Rain, Packing, and Rain, and Packing

Well I've taped off an area in my living room that approximates the size of the inside of my parents' car. It's ... small.

I've packed away most of my books, started taking things off the wall, and laid out on the big table what things I will try to sell. I have a hard time believing that everything that I want to sell can fit on one large table (besides the furniture, obviously, which is just about gone anyway). It's mainly smaller things, and things that are easily replaceable, like my blender, a teapot, placemats that I never use, etc. I'm debating whether I should have a "garage" sale for such a small amount of stuff. I probably won't. But hopefully I get enough people to come take it away because my Yankee self absolutely cannot abide by putting anything in the trash that could be even remotely useable again someday in the distant future.

CraigsList is a great tool in the sense that people can connect directly. But you also get weirdos, people who don't show up so you spend a perfectly good day waiting around for them, people who don't seem to understand that you're already selling everything for way cheaper than you got it so no, you won't take $75 when you're asking $150. And it's sad to see my stuff go. My brown chair and blue chair are both now gone. I loved that brown chair. It was my favorite piece of furniture besides the couch, and it got me through many exams.

I think what bothers me most is the hungry, searching look that people get when they walk into my apartment. They don't know that not every stuck of furniture is for sale, since most of what remains belongs to my roommate. They just want to get the best deal at my expense. Each of us is looking to take advantage of the other as much as we can. I want to scream and push them out the door, and say Get out! You're a stranger! Don't take my things away from me! But of course, I have invited them in for just that purpose, and so I have to smile and take the money they offer, and try to think about what nice chairs I can get when I have my own place once again. I'm a very territorial person. This is a very difficult exercise for me to do over and over again.

So tonight: roll coins, finish packing books and movies, and perhaps pack clothes that I won't be taking with me. Or maybe that can wait. I have to do laundry, certainly, and I'm not sure how it is that my room is such a ginormous mess when I feel like I've made such headway into packing and sorting.

I suppose I should pack what's under the bed, at least. Yikes.

Or, perhaps I will make popcorn and hot chocolate and watch one of my roommate's nauseatingly girlie movies. Because I'm alone in the apartment, and I can do stuff like that. Packing can always be done tomorrow.