Since leaving America in 2013, I had been renting my house a year at a time, thinking I was going to move back in. I had my office, clothes and bed in the basement. I’m here now to sell everything I own, except a few personal possessions like art, clothes and my priceless rock collection. From Slovenia it seemed like I could do it in a month, wrong, so wrong. I called Natasa and told her if I could do it in 2 months, I’d be doing good. It took me 5 weeks working 10 hour days to sort out 35 years worth of living in America. I had tools from several business’s, I had my grandfathers woodworking tools and all my household goods.
So this blog is about that 2 month process. I hope you find it a revealing as I did about America and it’s stuff.
MY FIRST DISCOVERY WAS THAT RATS AND EATEN THEIR WAY INTO THE RAT POISON.THE RATS HAD THEIR POISON FOOD STASH LINED UP AND READY TO TAKE BACK TO THE NEST.THE RESULTS WEREN’T GOOD FOR THE RATS
After cleaning up the rat mess, I set up the tent from the Bike Helmet events in my driveway, to be used for the Estate Sale.
IT DIDN’T TAKE LONG TO START FILLING IT UP WITH MY WORLDLY POSSESSIONS.
After the first day I started to realize the HUGE job I was about to try and tackle.
CLEARING OUT THE BASEMENT WAS MY MAIN GOAL. STARTING THE SLOVENIAN PILE
IT’S ALWAYS NICE TO FIND MONEY WHILE YOU WORK, $200!THIS “BEDROOM IN ARLES” by VAN GOGH, I BOUGHT IN VIETNAM. WHEN THE ESTATE SALE IS FINISHED THIS IS THE SIMPLE LIFE I WILL BE LIVING IN SLOVENIA. (I’m bringing this with me)
It wasn’t all Estate Sale work that needed to be done while I was here. In between jobs included house maintenance and apartment stuff.
I WAS SELLING ALL MY LADDERS AND CHAINSAWS, SO I NEEDED TO USE THEM ONE MORE TIME.
Last year, at the apartments, two giant trees died so I had them removed, this year the third one died. The yard was looking pretty bare.
WE PLANTED GRASS WHERE THE OLD TREES WERE AND PLANTED 3 NEW TREES.
It wasn’t all 100% work, my neighbor Handsel, was an NBA fan too.
WE WATCHED THE NBA PLAYOFFS, WITH SALAMI, BRIE CHEESE, CRACKERS, OLIVES AND FRUIT SALAD,DON’T NEED THESE ANYMORE GOT THE VASECTOMY!THE AMOUNT STUFF WAS STARTING TO BECOME OVERWHELEMING
Handsel is renting the little cottage behind my house. He became such a good friend and really gave me a helping hand when I needed it. There were times I didn’t think he would answer his door!
HANDSEL INSPECTING THE TOOLS BEFORE THE SALE. THE MOST POPULAR TOOL.
MY GOOD FRIEND MIKE HELPING PRICE STUFF. HE WARNED ME SOME STUFF, YOU’LL BE LUCKY TO GIVE AWAY. WTF?
I thought I could have the sale in a month and then go to the apartments and replace rotten sidding and paint too. No way. In college I learned the key to success is to delegate authority (trust people to help you). I met Jonathan of ANFIELD PAINTING at the Adidas Store. He became a true hero and helped me accomplish the multiple tasks I had.
LOOKS A LITTLE DANGEROUS TO ME, BUT THEY GOT THE JOB DONE.
My business sometimes involved cleaning out houses, so some of this stuff came from those jobs, I didn’t buy everything you see.
COOLERS USED AT THE OXBOW CAMPOUTSA GARBAGE CAN OF BASKETBALLS, VOLLEYBALLS AND FOOTBALLS (soccer)
I had a all my Grandfathers woodworking tools, this was probably the hardest part of the sale. I loved my Grandparents, they did so much for me. I used the tools for a business and to make my furniture.
