Extreme Freecycling and Pitman

 When Handsome Son visited yesterday he brought a box of things to Freecycle, which I have time to do and he doesn't.

Earlier I'd found some outdoor use trays offered, and today became a Freecycling frenzy.

I picked up the trays from a nice lady, clearly a Freecycle virgin, since when I arrived, by now in pouring rain, no sign of the things at the house. 

Checked garage, no, steps, no, driveway, no.  Then I decided I'd come this far and got wet now, I'd do a non-Freecycle thing and ring at the door. 

For people who aren't familiar, the usual thing is to wrap and label the goods then leave them clearly visible outside the house. It's about safety, aside from anything else like convenience. You don't bother the giver, rarely even meet them. And I'd messaged to say I was on my way over.

So, nice lady answers the door,  I explain what I'm there for, she hands me a bunch of unwrapped trays. Perfectly clean, nice quality, but not easy to carry, awkward heavy,  large shapes, sliding around,  in heavy rain,  down steps. 

Anyway they're lovely and I'm glad to have them, better than I've seen online.

 Then Handsome Son's box of stuff

There were also food items like spices, and a few other things I can use.

Within an hour the stadium seat and caps were gone, even with competition.  So the box is very depleted now. A brisk morning's work.

And look at this, just came across it 

I learned Pitman shorthand at a desperate period in my life, early twenties, and I can still read these outlines. 

Maybe the trauma of the time, too sad to go into here, illness, bereavement, near starvation, drove them into my brain permanently, desperate job seeking. 

Not that the above dialogue is very useful in a business setting.   Just amazed at the rubble rattling around in there.

About the puzzle -- we seem to have consensus on 

Trip

Ship

Chip

Grip

Drip

And on the pattern of one syllable ending in ip 

But I have other options for fragment, all within the pattern. If we insist on four letters, I'll concede strip.

Slip (from a plant)

Clip (video)

Strip ( torn off bit)

This why when I had multiple choice at school I would choose the answer I thought the teacher wanted, out of a few options I could think of. 

Happy day everyone, let nothing you dismay! Warm puppies all round.