I’ve arrived at the realization I always come to about now in any of the Twelve Days things: twelve days is a long time. I don’t know how people stood it each Christmas. By about day four of the party, I’d have been saying, “You know, I’ll just take a nap for this one.” But the good news is, the back half of my office is now clean:
And it probably took me twelve days if you count fifteen minutes as a day. Which I can’t so now I have to do the front half of my office:
Technically that’s More Floor, Printing Shelves, Brainstorming Wall, and the bookcase, although the bookcase is really part of the library . . . no, it’s there at the end of my office. It has to be in here, too.
The floor is going to take hours. Ugh. So I’m going to ignore it and do the printer wall. I’m pretty sure I can do that in under an hour. There’s not that much paper to read on there. So here’s the wall:
Big revelation here: Why do I have reference books when I have the internet? So they went except for the crucial stuff like Beyond Jennifer and Jason, and that went on the shelves behind the other desk, so I freed up a lot of space. I put the mailing supplies down at the end because I don’t mail that much (so why do I have so many envelopes?), and then I got to the computer box. I had ten different trackballs and mice (mouses?), one still in the box. Who knew I had a mouse habit? And Bob, if you’re reading this, I appear to have three firewire cables. So :p. Also two phones because I kept switching out phones until I realized the problem was in the line. And two rechargers for something. Probably the old cellphones. Anyway, untangling that took some time. Then there was the universal recharger Bob told me not to buy because it was lousy but I ignored him and it was lousy, so it’s sitting on the floor glaring at me now. Also an ancient Airport; if I ever do a book on UFOs, it’ll be great for the collage. And a hard drive Mollie made me buy that I’ve never figured out how to hook up. It’s hanging out with the universal recharger, smug in its defiance. But basically the shelves were easy. Fifteen, maybe twenty minutes, really.
It was the top that was the time sink. Electronics. Cords. USB ports. Bleah.
I’m going to have to do those boxes on the floor tomorrow, shoving them out of the way to do the printer wall was annoying. But I hate the thought of those damn papers because you have to look at EVERY ONE OF THEM, such a time sink. But in the meantime, here’s the finished printer wall:
I can’t get enough distance on it to show you the whole wall, so take my word for it, it’s clean. And really it was the easiest of the lot so far. Except for hooking up the label printer which still isn’t right. Electronics. Bleah. Thank god i only have one wall of them.
Amazing ! It’s a work of art. Where does the paper go when the printers spit it out ?
Wow. Now that I can see how fabu your office is, it’s got me pining for a space of my own in the worst way!
Congratulations on cleaning up all that clutter. I bet it’ll make it easier for you to think, too, without all that stuff visually assaulting you.
Is Mollie believing this? Is she giving you the proper “atta girl mom” encouragement? She should, as it it looking positively fabulous.
Wolfie looks VERY happy back on the window seat. Has he been supervising the rest of the work?
I was going to tell you that you could get an all in one copier/scanner/printer and then I got to the second “electronics-bleah” and rethought that idea.
I have an entire cupboard of computer cords, mice, surge protectors, and assorted wires. I am terrified to throw them out as I will need that last doo hicky as soon as it is gone. It’s time. Tuesday they all go.
What- hey- I need a day to work up to this!!
Excellent progress, again, Jenny! I can feel the organizing bug beginning to whisper my name with the change in the weather (it’s starting to get cooler here). People always seem to feel the need to clean in the spring; that urge always hits me in the fall.
Your office is looking fantastic!
Luverly!!! Just think only seven days to go.
Then of course you’ll take a day or two to revel in all of this cleanliness and beauty. Then you’ll start writing with great passion and we’ll all wait with bated breath. I think you should have the finished draft of AKMG done by Christmas. We expect a solo title summer read, 2008! Maybe a Crusie/Mayer collaboration by Christmas, 2008. Ouch! You didn’t have to throw the surge protector at me. Geez!
I’m glad your sorting and cleaning day was better than mine. I got a nasty surprise. Our pump house has been attacked by woodpeckers, big time. Then, when I went to the upper level to see what it looked like from the inside, I discovered that there was a hole in the roof. So, everything has to come out so the that the whole shebang can be rebuilt.
There were 12 footlockers of clothes and fabric stored in the lower level. I thought they were safe. No. Enough water got in even down there to ruin half the footlockers and destroy most of their contents. Some really nice stuff, too, wools and silks, some really nice clothes, which I have no idea why they were stored there instead of being worn. My mom had a thing for footlockers. I sure hope the insurance will pay, ’cause this mess is costing a bundle in damaged goods.
I should have stuck with the house.
Jenny, you continue to inspire me. Thank you.
Looking great! Thanks to your continuing inspiration, today I dusted.
