S is for Simplify

Yea. I can't even say that word with a straight face.

I loved Chickenknits idea of buying nothing but what was needed for one month. When she was talking about doing it a second month I thought, "I'm going to do that to! But, wait... the Nefarious sock club is coming up again and then there's that special edition book I want." I couldn't even be faithful to it in my head!

I only bought 3 books last year. But 2 were very expensive special editions (one's a short story anthology signed by all the authors!) and the other was a $15 book of short stories (one author, signed). This year, no books. Oh. wait. See! I can't even be faithful to that either! I almost forgot, I already blew that! I was a Buzz Agent last year (got to get in on ad campaigns and try stuff out for free) and with all my BuzzPoints I got $35 worth of gift cards for Borders. I bought the new Mason Dixon and book 5 and 6 of the Dark Tower Series (still need to get book 7). I also bought 2 other Stephen Kings but they were on the Bargain Books table ($6 and $7 hardback). Dave was laughing at me because the Book 5 was on the bargain table for $6 but it was hardback and I have those nice, big softback ones and wanted to keep the set the same so I spent twice as much for the softback.

In January, I discovered I had roughly 135 pairs worth of sock yarn. I think I'm up to around 150 now. My basement looks like a cyclone hit it and I can't seem to catch up with the mess. And when I do try to clean it up, I get so overwhelmed, I tend to need a lie down. It makes me think of that declutter guy and how he says clutter costs money. It's so true! Last time I tried to plow through the mess, I found 6 skeins of yarn that I had bought doubles of during the Great Xmas Knitting of '08. I returned them (for exchange only) and got a $65 credit. Sixty Five Dollars!! That's $65 of new yarn, sure but it could've been $65 still in my bank account, right?

I want to buy one or two small bookcases for the basement and Dave is flatly against it as he says they'll just end up jammed with junk like the rest of the basement. I think if I cleaned it out down here and kept it that way for awhile, I'd get the bookcases. I doubt that will happen. When we were in Tucson, I was bugging Dave for a proper, matching set of bedroom furniture. He said if I could keep the bedroom clean for 6 months, we'd talk about it. We never got the furniture. I'm a pile-maker. There's not anything disgusting like food or dirty clothes around but there's piles and piles of stuff - yarn, paper, books.... stuff. I'm a pack rat and I come from a long line of pack rats. Sometimes I get a wild hair and I go through stuff. Some of it makes me think, "WTF? Why am I keeping this?" and sometimes there's stuff I just know I can't throw out. It's all crazy and fairly arbitrary but if often gets to the point that I'm embarrassed to have people visit. Sad.

I was telling a friend how I've nearly filled my 30 GB ipod. It's got about 220 days worth of music on it and I'm listening to it all (alphabetically) to see if there are doubles or songs I just don't like. I keep one book at a time on it (to listen to while I make my Stitch Savers). I was laughing that I'll listen to it while I try to clean my basement again. I figured I could get through all the music before I finish with this small, partial basement. Again - it's just sad.

Is there anything you guys can't part with? If you're one of those people who don't pack rat anything, I envy you. And my husband envy's yours.

On a happier note, here's my custom birthday yarn!

It's Robin's Egg and Brulee Marzipan from Wool Candy. Isn't it lovely?!

Slogging through the mess, Ruth!