A lesson to be learned

Susan Boyle is the greatest find on "Britain's Got Talent" since Paul Potts.

And she looks just about as good.

By the time I saw her video, the cat (pardon the pun) was out of the bag and I was expecting good things.

I doubt I would have been that charitable had I seen the show live.

My bad.

Our bad.

Will we ever quit this behavior?

I wonder how many people look at me and think unkind thoughts?

How many people do I look at and think unkind thoughts about?

Can we quit this behavior?

Is it even worth trying?

Observations in the bath...

Have you ever wondered about where all those name tags on lanyards have been?

The ones, especially on women, that hang just below the bust?

The ones that swoop right into your undies when you bend over to sit on the toilet?

I feel the earth move.... wait, it's just my STUPH moving...

Will someone please explain to me why I have Oprah magazines from March 2006 sitting in my apartment? And April 2006 and May 2006 and and and.... 3 years of Cooking Light and Rachel Ray? I am nuts. I have too much junk. And it is now going to haunt me. Again.

I am moving.

Again.

But different this time...

by July 1, Chuck and I will be co-habitating. We've been talking about this for the last 18 months and now that our leases are up, we have decided it is time.

Or maybe it was more... (me) Hi, my lease is up. I am moving out. Are you coming with me? (him) Ummm.... well.....

I really hope I am learning to compromise and that it didn't go that way. I think some days he feels like I run roughshod all over him. It's never my intention, but seems to frequently be the outcome. [sigh]

Anyway, we will be leaving the apartment where we have lived the last 2.5 (me)-3 (him) years and will be living under the same roof..... which technically we have been doing for the last 2.5 years, but not within the same 4 walls. It will be a change... I hope we survive. ;-)

So for the next couple months I need to be cleaning... and cleaning and cleaning and throwing out and throwing out and throwing out.... today I started with the old magazines and about 50 or so old floppy disks (which, of course, had to be looked at one more time to make sure I wasn't throwing out the ONE AND ONLY COPY of something important). I am not sure how I wound up doing that as I was originally headed down the hall to work on my t-shirt quilt. [shrug] I am easily distracted.

(why, oh why, do I have 3 year old magazines?)(I suppose it's not as bad as the 20-year-old National Geographics my parents had)

Chuck brought up the other day that we will be needing to trim our belongings. He asked about my microwave (thanks, Mom! the Amana Radar Range still works like a champ!) and how we probably didn't need 2. Which immediately put me into a mild panic.... WHO'S STUFF DO YOU DUMP? How many TV's do you really need? How many wooden spoons? How many potholders? Pots? Pans? Bath towels??? AAAGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good Will is going to get quite a haul this July.

We went out to look at a couple townhouses yesterday. What fun! I love looking at new places. Sometimes I think I could do it endlessly. And as much as I am going to whine from now until August, I like moving to a new place... the surprise you get when opening unmarked boxes... the angst over the broken _____. Getting used to the smell of the new place... wondering what cupboard/cabinet/closet you put something in... I really love moving. At least I should, I have done it enough. 15 places of my own, one shared house with my sister, and 3 stints at Mom & Dad's house... storage units in Miami, Phoenix, Colona, Jayne's basement (sometimes all at the same time) and my current storage unit which will be going away by June 30!!! Hopefully for the last time.

Chuck has mentioned several times that perhaps, it is time for me to thin out the pile of 'stuph'.

I am having problems with that.

I am a packrat.

I was raised that way.

There was no minimalist zen in my childhood. More was fine. More was normal.

On the other hand, do I really need a 1980-something copy of Parade magazine featuring Richard Speck and his murder spree?

I have visions of my side of the garage being filled with boxes upon boxes of stuph that Chuck won't let in the house until I go thru it (again).

Some years ago, my mother, sister and I agreed that we had reached a point in our lives where it was 'okay' to let go of things that other family members had made or given to us. I would venture to guess that I am still having problems with that. I have known for years that i needed to go thru the boxes. But out of sight is out of mind.... at the rate of $170 a month for storage. Okay, so maybe I'm not entirely rational about this. Is my stuff really worth $5270? I think so. It's my "STUPH!!!" On the other hand.... I may have too much stuph.

There was a house for rent just around the corner from us with about 3000 square feet of space... plus a basement. I was really interested in seeing it although I was a little scared that it would be a little too much space and that I would irrevokably expand into the space (kind of like Veruca Salt, the blueberry in Willy Wonka) and not be able to move ever again. Fortunately (unfortunately??), it was rented the night before I called. (We have decided to rent for the next couple years-long story, involves 3 kids, a divorce and college next year).

Here are the links to the places we saw yesterday.

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/2112-N-Juniper-Lane-Unit-2112_Arlington-Heights_IL_60004_1105783518

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/151-Schiller-Square-Unit-151_Itasca_IL_60143_1107381749

es we sa We liked the Juniper place. you can see a gazillion photos of it on my Flickr page.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/94935649@N00/
The realtor we are using is the one who sold my townhouse 3 years ago. She laughed and laughed at all the pics Chuck and I took. The best part about this place is its location. It is right across the street from where we live now. Would make moving easy!


The Schiller place had some issues (not the least of which was it's proximity to the train tracks)... cracks in the ceiling AND wall drywall, leaks in the plumbing in the utility room, a clothes dryer that runs on 120 volts instead of 220 (been there, done that, no repeats wanted), a dungeon for small children in the basement.... we decided to pass on this one.

But... we have just started this process. It's a long time until June 30.