Friday, December 7, 2007

Housecleaning

I'll let you in on a little secret. I'm a (sometimes) compulsively neat person. Yes, I lean a little more toward the Felix side of life than the Oscar side. The good thing is my husband is a bit Felix-y too so we go together like peas and ... well, peas. (I don't like carrots.) Anyway, our home is usually neat, the yard tidy and there are no cobwebs in the corners, not even in the garage.

Imagine my shock when I realized I've been harboring a garbage dump -- right here on my desk! Yes, my computer was akin to a wasteland, filled with rubbish piled so high it's a miracle I didn't drown in it.

This past week I've learned a lesson about computers that you probably all know but me, computer novice that I am, had no idea about. It is, however, a tidbit of information I shall never, ever forget again. The recycle bin needs to be emptied. Let me repeat my newfound nugget of wisdom, if only to reinforce it in my own mind: The recycle bin needs to be emptied. I feel like I should embroider it on a sampler and hang it above my desk.

I've spent this whole week sorting through old files, spreadsheets, edits, contracts, erratas, stories begun but never finished, stories finished but never submitted, the flotsam and jetsam of any ordinary writer's life. Ugh. I'm thinking of changing professions...do you think middleaged ballerinas get a lot of files in their recycle bins? What about oyster boat captains? Fat recycle bins? Oh, there's got to be something I can do that doesn't shelter a wastebin inches from my nose!

Oh, right. Maybe I should just empty the recycle bin more than every three years or so. Yes, you do have a point. Thanks. :) I could do that.

And now that I've spent days doing nothing but sorting, tossing out and shaping up, things are starting to look pretty good. Uncluttered, the way I like them best. And my computer is running well again. Not slow and sluggish, uncooperative or testy, the way it has been recently. Yes, maybe I will keep doing what I've been doing. After all, I don't drive boats really well and my knees won't support ballet lessons. Yes, I'll stay at my desk--especially since this silly black box has been thoroughly cleaned out.

I've been reminded of something important this week. Oh, no, it's not all about computers, although I have learned a fair bit about them in the past days. But I've gotten a gentle reminder that things aren't always as they appear. I can forget that sometimes.

But sometimes, often lurking beneath a placid exterior, is a wild world that I can't even begin to fathom. One that is shocking, surprising and can, when it wants to, consume 15,005 photograph files. Thankfully, it is a world that will, when coaxed, spit them back out.

Yes, I've had an interesting week. I hope you have, too. This weekend I'll work on catching up on all that's been neglected while I computer cleaned these last few days.

What's on the agenda for next week? One can only imagine...

Have a nice weekend!!

7 comments:

Tory Richards said...

Too funny! At work I have to delete my recycle bin once a week, but I tend to forget about it at home.

Did you know you can retrieve deleted files? You think you're sending them to cybor space but they're really vacationing in your recover deleted files bin:)

Kathleen said...

I've actually heard files never truly delete but hang out somewhere in cyber space forever. Good thing dust bunnies don't do that.

margaret blake said...

Okay you two peas in a pod! Well being a Virgo I was Miss Tidy, now I am older I let it go hang. I have become a slut when it comes to housework. My computer desk is full of post-its and scraps of paper with bits and bobs written on it. I tell you, I live in my head.

Now the recycle bin, do not laugh, I store things that I don't want to lose in there. Daft I know, my computer man thnks I am insane, yep, guess I am. A friend came over to try to speed up my computer a bit, she deleted my re-cycle bin. PANIC! No one now gets to touch my computer, I know what I am doing. Yes I believe you can get them back somehow, but hey ho, I have not bothered but some stuff I really liked.

So Sarita, you are well behind the game! Ha ha!

Margaret.

Tory Richards said...

LOL...good one Kathy!

I never thought about storing things I don't want to loose in the garbage...hummm...something to think about Margaret:)

Sarita Leone said...

Oh, Debbie, someday I may ask you to teach me that neat little trick. Recovering the garbage, hmm... It may have potential, LOL!

:)

Sarita Leone said...

Dust bunnies... now those I can deal with, Kathy! :)

Sarita Leone said...

Oh my gosh, Margaret. However it works for you--I'm just glad it works! I'd gladly come clean your desk for you, or even clutter it up a bit, as long as you keep writing such wonderful stories. :)

Maybe someday I'll be able to let it all hang, but for now I'm still too like Felix for hanging. But now that I think of it, I'm more of a "hanger" than I have ever been in the past, so maybe someday...

:)