Flooded Basement

A week ago the basement at the house flooded.  It was a rare warm day in in winter, snow and ice melting, plus it was raining.  Water level in the basement rose to about 8 inches and stayed there most of the day, slowly draining out overnight.  I’m told this is a rare event, the basement had been damp, but no flooding in the last 20 years.

I was storing about 30 cardboard boxes down there, many of which were sitting on the bare concrete floor.  They were stacked three boxes high.  A few of the lower ones changed shape when they got soaked, causing the upper ones to fall down and get wet.  I discovered it the next day, when the furnace wouldn’t turn on I went down to look.  The whole floor was a wet mess, with boxes and plastic cans knocked on their sides.

This past week I went to my job every day like normal, then rushed back to the house to work on saving as much as I could.  Things that got soaked were clothes, shoes, books, and paper files.  Bedroom is super cluttered right now, with piles of clothes on chairs, card tables, and hanging up on hooks, damp books arranged on any available flat surface to dry, and shoes all over the floor.  The musty smell is making it hard to sleep there.  Haven’t opened all the wet boxes yet, due to lack of workspace.  Trying to hurry and get things dried out before they can get moldy.  Planning on finishing it this weekend.

Sadly, most of these boxes are things I am storing for someone else.  If it were mine I’d rejoice and heave the wet junk into the dumpster and be done with it.  But since it’s not mine and I am responsible for it, I feel obligated to save as much as possible.

I was thinking the other day, as insane as it is to store things for friends, it actually does help me with decluttering my own stuff.  Being able to compare the physical volume of my stuff with the stuff belong to other people, gives me a perspective that changes the way I look at things I feel attached to.  Other people have an emotional or memory attachment to their own things which I don’t share.  Looking at junk I’m not attached to, and then looking at my own things, allows me to view my own junk as if it were someone else’s.

Four More Friend Boxes

A couple weekends ago I went to the storage unit.  Usually I avoid it in the winter because water flows to the walkways and turns to ice, which of course is tricky to walk on, especially if I am carrying something heavy.  This time half the parking area and all the walks were coated in thick ice.  The snow had been removed, but still very slippery.  I went there to bring back a small bookshelf.  I also grabbed four of the boxes which belonged to the friend that disappeared and may one day return.  At first glance they appeared to have kitchen stuff in them, which I thought would be easy to sort through and donate.

Today I cleared the bed to use as a workspace, set up a card table, and opened them up.  Right now I’m midway through the third one, just looking at what’s inside, but I had to stop.  My objective is to reduce volume of stuff by getting rid of the “junk” and keeping only what (in my judgment) he might think has true personal value.  About 80% of this is guesswork, and I may be guessing wrong.  But I have to do this because I want to stop renting the storage unit and I have no place to put all these boxes.

There were some drinking glasses, bowls, and trays (the kitchen stuff).  Mostly it was small miscellaneous items.  He’s a packrat too, and I’m at a loss over these things.  A couple obvious keepers, like a silver tray, antique opera glasses with an handwritten note from a relative, medals, family photos.  Some “merchandise” still in the package like small toys, games, fancy pens.  Souvenirs from vacation trips.  Old measuring tools. And so forth.

Now I’m at the point where I want to shove it all back in the boxes.  It’s too much to deal with, and the musty smell is starting to make me feel sick.  I have to get this off the bed where I sleep before the sheets absorb the odor.  Organizing my own stuff is hard enough, doing it for someone else seems impossible.  I wish he could advise me on what to keep, but… I know he would want to keep everything.

Strategy For Media

Sometime soon I’ll be dealing with my boxes of “media” (audio and video cassettes, CD, DVD, etc).  The goal is to reduce the volume to what will fit inside one banker’s box.  I’ve been avoiding this task because it will be a big job.  I know because this has happened before.

The boxes will be opened and there will be tapes I haven’t seen in ten years.  Looking at them will surely set me off on a trip down memory lane.  I’ll spend all day trying to organize them into categories, while playing a few of the ones without labels to see what’s on them.  Then at the end of the day, I’ll get tired and overwhelmed by the task and just scoop them all back into the boxes.