I HAD 22 HAMMERS, 10 DIFFERENT KINDSTHERE HAD TO BE 100 SCREW DRIVERSWHO USES A FILE ANYMORE? MY GRANDFATHER DIDNEED A PAIR (OR 2) OF PLIERS?KITCHEN DEPARTMENTPORTLAND TRAILBLAZER MEMORABILIA LOTS! OF CANNING JARS, I WAS READY FOR THE CRASH.RIVER FUN: RAFTS, INNER TUBES AND LIFE JACKETS.I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THE MIRROR I HAD GOTTEN AT A JOB, SO I DECIDED TO MAKE THIS BED.JUAN SETTING UP THE BED IN THE BACKYARD FOR THE SALEJUAN AND MICHELLE HELPING PRICE STUFF THE DAY BEFORE THE SALE.TENT SALE READY TO GOWE HAD GREAT WEATHER (THANK YOU CLIMATE CHANGE)
I had some personnel stuff that I didn’t want to just sell to the public, I wanted my friends to basically have a piece of me. So I had a Pre-Sale for friends and friends of friends, only 4 people showed up. I was really disappointed, but I will cover this in my next blog post, “What about your Friends?”
KEN GOT THE MOST SOUGHT AFTER ITEM, THE MULTI-TOOLED DEWALT CORDLESS DRILL, SAW AND LIGHT I SOLD THE BBQ TO JONATHAN’S EMPLOYEE AND WIFEKIM WAS THE VOLUNTEER OF THE YEARJILL CLEANED THE BIKES LIKE THEY WERE HER’S, THANKS SO MUCH JILL
This post is getting too long so there’s going to be Part III (b) The sale and who bought what?
I “invented” my first bike BackPack from an old hiking pack when I was 16. When all my friends were getting their driving licenses, I was learning to bike tour. Biking gave me the freedom to go where I wanted-when I wanted. The car keys in my house, came with so many stipulations, biking was a better option.
I moved to Portland in 1974 by train and brought my bike with me. It wasn’t much of a bike city back then,.The city hired a full time Bike Program Manger in 1993 and since then bicycling has been given some budget priority.
I started a free bike lights program called Get Lit, for which I received a BTA Alice Award. I was also volunteer of the year at the Community Cycling Center. Bicycling has been in my blood for a long time and Portland was the perfect bike city for me.
THERE ARE SO MANY BIKE PARADES IN PORTLAND, I MADE THIS TO SHOW MY ENTHUSIASM FOR BICYCLINGI HAULED IT AROUND WITH MY BIKE AT BIKE EVENTS. I FOUND SOMEONE TO ADOPT IT AND CARRY ON THE MESSAGE: “BICYCLING IS A BARREL OF FUN WITHOUT A BARREL OF OIL.” BIKING IS GREAT FOR YOUR HEALTH AND THE HEALTH OF THE PLANET TOO.
In 2002 Portland hosted “Bike Summer” which helped kick start Portland’s love affair with Bike Fun. Everyone had so much fun that SHIFT and PEDALPALOOZA were created. Then in 2005, Jonathan Maus started the “BIKE PORTLAND” website. He did a story on the history of what helped Portland to create it’s Bike Culture.
I was lucky enough to be in Portland for this years PedalPalooza bike events. In the past I hosted, Bike to Skate, the Oxbow Campout (an introduction to bike touring) and co-hosted with Jill, The Dandy Warhol’s tour of Portland.
OXBOW CAMPERS GETTING READY TO RIDE OUTWHAT’S HE DAYDREAMING ABOUT?PATRICK HAULING IN THE “SUPPLIES”ZIA (in the green) and JILL (in the white helmet) leading riders around on The Dandy Warhols historical locations tour: album recordings, living situations, favorite bars and a private tour of the recording studio-The Odditorium (awesome!)
PedalPalooza culminated with the Multnomah County Bike Fair, Which really celebrated Portland’s Culture of BIKE FUN.
WITH THE HELP OF MANY VOLUNTEERS THIS WAS ONE OF PORTLAND’S BEST BIKE EVENTS (before Sunday Parkways)
Some photos ofThe Sprockettes performing before hundreds of spectators. I always thought the bike jousting was a little dangerous, but always a crowd pleaser.
