We’re gradually putting stuff we deem as trash in the shop out by the curb for the trash guys to pick up.  I don’t know what their limit is, but they do request only one bulk item a week.  We got the initial 70 contractor bags of trash all pieced out via the household trash and the San Antonio household trash before the city changed the trash contract and every address now pays for trash pickup, whether it’s commercial or not.  (Before, commercial properties had to contract separately, so we didn’t have trash pick up at the shop or the store building).  Now, under the new contract, we pay about $25 a month for each place.  I’ve used it once at the store building to have them pick up about five bags of leaves.  We use it sporadically at the shop, as we get trash identified and bagged up.

Hubby likes to cut things up small or break them up and put them into bags to make it easier for the guys to pick up.  I employ the philosophy that if they’ll pick up one bulk item a week, we should put one out — but I don’t have a problem with breaking things up into smaller pieces either.

With this philosophy, we should be able to get all the trash out via conventional trash pick up that we’re already paying for.  To get rid of the many mattresses we need to throw away (unless I can find a mattress recycler to come pick them up), we’ll need to buy a permit for a dump run, but everything else should be able to be made small enough to go out with the trash.

For months we’re had this nasty, nasty filthy section of green shag carpet that I pulled up from the floor at the back of the long bay — I dragged it to an area that doesn’t get water seepage when it rains, because I figured a dry nasty carpet was better than a wet or damp one any day.  I’ve hacked a few pieces off it, but it’s not an easy cut.  Finally, this week, I got tired of looking at it.  I folded it neatly into about a 3x3x2 foot cube, loaded it onto a furniture dolly, and rolled it to the door.  Tomorrow afternoon, I’ll put it by the curb as a bulk item for the trash guys on Friday.

Another area that had much trash was the ladies’ room (for this instance, the ladies’ room was much worse than the mens’ room, which I easily cleaned out months ago).  The ladies’ room has been listed as “Out of Order” for many years (judging from the ancient faded sign on the door that says so).  Before the roof was redone the last time (about 18 years ago), there was significant water damage and leakage.  The ladies’ room had years of “Air Force Times” newspapers stored there as well as years of “Aviation Weekly” (the former owner was a retired Air Force Reservist who was also a pilot).  Those magazines and newspapers had gotten wet when the roof leaked and the plaster from the ceiling fell down onto the floor.  The damage was done long, long ago but never cleaned up.  Today, I loaded all that obvious trash into contractor bags.  Four bags worth are waiting to be put out for the trash guys to pick up on Friday.  The ladies’ room is now ready to be shoveled out, swept out, and cleaned in preparation for determining what will need to be done to restore functioning plumbing.  At least the bare light bulb hanging from the ceiling works to provide good light.