View allAll Photos Tagged Declutter
Found some water bomb balls stashed in the closet. No one will notice them gone. Just counting these as 1.
A bunch of old shorts and pants. Five pairs of old shorts and a pair of jeans to be exact. Good start to filling the trash bag.
via
Keeping your house clean can be a challenging task, and this is especially true if you have a busy work schedule. Have you ever arrived at home tired, only to be overwhelmed by piled dirty laundry and dishes? Have you ever found yourself choosing to turn on Netflix instead of trying to figure out how you’ll get the whole house cleaned? You’re not the first one that is feeling this struggle.
The reality is, you don’t have to dread coming home to three hours of cleaning to have a tidy house. You’ve likely heard some of these ideas before, but they’re worth repeating (and certainly worth a try).
Here are some steps you can follow keep your house clean even with a busy work schedule:
Clean for 15 Minutes
Especially if you’re the type who will sooner do no cleaning at all when you’re overwhelmed with a mess, this is an excellent way to begin keeping your house tidy (or getting it there in the first place!).
Instead of looking at everything that needs to be done, give yourself 15 minutes to focus on one room or project. Set a timer for yourself and get started. You may be surprised how much you can get done within this time. When the timer goes off, you can be done (even if you are not completely done cleaning the area you chose). Continue this each day, and you may have a clean house in just a few days. More than likely, you do have 15 minutes to spare even with a busy work schedule.
Schedule Out Tasks
Speaking of schedules, ever considered making one for cleaning tasks that need to happen weekly, but not every day? Instead of spending a big chunk of time on your day off, make a schedule to include things like these in your 15 minute cleaning time slots:
Monday: Vacuum
Wednesday: dust furniture
Friday: Sweep and mop hard floors
Split Your Laundry into Several Days
Instead of trying to do all your laundry in one day, try splitting it up into a few days. You probably don’t have time on some days for three loads, but you might find that you have time to finish one. Put in a load as soon as you get home so that it’s going while you make and eat dinner. Fold laundry while you catch up on your favorite show. Try to make sure you completely finish it (including putting it away) to keep things from piling up.
Change Your Habits
It’s easy to talk but so much harder to do. It’s true. However, it may be much easier to begin incorporating some of the following tips when you simply realize that doing them immediately takes just a few minutes.
Make Your Bed as Soon as You Get Out
I have thought to myself many times that I didn’t have time to make my bed. And I believed it. That is until I started pushing myself to make it right when I got up. I had to laugh. It doesn’t actually take that long to make a bed…three minutes maybe? And it is amazing how much cleaner a room feels when the bed is made.
Rehang Clothes or Immediately Toss Them in the Hamper
This is another clean-as-you-go idea, and it does not take long at all. What if, instead of dropping your clothes on the floor as you change or tossing them on your bed, you would take that same energy and immediately hang up things you can wear again or place dirty clothes in a hamper? Keep a clothing hamper in your closet, and this will go even faster.
Use a Shower Cleaner After Each Shower
There are a number of shower cleaners out there that you can spray on right after a shower and then wipe off in minutes. Think about the time you’ll save when it comes to having to deep clean, and you’ll appreciate stepping into a clean shower every day.
Wipe Down Your Bathroom in 5 Minutes Before Bed
While getting ready to go to bed, do a quick clean up in your bathroom. Brush your teeth while any disinfectants or toilet bowl cleaners are doing their work. Wipe down the sink and toilet with disinfectant wipes (keep these handy under the sink or somewhere in your bathroom).
Put Dishes in the Dishwasher Right Away
Instead of just putting your dishes in the sink, rinse them immediately and stick them in the dishwasher. This can save you scrubbing later, too! Then when the dishwasher is full, you can run it. You won’t be coming to an overwhelming pile waiting for your attention.
Put Things Where They Belong
You remember that time you spent an hour organizing an area or room? What if I told you that you could keep that area organized? Well, you can with just a minute or two of your time. It’s easy to come into the house and put your things on the table or a chair. Putting out just a little more effort, you could place things where they actually belong and save yourself from the overwhelming mess later.
