It's an Art

Organizing. This has been on my mind constantly lately. The Art of Organizing.

As you know we are moving. We are not only going to be moving once this year, but it is likely that over the next 12 months we will move three times. Three miserable organizational milestones lurking in my future. Of course, we hire "professionals" to come and do the grind of the heavy lifting - - but that does not alleviate the need to organize before they get here.

The first move is going to be the most challenging. This is the one that is happening in exactly 8 days. Yes, 8 days to when the wheat will be separated from the chaff. 8 days until 80% of my shit gets put in to a deep dark space where I cannot access it for the duration until the house is finished and there is a home to put it in.

Now, for those in the know, moving is not a new thing for the family. In fact, I believe that we could single handedly support a moving company given the amount of relocating that we do. One of the positive things of this is that for the past three years I have "organized" my crap to move it. I am an excellent purger. I could probably be the guest host of some HGTV get-rid-of-your-crap special. Given this, one might think that another move less than 12 months from the previous move might not require any organizing at all. One would be wrong. I already have an entire bed covered with crap that is being sent to the Salvation Army. I have already gotten rid of 2 chairs, 2 stools and a rug on Craigslist-Free (LOVE that site). I still have another storage area to get through. Where did this stuff come from??? I just purged 11 months ago. It is breeding, I am sure of it.

Over the past two days I have also spent considerable time re-organizing. What does one need for one year exactly? Clothes, furniture, kitchen miscellany, holiday decorations and whatnot. It's the whatnot that gets you. How do you control the amount of whatnot that is essential while balancing that with the fact that you will need to relocate said whatnot several times. Further, one must also consider that real living will go on during the period of limited whatnot and it is important the the kids feel like they are living in a regular environment instead of one that just has a couch, a chair, a TV and the remote.

Here are some whatnot items that are troublesome:
Knick-knacks: Actual status: Not necessary for living. Reality: Semi-important to make it look like it's your house and not a semi-furnished hotel room. Moving Difficulty: pain in the ass to pack and move.
Throw Pillows: Actual status: Not necessary for living. Reality: Semi-important to make laying on the couch while reposing a more comfortable proposition. Moving Difficulty: Space hog in boxes / bags
Boys Toys: Actual Status: Not all are necessary for living. Reality: This is what they use from time to time. The challenge is deciding what will be used from time to time. The whole box of Legos? The game of Risk? All Balls, Bats, Lacrosse Equipment, All Board Games?? What?? Moving Difficulty: "All" is a LOT of CRAP. "Some" may be a dangerous compromise.

This list could go on and on. What about family photos? We have already decided not to take any art work for the walls. Good stuff is going to art storage, cheap stuff to regular storage. Just another thing to "organize" before we go.

I guess the one saving grace is that if something gets put in the wrong whatnot pile (Take versus Store), I always have the option of purchasing said whatnot for use in the interim. This means that in 12 months (or however long this little home remodel project takes), I will have another opportunity to purge. Hmmm. Maybe organization is not an art. It's more like a science project that goes on and on and on. Damn.