What a way to spend a Saturday, cleaning out a dead person's apartment.

[arcadian]

Elderly woman, her husband died 5 years ago and she let the place go, didn't throw out his stuff. She also kept receipts for EVERYTHING, with little annotations. Piles of stuff here, piles of stuff there. She apparently didn;t use the oven because there were plastic bags being stored in there. She also didn't use the perfectly good washer and dryer in the apartment, instead, she washed everything by hand in the kitchen sink and let her clothes dry on a racks.

There was medicine everywhere as her husband had been sick and she took "care" of him for 3 years, which is why the apartment smelled of urine. She refused help for taking care of him because "she knew better than any doctors", she had been a nurse 20 years previous. I spent the time going back and forth to the dumpster, there was so much that it was nearly full when the manager of the building told us we couldn't put any more in there and there is a lot more.

The best part? She died on Thursday night(they think) and wasn't found until Monday so the place reeked of dead body.

Lesson to everybody. Those matches from your trip to Florida from 10 years ago and that calendar from 1998 from the auto body shop down the street? You don't need that shit, you will never need that shit. Throw it out, save your family the time and trouble of going through your shit and just throwing it out anyway.

Cheers,
a

[Kali]

1. nah, its revenge for the crap they pulled at age 12

(kidding) My poor family if I go before them.:blush:

[Lars39]

2. At least you didn't find 2 of her long-dead siblings in the apt with her,

like that lady in IL. :scared: I've been steadily getting rid of stuff and organizing my belongings for a while now, 'cause I don't want to leave my family with stuff they don't know what to do with.

[arcadian]

4. No, but I did find a penis pump.

True. Did not find the .45 caliber pistol with pearl inlay handle. That's what I was looking for.

[rug]

3. Well, after reading that I feel positively buoyant.

[Truthiness Inspector]

5. Depression era, maybe?

The part about her choosing to hand-wash and dry her clothes despite having a washer and dryer made me wonder.

This is so sad; did she have no family left? I have a real soft spot for the elderly. One day we'll get there too, if we're lucky, and who knows what kinds of things we'll have that will be considered junk that we thought were special or important to hang on to, for whatever reason.

[arcadian]

6. No, she had family nearby.

Everybody offered to help her but she always refused. While we were cleaning her apt. Several neighbors came by and said that everybody was very concerned for her, but she would never accept help with anything. never let anybody set foot in her apartment. Very reclusive for some reason, to the point that it was a pathology.

I had to edit this to add, this wasn't just stuff, she was seriously pack-ratting, junk.

[Truthiness Inspector]

7. Then it sounds like she had her way 'til the end

which is ok if it's true her family tried to help out but respected her wishes for privacy.

Having said that, I hope she is in a better place now.

[arcadian]

8. I think she's in the morgue.

I know, I'm a smart ass. I can't help it. :D

[Fleshdancer]

9. What was your relation to her?

You seem to know a bit of her history and yet there seems to be a sense of distance which makes me wonder if you actually knew her or just of her.

[arcadian]

11. Wife's father's second wife.

Which I guess makes her, my wife's step-mother, but not really, she never assumed that role. Like I said, she was a recluse.

[Fleshdancer]

12. Makes total sense

I'm sorry you had to spend your day in that environment. Was your wife with you? If so, I hope the artifacts of her father's life with his second wife wasn't too difficult for her. I can only imagine how...hell, what's the word...odd? How odd that would be only because this woman was such a pack rat and recluse.

:hug:

[arcadian]

14. Thanks, I didn't mind that much.

I think everybody felt really sorry for her, her name was Vera.

[ThoughtCriminal]

10. We're planning to have "Pre-Estate" sales

Doesn't that sound like fun?

[Fleshdancer]

13. pre-estate??

Is it what I fear? Can you spell it out for me just in case?? :(

[ThoughtCriminal]

15. Yep

But don't worry, we plan to be around for quite a few years. We just don't want to die with a house-load of crap.

[arcadian]

16. That is very sensible

Your family and friends will thank you for it.

[Fleshdancer]

17. OMG, you scared the f*cking crap outa me!

:rofl:

Seriously...I read your post and gasped. Since you said you'll be around for "quite a few years", I'll expect this to be true. I have witnesses now. :D