Mollie doesn’t read the blog. Sigh. And I refuse to be responsible for ANYBODY dusting.
Is it cathartic? Or just one of those have-to-do’s that’s a real pain in the arse?
Library? Ooh, I am so jealous! You’re doing a fabulous job with all the sorting and cleaning.
I’m jealous of your label maker.
And I love seeing the progress you’re making. It keeps reminding me that I need to go through my junk drawers as I just keep tossing stuff in there and forgetting about it.
ZaZa, how awful. You poor thing. I hope the insurance does come to the party.
Jenny,
I agree: electronics – bleah.
Since my daughter moved to Seattle, I not only have no one to assemble furniture for me but no one to instruct me on electronics – what wire goes to what thingy. But, then again, I also have no one to roll her eyes at me when I screw up – 😉
Even though I am learning – I still agree – electronics:bleah!
Check THIS out
http://360digest.com/uploads/messy_desk_contest_winner.jpg
So – Jenny, yours wasn’t so bad. ;-0
You know, I keep looking at the photos as you update, Jenny, and thinking ‘I love those book shelves’. Where did you find them?
Robena, I lost the card you gave me with your email address on it! I’ve searched high and low, but somewhere along the line, it disappeared 🙁
Are you sure the mice weren’t breeding by themselves?
You’re making great progress and look how happy Wolfie is. Doesn’t that alone make it all worth while? Good luck with the floor.
I’m taking a day off from organizing and hanging out with Agnes and Shane again. This is my fourth re-read and I still can’t get enough.
{{{{{ZaZa}}}}}
Dusting is taking it too far, huh? Then credit Fly Lady for the dusting. You inspired me to recycle two magazines.
Eh, I’m reveling in understatement. This weekend I also primed, painted and poly’d a curb-pickup coffee table. But THAT was inspired by our college-age daughter’s need for apartment furniture. I figure the last coat of polyurethane will go on about 5 hours before we load up the car.
Baby steps, baby steps, oh yeah baby.
Wow! What progress you’ve made. I think you’re very brave for aharing your twelve days, and I’m very thankful. I worked this weekend on my stuff as well.
Took a car trunk full of stuff to the Goodwill. Not a bad trade – 4 lawn bags of clothes/shoes/purses, and a 2 foot rods worth of hanging stuff – all exchanged for one 8 1/2 x 11 tax receipt.
Yesterday, I polished my kitchen sink, and cleared/cleaned 1/2 of my kitchen countertops.
Does mowing the lawn (1 1/2 – 2 hours) count toward a days efforts? Cause that’s my chore tonight. UGH!
Wow! I’m so impressed by everyone’s industry. Dusting or no, Jenny, it must be little weird to think of so many people doing things because you inspired them.
I’m so sorry about the valuables in footlockers, ZaZa!
I didn’t do any tidying yesterday, but in the last couple of days I made use of my tidied space: I made a broccoli – shiitake – barley risotto and some lemon-ginger shortbread in my more-usable kitchen (though I now have a TON of dishes to do, since I finished past my bedtime).
And Saturday night I wrote a lot of notes at my desk, which, while not really clear, is clear enough! And I wrapped the shortbread to send my dad for his (Virgo) birthday on floor that was cleared in bedroom 2.
So, just a reminder that cleaning up makes things more functional, as well as prettier.
Very. Impressive. Printer Wall.
All these pictures are making my office supply fetish twitch… I’m gonna have to raid a Staples or Office Depot soon.
Twelve days can be forever, I agree. But when you’re making such jaw-droppingly awesome progress it has to be going a little faster than the usual tick of the clock. I’m curious, though. After this, is it write, write, write? Or d’ya think this Fly Lady might delve into other parts of the house (or will you find a swatter somewhere?)
Way to go Jenny or does the second picture just show where you put all the stuff from the first? 🙁 Just teasing. You are doing a great job. And since I went to Dayton and bought a bunch of books that are now signed by two terribly famous authors I now NEED a library. Don’t I wish!
Ink Girl- TRY.TO.RESIST.
Office supply stores are deadly. I just went into Staples for a couple of envelopes today and came out with lots of cool colored paper and some sharpies on a ring…a CB had them in Dayton and I had to have them. I won’t tell you what else I HAD to have…but it is just too addictive. Now I have to find a place to put it all…
I’m actually working on other rooms at the same time. Just not very fast. One of the things I have to do after this is clean out my closet. No, I will not show you every fashion mistake I’ve made for the past twenty years. And yes, Mollie did clean out my closet a year or so ago. She didn’t get it all. And then I went shopping.
I love the day bed. I keep telling the hubby I need a couch. So far he aint buying it.