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Saturday, January 4, 2020

Run From The Paparazzi!

Visit #1228, Saturday 4 January 20, 1:15-4:45PM, 5.0 miles, 13.7lbs. of litter.
Temps in the 40's, cloudy with drizzle.

Last week's blog apparently got peoples' attention!

In it, I posted the weight of all the bags of litter I collected. 2019 was the first year I was able to keep track of such a statistic. I suspected to most people reading my blog, a bag of trash is nothing. But; assign a weight to it and tally up a year's worth and now people are getting a frying pan to the forehead.

That's what I think caught the eyes of the Meriden Record Journal, which published an article about my year end total.

Then came all the e-mails and phone calls of congratulations.

I was speaking to a relative who called to congratulate me, and I jokingly remarked I had women sending me e-mails, wanting to have my baby!

Kathy asked me; "Do you know why?"

I told her of course I knew why-"because I was some altruistic do-gooder!"

"Nope; it's because you're a man that KNOWS HOW TO CLEAN, and that's the holy grail of a husband!"

Well, that burst my bubble.

Among my e-mail in-box well wishers was a local TV station, which wanted to arrange to meet in Hubbard Park for an interview and to film me in action. We tentatively set a date and time of 4PM on Saturday.

Considering the late time, and the lack of sunshine on Saturday, it wouldn't leave me much time to get REAL work in, so I smartly arrived hours early to recon some trails that would afford good filming opportunities, and pick up trash.

Despite the raw drizzle, I hiked up the Soap Box Derby track an up to the South end of Merimere Reservoir, where I picked up the trails.

It is there that I found Season of the Missing Glove #14.


Oh, and for my one blog reader who gets a nauseous kick out of it, here's Condom #1 of 2020.
I'll keep it small.


Closer to the Halfway House, I found this thermal bag FILLED with Genessee beer cans, some of which WERE UNOPENED. Any alcoholic or beer party has got to be pretty poop-faced to leave beer unconsumed! I had to empty the cans to make the load light enough to carry. Also, cheap beer = cheap party, or at least low quality party partners. Which is why I, and you dear reader, weren't invited. Be thankful.


That just about max'd out my trash bag but when I went to transfer all the goods to a 30 gallon bag, I discovered I failed to replenish my stock.


That REALLY changed my agenda. I had to carry Bag #1 and opened up Bag #2 and shortened my planned route.

I coverred all the trails below Castle Craig, then hiked over I-691 and back to the park, with over an hour to spare before the TV crew showed up.

Which they didn't. No promised phone call or e-mail to confirm. The paparazzi snubbed their noses at me...

I gave them an extra 15 minutes, until I felt like a "fer sher" stood up date, and with quickly waning daylight, returned to the areas I left for filming/cleaning, and picked up all the litter.



Finally, I regret to inform you there will  be NO BLOG entry next week as I'll be away. To get your weekly fix, please read an older blog entry or, if you're really inclined, cover for me in Hubbard Park, take some photos, and I promise to post when I return, and give you a thank you gift, too!

Stay warm-I'll be in Chicago where I may not be so toasty.


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