Overwhelmed

Well, here I sit online doing nothing. Well, not exactly nothing. I am typing and I am doing laundry.

Outside, the sun is shining - after a few days of some much needed rain - and what's left of my poor struggling 'jungle' is out on the balcony catching some much needed rays. Eleven plants left - less that half of what I had last summer. The winter was hard on them and the cat harder. Little bitch amuses herself by shredding leaves all day. Argh.

Inside, the place is a wreck. Everywhere I look, something needs to be put away. The damned sink is full of dirty dishes and the damned dishwasher is full of clean dishes. I need to vaccuum and dust. The paper piles are growing again. There are boxes and piles of crap everywhere. I still have not pressed "PLAY" and have yet to go to the exercise room in the complex here. There is so much to do, yet I don't know where to start. I just want to sit here on the couch and cry.

But what will that get me? Nothing! Nothing but red puffy eyes - and those will look great with the big black circles and the bags I'm working now. Sucky sleep will do that to you.

If I had the money, I would back up a dump truck and toss it all over the balcony. Start over. Now that's a thought. Small loveseat? Bye bye. Large ass 16-yr old TV? See ya! Too small dining table with mismatched chairs? Adios suckers. Stacks of boxes I haven't opened in 3 years? Nice knowing ya - I don't even know what's in you anymore. Ahhh, that is my fantasy. And what a great fantasy it is.

But I don't have the money to buy it all over again, so guess I'm stuck with all this...ugh. The only consolation I have right now is that the dumpsters got emptied yesterday along with the recycle bins. At least I can toss the boxes...heh heh heh...

Plan of action? I don't really have one. Yet. FlyLady says one baby step at a time. Yeah, whatever. I can't even handle that. Guess I can try again tonight to make a list of things I need to do in the apt and things I want to do in the apt. For every 2 things I need to do that get scratched off the list, I can do one thing I want to do.

On to more fun things now. I went shopping yesterday and bought some cool stuff. Came across an extra $30 and decided to go to IKEA and get myself a quilt insert. Long story short, the things I originally looked at cost twice that, so I went wandering around. Ended up buying a chopstick set, a coordinating spoon set, a citrus zester, 4 medium size soft storage bins (for the yarn), 8 small size soft storage bins (also for the yarn) and SURPRISE! Found a queen size quilt insert in the "AS IS" section for $10! I spent $28.13 for it all. Damn I'm good.

The yarn has been moved out of the dresser and into the storage bins/bags. Now the dresser sits empty and the bags sit next to the piles of boxes. Need to get rid of that dresser. And a few other pieces of furniture as well. Time to call the furniture consignment place to 1) see if they'll take it and 2) how much it will cost for them to come pick it up. If it's worth it, that's where it all goes. If not, time to call the local Thrift store charities I contribute to and see if they'll come pick it up for free. Looks like there is day off from work in my future to get all this done.

Next up, put all those new storage bins on the storage shelves in my room or in the hall closet and out of my dining area. Got to clear out other stuff first. Oh yeah, and I'll be making covers for those damn shelves too. Tired of looking at all the boxes on them. Oh yeah, I intend to get rid of so much stuff, I can reduce it down to one shelf instead of two. I would like NO shelves, but my closet space is minimal to non-existant and I have no extra storage areas. Maybe I'll just throw that all out too. Grrr.

I feel like it's a never ending war. But every small battle won gets me one small baby step closer to having the simple, clutter free apt I long for... But it is one war I am determined to win. Dammit.

Oh, and I'll be making a duvet cover for that new quilt insert - from fabric stash only. (Yeah, I've got one of those too.) As soon as I can clear out the dining room, and part of my bedroom, and.........

Well, the timer just went off - the laundry is ready to come out of the drier. Time to get started on all this I guess...