A Fond Farewell

I don't like to admit it but I do have hoarding tendencies. My sister would have you believe that I'm next in line for an episode of Buried Alive on A&E. It's not that bad. But I have noticed that I collect a lot of things over the years. Books, kitchen gadgets, and t-shirts.  Tonight, I am going to talk about the t-shirts.  Mostly because of the three bags getting added to the list tonight, two are boring trash in which I found nothing worth sharing. 

But as for the third bag of the day. It's is a bag chock full of t-shirts. The oldest one in the bunch appears to be from senior year of high school. It means that in this bag is ten years of marching bands, special events, travels, gifts, conferences, laughs, and most importantly, good times. Some of them are tattered and torn, others have never been worn.  But since I decided at the start of this week that I would get rid of items of clothing I haven't worn since moving to The Farm, I'm sticking to it.  Luckily I have a future brother-in-law who can make use of these shirts.  And the ones he doesn't want, we'll give away to someone who can use them!

This is potentially going to be the hardest part of this entire project.  I love my t-shirts....even the ones I never wear anymore. I need to be realistic though, as this collection that I'm giving away is approximately half of my total t-shirt ownership. I thought their importance in my life warranted an extra special send-off. So sit back, relax, and try to enjoy three minutes of your life you won't be able to get back.

(PS Thanks to my male model, Boritch Ingabingabinovovitch!) (That's not his real name.)

Days to go: 36

Bags to go: 32

The Science Fair

One of my many life accomplishments, but one I leave off my current resume, is that I placed First in the Alaska State Science Fair in the 5th grade.  My project that year was called, "How Much Vegetable do You Really Eat?" and basically was nothing more than determining what percentage (by weight) of various veggies was actually water by using the fancy new dehydrator that Mom and Dad got for Christmas that year.  I was pretty proud of that project, and would have had the opportunity to take it all the way to the national science fair if I had only been in the SIXTH grade!

But tonight, I'm here to talk about a science project of which I am not proud.  But first, let me tell you about what all was accomplished this evening.  I am very aware that the idea behind this challenge is to FILL 40 bags and get them out of your house.  However, tonight I tackled, emptied, and sorted seven bags o' junk and one box full of things that are so old they are now irrelevant, so destroyed they are no longer recognizable, and in one particular case, so rotten that it is no longer possible to determine what it once was:

As you can see, this bag contained a collection of travel mugs and such that I brought in from my car approximately eight months ago.  And I think that at one point in time, that might have been an orange in there with them.  Once I took out the travel mugs and put them to soak in bleach water, i went to throw away the bag and noticed that it weighed practically nothing.  It had rotted away so much.  Had I still been in sophomore year biology class with Coach Lange (may he rest in peace), I would have been all over identifying what kind of bacteria was growing on that gem. Not tonight.  It went straight in the garbage.

Other exciting finds tonight include what is perhaps the best valentine I ever received.  This past winter, Marisa and I got a little obsessed with the final season of One Tree Hill and the fact that Nathan Scott was missing because he was kidnapped by the Russian mob for reasons we couldn't be quite sure of.  We literally walked around asking everyone we saw, "WHERE'S NATHAN?!!?"  And then on Valentine's Day, this was  what I found: 

While I'm on the subject of holidays and cards, I found the birthday I bought but never sent to my dad last year.  I put it in the "To be Mailed" bag, which is good, since his birthday is next week....

And, my most exciting find of the night (aside from the tin of Blue Diamond wasabi & soy almonds) was this set of pens from Ken Dixon Automotive.  Ken Dixon had this brilliant idea - they had several hundred thousand of these pens made and went around to almost every business in the county and left the pens there for customers to use when signing receipts.  Just about every server at every restaurant in the county has a pocket full of them.  And for giveaway pens, they write really nicely.  The funny thing is that, apparently, when you actually GO to Ken Dixon Automotive to buy a car, they don't give the pens away for free.  

With all that emptying/sorting/organizing done this evening, I am proud to say that I have three bags of trash...

and a roasting pan full of stuff to go.  This being the first non-trash item, it is worth noting that all of the stuff seen here actually belongs at work.  So while my house is getting a clean sweep, the same might not be said for my office.....

Days to go: 38
Bags to go: 35

Step 1: Admit you Have a Problem

Since I'm all excited for my new Ikea nightstands and all that stands between me and them is a total of 40 bags of stuff getting removed from my house before September 28, I found myself extremely motivated this morning.  So much so that I lost track of time and ended up going in to work three hours later than I had planned.  Oh well.  

