Hi, I’m Junk Genie
Have you met Junk Genie? No? Well, allow me to introduce you! The mystical beauty you see on the left here is Junk Genie. He’s a Genie in the true sense of the word: “A supernatural being who does one’s bidding when summoned.” He’s particularly fond of fridges, sofas, and mattresses, but more on that in a moment. Junk Genie magically responds to all those who contact him. His powers are amazing and swift. Many claim Junk Genie was contrived by a mathematician. To you, I say: enough of your blasphemy and read on! Read more…
Interesting Junk Benefits The Boys and Girls Club
Everyone loves to hear about business helping out in the community, going that extra mile for charity. So it was gratifying to learn that our customers in the Greater Sacramento area are actually driving the latest charitable act for the California franchise. It all started when the Operations Manager, Phil Nance, secured a recurring segment on the popular morning show, Good Day Sacramento.
Overheard in Junk – July 23rd Edition
Image Credit - James_McCue on Flickr
It’s time for Overheard in Junk! There are so many interpretations of the word junk, so we’re taking a look around and bringing you some of what the world is saying about it. Enjoy!
@BarbaraWayman: Create a “stop doing” list. Unplug from all the extraneous junk in your life. Make yourself quit it.
@brightsurf: Redundant genetic instructions in ‘junk DNA’ support healthy development http://brightsurf.com/t/57288/ #science #news #fruitfly
@ecorazzi: Today is “National Junk Food Day” — perhaps the only holiday in America celebrated each day before and after the fact.
@foodimentary: Tweet You Not! July 21 is National Junk Food Day. #TodayNFood
@kitterly: What We Know, and Don’t, About Children and Junk Food …: Researchers offered 40 children, ages four to six, ide… http://nyti.ms/d6OnFy
@DiscoveryCSC: “Junk” DNA looks like the latest icon of evolution to come crashing down. #science #evolution http://fb.me/ClDF6tfA
@jesslemieux04: Its amazing how much junk you can accumulate in just a year. Packing and throwing out so much. New condo in a week!!
Next Stop: Museum of Very Cool Junk
A vision came to me recently of a future tourist attraction, a venue so cool that it might just top the list of “must see” places for travelers to a particular city. It’s a museum that houses a vast array of stuff, the picks of the junk litter from world citizens. Much more than merely visually appealing, shocking or funny, the displays in this museum tell the stories of our lives – our dreams and pride; our successes, struggles, and pain. Amusing, enlightening, and poignant, junk tells a story. Come join me, won’t you, for a peek inside…?
Before we begin our tour, I’d like to remind you to please curb your temptation to handle, sit on, or in any way interact with the junk. Following our excursion you will have the opportunity to have your pictures taken with selected items of junk.
Truck Team Tuesday – Jimmy and Jeremy
Jeremy
Ever wonder what those folks down in Texas are up to? Well wonder no further. This week our Truck Team Tuesday takes a shift to the south! Jimmy and Jeremy out of our Fort Worth Metro franchise are this week’s featured Truck Team! Enjoy.
How long have you been working with 1-800-GOT-JUNK?
Jimmy: 6 months
Jeremy: 2 months
What did you do before you found Junk?
Jimmy: I worked at glass company and I went to school.
Jeremy: I go to school and I used to work at a golf course.
What do you love about being a Truck Team Member?
Jimmy: I love the atmosphere, and the constant change in environment
Jeremy: I like the problem solving around hard to load jobs and “breaking down” items to save room in the truck.
The Messy Room, Messy Mind Principle
Image Credit - Unpluggd
I was never a tidy person until I moved into my own home – funnily enough, once I started paying my own rent, I took a lot more pride in my space. My mother used to tell my chronically disorganized teenage self that a messy room equalled a messy mind, and, as tends to happen, my adult self quickly learned the wisdom my teenage self glossed over. Now that I’ve wound up as a crusader for organization and space optimization, working at a junk removal company, she’s having a good chuckle…but has mercifully refrained from the I-told-you-so’s.
