The Great Clean

I am sitting in the middle of a pile of books, cassette tapes, vaguely paganistic paraphernalia, a softball and glove, Hardy Boys mysteries with half the pages missing, mismatched plastic poster hangers, inflatable electric guitars, old board games, and dust. Yes, it was the Clean Out Denise's Closet Day. My closet is the only walk-in closet in the house and thus functions not only as a closet but also as storage and a small but well-stocked library.

Needless to say, I've been excavating things I haven't seen since I started high school and the box of garage sale stock has almost doubled in size. All the major throwing out and cleaning is done, I just have a few more odds and ends - but that's always the worst part, eh? You're almost done, and then the last bits just take forever. I'm happy with the result, I have so much more space and I can actually get at all of my books.

I used to be such a voracious reader before university. Once university hit, I almost stopped. It was one of my New Year's Resolutions to try and read three books a month and thus far I haven't managed even that. My to-read stack is as tall as my sister (which isn't hard, actually). I need to learn how to read and knit at the same time, but I did take the suggestion of some people over on Rav and picked up a book on tape at the library. Right now my local library is selling stacks and stacks of their old audiobooks for a dollar each - I know that borrowing them is free, but this way I don't have to worry about due dates. I just picked up one so far, to see if I can do it. The Cat Who Talked Turkey, by Lillian Jackson Braun. I actually have three or four of her The Cat Who . . . books, but I haven't read one yet. I'm about a quarter done now, and I find it so relaxing. I sit on my bed, close my bedroom door, and the world just goes away for a few hours. It's really, really lovely. I'm heading back to pick up some more tomorrow while I run errands.

My parents gave me a bit of cash for grading and I've been very good to myself with it. No new yarn purchases (yet - I'm eyeing KnitPicks), but I did buy a little digital scale and a digital tally counter both on sale, as well as one of those adorable iGuys and some new headphones. There was also a giant used booksale in Streetsville yesterday that ate another ten bucks, but considering I got twelve books for it including the entire Clan of the Cave Bear series, I'm not complaining too much. I do regret not getting the whole Outlander series, though. I've barely started the first one and I'm not crazy about it, but I'm a completist.

No more lazing about, though, back to work! When it's all done I can sit about my lovely clean room, listen to my mystery-on-tape, and work on my Shetland Triangle.

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