We're getting rid of our swing set, a nine year old redwood structure with a climbing wall, teeter totter, clubhouse/fort, slide and tire swing. The kids have liked it well enough but these days Robey is just as happy shooting hoops with friends or spray painting happy faces on the porch with the blue dye he was supposed to be using on his hair (don't ask! but let me just say, 409 is a wonderful product and yes, I made him clean it up) and Cleo is satisfied drawing elaborate hopscotches on the driveway. I figured I'd have to pay someone soon either to tighten all the bolts, clean and reseal it, or to haul it off.
So I advertised it on Craigslist as free to anyone who'd take it away. And oh, man! within less than an hour I'd received a dozen responses; throughout the day I've received nearly thirty emails, some in triplicate, from people begging: Oh! Oh! Choose me! Choose me! (I'm dating myself here but anybody out there remember Arnold Horshack?).
Some of these responses are real tearjerkers: I have five kids; I've been out of work; I'm raising my grandson; I could never afford to buy one of these... Oy vay! I thought I'd do something nice for someone and now I feel like I should be sending these people substantial checks.
This is why I send money to the Humane Society but don't go there to get my dogs.




