It's no secret that I like other people's garbage.
However, after a near divorce last weekend over an incident involving a neighbor's corner cabinet on the side of the road ("We DON'T trash pick from neighbors Chris") don't tell my husband this next story.
There I was Saturday morning. The weather was beautiful. My parents had my daughter because we had been out the night before. I got up early. I made some coffee and I was off to go garage sailing!!! I was in the zone. Tomato Cages that I needed for $0.25, a Ralph Lauren sweater for my daughter, $2, 2 hand made punched tin chandelier's for $10 each. I was on a roll. I pulled into the nicest street in my town, thrilled to be out and about, enjoying the view and the prospect of untold treasure.
At my very favorite house- MY VERY FAVORITE one, at the edge of their driveway next to the road were the 2 copper planters that I have been admiring for like 3 years. OH. MY. GOD. I pulled over. I got out. I picked them up. Smith and Hawken ,$60 price tags still on the bottom! SCORE!!! I paused before taking them to the car. These seemed to nice to be trash. (but ever thinking about the wastefulness of others, I wasn't surprised.)
Someone opened the door. I turned to see a fellow kind of confused to see a woman in his front yard holding his planters. I held them up,
"Are you getting rid of these?"
"Um I don't know, hang on."
And so I waited and waited and waited. More and more aware that my unwashed hair pulled up in a plastic clip probably looked a little white trash in that neighborhood. Apparently the owner of the planters was going out and decided to get into her car before driving down the driveway and approaching me. The whole time I'm holding the planters. A very nice coiffed woman stopped a very nice car. My hair suddenly looked even worse.
"Can I help you?"
"Um yes, are you getting rid of these?" (holds up planters)
"No."
"Oh, OK, (still holding the planters) because they were at the edge of the yard almost in the street there and I thought you were throwing them out."
"Well I'm not getting rid of them. I'm having them re-soldered"
"Oh, well then you might want to move them away from the road because I almost just stole them from you" (said with a laugh and a smile.)
No smile was returned. Nothing more was said. I quickly unhanded the planters and walked with as much dignity as I could muster back to my car. I didn't look back. I kept thinking how good it was that I actually paused before hopping in the car with her planters. Can you imagine? I'm 36 years old and I'm practically stealing from people in nice neighborhoods.
Seriously people, the weather is nice and I'm out and about. If you have something you want to keep I suggest you don't store it right next to the road.
I'm on the loose! (and maybe next time I won't hesitate before jumping in the car!)
12 comments:
OMG that is too funny! She is lucky they spotted you!
In my town anything on the curb is considered "public property" and is fair game. I can't believe she would have left them on the curb!
Those are usually the rules I use too Krista!
I think her comment about having them soldered was to indicate that perhaps someone was picking them up to do that but I don't know for sure. She wasn't feeling like explaining at that point!
"Sigh" Welcome to my world...:>)
A number of years ago when Christine and I were working together at Citibank we went on one of our drives (you know how much Chris loves to just drive or sit in a driveway and talk while the car is idling away...hmmm I wonder how large her "carbon footprint" was and if they sell retroactive offsets? She has since reformed her ways) I digress...we drove into this nice neighborhood in Perinton and Christine spies these greyish planters at the end of a driveway. "Wait, stop, pullover" she shouts with hopeful glee, "I can't believe they are throwing those away"...well, she hops out of the car and snags them. To this day I am convinced that they were decorative planters waiting to be filled because they were nicely placed by the person's mailbox...who knows?
But I do know this...people, if you have anything you want to keep out of my wife's clutches keep it in your back yard...I see the potential for the bluring of the end of the driveway, curb, and the front porch...You've been warned!
;>)
Those were COMPLETELY being thrown out. They were not even all that nice. In fact, if I had those now, I would probably throw them out too. In fact, since I don't have those I think it's safe to say I DID throw them out. (or perhaps I sold them in a garage sale)
Should I also remind you that your world includes a nice red buffet a yellow wardrobe and my amazing knobs.(the glass ones) all from the side of the road!
Those were COMPLETELY being thrown out. They were not even all that nice. In fact, if I had those now, I would probably throw them out too. In fact, since I don't have those I think it's safe to say I DID throw them out. (or perhaps I sold them in a garage sale)
Should I also remind you that your world includes a nice red buffet a yellow wardrobe and my amazing knobs.(the glass ones) all from the side of the road!
Oh my it was a very good thing your husband wasn't with you Christine as it is quite obvious from his post he would have been SO embarrassed!
However I must address Will, at least you didn’t have to read about this incident in the town’s police blotter! I must also remind you that you knew what kind of woman you were marring... ;)
Glad to hear you've cut back on your "carbon footprint". As this blog shows you do care a lot about our environment.
I know hon...I do love all your finds...and yes, your knobs ARE amazing!
Ok first of all - funniest story - ALMOST funnier than the time you MADE me pull over so you could steal back your plant from your old house (I hope she's coming back to life BTW) Second, I think Will needs to post comments more often! Its fun to see a little "web-sparring" :) And Chris, much to my chagrin I do have to agree with your hubby in the fact that WE love to drive, or idle and talk, but I also know that MANY a problem, crisis, situation and dare I say DARNED good time was had at the expense of a slightly larger caron footprint, but sometimes you just can't put a pricetag on the memories!
Love ya!!!!
Thank you. Every one I show my knobs to thinks so.
Oh man! Ya know, that we could possibly talk in the house rather than in the idling car. However, the ride is like therapy for me. With $4 gas I'll have to see if this is qualifying expense for my flexible spending account.
LOL - what a great post! I have to admit I've always been a little afraid of trash-picking for that reason.
Well in all of my years of trash picking I've never had that happen before!
And a friend of mine suggested that I possibly deserved it when I actually stayed on the lawn for 5 minutes waiting for the people to come back out! A less selfish trash picker might have just got into the car and drove off. I WANTED those urns though!!!
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