I've started by sorting.  I know it is no secret that i have so much STUFF.  I have no idea where it comes from.  Well, now that's a lie.  My whole life I have had a knack for accumulation. I'm one of those people who saves almost everything on the off chance that I "might" need it again some time. IT IS A PROBLEM. But no more.  If I don't have an immediate use or a legal responsibility to keep it, it's going away.  (Exceptions: books, winter clothes, shoes, extra bedding, cake pans, and holiday decorations)

Something I didn't expect to come of this challenge was all the funny, weird, and nostalgic things I would find as I sort through my life.  Luckily for you, I've decided to share the best of today's findings:

First is a desk calendar I used my last summer at CGT.  That was THREE years ago.  That means this calendar went with me to New  York after that summer, then moved to my Laurel apartment the following January, then came with me to The Farm at the end of 2010 and has been gathering dust in a tub on my bedroom floor ever since.  WUT?

In the spring of 2010 I had had enough of my long, unmanageable hair.  I convinced my sister to cut my hair for me as I'm terrified that if I go back to a hairdresser, he or she will ruin my hair like every one I've ever visited.  I am a rational person and I know that this is most likely not true, but my concerns are not unfounded.  Emily gets my hair and understands that the underneath layer is, in fact, straight. She also knows that the top layer is curled tighter than the rest of my hair, so you can't just layer it like normal hair.  That's how I ended up with haircuts like "The Diamond" (11th Grade), "The Shelf" (circa 2003), and "The Hot-Ass-Mess" (circa 2008).

Anyway. I had enough hair to donate to Locks for Love, now that they accept naturally curly hair.  So we braided it, chopped it off, and set it aside to be mailed in at a later date.  Apparently that later date has yet to arrive.  So this braid is the first item in the bag labeled "To be Mailed".

 I am a responsible adult.  I am not, however, a receipt keeper.  Something tells me, though, that I should keep this one in a safe place, just in case.  The good news is that the bottom of a bucket designed for apple-bobbing is a safe enough place that it hasn't been lost, and my car turns 4 next week.

I always go back and forth on whether or not I should save birthday/Christmas/special occasion cards.  It's not like I'm ever going to go back and read them again. But, how could I NOT keep this one?  It's from Wiam Haddad, a South African Greentopper who is the epitome of all things wonderful.  This one might even get framed for the library....

There are about a half dozen other bags started with sorting.  They include labels such as Recycle, Return to Rightful Owner, Put Away, Donate, Belongs at Work, Emily, and ?.  I hope that there are eventually several bags of trash, recycle, and donate.


By the time I left for work, I had one large bag completely full of trash.

Days to go: 39

Bags to go: 39

Clean Sweep: Take 2

Last spring (2011) I tried to clear my house of a lot of junk that I no longer need.  I had read about someone who had done a "40 bags in 40 days" challenge during Lent as a way to get her life together.  So I gave it a shot.  I failed.  Miserably.

So here we go again.  I'm leaving for the first of my fall vacations in 20 days.  I've been in this house for almost 20 months.  There are still boxes not unpacked, shelves not set up, rooms not decorated, and junk not sorted.

Last time I really didn't have any rules for myself, which I think was a large contributing factor to my failure.  And let's be honest, I don't really care for rules that much anyway.  So I'm going to call them "guidelines" for success.....

A.  If an item of clothing hasn't been worn since I moved into this house, it's gone - either to the trash or the local thrift store, depending on condition. Same goes for shoes (and those probably smell so bad they need to be burned immediately).
2.  If something for a craft project was purchased before I moved to Maryland, there's a good chance that project is never getting done.  Give it to someone who can actually use it!
3.  I do not need to save every piece of paper from everything that ever happened.
4.  I doubt I will ever have use for the scanner and digital camera dock that was purchased in 2002.  Just saying.
5.  There is no standard size for the bags that need to be filled and removed, but anything smaller than a standard grocery bag is unacceptable.

The reward for completing this challenge will be new nightstands from Ikea that match my dressers!  Anybody want to place a bet on the outcome?  I hear Vegas odds are 10-1 on this race....

Days to go: 40
Bags to go: 40

Guilty Pleasures

It's been a while since I last posted. And every time there is a lapse in my blogging, I make excuses for my absence and promise to write more. Not that it matters much; I can probably count the number of readers without taking off my shoes. Anyway, I was thinking on the way home today about the things I love, even though they're somehow wrong. And I compiled my Top 10 list of Guilty Pleasures....

