Karl,
That sounds exciting. I hope that gets you to the next step of an interview.

Although I can see that sorta creates an awkward position if you like the other place better.

Day 12 - Having an oddball day. Preparing for a trip to see family.

Organizing some clothes.

Tillie,

I know chat stuff is supposed to stay there. Is it permissible to mention the one lady's situation and ask for thoughts and prayers for her? I think they would make a difference.

Portable on Demand Storage - PODS.
Yes on chat.

Background not discussed on chat.

I have had
a house and a storage locker.
a house, apartment and storage locker.
an apartment and storage locker.
a house and a storage locker.
two houses.
one house (with crammed basement and garage).

I swore I would never again have multiple spaces.

We won't go into long details, but shortly, for mrs dave to remain around, I needed to agree to her renting a pods unit and me clearing the garage so a new door and opener could be installed. the pods rental was for 3 months. After that was put in motion, I discovered termites. Termite treatment required clearing the entire perimeter of the garage. The door work required emptying the front third of the garage. I'd chose the size I thought I needed for the door work. We did the termit work first and that required more storage than I needed for the other project, so I had to do more discarding initially than originally planned for. Then I had to move everything around for the door work. Then there was unanticipated warranty work and my slowness in doing things which led to 4 months instead of 3 for the unit. I discarded some more things coming back into the garage from the storage unit.

Out of that experience, when diane was talking about garage repair, I was suggesting the possibility of a pods unit to help her get it done. Tillie gave an emphatic no to that and I wanted her to see that temporary storage does not always work the way she expressed.

I currently have stuff in the garage and in a small rubbermaid shed in the back. Mrs Dave has served notice she wants the shed back in the spring for gardening equipment. She is upset the car is not in the garage yet. I have been stuck on the useful stuff issue. I am out of time to "fix my head". I just need to suck it up and go do the things I would tell someone else to do. Reduce the stock pile of sheets, towels, hardware and some clothing. Declare some of my father's old tools scrap metal. Make up a big batch of still good and useful car chemicals and yard chemicals for the hazardous waste site. Make one more pass at the "valuable" plywood and lumber scraps. I bought two new ladders at thanksgiving and the unwrapped one has to live with the plywood right now. If I do all that, I think I can have room for mrs dave's garden stuff and the car. (and then I will have to start addressing the rubbermaid shed by either buying another for myself or getting rid of more.) Bicycles are one problem area I haven't figured out the solution too yet. (The x thousand $ I've wasted would have been very helpful over the next 6 months.)

Actually, I think I am getting a lot closer to the "fixing my head, fixing my life" position I want to be in-just not there yet.

With Mrs Dave's prodding, i have probably just gone by one of the road forks that lead to "old fartdom" in a decaying home.

Good morning :)

Already tired out from Scooter!
He sure is full of it this morning.
Planning to do some cleaning in here today, wash my hair and then read.
Too cold & breeze to spend time outside.
Planning to make another batch of coleslaw and then clean the kitchen.

Hope you all are having a great first Monday of March! :D

WAY TO GO!!!! Roxie :D
getting lots done!

WAY TO GO!!!! Dianne :D
Great plans for the day!

Diane,
Re garage. wanted to mention one thing for you when you are doing your checking this week.

You mentioned wiring. If your studs are exposed and you need additional circuits, I think you could string some of the wire and attach the receptacles in the garage and then have an electrician hook your stuff to the box.

You would need a wire stripper, one or two pairs of specialized pliers, one or two spade bits for your drill motor and a small bladed screwdriver. Wire, staples, receptacles and wire nuts. It's pretty much a mechanical type process to string the wire and attach the receptacles. There is no danger to you as long as you are not working with live circuits. You can get everything you need at Lowes. The labor costs and markup on copper wire that you would save would probably pay for the tools and then some. The skills you have expressed here leave me with absolutely do doubt that you could do that if you wanted to.

I did that on a house mrs dave and I used to own. All the circuit work went pretty well but I almost killed myself when I started working in the main box. I hired an electrician for that and I have a melted screwdriver as a souvenir to remind me to be careful if I work with live stuff.

0 degrees, real feel -15. I'm shoveling snow and my fingers are turning blue.

the neighborhood cardinal is in a nearby tree, (not at the very top this morning so it was difficult to find) going sweet sweet sweet sweet as fast as it could. It started to sound like a broken water pump pulley and I was looking suspiciously at my truck to see if something was wrong!

Mrs Dave just went racing by and has beaten me to the warm gloves and snow shovel. My fingers probably won't last long but I should go put in an appearance too.

(Wounded male pride. I can't be the boss of Dianne or Mrs Dave. (She is protecting my age and infirmity.))

