Tales of the Homeowner: The Curse of the Cluttered Garage

Someone once remarked how Americans will put tons of crap in their garage, and yet keep a $20K vehicle parked in the driveway. I've even known people who had so much stuff in stored in their garage, they couldn't park their cars in it.

After I bought the house, I relished all the open space I had in the garage. Not only could I park my car, but another car if needed (which usually was my Mother, and only if the weather was crappy). I never thought I would befall the Curse of the Cluttered Garage.

Almost a year later, I have.

Oh, I still have room for the PT, but just enough. How did it come to this??

Well, it first started with the mower and the power washer, which really wasn't a big deal because I'm waiting for the door to the shed to be fixed so such things can go in there for storage.

Then, I got a new living room set, and the old one went into the garage until my basement becomes available so it can go down there. Eventually, it will be a rec room. So far, a couch, a chair, a mower, and a power washer.

Then, I bought the table and chairs from XO, and my old set went into the garage because it, too, will find refuge in the rec room when it is completed.

THEN, Mom needed a place to keep her deep freeze because it sat in storage and why should it sit in storage when it can be put to good use? Now, there is a big, white deep freeze in the garage. The plus side: Brother plans on buying a side of beef to stick in there.

And lastly, Brother's new transmission for Oprah came in and now sits, and shiny and clean on some sort of block. If you are not careful, you will trip on it and crack your head open. Transmissions are big. And heavy.

Total: a mower, a power washer, a couch, a chair, a table, 3 dining room chairs, deep freeze, and big-assed transmission...in addition to the stuff that was there before like the garbage can, various garden tools, a dead vacuum cleaner, and two bicycles that probably haven't been ridden in AT LEAST five years, . I couldn't park a second car in that garage if I wanted to. Hell, I'm lucky I can make it to the laundry room without breaking my neck.

Thankfully, 'bert came and took the transmission away today. With any luck, Oprah will return to full power by the end of next week. Also, next week I plan on moving stuff around so the freezer will be against the wall, and the chairs can be down in the basement. I'm also going to make Brother fix the shed door so some things can be put in there as well.

I will reclaim my garage...or die trying!!