Comments | ozma914: next week's column: File Cabinet Cleaning Confounds Columnist

ozma914

next week's column: File Cabinet Cleaning Confounds Columnist

Apr 24, 2009 04:29

( Being a packrat is only a real problem twice in your life: When you die and they have to maneuver around the stacks of newspapers to haul your body out, and when you decide to clean. Until one of those two things happens, it remains a less expensive and safer hobby than almost anything else -- unless you’re married to a neat freak.

Me? I decided to clean. )

new era, slightly off the mark, column

Comments 20

petzipellepingo April 24 2009, 10:02:05 UTC

Your children will thank you, otherwise they have to clean up all the junk when you pass away.

ozma914 April 25 2009, 04:58:43 UTC

I thought about that. I've often told them that I'm not particularly worried about that, because I've been cleaning up after them for two decades -- it's their turn! :-)

tessarin April 24 2009, 11:16:26 UTC

This made me laugh so much as I'm also a bit of a pack rat. With you on the empty photo frames and the old calenders. And the last line so right. I generally have yearly huge clearouts but despite the supposed paperless world seem to still accumulate tons of junk.

Now the other question is your attic full of empty boxes for electrical equipment you no longer have?

ozma914 April 25 2009, 05:01:38 UTC

Making someone laugh is exactly what I had in mind! This whole concept of a "paperless" office is an epic fail ... I'm the paranoid sort who prints out everything because of the conviction that the entire electronic universe will someday fail and erase all my stuff.

The basement is where my empty boxes of electrical equipment go, along with old computer equipment and -- ahem -- my comic book and toy fire truck collections.

millysdaughter April 24 2009, 12:48:06 UTC

My children have an auction house on speed dial in preparation for my demise.

ozma914 April 25 2009, 05:02:20 UTC

That's a brilliant idea! I'll pass it on to my kids.

kevenn April 24 2009, 13:01:02 UTC

Wow! Sounds like you had your work cut out for you with all that cleaning!

ozma914 April 25 2009, 05:03:06 UTC

For most of my house, I'm thinking my kids will have *their* work cut out for them, right after my funeral. *evil laugh*

cbtreks April 24 2009, 23:16:55 UTC

The thing is, if you're a packrat, then it's actually fun to go through another packrat's things when they die. Do any of your kids share your proclivities? (How d'you like that 2-bit word!) Not that I want you to die any time soon! Just reminding you that you might be leaving behind a world of fun for your kids or grandkids someday....

ozma914 April 25 2009, 05:07:21 UTC

Oh, absolutely, and it's funny you should mention it -- Emily and I are headed over to Kendallville's town-wide garage sale first thing Saturday morning. We're specifically looking for a corner bookshelf, but you know we're not going to get away from that thing without a new load of stuff!

Some of my stuff will bring delight to whoever goes through it: My old Johnny West action figure, for instance, or the comic book collection, Matchbox size fire trucks, toy soldiers, or even the boxes of old Playboy magazines. (And Star Trek novels!) There's the historical nature to some of my old newspapers and magazines, which I used to clip stuff from until I got lazy. Then there's the stuff that's just ... stuff.