(I also can't stop at the thrift store later to check for the green coffee pot or restaurant china I want.)

Whine! :) :)

d T & K

Greener Supreme actually dead but in sealed bag and still looks good. Eating project for this week.

Sprouting potatoes. 10lb bag and 5lb bag on sale for the same price. Score! I've had several potato lunches.

Also have dead yogurt, coconut milk, and stop light peppers.

I finished the 20 year old oreos in January. We are now working on the 3 year old licorice Scotties.

There is some lunch meat I will probably have to throw out.

Just a comment about the PODS storage.
We went one month over Mrs Dave's 3 month plan.
three reasons.
One was just my slowness in dealing with things.

Two, When cleaning into pod for gar door repair, need for (unplanned) termite treatment was discovered and this created a 2 step repair process. Each step had to have entirely different areas of the garage exposed.

Three, both the garage door and the garage door opener installation work required some unplanned for warranty work that added 2 or 3 weeks to the time the pod was needed.

I have destroyed the family finances by paying for two places for stuff storage for over 15 years. I literally broke down and cried when mrs dave first broached the idea of a storage unit as a way to get the garage repairs and cleanout going.

Jess,

Thank you for the post that you made. The last paragraph about walking around the store looking for something so you would feel accomplished. I appreciate seeing that. That is a very nice possible explanation for why, when I have gone back to the (grocery) store for a day old bargain I left there earlier, and it has been purchased, I wander around the store aimlessly looking for day old tags in other spots.

Your discouragement really comes through in your post. It also sounds like you are gaining insights from the experience. Maybe in all your challenges for dealing with a small thing, the pie, you are gathering knowledge about yourself you can use in a big thing, how to better work with your husband in regard to that house purchase.

Day Eleven -

I have to work tonight or else I would check out the chat. I work every Sunday night.

Today I want to clean up the kitchen because I made french toast as well as a giant mess in the process! I plan to go through that box of wedding cards before work even though I don't want to. I feel motivated by the deadline of my weekly task.

Yesterday I felt like crying in the grocery store just because I couldn't find what I wanted to get to bake the pie. I took the time to analyze my feelings and realized it had nothing whatsoever to do with the pie, it's that I feel helpless and lost when my plan falls apart. My brain reels.

I walked around the grocery store and felt compelled to find something that I needed so that I would go home accomplished. I didn't need anything but I kept searching.

Good morning everyone :D

Hope you are having a pleasant Sunday.
Very quiet here.
Cats are not fussing about anything. :D

Hi Ali :)
aren't those tiny houses just too cute! :D

Hi Karl :)
Taking photos of her hoard and keeping them just to look at can be a great motivator to never allow your new home to get to that state. :)

Hi Roxie :)
Find a travel agent who understands and will help you make travel arrangements where you won't have to run to make connecting flights.
I would love to see you visit with your brother. :D

Hi Jess :)
BIG WAY TO GO!
for all you have been doing! :D

Hi Dianne :)
Hang in there!
Spring is right around the corner. :D

Hi Diane :)
A good way to make up for falling off the "no shopping wagon" is to look around your home and fill a bag or two for donation.
Please never feel that all is lost and that you should just give up.
Each and every morning we get a whole fresh new day to start over. (((hugs)))

Hi Dave :)
How's it going?
Any progress on the garage or other areas?
Missed you in Sunday night online support group.
Hope you can make it tonight. :)

Well, yesterday is finally over.
Mr. Hoarder bought a LOT of stuff at thrift shops. :(
He fiddles with the stuff for a bit after getting it home then he puts it down where ever and that's where it stays. Neglected, abandoned, left to rot & ruin.
I bought a fabric remnant to use on the quilt I am making and a spool of quilting thread.
Also bought two twin bed size comforters.
I like to keep a nice warm blanket on hand for any of the abandoned dogs & cats that city people dump out here in the county.
The comforters are in excellent condition, cost 2.50 and the neighbor saw them and told me that she needed one for her bed, so I gave her one. :D
Finally got to the grocery store and bought lots of fresh fruit & veg and kitty kibble.
Mr. Hoarder did well at the grocery store. :)
Having him handle and actually look at all the food he already has is like a reality check, a wake up call that he did not need to buy out the whole store to survive this coming week. :D

Hoping to "see" you all in the ONLINE SUPPORT GROUP tonight at 5:00pm PST. :D
Be there or be square.

Wherever there's clutter accumulating I plan to stop it in its tracks.

Sounds like an old Saturday Evening Post cartoon. Theres a cartoonist that used to draw funny shaped people, I think Osborne was his name, but not sure. I like him for this one!

There is a pile of purses peering through the sidelight at the front door. Inside there is a mountainous pile of books, clothes, pigs and dust clouds looking rather like one side of the parted Red Sea. In front of which is a lady with a determined facial expression, with a trash bag behind her, holding a chair in one hand and a whip in the other.

