Gregg will get a kick out of this:

In hopeful anticipation of a future move Mrs.E. and I have been going
through the house identifying items we want to keep and what to give
away, sell or chuck in the dumpster. I am taking full advantage of
this because she is one of the biggest pack-rats I've ever seen. I
figure that as long as I keep setting an example she will be willing to
dispose of half the stuff she has collected over the years.

My treasures are mostly audio gear, speakers, some tools and that sort
of stuff. I don't keep things just for the sake of keeping them like
she does.

However, as I roamed around this 7600 sq.ft. house I discovered that I
had a total of *nine* various receiver/amps that I've used at one time
or another. They range from Yamaha stereo, 5.1 and 7.1 home theater
types to some Denons, a Rotel a Marantz and a couple of vintage Carver
units ... one a 250 watt per channel power amp, the other a very old,
original Bob Carver receiver/amp, made in USA. This one is somewhat
valuable.

The Carver had mysteriously disappeared shortly after we moved into this
house almost 14 years ago. Turns out Mrs.E. wanted music in her horse
barn, swiped it and had some friend hook it up in the barn. I knew she
had music out there but never bothered to find out how or with what.

The other day I rescued it from the barn after almost having a heart
attack when I saw it. It was totally covered in horse dust from
shavings and whatever else grows in a horse barn. Took the cover off it
and the crap was almost a half-inch thick everywhere. Didn't dare turn
it on.

I vacuumed as much as I could but it was still covered in horse dust
crap. I hated to admit it but it was heading for the dumpster that we
rented to get rid of stuff that was junk.

I couldn't do it. I stuck it in the sink, dosed it with dish detergent
and washed it with a heavy hot water spray and a soft brush. Everything
in it got soaking wet, but it's now clean as a whistle. Hit it with a
hair drying for about 15 minutes and am now going to let it sit for a
few days before putting power to it. Hopefully it won't blow up.

I'll report the outcome.