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[personal profile] thistlechaser
For my Alaska trip, I bought a jacket and a coat. I've been home long enough that most everything's unpacked and put away, except those two things. My apartment has a huge closet, but it's stuffed full of clothing, no room for either coat or jacket. About 75% of that clothing I haven't worn in 10-15 years (either because it didn't fit or was no longer a style I wore). Cleaning time!

I ended up with three big black garbage bags full of folded clothing to donate (along with a black leather "biker" coat that was too heavy for bag). The bags are so heavy they stretch when I lift them.

I discovered that the American Cancer Society has a thrift store, so I'm bringing them there tomorrow.

One of the items I'm donating was a purse I last used in New York, which dates it about 14 years old. I cleaned it out and discovered:

- An opened roll of Certs. (Do they make those anymore?) Amazingly, neither the roll nor the loose ones showed any signs of mold -- they looked as good as new. I did not try eating one.

- A blurb I wrote up for my Garou MUSH RP logs page. Talk about corny! So embarrassing to read now.

- A letter from an author! Annette Curtis Klause. A typed (typos corrected with pen!) in the "correct letter format" (her address on the upper right, date in the right spot, all that). How long has it been since people wrote letters in that way? Let alone, typed them up.

The letter was really odd and interesting to read. "I also enjoy the Internet. It's a great source of research material, and there's always something entertaining to distract me, too." It was dated May 7, 1999.

While I'm glad to have more space, all my old clothing gave me a (very false) sense of security. Business suits, "dressy clothing", actual dresses!!, all sorts of fancy stuff. One of the many things I dread about losing my job would be that I would have to go clothing shopping. Knowing I had the closet full of stuff (even though I knew/suspected it no longer fit) made me feel a little less worried. At least I know the truth now, and hopefully my donation will help out folks in need.

Date: 2012-06-16 03:00 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] peppygrowlithe.livejournal.com
Old memories! I do dread the day I have to clean out my closet. It's basically packed with things I don't need (like many closets across the world), and many an item I do need has been forever lost to the sands of time.

Really cool how you got a letter back from an author, though I'm sad to say I've never heard of her.

Date: 2012-06-16 03:17 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] thistle-chaser.livejournal.com
She wrote Blood and Chocolate, which was a great book (werewolves!), but an awful movie.

It's actually kind of nice cleaning it out. Space! Once I get rid of these three giant honking black garbage bags full of clothing, it will be even better. And you never know what you might find!

Date: 2012-06-16 04:14 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] halogin.livejournal.com
I loved 'Blood and Chocolate' (the book)! I too was supremely disappointed in the movie. :( The only good thing about it was Olivier Martinez's hotness.

Date: 2012-06-16 04:55 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] thistle-chaser.livejournal.com
Yes! Such a good book. I wish the movie had been better. I love werewolf movies and books!

I'd love to reread it, but... time. :/

Date: 2012-06-17 02:43 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] peppygrowlithe.livejournal.com
R-really?

I've always wanted to read a good book about werewolves - dark and bloody and gory, like Werewolf: The Apocalypse level of darkness. I always have and still do generally prefer light-hearted and humorous (I think I like Disney movies now more than I did as a kid), but something sinister now and then is just what the doctor ordered.

I cooooooooooooooooooooooould just go check out a review... or I can pester you to give me a summary instead! MWAHAHAHA!

Date: 2012-06-17 03:06 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] thistle-chaser.livejournal.com
Wellll. You know me and my love of dark things... If I remember correctly, this book wasn't. (I haven't read it in six or seven years, so I might not be remembering right.) Part of it was about a werewolf pack and how they interact with each other and the outside world (loved it!), but just as big was the part about the werewolf girl who loved a "meat boy" (non-werewolf). In this day and age, that would bring about images of Twilight and all that, but the two weren't alike at all. Keep in mind I never read Twilight and hardly remember this book, so my opinion is of course correct. :P

The book was the first thing I ever reviewed on Amazon, written May 10, 1999. I wrote:

Don't let them fool you. People will point out that this was published as a young adult book, they'll say it's a book just for kids. They are wrong. Here's the two cents of an almost 30-year-old reader: This is an outstanding story. Out of all the books I have read over the last twenty-something years, this is in the top three. Do Not Pass This Book Up!

