Category: trash

Posted in Life, trash

More fireworks than ever

Posted on by William Douthwaite

On July 5, it was easy to find out who was launching the impressive fireworks on Independence Day. As you can tell from the remains on the street, this year’s neighborhood celebrations were bigger and better than ever. The American Pyrotechnics Association estimates that $2.2 billion was spent on fireworks in America in 2024. I’ll bet it was more this year.

My dogs voiced their indignation as colorful explosions filled the night sky above the trees surrounding our block. A handful of “quiet moment” treats didn’t do much to calm them down. Fortunately, the evening parties near our house didn’t last long, and we all drifted off to sleep.

A friend who works in the emergency room described a patient who walked in with two blown-off index fingers, three degloved fingers, and only half of one thumb. I learned that degloved describes an injury where all the soft tissue is torn away from the bones. Yeah, I know, that sounds horrible. But this guy wrapped his hand in a towel and drove himself to the hospital.

The US Consumer Products Safety Commission reports there were 14,700 fireworks-related injuries and eleven deaths in 2024. I’m more than happy to let someone else light the fuse so I can watch from a distance.

Posted in trash

A sofa-eating truck

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Some folks up the street just moved out of their rental house. They left sofas, mattresses, shelves, and all kinds of trash on the curb in their wake. When I walked by, I thought to myself, “There’s no way the trash guys are going to take all that away.”

I was wrong. I was very wrong.

The big dog and I walked towards that house as the trash collectors approached. I watched with fascination as they fed two full-length sofas, three chairs, two mattresses, and a host of other trash into the back of the truck. The truck ate the furniture before my eyes. In minutes, it was all gone, and the truck rumbled off to the next stop.

I will always be amazed at the things we throw away. From sofas to dishwashers, all those things we work so hard to purchase end up crushed in the back of a truck.

That moment gave me, and should give you, perspective.

Posted in Life, trash

Friendly neighborhood Spiderman!

Posted on by William Douthwaite

One of the unexpected benefits of walking the dogs a couple times a day is finding treasures along the way. So far this year I’ve found two folding utility knives, a Philips head screwdriver, a clear plastic 18-inch ruler, and twenty cents. That doesn’t include the dress-form and inexpensive guitar I rescued from a rental clean-out trash heap.

Last week I found this one foot tall Spiderman action figure in the middle of the street. It was on a curve in a road with undeveloped wooded lots. With no houses nearby where his owner may have lived, I picked up the superhero and brought him home.

Spiderman debuted in a Marvel comic book in 1962. He’s been featured in many comic books, television shows, and movies since then. Some of my grandchildren are fans of Spidey and His Amazing Friends, a kids variation of the character. But they recognized the classic figure with a resounding, “Whoa!”

He now keeps watch over the toy room alongside a foot-tall Tyrannosaurus Rex, Woody from Toy Story, a Doc McStuffins doll, and the entire cast of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.

Posted in trash

That’s no lady, just a dress form

Posted on by William Douthwaite

The big dog and I see a lot of interesting things on our walks. Late Thursday night, we passed by a home that has recently had interesting items on the curb for trash pickup.

I almost didn’t notice it. But my dog stopped to sniff something we don’t see everyday: a dress form. I chuckled and took a picture. I haven’t seen one of those for a long time.

My mom actually had one. She did a lot of sewing at home. I remember her laying paper patterns out on the floor and pinning fabric to them. She made a lot of clothes for herself and my sister. Apparently, dresses were easy; men’s clothes were more difficult. When she died, we found a whole dresser in the basement full of paper patterns she had used and saved over the years.

Anyway, on Friday morning, my wife texted me, “There’s a dress form out for the trash. Can you go get it?” She wanted to use it to display some clothes she wanted to sell online. So, we (the big dog and I) walked up the street and grabbed it. It was surprisingly light, not more than a few pounds.

Everytime I walked through the garage on Friday and Saturday, I was startled by what looked like a person standing there! It was spooky until I moved it into one of the bedrooms.

A few nights before I picked up a guitar from their trash. It wasn’t a quality guitar. Just a cheap one made in China you might find in Walmart. But it was in nearly new condition except for a broken string. I might restring it and give it away or donate it to Goodwill. Or I could teach a grandchild to play.

Today, I saw the U-Haul van in their driveway. The family is moving out of the rental. These are the same folks who have a living room lamp on their front porch, Christmas lights in the shape of a heart in the front window, and five or six free shopping newspapers in their driveway.

I wonder who we’ll get next in the neighborhood?

Posted in Life, trash

Trash talk

Posted on by William Douthwaite

The wide variety of trash and recycling out on the curb this morning impressed the big dog and me on our walk. We saw massive piles of trash in front of some homes and just a small bag in front of others.

A family a few houses up the street only ever puts out a recycling bin. They rarely put out a container of trash. How do they do that? They are a family of four, and they hardly throw out anything.

On the other hand, the folks a few houses in the other direction put out multiple overflowing trashcans, along with a stack of trash bags, a pile of boxes, and an overflowing recycling bin. Not just once a week, but two times a week! For a two-person household.

On any given trash collection day, I will see at least three mattresses, two vacuum cleaners, either a dishwasher or a refrigerator, lots and lots of pizza boxes, and a recliner.

I love to see how some organize their recycling bin, with all the cardboard folded to one side and cans and bottles lined up on the other. Picture perfect. I break down all my boxes to get as many in as possible. Most people just pile up all the Amazon boxes any which way.

Some (like me) have all the trash tied up in bags in a lidded container. Others just throw whatever in the can and drag it out Tuesday morning.

So much trash. For all our efforts at recycling, I believe we only have more to throw away. I don’t even know where they put it all.

I’ll add to the pile this Friday. A new range arrives on Thursday, so the recently deceased old one will be on the curb Thursday night. Maybe someone will come by and take it for repair or scrap. Maybe not.

Posted in trash

The pink sofa

Posted on by William Douthwaite

It’s not uncommon to see furniture out on trash collection day. It’s unusual to see pink furniture on the curb.

This is a kid-sized sofa. At two-and-a-half feet high and maybe sixty inches long, I doubt it’s big enough for our Great Dane to nap in. (I should have gotten a quick picture of her trying it out for size.)

I am sure it matched the decor of little girl’s pink bedroom. And for her it was perfect for sitting and watching a video, jumping up and down, and reading a book to a collection of stuffed animals.

I didn’t check any tags, but it’s a safe bet that this was made in China. I wonder how many were made. I wonder if those working on the line making these wondered, “What crazy American is going to buy a pink sofa?” Some Rooms To God assistant manager had to put this out on the display floor. wonder if that manager chuckled when a family came in and said, “This is perfect. We’ll take it!” I’ll bet the trash collection guys were amused when they picked it up, too.

Colors are personal. We love some and others nauseate us. As I walk around the neighborhood, I can’t help but wonder out loud why anyone would paint the outside of their home (or dye their hair) a bright orange or mustard yellow. Or buy a car the color of puked-up green pea soup. But I know that those folks picked those colors deliberately, and, at least for now, think it looks nice.

Maybe someone actually picked up this pink sofa and took it home before the trash truck got there. Perhaps it will be loved a second time.