LEAVING PORTLAND OREGON PART III(a): SELLING A LIFETIME OF STUFF

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.

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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 RATS HAD THEIR POISON FOOD STASH LINED UP AND READY TO TAKE BACK TO THE NEST.
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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.

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IT DIDN’T TAKE LONG TO START FILLING IT UP WITH MY WORLDLY POSSESSIONS.

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After the first day I started to realize the HUGE job I was about to try and tackle.

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CLEARING OUT THE BASEMENT WAS MY MAIN GOAL.  STARTING THE SLOVENIAN PILE

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               IT’S ALWAYS NICE TO FIND MONEY WHILE YOU WORK, $200!
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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.

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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.

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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.

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WE WATCHED THE NBA PLAYOFFS, WITH SALAMI, BRIE CHEESE, CRACKERS, OLIVES AND FRUIT SALAD,
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DON’T NEED THESE ANYMORE GOT THE VASECTOMY!
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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!

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HANDSEL INSPECTING THE TOOLS BEFORE THE SALE.  THE MOST POPULAR TOOL.

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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.

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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.

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COOLERS USED AT THE OXBOW CAMPOUTS
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A 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.

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I HAD 22 HAMMERS, 10 DIFFERENT KINDS
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THERE HAD TO BE 100 SCREW DRIVERS
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WHO USES A FILE ANYMORE? MY GRANDFATHER DID
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NEED A PAIR (OR 2) OF PLIERS?
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KITCHEN DEPARTMENT
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PORTLAND TRAILBLAZER MEMORABILIA
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LOTS! OF CANNING JARS, I WAS READY FOR THE CRASH.
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RIVER FUN: RAFTS, INNER TUBES AND LIFE JACKETS.
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I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THE MIRROR I HAD GOTTEN AT A JOB, SO I DECIDED TO MAKE THIS BED.
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JUAN SETTING UP THE BED IN THE BACKYARD FOR THE SALE
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JUAN AND MICHELLE HELPING PRICE STUFF THE DAY BEFORE THE SALE.
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TENT SALE READY TO GO
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WE 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?”

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KEN GOT THE MOST SOUGHT AFTER ITEM, THE MULTI-TOOLED DEWALT CORDLESS DRILL, SAW   AND LIGHT    
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I SOLD THE BBQ TO JONATHAN’S EMPLOYEE AND WIFE
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KIM WAS THE VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
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JILL 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?

Thanks for reading

Jeff

. trappped2 trapped10

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I GOT IT EASY

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