111th Year, 37th Issue Thursday, April 27, 2000 Sparta, North Carolina

REALITY CHECK

Moving out brings many discoveries

by Coby LaRue

Just in case anyone has driven by my house and seen a well battered pickup truck loaded with furniture, indeed I am moving. Along the same lines as the Beverly Hillbillies, I loaded up my truck and moved, but not to California.

I just went a few miles down the road towards Ennice, just a hop and a jump from town. I try not to skip, because every time I do I have to go back anyway.

A person just doesn't realize how much junk they accumulate until they move. In addition to the junk I discovered during this move, I still have stuff stored at three different places in Virginia. I discovered that I had three sets of serviceable glasses, very few of which match. Glasses only come in matching sets, as do socks. But for some reason, I have numerous different kinds of both and a number without a match.

The socks aren't much good without matches, unless they are white. In that case, if anyone notices, they are probably too close to me.

As for the glasses, I never have been much on matching sets of silverware and dinnerwear. As long as my company has a clean utensil, plate, bowl and glass, I don't see as how they have any call to complain. That's better than I have gotten at a few places I've been in the past. I went to one fellow's house who offered me a meal and then told me to wash up a plate and glass after I accepted. I never have tried that.

I also found things that I didn't recall owning. Most of the stuff was just this and that, but some was fairly significant. Like an older model laptop computer that cost a couple grand at one time, but is worth only about $20 today. Isn't technology a great investment? I kept the case and decided to toss the computer. I also located a number of books that I really want to read. This is unusual because a few weeks ago I looked around and decided I had read everything at my house. I also have the world's largest collection of pencils and pens, but I never seem to be able to find any of them when I need to write something down. I suppose it will always be like that.

As one of the last parts of the move, I loaded up my broken Craftsman riding mower, which has become quite a landmark on N.C. 18 south, from what I understand. People often asked me if I was the one who lives in the house with the riding mower in the yard.

As for the mower, a friend agreed to help me check it out. After a thorough inspection, he told me that my deck is bent and my bearings are falling out in both front wheels and one spot in the deck. I wonder if that happened when I ran it over that time? No, couldn't be. He just didn't understand that I never have had a full deck and I've been trying to get my bearings for years.

Just what I always needed: a mower that won't mow. That will fit right in with my broken-handled shovel, tine-free rake and two-piece mattock. All are wonderful excuses for not working. If I had good tools, I would feel obliged to put them to good use. But since I have old broken stuff, I don't feel too bad about it laying idle, at least until I have to move it all. Next time, I think I will do things differently. I might just have an auction and let it all go.

Anything beats moving again.

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