The two most significant things I let go of yesterday:
(1) My B.A. Here's the stack of notes, papers, exams. I only kept the bit on top with the pink elastic, since that was a course given by our top star in the department (Prof Brecher, an Arab-Israeli expert who doesn't give this course anymore.) For most classes, you can re-find anything you need in the assigned readings; but I can't be sure about that where Brecher's course is concerned, which he taught for decades.
(1) My B.A. Here's the stack of notes, papers, exams. I only kept the bit on top with the pink elastic, since that was a course given by our top star in the department (Prof Brecher, an Arab-Israeli expert who doesn't give this course anymore.) For most classes, you can re-find anything you need in the assigned readings; but I can't be sure about that where Brecher's course is concerned, which he taught for decades.
(2) The Royal Adderly bone china flowers that used to belong to my mother's mother, who died before I was born. I loved these when I was a girl. It was one of my most cherished possessions. But the pore old thing is chipped and broken, and really hard to dust. It was time.
Here's my poopy old room, with the books all piled on top of each other. My bed was pushed up against them, so I couldn't even get at some of the books. And I actually had a small dining room table next to the bed, initially as a study table, but eventually it just got piled high with readings, art I didn't have room for (but didn't want Nombly to pee on), the cat bed, and other accumulated crapola.
These shelves were all Stepmommy's when she was, like, 20. The plastic ones were breaking, taped together, buckling under the weight of my course notes. The joints on the metal ones were so loose the units would leeeaaan to one side or another.
Mid-job. The fiction books laid out in alpha order on my table.
The reaction of Nombly, who is bottom-most in the hierarchy, was to come and spray my filing cabinet. Right as I stood there alphabetizing. Sigh. Oh well, a filing cabinet is washable. The paper towels, bags, cleaners, and Feliway were all close to hand. No sense getting mad--it's not his fault I brought Haley into the mix and made him insecure (when he was already a neurotic Woody Allen type to begin with.) Cats stake out territory in your home, and when you move everything around it induces anxiety, so I guess his thought was: "Meh meh meh! Where is my territory? Where will Sherry let me sit? Where can I sleep in safety? What happened to all my Spots??"
When cleaning your room, it's important to dump a lot of stuff on your bed. This way you have to finish the job before going to bed.
Sherry's first reaction to the final room: "Where the frak is my cat bed? On the floor? What up with that! Nombly will piss on it!" I moved it to the top of the washing machine.
Haley's reaction? She strolled into the room while I was taking pics, sat smack down in the middle of the bed, and looked up at the camera. "I'm ready for my close-up Miss Mabel." Nothing phases this chick.
Here is the Fiction section, by genre and alpha. I stacked vertically because otherwise there isn't enough room on my shelves.
Sadie Scrymgeour Baynton (repaint by Stepmommy) was given the London Collection to guard.
Non-Fiction (the other half is here in the living room.) The first shelf by the wall is school books and course packs. The next two are mostly history books, and other books I use for story research. The London collection stretches across the top, ending with My Favourite Authors (guarded by The Musical Moose.) And then the general fiction section starts.
The reason for the huge bedside table--I spend a lot of time sitting in bed. It's a bedside table, vanity table, and writing desk all in one. (Eye masks, Calcium, codeine, pens, paper, MaeWitch's perfumes, the books I'm reading, my story notebook...)
I still have to do the desk...
and the laundry closet.
And I have to decide what to do with this shelf.
So far I've got my Darci doll (who represents my Inner Child... I wanted to be *A Star*), the London souvenirs Gilby bought me...
My London Traveling Companion: Yoda (with his suitcase), and the friend he brought back with him...
And gifts/souvenirs from others: Shoes from MidnightStreet's trip to Holland, mini Christmas Carol from my dad, soapstone carving from Vidal, mask from Italy via Gilby...
...homemade Tom Servo (Mystery Science Theatre 3000) made by my brother, and the scorpion Pablo and Delyriam brought back from an Egypt exhibit in Vancouver.
I think I'll also keep my Core Values books here, guarded of course by the minotaur (whose maze features prominently in Joseph Campbell's writings.)
And that's the end of my shooooow.
No comments:
Post a Comment