u/Evening-Ordinary-513

What remains of the 200+ pots for plants my mother had hoarded. The bags contain all manner of aspirational lawn and garden things and enough pots for a small nursery business. It was in dragging these contractors bags to be hauled away that a realized the cycle of a hoard. It’s a toll to acquire and remove. And also during. There is no upside. Only the small short-lived dopamine hit from acquiring the thing.

(Firstly, I neglected to take a true ‘before’ picture. This room was fully obstructed). My mother will say ‘do whatever you want’ but then begin a convoluted and illogical negotiation about EVERY object.

Initially the above room was an “I’ll get to it and you can help”. But my wife and I stalled on outside work because of weather and my wife took the initiative to just start. The only subtraction was a ton of quilting supplies that were sold on FB for a fraction of what they were purchased for. . It had been closed off snd and a heavy stuffiness hung in the air. By every metric it’s a vast improvement waiting for the next step. The next step will be the exhausting storytelling and backstory which includes aspirational ideas about doing something with the thing some day.

It’s the duplicity in the interaction that is making my wife and lose it. I know it represents an inner turmoil over having blown thousands on stuff she piled up. She keeps saying what a great deal she got on something or that ‘someone gave me that’ (likely a lie). All this to say that when my wife aren’t here we slide into recounting the insanity of it all.

Very recently moved across the country to help my aging parents. My wife and I started working in a small bathroom in their three bedroom two bath ranch. This cabinet was so completely full of cleaning products. I suppose they were bought aspirationally. Because most of them are still full. This is just one glimpse of one project.. it’s exhausting and defeating, but we’re trying to work our way through it.

Just once you want this guy to find a priceless gem! Be like ‘imma cash out foos!’ And he’s replaced next time you get him with a new guy.

Saw this car parked and realized the sign actually has a spring for this very failure.

Moved to take care of aging parents and thus shed on the property had been a stuffed with things. Mice made a home. Some bats. And 3 snakes removed. The roof and floor are good but can this be saved?

Edit: I should clarify. This is a storage shed built 30 years ago on a mechanics budget. It’s going to house a few selective odds and ends for lawn care. It is NOT a Chip and Joanna HGTV craft loft, influenced by slick Home Depot ads. It’s owned by an 89-year-old retired veteran who isn’t interested in showing out on r/. He’s never heard of Reddit. Lol.

Moved here two years ago from out east. Hate comments are unnecessary I know you hate me. I kinda hate myself - so get in line. Lol.

But WHAT IS THIS? Never lived or traveled anywhere that I can remember the stoplight gap being as common or as exaggerated.

From 5/9/26

Is this a San Joaquin coachwhip? I brought my camera up as quick as I could to get this blurry picture, but it was a very long snake. I thought it was a rope.