Hi everybody!
A lot has been going on, mostly good! Ive been focusing on raking up the area around the storage trailer of all the tiny pieces of trash & plastic, and that great feeling in my dream has absolutely manifested! It feels fantastic! I finally found a place that can fix my car, so ill rent a truck & just keep taking loads to the dump! Im gonna collect everything i can comfortably carry, then later find a way to get the bigger heavier stuff. It has been so soothing to clear that stuff!
Things with the boyfriend became very obvious when he pushed his power trip games too far a few days ago. Im sad he isnt the one, but im ok with it...im actually doing pretty good! Ive been on a wonderful & deep spiritual journey that has been fantastic!
Today the stray/feral black kitty got bullyish with my cats & my big alpha male got in a fight with it! In his 11 years ive never known him to actually fight! I think it was spurred by his girlfriend, Ms. Lioness, being chased. It was very chivalrous of him! I also feel like a trader cuz ive been talking nice to it, tho telling it it cant bully my cats...i dont want to turn away any needy kitties, as long as they dont bully mine.
My short term memory is so bad. I read y'all's posts & had things i wanted to say to each of you, but if i dont write it down as im reading them...geeez...but it sounds like you each are doing great! ~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~

Hi everybody!
A lot has been going on, mostly good! Ive been focusing on raking up the area around the storage trailer of all the tiny pieces of trash & plastic, and that great feeling in my dream has absolutely manifested! It feels fantastic! I finally found a place that can fix my car, so ill rent a truck & just keep taking loads to the dump! Im gonna collect everything i can comfortably carry, then later find a way to get the bigger heavier stuff. It has been so soothing to clear that stuff!
Things with the boyfriend became very obvious when he pushed his power trip games too far a few days ago. Im sad he isnt the one, but im ok with it...im actually doing pretty good! Ive been on a wonderful & deep spiritual journey that has been fantastic!
Today the stray/feral black kitty got bullyish with my cats & my big alpha male got in a fight with it! In his 11 years ive never known him to actually fight! I think it was spurred by his girlfriend, Ms. Lioness, being chased. It was very chivalrous of him! I also feel like a trader cuz ive been talking nice to it, tho telling it it cant bully my cats...i dont want to turn away any needy kitties, as long as they dont bully mine.
My short term memory is so bad. I read y'all's posts & had things i wanted to say to each of you, but if i dont write it down as im reading them...geeez...but it sounds like you each are doing great! ~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~

Hi everybody!
A lot has been going on, mostly good! Ive been focusing on raking up the area around the storage trailer of all the tiny pieces of trash & plastic, and that great feeling in my dream has absolutely manifested! It feels fantastic! I finally found a place that can fix my car, so ill rent a truck & just keep taking loads to the dump! Im gonna collect everything i can comfortably carry, then later find a way to get the bigger heavier stuff. It has been so soothing to clear that stuff!
Things with the boyfriend became very obvious when he pushed his power trip games too far a few days ago. Im sad he isnt the one, but im ok with it...im actually doing pretty good! Ive been on a wonderful & deep spiritual journey that has been fantastic!
Today the stray/feral black kitty got bullyish with my cats & my big alpha male got in a fight with it! In his 11 years ive never known him to actually fight! I think it was spurred by his girlfriend, Ms. Lioness, being chased. It was very chivalrous of him! I also feel like a trader cuz ive been talking nice to it, tho telling it it cant bully my cats...i dont want to turn away any needy kitties, as long as they dont bully mine.
My short term memory is so bad. I read y'all's posts & had things i wanted to say to each of you, but if i dont write it down as im reading them...geeez...but it sounds like you each are doing great! ~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~

Hi everybody!
A lot has been going on, mostly good! Ive been focusing on raking up the area around the storage trailer of all the tiny pieces of trash & plastic, and that great feeling in my dream has absolutely manifested! It feels fantastic! I finally found a place that can fix my car, so ill rent a truck & just keep taking loads to the dump! Im gonna collect everything i can comfortably carry, then later find a way to get the bigger heavier stuff. It has been so soothing to clear that stuff!
Things with the boyfriend became very obvious when he pushed his power trip games too far a few days ago. Im sad he isnt the one, but im ok with it...im actually doing pretty good! Ive been on a wonderful & deep spiritual journey that has been fantastic!
Today the stray/feral black kitty got bullyish with my cats & my big alpha male got in a fight with it! In his 11 years ive never known him to actually fight! I think it was spurred by his girlfriend, Ms. Lioness, being chased. It was very chivalrous of him! I also feel like a trader cuz ive been talking nice to it, tho telling it it cant bully my cats...i dont want to turn away any needy kitties, as long as they dont bully mine.
My short term memory is so bad. I read y'all's posts & had things i wanted to say to each of you, but if i dont write it down as im reading them...geeez...but it sounds like you each are doing great! ~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~

Hi everybody!
A lot has been going on, mostly good! Ive been focusing on raking up the area around the storage trailer of all the tiny pieces of trash & plastic, and that great feeling in my dream has absolutely manifested! It feels fantastic! I finally found a place that can fix my car, so ill rent a truck & just keep taking loads to the dump! Im gonna collect everything i can comfortably carry, then later find a way to get the bigger heavier stuff. It has been so soothing to clear that stuff!
Things with the boyfriend became very obvious when he pushed his power trip games too far a few days ago. Im sad he isnt the one, but im ok with it...im actually doing pretty good! Ive been on a wonderful & deep spiritual journey that has been fantastic!
Today the stray/feral black kitty got bullyish with my cats & my big alpha male got in a fight with it! In his 11 years ive never known him to actually fight! I think it was spurred by his girlfriend, Ms. Lioness, being chased. It was very chivalrous of him! I also feel like a trader cuz ive been talking nice to it, tho telling it it cant bully my cats...i dont want to turn away any needy kitties, as long as they dont bully mine.
My short term memory is so bad. I read y'all's posts & had things i wanted to say to each of you, but if i dont write it down as im reading them...geeez...but it sounds like you each are doing great! ~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~

