Letting go is hard—Organizing my mother-in-law's house ②

Just when I thought it had snowed, we had unseasonable warmth. There have been small earthquakes and thunder in the Kansai region, so I just want to make sure I get enough sleep to avoid getting sick.
Even as I say that, I find myself staying up late or waking up strangely early.
I am Yasaburo Tanaka. I work as an acupuncturist and massage therapist.

Is the organization of my mother-in-law's house finally reaching the end?

There are rules for trash collection, but

My mother-in-law's house is packed with all sorts of things from years of living there. I have to turn it into a joke to keep going, so I'm venting here.
However, while it's easy to acquire things, it's really hard to let them go. Thankfully, the municipality where my mother-in-law's house is located, like ours, collects bulky waste for free. Even though many places like Osaka City and others charge for it.
Super lucky.

Lots of things that are hard to throw away

I'll ask a professional for the large furniture, but there are some things I'm having trouble disposing of.
Since I'm still in the middle of it, something else might turn up.

① Outside the house - Around the entrance

Flower pots, planters, and the shelves they sit on
They are huge and heavy. Soil is treated as bulky waste, so even if you put it in bags, you have to divide it into small portions. The amount you can put out at once is limited, so it's hard to clear it all out. It's not as bad as it could be since I started working on it last year.
Other than that, there are shovels, brooms, and umbrellas. There are many bulky items. I'm the type who often loses umbrellas, but I guess some people are the type who just accumulate them.

② Around the kitchen

Massive amounts of stock
There are mountains of disposable chopsticks, disposable lunch containers, empty bottles, and empty cans.
One drawer was filled to the brim with disposable chopsticks.
"It's nothing but disposable chopsticks!!"
When I laughed and disposed of them, the next drawer was also full of chopsticks...
"Is this a joke?! Are you trying to make me laugh!!"

Under-floor storage
Does your kitchen have under-floor storage?
When I realized it existed, I got the chills.
As expected, there was a black liquid in a large bottle that must have been plum wine. Fortunately, although there were three bottles, there was only a small amount in each. I poured it into the drain and tied the bags double.
Surprisingly, it wasn't that bad when I opened them. The smell was like normal plum wine. Only one had solid matter left in it.
I recommend opening bottles the day before trash day.

③ Around the living room

Calligraphy, paintings, and frames
It doesn't seem like she was the type to buy them herself, but there were quite a number of frames. Frames of various sizes were everywhere—in the rooms, the entrance, and the stairs.
The sizes were all different, making them hard to bundle, and they tear bags easily.
If you're going to display calligraphy you don't even understand, you shouldn't have tucked away your husband's memorial portrait...
Since it's a shame, maybe I'll display both of them side-by-side at my house.

Video tapes, cassette tapes
It's a sign of the times—lots of video tapes and cassette tapes turned up.
These are also surprisingly heavy when put in bags, and the bags tear easily, so you have to be careful.
We have a lot of CDs at our place too, but I can't bring myself to get rid of them...
Before long, people will probably say "It's a sign of the times" even about CDs. I hear many kids today don't even know how to use a CD.

Fire extinguisher
It was about 30 years old. When I Googled it to try and contact the manufacturer, a financial firm with the same name popped up. I wonder if they've gone out of business?
I searched for companies that handle disposal, but the two closest ones didn't answer the phone. On the third try, I finally got through and they agreed to pick it up.
If you bring it in yourself, it costs 1,100 yen including tax per unit.

Racks, chests, storage furniture, tension rods
Even though it's a small house, the walls were packed with storage furniture. There was nothing of any real value inside anyway.
They were filled with things like stocks of plastic bags, paper bags, bank envelopes, wrapping paper, and even ribbons.
What was all that storage furniture for?
These are also bulky, and even when taken apart, they are hard to put into bags.
Cardboard or paper clothing cases were easier to dispose of because they could be taken apart and put into paper recycling boxes.

④ Clothing

Things that clearly aren't her taste, perhaps from inheritance
Coats and dresses turned up that were clearly not her taste and didn't fit, just by looking at them. Perhaps they were keepsakes from a deceased relative?
Even if you think it's a waste to throw them away as they are, you end up never wearing them. They were in almost brand-new condition.

Hangers
Because there were so many clothes, a massive amount of hangers came out along with them.
To repeat myself, these are also bulky and hard to put in bags.
I think I threw away 100 of them.
I remember there was a celebrity DV story about being hit with a hanger.

⑤ Bedding

Futons, pillows, sheets, floor cushions, cushions,,,
Futons and floor cushions for guests, brand-new blankets received as gifts. They were tucked away and left there—truly dead weight in the closet.
I have to tie them up with string for bulky waste, but they are incredibly dusty.
But why on earth did three times as many pillows as futons turn up? Is King Ghidorah coming to stay? As if.

Just a little more until the full picture is clear.

I've managed to empty and sort through most of the areas.
However, there is still the balcony shed that a carpenter acquaintance built for us remaining on the balcony.
This probably won't be straightforward either...
Even as I say that, part of me is hoping something funny might happen.

It's easy to buy things nowadays, but getting rid of them is hard. Especially with storage furniture, if you buy it without thinking, your belongings just keep increasing.

Buying is fun, but you need to organize periodically.
The idea that you can throw things away whenever you want is a huge mistake. It takes time and money to dispose of things.
I can't even count how many trash bags I've bought.

The original Famicom also turned up, but the game that was with it was 'Gomoku Narabe' (Five in a Row).
Shouldn't it have been Mario Bros.?

Tomorrow is trash day at my mother-in-law's house. I'll be running to take the trash out first thing in the morning.