a fall ritual

We’re in the midst of a seasonal rationalization (per British English, reorganization and integration), which has resulted in a few key discoveries (or, in many senses, reality checks):

• We have far too many clothes. I know I’m a pack rat, and that I have a hard time letting go of some of the simplest things. In cleaning the bedroom, I discovered many clothes that I just don’t wear anymore. I’m going to try and adhere to the “if you haven’t worn it for a whole year, it’s not worth keeping” rule and give the local Goodwill a nice donation.
• Things that were “lost” were really buried underneath layers of hastily-moved stuff. Looking for sheets and pillowcases that match? Check under the blankets that were moved into the bedroom in a rush. Looking for that folk music book? Probably hidden behind a duffel bag or two, filled with ski clothes.
• Dust adheres to everything, given the opportunity.
• Whoever invented the Swiffer cloth should be given a medal and a promotion. The things are magical in their ability to capture dust and keep it from spreading during the trip to the dustbin.
• Nothing makes an upright vacuum seem new like a new belt. Our old Eureka now has great suckitude – in a good way.
• If you have to do a lot of laundry, be sure you jump whenever the washer and dryer and free – and have adequate quarters at hand. Ah, apartment living!
• It’s amazing what you can cram into all of the little spaces in an English basement apartment. Sometimes, it’s a bit like the clown cars at a Shriners convention: things just appear as if from nowhere. Perhaps all of the hours playing Tetris in high school and college have worked into my psyche to the point where I subliminally pack things in a geometrically “tight” manner. Or maybe contents settle during shipping.

All this is a precursor to our annual tree trimming extravaganza, so it’s being done for all the right reasons.