Decluttering challenge, day 5

What a day.  I had to work and had so much to do.  Then, to top it all off, everyone who was working with me had problems I needed to help them solve.  Yes, that’s part of my job.  But it sure makes it rough to get the other parts of my job done.  I managed to get my tasks finished right before it was time for me to go home.  So at least I’ve got that going for me, right?

Add to the stressful day at work the fact that we’re expecting a major winter storm (like, really?  who isn’t?).  I tend to keep my pantry full and always have plenty of cat food on hand so at least I didn’t have to do battle at the grocery store.  I’m hearing that the shelves are pretty bare…especially the pizza and beer.  Hey, us Hoosiers have our priorities straight.  If you’re snowed in, pizza and beer make it a little easier to deal with the cabin fever.  I did stop at CVS to pick up a prescription and then swung by the gas station to fill the tank.  Now I feel like I’m about as prepared as I can be.  Let it snow!

I thought I’d have an easy time finding five things to get rid of today, but it didn’t happen like that.  I decided I’d go to the kitchen cabinet where I keep my cups and glasses.  I have to admit, I do have a lot more cups than I need.  I really only drink out of two cups.  I like the handles on them, what can I say?  But I didn’t force myself to get rid of all of the others.  I did find a travel mug minus a lid (I know, doesn’t really do me a lot of good like that, does it?) and a stainless steel bottle.  Have I ever mentioned how much I hate the taste stainless steel adds to my water?  Well, I do…I really do.  So out with both of them.  Then I started looking through one of the drawers in the kitchen and came across this little blue candle kind of thing shaped like rocking horses.  I’ve had that thing for years.  Used to hang from a peg on a shelf, but it’s not really all that appealing to me any more.  Why in the world have I hung onto it all these years?  Pitch it!

This is when the struggle started.  I looked in this cabinet, thinking I’d get rid of all of those old plastic tubs and lids that something else came in…you know, like Cool Whip or Country Crock.  Oh yeah.  I forgot, I got rid of those the last time I cleaned out my cabinets.  Then I looked in another cabinet and couldn’t find anything that I don’t use.  Same thing in another one.  Okay, about time to give up on the kitchen.  I walked upstairs and a pile of small boxes caught my eye.  I’d been saving them to wrap gifts in for Christmas, but ended up using gift bags because…well…who has time to wrap gifts?  And guess what?  Christmas is over.  The boxes go.

Then for good measure, I quickly gathered up a few more magazines to take to work.  A couple of the ladies I work with were telling me how much they appreciated having something to read in the break room…if only they weren’t so out of date.  I’m thinking that was a wee hint for me to be a little more timely in my magazine redistribution.

assortment of goodies (?) going to work

I didn’t realize, until I looked at the picture, that I gathered more than the five things I needed for today.  Oh well…nothing wrong with that.  The little bottle in the middle is a free sample bottle of self-tanning moisturizing lotion.  I really thought I’d use it, but never did…and it was free…so off to work it’ll go too.  Surely someone wants to add that healthy glow to their skin in the dead of winter.

So there you have it.  Day 5 in the books.  Not very exciting.  But a few more items out of my home and my life and that’s really what I’m trying to do here.  This brings the total, in five days, to 33 items released.  Not too bad for a few minutes of scrounging. And the thing I haven’t been showing you is that I’m finding things to put in the trash as I go…today I found a stack of coupon flyers from the newspaper…unfortunately all expired.  I need to do a better job with the coupons.  But I’ve also managed to get rid of a couple of small bags of trash, nothing monumental, but it still makes me feel better.  I wanted to say “lighter” and that might just be a topic for another day.

Dance the dance

Line dancing at a Country Western Dance Hall and Saloon. Italiano: Esempio di Line dance. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

He glances across the dance floor, the beer in his hand forgotten as he stares at the trio of girls standing in the doorway.  Without taking his eyes off the girls, he leans over to his buddy and nods toward the girls.  “Do you know her?’, he asks.

His friend looks at the girls, takes a sip of his beer, and replies, “Yeah, I’ve seen the tall one around town.  Can’t remember her name though.”

“What?  No man, the little blonde.  Her.  Ya know her?”

Kenny looks back at the girls, then looks at his pal with a grin.  “Mmm…nah, don’t think I’ve ever seen that one before.  She is kinda cute, though.”

Sean stares at Kenny in disbelief.  “Cute?  Are you crazy?  Cute?  Are we looking at the same chick?  That’s the most gorgeous gal I’ve ever seen…ever!”  Sean shakes his head and mumbles, “Cute.  What the hell are you talkin’ about, cute?”

Kenny laughs and punches Sean on the arm.  “Dude, what’re you waitin’ on then?  You better make a move on her ’cause I’m thinking the guys’ll be lining up to dance with that one.”

At that moment, an older man walks over to the girls’ table and escorts the little blonde to the dance floor.  Sean can’t tear his eyes away from the couple.  As he watches the man slide his hand down her backside, Sean nearly leaps from the table.  He sits back in his chair when he sees the blonde move the guy’s hand back to her waist.

After another turn around the dance floor, the older man slides both hands down the girl’s backside and pulls her into his body.  Sean stands, thinking he’ll go to the floor and rescue the little blonde, when he sees her slip under the older man’s arm and walk away from him.  When Sean slumps back into his chair, Kenny looks at him questioningly.  “What the hell is wrong with you?  She’s just another girl.  Go ask her to dance.”

Sean rubs his face and shakes his head.  “Nah, man, she’s not gonna be interested in a guy like me.”

 

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