Hey, I'm Helen, and I have a tendency to collect pens more than anything

[helenorvana]

I lived with roommates for about three years before moving back in with my parents, and accumulated quite a bit of stuff that I haven't seen for a year as it's been sitting in a storage unit since I moved back. But my sister's getting married on Saturday, which means she's moving out and clearing all of her stuff out of the storage unit. Which consequently means my parents want to clean everything out of the unit and get rid of it.

I've not very organized and rarely pick up after myself in my own room, and thus two or three times a year will end up cleaning, reorganizing, and tossing/donating a ton of stuff that I never remember I had in the first place. I finished this most recent "spring" cleaning last week and have a ton of stuff to donate/recycle, but wasn't anticipating needing to clear out room for more stuff coming in. *pouts*

As far as the pens are concerned, every time I "spring" clean I go through my pen-holders with every intention of clearing them out, but I always end up testing the pens to see if they write, and keep all of the ones with ink left that still work. I have pens that I acquired through some fashion ten years ago that I just can't manage to justify getting rid of to myself. :S

So, my total last week, Out: Three bags of clothing, two black bags of trash, a laundry basket each of recycling and items-to-be-shredded, a bag of bags (purses, backpacks, etc), two jewelry boxes, a variety of smaller boxes/containers, a large container, I think a lamp, and a number of other smaller items that various siblings walked off with in the process.

And this coming week, In: Whatever I have left in the storage unit, including but not limited to a drawing desk, a 20- or 30-pound stuffed English Bulldog I've had since I was fourteen, possibly a bookshelf?, and boxes of more books, DVDs/CDs, and potentially clothes.

Comments

[peaceful_sands]

I so know the problem with the pens... I've been clearing this morning and I was stood on the loft ladder looking at a box just near me, wondering what was inside - when I opened it - it was completely full of pens! So that's on top of all the ones on my desk, the bag of them next to the bed and the other box that I found in the garage *head desk* Maybe they're multiplying on their own? Maybe I'm not really this bad?

[helenorvana]

Thus far, I've only got two desktop holders full of pens, so I've had at least some success with thinning them out over the years. But I would not be surprised if they breed when my back's turned, because I still have more than I remember leaving myself with. :S

[beachlass]

Sounds like you were very productive last week! Good luck and welcome!

[helenorvana]

Thank you! :) That productivity will probably drop off this week, but hopefully I'll be able to maintain some momentum throughout so that I'll be right back in the swing of things after the wedding.

[iliketea]

I gave tons of my pens away to one of my local non-profits because they always need office supplies and then I could feel like I wasn't wasting them. I also know that lots of schools in my area accept donations of school-type supplies, which is how my friend gave up all the school supplies she'd purchased over the years before moving across the ocean.

[helenorvana]

I had not thought of that. I think part of the reason I hoard them (in recent years, at least) was because at the bank where I used to work, customers were always running off with our pens, so a stash of the sort I have at home would have been considered a treasure trove.

More for the donation pile, then!

[bethctg]

iliketea has a good idea. Libraries might also like them. We are always running out of pens for the patrons to "borrow". ;)

[helenorvana]

"Borrow" and then conveniently forget they have as they walk out of the building, yes, I know what you mean. :D

[bethctg]

Yes! Pens are like GOLD at our service desk! ;p

[helenorvana]

People were always bemused when they came into the bank and the pens were chained to the counters. There was a very good reason for that.

[jumpuphigh]

Instead of just testing them to see if they work, you could ask yourself, "Do I love to write with this pen?" That helped me with my pen problem. Now, I only have my favorites.

[helenorvana]

Well, now...that seems far more effective to me. Hmm...