Modest Success. Pondering Life Ahead.

eBay did OK but the laptop didn't make reserve. It's quite stunning how fast they depreciate in the fierce competition among Wintel. I might check with the high bidder though when I get some advice back from Vegas. I've got a lot of junk I know I'm just outright going to essentially throw away. Mostly ten year old (and older) electronics that wouldn't fetch a dime. It's really informing my purchases and how I see computers especially. They're so much of a commodity today it's daunting to think great '386' or 'Mac II' machines of yore could command luxury car prices.

I want to use this opportunity to savagely edit my life to minimum baggage. I have papers and magazines going back into the 1980's and computer ware too. I have hobby items I've outgrown, even toys I don't need or want.

Of what's in this house right now I want a few personal items like Mother's diary from 2002 chronicling Father's care, the crochet blankets my grandmother made for me, the photos of our great grandparents (mostly because I can identify them), Father's flag, some cards and letters. We never used them but I don't know that I want the dishes I bought via Amazon for Mother and I. Two sets of China. One is more me than her. It's an off-white with a platinum band. The other is fanciful ("Butterfly Meadow") and was going to be our 'everyday' dishes when she finally moved back into the kitchen.

I'd like a couple of the pots and pans. Really just two: my grand mother's spaghetti pot and a handle-less one I use for soup. As much as Mother might "like" the idea of me keeping grand mother's cast iron pans, I'm just not a cast iron cook. I'll ask my brother if he thinks we should keep them. Probably they'd just end up being stored. I want at least some of the recipes in the so-called "blue cookbook." Father's lumpia (Filipino eggrolls) recipe, for example. Maybe I'll make them for my brother's family since Mother and I did a fantastic job that one Father's Day. I'd like Mother's wedding ring. Mother gave my brother her crucifix the morning she passed. He asked if he could have it and I told him: "She gave it to you." I also told him the origin: it was the first thing she got after Father passed away. She never took it off except when required for x-rays or similar tests.

There's an air of morbidity settling in. I need to get to bed. The cat's probably annoyed I haven't come in yet or else she's taken over the whole bed.