email avalanche and freecycle

I've been almost a week without internet while swapping providers. This coincided with me joining the yahoo group for the Compact. I was interested in seeing what the list would be like. Well I found out - high volume!!! Try 300 or so emails per day. It was a pretty crazy week of frantic lunchtime clicking to try to delete all the topics that didn't interest me, especially knowing that I wouldn't be able to do any of that at home without internet.

Yesterday there was a message saying that over 2000 people had just signed on, so expect more of the same until things calmed down. I guess that's what happens when someone writes an article about you in Time Magazine. Obviously I'm now web-only. Also yesterday someone created an Australia/NZ sub-group. I think I'm going to quite enjoy that one, and not just because there is so little traffic.

I joined one other group this week and this one was a total winner. It's called Freecycle and there are over 2000 members in the Canberra area alone. Basically if you have something you don't want, but that you think someone else could use, you place an offer. If someone does want it, they contact you and arrange to pick it up. If you don't like the idea of someone coming to your door, you just let them know where it will be left (with their name on it) and stay inside when they come to pick it up.

Well, I joined last Thursday. On Friday someone offered a large, slightly older microwave in good working condition. I have a small one which is all I need, but my friend's have a large one that is almost useless. I decided to take a chance. I picked it up on Saturday, cleaned it up, and voila! It was really just dusty from storage and was in great shape. The kids and I tested it out with microwave popcorn and it took exactly the amount of time suggested on the packet. Not only that, but they have a built-in nook in their kitchen bench for their microwave to fit into, and this fits perfectly! Did I mention it was FREE?!! They got back from a trip to the coast that night and the next morning got a very cool surprise. Much cooking/reheating has ensued since that time. Yah, Freecycle! I'm looking forward to being on the give side of the give and take sometime soon, too.