This is a young sloth healing from a broken arm (in a sling).
Via "all things sloth"
I relate to slow animals, but lately I've been pretty darn zippy, volunteering at the thrift store. It brings together a bunch of things I enjoy and care about:
Chatting with people (staff & customers)
Participating in the corporal-works-of-mercy side of religion (feed the hungry, clothe the naked, etc.);
And, maybe especially researching stuff---its design and history and variable worth.
I've been going through the Mountain of Supposedly Valuable Donations in the managers' office. Most of the things I look up, I put out on the sales floor for a couple bucks. Half the time on my way to the floor, something in the shopping carts of donations ready to go out (priced by volunteers) catches my eye instead.
Yesterday, I plucked out a set of stainless steel refrigerator dishes (pre-Tupperware), by Revere Ware--the company that made (makes?) copper-bottom pans (nice ones, but there are zillions).
These containers had a simple, elegant design, and though they were made by a familiar company, I'd never seen them.
Sure enough, they are "elusive"--this set of three sold for $50 on eBay this month. Ours were priced 79¢ each.
The manager has suggested I help volunteers learn to identify valuable things, but that's elusive in itself.
How do I know?
My Spidey-sense for valuable items comes from a mix of things:
growing up with a mother who liked to go antique/junk-hunting;
eye-training by working in an art & design library, having artist friends, and making visual art (including sewing) myself;
tracking down and blogging (27 posts) the mid-century design roots of items in Star Trek;
and couple years volunteering at Steeple People thrift store, a brief stint at Goodwill, and e-Baying this past winter...
Plus, I have a general interest in everything.
Yesterday my co-volunteer who repairs computers told me, "It's wonderful having someone else here who cares about STUFF."
I laughed--I do care about stuff. A lot of the staff are not lovers of stuff--they're there for religious reasons, or because it's a job.
And now it will be MY job too!
Yesterday the manager asked me if I'd like to replace the paid part-time worker who processes book donations--as well as doing online sales.
I enthusiastically said yes.
We'll meet next week to talk about pay and hours and stuff.
I expect it's $10/hour, like GW, but I don't care. I can supplement it with my father's house money.
You may remember that when I started working at GW last summer, I thought I might stay there until I retired (at 75?). The management was so awful, I didn't make it through the summer.
This store is screwy in its own way, for sure! but I've already been there 3+ months and no red flags have popped up.
I CAUTIOUSLY could imagine staying there a long time.
Especially if I actively pursue my plan for get better at tolerating uncomfortable/unpleasant emotions that arise from close contact with my species.
Via "all things sloth"
Chatting with people (staff & customers)
Participating in the corporal-works-of-mercy side of religion (feed the hungry, clothe the naked, etc.);
And, maybe especially researching stuff---its design and history and variable worth.
I've been going through the Mountain of Supposedly Valuable Donations in the managers' office. Most of the things I look up, I put out on the sales floor for a couple bucks. Half the time on my way to the floor, something in the shopping carts of donations ready to go out (priced by volunteers) catches my eye instead.
Yesterday, I plucked out a set of stainless steel refrigerator dishes (pre-Tupperware), by Revere Ware--the company that made (makes?) copper-bottom pans (nice ones, but there are zillions).
These containers had a simple, elegant design, and though they were made by a familiar company, I'd never seen them.
Sure enough, they are "elusive"--this set of three sold for $50 on eBay this month. Ours were priced 79¢ each.
The manager has suggested I help volunteers learn to identify valuable things, but that's elusive in itself.
How do I know?
My Spidey-sense for valuable items comes from a mix of things:
growing up with a mother who liked to go antique/junk-hunting;
eye-training by working in an art & design library, having artist friends, and making visual art (including sewing) myself;
tracking down and blogging (27 posts) the mid-century design roots of items in Star Trek;
and couple years volunteering at Steeple People thrift store, a brief stint at Goodwill, and e-Baying this past winter...
Plus, I have a general interest in everything.
Yesterday my co-volunteer who repairs computers told me, "It's wonderful having someone else here who cares about STUFF."
I laughed--I do care about stuff. A lot of the staff are not lovers of stuff--they're there for religious reasons, or because it's a job.
And now it will be MY job too!
Yesterday the manager asked me if I'd like to replace the paid part-time worker who processes book donations--as well as doing online sales.
I enthusiastically said yes.
We'll meet next week to talk about pay and hours and stuff.
I expect it's $10/hour, like GW, but I don't care. I can supplement it with my father's house money.
You may remember that when I started working at GW last summer, I thought I might stay there until I retired (at 75?). The management was so awful, I didn't make it through the summer.
This store is screwy in its own way, for sure! but I've already been there 3+ months and no red flags have popped up.
I CAUTIOUSLY could imagine staying there a long time.
Especially if I actively pursue my plan for get better at tolerating uncomfortable/unpleasant emotions that arise from close contact with my species.
