Trash-picked Tuesday: Airing our dirty laundry, and other ethical dilemmas...

I love these old laundry hampers. They're so much more stylish than plastic ones and hold up much better than many of the newer styles. Probably that's why I see so many out by the curb begging to be picked up- they're too nice to throw away, but yet...

Someone else had their dirty underwear in there!!!!

So I've passed on quite a few over the years. Some have been really nice, with a nice wood top, maybe upholstered in cracked ice vinyl. But still, the ick factor just puts me off.

I've even seen a couple in thrift stores that I could have easily fit into our decor, but I just can't get over the heebie-jeebies of using someone else's hamper.

But now, I confess, I've gotten over it.

Yes, this is trash-picked.

However, I knew the person I picked it from. (Does that make it better or worse?)

My son's preschool teacher is retiring and moving to Vegas. I drive by her house on my way to drop him off at school and saw this sitting out by the curb with some other things that she wasn't going to move with her. Now if I'm going to trash pick from anyone I know- it would be her. I mean, her house is just the neatest, most tidiest on the planet. (Probably why it sold in like three days...)

So that presented me with a dilemma- what is she sees me stop and trash picking her hamper??? Obviously I'm not afraid to be known as a trash-picker, since I'm posting this here. But still, it's kind of an ethical dilemma- trash picking from your son's teacher. I looked at my watch and figured that she's at school right now, and if her husband is at home he probably doesn't recognize me or my car. If I wait until dark it might be gone...

So I turned around and with my kids in tow, put it in my car and carted it home.

I'll have to repaint it and re-upholster the top. (We love you, Mrs. F., but that c.1990's Country-blue color has got to go!)

And it will reside in Jayson's room, forever to be known as Mrs. F.'s hamper. Hope that doesn't scar him for life!