Raiders of the Lost Garage

I think there is a reason the words "Garage" and "Garbage" so closely resemble each other. At my house, the reason is clear! Yesterday I undertook the noble quest in search of my garage floor which has been unseen for over a year! In the spirit of the new Indiana Jones movie (but more closely resembling a Junie B. Jones book), I set out to see if the ancient rumors were true -- that there actually was a once-thriving garage on the end of our home, not simply the overgrown jungle of junk that currently resides there!!! Tools in hand (20 garbage bags, a broom, and a can of root beer) I hacked and swept my way through old toys, bags of clothing, Christmas decorations, pots, pans, and other various kitchen items, wrapping paper, party supplies, broken furniture and shoes, and made my way to the legendary mountain known as, "If I have a yard sale one day." Like any experienced climber, I evaluated the slope and my options for assent. I could take the more challenging course known as, "Leave the pile and actually have a yard sale in the near future, possibly making a whopping sum of $50.00" OR, I could opt for a route that, while less challenging, would offer an immediate mountaintop experience! So, yes, I chose option 2, stuffed my car to the brim and drove to the nearest Goodwill drop point! Three trips later, the mountain was all but gone and, lo, the garage floor, once only a rumor, began to reappear!! But I needed more supplies! So off to Lowes we drove, and home we came with a new, industrial-strength shelf! Picnic baskets, coolers, tackle boxes, wrapping paper, and holiday decorations were lifted off the floor and to their new home! I filled 8 trash bags with junk, like an archaeologist discarding the useless sand and dirt in order to get to the fossils underneath. More garage floor opened up and the excitement in the air was palitable! Not only was I excited, but the kids were too! Open space means only one thing to them -- play space! "Ooh, Mommy, can we ride our bikes out here? Can we use this room for a play area?!" Even our dog, Jack, ventured into the garage sniffing around as if saying, "I had no idea this room was even here!" Protective of my new found discovery, like a wild-eyed, paranoid prospector ala "Treasure of the Sierra Madre," I quickly laid stake to the space and routed my greedy claim jumpers! "No!" I shouted, "It's mine! All mine! Ha ha ha ha ha! (crazed, diabolical laughter)." Of course, I don't know if this newly discovered space will ever be used to actually house our car, but at least I can now make my way to the freezer without endangering my life! I may even plant a little flag on the top of it to mark the historic occasion!