Hi everybody!
A lot has been going on, mostly good! Ive been focusing on raking up the area around the storage trailer of all the tiny pieces of trash & plastic, and that great feeling in my dream has absolutely manifested! It feels fantastic! I finally found a place that can fix my car, so ill rent a truck & just keep taking loads to the dump! Im gonna collect everything i can comfortably carry, then later find a way to get the bigger heavier stuff. It has been so soothing to clear that stuff!
Things with the boyfriend became very obvious when he pushed his power trip games too far a few days ago. Im sad he isnt the one, but im ok with it...im actually doing pretty good! Ive been on a wonderful & deep spiritual journey that has been fantastic!
Today the stray/feral black kitty got bullyish with my cats & my big alpha male got in a fight with it! In his 11 years ive never known him to actually fight! I think it was spurred by his girlfriend, Ms. Lioness, being chased. It was very chivalrous of him! I also feel like a trader cuz ive been talking nice to it, tho telling it it cant bully my cats...i dont want to turn away any needy kitties, as long as they dont bully mine.
My short term memory is so bad. I read y'all's posts & had things i wanted to say to each of you, but if i dont write it down as im reading them...geeez...but it sounds like you each are doing great! ~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~

Hi everybody!
A lot has been going on, mostly good! Ive been focusing on raking up the area around the storage trailer of all the tiny pieces of trash & plastic, and that great feeling in my dream has absolutely manifested! It feels fantastic! I finally found a place that can fix my car, so ill rent a truck & just keep taking loads to the dump! Im gonna collect everything i can comfortably carry, then later find a way to get the bigger heavier stuff. It has been so soothing to clear that stuff!
Things with the boyfriend became very obvious when he pushed his power trip games too far a few days ago. Im sad he isnt the one, but im ok with it...im actually doing pretty good! Ive been on a wonderful & deep spiritual journey that has been fantastic!
Today the stray/feral black kitty got bullyish with my cats & my big alpha male got in a fight with it! In his 11 years ive never known him to actually fight! I think it was spurred by his girlfriend, Ms. Lioness, being chased. It was very chivalrous of him! I also feel like a trader cuz ive been talking nice to it, tho telling it it cant bully my cats...i dont want to turn away any needy kitties, as long as they dont bully mine.
My short term memory is so bad. I read y'all's posts & had things i wanted to say to each of you, but if i dont write it down as im reading them...geeez...but it sounds like you each are doing great! ~☆~♡~☆~♡~☆~

Wow, pain. Great job! How nice that the clean house is inspiring your family!

I've been asleep all day.
Woke up and all the laundry was done and folded.
Dinner was ready.

I'll just keep on with scanning.
I'll go by storage on way to work.
Sold some of my daughters toys $200.
A family friend gave them to her, but she doesn't want them. I'll set up a college fund.

Hello everyone. We are having a blizzard today. I honestly haven't done much other then some laundry and the dishes. I shoveled and will have someone shovel for me later tonight. Now i want to nap.


I'm glad you'll see some family members, CM. the visit will warm your heart. With my mother in her high 80s, I have to treasure every moment. I am thankful she lives just a few blocks from my house. Today when walking with BF in the snow he suggested we stop by Mom's but honestly I just wanted to get home and start shoveling. We tried to shovel before the wind kicked up, so tonight won't be as bad.

Tillie congrats on the easy tire fix! Maybe this will get me to do something about my tire finally!!

Hope everyone is well. I've been a sloth lately with housework. I just want to sleep.

Hi,

Got 2nd load of laundry done. One more to go. The plumbing here drains slowly so I'm supposed to wait awhile if doing more than one load a day. But it's been a multitasking sort of day and I don't want to start another load so I'll wait.

Have a small box going again for the thrift store. Weather here is blustery but by Saturday it's supposed to be in the 70s! On Sunday I'll ride along with my cousins to the town where they're having the 90th birthday party for my aunt. She's had a lot of health problems and had to go in the nursing home in the last year. Time with the elderly members of my extended family is getting more and more precious. I also visited my parents' grave this week because they both died in February.

That family closeness is something I've missed out on a lot of because of the highway driving phobia I've had for many years. If they don't come to me - and since I have neither spouse nor kids it's easier to be overlooked by those who do - I have to wait for an invitation and a ride. There have even been times when I was nervous about riding but that has eased off a little. And I don't want to have regrets so I do the best I can.

What does all this have to do with hoarding, you may ask? Well, for me it's so easy to take the path of least resistance and cocoon with my THINGS than face at least some of my fears and reap the benefits of getting to see people and try to forge connections. But I've been stuck in that old rut and I know it well. Memories and love will fill my heart a lot better, and I won't have to dust them or store them or trip over them. So anyway, looking forward to a memorable weekend.

Good morning, everyone!

Tillie I hope yesterday went okay. I also have one leaky tire that needs to be fixed/replaced. I hope you made it through the encounter in one piece.

CM please don't feel defensive about the storage. It is a necessary evil. You are between moves! You need this space! If I made you uncomfortable I hope you'll accept my apology. Dealing with our hoards is tricky business, to be sure. Meanwhile, hip hip hooray on the auto repairs!

My house is filthy right now. I did nothing yesterday at all and hope to get some things done today. Anything.

We are expecting big snow today.

So what are you doing today??? Love a drive-by by Anony if possible!

Just asked mother in law.
If she could take some of the silverware.
She scoffs at me.
And just washed what was In the sink.

