So on the way back from the bus stop this morning I noticed that our neighbors, who are in the middle of preparing their house for sale, had put out three doors out with the trash. Big, heavy, narrow, quirky doors just like the ones in our house (our homes are identical for the most part). From the 1930s. With their original glass door knobs. Could you hear the pitter-patter of my heart at 8:24 a.m. this morning?
I immediately emailed Matt at work:our neighbors are throwing away three wooden doors (like our pantry door) complete with glass doorknobs... i am sorely tempted to trash pick. i won't, but i'm tempted.
He emailed back: Go get them!
WELL. That changed things. I thought surely Matt would tell me to quit being a weirdo, knock off the stalking of the neighbors' trash pile and go inside to tend to something far more useful than plotting a salvage. By now, the adrenaline had kicked in, because as a general rule, I do not trash pick. OK, that's a specific rule. I don't trash pick. But 1930s! Glass door knobs! Think of the potential for... something!
So, as best as I could, I snuck over in broad daylight and picked up the first door and walk-ran back to safety behind our gate with my prize. Then I went back for the second one, only I had to pretend I was looking for something in the van because our neighbor on the other side of the thrown-away-doors house was putting her recycle bin out. I waved, tried to look vaguely busy... I know she was watching me, I just know it. But then I walk-ran back with the second door. And then I completely chickened out. The third door is on its way to the junkyard. There is a very real and valid argument that states we don't need three old doors anyway.
But aren't these cool? When I eventually get my refinishing hands on them, they're going to be even cooler. For what purpose, I don't know. But something.
