The Treasure Trap

Navigating corridors and salvaging objects, for the win

One of the 1983-era computer games I’m currently editing a video for, or the name of the apartment I’m about to go help clear out?

When I decided I was going to make one 10-12 minute retro game video per week, as part of my goal of growing a YouTube presence this year, I told myself I’d stay a couple weeks ahead of schedule, and knock out two or three before I launched the channel, to keep up with the increased workload.

You can imagine how that’s gone. The clock just struck midnight turning Thursday to Friday, and I’m supposed to launch a new episode at noon, plus this column at 10am. You’ll never believe how many of those things are done right now. Hint: it’s not a number you can divide by!

Sunday I’m going to Chicago to load the van up for what I think is my third or fourth “last big score,” depending on the frequency and intensity of the bullshit I tell myself about winding down the junkman business. I’m still midway through a long-term buy I started this year, and I’m working my way through stacks of stuff picked up years ago that never got the full attention it needed, but the chance came up to help clear out a house full of old records and movies and such, and I couldn’t say no.