And So It Begins

I am sitting in my apartment right now. It's Saturday morning and I've got my tv-as-crack habit rolling in full force (I could watch HGTV for days on end, regardless of the fact that, technically, I have neither an H nor a G*).

My apartment looks like it's been hit by a tornado, even though only a few things are out of place. That's what happens these days, though -- I don't know where all the stuff comes from, but suddenly whatever it is, it's everywhere. Some people might take this as a sign that it's time to get rid of some things. Me? I see it as a sign that it's time to move.

Hahahaha. I'm not even kidding.

Of course, moving is the perfect time to force yourself to assess all that you own in a whole new light. Because it's no longer a matter of my current stuff-having mantra, i.e., "If it can fit in the closet, I may as well keep it." (Um, which more appropriately stated would be, "If it is in the closet, I have forgotten I own it.") Now, though, with moving day fast approaching, it's a matter of "Sure it's nice, but do I want to wrap it in paper, add it to a box and then pay someone to move it, just so that I can unpack it and put it back in a closet?" And I suspect that more often than not, my answer is going to be no.

Well, let's face it. That's a lot of steps. Moving things requires work, and I am completely lazy. And thus, each item I own must pass the "Am I lazier than this thing?" test. If I am, then the item gets thrown out or donated. And much as it pains me to admit this because we're talking about inanimate objects here, I am, actually, lazier than a LOT of things.

HOWEVER.

I am not made of stone. I'm not a horder, but I do have the genetic and astrological disposition to be one (Cancer? Anyone?). When I got divorced and moved across the country and had to give up most everything I ever owned and loved, it was a horrible experience. But the result is that I don't own a lot of stuff.

That's the good part.

The problem is that I now have a stronger-than-is-maybe-psychologically-sound emotional attachment to some of the things that I do own. Especially those things that came from a long time ago. Thus, I tend to make very odd moving decisions. Ex: I have a great coffee machine, but it's not as great as Ish's and it's big and bulky and so I'm giving it away, even though it's in perfect condition. Whereas I have a navy blue sweatshirt that I got at the GAP for my 12th birthday that is all but un-wearable for its holes, etc. and I am 100% unwilling to part with it.

If I were to go on that HGTV show where they make you declutter by sorting everything into boxes -- keep, donate, throw away -- I am afraid that I would get through the process and they'd mistake my "keep" box with the "pitch" box. You know?

So how do I even start, knowing that I'm strangely sentimental about things like 20-year-old-sweatshirts and at the same time, too lazy to bother moving my "nice" things?

Eh, I don't know. But I'm open to suggestions.

And while we're at it, I'm happy to get advice on What To Do If Your Apartment Is Entirely Cooler Than You Are.

(Photos of the soon-to-be-ours loft are available here. I did not take these, and the photos aren't of our stuff, since we don't actually live there yet.)







*This is actually one of Ish's jokes.

Comments

  1. OH MY!!!! What an absolutely BEAUTIFUL loft -- I am so jealous...and happy for you and Ish/Pete ... and the kitens ... and ...will you adopt me so I can move to San Francisco? I'll sleep on the patio : )

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  2. That apartment is cooler than everybody! Go you.

    As much as I hate moving, I do love the clearing out of stuff that goes along with it. Not that I don't have my own versions of the GAP sweatshirt (why exactly am I keeping my rifle from colorguard 10 years ago?) but I too am lazier than most of my stuff.

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  3. The Loft is amazing. A perfect match for you and Ish. I demand an invite when I head to the Bay next time.

    And I hate the keep it, throw it, move it process. I always end up taking ten things I will never look at again, and not taking two things I didn't realize I actually use.

    It's the lazy in me who can't even remember what's important.

    Cindi

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  4. Loft envy. Major loft envy. Course, they don't have lofts like that in Suburbia, where I live....

    Yay you!

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  5. Holy crap, Batman! I am in love with the loft!

    I will give you my sarcastic, ironic and funny husband + 2 kids (age 6 & 8) for the loft. You can keep Ish as your side-guy.

    Zowie. Lucky you!

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  6. thanks! i'm really so excited!

    of course, there are downsides -- like no separate room for the kittehs, super limited storage space, and you know, renting instead of owning.

    but la la laaaa! cooler than me! la la!

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  7. Love the new loft. I can't wait to see what it looks like when you guys make it your own. Sucks I can't swing by and help warm it.