I knew she would do that.
So I scrolled my picture gallery to the silverware tub it's full of 3 sets and extra utensils.
Many of them still dirty.
She was aghast. I am too, but it is what is. Could just dump purge them a start new. But I just don't seem to want to.
If I could just wash them in a dish washer I would be certain they were steam cleaned. And that's all that's needed.
I guess I could ask my brother. We spent Superbowl without arguing. And seemed nice about the clean up.
I have to remember sometimes .
We have to ask to get.
If we don't ask we don't get.

Again. It seems I find a happiness in cleaning stuff, but I need help from others. I can't bring myself to touch the dirty forks and spoons that are months old. I can use gloves, but not to wash by hand . They need steamed.

I want to reorganize the kitchen appliances in storage. Bring back the expensive ones. But still ready for move.

My goal is to get things ready to move to a single store.

I'm going to look into a SAM.
A TRANSPORT storage container. So when we move . I load up the sam . And have it delivered to the next address. I can make a list of the doing the furthest room packed last. .
I'm moving June 1st hell or high water.
I will not live with mother in law.
She's not polite. She . Ugh. I don't want to.
My daughter graduates 8th grade May 26th. That will give me a week to move.
I feel much more at ease knowing I'll be ready. But the stuff that isn't ready will not be expensive to replace. So it might be better to just dump what's left in storage than to keep paying fees. Rather spend money replacing things monthly as new products . Hoping to donate much of the less valuable for taxes. Up to $500.

P.S.
CM
I wish I could afford permanent storage.
I love my vacuum cleaners. I have a Kirby.
I also have a wash wizard, a steamer, and one hand held. And two cheap cheap.

One use to tell others to sweep with.
The others are like tools , it bothers me when others use them. My process is to have others clear the way . As I go around the walls .

Nothing keeps my house on the straight and narrow as getting everyone to participate in sweeping all at once together. They tell me it sucks. I just smile knowing the truth hurts sometimes.

Hey,

Van is fixed except for the window motor. Maybe doing front shocks but not right away.

I have a confession to make. I got to feeling a bit defensive about my storage unit and needed to work through my ruffled feathers. And it wasn't that I felt anyone meant to shame me, and I knew I was taking things personally that I shouldn't, but I was tired and stressed and cranky, so please don't anybody take this as an accusation. I know it's my knee jerk hoarder paranoia when the subject of storage units comes up. For the record, I look forward to the happy day when I no longer have one. But I'm not ready to NOT have one at this time for several reasons - financial and practical, mental and emotional.

Okay, 'nuff said on that, moving on. Now that the van is fixed, though I'm broke to the point of being in the red for the rest of the month, I feel okay, because I don't have that suspense about when the repairs would happen. So now I can catch up on many things. Started today with laundry, which will give access to parts of my room blocked by laundry bags, which I can then organize. And I need to call a vacuum cleaner repair place so we can get a new hose on the vacuum. And much more, but a start has been made.

Wednesday
Mother in law is home???

I went to storage unit.
Spent 3 hours condensing tubs.
Out of my hoard I've Condensed6 tubs into 3.
I'm now have 48 tubs and 50 shoe boxes.
I took sold items to the exchange site me t to the police station. I'm now up to $241 in sales from my purge and $380 in donations for next year's taxes.
I asked my wife to go through her tub pictures and mark everything that is $20 or more. And I hope to bring all that back home. I know I need to spend time with the hoard purging or I may not downsize they way I hope to.

I now about to start scanning photos and important papers.

Before I went to bed yesterday. I got all the computers and laptops networked across Wi-Fi .
Now we only need to press the right buttons and we can talk into any TV and save the conversations to external drives. I'm hoping to start going paperless.
No more newspapers.
Mail is opened outside ,itd trash is put into paper bin before it gets into house.
I take all important papers now to the scanner , I put the papers after scanning into 4 plastic boxes that are marked JFM AMJ JAS OND. I hope this brings the paper hoard from growing. Have 7 tubs that are just papers from years past.it needs purged, but I need a way from generating these paper hoards in the first place.

Mother in law brought back washed sheets , comforters, pillow cases, and towels. I'm happy with that and I told her it made me happy. We both went into wife's area and cleaned it . We both made the bedding .
She said she didn't feel comfortable with being infront of the Webcam in her room . I told her , just turn it to HDMI 3 on her remote if she can see herself then just put a towel over the camera. It's simple that way she can still speak to the TV conversation but not be seen..
so I'll stop on the networking . It's good enough for now.

I'll scan until dinner. Then I plan to wash all the counter tops in the house.
I m trying to make routine that follows a path of logic.

Monday kitchen
Tuesday trash, toilets, floors.
Wednesday all counters and scanning.
Thursday's all laundry's
Friday all bathrooms , drawers and closets.
Saturday storage work. And dinning roo.
Sunday's bedrooms , living room

I wish I knew what other people do.

I think I'm better off doing something everyday.
Rather than having a day off.

Good Morning :)

Hi Tatoulia :)
Yeah, housework is rather easy in a very tiny house without any clutter or unnecessary furniture or knickknacks.
There is just exactly the right amount of things, not too much and not too little. :D
Good Luck! with the consigning!
Hope you and Kitty get to enjoy more days home together. (((hugs)))

Hi Pain :)
WAY TO GO!!!
For all your maintenance and especially for the fun relaxing things you have been doing!
Happy that you are going to be doing your model homes projects! :D

High anxiety this morning.
Going to the tire place to see about fixing that tire.
Never been there before and I freak out when I have to go someplace I have never been before and talk to people I have never talked to before and negotiate for services I have never negotiated for before.
All alone by myself.
But I must force myself to do this.
I really am doing so much better, at least now I can actually get myself to leave the house.
I am capable of speaking to people in "RL" real life.
This is how I will overcome my issues, by feeling the fear and forcing myself to do it.
I know I'm being silly but afterward I will feel so triumphant! :D

Trying to keep the habits going.
No energy drink.

