Interior Condition

After cutting thru the seal of vinyl stickers, I took a deep breath and opened the lid. I first noticed some expected things, such as the centerpiece journal and my tin of Spam. I was also surprised by things I’d forgotten, like a Koosh ball and can of Red Bull.

And I immediately noticed some damage.

I had anticipated this. No matter how many precautions one takes, a time capsule making it to its destination is tenuous at best. Going into this, I assumed that the can of Spam couldn’t possibly have survived without self-breaching, but it looked brand-new. However, the Red Bull had leaked. Luckily, the damage was limited. Outside of some loose-leaf papers that were fused together by dried liquid, the worst part was navigating around some slimy residue which had affixed the empty can to the side of the time capsule. The most-important things, such as the journal, were unscathed.

Once it was emptied, I also learned why the time capsule felt so heavy: its bottom was actually oak hardwood planks, salvaged from the mid-1990’s replacement of the original “Bowling Alley” flooring. A surprise, I’m sure, but a welcome one!