How to get the stuff you need for free

The Great Island Giveaway Event
I've already mentioned that on the island there is a Free Pile. So that's one way of getting stuff for free. There are also, like in Craigslist, free listings on the San Juan Islander. That's a great resource too. But it was the Island Giveaway Event/Swap Meet put on by the Soroptimists of Friday Harbor that takes the cake... at least for being the most interesting way to get stuff for free.

The way it works is you arrive at 10AM with up to 5 items that you'd like to contribute. Based on your contributions, you will be given a certain number of tickets. Each ticket can be applied to one item.

Bob and I arrived right at 10:00 with a brand new fireplace set as our contribution. The owners of the house are here. I haven't mentioned that, have I? They're here now and they are so wonderful. It's been a treat to get to know them. Anyway, they bought a fireplace set but we had already purchased one at the ACE 50% off sale. So they suggested we bring it to the Giveaway Event.

That one item (because it was brand new and so nice) earned us four tickets. Bob took two and I took the other two. We were told to look around at the items and stand near anything we wanted because at 11:00 they would ring the bell and the frenzy would begin. If more than one person wanted the same item, it would go to a draw.

Look, hon, a floor lamp!

Being in need of floor lamps, we decided immediately that we wanted the one floor lamp available. So Bob stationed himself there while I scoped out the rest of the offerings.

Another item we needed? A toaster. And there were two. We felt confident that we'd leave the Giveaway event with the ability to toast crumpets. On the other side of the room I spotted a perfectly decent chair and decided that we should probably go for that. The last ticket, Bob suggested, should go towards the little dog bed. We already have one for Pablo, but we keep moving it from room to room because the floor has been so cold. Good plan.

As we waited for the event to begin, I continued to walk the room because new items were being brought in by the minute. The room continued to get more and more crowded.

An hour later, the founding member of the Soroptimists of Friday Harbor announces the event. She first talks about the Soroptimists and their mission- improving the lives of women and girls. She announces the rules and reminds everyone that we are all neighbors and friends... so act accordingly.

Ready, set, go!

And the frenzy begins. I grab the chair and look around. I'm the only one going for it. It's all mine. Bob was to grab the lamp and the toaster. I look across the room and see him holding the toaster but standing next the lamp... there is a woman beside him. Also vying for the lamp. Uh oh. It goes to a draw.

I don't want to put the chair down for fear that someone will snag it so I cross to the volunteer and she puts it aside for me. I then run to the table that had the dog bed... it's gone. I remember seeing a door mat and we could use one of those, so I chase that down. It's still there. I grab it and head back to Bob to find out what's happening with the lamp. His face tells the story. She won. She beat him out for the lamp. Damn!

By this point, everything is really picked over. What should we get with our last ticket? Bob points at this terra cotta thingy that I thought was a bread holder. "It's a clay pot cooker," someone says, "Those things are great." I grab it. I need all the cooking paraphernalia I can get.