Trash day cleared the fridge,and all trash cans.
Cleared the car as bringing back the can from the curb.
Quick clean of the kitchen
Cleaned all toilets, mopped all moppable floors.
Checked all mouse baits. Threw out five dead mice.

Took a long health bath, with ice cream in a cup.

Took a long nap.
Went to storage bin .
Selected more easy to sell items to post .
Condensed 3 tubs Into 1.
Took 5 items that didn't sell to good will.
Brought back 2 tubs from wife's tubs that have the most valuable things.
Brought back my foamcore cutting tools and architecture templates. Put them away under my bed to be organized.
Fixed dinner in single pot pressure cooker.
Cleaned up plates and the cooker , put all kitchen things away.
Spent 45 minutes scanning photos.
All is well.

Hi Tillie! I'm glad Mr Tillie was well enough to go to work. Wow--you make housework sound easy. I thought up a few more things to consign but now I've forgotten so that's embarrassing.

I haven't done much of anything here so I need to look alive. Tonight I'm hanging out quietly. Kitty is asleep on her chair and I love her so.

I have a lot to do tomorrow. I think I can swing working from home Wednesday & Thursday which could give me a chance to do some things around the house.

I'll keep you posted. HEY CM is the car finished and working? I hope so.

Good Afternoon :D

He went to work today and so far, 1:00pm, he's still there.
I got up at 6:00am and after breakfast started cleaning the house.
Cleaned the bathroom, washed, wiped, dusted, washed floors, vacuumed and generally straightened up.
Kitchen was already clean since last night.
YEA!!!! :D
Rained a bit this morning but cleared up and has been nice.
Next storm should be here soon, so more rain or snow.
Tomorrow I need to go and try to find "Les Schwab" tire place because the car has a slow leak in the front left tire.
It's very annoying. ;P

TTFN :)

Hi :D

WAY TO GO! Pain :D
Now is the time to slow down, relax, play, laugh.
(((HUGS)))

Hi Joan :)
That's good to know :D

Hi Tatoulia :)
Thank you (((hug)))
We're tired but doing ok.
Stone or stones are still making their way through but no need for the ER, yet.

Scooter (the cat) had another Vet appointment today and the Dr. is very pleased with how well his eyes have responded to the treatments.
I am pleased too since he does not seem to have pain any more and is back to being his old obnoxious self.
It took me 15 minutes to get him into the cat carrier!
LOL :D

Sleep well you all (((hug)))

Tillie, checking in on you & Mr Tillie. Hope you are both ok.

Now I truly feel burned out.
No energy drink.
My wife keeps surfing her things from chromecast.
I keep puttering in her new area. I'm not happy with it. She says she's happy just being near the restroom. But I think I can improve it alot.
It's just a matter of not not letting her pile up with trash. Day 1 and she's already a small mess. Her mom isn't here. I hope we didn't hurt her feelings . But I felt I needed to control my home. So I'll spend the rest of the evening . Hooking the Wi-Fi into the video chat. So that my wife can speak to us no matter which room were in.

In my opinion .
We don't communicate very well even when we agree.
So the hoarding was just one of the symptoms. If our annoyances with each other create an environment of neglect. Then I don't want her to be neglected in other ways. If I'm not home due to work, and her mom is gone. Then that leaves the 13 year old. I've put as much effort into connection electronics as possible. I can be home in 30 minutes if necessary. I have old smart phones that can only call 911. Placed in everyroom downstairs.

I mean I'm thinking of getting the Alexa so she call for help just by calling out into air.

But she moans and groans and I wonder if that might cause more problems than it would solve.

He friends have ordered to stay.

......
When my father time. And to be bed ridden. I was the one that filled the schedules. We had hospices. But it was dads friends that spent the afternoons with him. That made his days intresting.
And not as impersonal as a health workers.


I'm sorry I'm just thinking this up as I go.

I think I also need a focus on myself thing.
A daily creative outlet. I'm not in therapy or or on my meds yet. I have all my model home materials
In one bin. Now that my abode is clear and clean.
I find my mind want to pick up the project where I left 3 years ago where I left off.
Not to bore y'all.
Model home project.
Water proof,fireproof,tornado and wind proof,earthquake proof.
No air Conditioning on basement level.
Collect rain water for ten people.
Collects solar and wind power.
Can be built by homeowner in phases.
Phase1 2 storage Containers
As building materials are shipped to site in storage Containers
The storage Containers become part of the house electrical, power and water compartments.

Three phases.
Tamped earth double hashtag structure
Storage compartments installations.
Aluminum foamcore second floor and roof.

Features.
Large enough to house ten.
Built In Storage's.
Garages and workshops and swimming pools. Can be built on as a pay as you go mortgage free expansion.

Uh-huh. That felt good.

A note to file under "Benefits of Hoarding":

I learned from a friend, about 20 years ago, to wrap fresh spinach tightly in a dish towel and save it that way. I did it for quite a while, but became too unwell to continue following through on the procedure. So I had mostly abandoned fresh spinach.

In the last month or so I was too tempted by large plastic bags of robust spinach to resist. I came home with two bags on sale almost two weeks ago, and despaired of eating it all before it went bad. I have been avoiding it for about a week now, although it still looks good in the bag, fearing I would find soupy rotten spinach. But lo❗️❗️❗️ I just opened it, and the spinach is still fresh and bouncy.

How did this happen? My fridge was so stuffed after my grocery shopping trip that there was not enough room in it to stash the second bag of spinach. So, I tore the bag open and deflated it - The bags are all inflated like beach balls to fool you into thinking there is enough spinach to last the rest of your life. Then I rolled the bag up tightly and put a rubber band around it. The spinach kept fresh even without the dry kitchen dish towel.

