Cocktails and Crap

Moving out of the country for awhile necessitates the divestment of a fair amount of belongings. Frankly, I have been feeling oppressed by my 'belongings' for quite awhile. I just seem to accumulate stuff. For a librarian, I'm actually pretty good at getting rid of stuff, but nevertheless after a few years it does pile up. All the gifts that people have given me that I don't really need (and in some cases don't really like); all the stuff I bought because I liked it at the time, but don't care so much for anymore... but heh... it's there, so what the hell. It piles up.

I had a garage sale last weekend and I managed to sell a reasonable amount of miscellaneous 'crap', and I have carted a fair amount off to Goodwill already. Today and tomorrow I am trying a slightly different method. I sent invitations out to about 50 friends inviting them to stop by after work for a cocktail, with the one condition that they must take something with them when they leave. Tonight seven friends came by; five of whom I haven't seen in at least a year, so it was great to see them and have a chance to chat. Each one took a bit of something from my living room / shopping room.

It's a win win situation - I get to visit with friends AND I get rid of some 'crap'.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow's cocktail party.