So the mini retail store was all set up in my garage - glassware and household collectibles sparkling on shelves; Mini Mouse size 3 jeans on hangers; kitchenware all grouped together.

I was so excited (or exhausted), that I set the alarm for 4 a.m., instead of 5 like I had planned.

The alarm rang and I bolted off the couch (the bed long since at the dump), and scurried around, making coffee, organizing my change apron, and I kept thinking, "man, it's dark for 5:00."

At 20 minutes after, I noticed the clock on the microwave said "4:20."

Wow.

But there was plenty to do. At dawn's early light, I opened the garage door to haul the big stuff, the farmhouse table with four chairs, three-piece lawn furniture set and gas mower with catcher that works perfectly; out onto the driveway.

At 5:30 a.m., the first car pulled up. I said, "6 a.m. please," and they sat in their car and waited until 6. About 15 minutes later, a tiny blonde woman parked her pickup the wrong way on the street and barreled up the driveway.

When I asked her to wait until 6, she said, "fine, I'll just stand on this public sidewalk," but a couple of minutes later, she was gone.

Business was brisk early, many having come straight from the balloon lift-off at 6 a.m.

Then it slowed to nearly nothing and by 9:30 a.m., the traffic was essentially over.

It wasn't ever about the cash, but more about getting rid of stuff, and on that front, I was deeply disappointed.

I called around on Saturday morning and decided the first place that would take donations on Saturday afternoon would get what I could haul.

Exhausted, I used eight totally valuable boxes I didn't want to part with and loaded up all of the small stuff that I could. That, and four garbage bags full of clothes, and I was off.

But what to do with the big stuff?

I was fussing and sad and befuddled and then the Casper Hurricanes e-mailed to say they were having a big garage sale on Saturday and would pick up large items.

Two e-mails later and four baseball players, two dads and a mom showed up with three pick-up trucks and just like that, the problem was solved.

So now the chaos moves to its next phase. The living room is empty save for the television and one chair, which now serves as my breakfast nook for the paper and coffee in the morning, mail reading spot while I watch the news after work and collapsing spot when I just cannot pack another box.

After 18 years at the same address, I got a nasty orange note saying my city garbage can was "over-full." Duh. But they did empty it when they left the note, which made me smile.

The bedroom features a bed made of a Packers green comforter and two king-sized pillows on the floor. When your legs are as short as mine, the pillows placed vertically are practically mattress-sized.

The dog is confused, but he likes being able to greet me at ground level in the morning instead of having to jump onto the giant bed.

This too shall pass, and the end result will be absolutely, positively the right decision. Just you wait.

Community News editor Sally Ann Shurmur can be reached at (307) 266-0520 or sallyann.shurmur@trib.com.