Deal with Mail Immediately
If this is possible, take care of your mail immediately instead of throwing it on the counter or table. Take a few minutes to toss out catalogs and junk mail you don’t need. Pay bills or place them in a designated mail spot where you won’t forget about them (other than your table).
Fluff Couch Pillows When You Get Up
Instead of leaving the couch a rumpled mess, fluff and arrange pillows as needed when you are done sitting there. Neatly refold any blankets and put them back in their place.
Do a 10-minute Fridge Cleanout on Garbage Night
Set yourself a phone reminder to do a quick old-food cleanout from your fridge the night before the garbage is taken away. Make sure you take out the trash so you don’t forget it in the house the next day.
Cleaning Tips That Will Save You in the Long Run
Of course, not every house-cleaning task can be finished in 5 to 15 minutes. Keeping your house clean often means setting aside long periods of time to really get a project done well (Spring cleaning, for example!). But if you do set aside time to do the following suggestions, you’ll find it easier to do your shorter cleaning times later.
Create a Place for Everything
Okay, a few times I said something about putting things where they belong. But what if you have things that don’t really belong anywhere? You may need to do some organizing and buy some baskets, storage cubes, or other storage pieces that will help create a spot for those things that tend to pile up in odd places.
Declutter
Maybe you don’t have time for this on a workday, but it will likely save you time in workdays to come. Why try to find a place for things you don’t use or need? Get rid of them to save space. Your home will feel much more organized and tidy.
That’s just a few tips on what you can do to keep your house clean even with a busy schedule. Hopefully, we’ve been able to get you a few steps closer to the clean house you wish for when you get home. Happy cleaning!
The post Keeping Your House Clean on a Busy Work Schedule appeared first on All Property Services, Inc..
allpropertyservices.com/keeping-your-house-clean-busy-wor...
27/52
I went to the Parham Steam Rally this afternoon. This one had been placed nicely in the shade with a tree behind to help declutter the scene.
From the moment you make the decision to move, one glance around the house weighs down your high spirits with stress. Having to #pack everything the right way and load it onto the van to deliver it to the new location is a daunting task. To add to your dismay, there’s a lot more that goes down behind the scenes than just this. Planning, setting dates, hiring a reputable moving company, and getting cheap moving boxes that do the job right without coming apart in transit are all tasks that need to be managed responsibly. It seems anyone with time constraints would lose confidence in successfully relocating (without undertaking some intense labor). But luckily, you can actually help reduce your stress level and simplify your complex moving process by just following a few basic tips and suggestions.
Here’s what to do if you’re planning on changing homes:
Planning Part 1: Set Your Budget
The primary reason the word moving has a #connotation of #stress is because you find it overwhelming. So, the solution lies in simplifying the complexity of moving processes. You do this by getting yourself a planner to cover all aspects of your home. First, set the budget. How much can you spend on moving out of your home? Calculate your total moving costs by creating a budget plan. The priority is to minimize expenditure as much as you can without compromising on safety and quality of the services you receive. Technically, the less stuff you have the less you'll pay for shifting. So, declutter your house by getting rid of any items that you no longer need. You can do this by donating, selling or giving them away. In the process of sorting through your stuff, you’ll be able to organize them as well. Plus, if you aren’t expecting any important mail on your current address, get right to updating your address.
2. Planning Part 2: Choose a Moving Company
Once the budget is set, speak to a hiring company that has a good reputation and can be readily available for pick up in your area. Having your finalized possessions in clear view, you can easily provide accurate information to get quotes from various companies. The best way to go about this is by speaking to a number of reputable companies on the phone or by using an online moving cost estimator. Once you have an idea about quote estimates, you can arrange for them to survey your home to provide you with accurate costs. Discuss the services you need and ditch the ones that you don’t, this will bring down the costs. You can create a draft of questions you have for the movers to compare answers and costs when you quietly sit down. Choose the date that is most convenient for you to move out. Research and investigate carefully all the companies you consult for home surveys. Seeking reviews and recommendation from personal friends or family is more recommended as it cuts down on the chances of choosing fraudulent companies. You can thoroughly check out the moving companies by viewing their credentials on the U.S. Department of Transportation (#USDOT number), or check their memberships at the American Moving and Storage Association (#AMSA) and the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Hiring a reputable moving can save you from unexpected encounters and theft. You should carefully inspect the company’s review website before sealing the deal. Also, bear in mind that if a home moving quote is too low to be true, then it may be a red flag. In such cases, make sure to walk away and not take any risks. It is wise to utilize and explore every avenue of information in matters that involve your home security. Also, inquire about any hidden charges from the company you’re dealing with. Sometimes moving companies have unnecessary charges prescribed for unforeseeable things such as extra charges for boxes with large dimensions. So, gather all the information needed before you move on to the next thing on the list, which is getting packing supplies.
