Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Doesn't everyone want knee replacement surgery?

If there's one thing I don't like doing, it's cleaning.  (That's why we have The Merry Maids come in every couple of weeks to keep the place from falling apart. Although...I wish they'd dust the blinds in the bathroom.)

Anyway, I've never been one to engage in the whole Spring Cleaning Ritual.  What for?  But when the cases of Dead In Red arrived a week or so ago, I decided that I was fed up with an office that looked like a warehouse.  The solution is to get rid of some stuff--or store it someplace else.  I've also got a treadmill in the enclosed porch.  I got it, thinking I could use it in cold weather.  Not such a good idea when it's below zero and your lungs are screaming--STOP ALREADY.  Where to put it and all the other stuff cluttering up my office?  The basement, of course.

The problem?  Hubby is a cartrographer.  He's got over 60 cases of obsolete product down in the basement.  Perfect place for ME to store boxes and boxes of books and assorted office supplies.

The other problem?  Hubby has two replacement knees.  He's never going to carry anything heavy ever again.  Each case of maps weighs at least 25 lbs. and there're 12 steps from the bottom of the basement to the kitchen.  There's only one of me, and how much can you put out in the recycle box every week?

I'm pushing the limit with four cases a week.  So far, they haven't refused all that paper, and since February I've moved at least 20 cases of obsolete product.  And yes, there are STILL at least 60 cases to go. 
But there's more than just maps ready to go.  Computer monitors.  We had three.  Not any more.  We both save way too many magazines, and Hubby has decided that his collection of National Geographic can at last go.  All six hundred thousand, five hundred and forty six of them.  (Guess who'll get to cart them up from the basement?)  No wonder our movers (17 years ago) hated our guts.  (And we've accumulated a LOT more books and magazines since then.)

But honestly, what are we saving all this for?

Meanwhile, I just hope MY knees hold out, cuz I sure don't want a full knee replacement.
How goes your spring cleaning?