Hello everyone. Good to hear progress and your plan Tillie, for an upbeat day. I am snowed in, s00o have fire going and plan to clean up some clutter. Had a blind date that I cancelled, for two reasons, snowed in, anxiety meeting a man. Feel relieved to stay home and get back on track organizing. Got taxes done yesterday, very anxiety provoking. Went shopping after that, yep, compulsively.
I went to lowes and bought a dremel oscillating tool assortment attachments. I tried out the scraper blade on some old paint today, worked great. When snow melts, will take it up on trailer roof and try it out on old build up of patching and see how it works.
I followed up on stick built house I was thinking of. There is about $20,000 worth of things not on base price that are required things, I thought it was too good to be true. This is not upgrades on carpet etc., it is footings, permits, etc. Out of my price range. Happy I asked for details, and insisted on break down of all necessary charges. This answered my question to continue repairs of replace. Happy garage did not leak yesterday with rain, no leak in kitchen so patching is working for now. Hope all goes well for you today

Hi :)

WAY TO GO!!! :D
getting stuff done.

Going to the grocery store today,
have my list all made out.
He wants to go to the thrift shops. :(
Today I will not mention anything about not buying or about decluttering/cleaning.
That is my B-Day gift to him.
Tomorrow will be a different story though. ;)

Have a GREAT! Saturday everybody. :)

Day TEN - I want to ship these cards and things to their final destinations today. Got everything ready for three of them and have two more to prepare. Have to find addresses.

Laundry. I have two loads to do, maybe three if I have enough whites.

General straightening up. Kitchen table, counters, living room, etc. Wherever there's clutter accumulating I plan to stop it in its tracks.

I'm going to break out the pie book and really consider baking one today. But that also reminds me to call maintenance about our oven. It isn't lighting by itself and I need to have them come fix it but I hate having the man in here when I'm alone. Not sure I'll be brave enough to go through with that one.

I hope everyone is doing well. Thinking of you all...

Tillie - Glad you're starting to feel better!

I did the boxes in my clutter closet and THE PURSES. Whaaaaat? That's right. I scrubbed one up that was in okay condition and then I threw it away lol Almost kept it but, you know, it really wasn't necessary. With the space I've freed up getting rid of these old, increasingly shabby bags I can buy a nice new one that doesn't have ripped lining and a pen mark on the side. I only want as many as I'll actually use.

The only thing left to organize in my clutter closet is a box of cards from our wedding and my huge wedding binder. These are things I do not need but feel like I must keep. After I deal with that I will be calling this my walk in closet and not my clutter closet. After all, I'm typing this from the floor that actually exists now.

Good morning :)
Was sick the last few days.
House went all to heck.
Freaking out.
Need to clean the house because people told me they will be coming over tomorrow to give Mr. Hoarder his B-Day card.
Oh Well :(
I will do as much as I can get done without pushing myself too hard since I am still a little shaky & feeling small.
I know I can get the place good enough :)
T.G.I.F. and it is also the last day of February.
Lets all march into March together with renewed optimism and convictions. :D

Good luck with the apartment search Karl! It sounds like you're being very proactive :)

Day Nine - I did go to the grocery store yesterday and I did drop off my donations! I started writing out the card I plan to send out with those things I want to mail, so that's something, but I didn't finish that project. So I'll work more on that today.

I need to get back to the clutter closet today too. The rest of my weekly task is to finish the remaining couple of boxes in there so I want to do at least one today. My guess is that I'll finish one and want to do it all so we will see.

I plan to run out quickly and get more firewood too, just in case. Might bake a pie if everything else goes smoothly. It's my favorite way to heat up the apartment!

For Tillie -
A Tiny House on Wheels (with no Hoard of course)

https://sftimes.co/?id=93&src=share_fb_new_93

Karl,
Is there something specific that you would like me to pray about in your situation?

I am concerned about you and at a total loss as to the right things to say.
Dave

Pigs and purses lol My struggle. I feel like this book needs to be illustrated, or maybe one of the pop up variety.

Day Eight - I need to go to the grocery store because we have a store coming. I put it off yesterday and don't feel like dealing with public interaction today either. Still. I must.

I have some bags still in my car that need to be dropped off for donation. Perhaps if they are still open I can do this on my way to the grocery store.

I also plan to write a few cards to send to friends and family. I have to send that Rhinestone pig to my friend who asked for it. I have maple candies and syrup to send to my brother's family and my parents from our recent trip to Canada. I also have some items I am returning to friends that I'd like to be brave enough to send.

Wishing everyone strength today!

done

I'll set it up in a little bit.