3. Planning Part 3: Get Packing Supplies
Survey your home and decide which type of #movingboxes are needed and how many. Write down the size, dimensions and quantity. Assemble all your packing essentials such as duct tape or packing tape, bubble wrap, cardboard boxes and packing peanuts. You can even gain some tips from packing books. To prevent any damage in transit pack your fragile items with expert tips, follow it by packing the valuable items by minimizing their risk of being stolen. Don’t forget to check with your movers the items that can and cannot board their moving vans. Due to some policies regarding health and safety, there are prohibitions in place that forbid transporting certain items. Label all your boxes, as this will help you easily unpack the stuff you need first. Also, mark in bold the labels “fragile” and “handle with care”, this will even serve as a reminder for your own self.
On the day of your moving, wake up fresh with minimum stress and worries. With everything under perfect management and control, you’ll let out a sigh of relief. Make sure you haven’t left anything to the last minute. Keep your “open me first” box close by so it doesn’t end up with the movers. Put in your phone chargers, devices and anything that you will need at hand during transit.
If you own any pets, send them over to a loved one to be taken care of until you’ve set foot in your new home. This will keep them safe and free of stress, as animals may not adapt to changes just as readily. Welcome your moving team with a warm gesture and offer them something refreshing, like a drink or so. This will help them start off fresh and upbeat.
Keep yourself calm and steady. Moving out and saying your final goodbyes to your home can be an emotional experience. Try to make the best out of your last day, by reinforcing positivity in yourself.
Show appreciation to the moving team, as #movers perform intense tasks throughout the day. Keep spare change on yourself to be able to tip them. Also, leave a positive review for them if they’ve managed to satisfy you. In case, you did not receive a pleasant service, express your dismay so the company can learn and resolve the issue by improving their services.
This photo belongs to the same series as The Dead man's brother
The story is gonna be a long one.Please bear with me.
As almost every thursday, for the past few months, I've participated in the Utata.org "Thursday Walk" project.This thursday I decided to pay the birth village of my late father and consequently, my grandparents, a visit.After roaming around on the few streets of this small village (which lies in the province of Antwerp, Belgium, and is called "Hingene") and having taken some shots, it started to rain.I went for a coffee in a brown pub and waited for the rain to end or at least diminish slightly.It got dryer again and I packed up my camerabag and decided to hit the streets again.I didn't have much hope of shooting anything decent any more and was in fact heading back to my mountainbike.Now the village has some quaint little (uninhabited, or so I thought ) houses that date back maybe 150 years and on one of these little houses the door was open and I saw two people, an elderly man and woman, doing things inside this house.The man noticed me from inside and I said hello and asked him what they where doing.I asked the man if he was from this village or was born here and mentioned that my late father was also from this village and the man had known my late father well.In fact, they had gone out (partying) together when they where both young men (somewhere in the mid-fifties I presume) So the man came to know that I was in fact the son of my father and we started talking.The man's younger brother, age 55, had just passed away and he and his girlfriend where busy clearing out the little house where the departed brother had lived all his life.He (the departed brother of 55) had, I found out, had once lived there with a woman ( she to had previously, a couple of years before, been found dead in the house) that was well known in our community for her weirdness and awkwardness ; the woman's name was "Zotte Betty" (translated as "Crazy Betty" ) and one of her sons.The son of Betty, the crazy woman, had lived with the brother till the day they found him dead.
