Tag Archives: Embarrassing

Confession #131

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Confession #131: I’m an Office Hoarder

I’m an organizational freak.

Wait, that’s not the confession.  Well, at least not Confession #131.

Over the years I’ve been asked by dozens of people to help them pare down and organize their offices, I’ve just never done it for my own.

This weekend I decided it was time to paint my home office and when I was finished dragging everything out of the room, this is what I discovered.

Confession #131:  I’m think I’m an office hoarder.

“How did this happen?” I’ve heard those words so many times from the people I’ve helped and honestly, I always think “It happened because you keep too much crap. Duh!” But here I am in the same boat.

I’m loathe to get rid of a single thing.

Great Aunt Marjorie’s Clock

Here’s an antique clock my great aunt gave to me because I’d always admired it. Unfortunately right before she gave it to me, she had it “fixed” by taking out all it’s original nonworking parts and converting it to battery power. Even though it is worthless, whenever I look at it, it reminds me of Aunt Margie and what she did to make it better for me and it makes me smile.

Hoarding Healing Herbs

These are all my gardening books. They trace the evolution of my thumb from black to green and although I haven’t opened a single one of these books for years, I can’t possibly let them go.

Tourist Trap

I bought this on my visit to South Africa. It was sold as a “Traditional African Headdress” but I thought it looked like a beautiful flower. It’s huge and crazy pink, but how can I give it up?

Reminders

A picture of me in Paris. Postcards from our kids.  A picture of family at a brother’s Broadway opening.   Those I’ll keep for sure.

Gonna do this one day

Took a class one time to learn how to draw.  I’m absolutely terrible at it, but I might magically get better.  You never know when I’ll need these again.

Box O Books

This is just one of the many boxes of books that came out of my office.  Notice “The Art of Mingling.”  One of my daughters gave that to me to help me with all the dreaded Senate receptions.  Unfortunately, it didn’t’ work, but it might one day.  The little framed saying about butterflies is from my Mom’s house.  So tacky, but can’t let it go.

Webster’s Dictionary

I LOVE words.  I actually cried with  happiness when I received this as a gift.  And, even though I have a dictionary app that I use constantly, can’t let a great compilation of words disappear.

The Zen-ness of it all

My yoga mat that I use every morning right before my  half hour of meditation.  Okay, I don’t do either of those things – but as soon as my office gets painted and put back together, I will, I promise.

Poor Buddha – Bad Karama

I couldn’t think of how these guys found their way into my life.  But, then I remembered something from one of my blog post about my Grandmother Nellie.

There he is, next to the dog with the crazy eyes

It’s no secret, there is no love loss between my grandmother and me, so maybe it would be good Karma for me to let these little guys move on.

Whew.  I’m not like all those other hoarders.  I can let things go.

There – see?  I’m not Crazie after all.

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Know another Crazie person like me?  Send them this blog and maybe they’ll straighten up.

Patience is a Virtue – Just Not One of Mine

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No resemblance to me whatsoever.

Patience:   Creating a sense of peaceful stability and community rather than suffering, hostility and antagonism.

“Do you have a reservation?” The airport parking lot attendant asked me.

“No,” I said rubbing the face of my watch, hoping to erase a few minutes.  “I don’t have a reservation.”

“Well.  You’ll have to do valet.”

I cringed at the thought of how much that would cost me but, looking at my watch again, I realized I was out of options if I was going to make my flight.  (Actually, if I was going to be an hour early for my flight – which I have to be, because I’m a freak.)

I pulled over into the Valet lane and got out of my car.  While I tapped my foot impatiently, a conversation waged in my head.  If this is going to cost twice as much as regular parking I should at least be getting special service.

And then I waited and waited and waited.     —  I’m going to pay three times as much for Valet and waiting longer, that doesn’t make sense.

I got back in my car to check the time stamp on my ticket against the current time so I could be justified in my impatience.  Valet’s going to cost me more than my flight did!  Man, they’re going to get a piece of my mind. 

The bus finally arrived and I stomped on and then slumped into my seat.  If I’d been a cartoon character, the other passengers would have seen smoke coming out of my ears.  I made it off the bus without murdering anyone, but stewed and fretted about it the whole trip.

My return flight landed at 10 pm and by the time I got my luggage and climbed on the parking bus I was tired and cranky.  But, as we pulled into the parking lot, I brightened.  After all,  I was a VIP Valet Parker, I’d be the first one off the bus.  Oh yes, all that money I was paying would be well worth it.  Hee hee.

He stopped and let someone else off first.   “Excuse me,” I politely said.  “I’m a valet parker.”  I smiled condencendingly at the rest of the bus.

“Yes, I know,” the driver said.

Striking resemblance to Grandmother Nellie

He then promptly let the next person off…and the next…and the next.  With each departing passenger my impatient, self-righteous indignation grew.

Finally, I was the last one off the bus — but before I snatched my keys from his hand, I asked in my haughtiest Grandmother Nellie voice, “Just exactly what are the special services that come with paying extra for valet?  Because I certainly haven’t experienced any!”

“Ma’am.”  He sighed.  “You’re not paying for valet.”

“But, but…” I sputtered pointing at the keys to my car that he held in his hand.

“We don’t even have valet service.  We just parked your car for you as a favor.  It’s the same price as everywhere else.”

So, cross off Patience from my list of virtues.  Obviously, we can also remove Chastity and may as well erase Humility.  I’m still hanging on by a thread to Charity, Kindness and Temperance.  But I’m keeping Diligent – because no one is more diligent then I am when it comes to impatience.

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Speaking of impatience – I’m not sure how much longer I can wait for you to subscribe before I go all Grandmother Nellie on you.