Dealing with Stuff

In an earlier post I shared my frustrations about dealing with all of the stuff in our apartment.

Last night, Grant and I were sitting on our couch and I was sharing with him about my frustrations with our current stuff management plan.

G: What bothers you the most?
R: Cardboard. I hate cardboard.
G: Ok.
R: If you lived alone, do you think your apartment would be full of cardboard boxes?
G: Not that I would like it, but yes, it probably would be full of boxes.

The easiest thing I can think about doing is moving apartments and then being really selective about what we choose to take with us. But neither one of us wants to move yet, so we're stuck going through everything and trying to thin it out. Either that or I will never feel comfortable in my own home.

How many towels should two people own?

Is it really necessary to have a back-up for all toiletries? Or can we just buy stuff as we run out of it?

Why are we still holding onto the nativity set? It has been 3.5 years since the wedding. The nativity is ugly and we've never set it up (not that we have a clear surface anyways!) Why are we keeping something I really really hate?

Would any of you be willing to come over to my house and scan all of my notes from college so I can recycle the paper?

Do I really really need that Abstract Algebra textbook?

Does he have to fill each desk drawer with wires? Wires wires wires... and only one would fit into the camera... and that was the only wire that wasn't in any of the desk drawers... it was in the closet... in the cardboard box that the camera came in... I'm NOT SELLING the camera... CAN WE RECYCLE THE BOX PLEASE?

There are two desk drawers not overflowing with wires. Those drawers hold files in carefully labeled file folders. Labels made with the label maker. Because everyone needs a label maker.

G: There are times when I think it would be wonderful to have a nice, clean, orderly apartment. But that is just not who we are. We would have to change a lot of our habits.
R: You mean that habit about collecting cardboard boxes? I have an idea. Stop buying stuff off of ebay.
G: Make a list of where you want to focus on in the apartment.
R: Item #1 of 1 - Get a box. Put all of the other boxes in the box. Recycle the box.
G: OK, but you have to find a new organized way to store all of the stuff that was in the boxes.
R: UUGGGGHHHH!