Congratulations, Pain, you did it!

I had a storage in the past. A refrigerator, washer dryer.25 for 5 years. Then when I needed them they didn't work.

Not enough time to give details.
My house is painted. Some rooms have new carpet.
My wife took the back room.
Daughter took masterbed room.
Mother in law to the drum room
I took the daughters room.
The dinning room is beautiful again.

So the house is done . I mean done.
I'm hoping the storage pays for itself.
I hope I organised it enough to be functional.

I think I got too obsessed. But the result is no signs of neglect. I sort of just want to sleep.

It was nice to see everyone , but will be nice to see them without making everyone work. I didn't visit very much. Just kept moving from room to room.

I'm sorry he's in that kind of pain, Tillie. I've never had a kidney stone but I've heard they are agonizing. I hope he passes it soon. How awful. I hope you don't need to take him to hospital on the middle of the night.

I was glad to have the BF buy the art only because i think he'll enjoy some of it and 50 was nominal. He can keep it, give it away, whatever he wants. It's no longer here. And I loved each piece and now it's someone else's turn. The biggest relief is to get rid of it. I also got two bags to goodwill. I didn't get anything done this weekend and I don't care. I got the art out and started the consignment process and it feels great!

Kitty and I will be going to bed soon. I will work to get some things done tomorrow, after I sleep in since tomorrow's a day off!

I'm sorry he's in that kind of pain, Tillie. I've never had a kidney stone but I've heard they are agonizing. I hope he passes it soon. How awful. I hope you don't need to take him to hospital on the middle of the night.

I was glad to have the BF buy the art only because i think he'll enjoy some of it and 50 was nominal. He can keep it, give it away, whatever he wants. It's no longer here. And I loved each piece and now it's someone else's turn. The biggest relief is to get rid of it. I also got two bags to goodwill. I didn't get anything done this weekend and I don't care. I got the art out and started the consignment process and it feels great!

Kitty and I will be going to bed soon. I will work to get some things done tomorrow, after I sleep in since tomorrow's a day off!

WAY TO GO!!! Tatoulia :D
This way you will still be able to view and appreciate the ones he displays.
Good idea consigning a few things to see how they do. GOOD LUCK!
I too hate when people insist on paying when I do something generous from the heart.
Like my neighbor friends insisting on paying me for my decluttering, downsizing and organizing skills. :(

Thank you so very much for sharing your own storage history.
Sorry you went through that but very happy you and your sister connected in a long lasting way.(((HUGS)))

Warning TMI...
Interesting day today.
He has been peeing almost straight blood and rolling around in exquisite agony as he tries to pass a kidney stone.
The blood is from a sharp pokey scratchy stone tearing it's way down through the kidney.
I have been on "stand by" to drive him to the ER if the meds we have on hand aren't enough to handle it.
But he seems to be improving now.
Usually this means the stone has traveled all the way down into the bladder where he will now have to suffer some more to pass it.
This isn't the first time we've played this game.

Grossness over...

Today I washed & sanitized litter boxes, took a shower and did one small load of laundry.
Watched a lot of movies on Netflix and Youtube.
Looking forward to bedtime.

BBFN :D

BF wanted every art piece so there's SIX pieces out of my life. He wanted to get them appraised and then putchase but I said, take them all for a total of 50 if you insist on paying. I didn't want to take the money but at least two pieces I paid over 200 each for and one piece is a sampler from early 1800s and is very, very dear. He can do what he wants with them. I am so relieved to have them gone. And at under 10 a piece, he's done very well for himself.

At consignment store I consigned a couple of Antiques and hopefully they will sell. If they don't, then I'll send to goodwill. I just needed to give them a chance. If they sell I'll look into getting rid of more stuff that way.

Whenever I see Storage Unit I relive the nightmare that brought me here. I think I had my unit for close to 20 years. By the end I was paying over 350 a month and I was financially going down the tubes. I remember facing facts and starting to get rid of stuff. My brother gave me one of his closets to store my binned Christmas stuff. That ended in disaster as he threw some out, threatened me, became violent, etc. really bad. Anyway, I digress. The good part was my sister helped and we had never been friends or gotten along and now two years later we are still friends. She took some oriental rugs, she helped me decide on other stuff, and before I knew it, I had gotten rid of everything. And I mean everything. Desk grandpa made, my beautiful cherry wood furniture from my childhood, countless bins with bedding, silk drapes, you name it. All gone. And I still feel stress thinking about the years I kept that stuff. Years and years and years.

So for me, Storage unit equals big nightmare.

I have four pieces of art ready to go to consignment shop. BF has asked to see it first. I have one piece I'll know he'll like and I'm only too happy to give it to him. I've wanted to give it to him for years but didn't want him to feel I was giving him my cast-offs. So I'll let him choose it from the other works. I also have a large piece I think he'll want, but I don't have what it takes to pull it out and carry it for blocks up to his place. I'll put it in the living room and let him decide.

I have more to go but there's a chance my brother threw it out. The container also had my college & grad degrees and I think he got rid of it. He seemed pretty nervous when I asked him about it yesterday. I don't have an office so I no longer have them hung up. I would really only want my grad school degree. The two college degrees don't mean as much to me, although they were hard-earned.

Good Morning Everybody :)

Hi Pain :)
Thinking about you and your plans for today.
Hoping everything goes GREAT! :D

Hi CriticalMass :)
YIPPEE! :D
The van is in the shop!
Fingers crossed that there are no more unplanned expenses and your storage plans get done.


