March 10, 2006
Today was a day of discovery. I started cleaning out the darkroom. Fun. Here are some of the things that I found:
- 33 Coke bottles from the 50s.
- A new, unopened box of "Ant-Bane" from 1938.
- A new thermostat for a Model T Ford.
- A box of hog rings and hog ring pliers.
- Every Indianapolis Star from 1958-1962.
- Assorted nails, screws, hinges, and other oddities.
- 5 mops, 3 brooms, 4 irons, all kinds of porcelain-coated cookware, and assorted bottles and tins of odd things.
- 1 old blue Ball jar (metal lid with porcelain top) and two clear, tall Ball jars (same style lid).
See why I have no space here? Grandma was the quintessential packrat.
If the newspapers were a little older, and if I had time, I'd go through them and see if there was anything interesting. They aren't, I don't, and I need the space. So, off to the dump they go. I hope to have the darkroom completely cleaned out by tonight.
Wiring.... the wiring in the darkroom is scary. Very scary. The red light is turned on by screwing the bulb in all the way. lol When I did so, sparks flew out of the wires. Nice. I think a little rewiring is in order in there. I also want to get rid of the sink. It's large, it's VERY ugly, and it isn't needed. My plan is to turn the darkroom into a pantry - a place for food and for cooking utensils that aren't used very often.
If you're lost and don't know where I am, I'll try to explain. There is a door in the kitchen that leads into what will be the laundry room. Immediately to the left inside the door is the laundry sink and then a wall. That is the wall to the darkroom. The door is a few feet from the sink. My plan is to replace the sink with a washing machine. The dryer will go on the other side of the door into the kitchen. They have to go in these locations, as they are on a concrete slab, and there's no way to run a 220V line or plumbing to the other side of the room. As such, I will at some point need to make the pantry door swing the other way, so it doesn't smack into the washing machine.
Anyway, here are some pictures for you to look at, marvel at, or have a panic attack about....
Need some old newspapers?
More newspapers and assorted "things"
Here's our sparky friend, the red light.
Assorted products from when dirt was new.
The very nasty sink.
Some of the trash from the darkroom, and the big bench thing I removed from the hallway/office.
