wet.  Jut so you know.

Anyhoo, to the left we have lots of unused plastic bins and baskets, a large box containing unused lamps shades, a suitcase, office supplies, and a large number of folding chairs.

To the right, we have more suitcases, wrapping paper, coffee makers, art not even unpacked from the last time we moved, a difficult to see hutch to the antique secretary, more assorted crap, and an unbelievable number of plastic forks and spoons in that basket in the front.

And lastly...this fiasco:

I would love to give you a dramatic After Picture.  Except that the basement still looks largely like it did before. The one dramatic change is the wall by the treadmill.  Most of the boxes were wet and were recycled;  the rest was donated.

I know, it has a very "it puts the lotion in the basket" vibe to it.  The creepiness factor makes me walk faster on the treadmill.

The rest of the basement really still looks the same.  Now the junk is organized into boxes of similar junk.  Kitchen crap in three boxes, decor crap in four boxes, etc.  See? Pictures do not look very different.

I gave away six boxes of stuff to family:

One sister inherited 27 Harlequin romance novels, a West Elm starburst mirror, kitchen cannisters, and the lamps I was making over for her but won't be able to finish because it is too cold to spraypaint.  The other sister inherited pink sparkle glitter shoes and a number of other items for Denise. My mother received cooking tins, my entire stash of spraypaint (waaah, did not want to give those up), an electric can opener, and she agreed to transport a Keurig coffeemaker to my grandmother.  My inlaws received a cold storage food bag and two olive trays.  Everyone received at least one cold storage bag from Wegman's, because I can never remember to bring them to Wegman's with me and thus end up buying one every time I go.

I also amalgamated my enormous collection of plastic forks.  Apparently I have over five hundred plastic utensils, paper plates, and napkins.  I should have sent this home with my mother.  I probably will if she comes up again before we leave.

There was a full minivan of stuff donated to Goodwill.

That's five trash bags and two cardboard boxes of stuff.  One FLOR rug, three sets of table legs, a ridiculous number of lunchboxes, a baby piggy bank, a roller shade, and a bunch of other stuff I can't remember.

The basement is as purged as it is going to get, peeps. Now it needs to be packed in boxes.

California, here we come!

Oh wait. There's still the garage.  And Project Patch All The Holes.  But then! We are off to California!

Edited to add: I am linking up to Pancakes and French Fries William Morris Project.