WATONGA - Sometimes something just comes over me. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's the oppressive heatwave we're experiencing. I was sitting in my recliner happily watching "The Price Is Right" and shouting out what I consider better bids than the contestants who obviously haven't been inside a California store, ever, and I suddenly got urge to (dare I say it?) divest myself of years of clutter. I wish it'd go away. It's not a habit I like to propagate.
So the other day, I decided I needed to organize something. I started in the guest bedroom since we're expecting guests for the 4th of July weekend. And by organize I usually mean just stuffing everything in drawers (Out of sight, Out of mind) or rearranging to the point where I no longer remember where anything is. (Tip: Never decide to find a better place to store anything. If you're like me, you'll go back to the original storage spot every stinkin' time.)
This time I was determined to do more than rearrange. I sorted, piled, and pitched until I was exhausted but thirty minutes later I could say I did it! (I'm just kidding. I'm still working on it.) I did manage to get enough stuff out of the closet that I can now get in all the way, not just reach my hand in and hope to find what I'm looking for. Believe it or not, I did my bedroom closet simultaneously! How's that for multi-tasking?
I moved clothes from my closet that (a) no longer fit, (b) are out of season, or (c) out of style, (which is most of my wardrobe) to the guest room. I'm lying. I don't consider anything in my house out of style. It's used until it falls apart or gets lost (in the attic). It's not because I'm too cheap to replace any of it; it's because I'm too lazy to bother.
Anyway, I took my clothes and cram...I mean, carefully hung them in the guest closet or boxed them up for David to store in the attic. This guarantees they'll never see the light of day again since I'll forget they exist and even if I remember David doesn't like going up there so I usually end up buying new clothes.
What a great idea, you say? Nope. I hate shopping for clothes. If only the mirrors would lie to me when I try anything on and say I look like a supermodel (or at least passable), then I wouldn't mind so much. Unfortunately, I still look like a dowdy housewife with a spare tire (think John Deere tractor) where my waist used to be.
The only thing I hate worse than shopping is shopping when it's hot. The only thing I can think to do is (1) eat or (2) clean house, and with my waistline, option two is the better idea.
I finally got the clothes taken care of but I gave up on doing anything with the thousands of pictures I have stuffed everywhere–two cedar chests and most of the dresser drawers in the guest bedroom–so I decided to do something about all the VHS tapes and music cassettes we still have. I think there are more than 100. No wonder there was no more room in the top of the closet. If only I could figure out how to get the music from the cassettes to my phone the lazy girl way–with no technology.
I sorted the videos by (a) home movies, (b) kid's movies, (c) old recorded television shows, and (d) a couple dozen exercise videos. I now realize why I've never utilized some of the exercise videos. If I tried what they were doing, I'd be in traction for the rest of my life.
I did watch the belly dancing video. I bought it years ago with the idea that I'd teach myself how and surprise David. I quickly decided my hips don't move that way and tossed it into the box with the others.
I've spent the last few hours going through each VHS tape that is not labeled or labeled with television shows to make sure they don't have any home movies on them since we reused these tapes over and over and I'm paranoid that I'll give away family videos. Do you know how boring 1980s technology is? Well, I'll tell ya. It's really boring trying to fast-forward through old shows.
It'll take me even longer to go through the ones with the family. We have two or three dozen of our son's football games and one of our daughter in a dance recital so those will take quite a while to peruse. It's hard to fast-forward with nostalgic tears in your eyes.