At that point I had to just ask if I could take some photos of the inside.This had to be a one time opportunity.A once in a lifetime chance.I appologized several times if I was being impolite or intruding ( after all, this man's younger brother had just died ! ) but the man and his girlfriend saw no objections.So I stepped through the little door and was immediatly struck by the ackwardnes of the place.How in earth people could have lived in such circomstances was beyond me.It most resembled the home of some horder who never in his live decluttered !
I will save you a detailed description of the state the place was in ; look at the photos and let your mind do the work.
On the other hand, the house was full of memories of a man who must have lived the live of a recluse and now his things, his memories where about to be thrown away, to dissapear.
The more I photographed the interior, the wallpaper with this frail golden color, the odd trinkets and old objects, the more the man and his girlfriend became at their ease and they let me share their thoughts and insights in the life of their brother( in law).The woman even let me take a couple of shots where she was on inspite of her being very wary in the beginning.
I am deeply indebted to these people who have let me in in their personal lives whilst in the midst of a beriefment.
I express my gratitude.
These photos where taken with love.Be so kind as to threat them that way.
copyright Ange Soleil ( a.k.a Tweng) 2008
Small clip (pick up at your local hardware store) is attached to an l-bracket, which secures the pegboard to undersurface of desk. If I need to pull down the entire pegboard to re-arrange wires, etc. this will make it that much easier.
As part of the VRF Decluttering Group, this is the first area I will take on. It may not look so bad (I mean, clean off the couch and there ya' go!) but the real challenge for me will be keeping in decluttered for when guests come by. And having to make instant decisions and deal with stuff immediately.
2048 x 2048 pixel image for the iPad’s 2048 x 1536 pixel retina display.
Designed to complement the iPad iOS 7 lock screen, also works on an iPhone, simply centre the image horizontally after selecting it.
Typeface: Neutraface
(c) Lee Live: Photographer www.leelivephotographer.com/
For commercial usage of this image please visit:
ourdream.smugmug.com/Talks-and-Lectures/2018-Life-Pod-Int...
I have just had my first foray into the world of eBay. As part of my Project Declutter, we're getting rid of a few things, including some outgrown toys. I had fun setting up Kalu's knights for a last foray. I am particularly fond of the dragons!
cgi.ebay.com.au/Ultimate-Medieval-Toy-Knights-Set-Schleic...
The story is gonna be a long one.Please bear with me.
As almost every thursday, for the past few months, I've participated in the Utata.org "Thursday Walk" project.This thursday I decided to pay the birth village of my late father and consequently, my grandparents, a visit.After roaming around on the few streets of this small village (which lies in the province of Antwerp, Belgium, and is called "Hingene") and having taken some shots, it started to rain.I went for a coffee in a brown pub and waited for the rain to end or at least diminish slightly.It got dryer again and I packed up my camerabag and decided to hit the streets again.I didn't have much hope of shooting anything decent any more and was in fact heading back to my mountainbike.Now the village has some quaint little (uninhabited, or so I thought ) houses that date back maybe 150 years and on one of these little houses the door was open and I saw two people, an elderly man and woman, doing things inside this house.The man noticed me from inside and I said hello and asked him what they where doing.I asked the man if he was from this village or was born here and mentioned that my late father was also from this village and the man had known my late father well.In fact, they had gone out (partying) together when they where both young men (somewhere in the mid-fifties I presume) So the man came to know that I was in fact the son of my father and we started talking.The man's younger brother, age 55, had just passed away and he and his girlfriend where busy clearing out the little house where the departed brother had lived all his life.He (the departed brother of 55) had, I found out, had once lived there with a woman ( she to had previously, a couple of years before, been found dead in the house) that was well known in our community for her weirdness and awkwardness ; the woman's name was "Zotte Betty" (translated as "Crazy Betty" ) and one of her sons.The son of Betty, the crazy woman, had lived with the brother till the day they found him dead.
At that point I had to just ask if I could take some photos of the inside.This had to be a one time opportunity.A once in a lifetime chance.I appologized several times if I was being impolite or intruding ( after all, this man's younger brother had just died ! ) but the man and his girlfriend saw no objections.So I stepped through the little door and was immediatly struck by the ackwardnes of the place.How in earth people could have lived in such circomstances was beyond me.It most resembled the home of some horder who never in his live decluttered !
