There’s a website called Freecycle that connects a bunch of cheap, scavenger hippie-types (me) with socially responsible neatnicks (other people). Here’s what happens. The neatnicks look at their stuff and say, “I don’t use this anymore, but it’s still in good shape. Someone could use it.” Then the neatnick posts it on the Freecycle message board for his or her area.
The scavenger reads the posting and says, “A box of hair dye and a bag of old maternity clothes? That rocks. How funny would it be to dye my hair and wear loose-in-the-belly clothes around to freak out my mom/boyfriend/dad?”
The scavenger then responds to the neatnick’s post and asks if the treasure is still available. The neatnick says that yes, the scavenger is indeed the first scavenger to respond. Hence, that scavenger is the winner.
The scavenger then gets directions and sets up a time to meet the neatnick. The scavenger goes to his/her car and realizes the battery is dead. The scavenger then gets the car jumped and drives it to his/her friend’s house because naturally s/he knows a guy who can fix it for next to nothing. The scavenger then spends the day drinking beer, playing with the car fixer’s dog, taking a nap, eating a hoagie…
The neatnick reposts about the hair dye and the maternity clothes and specifies that people need not respond if they don’t intend on picking the stuff up!
Ah, the best laid plans, my friends…they always involve people like me.
*Thanks to Lori for the picture. (And just thanks in general for Lori’s effed up sense of humor.)
