1/6/07 Agoraphobia or Common sense?

I’ve noticed that over the years I have composed this journal that the range or my wanderings to sales around this city has shrank in recent months. In the past six months it appears that I seldom travel more than three miles from my home to seek documentation of peoples divestments. Is my reluctance stemming from some growing agoraphobia a fear of wandering beyond the range of where I can walk to or is it simply a reaction to this city’s worsening traffic situation? I hope it is the latter as infill construction, loft building madness, and McMansioning have ensnarled my horizons. With the grow comes the opportunity that I no longer need to venture further than I can leisurely stroll to find an ample amount of yard sales.
Today I experienced this as I attended as perfectly satisfying event two blocks from my home but then foolishly drove around the city seeking another sale only to find I had wasted considerable fossil fuel and endured much aggravation.
Page Ave. – Candler Park “Moving Sale”

This sale was in the garage of an infill town-home development that was built over a dozen years ago (which is about 80 years in infill age). The seller was a woman who offered art classes to children in the neighborhood for many years and naturally was divesting herself of piles of juvenile art supplies. In addition to the traditional supplies such as acrylic paints and brushes. Her garage housed two cases of inflatable smiley face balls, a case of paddleballs and a case of bubble blowing devices. These I presumed could be used for creating some sort of interactive installation. A work that would gain a child far more art success than a colorful rendering of a tulip on canvas. Other stuff in the garage and driveway included a box of candle making supplies; some carpets a set of golf clubs, a purse made from a coconut and some books. Among the books were “Illustrated History of Art”, “The Greatest Works of Art of Western Civilization”, “The 20th Century Art Book”, “The Painter Who Loved Chickens”, “Mad About Plaid”, “The Way of the Willow Branch”, “Salute to Healthy Cooking” and “Food for Thought”. Near the books were some Cds by Echo and the Bunnymen, Boy Kill Boy, Morrissey, Love and Rockets, Joy Division, The Cranberries and Depeche Mode.
Some other stuff included and some original artwork that included a scene of several houses and an image of two hearts being drawn together as well as a few kitchen items a Mac G3, and a rack of women’s clothing.
A few items were for sale in the home above the garage. I wander through the home that appeared as she had lived in it unescorted. It was difficult to tell what was for sale and what was not. The home was pleasantly decorated with a number of original paintings and modern furniture. Near the stairway was a coffee-table book entitled “the Comfortable Home” and on the refrigerator was a magnet that carried a quote from Goethe “Whatever you can do or dream you can begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.”
I bought nothing.
Excess paint being divested by art teacher.













Clubs and carpet found in garage.


















Book found inside infill town-home.














Gaylemont Dr.- Medlock "Yard Sale"
Later in the morning I decided against my better judgment and sense of agoraphobia to drive out to an estate sale near Oak Grove. On the way up Clairmont Road we spotted a sign for this sale. The sign was over three mile from the site of the sale. The sale itself was a terrible affair put together by some middle school kids. In front of a ranch house, up a high driveway was a meager selection of junk a pair of 13 year olds no longer deemed necessary. Among the sparse clutter was a Yankees cap, a plastic aquarium, a doll, a plush egg shaped figure and some kids clothing. Not only was the sale dreadful but also the signs offering directions led us in a circuitous path that took us far out of our way. I should have listened to my sense of agoraphobia.
I bought nothing.
Evidence of a dreadful sale.














Starfire Dr. - Oak Grove “Estate Sale”

From Medlock I had a difficult time trying to find this sale that was advertised in the AJC. After following a maze of aging suburban streets I finally came to the sale site. Here I found a shovel pushed into the ground with a message on the handle saying the sale had been moved to some other location that I knew I would only get lost and discouraged attempting to find. The only redeeming note of this waste of non- renewable energy was that we passed a delightful large pile of discarded junk near the sale that was either someone getting evicted or someone tossing out everything they owned. Most of the stuff was wet and broken but the mix of glass shards, MC Escher prints, animal cages and smashed fax machines was the highlight of this voyage gone bad.


A pile of debris offering redemption after a long and useless drive.