I am so tired.
NOT from classes, however. Those were the fun mellow parts of the week. All that tidying and decluttering I was going to do during my end-of-summer break? It didn't quite pan out until this week. It hit me with a vengeance.
I guess since Wolfgang was still temporarily living here, I couldn't really go hog wild. But he pretty much got all moved and settled last weekend. Then I felt that most anything left behind was free pickings.
My dad will readily admit that he's probably got some psychological "condition" that makes it difficult for him to throw anything away. Plus he felt a need to always have a large number of any one item on hand in case one broke down. I wouldn't put him on the same level as true hoarders, but borderline? Our home was always clean, but full of stuff.
I remember going home while in college, and I'd mention needing a lamp or something. He'd say, "What color do you want?" and whip out an assortment. And he's a math nerd. I can't begin to estimate the number of calculators in the house.
So, I think from that, I went the other extreme. I like space. Lots of empty space. The final frontier.
Having lots of stuff cluttered around puts me on edge. It's like a constant discordant racket, I can't concentrate. For instance, remember this? On my desk?
Gosh, that was loud. It's all been silenced and resides in here now.
Was that SO hard?!
And once I got started, I just couldn't stop. Yesterday, after the desk, I moved to the rest of the basement, the bedroom, the garage, the hallways... It was wonderful! Everthing put into its appropriate place.
The trash and recycling dumpsters are full, and there is stuff in the front hall ready for those nice guys with the donation truck on Monday.
And once I got started, I just couldn't stop. Yesterday, after the desk, I moved to the rest of the basement, the bedroom, the garage, the hallways... It was wonderful! Everthing put into its appropriate place.
The trash and recycling dumpsters are full, and there is stuff in the front hall ready for those nice guys with the donation truck on Monday.
Not.
.
12 comments:
My mother is like that. Oh you need a lamp? How about a vase? Here's 20 vases!
I have to admit, it's come in handy a few times.
Here, it's food. Nothing gets tossed unless it's waaay past an expiration date or, in the case of bananas, they're so black & squishy they can't even hold their own shape. Good thing ol' Dad only had a thing for calculators. Coulda been worse; coulda hoarded cardboard boxes!
Oh, wait....
Thanks for reminding me of the sour cream fuzz I recently threw out.
Cardboard boxes, empty cans of chocolate milk powder... might need one someday!
I remember heading off for college with my '69 Plymouth Fury III packed like it was heading off to war or a polar expedition. I learned to pack an entire dorm room with refrigerator and bedding and ginormous stereo and still have a small amount of room for the driver (I think the cockpit of an F-16 had more room). None of this "let's go to Walmart to pick up anything we forgot". And my dad gave me everything I needed as well including his own slide rule in a custom, hand tooled leather case!
The clean up looks good but I sort of expected to see Reese in all that clean up. Is he still MIA?
I remember when I could pick up and move house in one trip with my Plymouth Colt. Never had to move a refrigerator, though.
I expected to see Reese by now too! We've got nothing but mystery!
Can you come to my house? My boys have been gone a week now, and I've had no time to "quiet" the place. And that's what I'd been looking forward to the most!
You've given me inspiration though. Perhaps I'll get to it my next day off. I knew I was keeping my shoe boxes for a reason!
If it can't be silenced with a shoe box, chuck it!
I ALWAYS worry that I'm going to need something back after I donate it. But never once has that happened. I have a tendency toward the kind of decluttering you describe, but usually just in the visible spaces. I have a couple of closets that I'd be embarrassed for someone else to see.
Yes, the visible places are more satisfying. I did venture into the crawlspace this time and had a bit of a party in there. So far, no one's noticed.
Clutter bugs the hell out of me. It's almost PAINFUL.
Preachin' to the choir, sister!
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