#10: Foot Freedom
Speaking of taking off my shoes, barefoot is my favorite way to be. I especially love to take my shoes off while sitting at my desk at work, in church, and while driving. I am fairly confident that the last one is illegal in almost all 50 states. I don't even have a good reason as to why I'd rather not wear shoes. My feet just like to be free, okay?!

#9: Crime Drama

What IS it with all the crime dramas on TV these days being so good? And to be fair, it doesn't even have to be a current crime drama. In fact, I'm fascinated by crime in general, and just love how those television folks can make a crime happen and wrap it up in a nice little bow in 50 minutes or less. My favorites are the ones about serial killers. It's sick, right? But there's something about them...turn on an episode of Criminal Minds and I'm glued.

#8: Pickles

Basically any kind of dill pickle. But especially pickled okra. It's so good. But given my high blood pressure, I should probably lay off of them. It's tough, but when I go grocery shopping, I force myself to choose between a carton of ice cream or a jar of pickled okra. Let's just say I usually skip the freezer aisle.

#7: Office Supplies

When I first started working for my current employer, I just about lost my s-word when I learned that I was in charge of keeping the office supply closet stocked. It's kind of an obsession. So much so that once when I redeemed my $63 StaplesRewards check, the cashier looked at me, bewildered, and said, 'Oh, I guess you shop here a lot. My rewards checks aren't that big...and I work here.' What can I say? I love all things with the intention of getting you more organized. I also love pens, filing systems, date stamps, rolodexes, sharpies, notebooks, and bubble wrap. It's bad. I have no less than seven boxes upstairs in my spare room labeled 'office supplies' that are wasting away. I wonder if they're like the toys in Toy Story 3 who didn't want to go into storage because they were made to be played with. Are all my hanging files and paperclip dishes sad that they've spent the last two years in boxes?

#6: Recipes

I will collect recipes until the cows come home (which, on my farm, will be never, since there are only sheep that live here). I love feeding other people and I love experimenting in the kitchen. I buy cookbooks, scour the internet for new and exciting dishes to try, and collect the recipe cards from the swivel display in the Safeway and Walmart produce sections. The only problem is that I rarely actually get around to trying them. Something else gathering dust on the farm :(

#5: Nail Polish

I think we can all agree that I am the antithesis of a girly girl. But a few years ago I discovered that if I keep my nails painted, I chew on them a whole lot less. Which leads to healthier cuticles and less embarrassment on my part when other people see my hands. Except this has turned into an expensive habit. I can't remember the last time I bought a bottle of nail polish that cost less than $9. And I have to have something to match every outfit.....

#4: Long Showers

I swear there is a part of me that is a bleeding heart treehugger. One who believes that we are only guests on this earth and should treat it as such. I recycle when it isn't convenient, I buy new reusable shopping bags whenever I'm out and have forgotten mine, I dig recyclables out of trash cans, I spend the extra couple dollars on eggs from open-range farms, I sweat through the summer nights at my house to avoid using the A/C as much as possible. But for some reason, I take the longest showers known to man. I surprise myself when I think I've been quick and then come to find out that I've been over 20 minutes. And that's on a good day. I know that a 30-40 minute shower is a ridiculous waste of water. But there's this itty bitty part of me that says, "You know, Rebekah...water IS a renewable resource...."

#3: Split Infinitives

I am sure that every grammar teacher I have ever had would cringe to hear this. I know that they are wrong. And whenever I proofread for other people, I change them. But I love them so much that I make it a point to work them into a lot of my writing. It might also have something to do with my love affair with adverbs.

#2: Books
I try to justify my life-long obsession with books a million different ways, but the truth is simple. I love them. And I want as many of them in my life as possible. Last week, while on vacation in New York, we stopped by the local library, and it just happened that they were having a book sale. A full box of books and $11 later, I was out of there. And it really doesn't help that Borders is going out of business at the moment. Every time I drive by, that huge yellow and black "Going out of Business" banner might as well be a giant nerd magnet. I just can't help myself from going in and perusing for an hour or so and leaving each time with a full bag or two. So far my trips have ranged in damage from $24 to $65. And now I have more books than I have space for in the library or that I will ever have time to read. Guess I need to buy some more shelves...

#1: Circus Peanuts

100% disgusting. 100% delicious.

