...and more stuff

So, like my last post oh so long ago, I tried to make October into another "get rid of something every day" month.

And then someone broke into our house, stealing very little of monetary value but a lot of stuff of sentimental value. I'm mostly grateful that our dog was alright, because I don't know if he would have barked a lot or run away and hid, and a mean person could have seriously injured him (or worse).

In one way, the joke is on the thief (who I assume is male, since statistically that is more likely), because he will not get much from the pawn shop for what he stole. On the other hand, the jewelry that was stolen was important to me.

Some things were gifts (from people who have passed away), some were worn for special occasions (like my wedding), and some were souvenirs from trips and random places.

The property damage involved with getting into our house (two sets of double doors and two windows were damaged) far, far exceeded the amount stolen. We don't feel as secure in our house as we once did, and that eliminates one of the few things suburbs have in their favor.

All of that leads to the conclusion...we have to decide how we want to get out of Texas and how to part with some of our 'stuff'. This time next year we want to be back in a real city, not one that is still in the middle of suburban sprawl and with a "NIMBY" approach to change.

I'm calling the theft my "stuff to get rid of" for last week, and doubling down on paring down.

Grad school applications will be started this week!

Where did all this stuff come from?

When did I go from being a poor college student to someone with so much stuff? Over here at the squirrels' nest (ha), we own far too many things.

Somewhere along the way, after living separately for a while, moving in together, and getting married, we have gathered far more stuff than two people (and a dog) need. I also blame a couple of office-funded moves, when our stuff was packed quickly by strangers. Strangers will put everything you own into boxes, including your garbage (bleh). When you pack your things, whether all by your self or with the help of friends, you have to pause and touch and evaluate everything. One item at a time. And the longer you pack, the more likely you are to decide that things can be trashed, recycled, or donated.

So now we are here in San Antonio, with a house that is probably twice as big as we need and a yard that is 10 times bigger than we need. We know that this house is only a temporary stop for us. I like to move to new places, and see new things. I do not like living in the suburbs, where days and weeks seem to consist of an endless and anonymous stream of going to work and running errands.

I miss walking around my neighborhood and running into people I know. I miss meeting new people while walking around the neighborhood. I know that eventually we are going to move back to a smaller apartment or house in a proper city.

But then where will I put all of my stuff?

I spent April on a personal challenge -- every day of the month I added something to my "Donate" box. I didn't count anything that was technically trash or recycling, although I did clear out some old papers and cheap-o knick-knacks. At first it was easy. I just grabbed clothes that didn't really fit well or books that I knew I wouldn't read again. By the end of the month, though, I found myself tired of figuring out which things needed to go. After the "low-hanging fruit", I really had to think about the process. Since I usually tried to find my Thing To Get Rid Of (that's what I called it in my head) before I left for work in the morning, I was frequently running late.

Now, halfway through May, I think I might do it again next month. The main purpose is to make life easier while we live here (less clutter! easier to clean!). My secondary purpose is to make moving easier next time (fewer boxes! more organized!). I guess I should also admit that I'd be lying if I said that that tackling the personal challenge didn't motivate me as well.

Gah! How did I accumulate so much stuff?

The Resourceful Squirrel Hibernates for Winter

...apparently.

So not much has happened since last post. As a quick summary: Got a job, quit a job, got a new job. Taking some classes (English and Anthropology).

Ok, now that I am up to date, I have to say that I am loving anthropology class. I like the interaction of culture with society and politics and our physical bodies. It's like all the classes using control systems logic that I took for engineering and science can be seen in a new light. But now, I want to put our behavior and culture into the control system, too, creating a hugely complex system that still doesn't really have "an answer."

I have so many little fact-nuggets in my brain from different projects that I've worked on that seem to feed together and support the fact that how we are formed affects how we can function and how we function (individually or together) affects how we are formed. All in crazy-complex unexpected ways.