i need to be more minimalist, or at least more ruthless at weeding.
Genuine happiness now seen only on game shows.
Darin has a bunch of friends over playing a D&D scenario devised by Dungeon Master Brent (with a little creative input from Darin) that is supposed to last the entire weekend.
My only must-do task while this hilarity is going on: "Don't go into labor."
Well...okay. Sheesh.
I decided to be useful today, above and beyond the non-laboring stuff. One thing I've had on my to-do list for the longest time is get boxes. We have a ton o' junk around the house -- books, papers, stuff -- that I just want to box up and get out of sight. I know this entails at some point in the future de-boxing everything in there, but as I am in major nesting mode doing anything feels as though I'm taking a step ahead.
The first room to be boxed is, of course, the baby's room, since I have one metric buttload of crap in there -- I've used it as an office for three years and I haven't moved any of my stuff out yet. I have shelves full of scripts and reference works (The Bible, Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, Standard Script Formats -- which, now that I page through it, is not all that standard any more) and stacks of legal pads. I see lots of kiddie toys on those shelves now, at least in my mind. I have to get my stuff ready to unpack when my new shelves arrive for my new office.
I know: this stuff will be in boxes until Bug is old enough to sort through it herself.
I've also been using the baby room's closet to store my romance novels, and I decided that those had to go into boxes, because although I haven't anywhere to put them yet (I think I will, once my new bookcases arrive), Bug already needs all the space we can give her.
So I took down all the romance novels and alphabetized them and then put them into boxes. I don't know exactly how many books there were, but in case you're interested, they took four book boxes. That's a lot of paperbacks for one year's time. I'm surprised Darin hasn't taken away my Visa card yet.
As I cleaned out my desk I found stuff from 1997...you know, when we moved in here. I found a cell phone that is probably 3 times the size of any phone people buy today. What does one do with an obsolete cell phone? I probably can't just throw it out.
I wonder what to do with all the scripts. Most of them are from USC, which means they're crappy student scripts, but are they instructive to keep around? Probably not. I think I've got quite a few professional scripts up there too, and those go to a totally different area of the house.
By the way, you can comparison shop for boxes. Okay, you knew that, I didn't. I went to Mailboxes Etc. to pick up a few boxes and I was shocked by how expensive they were. Then I realized, Oops, I have no packing tape, must go get some packing tape.
I headed out to Orchard Supply Hardware (there also to get some torchiere lamps so that Darin and Co. could light their game in our dining room) and I passed a Budget Rent-a-Van place. I stopped there after OSH. I was not happy to see that they had boxes similar to the ones I'd bought at Mailboxes Etc. for about half the price. The guy behind the counter was not happy to see me either: "We're closed. We close at 4."
I checked my watch. 4:06. "I need twenty of those boxes," I said, pointing.
He rang it up. $32.47. I took out my credit card. "Credit?" he whined.
I sighed, dug into my wallet, and brought out exactly $32.
"Close enough," he said.
I went to get my car and back it up to the front door of the place. He came out with a bundle of boxes tied together. "There are twenty-one here," he said, clearly trying to get rid of me.
"Cool," I said. Twice the number of boxes (plus one) for less than I'd paid at Mailboxes Etc. Sheesh.
Probably just as well I have no more money on me. That will keep me from buying any more Regency romance novels. Well, provided I stay away from my Visa card.
The answer to Thursday's question: George W. Bush raised $70m in campaign funds (and therefore could magnaminously turn down federal matching funds), but he's already spent $50m. so far in the Presidential race. And it's not like he's going to be able to find another $70m. in contributions. His staff says the spending is right on schedule. I sure hope so. Last time I checked, the election was still in November.
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Copyright 2000 Diane Patterson
Send comments and questions to diane@spies.com