more than extra large hefty bags

Once I began the 5-car garage make-over, it was obvious that a dumpster would need to be rented!  I came across multiples of everything from baseball mitts to mini trampolines to record players/turn-tables.  There was some very classy hoarding going on!  The lord of the manor had an enormous industry job and when he came home from a grueling day of dealing with celebs, he would unload his car.  Typically, the contents of his trunk included promo items - mugs, caps, t-shirts, etc...  By the time I arrived on the scene, there was enough inventory in said garage to sell at a flea market, without adding any additional items.  There were 3-piece suits, 2-piece suits, shoes,  belts and more.  They were all in perfect condition and hadn't been worn for quite some time.  Renting a dumpster was out of the question, these things were in perfect condition.  I suggested that each and every item be given away to their favorite charity, for a nice write off on their taxes, this too was voted down.  It became obvious that they were going to keep every little thing, even if it meant adding to their already over-stuffed storage units!  This drove me crazy, so I began spiriting things away and giving to the underprivileged, anonymously.  I loved working in this house.  The kitchen was of course masterfully stocked and I had indoor/outdoor privileges.  I ate well, I was also doing lots of very labor intensive work.  Up and down the industrial ladder for 6 hours, is great exercise!  I also became quite the contortionist, standing on  tiptoes, stretching my too-short arms to put things away in overhead compartments.  It was exhausting and rewarding work.  Weeks of this, the end result was a 5-car garage that was usable, but not for long.

and so the story begins................

I am so tempted to start off with a Professional Organizer tells all.  Hell, why not.....................  It started almost 20 yrs. ago with a phone call from the Grand Poobah of my trade.  She had gone to see a potential client and found that the potential client didn't want to do it 'her way'.  Hence, a phone call to me, the newbie.  I practically flew to this home, situated in a very nice neighborhood in Los Angeles.  Upon entering the front gates of this 10,000 sf house, I knew that good fortune had come to me.  Here was a house or was it a home, with a 5-car garage and they were unable to park even one car.  They had STUFF.  So much stuff, I spent the next 3 yrs organizing them.   I mean, imagine my surprise when given the tour of this dwelling with a custom bathtub built for a professional basketball player.  With dozens of closets and plenty of room, this family was keeping their clean towels in their over-sized tub! However, the piles were color coded:)  But, I was not going to begin in the house.  I would be spending hundreds of hours in the garage.  Being a sizable garage, replete with built-ins of every size and closets that locked, it was going to be very difficult for me to reach the extraordinary heighths without some serious ladder action.  I made a suggestion, perhaps a request.  The day that I arrived to begin my 1st in-depth job what should I find staring me in the face - an industrial size ladder - the kind you find at home improvement stores, with an ample platform.
And so , the story begins