...but I digress...

Okay so it's a couple of days later and I don't have anything major to show for my efforts at getting my house in shape, but it's coming along nicely. It's not like I'm not otherwise busy. If we are being completely honest, my job is more like full-time-and-a-half. Mostly because while I am trying to get my house sorted out, I am attempting to do the same with my office, only without the lofty 40-bags-in-40-days goal.

The last couple days have been mostly focused on laundry and preparing myself to be away from home for a few days as we round up the gang from work and head to the alleged Las Vegas of the East Coast. (Atlantic City, NJ, for those of you who didn't get the reference.) It's that time of year again for the annual American Camp Association Tri-State Conference. This conference is where, six years ago, I made up my mind to change my career plans. At the time, I was in the second semester of my junior year on my way to a degree in English secondary education. English was never really what I had planned on doing (through high school I was set on either music or microbiology, but we see how well those two panned out...) but when it came time to declare a major, it just made sense. I love reading. I love writing. I love grammar. I love words. I love proofreading. It made perfect sense.

I often wonder what my parents thought when I called and told them that I, like my sister, was making a switch so late in college. I know they told me that whatever I wanted to do was fine with them. But I'm sure they also had a few omg-not-her-too moments. I had reached a point in my education degree where I realized I was almost three years in, but really hadn't learned anything about teaching. It was all about dealing with "the system" and what it required from teachers these days. I got really jaded when all my professors were telling me what I couldn't do in the classroom instead of what I could.

I had only worked at CGT for one summer when I went to my first Tri-State Conference. 2005 was the last year the conference was held in New York City and has been at the Atlantic City Convention Center ever since. It is the largest gathering of camp people...probably in the world. And when I saw thousands of people who were making a career out of amazing summers, I knew I had finally found what I was looking for. So I look forward to this conference every year..not to mention it always falls over St. Patrick's Day, which is always a good time! No green jello for me, thanks!

...but I digress.

The only thing I've rid my house of since my last post is one bag of trash that accumulated from sorting through several boxes of junk. One box of recycling is almost full and the box for the thrift store is slowly filling. It's a process, and it's no secret that I tend to move slowly. Baby steps, my friends, baby steps!

Days till Easter: 40

Number of Bags/Boxes Gone: 2

Please Don't Call A&E!

So first things first. I'm a borderline hoarder. It hasn't reached the point where there are dead animals rotting away under piles of junk in my closets or my neighbors are calling in complaints to the health department. Granted, I don't have any pets and my only real neighbors are sheep, but you get the idea. I accumulate things. That's how I like to put it. Of all the stuff in my house, I actually buy very little of it....I find that a lot comes to me as gifts, hand-me-downs, or terminal borrowing. How else was I able to fully furnish a three-bedroom farmhouse with only what I had in my two-bedroom DC suburban apartment?

Regardless, I have boxes of things I haven't touched or looked through in years. I swear there are some boxes that moved with me from Kentucky to Indiana to New York and finally to Maryland that haven't even been opened in almost four years. So it is probably safe to say that if I haven't seen or used those things in that time, I probably don't need them. Easier said than done. Because as soon as I crack open one box, I find a million reasons why I need to keep everything inside, even if I never use it.

In my defense, I come by it honestly. But don't tell my mom I said that. I also justify my behavior by the fact that I spend very little time at home, and therefore have very little time to spend unpacking and organizing. That's right, I said unpacking. I am aware that I've been living in this house for a little over two months now. I should be more embarrassed than I am to admit that I am still living out of suitcases and used the dishwasher for the first time last night. It's not like I try to hide the fact that I'm a hot mess either.

But this is going to change. One of my high school friends recently posted a link to a blog where the author spent last year's Lenten season doing what she called "40 Bags in 40 Days" (with the understanding that Lent is actually a little more than 40 days long...whatevs). Essentially, she rid her home of 40 bags of stuff, whether it was trash, recycling, regifting, or items to donate to local charity thrift stores. I was intrigued by the idea and thought to myself, "surely I too can do this!"

So here I am, it's day 4 of Lent and I have sent away one box of recyclables, have another that is almost full, and sorted through three boxes of stuff between yesterday and today. Kashmir was a huge help in getting the kitchen mostly organized yesterday and I am looking forward to this challenge. It does help that the parents are coming to visit in about a month, so I need to make some serious headway by then!

Days till Easter: 42

Number of Bags/Boxes Gone: 1