The Cleansing Begins

So, did I mention that I've been paying for a storage garage up in Gosford for the past five years? The main thing in it is an old Jaguar XJ6, a 1971, Series 1 with a Series 2 engine in it. It was His car, bought in Brisbane and done up, and then driven down the coast to Newcastle to start our lives together, in March of 1997. Then I drove it back and forth on the F3 every day when we were living on the Central Coast and I was working at Amway in Castle Hill. I got very bonded with that car - I remember stopping to put oil in it every three days, having it almost flood one day on the Mooney Mooney bridge when heavy rain had stalled traffic and I was like two hours late (back when we still had the leak in the front left window, and radio wires hanging down out of the dash - luckily water never met wires that day). I remember leaving the lights on and having to call NRMA to jump it, and several other times when it just wouldn't start or wouldn't go. But mainly I loved that car, and it made my heart skip a beat whenever I saw it.

But then I came into some money, and bought a new Hyundai Excel which was much more sensible for the commute, and the Jag became laid up. I remember out last trip home from work together, I was listening to TripleM as usual because it was the only station it would receive, but then I turned the radio off and was just alone with her for a while, listening to the engine growl and feel her two tons of weight beneath me. The plan was always to do her up. The plan was always to buy a big Surry Hills terrace with covered parking, do her up and have her to drive elegant and majestic drives on weekends. So I've been paying the storage, in anticipation of that day, but now I realise it will never come. I will never have a spare $10 grand (and if I did I want to buy property with it), and I don't actually drive anywhere, and this part of town you just can't get covered parking for a reasonable amount. So, I was ready. I'm clearing out the storage facility.

But first I'm getting rid of the little stuff, and to that end I went up two weeks ago and took some photos and put things on eBay. I put off the trip, and got there a bit late so the sun was sinking low but I still had enough light to depict everything and enough lack of light that the dust and mold didn't show too much! The things I have to sell are the Jag of course, a weights bench and set of weights including barbell and dumbbells, a collapsable workbench that you can attach things to with a vice grip and saw them and that kind of thing, and a black stereo cabinet and DVD storage unit. I had everything assembled on the bitumen outside the garage, and it's such a blokey collection of stuff, I had to smirk to myself because it just looked like, "Divorce."

Anyway, the auction went for ten days and the weights and workbench sold. The guy who bought the weights picked them up today. He was a very nice young guy, drove up from Sydney with his friend and it turns out the two of them had gone in with a third friend to buy it, so they got a good deal. He wasn't at all put off by the dust or rust. They were able to disassemble the bench and stand just enough to get it in their car. It was pouring rain, on and off, all during this procedure, and they said the drive had been tough, there were some spots where they couldn't even see at all. I told them to be careful on the way back.

I had come up on the train - Ok Go albums on the iPod on the way up, reading a book about a bread baker that Mom got me for Xmas on the way back. Before coming home I had a half hour to wait before the train, so I went and found some lunch - I think it was a pub or RSL, and the food area was closed and being cleaned but the lady said she could heat up some lasagne for me, and then I went and got a schooner of Diet Coke from the bar which was across the room. There were about six tables of people, mostly looking like family, out enjoying a rainy Sunday afternoon, or eating in stony silence and failing to enjoy it, depending on which table. My hair still smells a bit like smoke. On the TV in the corner was the lead-up to the last footy match of the weekend, Melbourne vs Parramatta (#1 vs Cinderella-side-that-just-made the-8). I made it home in time to see the last half of the game - Melbourne pissed it in, and get next week off.

The guy who got the workbench needs to make arrangements for his sister to pick it up, so that probably means another trip up there next weekend, and I stupidly re-listed the black stereo stuff so I have to wait 10 days before getting it (I've worked out where I could use it here, so now I sort of don't want it to sell). I also have four boxes of papers, mostly Philosophy stuff so it's like relevant again, go figure that, and the chandlery from the shelf with the anchors -- but that's a whole nother story, maybe tomorrow night I'll tell you about that one. Anyway, so I have that stuff to pick up, and an old belt sander that is so trashed that it will go straight in the bin, and then it's only the Jag left. Last time I saw pointy-head, he suggested that he was maybe willing to take over the payment of the storage place from me, and that he was thinking next year he'd have enough money to do the car up, so perhaps I can give it back to him and make it his problem again. Or eBay that too - I saw some other ones on there and I think we could get a decent price. I could. I get all proceeds, from taking her care on for all these years.

But anyway, it was a nice day. I guess it's good to get out of town -- maybe I'll make it a Sunday ritual? Tonight I made some weird pasta - spaghetti, broccoli and steak, not too bad but I wouldn't serve it to company. And got some classic videos from the shop for cheap, and watched American Splendour. I hadn't seen it in ages and realise I've learned a lot since then -- I've seen Paul Giamatti in lots of movies, I've seen R. Crumb's cartoons in the New Yorker about living in the south of France, I've met more autistic people so I know folks who remind me of everyone in the film, I've known someone who has gone through chemo. Now I'm just blogging a bit, but have to tear myself away from the computer (before I start watching YouTube all night again), because tomorrow's Monday, start of a new week, and tomorrow I really am going to try to keep my vow to get up at 6 and go to the gym.

So, see ya!