Darn Kids!!

So, my home...well...ONE of my homes...is in a college area. Since it is the end of August and the new school year begins tomorrow, many people were moving this weekend.

I go to the dumpster behind the house to put something in the trash. And I return to the apartment with 2 things! There could have been more. The people in the basement apartment seem to have moved out. And they threw out perfectly usable things!
I was actually looking for a dish drainer and there was one right on top of the pile of CLOTHES and stuff. I washed it with vinegar and borax so I'm sure it's fine.

Also, there was an old computer tower case thing. The kid had been wanting one to turn into a cool hamster condo. This is a pretty good sized one so I think it will work fine. There are some computer bits in there but those can be removed and the sharp edges covered with some sort of soft tape or something (I'm thinking medical tape). Maybe we'll even line the think with food-box cardboard (thinking that that should be relatively non-toxic and keep the hamster away from the cold metal walls in the winter). It has some interesting features like the fan vents and the box for the power supply and another box. We think we can build ladders to those. One side will be removed and covered with 1/4inch hardware cloth (wire mesh). It looks like the wheel will even fit.

I got Hammy a wheel. He loves the wheel. I want to kill him. It's plastic (had to do it...the metal ones break their little legs according to the hamster care websites) so rather than squeak, it rattles. The kid reports that Hammy was up running on his wheel until 6am. Only took a break now and then for water. So the estimates of 3-8km per night for a hamster on a wheel may be accurate! Cripes. Glad he has a hobby. We were thinking we should put up a little water station like they have for marathons so Hammy could grab a water, drink a little, throw the rest over his head to cool off, then continue the marathon on the wheel.

One interesting bit about Hammy and the wheel...he'll only go one direction on it. Is he trying to get somewhere? What is to the west? I'm going to turn the cage around later and see if he'll run east. Is it the cardinal direction or just the direction relative to the wheel? Inquiring minds want to know.

Back to the wasteful bastard students here...
So I'm walking around this morning going to get a coffee while my laundry does its thing. And, as usual I walk in the alleys because they are more interesting. People use the front of their homes to try to show who they wish they were. The back yards by the alleys though are usually more "real". People are throwing out EVERYTHING. There is someone's gramma's afghan in the TRASH! Gramma would be pissed. Granted, it's hideous orange, brown and green, but still. Someone took the time to buy ugly yard and make a gross pattern and create that afghan. Now it's in the dumpster under food debris.
There are chairs, couches, cookware, silverware, etc.

What the heck happened to putting it on the curb with a "free" sign on it?
You know, I got a 6foot tall shelving unit and a perfectly good chair outback last spring. I could have furnished the place quite nicely today. I resisted taking anything other than what I was shopping for at thrift stores. But damn, I could totally open a junk shop.

In Moscow, Idaho, a group of students are starting a service to pick up people's stuff when they move at the end of the semesters, and then store it and sell it cheap at the beginning of the semesters. I think it's a great idea. I wonder if anyone at this school would go for it. Many of these students are pretty wealthy (well, their parents are) so much of the stuff is good.

We still need a desk so if any local readers would like to put a desk out in the alley this week, it would be appreciated.