Realistic characters and an exciting storyline are things I expect from every book, and I will not spend time commending Blood and Chocolate's here. Allow me to instead comment on Ms. Klause's unworldly ability to turn a phrase; there were times I just stopped reading so I could spend a few moments admiring the wording of a sentence. To say she is able to paint a picture with her words is a gross understatement.

Though the phrase 'something for everyone' has been so overused it does not hold the weight that it once did, I will use it for lack of anything better. If you like adventure, there's something for you in Blood and Chocolate. Romance? There are scenes in this book that will curl your toes. For kids or for anyone who can remember being young, the rich coming of age theme is what ties all the other good parts together. And (I might as well continue with the cliches) last but not least, if you like werewolves this is the book for you. A more complete, well-rounded shape shifter culture I have never had the pleasure of reading about. Do yourself a favor, get your hands on a copy of this book.


... ha ha ha. Sometimes I just have to laugh at my own writing.

Date: 2012-06-18 12:03 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] peppygrowlithe.livejournal.com
Darn convincing, though! I think I'll pick it up on Kindle, if only because I claim to love werewolves but have never actually read a book on them!

Date: 2012-06-18 01:53 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] thistle-chaser.livejournal.com
Yay! Let me know what you think of it! :D

Date: 2012-06-16 06:23 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] arcane-beauty.livejournal.com
I can't tell you how happy seeing your post made me. I have tons of respect for those that actually make the effort to help out and make a difference.

Even one piece of clothing does make a difference, but the fact you cleaned out your closet and you have -bags- of items to help others is so thoughtful. Having dealt with homelessness and extreme poverty myself, this really makes me smile. Thank you.

Date: 2012-06-16 08:17 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] thistle-chaser.livejournal.com
Awww, thank you! Your comment touched me. :) It almost felt like cheating, this was such an easy way to help out.

Date: 2012-06-16 08:14 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] socksofjello.livejournal.com
- An opened roll of Certs. (Do they make those anymore?) Amazingly, neither the roll nor the loose ones showed any signs of mold -- they looked as good as new. I did not try eating one.

Where's your sense of adventure?!

Date: 2012-06-16 08:17 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] thistle-chaser.livejournal.com
I know, right! I did think about it, but then common sense took over. :P

Date: 2012-06-17 01:53 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] arcane-beauty.livejournal.com
It would have been a very Thistle episode of House! (If House wasn't over. :( )

Date: 2012-06-17 01:57 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] thistle-chaser.livejournal.com
Ha! That'd be amusing.

Date: 2012-06-17 03:18 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] veloxe.livejournal.com
Reminds me I cleaned my area up and went into the closet (which is basically a black hole of junk) and found all sorts of weird stuff. Including a sealed tub of sunflower seeds from (I estimate based on the items around it, like looking at sediment layers in a rock) like 7 years ago!

Got a bunch of stuff I will end up throwing in a bag and putting on the porch next time the people from the diabetes society come around and take our old clothes (convenience of being on their list is awesome)!

Date: 2012-06-17 03:22 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] thistle-chaser.livejournal.com
Including a sealed tub of sunflower seeds from (I estimate based on the items around it, like looking at sediment layers in a rock) like 7 years ago!

Oh my, that's a little worrying! I'm glad it was sealed or you might have had the world's worst bug problem.

Got a bunch of stuff I will end up throwing in a bag and putting on the porch next time the people from the diabetes society come around and take our old clothes (convenience of being on their list is awesome)!

Oh, that's handy! Let them come get it instead of lug it to them.

Date: 2012-06-17 04:21 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] veloxe.livejournal.com
Ya, usually around the middle of the month they call up and ask if we have anything for collection on *x* date (usually the beginning of the next month, couple weeks warning) and if we do then just leave any bags on the front steps with a "D" on them and they take them away.

Also most recent Legend of Korra episode was just like "OH NO! OH HELL! NOOOOOOOO!!! FUCK YA!" this just keeps getting so much better and I don't know how that's possible!

Date: 2012-06-17 05:00 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] thistle-chaser.livejournal.com
I KNOW RIGHT! I just made a post about Korra. GAH! THIS SHOW! THIS EP!

And woo, that's a really good system! /envy

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