Streamline my home through discarding, organizing, and creating routines

borrowed from abs’ bugs list:

1. take pile of stuff to charity shop yes, mostly!
2. sort out upstairs table mess
3. finish going through old magazine pile and chuck
4. do the filing
5. sort out the on-top-of-broken-washing-machine mess done, and under-downstairs-bathroom-sink mess
6. take duvets one done/blankets to Freddy’s
7. see if we can get the telescope to work!
8. clean all doors, removing grubby fingerprints and tea stains upstairs doors done properly, downstairs doors done superficially (which is in itself progress for ms all or nothing here)
9. put up pictures
10. sort out sock/knicker drawer and chuck some stuff away done
11. take morbid souvenir photo of bust-up bike helmet done, then dispose of it with thanks! still haven’t managed to do this, though.

sort out of some of the rubbish hidden behind the upstairs curtain and around the bookshelves. of course, one always has to make the most of these unscheduled urges, even when one is suppoed to be working. have sorted out two bin bags of rubbish plus another load of stuff for oxfam, emptied (=binned) a suitcase of old grotty winter stuff that must have been hoarded away years ago (why?), and had a bit of a general reorganise. still loads to do, and everything still seems to be taking up almost as much room as before, but it’s a bit of progress.

_{i feel really dusty.}

that The Bloody Book i translated will be availabe from 29 February (a snip at $185). the publisher’s website says it will be available from March 08. i wish they’d hurry up and send me my three complimentary copies so that i can (a) set fire to them all the research i did for them and (b) get raucously drunk.

another big bin bag of rubbish plus another pile of good stuff for oxfam. not only that, but i found about 5 pairs of trousers that had been relegated to the back of the wardrobe for snugness reasons (i.e., couldn’t do them up) that now fit again! i wouldn’t describe any of them as the world’s most on-trend or well-fitting trousers, but they will definitely tide me over until i am looking even more athletic and can treat myself to some new ones.

at the moment. just a bit here and a bit there, but it makes such a difference. have ditched a few bin bags’ full of useless shite, there are a couple of bags ready to go to oxfam, plus a box of books the picky oxfam ladies would probably reject—am going to try to donate those to the second hand shop down the road.

• cancel direct debit authorization DONE
• set up appt with Mieterbund DONE
• ring Hausverwaltung and ask them (1) what on earth they were thinking and (2) about new cooker. perhaps in the other order. DONE
• set up standing order DONE, must talk to Hausmeister about cooker
• ask Mieterbund people about heating bill/unauthorised deductions, etc; reclaim money if possible hmm, the letting agency lady was actually really helpful here. but will keep monday appt to see what they say about heating bill.Miederbund now also DONE
• talk to Hausmeister about cooker (must clean cooker first) (and kitchen, really)
• write unter Vorbehalt letter to Hausverwaltung DONE

• new shower curtain (or how do proper grown-ups stop their shower curtains growing disgusting black mould around the bottom??)DONE! now have lovely new b/w zebra shower curtain that goes with any bathmat!
• get grouting redone
• disappear that stupid thing that’s so embarrassing i’m not even going to name it DONE!
• preferably new bath mat (ok, the old one was worn out, but the one alb bought recently is just hideous) no need, the new one looks fine when it’s not in combination with an orange shower curtain
• continue towel audit/clearout/reorganisation (guest towels belong in upstairs wardrobe, giving us more space in cupboard under sink)