I will save you a detailed description of the state the place was in ; look at the photos and let your mind do the work.
On the other hand, the house was full of memories of a man who must have lived the live of a recluse and now his things, his memories where about to be thrown away, to dissapear.
The more I photographed the interior, the wallpaper with this frail golden color, the odd trinkets and old objects, the more the man and his girlfriend became at their ease and they let me share their thoughts and insights in the life of their brother( in law).The woman even let me take a couple of shots where she was on inspite of her being very wary in the beginning.
I am deeply indebted to these people who have let me in in their personal lives whilst in the midst of a beriefment.
I express my gratitude.
These photos where taken with love.Be so kind as to threat them that way.
copyright Ange Soleil ( a.k.a Tweng) 2008
More stuff from DD's closet. Some various unmentionable underwear and a cap. The underwear just counts as one.
My long awaited heart shelf. I absolutely love it and apparently so does my daughter. As soon as we had torn off the paper, she was filling it with all the toys she had rescued from our post Christmas declutter 😄
I've tried Bring Forward Files and weekly hanging folders. This school year, I'm trying baskets. Photo by R-M Arca.
The extremely long journey to acoomplish less. To do less. and ultimately to have less. I feel that the end is insight. Finally. Today my friend Adam Baker launched his new ebook project. manvsdebt.com/sell-your-crap/
So soon I will be going through the whole selling stuff on ebay thing and finally completing a major declutter of my stuff and my life.
www.organizingbuddy.com - this is my nicely organized make-up table.
i'm looking for people to connect to organize, and to motivate each other with organizing.
roll over the picture for the comments.
i also have couple of really cool and really useful free downloads on my website.
pls click on the big size to see all details
This photo belongs to the same series as Show me a life.I'll photograph it
The story is gonna be a long one.Please bear with me.
As almost every thursday, for the past few months, I've participated in the Utata.org "Thursday Walk" project.This thursday I decided to pay the birth village of my late father and consequently, my grandparents, a visit.After roaming around on the few streets of this small village (which lies in the province of Antwerp, Belgium, and is called "Hingene") and having taken some shots, it started to rain.I went for a coffee in a brown pub and waited for the rain to end or at least diminish slightly.It got dryer again and I packed up my camerabag and decided to hit the streets again.I didn't have much hope of shooting anything decent any more and was in fact heading back to my mountainbike.Now the village has some quaint little (uninhabited, or so I thought ) houses that date back maybe 150 years and on one of these little houses the door was open and I saw two people, an elderly man and woman, doing things inside this house.The man noticed me from inside and I said hello and asked him what they where doing.I asked the man if he was from this village or was born here and mentioned that my late father was also from this village and the man had known my late father well.In fact, they had gone out (partying) together when they where both young men (somewhere in the mid-fifties I presume) So the man came to know that I was in fact the son of my father and we started talking.The man's younger brother, age 55, had just passed away and he and his girlfriend where busy clearing out the little house where the departed brother had lived all his life.He (the departed brother of 55) had, I found out, had once lived there with a woman ( she to had previously, a couple of years before, been found dead in the house) that was well known in our community for her weirdness and awkwardness ; the woman's name was "Zotte Betty" (translated as "Crazy Betty" ) and one of her sons.The son of Betty, the crazy woman, had lived with the brother till the day they found him dead.
At that point I had to just ask if I could take some photos of the inside.This had to be a one time opportunity.A once in a lifetime chance.I appologized several times if I was being impolite or intruding ( after all, this man's younger brother had just died ! ) but the man and his girlfriend saw no objections.So I stepped through the little door and was immediatly struck by the ackwardnes of the place.How in earth people could have lived in such circomstances was beyond me.It most resembled the home of some horder who never in his live decluttered !
I will save you a detailed description of the state the place was in ; look at the photos and let your mind do the work.
On the other hand, the house was full of memories of a man who must have lived the live of a recluse and now his things, his memories where about to be thrown away, to dissapear.
The more I photographed the interior, the wallpaper with this frail golden color, the odd trinkets and old objects, the more the man and his girlfriend became at their ease and they let me share their thoughts and insights in the life of their brother( in law).The woman even let me take a couple of shots where she was on inspite of her being very wary in the beginning.
