Trashy

Wednesday = trash day.

And, without ever ever intending such a thing, I have become Trash Queen of my little complex. I have many times considered relinquishing such an honorable role. In fact, I've been sputtering mad before and for-certain I would fire off a resignation email to the other owners.

The funny thing is, only I know I am the Trash Queen. Pretty sure everyone else thinks it's a magical elf doing the work. It's that thing where everyone else assumes someone else is handling it, and only I know it's me b/c I handle it each week. Yes, that thing.

So, I think about resigning, b/c I produce so little trash, like a bag a week, and I could just take that out to the curb my own little self -- this is what some of the other owners do. But then there's the daily cat litter trash. Ewwwwww. A small bag, true, but potent trash. And I already know one of the owners is prickly about having animal refuse in his trash can (his can that he only rarely takes out). And I'm not keeping stinky cat waste in my home until trash day, nawp.

So then I think I'll claim one of the cans as my own, publicly (in an email sense) claim it, and announce my intent to henceforth only deal with that can. One problem is that the only distinctive can is his -- he of the the no-animal-waste-in-my-can. There's also that sense that if I stop taking the trash out ... whatever will happen? Kind of a fascinating question, could be a great experiment to watch unfurl before my eyes. But a frightening prospect, too, as I've seen some pieces of large trash sit for a year b/c no one wants to deal with them, and everyone's clearly sure it isn't their trash. Or when the trash cans get knocked over and stay that way or trash remains strewn on the ground until I can't take it anymore.

See, the problem is that I'm probably Trash Queen b/c I'm most bothered when trash gets out of hand and no one else seems to notice or care or maybe aren't around enough to care. Me? I'm always around. And the trash cans are along the driveway, so I see them every day, maybe a few times a day (so, in theory, so do the other owners, but, selective blindness?).

So, it's a dilemma. I can continue being Trash Queen, allow myself to feel virtuous about such a thing, or I can call a halt, see what ensues. Hmmmmmm.

But the other thing about trash? The real reason I was so deeply inspired to write about trash, is it boggles my mind how much trash these people produce! How is it even possible? I mean, they're only one family; how do they fill five, sometimes six trash barrels? And not be aware that they never take the trash out? Well, they're a busy family, working professionals, and they do have lots of folks coming and going -- nannies and family and friends and who-all-else. So maybe they all bring their trash with them...? It's a mystery for the ages, people, for real.

And I can't believe I really wrote a whole post about trash....