    And, just a little bit of Jonah trivia-- he was born while HGTV was playing an episode of Homes Across America. Now, before you get all "you were watching tv and giving birth?" on me, please keep in mind that it was on mute and there were a lot of heads in the way. :P

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  8. Yeah, Cancer. I have a chipped TV-top lamp of my granny's, a ugly-ass stuffed animal she had, a little "July angel" statue, also chipped that was hers, some old shirts of my sister's that I will never wear...sigh.

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  9. What a gorgeous loft!

    I'm the same way - I'll give away perfectly good stuff, but irrationally keep a t-shirt that hasn't fit me for 10 years.

    Have fun packing!

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  10. That loft if gorgeous! So open and airy and the kitchen makes me weep, I know you don't cook but I do and I have a thing for Kitchens. I too love watching HG on Saturday mornings! I keep ideas for our house we will buy in a couple of years!

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  11. The loft is gorgeous. And the view! After moving overseas and back, while keeping very little in storage, I understand how difficult it is to really downsize. I ended up giving away FIVE full garbage bags of clothes and got rid of most of my furniture before I moved to England. And I don't miss any of the stuff at all. Good luck!!

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  12. I am so jealous of your future loft!

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  13. Weird. My comment was eaten.

    My take in reverse:

    1.) Ish is funny.
    2.) Get rid of anything that you've forgotten, because yes, you've forgotten it so it's obviously not important. Also, if you haven't worn something in a year, you don't need it. If you don't need it, I bet somebody else would love to have it. Donate or consign. As for those sentimental clothing items we hang on to for inspiration (I have a pair of skinny jeans in my closet - I'm going home and donating them because if I DO get skinny enough to wear those jeans? I'll treat myself to a new pair.)
    3.) Since you don't cook, use your kitchen for storage. Who says your lingerie has to live in your bedroom?
    4.) I love the new space!! Have fun decorating. :)
    Dana

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  14. My apartment is super cool too and my best advice is to just realize that you too are just as cool!!

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  15. Your new place is so great! Who knows, maybe it has the power to make all who live in it way cooler than they were?
    I am a Virgo but come from a line of Cancer horders and it was instilled in me. It's gotten so bad that my husband will clean out closet when I'm either in bed or not home and hide the pitched stuff in his car until he can drop them off at the Goodwill. It is that bad. I totally feel your pain!

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  16. I have two under the bed boxes. Everything I own that's not practical but I can't get rid of (my pastel tie-dye shirt from 6th grade) has to be able to fit in those two boxes.

    Right now the only things I own that I'm not using are vases - I went through a collecting phase that got a bit out of control. My apartment is probably as cold as yours, so I won't buy flowers only to have them die from the freezing winds. Thus, my vases look very pretty on top of my closet shelf.

    I think I looked at those lofts in 2007 - if I see you around the 'hood do you want me to say hi or pretend I don't know you?

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  17. Wow, beautiful loft, and I know what yo mean about living someplace cooler than you feel. My old house was like that. I moved twice in two weeks and definitely had to edit. I am still in that process. Photographs of things I love are helping, I had a tee shirt that I loved, but it was just part of what I had to get rid of, so I have a picture of me in it. Just a thought to help. Good luck with the move and remember to keep breathing.

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  18. I am very jealous of your new loft! It is wonderful! And yay about you and Ish!

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  19. holy crap, that place is amazing!
    I wouldn't even know what to do with all that open space.

    and the shower? there's no enclosure? you just kind of spray down the floor of the bathroom? wow, that's way too fancy for me. :)

    I have the same problem with throwing things away. Usually, i get into the mood where if i haven't opened a junk-drawer for a long time, i just dump the whole thing in the garbage and move on with my life.

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  20. Lovely! Although I am confused (as well as the person above me) about the shower...is the floor sloped? What keeps the water from going all over? I'm just a hick from the sticks, I guess...

    I dig the view, though :)

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  21. I guess the loft is OKAAAY? It's not all that.

    (See how, despite my complete loft envy, in two sentences I have made you feel a little bit cooler than the loft?)

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  22. fellow cancer here. totally with you on the hording thing, yet not hording the right stuff. uggggh!

    thanks for letting me know that i am not alone. :)

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  23. p.s. your new loft is stunning. i'm so happy for you.

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  24. Does your tornadoe hit hom look like . . .this?

    http://deathbykids.blogspot.com/2008/01/my-dog-ate-my-homework-then-threw-up.html

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  25. I'm pretty sure that by living in such a cool place you automatically become at least that cool.

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