h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

"Always do the hardest and the most boring chores first" was the lesson taught to me by parents and teachers - and it made a lot of sense to me. So that's the rule I've been following all my life.

But no more! Never! Because it turns out my elders were wrong. Terribly wrong!

I had lined up a number of chores to be done after I retired from the w*rking classes, but I just couldn't get started. On and off I did stuff that had to be done here and now, of course, so it's not like I never did anything, but the list kept waiting - chiefly because the first tasks on it were extremely boring: Going through paperw*rk from the tax office, my bank, my insurance company

In order to get things done I had put a reward at the very bottom of the list: Connecting some old secondhand but still very fine speakers to my stereo. A friend got them for me, repaired them and sold them to me for next to nothing. I believe I had them for 2 years just standing there in the corner...

Then I met this lovely young woman who told me: "Always do the funny and entertaining chores first. That way the funniest challenge will always be in front of you"

Of course!

So now I'm listening to Eric Clapton and J.J. Cale's "The Road To Escondido" in a hitherto unheard quality

And tonight I will start with the dessert and - well, maybe not

OOO... old speakers (I kinda collect them and repair them a bit (just for myself mind, I'm not like an actual expert on repairing em))... \ What sort are they? (I'm still considering trying to purchase a set of speakers from a friend; they are big. I mean massive. they're old speakers straight out of the London studeo of the BBC, circa 50s or 60s (I forget the damn name of them now.....))

But... clearing the paperwork; just imagine the peaceful, calm sense of zenness that will descend apon you, when that ordeal and task is done. To declutter the mind, one must first declutter one's physical environs (wlel, I find anyhow) hmmm..... sit in fornt of the speakers, sorting the paperwork, whilst listening to clapton?

The brand is JWS and as far as I can make out they are called "C81XL-Gold 300 Watt". They are 107 centimeters tall, 31 wide and 30 deep

Want to hear something funny? I thought they were called SMC and had a lot of problems finding them on the web. Plus I put them upside down too

I know that calm sense of zenness well and am looking forward to experiencing it again. And yes, I will be clearing the paperw*rk in front of the speakers!

I believe these specifications to be accurate:

Enclosure Type: 3-way Twin 10" bassreflex
Impediance: 4 Ohm
Sensitivity: 94 dB
Freq. Responce: 30-20 000 Hz
Max Music Power: 300 W

I've spent three or four months going over my place with a fine-toothed comb, looking for ways to lose as much stuff as possible. I've thrown or given away hundreds of pounds of stuff, but a lot still remains. It's exhausting work, and I get enough aches and pains that I've found it pays to not do it two days in a row.

The hardest stuff is still ahead of me, but I'm philosophical about this. Picking manageable chunks to work on gives me a little more space to move about in as the program continues. Things that I don't use at least once a year are likely to be tossed unless I feel that I simply can't do without them. Then I make plans to go through them *again* a few weeks later to see if I still feel that way about them. I've discovered a lot of stuff I didn't realize I had. Things are starting to get put in more accessible and logical places, so when I do need them, they're easier to find.

I'm resigned to the likelihood that even the best-case scenario will still have me surrounded by a lot of stuff, but it's stuff that I really like.

Today I plan to look at all my large trays, both round and oval. There are probably a few that I will never get out again even as displays. There's a very large Thanksgiving tray that I haven't gotten out in the last three years. I have to resolve to either use it next Thanksgiving or give it away to a thrift shop that raises money for charities. Hmmmm. I wonder if my sister could use it.

I've tried to get rid of things I haven't used for the last 12 months, but like you I find it is a task