There must be a better way.  If I approach the job with a strategy, it could go faster.  For example if a tape is not labeled it’s trash.  Get a cassette holder for my car — keep however many will fit in the holder.  Any extra must be given away.  If it’s a recording of something I did, then digitize it, burn some CD’s and toss the cassette.  If it’s a copy of an album…  not sure.

One Computer Initiative

A couple years ago I had a fullsize desktop computer on my desk, a second desktop in boxes, and some old laptops.  Plus some extra monitors, peripherals and cables that hadn’t been used in years.  My usual process was to upgrade to a new computer and keep the old one.  The One Computer Initiative is an idea I came up with to simplify my collection of computers.  The older systems were kept for the usual reasons (it still works, perceived value, emotional connection, etc).  Because of my “long-term-temporary” living situation, I wanted to reduce the electronics bulk so it would be easier to move when I got a place of my own.

I liked them all for different reasons, and if I bought another one I’d probably like that one as well.  How many computers do I really need?  I like having different operating systems and keyboards available to me.  I would also like to have a four wheel drive truck with a stick shift.  I’d like a convertible sports car and a cargo van.  However I only have one car.  So why have four computers?

The initiative was about critically evaluating what I use a computer for and finding one laptop computer that can do everything.  Then sell off everything else.  Even if that meant spending more money and having less flexibility and a smaller screen.  Later on after the move, I could get a new desktop computer which would be better than the obsolete junk I had been holding onto.  It took more than a year, but eventually I got it down to a new MacBook as my main computer, and an old iBook G3.

The iBook stayed because it runs older software which won’t work on the MacBook.  Theoretically I could take the time to rebuild the documents and data in a newer program on the MacBook, but I really want to keep the iBook.  I like the shape and rubberized texture of the case, the sturdy keyboard, long battery life, reliable wifi signal.  Also I spent a lot of time and money upgrading it over the years.  I may just keep this one forever.

The last one to be sold was a IBM Thinkpad built in 2002.  Selling that one was tough.  It was relatively modern compared to my other stuff, and was solidly designed.  Beautiful screen, wonderful keyboard.  I considered using it as my main computer instead of buying the MacBook.  But, it duplicated tasks that I was doing on other computers so it wasn’t really NEEDED.  Getting rid of it was me putting the NO SPARES philosophy into action.  I let it go for FAR less then it was “worth” to me.  Even though I miss it, having the extra clutter gone is appreciated.

Have been thinking about this recently because it’s now two years later and the MacBook is getting old.  I may upgrade to a new laptop similar to my old Thinkpad, but faster with more memory.  The money has been saved up, but I’m hesitating because a new computer is a want, not a need.  My present system does everything I need.

Am I A Compulsive Hoarder?

During web surfing sessions I run across lots of websites that discuss clutter and hoarding.  Recently on the Unclutterer blog they posted a link to Hoardhouse which shows pictures of the homes of compulsive hoarders.  When I see photos like these I think that I’m exaggerating my own “hoarding” problem because I am better off than these dramatic examples.

Truth is I have had days when there was just a pathway to walk through my living space due to the things piled up against the walls.  The situation doesn’t last more than a week or two, because I’ve been able to deal with it.  So maybe I have hoarding tendencies but also have the ability to fight it.  This is a constant battle which takes up lots of time.  During times when I am overwhelmed by stress or depression, the ability to resist the clutter vanishes and it gets out of control.

Maybe compulsive hoarders used to be like me but some stressful event has pushed them past a point where they are able to self-correct.   Then the clutter grows to a point where they can’t recover from it.

Timeline for 2009

Here is my proposed schedule for The Project this year:

1. Before Memorial Day (May 25), complete last year’s goal of reducing stuff in the bedroom to that which fits:
   1. In or on my desk
   2. In five boxes; for Books, Tools, Papers, Media, Random
   3. Clothing in one dresser and on closet hangers.
2. Reduce Storage Unit contents to two categories:
   1. My furniture.  Keep only what is “priceless” and has sincere sentimental value.
   2. A representative sample of my friend’s things.  Approximate volume one carload or less.
3. Transfer my furniture to the garage loft at the house.  Move friend’s things to the basement at the house, or better yet find a way to get it back to him, or one of his relatives.  Terminate storage rental before Labor Day (September 7) .
4. At this point I’ll STILL be living in a rented bedroom with a shared kitchen.  BUT I will be flexible (free) enough to choose to continue living here or to finally get a place of my own.

