Alert readers will notice that Box 23 is not actually a box — and this is the first encounter with what we’ll call, in technical terms, a “nonbox” item in the garage.

Box 23: Monday, Jan. 23, 2023

CONTENTS: The “box” actually is a small garbage can, which we believe was part of the younger daughter’s household in Pullman. Inside the garbage can is a box containing four “Grill It!” brand kabob sets for the grill; the idea is that instead of skewering your veggies and meats for grilling, you put them in these long baskets and set them on the grill. In theory, this works fine; in practice, it was troublesome, but that’s likely because we had a mediocre grill. In any event, the Master Recycler now is considering renewing our efforts to create a bin or two for emergencies and has her eyes on buying a camp stove; the thinking is that the kabob baskets might work well with the stove. The other item is a cloth frog stuffed with beads or buckwheat that my late mother-in-law made. It’s well-made and actually kind of cute. The third item in play here is, of course, the garbage can itself.

DISPOSITION: The kabob grills will find a place in one of our emergency bins; after having written many editorials over the years about emergency preparedness, it’s hard for me to argue with this outcome. The household Master Recycler believes that the frog, after some freshening to remove a musty smell, might be a good find for someone at a thrift shop. I’ll leave it in her custody. And the most useful item in the batch today, the garbage can, will be donated to a thrift shop for someone to use to keep their dorm room tidy. And so the great cycle of life continues.