Ubergeek's Alter Ego: SUPERDAD!

Yesterday, I dropped the kids at school, worked 9 hours, came home, tidied up the living room, did several days worth of dishes (by hand - we have no dishwasher) while simultaneously making a nutritious dinner for my family, then did all of THOSE dishes, cleaned the cat box, transferred the laundry, returned a DVD to Blockbuster, returned the deposit bottles, went grocery shopping, refilled the cat box, and took out the garbage.

All without the slightest prompting.

That's right, ladies. Fantasize away...

Fact is, I almost never just walk in after work and plop on the couch. I walk in and immediately start putting things away, gathering the dishes and clothing scattered throughout the house by the younglings, making dinner and/or putting away ingredients and food items left on the counter, throwing away wrappers and junk mail... I simply cannot relax in a cluttered environment, and in my tiny 752 sq. ft. house with 4 people in it...the clutter never ends.

I've tried to do great purges of unused stuff to the Salvation Army, but it's difficult in a family of packrats. Granted, I'm no angel, in that regard. I have a record collection I haven't listened to in years, books I haven't read, a drawer full of small odds-n-ends, etc., but I keep my clutter contained. My stuff has places to go. If it doesn't, I make room by clearing out stuff I don't need.

Also, I generally don't hold on to things that "may be useful, someday" - at least, not for long. I avoid starting optional projects I don't think I'll finish, to avoid more clutter. I keep 'mementos' to a minimum. I regularly go through my drawers and closet to evaluate if I actually wear what's in there and donate what I don't. I have a collection of old band/drum corps/barbershop t-shirts and 1 small box of keepsakes from my youth in the shed - that's about it. Anything else I need, I keep in my car to avoid cluttering the house. Hell, I even keep my guitar at work because there's no room for it at home!

I've often been considered by many of those close to me as lazy and disorganized. I beg to differ. Between 2 jobs, freelance learning tracks, chorus, quartet gigs & rehearsals, Cub Scouts, and keeping the house kept up as best I can, sloth & disorganization is something I just don't hve time for.

Next plan it to reverse the spin of the Earth and turn back time to fit it all in.