There are times when having a storage unit is the way to go.
When people are between homes and need to store their household is one time.
Or like Pain is doing to clear the home due to a family illness and the people who own the excess stuff are not willing to sort/donate/discard anything yet.
Or like my neighbor friends who downsized their house, moved into an RV to travel for a few years before they plan on buying another house where they will want their furnishings/heirlooms again.
I used it when I pulled up stakes and took off in a truck with a camper and traveled for a year.
Storage can also be a very expensive endless black hole when used just because the home has become too full of things.
Too many people these days have a rented storage space where they put things rather than make any keep/toss/donate decisions.
When that's the case I try to convince them to not get a storage unit or if they have one already I try to convince them to work on getting it sorted out and gone.
Short term storage is good/OK, but long term storage is a big financial drain.
Often the value of the stored items is far less than the price to store it.

Well, an update already on my Big Storage Move.

I freaked out because I checked my bank account. Should've done it yesterday (payday) after paying bills and buying gasoline. Did it today to see how much I'd have left after paying the mechanic when he brings my van back. About had a coronary - I have a church contribution auto withdrawal tomorrow and if I hadn't checked the bank, I would've written him the check and it would've gone through but the church withdrawal would've sent me into Overdraft Hell! EEK!

So, drop back 20 yards and punt (how apropos to Super Bowl weekend *sardonic laugh*). Roomie will lend me money to cover, we'll sort it later. Another penny pinching month commences. Driving out to the storage to sort stuff won't be frequent, nor will groceries be plentiful.

Anyway, to cut to the chase - I'm going to put it back a month. When March payday comes (and please, Lord, let me not have any more pending things like car repairs?) I'll pay another month on the current storage unit and commence the plan. Maybe it'll be better that way anyway, give me time to round up minions and possibly even start a GoFundMe.

Pain, I would view this storage business differently save for the fact that I'm essentially homeless (on disability, fixed income) except that I rent this room from my friend. I haven't got money to even make a deposit on a place, and in the town where I live you can't get anything that's not scary ghetto for a single woman to live in for what I can afford to pay. Plus I have 2 pet rabbits that are my therapy animals; without them I would probably end up in the mental ward. Pet-friendly places are way harder to find not to mention the cost of pet deposits.

So for now I have to stay put. There's not enough room here for me to store my stuff, I'm not going to throw out things like family memories and my good cookware and such just to eliminate the storage unit. I can get rid of papers and junk etc. but there is only so far I can downsize until I get a "home" of my own again. I long for that with so much of my being, especially after the foreclosure I went through in 2011. That still gives me nightmares. I think I have PTSD on top of my other mental crap. But I'm fighting back as best I can. *weak smile*

At any rate, right now I'm just plain exhausted. Going to go rest awhile. Night all! I am more thankful for you people on this board than words can say.

Can't remember who was saving power cords. The kind with the box on Them that is a power supply to devices.

Most of them have serial number on them.
Do a Google Search and most likely it will tell you what it goes to.
Things are going fast.

CM
Are about putting irreplaceable items in a storage . If your short on money. I've lost a lot in storage bin when I couldn't pay after a car wreck.
Right now I have a credit card. Set up to make the payments automatically. So if something happens it take care of its self for a little while.

I view my storage as temporary. I'm going to move in a few months. So I used the storage as way to get out ahead . But everything just kept going and going.

Breaking News - summarized version because I'm kind of overwhelmed and will need time to process.

OK, 1st piece: My van is with the mechanic, getting fixed! Started yesterday, hopefully will be finished later today. Needed spark plugs too. There's always another thing. It's a 1987 model. What can I say. The cost will make it a tight month but I'm used to that.

2nd piece: Mechanic says I really need to not drive around with all the stuff in the back or I'll keep having to replace shock absorbers. He says he could just take my money and not say anything. But he cares. In short - IT'S TIME to deal with this. Kick into high gear like Pain is doing.

I have the across town storage unit paid till March 20th. If I got one close by here after March 3rd payday, and got some minions lined up, I'd have that overlap period in March to get the job done. While I'm doing the logistics to acquire minions, I can be going out and getting as much trash out as quickly as possible. All other nonessentials suspended in my life. It won't be as bad as a move, though, because I won't have to decide what comes to the house - it's just from one storage to another storage.

Boxes and tubs - fill them, let minions transport them. If time permits, label them with broad category labels. No time for OCD. Just get them where it doesn't look so bad for the minions to see and where they can just pick up, carry, transport, stack. Then when all is done, I will have new storage unit closer to home and can make frequent visits, until hoard is no longer a hoard but merely my organized stuff waiting for that happy day when I get a place of my own to live a much simpler life. Whew!

All hands, BATTLE STATIONS!! RED ALERT!!! (I've been watching a lot of Star Trek lately)

Good Morning Everybody :)

Hi Tatoulia :)
WAY TO GO! with your resolve to continue to strive for 30%!
Happy you are taking a day off from work so that you can concentrate on your homework.

Hi Anonymoniker :)

Hi CriticalMass :)
Fingers are crossed that your "good Thing" happens for you!

Hi Pain :)
Sorry your shingles decided to torment you. (((hug)))
WAY TO GO!!! with all you have done and those GREAT plans for the weekend.
GOOD LUCK! you will be in all our thoughts and prayers.

Worry, stress and frustration from beating my head against a brick wall has worn me down physically.
Rested yesterday & feel much better today.
So today I will get back to trying to reason with him about some very unreasonable things he is doing.
A whole lot of financial and illogical stuff needs to be straightened out.

TTFN :)

Sending you strength, patience & continued resolve, Pain.

My shingles are giving e great agony today but it's nothing new.

can't sleep.
before bed I told my wife and her mother that I have people coming to help me finish up.
I just feel like they would try to run the show if they knew how many were coming.

