Sunday, January 13, 2008

Seven Things Spring/ Summer Week 19: The might of one small word.

There's one word that constantly causes chaos in this challenge:

Might.

Here's an example of a typical week in the TSS household as the pressure rises before the Saturday midnight STSS deadline...

Me: "OK, I need to get rid of some stuff or we're not going to meet target this week."
Me: "Well, what about that red and white stripy T you bought last year that you hardly wear?"
Me: "Well, I might wear it. You know. In the middle of winter. If it's been raining for a while so most of my usual choices are dirty and I'm desperate. Or I could layer it. Besides, I might feel like some colour..."

Me: "OK then. That pair of sneakers that go with the orange 3/4 pants and the khaki 3/4 pants. Neither of which fit you at the moment. So maybe you could get rid of them while you're at it..."
Me: "Well I plan to get back to the gym so will fit back into them and then I'll need the shoes. Besides, it seems a pity to get rid of perfectly good shoes. I might wear out all the rest one day and need them..."

Me: "All those suits you don't wear now you work from home so only need one to wear out to visits and stuff?"
Me: "Might move into an office/ change jobs/ wear out current suit choice and need back up/ get bored..."

Me (sighing heavily): "That roll of wallpaper you picked up years ago to use in a vintage 70s dolls house roombox which has never been built?"
Me: "Might get around to it and be pissed off I threw out the perfect wallpaper..."

Me (starting to look very frustrated): "Big pile of empty boxes in the garage?"
Me: "Might get thrown out of flat and need to move..."

Me (with steam escaping out ears): "Pile of videos you've watched? Books you've read? Games you hardly ever play?
Me (looking supercilious): Might want to watch them again/ read them again/ play them again!

Me (Banging head against wall): ARGGGGHHHHH!

In:

* 5 magazines
* 25 videos (A gift from someone in our Sydney office who offered them to me when she discovered that *gasp!* I still used a video player. How could I say no to a lovely selection of Ab Fab, Red Dwarf, Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister, none of which I've seen yet? I justified the acquisition by deciding I'll pass them on when I've watched them)
* 1 black zipfront hoodie (boy's size 12. Fits perfectly. Mwhahaha!)
* 1 Space Explorer apron for repurposingand 1 vintage French DMC cross stitch book (I thought I *ahem* might be tempted back to cross stitch this year.)
My total frugalling spend this week: $1.50 for both. (We won't talk about what I picked up for Taph just yet...)
* 7 orphan cream knitting needles from Taph. Two of which found matches in my orphan needle collection.

Total In this week: 40

Out:

* 4 washcloths, 1 knitted cupcake, 1 book: gifts
* 34 Avant cards that have been hanging round for ever and I know I'll never use (because I still have a heap I like that I'd use instead): recycling.
* 20 duplicate photos. Remember the old days when it was cheaper to just get the whole film printed twice than go back for reprints? What I want to know is why I still have the extra prints over 10 years later and after a trans Tasman shift: recycling

Total Out this week: 60

I have to admit this was a tough week with the arrival of that box of videos. I'd been focussing my attention more on finishing stuff off for Finish it off Friday - which, in the long term, will result in more outs (34 knitted cupcakes, anyone?) but doesn't help the figures much.

So I pulled the old Avant card clearout out from up my sleeve where I'd been saving it for just such an occassion and used it to obtain the emergency number boost I needed. Sort of like my Get out of jail free card. So the numbers are fine but if I look at the net bulk of stuff coming into and out of the house this week it's not good...


Shake-it-all-about:

* See Finish it off Friday

Net items out so far during Seven Things Spring: 269

8 comments:

  1. I've been thinking about the slump this week, partly due to lots of creative energy going into actual creation. Is this a preview of what life will be like when there's no more excess stuff to maintain. Full on creative energy? Bring it on!

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  2. OK. We're crafters. Ergo you're completely deluded if you think we'll ever get to a stage of having "no more excess stuff to maintain".

    It's like believing that a reader might get to the stage where they've read all their books. Or a baker might have tried all the recipes they've collected.

    As crafters we'll always have excess stuff, it's just a matter of how much we have and how well we can get to it when we need to use it!

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  3. At least you were in the positive - something I didn't manage this week. I am hosting a dinner this week for the bandits (people with gastric bands), and I have a heap of clothes to give away - which will either be taken today, or go to the Gungahlin Vinnies when they open.

    Now I will have a LOCAL store to give my stuff to ;) Not to say collect stuff from.

    I am afraid I agree with the always having excess stuff when being a crafter - it is just that.... maybe I may come to the end of what I am prepared to part with! Have to remember I did the MASSIVE clean out 2 years ago when we moved to Canberra. I was supposed to only come with things I REALLY wanted! Now, forget about the amount I have accumulated int he mean time!

    Where did you find the spinning wheel for Taph. I have seen a couple in shops around - and looked at them twice (only twice though)

    I bought a couple of Dolls and Bears magazines this morning - there was three in the price for one. There are some lovely dolls clothes patterns in there, very tempting for the collection.

    Janet McK

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  4. Space Explorer apron - every home should have one.

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  5. yeah - I am a big one for 'i might fit into that again'.

    I just try to remember that I am not on the breadline, and if I lose a stack of weight I will be so excited I'll want to buy new stuff anyway.

    I still have a fair stash of 1-2 sizes too small stuff though.

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  6. Stash isn't stuff - well yarn stash isn't. At least not yet. Stash is what I'm creative with and if being creative is "maintaining" stash then, that's all the maintenance I want to do.

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  7. you're still letting more out than in and thinking about it. That Space Explorer apron rocks!

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  8. Casp - you're quite right. Although I feel like I'm a lot closer to the breadline than I'm used to be(earning 60% of what you used to (and spending 50% of each week's pay on rent)does that!)I chose to spend my spare cash on travel. If I need new clothes I can always divert that cash in another direction for a while...

    Janet - the wheel came from Salvos Belconnen.

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