Today was an eventful, great day. I didn't meet Mr. Right, get a dream job writing quippy columns in a London-based newspaper, or win the nearest state's lottery jackpot. I think I did something almost better:I. Cleaned. My. Room.
Now, for those of you who know me, you might be shocked at the normal state of my room. I usually clean it once a week, generally a Sunday night. Well, cleaning is not the right word. Tidy. That's the word. I tidy it once a week. Get rid of the shoes that have been worn and not put back in their boxes, the coats and scarves that are in need of hanging...a general tidying occurs, so that I can start the week fresh and put as much on my floor as I want during the course of the coming days, without feeling like a complete and total slob. I may give off the spic-and-span vibe, completely-organized-to-a-fault groove...and I laugh at that. It's akin to those who tell me that when they first meet me, they think I only listen to classical music. Haha. Classical, with a side of Breaking Benjamin, a dash of Sum 41, and a pinch of Anberlin...the list goes on. (P.S. If you honestly think I only listen to classical....we need to chat. And soon.) Oh shoot. I tangented from what I was discussing. So, anyway, my room has piles in corners and things keep adding up because...well...to me, it's organized chaos. And if I can get from my door to my bed and to my Love-sac without risking injury, I'm okay with my piles. Well, at least I was. I was trying to fall asleep last night when I felt not ready to go dream. Since August, I have been studying for the GMAT, doing applications, working, and trying to continue my "adjusting" to post-mission life. So, it's been kinda hectic and now, it's starting to slow down. I realized I needed to start afresh, with the new year, new goals, and a pile-less room environment. So it was time for the deep clean. *shudder* And yes, this required gas masks and the "Hairspray" soundtrack. And Dew. Lots of Dew.
By the time I was done deep cleaning, I had spent roughly 4-5 hours doing it, had two bags and a box for D.I. donations, 2 bags of garbage, and next to nothing under my bed. Okay, I don't know if you ever wondered if monsters could live under your bed (I have - overactive imagination strikes again), but I think my bed could have been called home for a few of them. I had piled a bucketload of stuff from my college days. I'm talking a cookie sheet, lime green telephone, my VHS tapes, old shoes, and all of my framed art that I had framed while I worked at Prints Plus. You know, looking over those framed posters, I still really like what I did. I have vintage photos of Venice, Paris, London, and San Francisco framed, along with some other fun ones that will just make my future home high class. Okay, so that was all piled underneath my bed. It has (almost) all found a new home, and I can get on my knees and see the other side of my bedroom under there! It's awesome! And then I attacked my whiteboard. It things I had written down before my mission on there. I can only shake my head in shame. It has been erased and I'm thinking what I'm going to put on there now to make it a useful part of my room. Then it was closet time. Oh boy. I need a walk-in, and that's final! Uh...well...finalish. Until the "ish" goes away, I made do with what I have. I pulled out all my old cassette tapes that I had taped from junior high and high school (before CD's were big and burning was possible - oh no. Does that date me????) and tossed them. That was a heart wrencher, let me tell you. It's like ripping out a piece of your childhood. But....you have to be practical. When are you ever going to listen to cassette tapes taped off of the radio? Not once, I can assure you. I then went through my CD's and put the wandering, wayward ones back in their cases and organized my collection as "burned mixes," "burned albums," "soundtracks," "rockin' tunes," and the "classical section." I even alphabetized them within their sections. Apparently, once you give in to your OCD tendencies, you go all the way. It's all or nothing. Then I organized my clothes so that I might be able to find what I'm looking for a little quicker and not have random clothing articles strewn across open drawers and falling out of the closet. I hit the book section next, and put all my Harry Potter's, Anne of Green Gables series, Alexandre Dumas, Bronte sisters, Spanish books, Austen collection, and current reading selections together. Then I organized my slipper collection and mission papers. My closet is a thing of beauty! I'm so happy with it!