Oh... it does get doesn't it; I've guitars I've not played in more than a decade.... can I... could I.... get rid of em? nah... apprently not ; eventually though, I think one has to work back...... once you get all* the other stuff y ou don't really need, or* want... then waht's left, even things that you think you want or need, are looked at in a differnt light... I've three guitars I won't ever get rid of.... the others... really... unless I do some insane custom job on one of them, arn't really worth keeping At least with things like HiFi amps, and speakers; I do rotate them around, occasionally, so put away the ones I've got out, and dig out soem of the other pairs to put in their place My next task, is to try get recycled the ... probably near, if not more than, 1000 casettes I've got... neatly stored away... which I'll never want/need again..... I'm also doing this, well-aware that at some point, hopfully soon, I'll be having to cater for, space wise, William's books, CDs, and other belongings he'll want to bring with him Mind, some of the stuff we'll then have, between us, will be duplicates, and we can sort out that kinda thing, at the time but... just clearing space first... ; including, I must* be 100% absolutely certain I'll never gain weight again; then I can dump a small charity shops worth of oversized clothing... onto, hopefully a local chairty shop that has lots of empty space
Simularly... though... I can't ever get rid of my origional, old, arcam amplifier even if it still desperately needs a repair job done on it Or the pioneer amp, or... yet... half of me... would love to rid myself of virtually everything I own. Just leaving actual necessitys I need, nah... ain't gona happen

Turns out I now have 5 sets of speakers

But I need speakers in the living room, the bedroom and the bath - and if I get around to buying a new receiver it will be with surround sound so it should be feasible to use the rest of the speakers also

one set in the front room.
One set in my bedroom (main speakers really, big oldish Quadrils ATM: will put up the MS instead sometime soon)
Set of speakers in the studeo (currently my repaired set of 70s KLH, should be the powered monitors but they're butst).
Hmm, which leaves the celestions, still awaiting my to make them a new set of front 'grills' the monitors, awaiting to be turned from active monitors, into passive monitors the MS speakers, and, a little set of monitors, and, I think two other sets somewhere

I am not allowed to buy any speakers at the moment - William won't let me. mainly as he has some handbuilt speakers which are so rediculusly big to bring plus, about a dozen other sets, from the 50's, right through to the moden day... err, well up to about the 70s At some point, probalby in a new house, if/when we move; I'm gona wire up the entire house for speakers....

I was also brought up to do the worst chores first. However, this leads to putting *everything* off, just as you describe.

The best method, surely, is to tackle a chore when you really feel like doing it. You'll do it with more enthusiasm and, in my experience, you'll finish quicker. So just wait for inspiration to hit you. Even the tax forms can suddenly seem appealing at an unexpected moment.

yeh... but... breaking off in the middle of sex, to do housework, or fill in the tax returns, useually goes down really badly with your partner... In my experience....

I soemtimes try to leave tasks I really enjoy, as a bit of a reward; so I always reward myself for soem of the bits of housework I like less well, by letting myself spend as long as I wish, folding towels up... and putting away laundry in the wardrobe and drawers... But some stuff just has to be done in a certain 'correct' order anyhow, irrelivent of how much or little one wishes to do each individual task, or part-task of an whole 'tassk'... I like cleaning the kitchen, for example, because it means I've got a nice clean kitchen (and can make nice tasty food in it, then, without having to pause to clean, before hand),

I've identified three trays I can part with, but not the big turkey tray. Maybe I can stand it up to use as a screen next Thanksgiving

I also found some round Spode Christmas Tree trays with different patterns around the edges in different years. I had forgotten I had them, but I could use them to put cookies on at parties.

Some of my best trays are in use at all times. I put bananas and apples and pears on them. I live elegantly, don't I?

The Road to Escondido -- excellent selection.

You really must have a tray in the hall for people to leave their visiting cards on. A nice solid silver one. Monogrammed, perhaps.

To my eternal shame, I don't think I own a single tray which is kinda stupid really, seeing as how I also don't have a dining table, so do just tend to eat sitting on the sofa in the front room... I'm such a slob... one day... when I move... and William moves in... I'm gona have a proper dining room... big long table... shine it up every day.... shiney silver wear on it...

Mind, I still think our best plan yet, is the one where we're going to have a 'visitors book' kept in the hallway, on a lectin for 'visitors' to sign as they come in/out of the house I must get me one of those pairs of really long, white silk gloves... the sort of 1930s style, or perhaps more 20s.... and get a really long cigarette holder to use Hmmm. how on earth did I manage to find someone, like William, as nonnormal as myself Mind.... part of me, just sees some of these 'things' as extra clutter to have in a house I do hate clutter... but... its so hard sometimes OOo.... and a nice silver tray to serve coffee/tea, teacakes, on damnit.

You couldn't send any spare trays in my direction?

The only visitors I get are repairpersons and UPS minions, TC.