Dump Sticker Renewed - Happy Holiday Garbage - Unexpected Connections in Meatspace
I made it to the dump today.
That's kind-of a major accomplishment for someone who only leaves the house a few times a month.
Being a new year, I had to wait in line for a new sticker. I was expecting this to be a cold administrative task, carried out by grouchy bureaucrats poring over my identity and proof of residence with a monocle and an air of critical disbelief. I also expected a long wait.
What I didn't expect was this:
Jersey barriers covered in holiday cheer!
Look at all that discarded Christmas tat! As much as this kind of waste is dismaying, I love that our municipal employees were allowed the time to recycle it into a display to ease the spirit during the annual sticker renewal process.
And what synchronicity that I'd just been enjoying @ddschteinn's Holiday Tree Toss series. (Not to mention @hendrix22's synchronicity story.) The dump's brush pile was full of discarded firs and pines, but unfortunately it was too busy for me to get a decent shot.
It's been a low energy day other than that - oversleeping followed by a long nap. Kind of a let-down after the productive week I fell like I've been having. (Posting twice a day! Running 24 miles! Waking up before 10!) Narcolepsy is like a tax collector, and it and it always collects its due paid in slumber.
Why it takes so long to finish a book.
But even though I'm coming to the keyboard late in the day, it's forcing me to realize this feeling of gloom is irrational. Just my gray matter doing its thing, egged on by heavy rain and wind and lack of daylight and unpredictable bouts of generalized anxiety. Fortunately I can recognize it for what it is and move on.
On Unanticipated Conversations ~
I had a few more warm and human moments today, and they occurred in a corporate grocery store, of all places. This was as much of a shock as finding the transfer station festooned with finery.
I headed in because I remembered it was "Five dollar chicken Friday!" A rotisserie chicken for just $5 - how about that? I can get five meals out of one, including a decent soup.
But the deli case was empty! Naught but shining chrome behind the promotional copy. I was bewildered.
But then there was a voice: "You're looking for something, aren't you?"
"It's just that... it says... " (I can type 120 words a minute, but conversation is hard.)
"Yeah, I'm a little behind on the chicken. Here, do you want to pick one out?" And she gestured to the big rotisserie cooker, which spun patiently as it's timer ticked down to zero.
"How about," I said, "a big one?"
Armed with my chicken and a package of celery (for the eventual soup) I headed to the lines. Every open register was crammed - even the self-check-out lines. I found a reasonably short one with just two people ahead of me. A lady looked at my basket and said, "Is that it?"
"Er, yes?"
"Well then, go ahead of me."
"Are you sure?"
"No I'm not sure. I just wanted an excuse to beat someone up today."
I've heard that in other parts of the country, it's commonplace to have conversations with strangers in public places, and to even joke around with them.
As a New Englander (and a shut-in) this is a little frightening. Unsolicited conversation puts us on the defensive. It's customary to assume your interlocutor wants to sell you something. Or maybe beat you up and take your stuff. But the lady was of an age and a stature that belied her threat of violence, so I accepted her offer.
Then, the cashier wanted to talk to me about how good the chicken smelled! "Wow," she said, "a roasted chicken that you don't have to cook yourself? It's just five dollars?"
"It's nice," I said. Didn't she work here? But I was all out of words, and the woman behind me was starting to roll up her sleeves.
Did you just read a rambling story about buying a chicken?
I told you I was having an off day.
Was there a point? I don't know. Does everything have to have a point?
Maybe this: You might be an asshole, but if you keep it to yourself, strangers will be nice to you once in a while.
And also: the dump doesn't have to be an ugly place. It's always gonna be a little tacky though.
And if you're still with me after all that, why not
Crazy how different garbage disposal is in different parts of the country. We have a dump card, not a sticker, that is sent annually to your house after you pay your county taxes. You are supposed to show it to the dump attendant person before you start unloading your garbage, but most of those guys don't check it. It's a small county; they use the dump job as a transition to retirement for long time county workers. It's a pretty cushy job. They get to sit in a tiny cabin all day (with heat and a/c) and snooze, mostly. Every once in awhile they come out to operate the trash compactor. But they don't pay much mind to what people are doing with their trash.
Except for one of them--my husband calls him "The Trash Troll"--who really seems to enjoy getting all up in everybody's business. He'll follow you around while you go to the different recycling stations and hawkeye you while you throw your aluminum cans in the bins. He's very rotund, and he's constantly pulling up his pants. Sometimes, the Trash Troll speaks. When he does, it's usually to warn you about some freak tragedy that befell one of his distant relations. For instance, my husband was unloading some recyclable hot sauce bottles, and the Trash Troll popped up behind his shoulder to let him know that his cousin ate hot sauce all his life and died of throat cancer.
That's too funny! Every profession has its control freaks, for sure.
And the recycling stuff is such a joke since that all just gets mixed together anyway.
Trash Troll!!! I love it!
Rambling stories about chicken are often the best! Here's another...
I am lucky (sometimes unlucky) to live in a country where people are generally chatty. Yesterday at the supermarket a father was arguing with his daughter, who I presume had strict instructions from her mother, or a love of familiar brands, about the difference in price between 2 packs of 2 ply toilet paper. She wanted the expensive one, which I could see was identical to the cheaper one. I couldn't let that shit go down!!! He bought the cheaper one! Point is, many conversations are struck in supermarkets here!
