The essential problem with basements

Things we found while looking for the binoculars:

The box with Gabi’s shorts and our garden t-shirts (it’s only July).

The box and carrying case for the binoculars, both empty.

A ceiling fan, in a box, which we'd both forgotten about, but after finding it again we remember bringing it with us when we moved from our apartment. Almost eleven years ago. Guess it's a good thing we didn't buy that one at Home Depot.

Several dishtowels that got left under other laundry on the pool table.

The screws and such for the awnings, carefully labeled, which we’ve been looking for since spring ’07, which we both clearly remembered putting in a special place when we put it away in the fall of ’06. That special place turned out to be the top shelf of the food pantry. Why, we don’t know.

One of the lens protectors for the binoculars, in a separate place from the case.

Four large, empty boxes for computers, some of which we don’t own anymore.

My graduation gown from the U of Montana, Missoula, with the cap, tassel, and gold cord. We added it to our other grad gowns, which means we now have at least five of them somehow. We're not sure how that has happened, particularly since we can only find two caps.

Our shoes, worn just once, from our stint as bridesmaids.

So far, we have not found the binoculars. We might just buy new ones.