FOUR IN FOUR - I DID IT!!!

 

Tonight, I decided to try to do four areas in four hours.  That would be a great way to end a wonderful weekend, if I could do it.

I started at the Dollar Store on Main & Mapledale.  I picked up 905 pieces in 50 minutes, so I was off to a very good start.

I found these in the grass.  I don't know who lost them, but I'm guessing they were up to no good. 

There was a lot of trash here, but it was easy to pick up.  Had it not been so stinkin' hot, it would have been fun.

The second area was Main & Emerling.  Remember this area?  I was scared to go there?  Doesn't look so scary now, does it?

I cleaned the whole street in one hour and 40 minutes, and I picked up 1,662 pieces of trash.  There were two dumpsters along the way, so that was nice. 

As I drove to Main & Emerling, I saw a big piece of plastic on this sidewalk by the bus stop.  Other than that, it looked pretty clean.

I walked over to the plastic to pick it up, and there was a dead cat under it.  I don't know what was going on here, but I couldn't leave it there.  This is a busy sidewalk on a busy street.  

I held my breath and scooped the cat into the plastic and put it in my trash bag.  That kinda ruined the day for me, but I didn't quit. 

The next area was the Dollar Store on Waterloo.   I picked up 1,109 pieces of trash here in one hour.  There was broken glass on the sidewalk where everybody walks.  Who does stuff like this?

Something funny happened though.  When I got to the end of the sidewalk, I kept following the trash trail and ended up behind the restaurant on the corner.  I happened to notice a young Mexican man sweeping up broken glass in the parking lot.  

I could have said, "Well, he's got this," and left, but I didn't.  I went ahead and kept picking up trash with him.  When I got right beside him, he turned and looked at me and was smiling from ear to ear!

I loved that! 

I was almost done, and I turned the corner and saw trash all the way up this hill.  Why does this always happen when I'm tired and ready to be done?

But I cleaned it up, and when I looked at my timer, I had 30 minutes left.  I could have called it a day, but I went ahead to the fourth area, Arlington & Wilbeth, where the pizza shop is.  I picked up 577 pieces of trash there in the time I had left, plus some.

Even though I picked up 4,253 pieces of trash in four areas, it was over stimulation.  Too much trash, too many people.  

I don't think I'll try to do four areas in four hours again.