Dude, get on that already!: Shed edition

May 7, Mr. Moon took some "before" pictures of the shed that desperately needed some TLC. As you can see, one door (ahem, the one that LOCKS) is torn completely off the board that attaches to the hinges. It just kinda fell down in a rain storm.

Like so many of us do these days, everything was just kind of... tossed. I can't even say "shoved." I know for a fact that some of these things toward the back were actually indeed "tossed" in, because I did it myself (see: rainbow umbrella). There was everything from gardening tools and supplies, painting tools that had never even been cleaned off (and actual paint and stain) to hard drives and radio equipment that had been out here since around the time the 'Rents moved in. Do you see the pile of tools (left) and the rack for them to live (middle) standing empty? It was a wreck! We'd made it even worse in the spring planting process because we hadn't had time to deal with it.

After we removed all the non-outside-stuff that you don't think of belonging in a shed (which was, all told, not actually a ton), and got things re-arranged and organized in a fashion, this is what we get! (I swear, one of these days I will get a working version of Photoshop or something that lets me edit and add text to pictures. Right now everything is just getting me wonky-ness.) Shall we take a little tour, before we add more stuff from the storage unit?

From left, going clockwise :

• Chairs: Previously back right, way too far to reach; now all the chairs live right in the front corner, easy to grab for impromptu guests or comfy seating for sunny days requiring a good book or a picnic. 
• Rack of hardware, including stuff we found scattered around the floor. Sorting this is a project for a different day; for example, I don't think we need wall anchors out here, but I know we have some stuff in the garage that is hardware for outside. 
• Step ladder: Nice to have one for hanging baskets and any high pruning necessary. 
• Mower: Just off the walkway, with the catching bag tucked away behind it. Very compact but easy for Mr. Moon to get to. 
• Fire Pit: This will actually not be living here after it gets set up, but for now we'd like to keep the cardboard clean. Area next to the shed has a nice new pile of wood acquired from Freecycle, and the pit will live under the tarp with its wood. 
• Aha! Tools! Blocking a bit of the shelving, yes, but it's on wheels, and what's behind it that we don't really need easy access to?
• Cleaning supplies: Sorting and discarding is also a project for a different day. 
• Paint and stain: Leftovers from projects, ready to be used for touch-ups. Sitting perfectly on top, with just enough space, is the paint pan and a couple rollers (crusty roller pads discarded--no need to save those now!)
• Sprinkler system tubing. 
• A post holer (It's for digging posts. It's dirty, put that down.), hiding behind the tools, along with some tomato cages. Yay for use of space!
• Power washer! To the right of the tools. Excited to use this for the siding and cement later. 

Along the top, from middle to right: 

• Random milk crates: One has some Velcro that needs to go into the garage, the other has a first aid kit that needs to be pulled out and re-stocked for the camping gear. The purple one is actually to be attached to my bike, after I strip it and re-paint since I screwed up the first time. Housing helmets, and the bike rack on top (unpictured).
• Rock speakers! Can't wait to have an excuse to set those up, but that's a next-spring project.
• Planting gear, specifically some compostable containers for seedlings and some pans for mixing dirt. 
• Plant stand: Hiding behind the tarps. Also hiding, some folded tomato cages and pruning tools.

Second & third shelf: 

• What's all this empty space? You'll see...
• More planter pots! This time, saved from nursery purchases.  
• Planting tools and gloves.
• A weird yellow light that we don't know what to do with, plus a nice awesome halogen lamp for bright-as-day midnight yard work. Think the neighbors will mind?
• Fertilizers, planter stuff, and a gas can for the generator.

What's hiding on the floor?

• Mini propane tank, and nothing to use it with (although possibly useable for the camp stove)
• Random industrial mop bucket, complete with brand new string-mop head. The handle is int he garage. No idea why we have this. 
• Coolers! Sooo many coolers. Inside: mini coolers and drink containers. 
• Under the red blanket (which belongs in my car) is a drink bucket full of park toys: spiderman ball, frisbees, and kites for starters. 
• Sitting in front of the coolers is a milk crate table built by an old roommate--really it's a table top, and you can zip-tie mik crates together underneath to desired height. Nifty! This one is housing...
• Dirt! Potting soil for flowers, organic stuff for foods.
• Newspapers. We're stocking up for the inevitable mulching that will need to be done in the process of building raised beds. 
• Garden chemicals: Slug bait, grass seed, weedkiller... anything we didn't want spilling anywhere else. 
• And of course, the generator. Pops wanted to get rid of it. We had a generator on our list of intended "someday" purchases. Score!

Why yes, we do have nasty stingy friends living inside, why do you ask? I need to do some research to figure out the best way to remove them. For now only one is active (on the right here) and they're mostly out of the way so I'm not too scared.

Whew! Who knew you could cram so much stuff in so little space and still have room for more?? Oh yes, there's more. Now that we had the room, we went over to our storage unit and grabbed ALL our camping gear to put out here. Our goal is to downsize our unit as soon as possible, and we're just about ready to do it (I think one or two more carloads of stuff to unpack). We managed to get everything for camping into about half the allotted shelf space, although it's not even packed well. 

So what were we able to add to the mix? 

• Top: Camp stove; cooking utensils; box with a couple tree-bowls (check out the one on our kitchen island we're using as a fruit bowl!), and a stupid $10 useless car vacuum (I'm not sure why I still have it); hiding: Bucket with huge roll of bungee rope and a crowbar. You can kill zombies with a crowbar, right?
• Second shelf: 3 frame packs, a bunch of tarps, the car topper bag and its blanket liner, more tarps, a bedroll pad, tent, and a box full of cooking gar (a coupe utensils but mostly just cast iron cookware). 
• Third shelf: Big empty space; rolling suitcase full of water bottles; big empty space; thermal bag full of silverware and Tupperware.
• Floor: Giant box of camping bedding that needs to be put into vacuum bags; air mattress which will be living inside; BIKES!!! (Totally not excited about that.)

 Oh, you want to see what we did with the power drill? Yeah, hot chick and a power tool, baby. Totally doubles the available space in this corner.
Chairs, more chairs, and even umbrellas fit back here.

Can you believe how much we got crammed into this spot? And everything is still accessible too!

But Moons! What are you planning on putting into those Big Empty Spaces in the third shelf?
I'm so glad you asked! Check out tomorrow's entry detailing the plans for emergency preparedness.

Oh, and my favorite part? We got new doors installed, so the shed actually locks again. Even if you know where we live, you can't come abscond with our massive amounts of outdoor gear. 
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Dude, what projects have you conquered lately? Anything you've been stumbling and tripping over that you've been meaning to get to and finally accomplished?