That’s the point of all of this.  I feel trapped here in this situation, not free to live where I want because of all this STUFF weighing me down.

Digital Music

There was a question on the post about Downsizing Audio Equipment.  Did I ever get an iPod?  Well yes, I did get an iPod Touch.  The intent was to minimalize my audio electronics.  But, I still have the monolithic boombox on my desk.  The iPod is being used mostly as a pocket-sized internet browser.  Thanks for reminding me though, I had lost track of that goal.

There haven’t been any radio/speaker sets with ipod dock that I have liked enough to buy.  The iHome has nice features, but some reviews say they’re not very durable.  Also I am concerned about audio quality.  If they say it sounds “good for a clock radio”, then is that good enough to replace a desktop stereo?

Before the boombox is sold I’ll have to go through the boxes of audio cassettes and see if there’s anything I want to keep or convert to digital.  Maybe I can get to that before Winter ends.  I am reluctant to get a iPod speaker radio now because then I’ll have another thing on my crowded desk.

Sharing the Insanity

Now that the “holiday season” busy-ness is over, I’m thinking about how to approach this project for the new year.  Huge gains were made in 2008 towards getting rid of the storage unit.  However it is still there, rent payments are still going out every month, and all the junk is just sitting there on the cold damp cement floor.  It is difficult (but not impossible) to get there in the winter because of the snow and ice build-up on the walkway.  One key success I had last year was getting all the big stuff moved out, so the remaining stuff is in bankers boxes or small furniture that could be moved by me alone with my car.  Many trips, but do-able without renting a truck or getting people to help me.

Therefore I see two ways to approach it.  One is to wait until the Spring thaw to get back there and continue going through boxes, throwing things out, separating things to sell or give away.  The landlord will get another 4-5 months rent out of me this way.  On the positive side it would give me a chance to focus now on reducing the stuff I have piled up here in my rented bedroom.

The other way is to just haul everything out of there and stop renting the space by the end of January.  I’ll still have to sort through the boxes, but at least I wouldn’t be wasting money on storage rent.  Not sure where I’d put it all, probably would have to talk my hosts into letting me use a corner of their basement.  I fear becoming overwhelmed by having all this junk with me in one location.  Having it stored somewhere else seems to make it easier to deal with – bringing 1 or 2 boxes back and dealing with it a little at a time.

After thinking about this dilemma for a long while, sometimes I step back mentally from it and realize how crazy it is to be in a position where I have to make these kind of choices.

Christmas Gifts Found

Several of the gifts for my siblings this year were from my gigantic pile of stuff, which has been dramatically reduced this past year. I found a few powerful memory-invokers to share with family members, who may react to them in the same way I did, to keep them as a reminder of their personal history.  Because I am learning that I do not need to keep everything, it seems appropriate to pass one or two things onto others who might appreciate forgotten memories stirred up by an object from their own past.

Holiday Confusion

Last December, not much was accomplished on the reduction project, and I fear it will be the same this year.  Paid for another month on the storage unit last week.  Will not be the last month either – there won’t be time to go there and sort through things like those moldy books.  I may be able to take a weekend and just transport everything to another location with several trips in my SUV, but I don’t really have a place to put it all.  Easier for now to just keep on paying for the storage.

Had a few bursts of energy over the last couple weeks, where I opened up some of the boxes here in my rented bedroom, or tried to reorganize piles of paper.  As a result there are too many open boxes and unfinished projects piled up everywhere on the floor, chairs, and part of the bed.  Getting hard to find a pathway to walk through here!  This weekend I want to at least separate them all into categories: things to keep for me, things to keep for my friends, things to sell on ebay, things to donate to charity, things to give away to freecycle, and things to trash.  It’s all unorganized enough that when I buy something new and bring it in here it gets dropped into any open place in the chaos, instead of being put away properly.

With Christmas approaching, I’m spending more hours at work.  Also have the stress of buying or making presents.  I’ll be busy this month, just not on minimalizing.