I floated the idea that her mother pay rent if she's going to stay ALL the time. they got mad a hell. thing is I overheard them talking . they think hear loss . but actual hear very well when I'm concentrating on listening. I heard mother in law say she could bring a bed from her house to ours. and that she be here whenever she's needed. I think I should do whatever best for my wife and daughter. but I am constant conflict with her. .

I left the house to avoid talking about it. it's just the type of thing that make everyone upset with each other. they think just four people are coming to help get the storage tubs moved.

when I came back . I sat the two of them down.told them I want them to go shopping while we're cleaning up. that my cousins are coming too. my cousins have tattoos and like to drink beer. I said I want mother in law to stay with us as much as she likes ,but like it if she went home Friday Saturday and Sunday. unless or until my wife turns for the worst. then stay as much as she wants.

mother in law scoffed.
but my wife spoke up. and said that sounds like a great idea. so I held out 400 to go shopping for drapes and whatever else.
that we'll make room for her but no need to move stuff in. let's just wait on moving anything here until the house is clean up. before they had a chance to say anything else.. I called myself on my phone .
and walked away leaving the money.

I went back up to wife's room .
took the bed apart.

earlier I got my brothers van and picked up the couch., got home and moved all the backroom tubs to the porch.
I paid my daughters friends $10 each to clean the backroom as much as possible for an hour.
then took them to the mall.

finally at 9 they needed picked up from the mall. asked if they could have a sleep over.
I said no , but they can next weekend.
we got home at ten. fixed popcorn and watched a movie. some show about post office workers that are in love. it was fine. there wasn't any drama.

mother-in-law went upstairs to sleep in the drum room. and my wife said we need to talk.
she said she doesn't want her mom here living here all the time. but it would be nice if we could figure out a way for her to have her own room. I said I'm listening.

my wife said
move daughter into master bedroom with the drums.
I keep my room
mother law moves into daughters room.
wife moves into back room.

I told her about the really big couch.
she was unsure.
I called my brother who lives a block away.
he and my nephew came and we put the couch in the back room..

my wife threw some blankets on it and went to sleep it was after midnight.

I like wife's plan better than mine because it keeps the huge dinning room table in the house. it's quieter in the back room too.
I'll just have to make it work for her.
it's adjacent to the bathroom. is why she likes it. I hope they spend the money on the back room . I'm about to get to my low amount left.
I have 500 left to spend on the cleaning party but most of it already bought.

I'm getting started on the trips to storage.
since I can't sleep.
........
I'm back with 6 dozen doughnuts.
milks , water, juices, teas , and coffees covered.
I'm just keep loading the tubs. easiest first.
I'm being very careful to stay organized. no tub is being put out of order. the storage bins are now separated into individually.
and each person's stuff into valuable, large and small. the most valuable things will be brought back home. after the clean up. or sold by the owner. I'm up to $105 now total sales. I hope to sell enough to pay for the units.
so it don't want to make it unmanageable again .I've spent time photographing and labeling the tubs. the shoe boxes outline the units on the top shelves. it took a little work, but it's worth it to me to know exactly where all the small stuff is. all in a single layer nothing overlapping. the photos are organized as a slide show for each person. we can view on the phone or through the chromecast Wi-Fi to TV. so there is no mystery to where their stuff is. no need to hunt for stuff. I'm working on making manifest in Excel to be a searchable inventory. when I was being yelled at. I was asked how do I know what is trash and what is valuable.
~sigh~
I told her that there are 82 bags of trash in the back parking space . if she thinks there's stuff in them go look for herself. and I didn't go look for her like she demanded. . trash is trash.
.....

my cousin is here . he's early and I'm feeling empowered. will check in later.

Correction: independent, NOT i dependant.....wow?....interesting Freudien-typo....ha ha.....???

Pain, all i can say is, i sure wish coffee did THAT to me?! WOW! WAY TO GO!!! It all sounds truly fantastic!!!
....there are so many good things with my relationship...ive been single most of my life....i know what that is about....if i could just not depend on him as a boyfriend, just a guy i see...i keep trying to stay my normal i dependant self, too....
Thank you, Tatoulia!
I hope youre feeling better, Tillie?! ~☆~♡~☆~

Pain, all i can say is, i sure wish coffee did THAT to me?! WOW! WAY TO GO!!! It all sounds truly fantastic!!!
....there are so many good things with my relationship...ive been single most of my life....i know what that is about....if i could just not depend on him as a boyfriend, just a guy i see...i keep trying to stay my normal i dependant self, too....
Thank you, Tatoulia!
I hope youre feeling better, Tillie?! ~☆~♡~☆~

I am so socially awkward.

At some point I took on. The idea . That normal thinkers can do things for me if I pay them. Or if we're friends that exchange services. That worked for a while. Buy on the homefront. My wife just makes it hard. If I do have friends over it's a bash fest on everything I've ever done stupidly.
Then when the house got trashed I didn't keep giving my friends time.
I'm gratefully I'm driven and getting this done. However it's like a snapshot . Years and years of neglect . Then finally pushing hard in just a month. It's always the social angle that does the heavy lifting that I can not.

I've had a alot of sleep. I did get all of the stuff in my wife's room tubbed up . I can tell you this. I was yelled at. Like a thief. I was in her room is was going through HR stuff. Not Luke investigating. That was so stressful for her. I don't her to have stress. But the mess just has to go. It should never got to that point. I stopped sleeping in her room because of her hoard. But the other problems come forward . I heard it said we're need to sleep Like spoons or our bond diminishes. I can say that applies to us .

Mnnn. It's like ripping off a bandaid . It's worse to go slow , but going fast can seem mean too.

I know what you mean about getting bogged down.
I'm doing what I call a four corner clean.
Remove everything. Sweep the floors, clean the WIndows, put the furniture back and clean everything as I put it back.

Put the clutter into tubs ,
Eventually put tubs in storage
Photo the tubs .