I am deeply indebted to these people who have let me in in their personal lives whilst in the midst of a beriefment.
I express my gratitude.
These photos where taken with love.Be so kind as to threat them that way.
copyright Ange Soleil ( a.k.a Tweng) 2008
Some colorful curbside junk-art greets visitors at Detroit's way-cool Heidelberg Project on the east side.
The story is gonna be a long one.Please bear with me.
As almost every thursday, for the past few months, I've participated in the Utata.org "Thursday Walk" project.This thursday I decided to pay the birth village of my late father and consequently, my grandparents, a visit.After roaming around on the few streets of this small village (which lies in the province of Antwerp, Belgium, and is called "Hingene") and having taken some shots, it started to rain.I went for a coffee in a brown pub and waited for the rain to end or at least diminish slightly.It got dryer again and I packed up my camerabag and decided to hit the streets again.I didn't have much hope of shooting anything decent any more and was in fact heading back to my mountainbike.Now the village has some quaint little (uninhabited, or so I thought ) houses that date back maybe 150 years and on one of these little houses the door was open and I saw two people, an elderly man and woman, doing things inside this house.The man noticed me from inside and I said hello and asked him what they where doing.I asked the man if he was from this village or was born here and mentioned that my late father was also from this village and the man had known my late father well.In fact, they had gone out (partying) together when they where both young men (somewhere in the mid-fifties I presume) So the man came to know that I was in fact the son of my father and we started talking.The man's younger brother, age 55, had just passed away and he and his girlfriend where busy clearing out the little house where the departed brother had lived all his life.He (the departed brother of 55) had, I found out, had once lived there with a woman ( she to had previously, a couple of years before, been found dead in the house) that was well known in our community for her weirdness and awkwardness ; the woman's name was "Zotte Betty" (translated as "Crazy Betty" ) and one of her sons.The son of Betty, the crazy woman, had lived with the brother till the day they found him dead.
At that point I had to just ask if I could take some photos of the inside.This had to be a one time opportunity.A once in a lifetime chance.I appologized several times if I was being impolite or intruding ( after all, this man's younger brother had just died ! ) but the man and his girlfriend saw no objections.So I stepped through the little door and was immediatly struck by the ackwardnes of the place.How in earth people could have lived in such circomstances was beyond me.It most resembled the home of some horder who never in his live decluttered !
I will save you a detailed description of the state the place was in ; look at the photos and let your mind do the work.
On the other hand, the house was full of memories of a man who must have lived the live of a recluse and now his things, his memories where about to be thrown away, to dissapear.
The more I photographed the interior, the wallpaper with this frail golden color, the odd trinkets and old objects, the more the man and his girlfriend became at their ease and they let me share their thoughts and insights in the life of their brother( in law).The woman even let me take a couple of shots where she was on inspite of her being very wary in the beginning.
I am deeply indebted to these people who have let me in in their personal lives whilst in the midst of a beriefment.
I express my gratitude.
These photos where taken with love.Be so kind as to threat them that way.
copyright Ange Soleil ( a.k.a Tweng) 2008
I'm not a morning person. Unless of course it's to go to the beach and watch the sun rise. But that's a rare occasion saved for summers. There is one beckoning though. It's the gentle light of morning across white curtains and soft blankets.
Two old t-shirts, ratty blue one for some reason I kept in a drawer, and a t-shirt that shrunk in the wash.
Taking some time to declutter my brain at the lake with my brother and sister-in-law who are visiting from CA. Enjoy watching the birds and boats.
Do you have broken sunglasses? If you won't fix them, toss them.
Used at: hellotidy.co.nz/broken-sunglasses/
Image Source: Disposable Society by Kurt Bauschardt - www.flickr.com/photos/kurt-b/13731026573/
Any pretty woman who becomes my friend has to pay a price for that friendship, although the price is in no way unreasonable; it consists simply of having her picture taken and posted to Flickr. And this one is no exception.