So, friends. Bloggers. Phantom readers who might come and never let me know you are here. (I still love ya and we're friends. Fear not!) I am crazy. And I know it - I spent my Saturday deep cleaning my room! And I liked it! There was something about vaccuming up the dust of the past year and getting rid of the piles and old stuff and spraying lilac-scented Febreze all over that just made me smile. I literally sat on my bed and looked around. It felt great. Now I think I can start this year off right. Sadly, I'm not done yet. I need to hit my desk drawers and figure out whatever in the heck I'm going to do with my childhood collections of stuffed animals and such that I feel must go. But that's for another day of fun-filled purging. Till then, friends! Oh, and I'm considering a new comforter-color combo. I'll keep you posted.
By the time I was done deep cleaning, I had spent roughly 4-5 hours doing it, had two bags and a box for D.I. donations, 2 bags of garbage, and next to nothing under my bed. Okay, I don't know if you ever wondered if monsters could live under your bed (I have - overactive imagination strikes again), but I think my bed could have been called home for a few of them. I had piled a bucketload of stuff from my college days. I'm talking a cookie sheet, lime green telephone, my VHS tapes, old shoes, and all of my framed art that I had framed while I worked at Prints Plus. You know, looking over those framed posters, I still really like what I did. I have vintage photos of Venice, Paris, London, and San Francisco framed, along with some other fun ones that will just make my future home high class. Okay, so that was all piled underneath my bed. It has (almost) all found a new home, and I can get on my knees and see the other side of my bedroom under there! It's awesome! And then I attacked my whiteboard. It things I had written down before my mission on there. I can only shake my head in shame. It has been erased and I'm thinking what I'm going to put on there now to make it a useful part of my room. Then it was closet time. Oh boy. I need a walk-in, and that's final! Uh...well...finalish. Until the "ish" goes away, I made do with what I have. I pulled out all my old cassette tapes that I had taped from junior high and high school (before CD's were big and burning was possible - oh no. Does that date me????) and tossed them. That was a heart wrencher, let me tell you. It's like ripping out a piece of your childhood. But....you have to be practical. When are you ever going to listen to cassette tapes taped off of the radio? Not once, I can assure you. I then went through my CD's and put the wandering, wayward ones back in their cases and organized my collection as "burned mixes," "burned albums," "soundtracks," "rockin' tunes," and the "classical section." I even alphabetized them within their sections. Apparently, once you give in to your OCD tendencies, you go all the way. It's all or nothing. Then I organized my clothes so that I might be able to find what I'm looking for a little quicker and not have random clothing articles strewn across open drawers and falling out of the closet. I hit the book section next, and put all my Harry Potter's, Anne of Green Gables series, Alexandre Dumas, Bronte sisters, Spanish books, Austen collection, and current reading selections together. Then I organized my slipper collection and mission papers. My closet is a thing of beauty! I'm so happy with it!
So, friends. Bloggers. Phantom readers who might come and never let me know you are here. (I still love ya and we're friends. Fear not!) I am crazy. And I know it - I spent my Saturday deep cleaning my room! And I liked it! There was something about vaccuming up the dust of the past year and getting rid of the piles and old stuff and spraying lilac-scented Febreze all over that just made me smile. I literally sat on my bed and looked around. It felt great. Now I think I can start this year off right. Sadly, I'm not done yet. I need to hit my desk drawers and figure out whatever in the heck I'm going to do with my childhood collections of stuffed animals and such that I feel must go. But that's for another day of fun-filled purging. Till then, friends! Oh, and I'm considering a new comforter-color combo. I'll keep you posted.
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And a gentle reminder! Persuasion! Tomorrow! And the paper said 8:00 pm on PBS, Mountain Standard Time. So double check where you are to make sure you don't miss it! And if you do, let me know and we can do crumpets and enjoy Wentworth over an afternoon tea!
3 comments:
That sounds like heaven. I wish I still had closets and rooms left to spend that much time in. But, mine are done, and so I go to my mothers house. She still has plenty to keep my OCD-ness fresh!
Oh you good productive girl! I really need to go through all my stuff, but it's kind of to the point where it's stuff that I'm either keeping (but don't really have anything to do with it except...keep it) or stuff I want to keep but can't think of a good reason to (besides nostalgia).
But I clap for you and your hard work!
Am in complet awe... good for you girly! Wanna come clean my room?
xox
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