The messy room/messy mind parallel isn’t just another unfounded old wive’s tale (no mom, I did NOT just call you old). The ancient principles of zen and feng shui rely on clear, uncluttered spaces to promote mental order – the feng shui approach states that clutter traps energy, stopping the flow that a well balanced space facilitates. Essentially, there’s no room for clarity of thought if there’s a constant threat of tripping over a pile of heels. Read more…
Overheard in Junk – July 16th Edition
Image Credit - James_McCue on Flickr It’s time for Overheard in Junk! There are so many interpretations of the word junk, so we’re taking a look around and bringing you some of what the world is saying about it. Enjoy!
@soulhangout: Rats fed junk food pass down cancer risk through multiple generations of offspring http://post.ly/n9qM
@indiespotting: {meet} Funky Junk Company for shabby, cottage & farmhouse chic repurposed home decor >>> http://ht.ly/2bkLo #Etsy
@eagle_elf: “To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.” ~~~ Thomas Alva Edison
@exeastsidefeed: Sprinkler recycled into a towel bar: What a charming recycling project by the clever upcycler of the blog Junk Camp … http://bit.ly/dwJ5G7
@ModestoJunk: Glass never wears out. It can be recycled forever.
@mmalkott: Giant Optimus Prime statue in China made from recycled junk. http://tinyurl.com/2b5lvaz
If you’re anything like me, the most sure-fire way to get your space de-cluttered and organized is to imagine what else that space could be doing. What could I be doing there without all that junk?!
Let’s say you have an extra closet in your hallway currently serving as a catchall for…well, everything, pretty much (guilty!). Wouldn’t it be nice to wave a magic wand and have it turn into a little office nook? Or a bookcase? Or even just a nice, neat, accessible cleaning closet? I have a longtime crush on the office nook idea, truth be told, and I thought if I hauled away all the cans, wrapping paper and assorted unused Swiffers, that nook could be mine. Chances are also that you’ve got some corner of your home sitting in the same situation. What if:
- your out of the way closet became a craft corner?
- your unused garage became a workshop or a studio?
- your spare bedroom (*cough*storage room*cough*) actually became a guest room?
Can you imagine? Well, I can, so I’ll share. Have a look below for the first of a couple of ideas on how to breathe new life into your reclaimed spaces: Read more…
Truck Team Tuesday – The Waters Brothers
This week’s Truck Team Tuesday post features the hard work of brothers Ryan & Tim Waters, out of Charleston, South Carolina. This duo not only works for 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, they actually own the Charleston franchise!
How long have you been working with 1-800-GOT-JUNK?
2 years – not just as truck team members, we are also owners of this franchise.
What did you do before you found Junk?
We went to school and just worked some random jobs.
What do you love about being a Truck Team Member?
Everything. One of the reasons this company is so loved is because we all love working here. Everyone seems to be happy all the time and our customers can tell.
What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever hauled away?
Besides our WWI Japanese bayonet, we like our ‘70s Show clothes. We did a job for a costume designer on “That ’70′s Show” and she gave us 3 shirts from the show and let me take a picture in one of Kelso’s vests. 
What’s the grossest thing you’ve ever had to do?
The worst ever was a freezer full of fish that was unplugged outside all summer long. Enough said.
Did you do it with a smile?
Well, we had masks on so who knows what faces we were making! When we were finished, we couldn’t stop laughing.
Do you have any other funny memories or stories that you can share?
We once had a guy mark all his “reusable items” with a dot of pink spray paint. That was pretty funny. Believe it or not, we were still able to keep it all out of the dump.
Do you have a motto or a philosophy on life?
I really like 1-800-GOT-JUNK? philosophy of, “It’s all about the people”. Even when you have a challenging day, you form a bond with the people you’re working with. We laugh on the fun jobs and but we make sure to laugh on the tough jobs as well.
San Francisco Bay Bridge Heroes
It’s not every day that a story like this comes along.
It all started when two 1-800-GOT-JUNK? employees, working for our San Francisco Bay franchise, were driving along in one of our blue trucks. They were on their way to a client’s house to haul some junk, as usual. It was about 3:30pm as they approached the large ‘S’ turn on the Bay Bridge. The famous double-decker bridge was as busy as always. Read more…
