CONTRIBUTED BY MEREDITH NOVARIO

2008_05_06_001_1

A couple episodes ago Sara suggested a Dozo Box as a way to get rid of big trash when you live off-base. A way to get rid of it without paying that is. A stroke of brilliance so bright and shiny that I went ahead and proper noun-ed the idea.

Behold my Dozo Box. Today’s box is less about big gomi and more about social experimentation. Will people in my neighborhood take my toss-aways? Furthermore what will they take and what will they leave behind? Please know that if I had the savvy I would rig up a video camera so we could watch the show. Instead I have included the contents of the box for your voyeuristic pleasure.

Dozo Box: May 6th 2008

  • 2 wooden puzzles for children (a famous arc & a famous Elmo)
  • 4 pieces of commissary tupperware (please tell me you also have 18 mismatched pieces stuffed hither and yon)
  • 1 bin of tiny legos that I step on and use bad words that sometimes get repeated in the grocery store
  • 1 rubber placemat for kids to eat with in restaurants that I never used because we don’t go out to eat often and you all have better dining experiences as a result of our choice.
  • 1 sun hat Eli wore when he was six months old. Maybe I should go salvage that.
  • 1 pair of orange Crocs from my mother. I love you, Mom! Just not the Crocs.
  • 1 kitchen timer I got from TJ Maxx for five dollars and have hated for three years.
  • 1 fandangled belt that I bought when I was child-less and lived in Tokyo and had the five minutes it took to undo it.
  • 9 pieces of children’s clothing with name brands that may or may not mean something to the people that dare to rummage through the box.
  • 2 children’s books I cannot bare to read one more time ever.
  • 1 unopened bag of wooden clothespins that I bought because I was going to hang out my clothes instead of using the dryer.

Any wagers on what will get will get taken and what will be left behind?

In other earth-shattering news…

  • Did you know that you can arrange your Express and Household Goods shipment without your plane tickets in hand? I was told I couldn’t but when I called TMO they told me this policy had changed for the time being. I just have to go through an hour and a half meeting to get it done.
  • I’ve bagged my plans to send Maltsby home with someone else. I was under the impression that animals got left behind depending on the weather of a given day. Not sure that’s actually true. I spoke to a very knowledgeable woman who is determined to see us all go home with our animals. I’ll tell you more about Mary later. She’s a wealth of information on animals and this island!
  • Tomorrow the kiddos finally go back to school. I am looking forward to a few solid hours without anyone pulling, poking, jabbing or choking me. Call me selfish.

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All the posts in Meredith’s “Me & My Big PCS” series: I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, XIII, XIV, XV, XVI, XVII, XVIII, XIX, XX

For posterity’s sake we have left this universally euphoric, terrified, confused, “what am I doing?!” series on Okinawa Hai.  However, we have closed comments for future readers.  If there is relevant information for all readers to benefit from, we have taken elements from this series and created new posts, which we’ve linked to from the original text. Thank you for joining us on this ride.

9 COMMENTS

  1. I love reading this stuff! 🙂 And now look, Mere, it’s all over and done with and you’re already many months into your new life adventure. WE DO SURVIVE! Maybe we need t-shirts that read “I survived another PCS” 😛 By the way, I think there are recycle stalkers on Foster. If anyone off base has trouble unloading their “treasures” bring them to Kishaba housing and set them on any curb. Everything we set out is GONE in minutes. Even the things that aren’t meant to be gone… from experience I tell you NOT to set out something from your back seat, to temporarily make room for an extra kid!

  2. Meredith, don’t feel bad about them not taking your stuff. Heck, what size shoes do you wear? I would have taken the orange crocs if they were around a size 5. I could always use a good pair of garden shoes. Don’t sweat the TMO stuff, it will happen. Why the heck do they need a dozen copies anyway??? Is their sole purpose in life to drive already-crazy moms crazy????? good luck and let me know if you need anything.

  3. Okay, so here’s the scoop.

    The first night I put out the Dozo Box it rained and I was out and when I came home nothing was taken but everything was wet. I took it inside and washed the clothes and wiped everything clean.

    Today I put it out while I was home. NOTHING WAS TAKEN. Why does that sadden me? Why don’t you want my junk that I don’t want? WHY? WHY?

    And, Pam, you can call me shellfish anytime. It sounds nicer anyway!

    ALSO, I did not make the TWELVE copies of our orders that I need to attend the TMO meeting tomorrow morning at eight. And I just imploded a bit because I also cannot pack lunch, walk the dog, get the kids to school and be at Foster by eight. I just gave myself permission to cancel for another day. I am not good at this game!

    And Kandy, the under the weather face you saw is something I wear at the commissary. I am not happy at the commissary. Sorry to share my snarls with you. Good luck with school!

  4. Sorry you’re not feeling well Meredith. I thought you looked under the weather at the commissary, but was too distracted by the post-shopping, pre-meltdown notifications from my youngest. Can’t wait to hear the results of the dozo box! Its like reality tv! And I can NOT see you as selfish because I, myself, am counting down the days until meltdown boy starts school for the first time this summer.

  5. I am curious to see how your free box turns out. Do you have “dozo” or “free” written on there? I hope you don’t lose the box…heehee.

  6. I LOVE reading your posts Meredith. You can make the most mundane seem fabulous. You definately have a gift for words. Also, I got info from Mary too. She was awesome and I would recomend her service to anyone. She didn’t charge me a thing for the information, but didn’t scrimp on the details.

  7. I can’t believe you don’t want your crocs LOL
    I won’t call you selfish, I’ll call you sane (I just had to correct the spelling, I actually called you shelfish, or not, as the case remains!)

  8. I’m betting all will be gone by sun-up. Perhaps you should have indicated “leave box, please.” LOLROF 🙂 Best of luck with the PCS. We’re gearing up ourselves stateside. Okinawa Hai provides me with a bit of Oki each day even when I’m far, far away.

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