This is Alison, a law school graduate currently awaiting the results of the July bar examination in Arizona, and who was recently hired to fill a vacancy in our little corner of Family Court. I have spent much of my time over the past couple of weeks helping to train her, and as I once said to our boss in Alison's presence, having her around has been a delight.
I will only be involved in her training for a couple more days, after which she will be finishing it elsewhere; but in the time I have been with her, Alison has played a central role in a couple of amusing stories. The first one happened a couple of weeks before I took this picture, when another co-worker and I took her to lunch at a Mexican restaurant near the Arizona state capitol building. As we stood in line to place our orders, with Alison directly behind me, I perked up when I made out the music that was being played over the intercom and said it was "good salsa music." Then I broke into a spontaneous salsa dance, right there in that line, and Alison was quite amused by it. I told her I occasionally practice new dance steps while riding the elevator, waiting at a bus stop, or in other such situations, and that I knew the Fred Astaire people would understand that, even if other people who happened to witness it could not.
I have yet to hear the end of this. A few days later, a litigant in one of my conferences told me she had recently seen me in the elevator at the court. I had no recollection of having seen her there or anywhere else, but Alison, who was observing me that day, quipped that I would have been dancing in that elevator if the person the litigant had seen had in fact been me. She has since dropped a few other, similar remarks when other people have been around, and I get the distinct feeling that she derives some kind of perverse enjoyment out of watching my reaction.
The second tale concerns one of my most conspicuous flaws, which is that I am a packrat and a clutterbug. Big time. Years ago, I showed my wife a reproduction of a color painting that had been inserted in the frontispiece of my hardbound copy of _Don Quixote_, which showed the novel's principal character, sitting at a candlelit table in a cluttered study, totally absorbed in one of his books while hundreds of other volumes looked down at him from the dusty bookshelves which surrounded the room. Sheila said the scene reminded her of my law office in Ohio.
I have no trouble at all believing the New Testament account of Jesus feeding five thousand people with five loaves and two fishes, because I routinely perform a similar, albeit much less useful miracle all on my own. If you hand me a newspaper, I can make it multiply and divide into hundreds of other newspapers, which soon find their way into every nook and cranny of the house -- especially if I don't get around to reading the newspapers, which is all too often the case.
With that as background, one day Alison suddenly announced that it was time to clean up my office, and immediately undertook the task all by herself. I did not interfere, although I felt both sheepish and amused at the same time, and am sure I must have been blushing. Alison said she hoped she wasn't offending me; no, I replied, I wasn't offended at all, just embarrassed that I was no good at doing this myself and had created the necessity for her intervention. In other words, I simply recognized that she was doing something that really needed to be done, and was better able to do it than I was. And this isn't because I've never tried to declutter my office; it's just that I can't bear to part with an unread newspaper or magazine, and I tend to collect bits and pieces of assorted junk and papers for reasons I can't explain. Among numerous items Alison found and brought to my attention was a court calendar dated July of 2004, which she said she was sure I could do without; and I presented no convincing argument to the contrary, so out it went. My growing collection of Arizona Highways magazines was stacked neatly into a corner of one of my bookshelves, and a couple of half-empty water bottles left weeks before by previous litigants were chucked. It took Alison perhaps 15 minutes to have my office looking much better, even if not quite spic-and-span, although the trash can was overflowing by the time she finished this impromptu project.
Somehow it seems fitting that Alison and my other friend Nicole should know and like each other, because they both worked for the same judge for a time, and I have similar feelings for both women. And as was the case with Nicole, I believe firmly that Alison's job description simply must be changed, and that instead of what she is being trained for now, she needs to be made special assistant to me. That idea will get nowhere with the powers-that-be, of course, but it is certainly nice to think about.
Alison agreed to let me take pictures of her late one Friday afternoon. We went out into the patio area of the Superior Court complex in downtown Phoenix, and I snapped away for about 10 to 15 minutes. While she did ask me to delete certain images that she did not like, she knew full well that one or more of the remaining photos would end up here on Flickr, and she accepts that; again, it's simply the price of my friendship, and a natural and inevitable consequence thereof. But she was a very good sport about being my model that afternoon, and I liked this image best out of all the ones I took -- or at least out of the ones Alison allowed me to keep.