In a story about toilet paper! I see what you did there...
Good read for right before bed. Good night!
Glad I could help put you to sleep.
Most of the time here in Washington people are very polite. I've been told that it kind of freaks Californians out to come here and watch cars take turns to get into a merging lane on a stop-and-go highway or at 4-way stops.
On the other hand, the occasions when someone is rude tends to make us comment on how the Californians are all moving in to Seattle. Maybe that's how Washintonians are rude?
That's funny, because it mirrors the Boston/New York thing on the East Coast. I was told my whole life that New Yorkers were entitled assholes - but I think that's just the ones that come here as tourists.
We lived in Boston for a while, and it was fine. But when we visit New York, the folks are super friendly - especially in the boroughs.
That's exactly my experience too - well, with New York. Southern Californians are a lot more reticent than New Yorkers. I have no idea why, it just is.
I go to our dump often. The guy that works there always asks, 'need any help, ma'am?' But my trip wednesday ended up as a trip into town and back with a car full of recyclables and trash, as our dump changed hours without any notice, as far as I knew. It's not a flashy dump, like yours.
And as an employee of a grocery store that insists you have conversations with customers, it gets exhausting on the other end, too. haha
I'll never understand the pressure on employees to have conversations with customers. If nearly half of all people are introverts, wouldn't it be better to leave people alone until they ask for help?
Two years in a row I've taken my trash to the dump on Veteran's day. Since it's an hour round trip it's a real bummer.
I am already tripping balls, you post this photo with all the Santa Claus and I couldn't stop laughing :D :D :D
I aim to please!
Well gee I have no choice but to upvote. This sounds like a carry on movie from the 60s. Way to funny. Maybe I should not be laughing but rather give some sort of guidance on your gloom. I can only make the slight assumption that you are highly intelligent and that damp dark days dont help, Sleeping is an art..you look so comfy on that couch. zzzzz. P.s I dont get the garbage tag thingy..must be an american invention
Do you mean our "dump sticker?"
It goes on the car to indicate that we've paid our annual dues and so have the right to take our trash to the dump for another year. Next time I go the gatekeeper will see the sticker and wave me through without a wait.
Our town is really generous. We get a break because we host the major "transfer station" for all the region's garbage. It cost me $30 to renew today, and this included four tickets to get rid of large items like refrigerators or tires, that otherwise cost $20 each to dispose of. Plus we get free street-side trash pickup each Monday.
My mother lives three towns over and pays $240 for her sticker, and if she wants street side pickup she's got to pay a private company to get it.
What's it like in Canada? Do you get trash pick-up for your taxes or is it all private haulers?
I'm so glad I could make you laugh!
$30...I wish. We pay that monthly and it includes once a week curbside pickup and no access to the dump. Not sure on large items as I just go out and help the garbage man load it and he never says anything.
Oh yeah and lets not forget that all yard waste must go in special paper bags that you must purchase and then put stickers on that you have to purchase.
Yeah, we've got just about the best deal going for trash. I need to do a post about the dump's swap shop soon. Half of the equipment in my office came from there.
It's great that they try and pull things that people might use. Our country tends toss a ton of useful things.
The swap-shop is mostly people leaving stuff they think might be useful. The dump staff watch it pretty closely to make sure no one leaves dead TVs or thinks they'd otherwise have to pay a fee to dispose of, and every few days they clear the place out. It's cool, though - it would get completely overrun otherwise. And the book selection there is amazingly good.
Oh I wish we did things this way. We use cans so even the pickers can't see everything that gets trashed. It used to be in bags and a lot of people would leave items that might be useful out so the pickers could take them. Now it seems like a lot more is going to the dump.
I still leave any scrap type items out in a different pile for the scrappers to grab. Those guys work really hard to make a living and little things make their night a little easier.
I am still learning the ins and outs in Nova Scotia. but trash pickup is each thursday and they take organic and recycling and a few large items. Its free, or rather we pay our city tax. In Ontario where we are from it varies by the area. All areas have a pick up weekly and a local dump where you pay to dump somethings and some are free depending on the item. The town where my mother lives in Ontario is so anal its like a high tech system. Everything in a neat and orderly pile. So much work when you dump something. Always makes me sad however as to the amount of garbage us humans produce. yes..you are funny
It's amazing how different it is town to town - and the fact that they can charge so much on top of the taxes people already pay!
Some towns around here made people sort their garbage into so many different categories. Then a couple years ago there was an uproar when the admitted that their "recycling" was just burning it all in one big pile!
Yeah - the amount of garbage flowing through these places is another issue entirely.
You never know what someone is going through, so be kind <3
I loved your message
At least they didn't close the dump while you were in line.
Our township has a garbage truck come to the township hall every Saturday morning from 8:00-11:00.
Special green garbage bags are available for residents, 100 per/year.
This morning, at 10:45 while about 20 cars were still waiting in line, the garbage truck driver unceremoniously hopped in the truck and drove off.
I like your dump better.
I'm old enough to remember my parents piling all of us into the car and heading to the dump on weekend nights to watch the Black Bears come in.
Ah, NATURE is truly amazing.