All know is no one helped. When non of us were helping ourselves.

I think I'm not just swinging for the fences.
I feel like its the world series the last game in the ninth inning . Two outs, bases loaded.
But I get to use the best bat ever made.
I'm determined. I'm ready.
Tomorrow will be the last day that any traces of the hoard.

I've got a plan to pull up carpet and paint walls.
I've got the man power to do it.
The only thing that remain will be the memories.

I have a plan to have a maid service in the future.
I don't need a maid.
However I need to stop the madness coming back.
A professional cleaner. To keep the kitchen and bathrooms clean. I think I could Handel the rest.

To be clear . I'm cleaning. Not sorting. I have much much further to go on the sorting. I may never get it all sorted. So it's easy to get helpers to clear space and move furniture paint walls, wash windows. Bring food.

Right now the possessions in the hoard are not as important as the home environment where our daughter and her friends laugh and play. Where mother In law enjoys the environment that is our home. Where we can spend time together as close friends..

We may still have drama , but won't be hoarding related.

I never realised how much people want to help. I mean I do but I didn't let them .
Just say free Chili and please. And say nothing else until they speak.
But I know of my clean freak relatives. I'm paying them to lead . Specific tasks and goals.
Everything must be done in 6 hours.
2 three hour periods. Starting at 9am.

Just details.

I'm just going over the list again and getting all the supplies and tools prepped.

If wife and mother in law cause trouble.
My plan is to send them to a movie, or to her mother's house an hour away.

Tillie my dear I hope you are keeping yourself hydrated. I wish I were there to keep an eye on you. So sorry you are dizzy. Sending you much love.

Anony please just remember that you are important and your opinions are important and your emotions are valid. I do not want you to be batted around like a toy. But that's all I'll say because I value your friendship and your advice and I don't want to step on your toes. I am saying what i would say to a most cherished friend. I am excited for your progress! I've been a little stalled all week.

I am still at office, eager to get home, but I wanted to check in on everyone.

Wishing us all a healthy and productive weekend. I'm cheering for all of us!!

I am taking Monday off with the hope I can get a mental break from life and get work done.

Wow, CM, i can not believe how your bit on having help is exactly what im going through! Except add in the many criminals in the area to worry about coming here on top of all that. Yesterday i decided to just rent a truck & do what i can on my own. My ex & i may get back together...for a while...?!?...maybe he can grab one end of the big heavy stuff...i want to try to work things out with him. I cant just not even try. I just wish i didnt care as much...
~☆♡☆~Love & Happy Cleaning to all!~☆♡☆~

Wow, CM, i can not believe how your bit on having help is exactly what im going through! Except add in the many criminals in the area to worry about coming here on top of all that. Yesterday i decided to just rent a truck & do what i can on my own. My ex & i may get back together...for a while...?!?...maybe he can grab one end of the big heavy stuff...i want to try to work things out with him. I cant just not even try. I just wish i didnt care as much...
~☆♡☆~Love & Happy Cleaning to all!~☆♡☆~

CM, thanks for your post. For some reason it really resonated with me.

Tonight I am just doing a little laundry. I am going to gather up things to consign over the weekend and I want to shred papers and get rid of things. I have two bags ready for goodwill. Honestly I don't know where all this stuff comes from. I really have every closet filled.

I need to change nyinue to let go of stuff if I'm to have any peace. I don't have the peace I want yet. But I'm closer, I'm getting closer. 30% reduction in February is the goal.

Keep up the good work, everyone. Try to find some rest, Oain. I cannot believe how driven you are.

Hello everyone

It's been a day of not doing too much for me. Last night I did get the tub filled with doll clothes trims, today I took it to the van which is where they must live for now due to not enough room in the house and not wanting them clear across town in the storage unit where they'll never get used up during sewing sessions. After that I was tired. The day here was overcast and grey (groundhog did see his shadow but that was in Pennsylvania). And I think I did a lot yesterday and wore myself out.

Anony, good going with the plastic pieces. Taking it clear down to the fresh soil sounds like a metaphor for making a fresh start. :) I hope your heartache eases as quickly as possible. Me, I don't really believe in soulmates so much as long term building of a solid mutual respect, maturity, and being grounded in the other person's greater good. No romantic fantasies, no codependency, etc. What I did years ago making those errors messed with me so badly, and I didn't get married because it took me so long to get steadied out. I'm also socially awkward with men so whether I will ever, I don't know. The childbearing ship has sailed anyway. But I'm okay, life is good, I just want to deal with the hoarding and the future will be bright however it turns out.

Pain, you are so blessed to have great helpers. Not having helpers has been one of my biggest holdups dealing with my hoard. Even if I did have them, it would be tricky as I'd have to get past my embarrassment for one thing. I could probably do that with the right helpers, though, if they weren't judgmental or bossy. Another thing that has been anissue in the past when I did have people helping is that I get mentally bogged down because I'm a big picture person. So I'd be standing there in confusion trying to envision a plan and my helpers would grow impatient with no concrete tasks to do because I didn't want them to just start in any old where!

Tomorrow is payday! It has been a long stretch since the last one. So I'll go pay bills and that sort of thing. Something good may happen but I don't want to say more or count chickens. But if it does you all will know. More later.

Hey there Anony! Thanks for stopping in! Great work. Stay strong.

Better day at work today. Now I'm just tired. Good to read your posts. Hope you got groceries ok today Tillie. I have nothing in the house and will take care of over the weekend. I have kitty food and kitty litter so I'm all set if you think about it.

Keep up with the good work everyone!

I couldnt get to sleep all night...i think i dozed a bit this morning...im just so deeply disappointed that my 'soulmate' is not who i thought he was......oddly, im.really looking forward to cleaning up more of the disgusting plastic bits on the ground! :D ~♡~Love to All!!~♡~