[tgslTakoma]

Oh well, time to work on my giant collection of twine!

In a box labeled "bits of twine too short to use."

I used to tease my dad about all the "goodies" he collected. But whenever somebody needed something (squirrel cage blower or a motor or a fan belt for a '56 Chevy or a heating element for a Norge dryer...), they'd give dad a call and he'd locate it in his collection.

I've inherited his collector skills, but to a lesser degree; only because I've moved so many times over the years. He lived in the same house for 40 years.

[FITZ]

My grandfather was like that --- I always thought it was because he had lived during the depression and also during those "waste not want not" days that most of us can't imagine.

He wouldn't throw out used shoes because even though he didn't need to wear them now, he figured hard times could come back and they'd be better than wearing shoes with holes. He saved electrical cords, figuring if he ever needed to he could melt off the plastic and sell the copper. His house was neat because he didn't store his stuff there, but you couldn't have parked a bicycle in his 2-stall garage.

[FormerACLUmember]

Actually this is a clinical manifestation of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), treated with massive doses of SSRI medication.