Wednesday, May 13, 2009

MY DRUG OF CHOICE






Is it just me, or does anyone else out there get high on housework? Oh, I'm not talking about that sissy stuff like dusting or scrubbing toilets. To tell you the truth, I could go the rest of my life without seeing the inside of another toilet, and be perfectly content. No, what I'm talking about is those major reorganizational projects. Something you can really sink your teeth into, and which won't end up right back where it started in less than a day. I just love those kinds of projects, especially in spring.

First it was the tupperware drawer that kept calling my name, and wouldn't be content until I had completely dumped its contents, found a lid for every container, then sorted it all by size and shape. Once I had accomplished this, I would get my jollies by periodically sneaking back into the kitchen, nudging the bottom drawer open with my toe, and just gazing upon those perfect plastic pyramids.

Eventually though, the thrill began to fade. I needed something bigger, stronger, to satisfy my craving. I decided to tackle my closet. Ooh! I'm getting a bit of a rush right now, just remembering those rows of well-spaced hangers filled with color-sorted tops and bottoms - not an easy feat to manage, considering the tiny size of my closet here. It got me to thinking about the house where I grew up, where each person had a 3'x3' closet with a single hanging rod and a vinyl shoe pocket on the door, and we had no trouble at all fitting everything we owned in there. What happened? How did they manage to brainwash most of us into thinking that a huge walk-in closet and a hundred pairs of shoes still wasn't enough, and we needed to keep hitting the stores to see what's new, if we hoped to be truly happy?

But not me. Not any more. I groove on a challenge, and I can't think of anything more fun than seeing how many different outfits and combinations I can come up with, from the fewest number of pieces. Call me a freak if you will, but I'm heading in there now to get my morning rush by gazing upon my closet floor - newly rid of dust bunnies, and holding nothing more than one small shoe rack with twelve pairs of shoes.

But then what? Well, I'm already beginning to hear the siren's whisper, calling to me from the direction of my little pantry. It's asking me to imagine what it would feel like to open the cabinet door, and find enough food to actually see us through one of our occasional bouts of being iced or flooded in (a big pile of which is sitting over on the counters right now, waiting for room at the inn) and maybe even to find some beautiful vintage glass jars filled with bulk staples, instead of that mess of half-empty bags and boxes. Can't you just see it?

8 comments:

Teri H said...

I love to do the exact same things! And I'm tackling our linen closet today...!

Hill Country Hippie said...

I can't decide which to tackle next - that or the freezer!

Polly said...

I agree. And I've gotta tell you, I love those pantry drawers you have. I could do some serious organizing in there!

The Old Man said...

You know what they say about someone with a clean, organized desk...it's a sign of a sick mind.

Hill Country Hippie said...

Yes, but as you well know, unlike my closet and pantry, my desk is ALWAYS covered in crap!

Joanna Jenkins said...

Do you hear my closets calling YOU. Wouldn't a nice Los Angeles vacation of cleaning MY closets sound nice? Our guest room has YOUR name on it-- And a big closet that needs cleaned too :-))))) I wish I had the "need to clean" gene like you.

Hill Country Hippie said...

HA! Good try Joanna. Unfortunately, the "need to clean" is very sporadic, and only applies to specific projects in my case. It doesn't work at all when it comes to keeping my floors and bathrooms clean. I have this terrible "what's the point it will be dirty again in an hour" attitude with regards to stuff like that.

d.a. said...

Mmmm, I love the smell of a good purge & re-org! Refrigerator, pantry & closets, in that order.