Reactivating the Archival Project

March 4, 2023

Longtime followers might remember our frenzied downsizing five years ago when we decided to declutter our lives and get rid of everything we couldn’t cram into a small storage unit. A part of this was the Archival Project, when we decided to preserve some of our sentimental belongings by converting them to a digital record instead.

Well we’re at it again, taking another whack at our remaining pile of stuff. Most of it has been buried away unseen for the last five years. We hardly remember what’s there any more, or why we felt like we couldn’t part with it at the time. We’ve been thinking of reducing our footprint for the last year really, for several reasons. If we don’t know we even have it, why keep it if some of it might be of use to someone else? Why pay for both a storage unit and a bike locker, if we can free enough space in the storage unit to cram the town bikes in, as was the original vision until we realized they just wouldn’t fit? Why keep hanging on to tables, chairs and lamps for an imagined future home, when we’re less certain all the time that we’ll ever want to resettle to a fixed location? And finally, just how committed are we to maintaining Portland as our base at this point anyway? We tend to come back in the winter, which isn’t the most attractive time to be here if you’re wanting to get out on your bike. If we can significantly reduce what we’ve got in storage it would be easier to relocate someday if it came to that.

So the plan has been to break out the weed whacker and take another cut this winter. We’ve just been waiting for the right time, which is now.

Not much of a biking day anyway. Might as well get at it.

We’ve already made some progress on this project in the last few weeks. Rachael has made a few trips to the storage unit to sift through her precious belongings for things she can afford to part with. And then yesterday we took the first real bite when we went over together and hauled out the tansu (a traditional Japanese storage unit) and loaded it into the car for a trip to Goodwill.

I’ve always disliked the tansu, and felt guilty about it because it was a gift from mom from when they went through their own downsizing project when they sold their home and moved into assisted living maybe eight years ago. It’s a very dark piece of furniture, and an awkward shape that never fit into our decor or layout in the condo. And, is it too harsh to describe it as ugly? Maybe. But then, mom gave it to us.

We found a space for it in our hall for a few years, and then for the last five it’s been taking up significant space in our storage unit. It’s the obvious first thing to go. But yet, I feel guilty over it. I finally raised the question with Elizabeth, not wanting to risk getting rid of it and then have someone in the family later ask about it and be offended. Should we get rid of it, I asked Elizabeth? Or maybe ask if anyone else in the family would want it? No, she said emphatically. No one would want it.

So here’s how the storage unit looks this morning before we take another whack:

Looks bad, but it’s been worse. Before yesterday, there was a large, dark tansu perched up on the table too, as well as several large bags of clothing and other goods that went to Goodwill with it.

Today’s goal at a minimum is to extricate the four dining room chairs and four lamps. While I’m rummaging around I’ll look around for whatever else I can find. I do quite well, really. The chairs and lamp come out, as well as the lawn chairs I’d forgotten we had that we took to the Zoo Concerts with us; and a grill; and a few more bags of clothing and the like. By the time I’ve pulled all this out I’ve made quite a bit of progress, freeing up enough space so that the bikes should fit in easily now:

Considerably better. Look at all that free space!

And, I find some treasures I’d forgotten were even in here - in particular, a box of 50 or so CD’s. I’d misremembered and thought we had gotten rid of all but the dozen or so we keep in the car, but here they all are. So that’s very exciting! New music for our next Raven Road Trip, and some CD’s we could burn and use for GoPro videos when we find the time for it - probably next summer, at this point.

And, I unearth the first of those framed prints I was just talking about. I’m sure most or all of the others are in there too, further back in the unit than I can reach yet. For now I just snap a photo and put it back, because we’re not ready yet to decide whether to keep them.

Èze, Provence, 2003: the framed version.

And then, a few mathoms that I waver over but then decide they’re just the sort of the thing for the digital archive. It will be enough to look back at their images in the future and be reminded.

A growler from 1188 Brewing in John Day, one of a pair. These were from our month in John Day early in the Covid year, when virtually nothing was open. Once a week the brewery would open for an hour or two for growler fills.

From Vincenza, acquired in September 1998 on the Ljubljana to Venice tour.

From Segovia. September, 1997, Nice to Lisbon.

The jersey for the 2008 Garmin-Chipotle Tour de France team. Like the other jerseys it’s painful to part with but it’s just too worn and torn.

My prize for winning the novice section at a tournament in the Japanese Gardens - around 1985, I think?

Maine. June, 1989. Our first anniversary tour.

Granada, September 2004. Acquired from the visitor’s center on the day before we lost our passports.

So, a very respectable haul. There are a few tense moments when I’m trying to fit all four chairs into the back of the Raven. For a few minutes I’m afraid two will have to go back upstairs, but in the end they just fit.

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Graham FinchI think you've made a good decision. You have to be ruthless and while offloading stuff can be hard to do, once it's gone, you soon forget you ever had it.
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1 year ago

Rich FrasierI feel for you! It's hard to get rid of stuff. You wouldn't have it if there weren't a reason. But you'll be that much "lighter" when it's gone.

Now if I could just convince myself of the same thing...
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1 year ago

marilyn swettGood job! Having done that ourselves recently as we downsized to a new much smaller home in Arizona, it's amazing what you think you really need. We still have a small storage space that's full of things - mostly geneology files and Don's model trains which are waiting to be sold. I find it easier to get rid of things while Don is the opposite.
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1 year ago

Suzanne GibsonNo picture of the tansu? I was really curious.
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1 year ago

Scott AndersonTo Suzanne GibsonI know. I was mad at myself for giving it away without remembering to take a photo of it. I’ll have to go back through our digital archive to see if we have a photo of it from the condo.
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1 year ago