This is a weekly feature of Colorado COmmunity. We hope this regular platform gives readers interested in Colorado and Colorado politics a place to share their knowledge, insight and inspiration as we share our love for Colorado and our efforts to keep Colorado Purple to Blue. Please join us every week as we try to Connect, Unite and Act with our Colorado Daily Kos community. You can also join the discussion in four other weekly State Open Threads. If there’s an issue you would really like to bring up, I’m always happy to either mention something if you let me know in advance or have you write this diary — just let me know. The easiest way to reach me is through Kosmail messaging.
Colorado: Mondays, 7:00 PM Mountain
Michigan: Wednesdays, 6:00 PM Eastern
North Carolina: Sundays, 1:00 PM Eastern
Missouri: Wednesday Evenings
Kansas: Monday Evenings
Just a note to remind you to get out and vote — it’s now too late to vote by mail. You’ll have to drop off your ballot in person (that is, if you haven’t already). We’ll probably be tuned in to watch the election from areas other than Colorado for the most part. I know Leftcandid has been working to elect a person to a city council position in the north metro (Arvada, I think). If you’d care to do some last minute canvassing tomorrow or help people get to the drop-off locations, you’d be appreciated.
I’m back in Kansas again, working on clearing out the folks’ house. I’m donating lots of things to various charities — Goodwill and a local charity named Penn House are getting the bulk of things, but the University of Kansas Audio Reader program has an annual auction of sound equipment like stereos, speakers, and such and my mother and I both read books, magazines and, in my case, newspapers part time for them for over 20 years (she hit 25) so that’s one of our favorite non-profit charities. They provide reading services like the above as well as filling requests for things like text books and cookbooks for the blind and print-handicapped people of Kansas.
There’s lots and lots of stuff that wouldn’t even be worth donating, as well as some stuff that would be more valuable, but I figure I’ll do what I can utilizing a couple of disposal companies to come help me move the big stuff (1-800-Got-Junk and Best Buy) and the stuff that can be donated will be, the stuff that can be recycled will be, and the rest will be disposed of properly, or so they say and I have no reason to doubt them). I will still need to rent a dumpster for things that can’t be disposed of through those helpers though it doesn’t have to be nearly as big (the couches are going away) and I don’t have to worry about televisions, as Best Buy will be recycling those. I still have multiple encyclopedias to dispose of — even the library book sale doesn’t want those. I’ll be dumping out a couple dozen mostly-empty liquor bottles. My parents stopped giving parties years ago and some of the bottles have sludge or even nothing liquid in them anymore. I have a feeling the liquor in the bottles that haven’t been open may be still good, but the rest is very well aged, perhaps to the vinegar level.
I will be taking back to Colorado some items that I’ve longed for over the decades, but now may be just taken as heirlooms instead of for much use. Still, they hold memories and in some cases, may no longer be valued by others. Sad to think that fine china isn’t going to be used, but apparently the young have no interest in it. I’m taking back some figurines that have stood on our mantelpiece for probably sixty years in a couple of cases. My sister and I were able to amicably work out with each other items that we’d take without having to fight over them and she’s keeping the house so we don’t have to hurry and sell it off, or get rid of every last piece, so that’s good.
That’s what’s occupying my time today and this week. Remember, November and December’s Caffeinating Liberally is going to be on the third Saturday of these two months at Enchanted Grounds, 44th and Vallejo in Denver, 9AM-noonish. I look forward to seeing you there.