Downsizing continues as I get closer to my departure date to Spain. Had a moving sale on Saturday, New York City apartment style. Made $82. That’s cool. But making money was not the objective. The objective was to give away things to people who could find use in items still in good condition, whether it was something they needed or something they wanted. I gave away kitchen items, wall décor, toys, candles, children’s books, coffee table books, Christmas décor, clothes and boxes full of other miscellaneous items. A little bit of everything except my high school yearbooks. Those are going next. I estimate at this point I have unloaded about 30% of my possessions.
It was a good day. But the best part of the day was getting to know my neighbor right next door to me. There is a stereotype that people in big city apartments don’t know their neighbors. To some degree it’s true, but after 12 years in this complex, I have come to know many of my neighbors very well. Except I didn’t know my neighbor right next door. I think she moved in when I was away traveling last year. And it took me a while to realize there was a new tenant there. Also, there is a heavy door that sits between our two apartments so it’s not quite an open hallway. When she leaves she goes in one direction and I go in another. She dropped in to buy some hand sanitizers (which sold out in the first 10 minutes) and that’s when we met.
She is an amazing and funny lady who, after experiencing a few hiccups in her life, was actually in need of many of the items I was giving away – dishtowels, colanders, Christmas décor, clothes hamper, and hair dryer to name a few. Along with those items, she also bought a few of my abstract paintings and coffee table books. I’m happy to know they are now in possession of someone who will appreciate them and continue to get use and enjoyment out of them. And I did manage to find another 75 hand sanitizers to sell to her. I have since promised her my bed frame, which doubles as storage space below (an important thing to have in NYC apartments!), my office chair, bookshelf and stationary bike. So happy I don’t have to throw them out or spend anymore time trying to find homes for them, all of which are still in great condition.
The other awesome thing that happened was getting to know my other neighbor across the hall a little bit better. We first became acquainted when we both ran out of our apartments at the same time on the day the New York/New Jersey metro area earthquake hit in April 2024 and since then have always exchanged hellos. Both neighbors ended up hanging out with us for most of the day until we closed shop. It was nice talking with them, getting to know them and definitely partaking in a bit of apartment complex gossip (mostly about our less-than-friendly leasing manager who has been there for 19 years, insists she is a people person and should have retired about 18 years ago). By the end of the day we decided to get together next weekend for dinner where my new friend wants to make us “marry me chicken” of which I’ve never had. Now $82 and two friends richer, it was a good day.
Hi it’s cousin Carol
Hi Carol! Hello from Barcelona! 🙂