Arthur and Kevin's Nellorat (nellorat ) wrote,

Habitat Renewal Trauma

Today, after a bit of tsuris, we started culling the books in supergee 's study, finishing the math & philosophy. This generated a few empty shelves, which I think might go to literary theory, which has desperately outgrown its bookcase in the basement. Supergee and womzilla find culling books a lot harder than I do. But then, they don't watch Hoarding: Buried Alive every week, as I do. If we can't find it on the shelves, I say, we might as well not have it. It's just daunting how long the whole process of culling can take.

Supergee's study badly needs to be redecorated. Especially, the carpet has gotten very old and cruddy looking; it's not literally threadbare like the one that was on the stairs (removed a year or so ago), but it needs to be pulled up. Thus far all carpet has had hardwood floor under it, and we'll probably have the floor in Supergee's study sanded and refinished. The wallpaper is pretty dismal by now, too. None of us is looking forward to this, but when it's done, we can let it go for another 25 years.

Almost 1/2 of our counter space in the kitchen is full of dust-encrusted knickknacks from the shelves in front of said books, awaiting Delia, who's coming in to clean on Monday. (She knew when we hired her that cleaning fiddly little decorations is an essential part of what needs to be done around here.) We will put up more display shelves, in keeping with Judge John Hodgman's dictum, "The difference between collectors and hoarders is display shelves." Seriously, this also fits with my definition of hoarding, when the amount of what you have interferes with the use of the items for their intended purposes. The purpose of a knickknack is to be visible and pleasing. But boy, we have a lot of gators.

Mood: cheerful but not tired enough
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