I received a grant to offer low cost helmets and lights and had a booth at the event, promoting what I thought was important-Bike Safety.
PORTLAND’S MANY EVENTS WOULDN’T HAPPEN WITHOUT IT’S GREAT VOLUNTEER’SMY FRIEND MIKE BEING FITTED BY ONE OF OUR MANY VOLUNTEERSKIM, PUTTING THE DEALS TOGETHER FOR PEOPLE.
Portland’s best bike event by far is SUNDAY PARKWAYS and I was lucky enough to participate in 2 of them, while in Portland. It’s an opportunity to walk, run or bike Portland’s streets without cars. It’s a great event too, because it’s the one event in Portland that doesn’t have beer as the main ingredient., it’s all for the love of walking and biking.
A FEW YEARS AGO BOTH HANMI & I WERE RECOVERING FROM INJURIES AND COULDN’T RIDE, SO WE HIRED PORTLAND PEDICABS TO TAKE US ON SUNDAY PARKWAYS, WITH WATER PISTOLS!SUNDAY PARKWAYS ALLOWS DIFFERENT BUSINESS’S TO ADVERTISE WHAT THEY DO. LIKE SOUPCYCLE THAT DELIVERS, BY BIKE, FRESH SOUP TO YOUR HOUSE. IT’S SO PORTLAND!
These are some photos from this years Pedalpalooza kick-off ride.
Portland’s bike community wants you to do “everything” by bike.
EVERYONE IS INVITED TO A WEEKEND BBQ IN THE PARK WITH “GRILLED BY BIKE” PORTLAND’S CREATIVE NATURE IS SO INSPIRING!
Pedalpaloozaz’s most attended event for riders and spectators is the WORLD NAKED BIKE RIDE. Why ride Naked? The worldwide bike ride highlights the vulnerability of cyclists everywhere and decries society’s dependence on pollution-based transport. It’s also a lot of fun and it’s free for all!. I rode the first WNBR in 2004 and hadn’t ridden one since, Why? I have no idea. But since I’m moving, I thought this would be a great event to participate in.
YEP, THAT’S ME WITH ME WITH THE HANDY PHONE CARRIER AROUND MY WAIST.
My camera lens was dirty and I didn’t have a T-shirt to clean it, so my photos were poor to bad. They estimated there were 10,000 riders.
The streets were lined with spectators and their cameras
I SUGGESTED THESE LADIES RIDE NEXT YEAR, (hopefully they will!)
if you want some more WNBR photos try HERE
Pealpalozza ends again with the Multnomah County Bike Fair, but it doesn’t quite match the effort from years past. But I had a windup bike toy I’ve wanted to give to Dingo the Clown for 5 years and I thought he would be there.
I WAS RIGHT HE WAS THERE AND I FINALLY GAVE DINGO THE TOY.THIS IS DINGO AND OLIVE AT THE MULTNOMAH COUNTY FAIR, HE ATTACHED THE TOY TO HIS HANDLE BARS.MR. RELIABLE, CARL LARSON, AT THE MCBF ALSO ONE OF THE FEW WHO TOOK THE TIME TO COME TO MY PRE-ESTATE SALE, IT MEANT A LOT.
There’s so much more to Portland’s bike culture that I can’t cover it all on this Blog. But I would like to mention just a few more of Portland’s iconic bike pillars that have contributed to making Portland the bike mecca of fun, that it is. Bicycle Transportation Alliance, Portland’s Bureau of Transportation, Jay Graves former owner of Bike Gallery, Nut Case Helmets (for making bike safety cool & fun) Cycle Oregon, Zoo Bomb, Urban Adventure League, Filmed by Bike, Bike Smut (why mention this? I don’t know why)
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this blog post as much as I liked writing it. Your feedback and comments are always welcome, I’ve got some readers, but not so many writers.
Thanks for reading
Jeff
NEXT? LEAVING PORTLAND OREGON: PART II, SELLING A LIFETIME OF STUFF
