housekeepin'
i have almost finished getting rid of things, and i'm pretty proud of myself!
out:
four bags of clothing and knickknacks - to goodwill
one computer and lots of connectors, cables and parts - to best buy for recycling
300 or so cds - mailed off for recycling/materials recovery (evidently CD-Rs can contain up to 20mg of gold?)
lots of computer software and games - given away on craigslist
and one big bag of trash
i had a lot of fun trying to recycle or get rid of things in the best way possible. i had a whole box full of shells and rocks and bits of wood that i had picked up or been given in the past 24 years. i permitted myself to keep five or so, and the rest were given back to the woods or put in the compost. i smashed one big conk shell and one sea star and composted them. i imagine they'd have preferred that, more than just sitting around.
it's pretty rare when you are aware of being at a transition from one chapter to another. they're usually so amorphous and flitting that we are only aware of them afterwards. going away for peace corps was one, and now is another. they're kinda weird, too, so i am trying to deal with it by being as businesslike and unsentimental as possible. lots of things got thrown out without too much thought. i even gave away most of my stuffed animals, which, again, i think they'd prefer.
i do keep my paper memories, though. i have a big art portfolio with letters and notes and drawings from high school and college, and today i organized all my peace corps letters and things into another. minimum of reading or reminiscing, just a quick sort into one pile or another. when i am old i shall look at them!
but for the meantime, i am getting ready for new things. building a drafting table, rebuilding my bike, buying a few things. when i need to buy something i try to get the best one i can, so that i will not need to buy it again for a long time. i have bought a used macbook pro, some clothes and underclothes, a new messenger bag (the old one shall mercifully be retired as a bike pannier), some books and new speakers (harmon/kardon soundsticks III, for those audiophiles and nerds among us). last on the list is a car, which has been causing some amount of tension between mom and me but should be resolved soon. i decided that my priorities were that it be eco-friendly, stick-shift and a wagon or hatchback, in that order, and by tomorrow night i will know if i have won an ebay auction for a diesel VW jetta wagon, which meets all criteria outstandingly. it will also run on biodiesel, the weather and my own competence at chemistry permitting.
i mean, i don't really know what's coming. but i'm excited for it, so excited that a lot of nights i have trouble sleeping because i want to be awake and doing things again. i want to teach piano, and make flutes, and start a business with vegetable gardening. i want to bike south and walk north (on the appalachian trail!) i want to farm. that solidified itself a lot as the thing i think i'd be happiest doing, a little farther down the road.
and my life makes me laugh. we have such troves of good stories now, and we will always be writing more. it makes me laugh till i tire myself out.
out:
four bags of clothing and knickknacks - to goodwill
one computer and lots of connectors, cables and parts - to best buy for recycling
300 or so cds - mailed off for recycling/materials recovery (evidently CD-Rs can contain up to 20mg of gold?)
lots of computer software and games - given away on craigslist
and one big bag of trash
i had a lot of fun trying to recycle or get rid of things in the best way possible. i had a whole box full of shells and rocks and bits of wood that i had picked up or been given in the past 24 years. i permitted myself to keep five or so, and the rest were given back to the woods or put in the compost. i smashed one big conk shell and one sea star and composted them. i imagine they'd have preferred that, more than just sitting around.
it's pretty rare when you are aware of being at a transition from one chapter to another. they're usually so amorphous and flitting that we are only aware of them afterwards. going away for peace corps was one, and now is another. they're kinda weird, too, so i am trying to deal with it by being as businesslike and unsentimental as possible. lots of things got thrown out without too much thought. i even gave away most of my stuffed animals, which, again, i think they'd prefer.
i do keep my paper memories, though. i have a big art portfolio with letters and notes and drawings from high school and college, and today i organized all my peace corps letters and things into another. minimum of reading or reminiscing, just a quick sort into one pile or another. when i am old i shall look at them!
but for the meantime, i am getting ready for new things. building a drafting table, rebuilding my bike, buying a few things. when i need to buy something i try to get the best one i can, so that i will not need to buy it again for a long time. i have bought a used macbook pro, some clothes and underclothes, a new messenger bag (the old one shall mercifully be retired as a bike pannier), some books and new speakers (harmon/kardon soundsticks III, for those audiophiles and nerds among us). last on the list is a car, which has been causing some amount of tension between mom and me but should be resolved soon. i decided that my priorities were that it be eco-friendly, stick-shift and a wagon or hatchback, in that order, and by tomorrow night i will know if i have won an ebay auction for a diesel VW jetta wagon, which meets all criteria outstandingly. it will also run on biodiesel, the weather and my own competence at chemistry permitting.
i mean, i don't really know what's coming. but i'm excited for it, so excited that a lot of nights i have trouble sleeping because i want to be awake and doing things again. i want to teach piano, and make flutes, and start a business with vegetable gardening. i want to bike south and walk north (on the appalachian trail!) i want to farm. that solidified itself a lot as the thing i think i'd be happiest doing, a little farther down the road.
and my life makes me laugh. we have such troves of good stories now, and we will always be writing more. it makes me laugh till i tire myself out.