By Bobby Tanzilo Senior Editor/Writer Published Jan 03, 2008 at 8:57 AM

Sure, you've heard me rant about my overflowing recycling bin, but I admit that rare is the time when I'm forced to bemoan a stuffed garbage cart. But that time is now.

I don't think I can cram in anything else. I've been trying to put things in whatever available space I can find, but it's getting tougher. And we're not an especially garbage-producing household, since we recycle as much as we can and we have a compost pile. But in case you hadn't noticed, the garbage trucks aren't coming 'round much these days, mostly, I assume, due to the snowfall.

The trash collectors, who also salt and plow the streets, have probably used up all the available overtime money and we homeowners don't want to hear about a rise in taxes to pay for services we think we're already paying for.

So, there is sits, a green plastic bin full of soiled diapers, dog poop and the like. Luckily, the temperatures are frigid, because if it was warm outside, that same green bin would likely emit a horrific smell and there would probably be enough methane created to fuel a small car (if indeed methane can fuel a car) and a colony of flies with a population to rival China's.

And when the weather warms up this weekend, melting the snow in the backyard to reveal at least a grocery bag's worth of dog leavings, I'll have to pick those up and try and cram them in, too. Let's hope there's some relief before then.

The recycling, meanwhile, was picked up last week, by a lone worker in the freezing cold, who despite it all, was in a cheery mood. He thanked me for pushing my own bin out to his truck (I figured he could use whatever little break I could offer). But as you might suspect, even that blue and black bin is starting to get a little full now, too. 

Bobby Tanzilo Senior Editor/Writer

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.

He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.

With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.

He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.

In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.

He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.