I've Got Problems ...

So - today I got up bright and early ... well ... 4:00am if we are keeping track (couldn't fall back asleep). Needed to get to Firestone to get my safety inspection done bright and early for that no waiting. It was the first thing on an ambitious list of 'Things To Do' I was going to do on this lovely Thursday.

While there, I was told that my tires would not pass inspection - the inner edges were bald due to probably an alignment problem. So, thus began the lovely process of learning WAAAY more about tires than I ever wanted to know, peruse Consumer Reports, call different tire places, comparison shop, make a decision (which I made Gary do after we researched it ... he was a trooper and chipped in to help after his meetings). Decision made, I set up an appointment for Friday afternoon. The safety inspection will have to wait until Monday.

TOTALLY threw off my plans for the day.

During my studies of what the hell 'P265 / 70R17 113S' meant, Mr. Amazon brought me a vacuum! Thankfully it was an easy assembly or based on the mood I was in, parts would have flown through a window.

For $99.00 he works like a charm! I miss my Dyson and might still get one based on the fact that I have every single attachment made for it in my possession and hate to toss them. Anyone interested in a broken Dyson vacuum and 15 or so attachments?

After vacuuming for a bit, I got it in my head that the closet under the stairs needed spiffing up.

So ...

I gutted it:

Yes, folks, that is a sheepskin rug. It was lovely in Norway - in Houston ... Not so much. I had no idea it was in there and that is saying a lot - it is huge, where was it hiding? I'm thinking it needs to find a new home - whether that be upstairs in another scary closet that I need to eventually clean out or the city dump ... I am not sure.

But look how lovely it looks without all the crap in it? It is deep and you could actually walk in and get a coat if you so desired (or more likely a bag since that is what I have hanging there ... who needs coats in Houston?).

During this tossing things out of the closet with wild abandon, I got a phone call. It was a group reminding me that I said that I would have a donation of clothing (and only clothing) out on my doorstop tomorrow.

WHAT? That is tomorrow? DANG! I just dropped off a huge pile of crap from my closet, including a bunch of clothes just that morning. Did they want a sheepskin rug? "No, ma'am, we only take clothing." (Man, cut a hole in it for your head and call it a coat ...)

This, of course, was not their fault (that I had dropped off all my stuff that morning or that you generally cannot really wear a sheepskin rug), so I told them I would be ready - the bags would be out on the porch by 7:30am, without the sheepskin.

I don't know why, but for the past few days I have been in a 'mood' to toss ... well ... next to everything in the house. So - off I went to my closet to make a second, more brutal pass.

I was RUTHLESS. If I haven't worn it for a while - I got rid of it. I can always buy more clothes later ...

Thus - more messes in my house that was oh-so-pristine yesterday:

Finished itemizing the clothes, bagged them and put them by the front door all ready to head to their new home in the morning:

Back to the closet.

Tried really hard to keep the closet manageable. Got everything back in it but that pesky sheepskin rug / toga, my Dyson vacuum (the new one will go right there in the front) and the bag of Dyson accoutrement's. Not too shabby (you can at least see carpet - something that was not showing before I started):

But ... here's the thing ...

Apparently I have a 'condition' that I can't seem to shake - I believe it is called 'antipackrat' (I believe in medical circles it is pronounced an-TIP-a-ckrat).

Or maybe I just need to simplify my life and this is a good start?

Nah ... probably a disease ...

Anyhoo ...

There are some candles, room fresheners, etc in the closet for some reason. I think I was under the impression that it would make the closet smell good (which it does) but ... the closet under the stairs is not the designated place for candles and room fresheners!

THE HORROR!!!

Where they should be: The Official Candle and Room Freshener Location is a kitchen cupboard and it is full to the brim with the aforementioned items.

Thing is? I KNOW that I won't be able to sleep until I clean up my candle mess. Which means things will spill over and I will be also cleaning up the kitchen candle mess, which will lead to discovering another mess, or just something unorganized and off on a tangent I will go ... and all of a sudden (hmmmm ... sort of like last night) it will be 3:00 in the morning and I won't know where the time has gone.

Like I said:

I've got problems ....