more stuff

the calls come fast and furious. Do you want a mini-fridge? A treadmill? What about your books? (are we ready for the complete set of Nancy Drew? Trixie Belden?)

Rich reserved a 5X8 trailer today.

The bedroom suite, the dollhouse (though I have serious questions about a real wooden unfinished dollhouse for a 4 year old), the desk. Anything else is extra.

Where is

Where is the camera cable? It is extremely hard to do Wordless Wednesday when you can't pull pics off the camera!!!!

let's get rid of

Know what I really want to declutter? What I really don't need in my life though it keeps hanging around? This cough. Seriously, I'm done. Tomorrow will be day 18 for me; it's longer for E. We've both been to doctors, neither of us has anything beyond lingering cough. Though the longer this goes on, the greater chance it actually is or turns into something. I'm tired of being the person in an important meeting who coughs with mouth closed, trying to be discrete, only to involuntarily cough a softly as possible, still trying to be discrete, until it all has to come out and the giant hacking cough kicks in. And coughing jsut flat out wears you out. So begone cough! Leave us!

Cleaning for the Cleaning

I go from never posting to 3 posts in just over 2 weeks. You lucky readers! I'll bet you can hardly contain yourselves.

This site exists because we have clearly demonstrated an inability to effectively keep up with the clutter in our lives/house/car/etc. (Put my office on that list. The piles of paper are astonishing.) Still this has to take the cake.

We have a housecleaner come every 2 weeks to give the house a nice thorough cleaning. It's great and not very expensive all things considered. The thing is that we need to declutter/organize the house prior to the cleaner's visit otherwise we don't really maximize the value. That means organizing kid's toys/books/misc c.r.a.p., clearing off surfaces of clutter (newspapers, magazines, misc c.r.a.p.), putting things in their rightful places that have sat out for the better part of two weeks, etc. This usually takes a solid 1-1.5 hrs to accomplish. This does not include making sure that the sheets have been cleaned for our beds (they change the sheets which is cool).

We typically wait until the last minute, so tonight was the night to prepare. The sheets got done last night so we're more or less ready there. Usually we can spend some time in the morning doing the last minute stuff, but we're both busy with work so everything needed to be done tonight. And that's why I'm getting this post in under the NaBloPoMo wire.

After tomorrow, we begin another 2 week cycle. Maybe one of these weeks we'll figure out how to reduce the clutter throughout the week rather than all at the end. Still, it is nice to see that we actually can declutter this place when necessary. Still, it's mostly just finding places to temporarily stash c.r.a.p. Getting organized and reducing the clutter is another matter.

- Rich

Clean Car

Well, we can cross the car off the list. Had the chance this afternoon to clean out the clutter and take a vacuum to the rugs. Even put the floor mats in the washer. It's amazing at how much more you can appreciate your car when you can actually see the floor.

Managed to get a plastic shopping bag worth of trash out of the car and another bag of items that belong in the house and not the car. Wish I had time to wash the car as well.

- Rich

more brain clutter

I used to maintain a running mental list: my list of companies that had demonstrated poor customer service and were therefore put on my letter of complaint list. I've made one or two complaints in my day and there's a certain satisfaction in getting it out. But, sadly, the list grows and grows and I rarely have the time to make the complaint or even comment. For example, Store #3 is on the list because I really need someone to carry vegetable bouillon cubes.

Our Subaru dealership made it on the list last week. Before our trip, Rich had to take it in because of a recall alert that was easily fixed. But, for some unknown reason, they completely unattached the carseats! As most of you well know, attaching carseats is a pain - we rarely, and I mean rarely, disconnect those seats because getting them in there tight enough is a workout. And I fail to see how an engine issue requires removing carseats. We thought maybe they vaccumed the back, or the seats, but no. Nothing else was done to the interior of the car - just the seats - and the mats/towels under the seat frames to protect the upholstery - jumbled in the back.

So imagine how pleased I was that the dealership called to ensure our service had been a pleasant experience. Well, no, I said, shocking the woman. I politely explained about the seats, told her there was no explanation for why the seats were removed, and said we were extremely displeased.

Ah! One thing off the list.

a week

In one week, we'll be heading down south for warmer weather and relaxation, first with friends, then family. We need to resolve the hitch (Rich is making great progress). We need to decide waht to bring, pack, and get on the road. And I have two huge work projects - two be events - happening next week.

I've thought of another thing from my parents - an older one piece school desk. Elizabeth is a lefty, as am I, and when i was young my parents got, from a school closing, a lefty desk. Loved it. I wonder where it is now and if we can bring it back.