I'm going to do some selected copy/paste because I want your own voice in the initial post too.

Dave, great idea for our thrift store recovery. I think looking at the feelings pre and post thrift store outings would be interesting. So happy we have our agreement for this week, hope I can make it through an outing with a craft friend tomorrow. I think she just has one errand then tea time. I think thrift store honest talk is the next step for me after going public with the hoard, being honest about thrift store shopping and discovering reasons behind it, would help in recovery. I read an article in newspaper tonight about brain chemistry changing when we addictivly do pleasurable things more dopamine is released. Genetically dopamine released when doing survival things. I could relate to that, I see myself as needing thrift stores to have stuff as good as other people. I actually feel like bargains have helped me survive. Sure do appreciate discussing this with you Dave.

Jess,

A title for your book

Pigs and Purses, My Journey Through Hoarding.

Karl,
Does your roommate actually have someone with money in hand ready to move in next week?

If not, would that give you any position for negotiating a one month extension for the current arrangement?

Or alternatively, what's the worst that would happen if you gave in and paid half for one month to give yourself a tiny bit more breathing room?

My thoughts:

A thread under how to help a hoarder?

Title: WE LOVE THRIFT STORES! HELP WANTED.

Sub title: Thrift stores in the life of a hoarder.

First post - by diane and Dave.

We are in the middle of a week of abstaining from thrift store shopping. We'd love to hear your thrift store stories. Not just about some spiffy "score", but: What's their importance in your life? How have they facilitated your hoarding? What attracts you to them? What happens to the stuff you buy there? What have you done to change your behavior in or about thrift stores?

Sorry you're not feeling well, Roxie! Hopefully you got some solid rest and it will do you good.

diane - Great job today! Sounds like you are really tackling a lot :) Also, I love that you noticed your tasks for today were a bunch of things you really dislike. I think it's important to figure out what catches us up so we can assign tasks differently or learn new ways to do the things we struggle with. I'm very impressed with you, lady!

Tillie - I felt so bad reading about your food situation with your hoarder. Thank you for sharing that. I cleaned my fridge out after reading what you wrote. Your struggles with your hoarder help remind me to be aware of the space I am taking from my husband. We both live here and are both affected by each other's actions and inaction.

Dianne - Thank you! I had my spin with the vacuum. Gotta make your own fun, right? lol Lately I've been really working on rephrasing things in general to sound more positive. Just now instead of lugging my heavy blankets all the way to the laundry facility across the street I "got to make some fresh clean snuggly bedding!" haha! The toe stubbing and stepping over and around things is so not something I am missing. I go in that room and instinctively start tip toeing even though it's clear now. So much better (and safer!).

Dave - I really dig your quotes today. I tend to keep things that other people might want or find a use for. Why?? When it becomes a burden and lessens our quality of life and the functionality of our homes... well the cost is too high. I am not a warehouse.

This is so long already, I'm sorry! I cleaned the kitchen, made dinner and then cleaned up after that. I washed some bedding, vacuumed, and organized the little kitchen closet! Lots of great stuff and some of that was a part of my weekly task. Feeling good!

Bills paid, why is it so difficult to do things I don't like, like this pile of papers? Well here goes-----papers away.

Got the papers done for taxes, made me very anxious dealing with them, not perfect but good enough. Took wringer out of washing machine and let me tell you, it was not an easy job with a toothbrush getting all the crap out. Decided to clean the metal moving parts that had never been clean and the inside of agitator, what a mess. I felt disgusted and tired after those two jobs so got on computer to pay bills and I "accidently"pushed this site anything to put off bills and pile of paper and floor. I noticed I listed jobs today of all things I dislike immensely. I think it is more reasonable to do only 2 things I dislike per day...Ok off to pay bills, my favorite on list, then pile of papers, then maybe floor.

Dennis the Menace cartoon from Karl.

"I know its good for nothing but I'm saving it until it's good for something."

I'm not getting back in the garage like I need to, using the cold as one excuse. But a question I was working on this morning:
When it's good for something to somebody but not necessarily good for something for me. Matt, and Cory, and Brooks Palmer will tell me that it is not my job to warehouse for others. That that item is clutter for me.

Brooks Palmer in his blog "You're able to let go of clutter because of the strength inside of you." And that's what I need to carry out to the garage to some of these items.

Long way to say good for you, I think you are using some self created CBT to force your mind into some new thought patterns and then paying attention to the emotional responses and not automatically responding to them with automatic behaviors.

Thanks for the reminder Dave, so important to find flashlight when electricity off even for temporary repairs. Need home for flashlights just like tools. Easier to throw away old plastic bags. Today thought it would be good to throw away something that still has a use, just to see I will live after throwing out a useful item (I will still have enough)